mondo*dr 24.4

MAY / JUNE 2014 | 24.4

the international publication for technology in entertainment

may / june 2014

EUROPE & AMERICAS EDITION

modul ar it y tony and simon o ate s

the atre s + concer t hall s • mi x ing con s ole s www.mondodr.com

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mondo*dr 24.4 May / June 2014

ON THE COVER Ruhr Festival Theatre, Recklinghausen Photo by Markus Hermann of Fohhn Audio AG General Manager Justin Gawne / j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk Editor Rachael Rogerson / r.rogerson@mondiale.co.uk Deputy Editor Helen Fletcher / h.fletcher@mondiale.co.uk Advertising Manager Jamie Dixon / j.dixon@mondiale.co.uk Advertising Sales Laura Iles / l.iles@mondiale.co.uk Editorial Intern Verity Carson / intern@mondiale.co.uk Accounts Amanda Giles / a.giles@mondiale.co.uk Production David Bell, Mel Robinson, Dan Seaton Group Chairman Damian Walsh Mondiale Publishing Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ United Kingdom Tel: +44 161 476 8340 | Fax: +44 161 429 7214 Annual Subscription Rates (7 Issues) UK: £30.00 / Europe: £50.00 / Rest Of World: £65.00 2 year rates are available on request. Subscribe online at www.mondiale.co.uk or call +44 (0)161 476 5580 ISSN: 1476 4067 Mondo DR (ISSN 1476 4067) is published in January, March, May, July, September, November and December by Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, United Kingdom Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, United Kingdom

mondo@mondiale.co.uk www.mondodr.com Printed by Buxton Press, Palace Road, Buxton, UK

The loyal readers of mondo*dr, who have been with us from the very start will be well aware that when European Discotheque Review (EDR) - as it was then known launched in 1990 our target audience was the European nightclubbing world. As the publication grew in popularity, in 1994 we ventured further afield and became a global title.

A strong focus on nightclubs remained for the next decade, however, in 2009 mondo*dr’s remit expanded in order to incorporate all types of venue installations under the entertainment umbrella. The coverage of the magazine diversified into theatres, stadia, museums, theme parks, cruise ships, retail outlets - as well as continuing with nightclubs - and this variety remains to this day.

Personally, I feel the mixture of differentiating venues is more exemplary of today’s global entertainment market, although recently I have had reason to reflect on yesteryears due to a surge of interest in EDM. The phrase has been sounded around by a number of audio manufacturers during the start of the year and Rolling Stone magazine published a list of the 50 most important people in EDM, which featured a nod to our world in the form of Funktion One frontman, Tony Andrews. During our recent road trip in Italy, Laura and I were privileged enough to witness a demonstration of a new technology for subwoofer applications, which is set to revolutionise the audio industry - according to the creators of this new technology - and will make its debut in the US in early May. Full details of the latter are currently under wraps but it’s a space worth watching as I believe it will have a huge impact on the clubbing world.

You may also be aware that mondo*dr’s parent company, Mondiale Publishing, recently invested in UK-based BPM and PRO shows. The former is a DJ show, which has experienced significant growth over the last few years, while the PRO side is new for 2014 and aims to attract manufacturers operating in the professional market. We’ll be offering our knowledge and experience in order to help grow the events in both content and direction.

While mondo*dr will not be reverting back to its old ways, there is definitely something brewing in the clubbing world and I for one will be interested to see how it develops.

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CONTENT S 014

in brief

IN DEP T H 024

024 036

INTERVIEW

tony + simon oates

REPORT

theatres + concert halls

IN FO CUS 036

068

074

090

078

068

boutiq , DUBAI

074

ASTANA STATE auditorium, ASTANA

078

O1NE YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI

082

SERPENTINE SACKLER GALLERY, LONDON

086

MUSIKVEREIN, VIENNA

090

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES

096

THE EMERSON, MELBOURNE

102

VICS, BEIJING

108

THE BANK, HANOI

IN BUSINE S S

102

096

112

PROLIGHT + SOUND / GET SHOW, GUANGZHOU

118

PROLIGHT + SOUND, FRANKFURT

132

AFIAL, MADRID

138

PRODUCT GUIDE

146

PRODUCT DIRECTORY

154 108

154

MIXING CONSOLES

LAST PAGE INTERVIEW

ARNAUD LeSCHEMELLE, FREEVOX

The 2014 US annual subscription price is 102.00. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to MONDO DR, Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA

012 AD INDEX

FRANÇAIS

DEUTSCH

Les fidèles lecteurs de mondo*dr avec nous depuis nos début ou ceux portant un vif intérêt à notre histoire se rappelleront que lorsque nous avons démarré en 1990, notre lectorat cible était principalement celui du club de nuit.

Toutefois, en 2009 mondo*dr a intégré tous les types d’installations de conférence sous l’égide du divertissement. Personnellement, je pense que le panachage de différents types de lieux représente mieux le marché du divertissement mondial actuel, bien que j’ai dû récemment revenir sur les jours d’antan à cause du regain d’intérêt pour la musique de danse électronique. Vous êtes sans doute au courant que Mondiale Publishing, la société mère de mondo*dr, a récemment investi dans des spectacles BPM (électro) et PRO au Royaume-Uni. Le BPM est un spectacle de DJ qui connait une croissance importante depuis quelques années, tandis que le PRO sort tout juste en 2014 et vise à attirer les fabricants opérant sur le marché professionnel.

Nous offrirons nos connaissances et notre expertise en terme de contenu et de gestion afin de développer ces événements. Même si mondo*dr n’a pas l’intention de revenir en arrière, il y a définitivement quelque chose qui se passe dans le monde du club de nuit et pour ma part, je serai curieux de voir comment tout ça va se développer.

Die treuen Leser von mondo*dr, die uns seit Beginn begleiten, oder solche mit einem lebhaften Interesse an unserer Geschichte werden sich bewusst sein, dass wir uns zu Beginn 1990 als Zielpublikum an die Nachtclubwelt gerichtet haben. Wie auch immer, das Aufgabengebiet von mondo*dr wurde 2009 erweitert und gliederte alle Arten von TreffInstallationen unter dem Entertainment-Schirm ein. Ich persönlich bin der Auffassung, dass der Mix differenzierender Treffs für den globalen Entertainmentmarkt von heute beispielhafter ist, obwohl ich erst kürzlich wegen des wachsenden Interesses an EDM Grund hatte, über die vergangenen Tage nachzudenken. Vielleicht wissen Sie, dass das Partnerunternehmen von mondo*dr, Mondiale Publishing, kürzlich in die BPM und PRO Shows in GB investiert hat.

Erstere ist eine DJ-Show, die in den letzten Jahren ein bedeutendes Wachstum verzeichnet hat, während die PRO ein Neuzugang für 2014 ist und beabsichtigt, Hersteller anzuziehen, die auf dem professionellen Markt tätig sind.

Wir bieten unser Fachwissen und unsere Erfahrung, damit diese Events sowohl in Bezug auf Inhalt wie auch auf Ausrichtung anwachsen können. Auch wenn mondo*dr nicht auf seinen ehemaligen Weg zurückkehren wird, so ist definitiv etwas in der Clubbing-Welt in Bewegung geraten und ich zum Beispiel bin gespannt, wie sich diese Entwicklung fortsetzen wird.

Adamson ................................... 131 ADJ............................................ 119 Amina Technologies ..................... 83 Antari ........................................... 10 Audiocenter ................... 97,113,125 Camco......................................... 35 Chauvet ....................................... 73 Clay Paky .............................. 20, 21 coolux ........................................ 151 d&b audiotechnik ......................... 57 D.A.S. Audio. ............................... 99 Daslight ....................................... 12 Dataton ........................................ 65 DiGiCo .................................. 27, 85 Duratruss ................................... 127 EAW ............................................ 71 Elation........................................ 123 Entech ....................................... 135 ETC Europe ................................. 51 FBT ............................................. 15

Fohhn Audio ................................ 19 Funktion One ............................. 129 Global Truss China .................... 133 Green Hippo .............................. 107 GTD Lighting / Truss .............. 7, 143 Guangzhou Caiyi Light, Fine Art ..... 6 Guangzhou Fangda Stage Equip .... 4 Guil.............................................. 61 Havells Sylvania ......................... 143 Haze Base ................................... 61 Idea Pro Audio ............................. 53 Infocomm ..................................... 22 Informa Exhibitions ..................... 115 J&C Joel ...................................... 62 K-array ......................................... 13 Kind Audio ................................. 144 Kling & Freitag ........................... 105 Koba .......................................... 137 KV² Audio .................................... 41 L-Acoustics .................................... 2

ITALIANO

ESPAÑOL

Gli affezionati lettori di Mondo*dr che sono stati con noi fin dall’inizio o quelli che hanno mostrato un forte interesse per la nostra storia saranno ben consapevoli che quando abbiamo iniziato, nel 1990, il nostro target di riferimento era il mondo dei nightclub. Tuttavia, nel 2009 Mondo*dr si è voluto estendere per includere tutti i tipi di impianti nel settore dell’ intrattenimento.

Personalmente, sento che la commistione di posti diversi nel mercato dell’intrattenimento globale di oggi sia più esemplare, anche se di recente ho avuto motivo di riflettere sul passato per un maggiore interesse per EDM. Vi posso mettere al corrente del fatto che la madre di Mondo*dr, Mondiale Publishing, ha recentemente investito negli spettacoli BPM e PRO che hanno sede nel Regno Unito. Il primo è uno spettacolo di DJ, che ha registrato una crescita significativa negli ultimi anni, mentre il lato PRO è nuovo per il 2014 e si propone di attrarre i produttori che operano nel mercato professionale. Offriremo la nostra conoscenza ed esperienza per far crescere gli eventi sia nel contenuto che nella direzione.

Mentre Mondo*dr non ritornerà alle sue vecchie abitudini, c’è sicuramente qualcosa di storto nel mondo dei locali e io per primo sarò interessato a vedere come si evolverà.

Los fieles lectores de mondo*dr que han estado junto a nosotros desde el comienzo o aquellos con un marcado interés en nuestra historia sabrán que, cuando nos lanzamos en 1990, la audiencia a la que apuntábamos era la del mundo de las discotecas. Sin embargo, en 2009, el ámbito de mondo*dr se expandió para incorporar todo tipo de instalaciones de sitios que se encuentran bajo el paraguas del entretenimiento. Personalmente, siento que la mezcla de lugares diferentes es más ilustrativa del mercado global del entretenimiento de hoy en día, a pesar de que recientemente he tenido razón para reflexionar acerca del pasado debido a un ataque de interés en EDM. Como seguramente sabrán, la casa matriz de mondo*dr, Mondiale Publishing, invirtió recientemente en las muestras BPM y PRO con base en el Reino Unido. La primera es una muestra para DJ, que ha experimentado un importante crecimiento en los últimos años, mientras que PRO es una nueva del 2014 y apunta a atraer a fabricantes que operan en el mercado profesional. Nosotros estaremos ofreciendo nuestro conocimiento y experiencia para ayudar a que los eventos crezcan, no solo en contenido, sino también hacia dónde van. A pesar de que mondo*dr no volverá a sus viejos caminos, definitivamente existe algo a la deriva en el mundo de las discotecas y yo tendré interés en ver cómo se desarrolla.

Ledika.......................................... 61 Light Sky Fly Dragon ...................... 5 Lighting Dutchman ....................... 80 Look Solutions ............................. 43 LTM ............................................. 88 Lumen Radio................................ 56 Macostar ..................................... 64 MBN .................................. 105, 107 MC² Audio ................................... 77 Merging ..................................... 153 Meyer Sound ..............................BC Music & Lights ..................... 55, 145 Next Pro Audio ............................. 51 Philips Entertainment ................... 29 Pioneer Europe ............................ 81 Powersoft .................................. 117 PR Lighting .................................. 17 PRO .......................................... 110 Pro Tapes & Specialties ............. 147 Pulsar .......................................... 95

Quest Engineering ....................... 44 Rane ............................................ 31 RCF ............................................ 93 Renkus-Heinz ............................... 77 Robe............................................ 49 Rosco .......................................... 47 Sennheiser................................... 63 SGM ........................................... 33 ShowTex ...................................... 39 Soundcraft ................................. 141 Starway ....................................... 89 Steinigke ................................... 121 Studio Due................................. 155 Studiomaster ............................. 139 Sunlite Nicolaudie .......................... 8 Talbot Industries ......................... 101 Tarm Laser Technologies ............ 103 Verlinde ..................................... 109 VMB ........................................... 59 Wireless Solutions ......................... 3

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014 in brief - europe/middle east/africa

IN BRIEF

I B I Z A R O C K S H O U S E LO O K S TO P I O N E E R P R O F E S S I O N A L A U D I O Boutique rock ‘n’ roll hotel Ibiza Rocks House at Pikes hotel needed a club-quality sound system for its iconic Freddie’s Room. With the room spread over five small spaces, Pikes wanted a system that could provide enough power to keep guests dancing until dawn in the two club areas, while creating a warm, comfortable sound elsewhere. Pioneer Professional Audio worked with the Pikes team to create a sound system. The system installed is made up of two Pioneer Professional Audio XY-81 eight-inch loudspeakers and one XY-118S 18-inch subwoofer in Freddie’s Room; a further three XY-81 loudspeakers in Freddie’s Fireplace; and another XY-81 for DJ monitoring. Two Powersoft K2 amplifiers with in-built DSP and Pioneer pre-sets power and process the system.

S H A R P LO O K FO R TAT E M O D E R N Nick Gray of Renegade recently produced a lighting installation using entirely white light in the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern London for brand and live communications agency Mission, which was celebrating its 10th anniversary. Above the entrance ramp door he positioned a 4K Molebeam; on the bridge at the front of the hall he positioned 10 Clay Paky Sharpys, representing 10 candlesticks, shooting directly up into the air.

They remained in this position until the end of the event, when they dropped down to illuminate the way out, in the process creating a ceiling of light for the exit.

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016 in brief - asia/PACIFIC/OCeania

ANOLIS LIGHTS ICONIC LANDMARK IN BRISBANE The heritage-listed Newstead Gas Ring is an iconic piece of Brisbane’s historic industrial architecture, now at the hub of a major urban regeneration project, Gasworks. The plaza element of the project stands below the superstructure of the former gas storage ring and is illuminated with over 500 Anolis LED lighting fixtures. The Gas Ring features 20 spires each 20-metres tall - Anolis ArcDots are used on every bracing cross-member of steel on the middle and top rings. There are also five runs of seven ArcDots at 1,200mm spacings on every fourth spire, and a further 40 units up-light the finials at the top of each spire.

In addition to these, 60 Anolis ArcSource 96’s are utilised to up-light the main frames of each of the 20 spires and 20 ArcSource Integral MCs are ensconced in the ground beneath the trees around the Gasometer to complement the glowing metal.

F B T A N D PAT R A F T E R A R E N A The Queensland Tennis Centre located in Brisbane, Australia consists of 23 international standard tennis courts. The centre court, Pat Rafter Arena, boasts a new FBT Shadow Series loudspeaker system, based on a distributed design using a mix of Shadow 112CT and 112HC loudspeakers. With a capacity of 5,500, the arena is acoustically difficult, due to the open-air nature of the venue and quite a bit of time was spent in the design phase with EASE simulation software. The system was supplied to the installation company in under three weeks and was one of the first sales by new FBT distributor, Audio Brands Australia.

www.mondodr.com

018 in brief - the americas

SAPSIS RIGGING FL IES P HO E N IX IN ST JOHN’S CATH EDRAL Sapsis Rigging provided rigging design and installation services as well as all of the equipment to fly two sculptures in the Cathedral of St John the Divine in New York City. The sculptures, designed and crafted by Chinese artist Xu Bing, represent a male and female Phoenix flying through the nave of the Cathedral. The two Phoenix were suspended from a truss grid which was in turn suspended from 38 chain hoists attached to the building. The truss grid contains approximately 850ft of 20.5-inch aluminium box truss.

A DJ T H E B RI GHTE ST STAR AT HISTORIC AVALON H OL LYWOOD Avalon Hollywood is a historic nightclub, music and theatre venue erected in 1927 near the famous street corners of Hollywood and Vine, Los Angeles. For the last 10 years it has been a hot spot for club goers and hosted some of the world’s biggest DJs such as Paul Oakenfold, Ferry Corsten, Skrillex and Paul Van Dyk. However, its newest star is the brand new Vizi Beam Hybrid 2R moving head from ADJ. Eight Vizi Beam Hybrid 2Rs were chosen to add visual excitement to this EDM club - four flown in the air on stage on pipes, then, depending on the event another four are on truss towers on the main stage.

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IN DEP TH

INTERVIEW TONY + SIMON OATES

REPORT THEATRES + CONCERT HALLS

Jerry Gilbert got to grips with two of the industry’s most influential characters - Tony and Simon Oates - for this issue’s Big Interview while the Report, which covers no less than 22 pages, focuses on all things theatrical and is introduced by sound designer, Clive Goodwin.

024 INTERVIEW

“AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE ARE GOOD AT WE WILL BE FINE.” TONY AND SIMON OATES The professional audio, lighting and visual industries rely hugely on relationships, but few are comparable to the that of the iconic Oates brothers. Jerry Gilbert took on the task of interviewing Tony and Simon Oates to hear historic anecdotes and what it takes to run distribution companies in Thailand and South Africa respectively.

www.mondodr.com

INTERVIEW 025

www.mondodr.com

026 INTERVIEW

The original Fuzion Team in 1995

Few people capture the zeitgeist of the party-infused ‘90s better than Tony and Simon Oates. Operating their respective distribution businesses from different ends of the planet, whenever these galactic troupers descend into our midst, gravity and equilibrium are both under threat.

Proving the adage that nothing exceeds like excess, who could forget the carnival spirit on Fuzion’s two-deck stand at the PLASA Show in 2005 with the presence of a bevy of Thai girls - clad in national costume and shipped over by Tony - dispensing such exotic cocktails as marshmallow and mint aero vodkas?

The austere post-millennium has done much to erode that hedonistic era but when mondo*dr managed to corral the brothers in the press bar at the recent Prolight+Sound show in Frankfurt, the spirit had remained largely intact. Tony arrived fastidiously attired, armed with Confucian wisdom and a bagful of riffs, Simon, the self-appointed “better looking of the brothers” with his heavily contoured physiognomy consigning the Keith Richards facial roadmap to the nursery slopes.

Both look as though it’s been a life well lived, and they have remained largely insouciant, despite at times hanging on grimly to the industry roller-coaster with ever whitening knuckles. Yet from a background as musicians - before their names became synonymous with Fuzion and Tadco respectively - both Tony and Simon became foundation stones in the construction of the pro industry as we see it today; gratifyingly, following some diligent housekeeping, their stars are once again in the ascendancy.

The interview found them in a reflective mood, yet it wasn’t long before sibling sparring started to gather momentum. No smoke, mirrors, sophistry or trotting out the familiar tropes for these guys; the chat fired straight from the hip as they related how they have tried ‘to blaze a trail through the austerity of the times’, to use Fuzion’s own website blurb.

Now at the end of their sixth decade, one can only speculate what the scene would have been like if this summit had taken place 20 years earlier; that would have been a frat party in the true sense of the phrase.

Like many who established their chops in the pro industry, the Oates brothers first served their time as professional musicians. Born 20 months apart - Tony being the elder - the family emigrated from the UK in 1968 to escape the Wilson Government by immersing themselves in the stoneground apartheid regime of BJ Vorster’s South Africa. It was the year of the Basil D’Oliveira affair which proved a watershed in ending competitive sport between the nations. “We moved because the Wilson government had fucked the country and many people were leaving. Income tax www.mondodr.com

was on a sliding basis with no ceiling,” recalled Tony. “So we left one regime for another.” In fact the top rate on investment income would eventually rise to 98% under the Wilson Government.

The brothers finished schooling and Tony survived several months studying to be a lawyer before sensing it was not for him. “We tried various ways of earning money and eventually decided to put a band together.”

Simon was still completing his education when their father, who owned the lease on a hotel in White Level, ran into trouble. “He had a masterful business sense,” said Simon with undisguised sarcasm. “For instance in the mid ‘60s you couldn’t fail in the UK if you ran a Laundromat, but somehow he managed to!”

Tony headed up to the location in the Lowveld to help out, and while there met a couple of musicians from the local coloured township. “We had extremely long hair and I think I was there to buy some weed,” he vaguely recalled. “We were oblivious to apartheid - but at the same time it was not only the Cape Coloureds, the Indians and black communities that the white minority was down on - the Boer War had not been forgotten! At my first school up in Pietersberg I had to fight every day and always about the fact I was British.”

Taken by the idea that the two men, named Roland and Bernard hung out in a corrugated hut named ‘Woodstock’ - next to a railway track - the band was duly formed, with Simon later taking over on drums.

Eventually the Oates brothers left the Lowveld and headed back to Johannesburg where they operated initially as a ‘covers’ band playing mostly hotel residences.

“Although I did write a couple of concertos during that time,” quipped Simon. Before going on to play in various venues around the country.

The venture duly ran its course. “I eventually got tired of playing mother to a bunch of delinquents,” continued Tony, pulling no punches. Meanwhile, Simon’s attempts to get into the Berkeley Music School to learn harmony was derailed and he instead returned to the UK to study jazz drumming at Leeds University, coming under the spell of Buddy Rich. “I couldn’t get a union card without a band and couldn’t get a band without a union card,” he said. “It was Catch-22 and so I became a motor cycle courier down in London.” He would not return to South Africa until 1976.

Meanwhile, Tony had landed his first ‘proper’ job, with Hohner South Africa, a company set up by Emil Feil to represent Peavey, Sonor, Ovation and others. “I was supposed to go to Germany to learn how to fix accordions but figured out how to do it myself before they got round to sending me. I left after a year having been made redundant, but it was my first brush with an industry I have now been in for over

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028 INTERVIEW

On safari in South Africa in 1999.

Gary, Paul and Tony demonstrating speak no evil, see no evil, hear no evil.

Gary, Simon, Tony and Pok at the PLASA Show in 2003.

35 years.”

Utilising the cottage and garage complex at the back of his house in Parktown, Johannesburg, as workshops, Tony started to offer services to the local music community. He remembers one day someone in the PA rental business producing a plan of the classic JBL 4560 bass bin cabinet. “He wanted 20 to add to a somewhat fledgling rental stock. So I built them and ended up operating them in the system they became part of.”

This was the start of his relationship with Prosound owners Terry Acres and Dennis Feldman, which appears to have been a fairly volatile one by all accounts. “I sorted out the workshops and manufacturing, did most of the rental work and serviced key clients.” Anecdotes from the period pour forth from Tony’s lips like confetti, how he ventured into Salisbury, Rhodesia to mix Mungo Jerry under armed escort during the Ian Smith regime - was one of the more memorable.

He also worked for a time with David Marks, owner of 3rd Ear Music, and a member of the sound crew at the epochal Woodstock Festival. He ended up buying part of the legendary Bill Hanley Sound System, specifically designed for the event, although the system had migrated into the Prosound rental fleet by the time Tony joined.

But the key relationship that was to carry him through the next few chapters of his life were forged with Electro-Voice. It began with a masterstroke of genius. Faced with a swingeing 80%-plus import duty he put together a competent in-house manufacturing facility after gaining Electro-Voice’s permission to build its speaker systems and mould its recently patented constant directivity horns under licence.

“That would certainly be right up there with my best achievements,” he reflected.

“As Electro-Voice had just started building its own systems.”

The Hanley bins were driven by Crown DC-300’s, which were well named, since they were noted for going ‘DC’. Since JBL would not supply South Africa at the time Tony often had to fly over to New York to buy recones for the JBL 15-inch K140’s, or beg those visiting to pick some up.

“However, there was a company importing a brand called Kustom,” he remembered. “Some genius decided they would import a full set of spare components for every cabinet they bought in.

“When the company went broke there was an auction and we picked up a load of Electro-Voice SRO 15-inch chassis speakers very cheaply. Ergo, when the JBLs got fried, we replaced them with SROs, which also eventually got fried. But we www.mondodr.com

liked them a lot.

“Contacting Electro-Voice about recones, they said sure, but what about the mics and speaker systems we make? I went over to see them and that’s how the relationship began.” This deal gave the company a unique competitive price advantage in South Africa. “Here I am, not yet 30, financially comfortable and yet I could already see everything potentially going wrong, with the ‘big fish in small pond’ syndrome and debauchery constantly just around the corner.”

Meanwhile, back in the UK, Simon had been clicking his heels away from the industry, largely mired in administrative office work. The chance to end this ennui and return to South Africa came just before Sun City was due to open in 1979 and he and his South African wife were lured back to the Southern Hemisphere. “Tony asked me to come back and join him at Prosound because they could not find good personnel locally,” said Simon.

At the risk of straining a relationship between the brothers and Prosound, Tony took the decision to move on, and after working with well known Detroit FOH engineer, Frank Fisher - known for his work with OJays and Earl Klugh - headed off to Michigan.

“I had just got married and a few weeks later left for the States with my wife Sharon. I wanted to get back to engineering and be more hands on instead of managing a large number of people,” explained Tony. But during the year it took Tony to extricate himself from South Africa, Frank Fisher, in cutting ties with his then business partner, had effectively gone bankrupt.

“My plan to obtain a green card via an old USA / UK treaty trader relationship and to invest in a US business, was torpedoed, as there was now no business to invest in. I wanted to go back to South Africa but Sharon said ‘no way, there has to be another plan’. So instead of paying me the money he owed me I asked Frank to buy two one way tickets to London.”

Moving to Chiswick in 1982, Tony started making furniture in Fulham while looking for a position in the industry. But stopping off for a pint in Notting Hill one day he heard the unmistakeable Scottish tones of Tam Fairgrieve, a backline tech - with Andy Summers of The Police - whom Tony had met on a Bay City Rollers tour.

“I had contacted everyone in the pro audio industry but not had a squeak back from anyone. Tam said, ‘let me make a call’. Next day John Denby from Entec contacted me from Shepperton Studios and said he needed someone to replace Mark Burgin, who was leaving.”

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030 INTERVIEW

The Tadco team

The two struck up a friendship and shortly before Mark was about to leave, Tony received a phone call out of the blue from Larry Frandsen, President of ElectroVoice Europe (and later head of Mark IV Audio Europe). “He wanted to come and see me.”

Electro-Voice had its own office in Hove under Gulton UK (Gulton Industries were the owners of Electro-Voice at the time) but Larry decided to shut this when Tony agreed to set up an independent distribution operation to manage the ElectroVoice brand.

“After dinner, and breakfast the following morning, the conversation went something like ‘can you have an office running by Monday?’ I had no resources so replied, ‘Monday might be tight, how about Tuesday?’

“I went back to Entec and said to Mark, ‘you are off tomorrow, and I am too’. Mark wanted to know what I planned to do and after I explained he said, ‘that sounds like fun, let’s go and see my old man’. Mark’s father agreed to bankroll the new operation and the following day a £20K line of credit was set up.” By July 1982 they were open for business and Shuttlesound was born as Electro-Voice’s new UK HQ. I recall visiting the preppy young Tony and Mark at the beginning of 1983 and listening to their impressive and pragmatic approach to marketing from their base at 200 New Kings Road, the company subsequently operated from Wandsworth and later Mitcham. At that time, with the club world booming yet still largely relying on old fashioned disco boxes designed for the mobile DJ, the incipient Shuttlesound faced a major challenge to ramp up Electro-Voice’s market share, and I seem to recall succeeded when Peter Gatien’s high-profile nightclub Limelight opened in a converted London West End church.

But by 1994 the marriage had been dissolved. After a year of attrition Tony left the company he had started to set up Fuzion - with Gary Ashton and Paul Ward - the name taken from graffiti he had seen on a railway wall. “It had all got very messy and after completing my gardening leave several of our previous suppliers followed me to Fuzion - in fact all except Electro-Voice.”

Included in the product mix was Nexo. “At the first distributor meeting at Frankfurt in 1995 I told them all the things that were wrong with the company, somewhat harshly. I expected to be fired at my private meeting with them the following day.

However, Nexo co-owners Micky Johnson and Eric Vincenot, after a long night with a bottle of single Malt, decided that what I had said was fairly accurate. They asked if I was prepared to join them and fix the issues. www.mondodr.com

“So I joined the board of Nexo with the clear objective of building the brand globally and eventually floating some of the company on Libre Marche once the bulk was there.

“Apart from the first six months of Fuzion while setting it up and getting operational I was never involved 24/7 with the business. But my position did enhance Fuzion’s abilities to do the ‘big deals’ in the UK and the synergy was good.” The Nexo role lasted until 2000 by which time Tony was already planning his next global relocation.

“One winter’s morning I woke up and realised I didn’t want to be here any more!

I needed a warm place in a third world market with proper potential for growth - as opposed to stealing from each other.” Bangkok beckoned and in 2001 Fuzion Far East (FFE) was established to service the Thailand, Laos, Myanmar and Cambodian markets. “I would have been happy at any number of places but Thailand very quickly felt like home and I fitted in very easily.”

He had already become acquainted with Sutat ‘Pok’ Kohkiat of Mr Team fame, as he was the Nexo distributor at the time. However, distribution was very much second fiddle to Pok’s production business. “I said how about me bankrolling a proper distribution business?” So in 2001 the operation started, along with Varuit Rattapong, equally well known in the Thai market.

Meanwhile, back in South Africa, Simon had ended his 18 year stint with Prosound when the time-honoured ‘difference of opinion’ called time on proceedings. “This had included eventually assembling the Electro-Voice cone drivers and even BGW amplifiers. We did the sound in FNB Stadium for Mandela’s release, at just 48 hours’ notice, for over 150,000 people. The stadium was capable of half of that. We also did the Namibian Independence Celebrations and South Africa’s Inauguration.

“But I wanted to start my own company. Why do it again? Because it’s what I know.” “No,” Tony suddenly interjected. “You wanted to do it because you didn’t do it correctly first time.”

The groundwork was done at the NSCA Exhibition in 1995 and the new company Tadco was ready to blast off in July that year. Despite minimal funding Simon immediately built momentum with Nexo, Kelsey, Sabine and a couple of other smaller lines.

So how did the Tadco name originate? “Well in South Africa the name had to be descriptive,” he explained. “I discussed ‘The Audio Distribution Company’ with Tony and there was a good acronym staring me in the face.

032 INTERVIEW

Simon with his son Josh, wife Roz and daughter Lexi at Mick Anderson’s wedding in Maritius.

Simon with musician, Sipho ‘Hotstix’ Mabuse.

Simon with wife Roz when they were living in London.

“Crown had initially stayed with Prosound but we won them over - and in fact Tony and I had been the last independent distributors of Crown before its distribution reverted to Harman and Camco filled the breach.”

The departure of Crown had been a particularly sad day for Fuzion after Harman President, Mark Terry, announced the decision to homogenise all the brands.

Crown had been a huge revenue spinner for both factions. “Crown actually fought very hard on our behalf but finally we reached an agreement and we parted ways.

We did well with Camco for a while but there were mistakes and internal issues,” said Tony enigmatically.

The departure of Crown set in train a litany of unfortunate circumstances, with Nexo also changing its business model in 2009, relegating Fuzion from distributor status to that of mere ‘dealer’.

Tony remains fairly sanguine about the French company’s decision. “It was understandable. Everyone that Nexo was up against was going direct so it was obvious the model would need to change. When they announced the Yamaha acquisition we were still involved and it was a year or two later that the decision was made.”

But recently VUE Audiotechnik, the company set up by US industry heavyweights Ken Berger and Jim Sides, pacted with Fuzion UK, “and has the makings of something that ticks all the right boxes.”

For all the other eclectic brands Fuzion has represented, their major investment in Kelsey Acoustics custom cable had also seemed something of a masterstroke and provided a continuing legacy for Richard Vickers’ company. “It came about as a promise to Richard on his deathbed to keep the company going,” said Tony. “The integration into Fuzion was a fraught process at first but it eventually worked out very well.”

Simon also reflected philosophically on the development of Tadco from the bedrock of earlier brands. “We sold Lab.gruppen through the local distributor, but when the opportunity arose to take on Crown - a product we had handled in my previous company - we took the opportunity. We also offered dBTechnologies but then met Mark Ladewig from Group Technologies in Australia. Having lost the RCF www.mondodr.com

distribution after the Mackie takeover, he took on Nexo and started looking at a Group Technologies solution for the more entry level part of the market in the form of Quest Engineering. Mark sent me a couple of sample speakers, plugged them up and I believe we were his first export client. We’ve never looked back. It is the most incredible product with the most incredible people. But then so are Camco, DiGiCo, Nexo and Coda!”

Simon also later engaged in a joint venture with Ofer Lapid at Gearhouse, in 2004 forming TLDC (The Lighting Distribution Company). “This was largely to keep High End Systems alive in South Africa but we also brought in Milos and Jands, and branched out to include Christie projectors. Welcome to the world of AV.” However, the AV arm was recently severed when Tadco decided to make changes to its business model. “We needed to refocus on what we do best and that’s audio,” rationalised Simon. Today, lighting distribution in the region is largely controlled by near neighbours DWR, with whom Tadco enjoys a close working relationship.

This strategic move also forms part of the recovery plan following two particularly bad trading years. In 2008 the global economic crisis took root, from which South Africa was not exempt, followed by the local impact on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, followed by further currency fluctuation. “A lot of audio kit flooded into the country for the World Cup, much of it without a home. And in the last four months, due to the devaluation of the Rand, we have lost over 20% against the EUR, USD and GBP currencies. This really hurts,” he admitted.

On the supply side, Tadco has been able to relocate to new premises around 50 sq metres bigger than its old building. “The fact that it is on a single level allows us a lot more floor space to work in, with a demo room and the footfall synergy that occurs through having DWR as near neighbours, which is a further bonus. But the real thing here is that we are separate companies and Tadco works with all distributors. Synergy is king.”

Simon’s Tadco operation is supported by a loyal, long serving and competent team.

This includes three family members, Ros, his wife of 32 years, Josh his son, and daughter Lexi. “It was never pre-ordained, and although Ros has handled

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034 INTERVIEW

Tadco’s books since inception, she is actually a potter and artist,” he reported. “Lexi trained as a somatologist but the hours were long, the pay was crap and the appreciation non-existent. Instead she has grown into an amazing asset for us.

Josh studied BCom Marketing and drifted into Tadco with some pretty cool new ways of looking at things and has been here ever since.”

Trimming the number of brands has been just one of a number of new strategies implemented by Simon. “This has allowed us to identify and focus on those that we feel are integral to the company and our offering to our clients; each one is a dominant force within its own sphere. But we learn from our mistakes.”

His optimism for the future is based on the size of the continent. “Sub Saharan Africa is ‘nebulous anamorphic’ by description. Africa has 54 countries and most people could not name 20!” In fact Tadco has had a permanent base in Kampala, Uganda for the past five years which deals with East Africa and has also opened offices in Lagos, Nigeria.

“Africa is going to be huge, that much is clear as day, and business from north of our borders is increasing constantly. Creating a company that pumps gear into this market is easy, the goal is to not only to raise the standard in terms of the quality of kit available but to increase the knowledge and service of the companies and uplift the operators to international standards. We work together with S.A.R.A. (South African Roadies Association) - a grass roots, non-profit organisation, headed by Freddie Nyathela - to train people in the technical skills of this industry. It is so cool that many of the rental companies in S.A. are supportive. That is my passion and the way I have geared Tadco.” And as mission statements go, is pretty damned commendable.

Back in Thailand, Fuzion Far East has also cemented its success as a pure distribution company with a relocation to new custom built premises last year. It did so by merging several fire damaged units to create a modern 16,000 sq ft space with warehousing, offices, showrooms and service facilities close to its previous premises in East Bangkok’s RCA (Royal City Avenue). Its success continues unabated.

Both operations have highly selective brand portfolios. Thailand’s aim has always been straight and true, and Tadco’s fortunes also seem to have turned the corner.

But is there still a future for the distributor in the modern age, can the distribution model remain intact? Once again Tony remains both pragmatic and enigmatic and Simon nodded in agreement.

“The answer is both yes and no,” he said. “For sure, the MI distribution model is failing in Europe where the trend towards single point distribution is well entrenched.

The customers know what they want, how to use it and have a very clear idea of the global street price due to the success of operations like Thomann, Sweetwater, www.mondodr.com

Musicians Friend and so on. There are scenarios where language is an issue but each country has its ‘communities’ who network on social sites in their native language so the answers are typically available. It’s a product, in a box, at a price and shipped anywhere. In other parts of the world, MI distribution remains realistic, but one wonders for how long.”

What does remain of the distribution model, he believes, resides in the ‘solutions’ business of pro audio. “Dealing with products which are too complex and specialised for a social network to overcome the issues. Language translation in some territories also becomes a vital factor. For instance, many customers simply cannot converse in, or understand English, written or verbal. Furthermore, there is still a massive amount of misunderstanding and bullshit surrounding complex sound systems and even not so complex systems.”

“The distributor needs to provide training, support and brand management on behalf of the manufacturer - and deal with complicated logistics, funding and after sales support issues - which often demand a visit to site. The more tangible the level of solution provided, the higher the margin all round.

“Conversely, a rental company may have all the knowledge and skills in house so one might have to accept a way lower margin on sales of such items as part of a brand mix.”

As an indicator to the future, Fuzion UK recently celebrated its first major London West End installation success with VUE Audiotechnik, symbolically opening a new chapter as it sets out to build the next hot loudspeaker brand.

Tony on his website, said: “We strive to be a ‘fun’ company to do business with.”

Simon added playfully that he will always be more fun than Tony, so its clearly central to both men’s ethos. Mark Burgin once famously told me: “If we had run our business in the ‘80s the way we are having to run it in the ‘90s we would be seriously rich.” Or words to that effect. But that was before anodyne replaced outrage in the industry canon. We were all either guilty or take full credit, depending on your perspective.

Whether Tony regrets that or not, he remains a streetfighter - a word coincidentally used on the Fuzion website - and quintessentially feisty, believing that “the demise of both of our companies was caused by key people who we had supported above and beyond, although in the end it’s totally our fault.” Dammit, it seems I even hold my own personal place somewhere on Tony Oates’ wall of shame!

But both men remain survivors, and as more and more ‘emerging countries’ finally come out on the world map, their combined knowledge will be indispensable. As Tony and Simon put it: “As long as we continue to focus on what we are good at we will be fine.”

036 REPORT

THEATRES + CONCERT HALLS Tony award-winning Sound Designer, Clive Goodwin discusses theatrical sound design.

Sound design for modern theatre has grown from a carpenter or electrician shaking a thunder sheet in the wings to a sophisticated, multi-speaker, multi-microphone, remote controlled digital environment. The Tony Award for Sound Design has only existed since 2007, which gives an idea of how sound design has advanced and how the way in which it is regarded has changed.

While most sound is technology driven these days, to me it is still undoubtedly an art. The technology is the toolbox - the brushes, pens and palette knives with which to sculpt and paint a soundscape that harmonises with the performance. Because sound cannot be seen or touched, the brain treats it somewhat differently to a tangible object. The auditory cortex is one of the most complex parts of the human brain, yet little is known about how it works. The net result of the brain’s auditory processing seems to be that most people are only consciously aware of sound when it doesn’t fit with what they are experiencing - when it’s wrong. Hence, the all too familiar situation to audio people everywhere, that if no one comments on the sound it means you’ve done a good job.

With the continuing popularity of musicals and the need to convey the nuances of dialogue to the rear of a theatre, not to mention the complex sound effects used to create atmosphere and help carry the audience into a new world, sound has become increasingly important and continues to grow in potential as new technology emerges. Indeed, without technology, much of what we take for granted in modern theatre wouldn’t be possible.

If we take the musical, Once as an example, this show uses some 68 channels of wireless microphones / instruments and although this may seem excessive for a 13 member cast, taking a look at the reasons will give an insight into how sound design integrates with and enables many aspects of the production.

Each cast member is double miked, equpping each character with 24 channels right away - although the character Ivonka doesn’t have a line. This gives the director maximum flexibility with his vision of keeping all cast members on stage throughout the show, so that should we have a microphone problem, the mix engineer can switch to the back-up microphone seamlessly and the performer need not leave the stage nor lose their voice.

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Every instrument has a wireless pack, including the drums, this offers the director and the movement director the option of variation with choreography, blocking and positioning, not to mention rapid scene changes. The removal of the drums from the stage during the show is a beautifully choreographed example of the flexibility and integration of otherwise static props. The piano enjoys the same freedom of movement and a cast member even dances while playing the cello.

Adding back-ups and spares, the number of wireless channels quickly rises, but without all of this RF equipment it would not have been possible to stage the show in its current form while still being able to hear everything. The freedom of movement that all of this wireless enables is essential to the way the show works. Cables are just not an option.

To route and control all of this, the console has to have a comprehensive array of features, which is where digital mixers have really proven their worth and moved theatrical sound forward by a huge leap in recent years - from delays and dynamic EQs to mixes and matrixing. All fully recallable on a scene-by-scene or even lineby-line basis, leaving the mix engineer free to concentrate on the intense task of following the script and picking up the lines in the right place, all while preserving the designed and rehearsed instrument mix and keeping it consistent. The technology also gives us the luxury of remote controlling the console, allowing the designer to program from a different location while the mix engineer is working, creating the opportunity for greater productivity and flexibility and being able to listen to the show from a different perspective. The importance of a great mix engineer cannot be overstated - they are essential to the process of achieving the desired result. A bad mix engineer will destroy the greatest design and your mental health along with it.

When projecting the sound into the space, digital technology once again allows us maximum flexibility in the shaping of the signal. Having time alignment, matrixing, crossovers and EQs accessible through a tablet PC, anywhere in the theatre, is invaluable in fine tuning the many loudspeakers that make up a theatre sound system. While trying to make a quick adjustment to a system with my iPad at the top of a show recently, an older gentlemen hit me on the arm and told me to put it away as it was distracting him! I did, after all the audience is who we ultimately work for.

REPORT 037

When body microphones aren’t used, then area microphones planted round the stage to pick up dialogue or shotgun microphones will often be used. All of these present their own peculiarities and imprint their own signature on the sound, but are generally preferable to a lack of amplification, especially when there is a need to reach the most distant seats.

After installing and tuning the system, any remaining artifacts of the room acoustics become a part of the sonic canvas and it’s probably better to embrace them rather than fight them. Now that we have the technology, the tools, we can start shaping, molding and sculpting the sound to enhance and complement the overall dramatic picture by adding the music, ambiences and effects and blending the instruments and voices harmoniously to paint the overall soundscape - striving for that intangible place where the sound washes over the listener with an ethereal beauty and draws them in to the performance, or where the sound jars and causes discomfort in keeping with the story - or simply turning it up loud enough for people to hear and shaping the sound as much as possible when technical resources are limited - all of these constitute good sound design within the limits presented.

As with all sound, if no one complains, then you’ve probably done a good job. If you receive compliments, then you’ve perhaps done a great job. To enter people’s consciousness by creating a memorable sound is what most of us strive for, although we also know that this often seems to require some kind of unique astrological planetary alignment as well as some great tools, designers, cast, music and script.

Where is theatre sound going? What can we achieve? What advances will be made?

I think that a goal many would like to reach would be the ability to make the loudspeakers disappear as the sonic source and make the brain think that all of the sound is coming from the actors.

Perhaps wireless transparent vibrating membrane loudspeakers that I can hang across the front of the stage, or fit into the actor’s clothing? Wireless microphones that can be added as a beauty spot or mole or hidden under make-up? Sound beams with the defined edges of a light beam across the entire audio spectrum?

The ability to adjust the sound seat by seat throughout the theatre? Direct translation of brainwaves to audio? Direct injection of audio into the auditory cortex?

Given that sound is about time and the listener’s relative position, perhaps we will see some kind of quantum sonic science that will relate to the listener’s location in the space time continuum.

Wherever technology may take us, one would hope that it will advance - that quality will continue to be the main driving force - less toward MP3 and more toward 192/24 and beyond, for example. Let HD apply to audio as well as video.

For my part, I am honoured to know, and work with, some of those exquisitely skilled Audio Alchemists, in all areas of the sound industry, turning base audio into acoustic gold - long may they enchant us with their sonic sorcery. www.clivegoodwin.com

Image courtesy of Todd Higgins - www.ToddHPhoto.com

Perhaps Google Glass will be stealthier!

What we have then, is a lot of technology to make it look like we’re not using any technology. But illusion is integral and essential to theatre. To temporarily transport people into another world, to present them with an alternate reality and hopefully draw them in and involve them in that universe the the designers, writers and performers are working to create.

Let’s take a look at the requirements of the venue. Obviously a fixed installation gives us more opportunity to customise the system to the theatre than a touring system. The aim here seems fairly simple - maximising the audience coverage while minimising the effects of the room and, as much as possible, creating the illusion that the sound is coming from the stage and not the loudspeakers. Easier said than done - the choice of loudspeaker, their positions and dispersion patterns are the basis for determining these properties. The rest of the illusion is then largely attributable to the skill of the designer in employing the available tools. I have had the great pleasure of working with designers who seem to have an almost magical ability to achieve this. With a touring system, time and budget are obvious constraints and so a more general purpose system must be employed. Line arrays have gone a long way to improving the sound quality of a production on tour but, as with most things, each solution generally introduces its own problems.

The acoustics of a venue can work against the designer - huge reverberant spaces will always muddy the intelligibility - the spaces will often sound beautiful on a slow choral number or ballad, but trying to reproduce anything with a fast tempo or complex arrangement usually ends in mush. There is a reason that religious songs are generally slow and uncluttered and that reason is often the acoustics. If acoustic treatment isn’t possible, the only practical recourse is to minimise the amount of acoustic energy that meets architecture.

To further understand some of the constraints that physics presents us with, let’s take a look at the top of the signal chain - the microphones. In a theatrical situation, the actor’s microphones are generally miniature, omnidirectional condenser types.

My preference is to hide these to maintain the illusion of reality, generally in the hairline but facially hirsute actors are always welcome, as beards are a great place to hide a microphone and keep it close to the actor’s mouth.

So, miniature to hide them and omnidirectional because the microphone isn’t pointing at the actor’s mouth. But if we put all of those lessons on the importance of microphone positioning aside - add the ambient noise, the orchestra, monitoring, a hat or two, rustling clothing, rattling jewellery and an actor with a quiet voice - and try to get them audible while sounding natural is not a easy task. Don’t even mention trying to find a place for the transmitter packs or hiding the cables. Sounds like a recipe for insanity, right? So the next time you’re at the theatre, spare a thought for the sound designer and appreciate the amazing job that they do in allowing you to hear the actors at all, let alone with the clarity and intelligibility that is so often delivered.

www.mondodr.com

038 REPORT

SAENGE R TH EATR E Company: Schuler Shook Location: New Orleans, USA

R OYAL ACA D E MY O F M U S I C Company: Lab.gruppen, Tannoy Location: London, UK Providing the main performance space for London’s Royal Academy of Music, The Duke’s Hall is a multi-purpose hall that has recently been installed with a small but capable sound system that blends perfectly with the room’s style and ambience.

As the main potentially-visible component of the sound system, the loudspeakers had to be as unobtrusive and in-keeping with the overall look, while providing even coverage throughout the room. Autograph specified Tannoy VLS 15 column array loudspeakers as the main L-R system, supplemented by Tannoy VSX 10BP subwoofers and VX8 loudspeaker for balcony fill, all powered by Lab.gruppen’s E Series - in this case the E12:2 variation.

The Tannoy loudspeakers were all custom painted to provide a near-perfect colour match to the hall, and this in combination with their compact size and careful installation, means that they are all but invisible.

The key technology allowing the Royal Academy of Music to realise its ambition of system remote control is the Yamaha MTX control platform, as Autograph Project Designer, Chris Austin explained: “The Yamaha MTX processor gives us a simple ‘hands-off’ control system, with a wall plate located back stage for adjusting levels.

The real operational attraction of the MTX system is its iOS control, however, as it allows the engineer to sit anywhere within the audience and control the level of the podium or radio mics from his iPhone.

Autograph always offers to support proposed designs with on-site product evaluations, and this project was no exception: “We conducted two demos to make sure that everyone was happy with our design in terms of how it sounded and especially what it would look like, which secured the project for us,” said Chris. “When we were given the go-ahead, however, a new pipe organ was in the process of being installed and it was made clear that the new system had to be ready for the Inauguration of the Sir Elton John and Ray Cooper Organ. Part of the installation of the instrument was the voicing of the huge number of individual pipes, which meant we couldn’t get into the hall while that was underway. Consequently we completed the entire installation over the course of four long nights and the installation was finished on schedule and on budget - all part of Autograph’s commitment to service.”

www.tannoypro.com / www.labgruppen.com

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A major restoration at Saenger Theatre in the French Quarter of New Orleans has increased the versatility and functionality of the venue. Schuler Shook provided theatre planning and architectural lighting design services for this US$52m project.

Schuler Shook worked closely with Martinez+Johnson Architecture and the Saenger Theatre Redevelopment Company - an affiliate of ACE Theatrical Group - to restore the historic auditorium and lobby and to create a completely new stagehouse.

Within the atmospheric auditorium there were many fixtures to be identified, refurbished or replaced. A continuous perimeter cove above the false building façades creates a horizon line at the base of the sky ceiling. Blue LED linear strips and washlights were specified to replace hundreds of coloured, incandescent A-lamps.

A second layer of ceiling illumination includes projected clouds that gently move across the auditorium.

RGB LED fixtures in selected locations provide the ability for dynamic sunsets and building highlights against the night sky. The New Orleans star constellations are recessed into the ceiling with end lit fibres of differing diameters to provide brighter and receding stars, with some slowly twinkling.

LED colour-changing fixtures are integrated into the atmospheric building facades to highlight specific architectural features. The cove light surrounding the proscenium arch was replaced with RGB LED sources to provide added ambiance and versatility with low maintenance.

The backstage renovation included energy-efficient LED and fluorescent fixtures controlled by an integrated system that addresses lobby, auditorium, stage and work lighting.

Theatrical improvements included the expanded stagehouse with new rigging and proscenium fire curtain. Two new automated stage lifts were installed for the orchestra pit and historic pipe organ console. www.schulershook.com

THE OBVIOUS CHOICE

FOR HIGH END STAGE CURTAINS & THEATRICAL DRAPERY

PIONEER TH E ATR E Company: Next Pro Audio Location: Shaanxi, China

Located adjacent to the Daming Palace National Heritage Park, Dahua • 1935 is a cultural and commercial mall, which encompasses an industrial heritage museum, a number of small theatres and shopping outlets.

An establishment within the complex is Pioneer Theatre, a small traditional theatre with a capacity of 300 people, mainly used for small plays, musical theatre and indoor-based performances.

Recently, distribution and installation company, Real Music carefully designed a new sound system for Pioneer Theatre using Next Pro Audio loudspeakers. The venue’s proscenium is 10-metres wide and six metres high, so Real Music opted for a traditional set-up L-C-R for the loudspeakers. The central cluster comprises two Next Pro Audio X12 compact loudspeakers, while two Next Pro Audio X15 loudspeakers sit either side of the stage, mounted at a height of 2.5-metres provide coverage for the audience. A Next Pro Audio XH18 subwoofer is groundstacked underneath the X15’s either side of the stage and are used to extend the low-frequency impact of the entire system. To complete the system, Next Pro Audio LAm Series were chosen for stage monitoring. www.next-proaudio.com

Bolshoi Theatre © Deborah Hoehner

AMAZING STAGE FABRICS IN MOTION

INFO@SHOWTEX.COM // WWW.SHOWTEX.COM

040 REPORT

CAPITOL TH E ATR E Company: L-Acoustics Location: Wisconsin, USA Capitol Theatre is the oldest and second largest venue in Madison, Wisconsin’s Overture Centre for the Arts complex. The Capitol’s sound reinforcement system hadn’t been updated for nearly two decades, prompting the recent installation of a new L-Acoustics amplifier and loudspeaker package.

According to Capitol Theatre Technician, Brian Anderson, the new system design comprises 10 L-Acoustics Kara enclosures per side, each complemented by an additional hang of six L-Acoustics SB15m subwoofers creating an ultra-compact and lightweight flown three-way system. The Kara arrays are covering both balcony and orchestra level seating areas therefore eliminating the need for under balcony loudspeakers.

For foldback, a dozen coaxial L-Acoustics 12XT wedges can be positioned on-

stage as needed, with four more on hand for deck-fill use. A front-fill system of six tiny L-Acoustics 5XT’s inset into the front of the stage lip, while two L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofers per side are located below to supply augmented low frequency impact. A combined total of 11 L-Acoustics LA8 amplified controllers monitor, process and drive both the FOH and monitoring systems.

“Capitol Theatre hosts nearly 250 performances a year, and those productions span quite a variety - everything from theatre to rock, classical and opera concerts - so we needed a system that could be very versatile,” said Brian. “After inviting five of what we considered to be the most production rider-friendly manufacturers to individually come in and demo their systems, we unanimously chose to install Kara.”

Brian concluded that the dramatic sonic improvement has been clearly noticed by all. “One of the very first groups to use our Kara rig was the Indigo Girl. I can honestly say that we’ve never had so many people come up to us after a show and tell us that it was the best sounding concert they had ever heard.”

www.l-acoustics.com

RU H R F E S T I VA L TH EATR E Company: Fohhn Location: Recklinghausen, Germany

© Markus Hermann of Fohhn Audio AG

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The Ruhr Festival Theatre, with its impressive tiered seating, main and side stages occupies an overall area of approximately 1,200 sq metres and ensuring that each occupant of the theatre’s 1,010 seats experiences an identical level of sound quality presented a challenge when selecting a new sound reinforcement system.

After considering a number of options, the answer to this dilemma was reached thanks to Fohhn’s Focus Modular systems, as their vertical beam width and vertical inclination angle can be remotely adjusted via software in 0.1° increments. This enables the loudspeakers to be targeted precisely towards the required areas.

Fohhn’s two beam technology enables two separate beams to be generated, for example one to cover the main stalls and the other to provide direct coverage of the balcony area, avoiding the balustrade, which can otherwise result in unwanted reflections.

Two Fohhn FMI-400 low-mid modules have been mounted to the left and right of the stage area, each combined with a Fohhn FMI-100 and Fohhn FMI-110 high frequency module. A further Fohhn FMI-400 / Fohhn FMI-110 combination is also flown above the central edge of the stage. On the stage itself, four Fohhn XM-4 wedges are used for monitoring, while six Fohhn Linea LX-11 ultra-compact line source loudspeakers have been placed along the outer edge of the stage for near field coverage of the first few audience rows. Two Fohhn Linea AL-100 systems are used in the auditorium for sound effect reproduction. www.fohhn.com

THE ULTIMATE CLUB SYSTEM

KV2 SL SERIES SLIMLINE WIDE DISPERSION SPEAKER SYSTEM

SL412

Slim and discreetly profiled the new SL Series incorporates KV2 Audio’s VHD Active Driven philosophy

THE GO R S G R A ND C ONCE R T H A L L

The Embassy of Latgale GORS cultural centre has two concert halls, a cinema, an art school, an exhibition space, a restaurant and a few rooms where dance companies and orchestras may rehearse.

A new building has been added to the area, the GORS Grand Concert Hall, which has been designed for classical, acoustic and popular music concerts, theatrical performances and opera, and shows, dance performances and large-scale events.

It is almost 19-metres high and seats 1,000 people or 3,000 standing. The concert hall floor is convertible so that layout changes can be accommodated in order to meet the different needs of the various performances and shows.

The Managing Director of SGS Sistemas, Normunds Eilands said: “During the final concert hall building stage, the Rezekne municipal council and concert hall management decided to improve the initial design with regard to lighting technology and stage sound. Our company presented a project with several improvements and additional lighting and audio equipment. We suggested using Clay Paky moving heads for greater flexibility, owing to their excellent quality and precise light output.

The fact Clay Paky offers really quiet appliances was an essential aspect in the acoustic concert hall.”

He continued: “Alpha Spot HPE 1500’s and Alpha Wash 1500’s were installed to cover the long distances, alongside six Alpha Spot QWO 800 STs moving lights.

They are really light and compact. At the same time they have an excellent zoom and a light output suitable for important works. After we presented our suggestions, the concert hall decided to change the PA and lighting management systems completely. To date this is the first concert hall in Latvia to have a lighting network with a complete back-up system. The MA Lighting control network offers highly flexible and reliable management options.” www.claypaky.it

SL2.15

Company: Clay Paky Location: Latgale, Latvia

FULL & WIDE SOUND EXACTLY WHERE IT’S REQUIRED

Just 300mm deep, the SL Series can be installed against a wall or in it...dramatically reducing the venue floorspace required.

The new KV2 SL412 and SL2.15 speakers incorporate an eye-catching, slim and stylish cabinet design. Using KV2’s VHD technology, the SL412 loudspeaker utilises 4 x 12” low mid-range components with a single 8” mid-range and 3” large format NPVD compression driver. The cabinet’s configuration keeps low mid frequencies in a controlled pattern, greatly reducing problem room resonances.

Cabinets can be designed and supplied with custom colors, grill templates and logos, offering a flexible and true designer-integrated product.

The system is driven by proprietary KV2 amplification. The KV2 SL3000 powers a pair of SL412s and the VHD3200 which can drive up to four SL2.15 subs.

SL Series - The Ultimate Club System

Maximum SPL: 137dB ______________________________________ Freq Resp +/- 3dB : SL2.15 40Hz - 500Hz, SL412 70Hz- 22kHz ______________________________________ Dispersion: H110° x V40° ______________________________________ Power: VHD3200 - 1600 Watts x2 ______________________________________ Power: SL3000 - Low 1000W x2, Mid 200W x2, High 100W x2 ______________________________________ Crossover Points: SL2.15 - 70Hz, SL412 - 400Hz & 2.5kHz ______________________________________ SL412 - H670mm (26.38”) W1080mm (42.52”) D300mm (11.81”) ______________________________________ Weight: SL412 - 60kg (132.28lbs)

Need more info? Want to locate your nearest KV2 Professional? uuWWW.KV2AUDIO.COM

042 REPORT

BA L DW I N A U D I TOR IU M Company: Jaffe Holden Location: North Carolina, USA

© Jaffe Holden Acoustics, Inc

Duke University has renovated its Baldwin Auditorium in order to improve the overall sound quality and increase the space’s flexibility. Jaffe Holden partnered with the design team to create a space that would be visually appealing and acoustically flexible.

An early challenge was the excessive width of the original space, which led to poor room acoustics. To rectify this issue, Jaffe Holden designed secondary walls and a wrap-around balcony to create a room within a room. This technique improved exterior noise isolation and added circulation to the back of house. Jaffe Holden recommended the use of shaped acoustic wood and drywall treatments on the walls in order to control sound reflections. Adjustable acoustic draperies and banners were also utilised.

The stage was expanded to twice its former size, and now has an instrument elevator and a climate-controlled storage area. An overhead wood canopy curves overhead in two directions and allows sound to travel through to the audience, enhancing visual and aural appeal. The space’s original large ceiling dome was seamlessly modified to absorb and diffuse sound.

Two Meyer Sound self-powered line arrays make up the main PA in the auditorium, these are supplemented by further Meyer Sound loudspeakers utilised for front fill, while mixing requirements are handled via a Midas X32 digital console. www.jaffeholden.com

C O L I S E U M T H E ATR E Company: Robe Location: Madrid, Spain Hoy No Me Puedo Levantar (HNMPL - Today I Can’t Get Up) has recently opened in Madrid’s Coliseum Theatre, complete with a fantastic lighting design by Carlos Torrijos featuring 24 Robe Pointes.

This is the first time Carlos has incorporated Robe products into his work. He stated: “I was looking for the best moving head beam light on the market and after trying and comparing a few options, I chose the Pointe.”

The first edition of the production played for five years including two touring versions earning massive critical acclaim and commercial success, so the pressure was really on to make this version even better, resulting in a technically complex and ambitious show.

The show has many subtleties, contrasts and serious messages as well as some glorious ‘rock-out’ moments, and so a full gamut of dynamics not commonly seen in ‘classic’ theatrical musicals have come into play, all needing individual visual treatment.

The 24 Pointes are rigged on an apex-down triangular truss, flown on vary-speed motors. The Pointes are spread out on the bottom rail of the truss, which is clad in Elidy LED panels.

Several other set and LED structures are automated in the show, which features a large quantity of LED screens as well as mapped projection elements. In total there are more than 400 moving and conventional lights in the rig. The versatility of the Pointe - which can run as a beam, spot, wash or effects fixture - has helped save space in the grid and provided a solution for many scenarios.

The Pointes are being supplied to the show by ASL Light Solutions. Lighting was programmed by Fede Diez and is currently being operated at the Coliseum Theatre

by Javier Lapuerta.

Carlos Torrijos is really happy with the performance of the Pointes and said he is sure he will be using Robe in his future work: “Robe has huge potential, and the compact and reliable Pointes have really proved this.” www.robe.cz

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BOSTON O P E R A H OU S E Company: Bose Location: Boston, USA Located in the heart of the city’s theatre district, the historic Boston Opera House is known as one of New England’s most architecturally and aesthetically impressive theatres. The seating areas are truly expansive, with 2,645 total seats and 1,303 in the balcony alone. The theatre’s owners recently took steps to install a new sound reinforcement system and after a meticulous audition process, RoomMatch arrays from Bose Professional Systems were selected.

The system was installed by Massachusetts-based Adtech Systems, under the supervision of Sales Engineer, Charles Crane and includes two Bose RoomMatch arrays, with each array consisting of one RM5505, two RM7010’s, one RM12010 and one RM12020 module, along with eight RMU208 small-format foreground / fill loudspeakers for under-balcony and ‘shadow-killer’ fill. Power is handled by four Bose PowerMatch PM8500N 8-channel amplifiers, and processing is handled by a Bose ControlSpace ESP-00 engineered sound processor.

Boston Opera House Production Manager, Mike Marchetti said: “Vocal clarity is very important for the type of performances held here, and it was difficult to achieve for some touring systems, especially in the balcony areas. And most notably for productions that have a lot of speech or sung text in dialect… After I heard a demo of a RoomMatch system, I was convinced that it provided the right solution for clear balcony coverage, and it fit well within our budget. When we did the actual A/B shootout at our venue, I invited several of my colleagues whose opinions I trust to be involved in the listening evaluations… I must admit, I was skeptical at first, but after my mind was made up, I started telling others throughout the industry how impressive the RoomMatch system is. And since the installation, my fondness for the system has grown stronger.”

Mike noted the unique challenges of providing sound reinforcement for a variety of genres in a large theatre: “If a popular music artist is touring and the sound isn’t getting to the right spots in the venue, the FOH mixer simply adjusts the mix to compensate for the lack of clarity or definition. But Broadway productions are more complicated. They are governed by what the show’s sound designer has specified for the overall sound of the show. We have also found that most touring productions are not capable of covering our large balcony with their systems. But now with the Bose RoomMatch system in place, it is no longer a problem.

The dispersion patterns that Bose offers are extremely specific, so it wasn’t a challenge to put together exactly the right configuration for our needs. And the response has been enthusiastic from both audience and touring sound engineers. It’s a success all around.” pro.bose.com

044 REPORT

MEL BOU R NE ATH E NA E U M Company: Group Technologies Location: Melbourne, Australia One of Victoria’s oldest public institutions, Australia’s Melbourne Athenaeum was first founded in 1839. Today, it has experienced a name chance to the Melbourne and Athenaeum is home to the Melbourne Theatre Company, while hosting a slew of acts ranging from theatre productions to comedy festivals to concerts all year round.

With this iconic Australian venue due for a complete sound overhaul, one of the Athenaeum’s owners Glenn Elston wanted an audio solution that would be able to handle the highly varied range of acts that grace the Athenaeum’s stage.

A combination of distributed and small form-factor systems from Coda Audio, Camco amplification, mixing from DiGiCo consoles, plus DSP from Xilica Audio Design and Apex Audio were specified for the installation, which was carried out by Melbourne’s RTR Productions. Group Technologies’ Drew Menard reflected: “RTR really had their hands full with a theatre like the Athenaeum. It was obviously from an era where cabling and rigging weren’t meant to be easy.”

The main front of house PA includes four Coda Audio LA4 modules and one Coda Audio LA4 subwoofer flown per side. Four Coda Audio LA4 subwoofers were also installed along the front of the stage. The LA4 is an extremely impressive miniature line array system that is highly efficient and capable of very high output for its size.

Front fill includes four Coda Audio D5 Cubes which were installed against the front lip of the stage and the proscenium fill is handled by a single Coda Audio G712 per side. The delay for the stalls comprises a further four Coda Audio D5 Cubes, which are spaced evenly from left to right half way down the theatre.

Coda Audio LA4 line arrays were chosen for the ground floor and in the upper dress circle, however, Coda Audio Co-Ray column loudspeakers were used for the second level dress circle. While an additional four Coda Audio D5 cubes were also used for delays to cover up to the walkway behind the raked seating.

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There are 16 loudspeaker zones throughout the venue and each loudspeaker zone is fed by one of Coda’s dedicated DNC260N controllers. These deliver proprietary advanced DSP and loudspeaker management to each zone. Four Apex Intelli-X 2 Z48 processors then provide complete front-end control for time alignment, system tuning and EQ management. To manage all the matrix feeds, one of Xilica’s latest digital audio processors, a Neutrino A-1616, has been installed. This is a completely open-architecture 16 x 16 40-bit floating point processor. This unit has been configured with room presets comprised of different loudspeaker configurations depending on the show requirements. This allows the in-house technicians to decide on different tuning presets to suit their client, and then also mute different zones depending on what parts of the theatre are being utilised. A Xilica wall panel (the MiniS8), features eight control buttons that can be programmed simply by dragging a parameter on the panel using Xilica’s intuitive software package NeuConsole.

Amplification across the system is handled by Camco Vortex 6 amplifiers for the arrays and columns, a Camco DPower4 amplifier for the G712’s in the proscenium, and the D5 cubes are powered by Coda C5 amplifiers.

With the entire PA being upgraded, it was only fitting that a new FOH console was added to match. Mixing and monitoring duties are now handled by a DiGiCo SD9 with two D-Racks. Since the installation, the technicians have found the 64 mic inputs on stage more than enough to cover their clients’ needs. The DiGiCo SD9’s flexibility has been paramount to helping the Athenaeum cater to the many different types of shows brought in.

Owner Glenn was particularly impressed with the final solution. “The installation was done really well. It really fits with the venue aesthetically. The column loudspeakers on the balcony follow the lines of the building perfectly. It doesn’t intrude on the interior of the theatre at all.”

Since the installation, the Athenaeum has been receiving rave reviews and extremely positive feedback from theatre companies, bands and engineers alike as Glenn further commented. “The sound is absolutely brilliant. We have been receiving regular compliments from clients and patrons. It’s just fantastic.” www.grouptechnologies.com.au

REPORT 045

CAROLI NA OPR Y TH E AT E R Company: Elation Location: South Carolina, USA

PAL ACE TH E ATR E Company: DiGiCo Location: London, UK More than 25 years after the film of Roddy Doyle’s best selling novel, The Commitments proved a resounding hit, the stage show - adapted by Doyle himself this time, working closely with director Jamie Lloyd - is proving equally successful.

It is currently playing at the Palace Theatre, which has been home to some of the most successful productions of all time. The longevity of the theatre’s productions bodes well for The Commitments, which holds a DiGiCo SD7 console at the heart of its audio system.

Rory Madden is Sound Designer for the show. His rental company Sonalyst provides all audio equipment, with George Pakenham in charge of supply logistics.

“This show certainly has some challenges,” said Rory. “One has been making it sound less than perfect at the start, which goes completely against the grain.”

The Commitments follows a group of working class Dubliners who form a soul band. At the beginning of the show, the band - who can’t yet play particularly well play in a bedroom and a shop window. “They slowly build up to community centres, pubs and clubs as the musicians improve through the story,” Rory continued. “Right

The Carolina Opry at the Calvin Gilmore Theater in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, has added a fresh visual element to its stage in the form of a large backdrop LED video screen made up of Elation EZ6 LED video panels supplied by Elation dealer JR Lighting Design.

JR Lighting Design President, Jason Reberski discussed LED video product options with The Carolina Opry’s, Paul Sweetman. “I recommended the Elation EZ6 product since Paul and The Carolina Opry team were looking for a relatively high resolution video system,” Jason stated. “They were originally planning on it co-existing with digital projection and I was confident that the 6mm pixel-pitch of the EZ6 at the required viewing distance would be perfect.”

Jason and The Carolina Opry worked closely with Elation Product Specialist Darrin ‘Red’ Walter, who provided specification and integration support while aiding in installation and commissioning of the system. “The addition of the EZ6 LED screen adds a significant boost in production-value and the crisp, bright imagery that is now being integrated into shows dazzles audiences daily,” Jason said of the high resolution panels. Not only do they provide uniform colour and high contrast for a sharp image, their lightweight modularity makes them easy to work with.

Lighting designer and Carolina Opry Lighting Technician, Paul Sweetman works with the panels on the show on a daily basis. He commented: “We are very happy with Red’s expertise, the Elation service and the EZ6 product, which has really created and inspired expansion possibilities.” www.elationlighting.com

up to the end where it’s like a proper live gig. We had to capture the ambience of each setting, which was a challenge in itself.

“But the biggest challenge is how fast the sets move. It’s almost like a film, everything moves from scene to scene very quickly. Even the guys who have done the biggest shows have said it’s the most challenging one they’ve ever done.”

The frenetic pace of the show also means that the SD7 is worked hard, with 150 inputs in use and constant cue changes throughout the show.

“It doesn’t really sound like your average musical,” said the show’s Head of Sound Richard Scott. “It sounds more like a gig as the show goes on and by the time we get to the finale, the sound has a much bigger impact and force behind it.”

“We’ve used every single part of the desk,” said Rory. “Sonically it’s great and with the sheer amount of things we have to change on so many cues, it’s probably the only desk in the world that could have done this show. It’s a very high channel count because there are effectively two bands. The Commitments - the actors play their instruments live all the way through, but there is a second, seven piece band for underscores, accents and other bits and pieces of musical emphasis which we are mixing as well.”

Richard and Toby Chester programmed the SD7 with 250 snapshots to achieve Rory’s design and deliver what Jamie Lloyd and, most importantly, Roddy Doyle wanted.

“We spent a long time getting both bands to sound the same, which made it a lot easier to blend them together and sound like one band when they both start to play together,” said Richard. “We designed it to get a bigger and fuller sound as the show goes on and, in the story, The Commitments get better as a band. By carefully setting each song’s gain structure we could blend the unseen musicians into the whole sound and really bring out the arrangements, with the horn sections playing different parts to give a fuller and richer sound.”

The SD7’s ease of programming aided the team’s ability to give focus to different parts of the production using 18 effects loudspeakers which are fixed in the set.

But once a song or scene is set up, Richard is effectively mixing on the fly.

“It’s not a huge stage and we need to mix the dialogue manually to avoid phasing, while in the songs we are using the input faders to feature certain musical parts,” he said. “Also, the ‘cast band’ changes frequently, with different actors playing the instruments differently. The unseen band also sometimes has deputies in, which changes the set up.

“I also feel you can over-program shows, leaving little room for any feel or dynamics. I like to have input into the sound and feel when I mix a show, rather than just push a button for two and a half hours.”

“It’s been a very challenging show to do,” Rory concluded. “But everyone’s really happy with it. I’m very proud of both the show and of the team for hanging on in there, throughout an enormous amount of hard work.” www.digico.biz

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046 REPORT

NYCB THEATRE AT WESTBURY Company: JBL, Crown Location: Long Island, USA The NYCB Theatre at Westbury is one of Long Island’s best-known music venues, growing from its less-than-glamorous origins in 1956 as an unheated outdoor tent to the premier Live Nation-owned concert hall it is today. Formerly the Westbury Music Fair, the current 3,000-seat venue was built in 1966 and has since undergone multiple renovations - the most recent being an upgrade to its audio system with JBL VerTec line arrays powered by Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers.

“The former audio system was 30 years old, was underpowered and had significant issues in many areas,” noted Dustin Goen, System Designer and Project Manager for systems integrator, Clair Brothers. Dustin worked with Schartoff and Chris Barbee of lighting contractor Bandit Lites to design and build a new truss ring over the stage with six hangs of six JBL VerTec VT4887A compact line array loudspeakers, powered by Crown I-Tech 4x3500HD multichannel amplifiers.

Because the theatre is in the round, Dustin realised distributed cardioid clusters of subwoofers weren’t going to work. “You’d get a response plot that looked like a raspberry instead of an apple,” he said. In response, Clair Brothers opted for a central cluster of six JBL STX828S subwoofers in a triangular stack, driven by three Crown I-Tech 12000HD amplifiers.

Clair Brothers was able to use the existing front and stage fill loudspeakers, which are linked to the main system via a BSS Audio BLU-160 signal processor with digital audio bus. The VT4887A clusters can be used either as three alternating stereo pairs or in mono depending on the preferences of the FOH mixer and artist.

An added benefit is that the new truss ring is smaller and doesn’t block the sightlines across the venue, making the hall seem bigger than it was before.

“We wanted every listener to hear one clear and coherent sound source no matter

where they were sitting, and that’s what the VT4887A line arrays deliver,” Dustin stated. “Thanks to their smooth, controlled dispersion pattern, the coverage is seamless from the first row to the back in 95% of the room.”

Dustin considers VerTec and Crown I-Tech HD amplifiers to be a perfect combination since the amplifiers’ DSP incorporates VerTec V5 preset tunings. “The V5 presets really bring the VerTecs to life and make them sound like a whole new loudspeaker.”

JBL HiQnet Performance Manager software is in place to calibrate and control the system. “Performance Manager helped us get everything up and running fast,” Dustin said. “We had to be ready in time for a show by Lee Brice so there was no slack. We didn’t get a chance to test the wiring until two days before the show.”

The system didn’t require a lot of tweaking - Dustin noted that the VerTecs sounded great out of the box and that tuning was more a matter of gain shading than applying EQ. “We had two days to ring out the system, tune it and train the house engineers, and we did it.” www.jblprocom / www.crownaudio.com

Photos by Marcus Tozini

H AMPSTEA D TH EATR E Company: ETC Location: London, UK Lighting Designer Rick Fisher has utilised ETC’s new Source Four LED CYC adapters for for a production of Howard Brenton’s Drawing the Line at Hampstead Theatre in London. “We are using them to light through the ceiling of the beautiful set and I’m sure we have only scratched the surface of what they can do. I was really impressed,” said Rick.

He used six Source Four LED Lustr+ luminaires alongside conventional Source Four units, and was amazed at how well their colour and intensity blended. “There were times when I almost couldn’t tell the difference as to which was on - the conventional or LED,” explained Rick. “They are not the same, but they are pretty close and for the first time, I could almost see not missing tungsten so much.”

The CYC adapter makes a lighting inventory even more flexible. Any Source Four LED can be transformed into a powerful tool to light cycloramas when its lens

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barrel is removed and a Source Four LED CYC adapter is added. Typically, a cyc light can only be used for one purpose, so when a design doesn’t include a backdrop, the fixture goes unused. In contrast, if there is no cyclorama to light, the CYC adapter can be removed and the Source Four LED luminaire can be applied to other lighting tasks.

Rick’s design for Drawing the Line also uses two ETC Selador Desire D40 Ice luminaires and three Selador Desire D40 Fire units to bring extraordinary intensity to the performance. Ice adds a range of colour from the cool end of the spectrum, and Fire brings a warm wash of amber, orange and red. “Ironically perhaps, after all the work ETC has done blending the beams, my set is great at separating out the colours, so we get an amazing dappled effect,” he said.

“I am glad to have two of the LED engines in Hampstead as well, with regular lenses that I rigged as head-high face lighting for the actors, but my real favourites are the CYC units. They really do the job better than a traditional flood, even in the unusual way I was using them,” concluded Rick. www.etcconnect.com

“My favourite Rosco colour is GAM 365, Warm Straw.”

— Neil Austin

Lighting Designer

“In Le Corsaire for the English National Ballet, I used GAM 365 Warm Straw to create the heightened sense of romance in the backlight. It’s perfect for transforming clear tungsten halogen into lush, romantic sunlight.”

Used in footlights and overhead battens, G365 also enhanced the beautiful painted scenery and gave a glorious, warm, sunset colour to the backcloth by using it in the groundrow at a low light-level.

“I also use Warm Straw on West End transfers to Broadway in order to counter the slightly harsher white of American Source Four lamps, when compared to the 240v lamps we have in the UK.”

Neil Austin was the recipient of the 2011 Laurence Olivier Award for The White Guard at the National Theatre and 2010 Tony Award and Drama Desk Award for Red at the Golden Theatre, Broadway.

He has designed over 200 productions including 31 at the National Theatre and 25 at the Donmar Warehouse.

Neil Austin

Find detailed information about every color in the GamColor range, including Neil Austin’s favourite – G365 Warm Straw – in Rosco’s myColor web app: www.rosco.com/myColor

048 REPORT

N ATION A L TH E ATR E Company: Sennheiser Location: London, UK Just over 50 years on from its first ever performance on 22nd October 1963, and with over 700 plays under its belt, the National Theatre on London’s South Bank is still an incredible hub of creativity. One of the most recent additions to its audio inventory is Sennheiser’s flagship Digital 9000 Series microphones, of which it boasts 40 channels.

Head of Sound and Video Jonathan Suffolk, now in his second tenure at the National Theatre, has been instrumental in continuing this ethos of excellence and forward thinking.

“There’s a real energy in our department and creating relationships with suppliers is part of that,” said Jonathan. “The NT has a long standing relationship with Sennheiser, going back into the early ‘90s when we migrated from Micron microphones to Sennheiser. The Olivier Theatre [named after the NT’s founder, Sir Laurence Olivier] is full of Sennheiser equipment and we use them for many of the Olivier shows.

“However, last year, when work started on the production of The Light Princess in the Lyttelton Theatre, we considered whether to hire or buy additional radio microphones. We felt that working at the cutting edge of technology was very much in the spirit of what the NT is about,” he recalled. “Not always using equipment we’d

Photo © Francis Dzikowski / ESTO

THEATR E FOR A NE W AUDIENCE Company: Theatre Projects Location: Brooklyn, USA More than 30 years after its founding, the Theatre for a New Audience (TFANA) finally has a new and permanent home at Polonsky Shakespeare Center - situated at 262 Ashland Place, Brooklyn - an intimate and flexible courtyard theatre designed by Theatre Projects Consultants.

Designed in partnership with H3 Hardy Collaboration Architecture, Theatre Projects sought to create a venue that’s structural flexibility would allow for maximum artistic flexibility. With an orchestra floor that can be altered into endstage, thrust, flat floor, and arena configurations; seating platforms equally as malleable; and an innovative rigging system that allows infinite scenery hanging possibilities, Theatre Projects created a space that can be either cozy and personal or grand and

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relied on previously.”

To that end, and with the encouragement of renown theatre sound designer and NT sound department member Mike Walker, Jonathan and his team felt they should fully embrace the digital audio domain and decided to look seriously at purchasing a digital solution.

“Having Mike on the team is really important,” said Jonathan. “He’s a purist when it comes to sound. His quest has always been to find the perfect microphone and transmitter. When the 9000 Series was produced, his report to us was glowing and he brought it to the theatre for us to consider.

“There were concerns about potential latency with a digital system, concerns which were more instinctive than scientific. We decided the best way to allay that fear was to have a shoot out, which we did between Sennheiser and another microphone brand. Both systems were absolutely great, but the audio quality of the Sennheiser 9000 was astonishing, it was fully digital and compander-less.

“On that basis we felt we should invest in the Sennheiser product. There were differing views within the department, but after a lengthy and forthright conversation with the senior members of the audio team and with the support of Simon Baker Sound Designer on The Light Princess, we concluded that it was more interesting, challenging and exciting to go with Sennheiser.”

“Sennheiser is quite technical in its approach to the development of its equipment,” Jonathan continued. “But where its focuses its efforts is on the quality of the audio and that is absolutely apparent in the 9000 Series. I don’t think any of us has heard anything as good. There were moments on The Light Princess [the first production on which it was used] where 18 mics were being used at the same time.

The quality of the sound was extraordinary. Everyone felt that.”

Jonathan also feels that sustainability is important. “The 9000 Series has rechargeable batteries,” he said. “We eat up batteries, so we’re hopefully being a little more environmentally sensitive now.

“We also knew Sennheiser would support us. Andrew Lillywhite [Sennheiser UK’s Chief Engineer] would be there at the drop of a hat if we needed him. It’s much easier to take the jump to new technology if you know the manufacturer is there to support you. And the support was fantastic. There weren’t many issues, but when we needed them, Sennheiser were there.” en-uk.sennheiser.com

awe-inspiring.

Jill Collins, Theatre Projects’ Rigging Equipment Designer for the Theatre said: “It’s a very versatile space. They can open the backstage area all the way to the rehearsal space. They aren’t limited by the size of the room, only the size of the building.”

Inspired by another Theatre Projects venue, the Cottesloe Theatre at the National Theatre in London, Theatre Projects sought to take the best qualities of the iconic courtyard theatre - it’s intimacy, verticality, and plasticity - and improve upon them with more flexibility, a deeper stage, and more backstage area.

The hallmark of courtyard theatres - intimacy between the audience and actors - is achieved elegantly at TFANA’s new home through the use of two galleries, which wrap around the back and sides of the theatre, placing the audience suspended above the stage. This verticality allows for a dynamic closeness between parties, making the audience active participants rather than passive spectators.

“The presence of the audience in the galleries around the room creates a constant lively decoration of the room,” said Richard Pilbrow, Theatre Projects’ founder and Project Leader for TFANA’s new home. “The intimacy between actor and spectator is enhanced by the audience on the surrounding galleries; and its flexibility stems from the ability to entirely re-shape the stage. The narrow rectangular proportions of the room encourage this intimacy, while simultaneously the height of the space creates a potential sense of the epic.”

“Arranging the audience around performers to achieve close communication between the two is the challenge of theatre design,” said John Runia, Theatre Designer at Polonsky Shakespeare Center. “TFANA’s new home achieves this in an extremely compact and efficient building that leaves out nothing.”

A mission-driven design led Theatre Projects to create a venue with the capability to contort in as many ways as TFANA saw fit. With the group’s artistic goals in mind, Michael Ferguson, Theatre Projects’ Project Manager, sought to build an infinitely versatile venue. “Adapting to a different space for each production was part of what fuelled TFANA. They have a creative legacy and didn’t want their home to change their dynamic approach to the art,” Michael said. “For them, artistic philosophy and freedom were key.” www.theatreprojects.com

050 REPORT

Photos © Malin Arnesson

MALMÖ OPE R A Company: Dataton Location: Malmö, Sweden Based on the book by Daphne Du Maurier and Hitchcock’s famous thriller, Rebecca the musical has recently taken to the stage at Malmö Opera and features a backdrop of sweeping landscapes, crackling fire, wild seas, shattering vases and spinning moons - all created with a four-projector set-up under the command of Dataton’s Watchout multi-display software.

The musical by Levay and Kunze is heavily influenced by the film version of Rebecca, with swift cuts to new scenes and sets. To maintain that feel and pace, lighting and set designer Bengt Gomér worked with Malmö Opera’s audiovisual coordinator, Joakim Täck, and production company Visual Relief to create a dynamic digital

GRANDE AUDITORIO Company: Arup Location: Lisbon, Portugal Constructed in the late 1960’s, with an extremely complex stage design, the Grande Auditório at Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian (FCG) has undergone a thorough refurbishment.

Arup’s theatre consulting and acoustics team were appointed to review the future needs of the venue, analysing the existing systems and making recommendations for the refurbishment and replacement of the systems. The restoration extended to the performance venue, the stage, the side-stage, the orchestra and choir rehearsal rooms as well as all the technical support zones that were equipped with new structures and infrastructures entirely in keeping with current European legislation on issues relating to safety, quality and operational working practices.

The original overstage canopy design limited the lighting and scenic capabilities overstage and made the deployment of microphones difficult, so a new modular canopy inspired by the original model was introduced, enabling the stage to meet

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set. The six metre by 17-metre stage is filled with stills, effects and video footage for the entire performance - just over two hours.

“Our specialty is re-creating and transforming spaces by using projection and lighting,” said Johannes Ferm Winkler of Visual Relief. “The production is a psychological thriller and calls for scenography that can be both dramatic and subtle, instantly changing to create the right atmosphere.”

Visual Relief started by building a 3D model of the stage to fine-tune mapping, effects and scene changes. In the performance, two Digital Projection Titan Super Quad 1080p projectors are used to cover the centre stage, flanked by two Sanyo PLC-47 projectors.

“The projections use a large number of video tracks and effects, all handled by Watchout,” commented Joakim. “We use Watchout in almost all our productions as there’s projected scenery in just about every performance.” www.dataton.com

different requirements and opening up a vast field of new technical possibilities and rendering the room more versatile and adaptable to hosting not only musical performances but also cinema, conferences and theatre.

The lighting was refurbished in accordance with the very highest standards and technical requirements. Contemporary luminaires were used overstage in the new canopy and on the extended lighting bar systems, to reduce heat and energy costs in the stage zone and dimming and lighting power control were re-adjusted to decrease the quantity of circuits, while improving flexibility.

The audio, video and performance communications systems were completely replaced as they made no provision for digital audio and control. From the acoustic point of view, corrections and adjustments were made taking into account the adaptation of the facility to various performance types. The design of new features is as discrete as possible, so as not to jeopardise the harmony and the reading of the inner facades.

A new permanent house sound system was also designed, together with a permanent cinema system - which includes a screen and the rear-screen sound system - that rises vertically from the under-stage zone, together with a surround sound system in the auditorium concealed behind motorised timber panels that hide the speakers when not in use. www.arup.com

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052 REPORT

T RI N G PAR K S C H OOL FOR TH E P E RFOR MIN G AR TS Company: Avid Location: Hertfordshire, UK SSE Sales has supplied its first Avid S3L compact digital mixing console to Tring Park School for the Performing Arts in Hertfordshire.

As a long-standing Pro Tools user, the school’s audio engineer and music technology teacher, Jon Mardlin was already attracted to Avid systems, then with the launch of the S3L, he saw an opportunity for the school to have its own high-spec digital mixing console for performance and recording purposes. Jon signed up for SSE’s S3L Training Day so was able to explore the console’s potential. “The Avid Venue software is really flexible for Musical Theatre,” said Jon. “The snapshots / automation mean you can change the settings for one channel or many channels in so many ways.”

The school chose a 48-channel S3L system, complete with a 22-inch touchscreen and three Stage 16 racks. Now in use, Jon finds the virtual sound check to be particularly useful: “We can record the band call / technical rehearsal and then look at

scenes and settings after the band and students have had to leave.”

“The S3L also has a small footprint in our theatre” added Jon. “This is making everyone happy as more seats are now available for the public to see the shows.

As the connection to the control surface is only Cat5, the E3 and stage racks have been located in the lighting box and band pit, so the desk can be removed very quickly out of the auditorium to free up seats when the FOH mixing position is not neeeded.”

“My overall impression of the desk is that it is fantastic,” concluded Jon. “The sound is full and clean and the supplied plug-ins are really nice to work with. The control surface is quick, responsive and all settings / controls are under my fingers to control the mix.” www.avid.com

MORE CASE STUDIES

THESSA LONI K I CONCERT H A L L Company: Cadac Location: Thessaloniki, Greece A leading audiovisual turnkey installation and theatre sound specialist in Greece, Telmaco, has installed the last ever Cadac R-type console in the landmark Thessaloniki Concert Hall.

The R-type was installed by the Athens-based company in the main 500-seat Amphitheatron Hall, in the Thessaloniki Concert Hall’s new M2 building, as part of a major turnkey project that included sound reinforcement, projection, conference and interpretation, video and audio relay, intercom and stage management systems.

“The client requirement was for a console of the highest audio quality and reliability that was quick to install. The Cadac R-type fulfilled these demands better than any other comparable console,” said Telmaco Sales Engineer, George Regginiotis.

Telmaco previously installed a Cadac S-type console in the central control room in the M2 building when it opened in 2010. The new R-type equips the Amphitheatron Hall with a mix capability for a wide variety of performance and non-perfor-

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mance applications, including large-scale conferencing and event production. The bespoke console is configured with 48 mono and three stereo input channels, 16 dual groups, one monitor group, 16 DC masters and one VCA master.

Commenting on the delivery of the last R-type, Cadac Brand Development Manager, Richard Ferriday said: “Despite the market dominance of digital technology, and Cadac’s adoption of that technology, there are still applications for large-format analogue consoles. These applications see limited value in the logistical advantages and convenience offered by digital consoles and therefore require pure analogue solutions. For these specialist applications, Cadac is the only manufacturer still committed to providing uncompromising, professional large-format analogue audio consoles. From the legendary 256-input J-type, through the modular S-type to the latest compact Live1, Cadac continues to offer a full range of mixing solutions employing the latest in both analogue and digital technology.” www.cadac-sound.com

054 REPORT

AYLES B UR Y WATE R SI D E THEATRE Company: Martin Audio Location: Aylesbury, UK Working to a specification devised by Carr & Angier Theatre Consultants, evenly dispersed sound was of paramount importance for the audio upgrade at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre, since there are three audience tiers and optional ground floor seating wagons to enable the 1,200-seat auditorium to convert into a larger 1,800-capacity standing space.

Northern Light Project Manager, Simon Cooper decided to base his sound

reinforcement solution around Martin Audio’s purpose-designed wavefront theatre systems. For the primary system, he chose 14 purpose designed Martin Audio WT3 arrayable three-way compact theatre enclosures. These are designed in three vertical pairs on either side of the proscenium arch, focused onto each balcony, with a single enclosure at the base. The proscenium system is complemented by a centre cluster of seven Martin Audio W3P arrayable compact enclosures to provide true L-C-R imaging, while two Martin Audio WS18X subwoofers, either side of the stage add low frequency extension.

Providing stage fills are Martin Audio WT15’s, while high up the building four Martin Audio WT2’s and a pair of Martin Audio S18(F) subwoofers are mounted on the second lighting bridge to form the delay system for the second balcony. Finally, under-balcony support is provided by Martin Audio’s C6.8T ceiling speakers - six on each level. www.martin-audio.com

THEATER UL M Company: Riedel Location: Ulm, Germany

www.riedel.net

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Photo © G8w

Theater Ulm in Germany has expanded its intercom system with an Artist digital matrix intercom system solution by Riedel. Theater Ulm was founded 1641 and is a multistage house offering opera, play and ballet.

At the heart of the installation is a Riedel Artist 32 mainframe that lays the foundation for the communications infrastructure. Due to Artist’s free scalability, Artist systems can be easily expanded to form infrastructures with up to 1,024 x 1,024 non-blocking ports per installation.

“The scalability of the Artist system was really important to us. It allows for flexible planning and write-off. Only this way, is it possible for us to plan cost-effective systems that correlate to our applications”, said Karlheinz Fohlert, Chief Technician for audio and video at Theater Ulm. A total of 22 Artist 1100 and 5100 Series control panels are used at the theatre for various positions such as stage management or stage entry. The Artist 1100 Series features talk buttons with integrated OLED displays allowing for maximum readability. They also feature an eight-digit LCD display that can be doubled with a shift key.

A Riedel RiFace integrates the theatre’s radio infrastructure into the wired intercom system. This way radios can directly talk to a control panel or vice versa.

SUN YAT-SEN MEMORIAL HALL Company: Audiocenter Location: Guangzhou, China Audiocenter’s V-HLA10+ MKII system was successfully used in the musical, New York - New York held at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Guangzhou, China. New York - New York is one of the most passionate and romantic musicals in Europe and America and thanks to Audiocenter’s V-HLA10+ MKII line arrays with OHAC patented phase technology, T.A.C waveform and specially designed horn the musical was delivered successfully night after night.

Audiocenter’s OHAC patented phase technology assists the neighbouring point source cabinets to improve the phase response of the mid-low frequencies and the performance of mid-high frequencies.

Audiocenter innovative T.A.C waveform is an essential part of the V-HLA10+ MKII line array. It is mounted between the driver and the horn to ensure even coverage and highly accurate, direct sound. www.ac-pro.net

Photo by Mario Perricone

AALTO TH E ATR E Company: JB Lighting Location: Essen, Germany Guiseppe Verdi’s opera Macbeth has opened at the Aalto Theatre in Essen under the directorship of Hein Mulders. Christof Hetzer provided stage design and costumes, while René Dreher was responsible for theatrical lighting.

Stage lighting proved to be a difficult challenge, as stage design was kept to a minimum, meaning just a few fixtures were allowed, but they had to cater for a number of tasks. Six JB Lighting A12 moving heads were chosen for the job, three are positioned in the crater in the stage floor, while another three are positioned above the crater. The A12’s were selected for this project because their zoom range can be variably adjusted as required. They also offer excellent colour mixing and high brightness output that is used to illuminate the actors on stage. www.jblighting.com

056 REPORT

Images courtesy of Kire Galevski

MACEDONI A N NATI ON A L T H E AT RE Company: Lumen Radio Location: Skopje, Macedonia After many years of construction, the new luxurious Macedonian National Theatre, designed to resemble the old building that vanished in the 1963 Skopje quake has opened its doors. With a total area of 7,200 sq metres, the theatre with its two halls, the Grand Hall and the Small Hall, has a 937-seat capacity. The luxuriously decorated theatre has gilded ornaments inside and outside and 47 magnificent statues on the roof.

The premiere play, The Eternal House, written by Jordan Plevnes and directed by Dejan Projkovski, marked the grand opening. The lighting design was created by Deni Sesnic, while Svetlost Teatar, a Belgrade-based company that specialises in theatre and related technologies, was responsible for stage engineering and production lighting system.

The lighting system has been designed with the multifunctional purpose of the hall in mind. The National Theatre is a classical theatre with 10 modular dimmer racks with over 860 channels and more than 500 conventional luminaries. A basic lighting plot has been set so illumination for every point on the stage is possible from a minimum of three different lighting zones.

In addition to the classical set up, sophisticated control systems have been integrated, five control racks with fibre optic backbone, Ethernet and DMX distribution,

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wired and wireless, and over 100 intelligent fixtures. Ethernet network is built using one core fibre optic switch and five edge switches and is utilising Philips Strands’ ShowNet protocol. Protocol conversion is possible via centralised nodes located in control racks or via PoE powered portable nodes. Due to the flexibility of the modular dimming system and wide distribution of control signals, use of controllable lighting and effect devices is possible in every lighting zone. Advanced control system for the work and house lights has been implemented; it has been built on Philips Strand Vision.Net platform and integrated with the production control system.

In order to gain DMX control for many of the more complex moving sets and set lighting elements, a wireless lighting control system from LumenRadio was put in place. Utilising the state-of-the-art LumenRadio CRMX technology, a large number of fixtures can be controlled with flawless execution and radio transfer.

“When the production of The Eternal House asked for the most reliable wireless lighting control system, undoubtedly the choice fell on LumenRadio since its products offer exactly the kind of reliability and support required,” said Marko Ilic of Svetlost Teatar. www.lumenradio.com

11/04/14 17:08

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Huge room volumes

The challenges remain consistent, but seldom appear independently. The d&b columns, however, are new and corrective; a unique combination of waveguides and damped ports create a cardioid pattern with a constant horizontal directivity of 90째, whilst the tight vertical dispersion tilts downwards in the low to mid range and is adjustable in the high frequencies. Handy for those who like to comprehend word for word in long, large, high, reverberant spaces with impediments to intelligibility. The d&b xC-Series: positions text clearly.

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058 REPORT

T H E FOR U M Company: AC-ET Location: Cumbria, UK A.C. Entertainment Technologies’ audio division, has supplied a versatile RCF HDL line array sound system to cater for the diverse programme of events - at Cumbria’s popular theatre and arts venue, The Forum.

The Forum’s Technical Officer, Lee Winter, reported an increase in problems with the venue’s 30-year-old FOH point source system, and recognised the need to upgrade to a modern loudspeaker system.

“We were granted some money from our council to update the FOH loudspeaker system and amplification, and looked at some passive systems, but they were out of our limited budget range because of the need to buy separate, good quality amplification alongside them,” said Lee. “The reps from both RCF and A.C.E.T’s audio division came to the venue, bringing

the system with them for the demo, we were blown away with the clarity, quality and throw of the RCF system,” explained Lee. The HDL 20-A active line array system provides tour sound in a compact size, and is designed for both live sound reinforcement and installed sound applications.

The Forum’s system comprises of two RCF line arrays each featuring six HDL 20-A modules, two HDL 18-AS subwoofers, two SUB 8006-AS double 18-inch bass reflective active subwoofers, two C3108-96 300W, two-way loudspeaker systems and associated system fly bars.

“The RCF line array is an excellent purchase and investment, and we look forward to dealing with A.C. again into the future,” Lee concluded. www.ac-et.com

FRANK F UR T C O NG R E SS CEN TER Company: QSC Location: Frankfurt, Germany A QSC Q-Sys audio management system has been installed at the Congress Center in Frankfurt to manage the PA / VA. Accessed by two custom paging stations based on TSC-8 touchscreen controllers, the Core 1000-based Q-Sys system routes audio to and controls no fewer than 15 QSC CX254 amplifiers across the building, fed by seven QSC DAB-801 redundant amplifier switchers.

Centrepiece of the Congress Center is the Harmonie Hall, a 2,200-seater multi-purpose auditorium that can be used for concerts, multimedia events, and conferencing. Prior to the introduction of Q-Sys, the Congress Center had a PA / VA system dating from 1996, but it no longer met the stringent safety requirements expected of it under German and European law. Design Consultant Frank Sokat of German firm, IFB Consulting was engaged by the building’s administration to draw up the specification for a new system.

“This was a project with many requirements,” explained Frank. “The new PA / VA had to fulfil the requirements of the German and European safety standards for such systems, DIN0828 and EN60849, and all of the components had to be

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networkable, with full redundancy possible. In terms of performance, the system had to be capable of dealing with up to 50 paging sub-networks, and to manage up to 60 different types of simultaneous audio input throughout its network at any one time, and up to 40 outputs. It had to interface with and route audio to and from the existing analogue loudspeaker systems, Crestron control systems and paging stations, which were not being replaced, while adding two new paging stations for fire alarm announcements and stage management in the Harmonie Hall.

“Our choice to meet all of these very exacting requirements was Q-Sys. For control, we installed two TSC touchscreen panels. The one used for stage control in the Harmonie Hall is portable and can be plugged in anywhere there is an Ethernet port; it’s often used to control the systems from the dressing rooms. Standard alarm messages can be called up and transmitted fast from the TSC-8 if required.”

Shure Germany supplied the Core 1000-based QSC Q-Sys system for the Congress Center building, which was then installed by local contractors BFE Studio und Mediensysteme. www.qsc.com

SHAW TH EATR E Company: DPA Microphones Location: London, UK London’s Shaw Theatre was the venue for this year’s Yamaha European Junior Original Concert, an annual event that gives children from Yamaha music schools the opportunity to perform their own compositions in a professional setting.

In order to ensure the best possible audio quality, Sound Director Simon Honeywill insisted that only DPA microphones should be used. These were supplied by hire company RG Jones, in conjunction with DPA’s UK distributor Sound Network. RG Jones also supplied FOH / Monitor Engineer Jack Bowcher, who worked closely with Simon Honeywill to deliver great sound.

“The people from Yamaha were insistent that I should not compromise on sound quality, and that is why I chose to use only DPA microphones,” Simon said. “For some time now I’ve wanted to do a show using entirely DPA, so this was my perfect opportunity. The main focus on stage was a Yamaha concert grand piano, which we miked using two DPA 4023 compact cardioid recording microphones on a stereo bar, plus three DPA d:vote 4099 instrument microphones positioned to pick up the lows, mids and highs. It was a lot of microphones for one instrument but it was worth it because the piano sounded really special.

“As all of the performers were children, it was essential that those wearing IEMs and using radio headsets were given the chance to get used to them before the concert started,” Simon continued. “Luckily we had sound checks and were able to run through the entire show twice, so that gave us the time we needed to prepare them.”

Jack Bowcher added: “We ended up with 15 performers on stage at once with a total of eight in ear mixers. For many of the performers it was the first time they had used IEM, so it was crucial they heard the instruments in the way they were used to. The DPA 4023 stereo set on the piano kept things sounding very natural, although I did use some dynamic EQ to stop any harsh frequencies when volumes picked up.”

Other DPA microphones used during the concert included d:dicate 2011 twin diaphragm cardioid microphones, d:facto vocal microphones and d:fine headset microphones. www.dpamicrophones.com

060 REPORT

Photo © Joan Marcus

S HUBER T TH E ATR E Company: MA Lighting Location: New York, USA Matilda The Musical has taken to the stage on Broadway’s Shubert Theatre using an MA Lighting grandMA2 full-size console for lighting control for Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer, Hugh Vanstone.

“It’s the second time I’ve worked with Hugh Vanstone on a transfer from the West End,” said Lighting Programmer, David Arch. “I had a pretty good idea of what to expect, the hardest part of any transfer is usually getting your head around someone else’s programming. The biggest challenge for me was the substitution of a couple of fixture types that had very different feature sets from what was used in London. “As well as the lighting package, video, lasers, confetti, haze and footlight pop-ups are all controlled from the grandMA2. We are using time-code on some of the big production numbers as well as sending and receiving midi show control

triggers to sync with various sound effects,” continued David.

Laura Frank programmed the video cues for the show. She points out that the original London production did not run video through the system. “The video cues were in the media server,” she explained. “For Broadway the video components of the show were entirely rebuilt, and I put them on the grandMA2 so everything is triggered from the console. The platform is very fast, and the desk can do so much - it allowed me to manipulate the screen feedback structures so I could create a visual feedback and not numbers. I was only interacting with essential data, and that made for a very useful environment for me.” www.malighting.com

F E D E RAT I O N H ALL Company: AMX Location: Melbourne, Australia

Image courtesy of Gary Drain

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Melbourne’s Federation Hall is a theatre on the grounds of The Victorian College of The Arts, Southbank. Part of The University of Melbourne, the Federation Hall is a true multipurpose venue, hosting lectures, orchestral performances and film screenings.

Over the last two years, Parity Technology Consulting and integrators Soundcorp have been working together to completely replace the back of house control and distribution infrastructure, refurbishing its ailing all-analogue backbone to a fully integrated, high-definition venue fully controlled via AMX Modero touchscreens.

“The project started off with renewing the lectern and replacing the existing AMX control system,” recalled Pasquale Valpied, Partner at Parity Technology Consulting.

“The MXD700 in the lectern has specific user settings, set out according to the University of Melbourne’s standard template for its lecturers” explained Sam Moore, Sales Manager at Soundcorp. All connected devices report back to the University’s technicians via AMX’s Resource Management Suite.

At the heart of the complex video switching and distribution system in Federation Hall is Extron’s new XTP platform. Accepting all forms of video input from HDMI to component analogue, and distributing signal via Cat6, the XTP is vital to the functionality of the space. “XTP worked a treat,” elaborated Pasquale.

Integrating control of the XTP system to the AMX NI3000 enabled Soundcorp’s AMX programming master Martin Smith to achieve an amazing amount of control with a minimum of cabling. On activating the lectern’s DVD ‘play’ button, the AMX NI3000 sends an IR command over IP to the Extron, which ports it down Cat6 to stage, before adapting into an IR dongle on the front of the DVD player.

Scott Morrison, Senior Technical Specialist at the University, is proud to have taken part in such a complex refurbishment, and praises his partners. “It’s been a good positive relationship between the three parties. Because of the complexities of the space, there’s been a lot of positive discourse and collaboration around schematics and ideas.” www.amx.com

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062 REPORT

SYDN E Y OPE R A H OU S E Company: Iosono Location: Sydney, Australia Erich Korngold’s opera Die tote Stadt has premiered at Sydney Opera House with Iosono 3D sound. The elaborate production by Opera Australia broke new ground as the orchestra’s music was streamed live to the Opera Theatre using Iosono’s 3D sound technology. While the musicians were playing live in the neighbouring studio, cinematic surround sounds filled the theatre bringing the performance to the audience and singers.

For Die tote Stadt Iosono 3D sound created a unique acoustical reproduction of the physically absent orchestra by building an acoustical hologram of the orchestra.

This approach was a unique experience for the audience, as well as for the singers on stage, creating a fascinating interplay between the live-performance and the streamed orchestra in 3D sound. Tony David Cray, Sound Sesigner for the project and Head of Recording and Broadcast for Sydney Opera House, was happy with the results: “I am thoroughly impressed by how Iosono allows the reproduction of the body of the orchestra. The localisation of every single instrument is stable throughout the theatre and the transparency is amazing. It’s a real game changer.”

To virtually bring the musicians to the opera stage and achieve a proper reconstruction of the orchestral body, Iosono used its audio processor and the d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers installed in the Opera Theatre. Olaf Stepputat, CEO of Iosono, remarked: “We are very proud to be showing the capabilities of Iosono in such an esteemed venue. The results are great - the sound is very clear and the transparency of the d&b audiotechnik loudspeakers we use is excellent. This project shows Iosono’s high potential for live applications.” After being audio-streamed to the venue, the orchestra sound unfolded three-dimensionally for every listener.

With the use of Iosono’s 3D sound technology a precise direction-oriented reproduction of each instrument was possible. Plus, more than a dozen effect loudspeakers were placed throughout the Opera Theatre to further enhance the room acoustics and produce unique spatial sound effects offstage. www.iosono-sound.com

OSLO CONC E R T H A L L Company: J&C Joel Location: Oslo, Norway Oslo Concert Hall opened in 1977 and is a musical festive hall located in Vika, a part of Oslo city centre in Norway. The building consists of two concert halls, the main hall having a maximum capacity of more than 1,600 and the small hall has a capacity of 266.

Working with Bright Norway AS, J&C Joel manufactured and installed five custom dyed Austrian curtains within the main concert hall. Each curtain was made separately to allow individual operation of the curtains, which can be controlled and deployed to suit many different viewing configurations. While the motors and control were in good working order remedial and replacement works to the other components were included to enhance the overall system and enable the end user to have full range of operation.

Motors and control apart, J&C Joel supplied and installed new hauling lines, nudge and support pulleys, rated cable terminations and upgraded fixings. As part of the renovation the cable routes were adjusted and the main hauling sleds and terminations were also serviced and adapted. Through the introduction of a spinal network of aluminium rods and bespoke locator pockets and eyes within the curtains, a fully stable performance system was achieved.

The Austrian curtains were manufactured from a custom dyed royal blue IFR Sowerby Velvet Velour (VEL700) and were finished with 50% fullness. The main FOH curtain measured 21-metres wide with a drop of 13-metres, the two front side maskings were manufactured to three metres wide and 13-metres drop while the

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two rear side maskings were finished to 4.5-metres wide by 12-metres drop.

The IFR Sowerby Velvet Velour, that covers the entire width of the hall in the deep and rich ornate fabric, created an impressive waterfall like effect and added a sense of luxury and elegance to the main hall. www.jcjoel.com

THE WIRELESS

MASTERPIECE.

Lifting the Curtain: World Class Goes Digital.

For decades Sennheiser has been a reliable and innovative partner in broadcast and theatre. Therefore, we understand that world-class sound engineers have the highest of demands and expectations.

With this firmly in mind, we took all of our extensive experience and rolled it into our first digital multi-channel wireless system. This is it and it’s in a class all by itself: DIGITAL 9000 provides uncompressed digital audio transmission, free from intermodulation, and delivers stunning sound and dynamics with a cable-like purity.

DIGITAL 9000 – The Wireless Masterpiece. sennheiser.com

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064 REPORT

K E L L E T T T H E AT R E Company: Macostar Location: Hong Kong, China Macostar, a Hong Kong-based stage lighting and machinery system specialist, has recently completed the design and installation of the stage lighting, machinery and rigging, audio and video broadcast systems for the new Kellett Theatre at Kellett School, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong.

Kellett Theatre has 385 seats and the stage features innovatively-designed revolving acoustic reflector panels that can simulate typical theatre wings, providing functional and flexible settings for drama and music performances. As the school specified a stage with an orchestra pit, in order to establish an efficient and reliable solution that can transform the venue in minutes, Macostar worked closely with Canadian stage equipment specialist Gala Systems to build a 42 sq metre motorised orchestra lifting platform in front of the proscenium. The multi-level platform can be adjusted from a submerged full orchestra pit, to a raised-up extended apron. Gala Systems provided engineering and platform lift design support to its ND9 Spiralift, the world’s most compact lifting system, which allows the gentle movement and stable support of the platform, and can be configured easily in modular designs to suit any platform geometry and building architecture.

In addition to the orchestra platform, other movable stage lighting infrastructures were installed with motorised rigging machineries to provide automatic control.

Widely used in theatres and TV studios with high safety factor, Macostar’s Macho pile winding winches, drum winches, and draw curtain machine were chosen and respectively attached to seven Medley lighting bars - featuring Trabes Euro 29 Trio trusses at FOH - four Medley scenery bars, and a front curtain track that supports the 17.5-metre wide J&C Joel DFR Velvet Velour traditional theatre curtains. Movements of lighting bars and scenery bars can be precisely controlled via a Macho touchscreen hoist controller, or a wireless handheld remote tablet in a simulated floor plan interface.

As theatre technicians at the Kellett Theatre are more familiar with traditional

theatrical fixtures as installed in other campus locations, Macostar supplied 69 LDR’s Nota Series fresnel, profile and PC spotlights, Inno cyclorama lights, as well as LDR’s Canto Mk2 followspots. The lights are fitted with Macostar’s XACT 19 RDM colour scrollers, allowing lighting designers to maximise the choice of colours on stage setting design.

Other RDM-ready devices include a Zero 88’s Solution Series lighting console, offering simple hands on control of conventional generic and moving light parameters with submaster and cue stack control. The console also features networking, offline editing and a comprehensive fixture library to complete an outstanding control package for this multi-purpose venue.

Macostar also gave a high performance, reliable, and easy-to-install dimming solution with its DPC24X2D professional RCD dimmer cabinets and MARs 3120 dimmer packs. With Macostar’s Match DMX distribution peripherals for easy connection and compatibility with any standard DMX devices, this stage lighting system is complete with a future-proof design, upgradable to new buzzing technologies such as LED performance lightings.

The professional audio system aims to deliver live sound reinforcement and help theatre technicians to set-up, manage and mix audio channels quickly and easily.

Macostar supplied a Yamaha MG32/14FX analogue mixing console with built-in SPX digital effects as main control and a Mackie PRO FX16 audio mixer for independent on-stage sound control. Crown XTi Series power amplifiers with built-in DSP were chosen for amplifying audio sources. Four JBL VRX928LA loudspeakers were installed, forming a lightweight and compact, two-way line-array loudspeaker system, altogether with a pair of JBL AC18 / 26 2-way loudspeakers to distribute the sound more evenly over the entire audience area. Two JBL MRX-512M stage monitor loudspeakers, and two Yamaha MSP5 Studio powered monitor loudspeakers complete the audio line-up. www.macostar.com

The Choice of Professionals

200W Profile R30/55

200W Fresnel RF200

100W Panel Softlight 3015 and Fresnel RF100

MacoLEDs R Series LED Spotlights

visit us : A920, KOBA Korea | W1D07, PALM EXPO China www.macostar.com | Macostar Technology Limited

2/F Union Ind Bldg, 48 Wong Chuk Hang Rd, Hong Kong | sales.mhk@macostar.com | +852 28141881

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Image courtesy AV TECNICA

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MEET US AT ONE OF THESE EXHIBITIONS INFOCOMM ‘14 JUNE 18-20 BOOTH N547

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IN FOCUS EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA BOUTIQ, DUBAI ASTANA STATE AUDITORIUM, ASTANA O1NE YAS ISLAND, ABU DHABI SERPENTINE SACKLER GALLERY, LONDON MUSIKVEREIN, VIENNA

THE AMERICAS NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM, LOS ANGELES

ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA THE EMERSON, MELBOURNE VIC’S, BEIJING THE BANK, HANOI

Venues covered in the May / June issue range from a sophisticated ultra-lounge in Dubai and super-club in Abu Dhabi - both taking video and projection to the next level - to a gallery in London and concert hall in Vienna, implementing unique audio solutions in somewhat interesting spaces.

The Americas section this issue is dedicated to the Natural History Museum in LA, California, which has made clever use of audio for a more immersive guest experience and over in Asia we take a look at the nightclub sector visiting venues in Australia, China and Vietnam.

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DUBAI

BOUTIQ THE ‘ULTRA LOUNGE’ IS COMMON PLACE IN DUBAI, MEANING EVERY ASPECT OF A VENUE HAS TO BE A CUT ABOVE THE REST. BY APPOINTING THE TALENTS OF MIAMI-BASED IDESIGN PRODUCTIONS, BOUTIQ’S OWNERS ARE CERTAINLY ON THE PATH TO SUCCESS WITH THIS HIGHEND AUDIOVISUAL EXPERIENCE.

dubai, uae

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Having been open just a matter of months, the team behind Boutiq Ultra Lounge, located at The Address hotel in Dubai Mall, are intent on taking the UAE lounge / nightclub concept to a new level of excellence and sophistication. Boutiq blends the latest in customfabricated design with cutting-edge technology, all underneath one breath-taking 50ft ceiling.

Having worked with Boutiq’s owners Walid Zeytoun, John Alexiades, Alex Haje and Mood Bacho on their Washington DC-based ultralounge called Opera, Michael Meacham and his Miami-based team idesign Productions (which plans to expand into Dubai in September) were called upon to design a high-end visual experience that would immediately impress Boutiq’s and Dubai’s high end clientele.

With a total capacity of just 600 people, Boutiq is a unique intimate space full of interesting angles. The lounge consists of a main room, a VIP mezzanine overlooking the main stage and DJ booth plus an intimate lounge area that holds 150 guests.

“About three months worth of design work went into the project before I had even stepped foot inside the venue,” Michael told mondo*dr. “By the time I headed over to Dubai, I knew what I wanted to do with the space; it was important to make the room feel intimate to the guests while making the most of the high ceiling as that’s where a lot of the beam work would come from.

“Our initial aim was to bring the feeling of the ceiling down. Using 3D modelling, we had created a five-finger style truss design coming out of the ceiling. Our attention also went to the 32ft columns in

the space and designing custom video features using 220 13mm pixel pitch, 1.5m length custom-made LED strips to decorate the columns.”

The LED dressed columns bring a certain impressive factor to the venue. For a relatively small space, there is a lot of technology going on so Michael explained the concept behind the column’s video design: “We purposely did not use a continuous LED video layout on the Boutiq columns. One of my favourite things to do is design with contrast. The 1.5-metre (60mm) long LED strips are installed with a few inches between each one to allow for the intended negative space while the video still flows as if it’s seamless images. We created plenty of high contrast video content using lots of blacks just for this negative space effect. The big columns at Boutiq become a dynamic lighting instrument.”

The height of the ceiling, combined with significant use of video at Boutiq, naturally determined the lighting brands that Michael turned to in order to bring his total vision to life. “While we visually lowered the ceiling height to 32ft with the video columns, we still needed a punchy moving light for the ceiling’s truss fingers,” he said. “We could not just put any discharge lamp in there, we confidently chose the new Martin Professional Rush Series - 24 of the MH3 Rush Beam moving heads. We’ve had a solid relationship with Martin Professional for many years. It’s like anything, you use the right product for the right environment. In this instance, the Rush line was the perfect light for this space.”

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“One of my favourite things to do is design with contrast.

We created plenty of high contrast video content using lots of blacks just for this negative space effect.”

The DJ area also received the video treatment with a 10mm LED video wall behind the booth plus a 10mm video wall on the front of the DJ booth itself. “Originally we were going to have a 10mm screen on the booth in the main room and on the booth in the lounge area double stacked and wider. We decided that this video wall would be too big for the lounge space so we took the panels from the lounge wall and put them in the main room behind the DJ booth.

Now when you look at the main room booth, you’ve got the front face panels and then the panels behind it so it’s like a split screen, but depending on where you’re stood in the main space it looks almost as one. It’s a really interesting play on positioning within the club.”

Commenting on the increased use of video in nightclubs and lounge bars, Michael told mondo*dr that for him, it’s becoming very ubiquitous: “Pretty much all of the venues that I go to now have LED screens. It’s coming down to what resolution is being used rather than whether video is being used or not. At idesign we try to make it more unique than that by using video elements as an inventive tool.

“How I tend to program involve styles such as generating video cues to either be colour matching or completely contrasting colours against the lighting cues, allowing them to be organic in the way that they simultaneously perform together.”

To complete the creative lighting vision along with the Martin Professional Rush Beams, Boutiq has 22 Martin Professional Rush Pars RGBW par cans; 95 Color Kinetics iColor Cove QLX LED fixtures; six Chauvet DJ Intimidator 350 Spot LED moving heads; and four SGM X5 LED strobes. Control for the video and lighting comes from Resolume video control software, MA Lighting’s grandMA programming wing and Enttec shortcut wing using two

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SuperLogics 4U rackmount computers.

With the lighting and video design taken care of, it was down to EAW to provide the sound system. The main challenges the team behind Boutiq faced from an acoustical perspective, were two fold as Alex Haje explained: “To begin with, all the nightclub venues in Dubai are located in operating hotels with guests. So this creates a concern of achieving the highest SPLs in the venue but not causing disturbances with guests of the hotel. This issue required construction methods utilised to help minimise sound transmission, as well as hanging loudspeakers on acoustical isolation springs, neoprene under subwoofers and so on. Whatever means and methods necessary to decouple the loudspeaker components from the building structure, were implemented.

“The second aspect in regards to placement, was achieving full sound coverage of all patron areas without adding unnecessary SPL’s in the space and furthering the issue of sound transmission into the hotel,” continued Alex. “Rather than using big bulky boxes we chose the EAW Avalon CLUB.five, which is remarkably small with amazing output, to cover the areas under the mezzanine and above.”

The main sound system at Boutiq features four EAW Avalon CLUB. two loudspeakers - one in each corner of the room, along with four EAW Avalon SUB.two subwoofers - three under the stage / DJ booth and one in the bar area; there are also 10 Avalon CLUB.five loudspeakers covering the length of the mezzanine. These are split evenly, above and below the VIP balcony, while five more CLUB.fives are split between side-stage fill, rear VIP area fill (next to the stairs) and reception; all of the audio is managed by three EAW UX88000 processors. The DJ booth features three Pioneer CDJ-2000

Volume, punch and clarity in

seismic proportions

EAW launched the original Avalon line in 1997. Developed in collaboration with renowned club audio designer John Lyons, the series quickly became the benchmark for premium performance in the nightclub world. Now John and EAW have raised the bar again. The new Avalon series incorporates core EAW audio technologies to deliver the pure and visceral experience that world famous DJs have come to expect. With Avalon, leading nightclubs such as Light, 1 Oak, Mighty, Mohegan Sun and Avalon Hollywood are providing a new level of nightlife experience.

Visit the new EAW.com for more information on Avalon and other EAW products.

www.eaw.com

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multimedia players, a Pioneer CDJ-900 mixer, an Allen & Heath GLD-80 digital mixing system used with a GLD-AR2412 audio rack and two EAW Avalon CLUB.four loudspeakers for DJ monitors.

In the lounge area, also known as the Gold Room, there are two EAW Avalon CLUB.three loudspeakers placed in the main bar area, while four Avalon CLUB.four loudspeakers are used in the lounge area, along with an Avalon SUB.two subwoofer. There is one Avalon CLUB.five loudspeaker used for mezzanine to lounge area transition - all of which is managed by an EAW UX8800 processor.

The DJ booth in the lounge area features two Pioneer CDJ-2000 multimedia players and one Pioneer CDJ-900 mixer. Power for the entire system comes from Lab.gruppen and consists of one C16:4 amplifier, seven C28:4 amplifiers, one C88:4 amplifier from the C Series, as well as one FP 10000Q amplifier; one Lab.gruppen FP 6000Q amplifier; one Lab.gruppen FP 14000 amplifier and one Lab.gruppen FP 7000.

The brief from an audio perspective was simple “to have the best sound system in Dubai” and for Alex, another reason to choose EAW. Concluding, he told mondo*dr: “With Funktion One making such a mark in the past 10 years when it comes to club sound and also, with its strong presence in Dubai, the audio bench was high.

However, we knew that wanting a coaxial design, the amazingly tuned EAW Avalon boxes were the way to go. Our experience and confidence in the Avalon system made the choice for us. We had previously used the original Avalon system in many installs and it was a true winner, but with the newly refined design, the Avalon Series is in a class of its own.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION LIGHTING 24 x Martin Professional Rush Beam MH3; 22 x Martin Professional Rush LED Par RGBW par can; 220 X 13mm, 1-metre LED strip; 1 x 10mm LED video wall including 100mm DJ booth video wall; 95 x Color Kinetics iColor Cove QLX fixture; 6 x Chauvet DJ Intimidator Spot LED 350 moving head; 4 x SGM X-5 LED strobe; 1 x MA Lighting grandMA programming wing; 1 x Resolume video control; 1 x Enttec Shortcut wing control; 2 x SuperLogics 4U rackmount computer SOUND 4 x EAW Avalon CLUB.two loudspeaker; 22 x EAW Avalon CLUB. five loudspeaker; 2 x EAW Avalon CLUB.four loudspeaker; 2 x EAW Avalon CLUB.three loudspeaker; 5 x Avalon SUB. two subwoofer; 1 x Lab.gruppen C16:4 amplifier; 7 x Lab. gruppen C28:4 amplifier; 1 x Lab.gruppen C88:4 amplifier; 1 x Lab.gruppen FP 10000Q amplifier; 1 x Lab.gruppen FP 6000Q amplifier; 1 x Lab.gruppen FP 14000 amplifier; 1 x Lab.gruppen FP+7000 amplifier; 4 x EAW UX8800 audio processor unit; 5 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 multimedia player; 2 x Pioneer CDJ-900 mixer; 1 x Allen & Heath GLD-80 digital mixing console; 1 x Allen & Heath GLD-AR2412 audio rack www.boutiq.ae

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Le Boutiq - Ultra Lounge est sur le point de devenir l’un des repères nocturnes les plus chauds de Dubaï, couvrant une superficie totale de 5 000 pieds carrés sur trois grandes sections. La vision était simple : créer un lieu de divertissement de pointe à facettes multiples utilisant les toutes dernières technologies et offrant une image, une expérience et un service bien au-dessus des normes rencontrées dans l’industrie. En d’autres termes, il s’agissait de porter le concept de boîte de nuit/lounge à Dubaï vers un degré d’excellence et de raffinement inédit. Le Boutiq propose une expérience inégalée à sa clientèle, intégrant les dernières nouveautés en terme d’objets et de meubles sur mesure dans un lieu unique fait pour résister à l’épreuve du temps. Le tout couronné de la toute dernière technologie sonore et d’éclairage donne un environnement fort stimulant pour les 5 sens. La « Gold Room » située au premier étage offre un cadre intimiste et une ambiance de détente parfaite; la pièce principale présente une file de DJ internationaux et locaux ; et enfin, le « Balcon des VIP » surplombe la pièce principale et la foule, au niveau de la cabine du DJ et donne directement sur la piste de danse, améliorant une fois de plus l’expérience des clubbeurs. Le système audio du Boutiq Ultra Lounge présente des haut-parleurs EAW Avalon Two couplés d’un plafond élevé de 15 mètres et plus de 35 mètres de murs haute définition DEL créés par l’éclairage intelligent iDesign et s’étendant sur l’ensemble du club – cet éclairage intelligent est entièrement fourni par Martin Professional.

DEUTSCH

Boutiq Ultra Lounge wird schnell zu einem der heißesten Nightlife-Spots Dubais, mit einer Gesamtfläche von 5.000 Quadratfuß, verteilt über drei Hauptbereiche. Die Vision war einfach: einen innovativen, vielseitigen Entertainmenttreff schaffen, der die neuesten Technologien benutzt und einen überdurchschnittlichen Industriestandard in Bezug auf Service, Design und Erfahrung bietet. Anders gesagt, das Lounge- / NachtclubKonzept in Dubai soll ein neues Level an Güte und Klasse erhalten. Boutiq bietet seinen Gästen eine noch nie da gewesene Erfahrung einschließlich den neuesten, individuell hergestellten Designelementen und Möbeln in einem einzigartigen Treff, der sich zweifelsohne bewähren wird. Er ist ausgestattet mit den modernsten Sound- und Beleuchtungstechnologien und das Ergebnis ist ein Umfeld, das die Sinne anregt und herausfordert.

Der Gold Room, der sich im ersten Stockwerk befindet, bietet eine intime Atmosphäre und das perfekte Ambiente zum Entspannen; der Hauptraum begrüßt zahlreiche internationale und lokale DJs und der VIP-Balkon bietet schließlich einen Blick auf den Hauptraum und überragt gleichzeitig die Menge, auf gleiche Höhe wie das ebenfalls erhobene DJ-Pult verschafft er einen Blick auf die Tanzfläche, der die Nightlife-Erfahrung noch verstärkt. Das Audiosystem von Boutiq weist zwei EAW Avalon-Lautsprecher auf, die mit einer 15 Meter hohen Decke und mehr als 35 Meter hohen Wänden mit LED-Features mit hoher Auflösung, die durch iDesign intelligent lighting kreiert wurden, verknüpft sind und sich über den gesamten Club erstrecken – intelligente Beleuchtung wird überall durch Martin Professional bereitgestellt.

ITALIANO

Boutiq Ultra Lounge sta rapidamente diventando uno dei posti più caldi della vita notturna di Dubai. Il locale copre una superficie totale di 5.000 m² che sono suddivisi in tre sezioni principali . L’ idea era semplice: creare un luogo di intrattenimento innovativo e multi-sfaccettato che utilizza le più recenti tecnologie e fornisce un alto standard industriale per ciò che concerne il servizio, il design e l’ esperienza. In altre parole, si prende il concetto di salotto / night club di Dubai per portarlo ad un nuovo livello di eccellenza e raffinatezza. Boutiq offre agli ospiti un’esperienza impareggiabile che incorpora le ultime tendenze in termini di elementi d’arredo fatti su misura in un luogo unico che sarà senza dubbio indimenticabile. Dotato della più recente tecnologia audio-luci, il risultato è un ambiente che stimola e sfida i sensi. La Gold Room si trova al primo piano, offre un ambiente intimo e l’atmosfera perfetta per rilassarsi; la Main Room ospita una serie di DJ di fama locale ed internazionale; infine il balcone VIP offre una vista sulla Main Room, mentre ci si trova innalzati sulla folla allo stesso livello della cabina del DJ e ci si affaccia sulla pista da ballo per esaltare l’ esperienza della serata. Il sistema audio del Boutiq presenta degli altoparlanti MAE Avalon Two, che sono combinati ad un soffitto alto 15 metri e ad oltre 35 metri di pareti dotate di LED ad alta definizione create dall’ illuminazione intelligente iDesign, che si estende su tutto il locale. L’ illuminazione intelligente è completamente fornita dalla Martin Professional.

ESPAÑOL

El Boutiq Ultra Lounge se está convirtiendo rápidamente en el lugar de vida nocturna más de moda de todo Dubai, con una superficie total de 465 m2 en tres sectores principales. La visión fue simple: Crear un sitio de entretenimiento multifacético de vanguardia utilizando lo último en tecnología y proveyendo un servicio, diseño y experiencia por encima del estándar de la industria. En otras palabras, llevar el concepto de lounge/ discoteca en Dubai a un nuevo nivel de excelencia y sofisticación. Boutiq le brinda a sus invitados una experiencia sin igual, incorporando elementos de diseño y mobiliario fabricados a medida y muy modernos en un espacio único que, sin duda, resistirá al paso del tiempo. Para completarlo, cuenta con tecnología de sonido e iluminación de última generación y el resultado es un ambiente que estimula y desafía a los sentidos. El Salón Dorado, ubicado en el primer piso, ofrece una puesta íntima y un clima perfecto para relajarse; el Salón Principal, ofrece una serie de DJ’s internacionales y locales; y por último, la Terraza VIP, brinda visual al salón principal, dado que se levanta por encima de la multitud, a nivel con la cabina elevada del DJ y con vista a la pista de baile, acentuando la experiencia de la vida nocturna. El sistema de audio de Boutiq presenta dos alto parlantes de EAW Avalon, vinculados a un cielorraso de 15 metros de altura y sobre 35 metros de paredes de LED de alta definición creadas por iluminación inteligente iDesign, que se despliega a lo largo de todo el club – la iluminación inteligente es provista por Martin Professional.

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ASTANA STATE ASTANA, KAZHAKSTAN

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Designated as the country’s official capital in 1997, Astana is Kazakhstan’s second largest city, and the world’s second coldest capital. Despite its less than balmy climes, Astana has experienced a boom in development in recent years, with millions invested in parks, government buildings and cultural centres.

One of the most impressive of the city’s newest structures is Astana State Auditorium, a striking structure designed by renowned architect Studio Nicoletti that has been labelled the ‘Flower of the Steppe’ for its petal-like walls that enclose an indoor plaza home to restaurants, shops, exhibition halls, two cinemas, and a 3,500 seat auditorium

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that is one of the largest of its kind in the world.

The auditorium’s interior is as dramatic as the building itself. The room’s unique fan shaped wood ceiling panels create a flexible acoustic signature that can accommodate a wide variety of events, from classical music to rock, pop, cinema, and spoken word. As Alessandro Baroni of A&T Media explained, the project was not without its challenges: “The most important consideration was to achieve a consistent sound coverage across the entire auditorium,” he said.

“It’s a very unique design, with multiple levels of seating and an upper balcony that wraps around behind the stage area. The sound system

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AUDITORIUM needed to be flexible to adapt to a wide range of performance material and a wide range of seating configurations.”

The system comprises a main array of 16 Renkus-Heinz PN102LR line array loudspeakers, along with a secondary array of five more PN102LR boxes to cover the upper balcony behind the stage. A centre cluster of nine Renkus-Heinz PN212 subwoofers provides ample low frequency reinforcement, and four Renkus-Heinz ST9 cabinets cover lateral fill. The very front rows are covered by seven Renkus-Heinz SGX42 boxes mounted on the lip of the stage. For even more versatility, the main array can be hoisted up into the ceiling

when not in use, and a second complete system comprising 12 Renkus-Heinz ICL-R digitally steered column arrays on custom brackets can be put into play.

“The Renkus-Heinz systems were a good choice for this project, because the beam steering and built in DSP enabled us to configure the system to cover all the seating, at multiple levels and locations,” said Alessandro. In fact, based on the performance of the IC Live system, four more Iconyx systems were installed in an adjacent room.

A pair of Yamaha M7CL-48 mixing consoles are installed at FOH and stageside monitor positions. Nine Symetrix Symnet 8x8 processors

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handle system DSP and each element of the system is connented via a network of Ethersound, RHAON and CobraNet. Video is equally versatile, implementing a dual stack of Christie Roadie HD+30K DLP projectors for an exceptionally brilliant and high definition picture. “We ran into several challenges,” Alessandro reported. “We had too much heat build-up in the rack with two projectors, so we had to work out how to insulate the rack to keep it cool and keep the fan noise down. We also had to design a mounting system that was steady enough to hold the machines so the two images would stay perfectly aligned, pixel-by-pixel, to not lose image quality and definition.” Four Sony BRC3000 HD cameras cover the room, with a Panasonic AV-hs400 video console at the helm. There’s also an interpretation system that can provide subtitles in eight different languages.

On the lighting side, Italian installation company TreTi took inspiration from its experience with traditional Italian theatres and implemented a flexible, electronically controlled system featuring 26 different types of lighting fixture - a combination of halogen lamps, moving heads, discharge lamps and LED fixtures supplied by ETC, Spotlight and High End Systems. A Gio desk from ETC is used to control the traditional theatrical lighting fixtures, while a High End System’s Wholehog console controls the moving heads. The decision to use two different lighting consoles was to make the whole system a lot easier to manage as there are some 1,000 lighting fixtures installed throughout.

The biggest challenge when designing and installing the lighting system according to Daniele Melis of Treti, was the theatre’s dimensions, which stand at 48-metres wide by 140-metres in length and 47-metres in height. “Not even at the auditorium in Rome, did we

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work with such dimensions,” Daniele told mondo*dr. “The main thing we had to make sure of, was to offer the best safety, best reliability from the fixtures and dimmers, and the best flexibility for technicians.”

Not surprisingly, the project also included some logistical challenges.

“Of course, it was a challenge to be working in Astana, 6,000km away from our headquarters in Italy,” concluded Aiessandro. “And the winter climate was very severe. With such a big project, the scheduling and coordinating of different phases and crews is always a bit difficult. But we worked it all out in the end, and the result is nothing short of fantastic.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 21 x Renkus-Heinz PN102LR line array loudspeaker; 9 x RenkusHeinz PN212 subwoofer; 4 x Renkus-Heinz ST9 loudspeaker; 7 x Renkus-Heinz SGX42 loudspeaker; 12 x Renkus-Heinz ICL-R digitally steered column array; 2 x Yamaha M7CL-48 console 9 x Symetrix Symnet 8x8 audio processor LIGHTING: ETC, Spotlight, High End Systems lighting fixtures; 1 x ETC Gio lighting desk; 1 x High End Systems Wholehog lighting desk VIDEO: 2 x Christie Roadie HD+30K DLP projector; 4 x Sony BRC3000 HD camera; 1 x Panasonic AV-hs400 video console www.aetmedia.it www.tretispa.com

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O1NE YAS ISLAND ABU DHABI, UAe

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

Located on Yas Island, which resides in between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, O1NE superclub was designed by award-winning architect Sari el Khazen - responsible for the industry acclaimed Beirut Skybar - worked with Chafic el Khazen, CEO of Sky Management, to make this latest venture one of the most desirable nightlife hotspots in the area, replicating the prestige and glamour associated with Dubai, in Abu Dhabi.

With an exterior encased in a graffiti collage, put together by 16 of the world’s top graffiti artists, O1NE opened in October 2013 to coincide with the Grand Prix. It has a capacity of 2,000 and adopts a more relaxed door policy to nightclubs found in the UAE’s original nightlife capital - as well as offering a limousine service to and from Dubai for those wanting to party in new surroundings.

O1NE has been designed to merge the latest audiovisual and lighting

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technology, with super-luxe interior design for its VIP guests. Featuring a 360º projection that curves around the main seating area / dancefloor to deliver a totally immersive club experience, each night, trained technicians deliver carefully programmed live audiovisual and lighting sets, ensuring no O1NE night is the same. Behind the scenes, making sure this immersive video experience is presented in a seamless, professional fashion, are GrassHopper media servers from UK-based Green Hippo, which were supplied by High Dimensions.

Omar Youssef, of Wide Angle (audiovisual provider to O1NE) and Green Hippo’s Middle Eastern Product Specialist, explained: “There are eight Green Hippo GrassHopper media servers used at the club, which are used to run 16 Christie LX1500 projectors. The graphics, which were developed specifically for the venue in conjunction with Plan A, Microchunk and Studio Mr. White, come in at a resolution of 11,000 pixels by 1080 pixels and are imported into the Green Hippo UberPan media controller. They are then split between the GrassHoppers, which are responsible for edge blending and region mapping, the images are then projected onto the interior of the club

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as one image - the system is very flexible and easy for VJs to work with - all video is controlled by a Novation Midi controller and MA Lighting grandMA2 Light console.

“The video content varies depending on the time of night - from 10pm until midnight the content is scenery-based and aims to immerse guests into a different environment so for example, one minute they might be on the beach in Miami, the next Sydney or Venice. After midnight the venue turns into a clubbing environment and so the visuals change accordingly.”

It was imperative that any intelligent lighting used in the venue did not interfere with the video projection - it had to work alongside it rather than over the top of it. Hiljo Stadt of lighting design company, The Lighting Dutchman, was the man for the job and using 28 Clay Paky Alpha Spot QWO 800’s - supplied by RST Fzllc - designed a flower shaped lighting rig in the centre of the venue, controlled by an MA Lighting grandMA2 console and a MA Lighting NPU. Additional lighting comes from 24 Clay Paky Sharpys, over 700 LED fixtures, 24 four-lamp ACL bars and haze is provided by MDG. Of the Alpha Spot QWO moving head, Hiljo said: “It has great colour matching. We have really put it through its paces when working with the club’s projection screen. In addition, the punchy 800W beam is ideal for cutting cleanly through the ambient light from the projection screen.”

As well as utilising the lights’ colour-matching feature, Hiljo and his

team selected the Alpha Spot QWO 800 for its option of 15 glass gobos, six-facet rotating prism and stay-sharp-zoom feature, ensuring that the projected shape remains in focus while zooming.

“The Alpha Spot QWO 800’s rich set of gobos meant that we could create numerous exciting lighting looks for each night,” he continued.

“Embedded in the show is the fixture’s standard gobo profile, however we use a selection of breakups and beam shapes for the club’s ‘dance’ lighting. For our opening scene the frosted glass is used permanently because it provides us with an infinite number of looks.”

While the installation of the video and lighting was relatively straight forward, the same cannot be said for the installation of the PA system, due to acoustical issues with the venue.

Loud and Clear provided the system installed, which is made up of 24 Martin Audio W8LM line array loudspeakers that are split between four arrays and four groundstacked Martin Audio ASX subwoofers in the main area of the club. This is supported by eight Martin Audio AQ15 compact full range loudspeakers and four Martin Audio AQ212 ultra-compact sub bass enclosures in the VIP area as well as four AQ15 loudspeakers and two AQ212 subbass in the bar, under the DJ area. The system is powered by 14 Martin Audio MA5.2K amplifiers and processing is taken care of by four Martin Audio DX2 loudspeaker management systems.

There is a Pioneer set-up in the DJ booth consisting of four CDJ2000 Nexus platinum edition multiplayers and a DJM-900 Nexus

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Photographs by Naim Chidiac

VIDEO CONTENT

mixer, along with a Yamaha 01V mixing console. Two Martin Audio Blackline F15+ wide bandwith loudspeakers are used for DJ monitors together with two Martin Audio S18+ sub bass enclosures, powered by one Martin Audio MA3.0 amplifier and processing provided by one Martin Audio DX1.5 loudspeaker management system.

There are also eight Martin Audio C8.1T ceiling mounted loudspeakers and 16 Martin Audio C4.8T ceiling mounted loudspeakers distributed throughout the rest rooms.

“Because of the 360º video projection, placement of the loudspeakers was really difficult,” Omar told mondo*dr. “We couldn’t do a distribution system throughout the venue and so decided on an array set up, but we had the added challenge in that the owners didn’t want any of the loudspeakers to be seen. Initially we came up with the idea of hanging one array in each of the four corners of the club, but unfortunately because the venue hadn’t been sound proofed in the beginning this didn’t work. You could hear the sound coming from two different directions, there were delay issues and quite frankly it was painful so we had to change our approach. We thought about having the sound coming from one point next to the DJ booth in a concert configuration but this didn’t work either as when you’re in a club, you’re moving around the venue a lot and hearing the sound from multiple spots, so in the end we decided to place the arrays in the four corners of the room but hung them in the ceiling, pointing them down towards the floor, which has resulted in a very good sounding system with even distribution throughout the venue - there are no delays or echos - the system is working perfectly.”

While a venue such as O1NE is an unusual project for Omar and his team, usually working in the broadcast and live domain, he told mondo*dr this was a project he was happy to have been involved in: “We had an exisiting relationship with Chafic and he worked with us at every step of the way. We worked on this project for three years

and while that can seem like a long time to spend on a project, when you’re working with someone who is interested in every element and pushes for more, it makes it worthwhile. Chafic understands that to get the best from a venue, you need the best equipment - investment is key for peace of mind.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION VIDEO

8 x Green Hippo GrassHopper media server; 16 x Christie LX1500 projector; 1 x Green Hippo UberPan controller; 1 x Novation media controller; 1 x MA Lighting grandMA2 light lighting console

LIGHTING

24 x Clay Paky Sharpy moving head; 28 x Clay Paky Alpha Spot QWO 800 moving head; 24 x four lamp ACL bar; 700+ LED fixtures; 1 x MA Lighting grandMA2 lighting console; 1 x MA Lighting NPU

AUDIO

24 x Martin Audio W8LM loudspeaker; 12 x Martin Audio AQ15 loudspeaker; 2 x Martin Audio Blackline F15+ wide bandwith loudspeaker; 16 x Martin Audio C4.8T ceiling mounted loudspeaker; 8 x Martin Audio C8.1T ceiling mounted loudspeaker; 4 x Martin Audio ASX subwoofer; 6 x Martin Audio AQ212 subbass enclosure; 2 x Martin Audio S18+ subbass enclosure; 14 x Martin Audio MA5.2K amplifier; 1 x Martin Audio MA3.0 amplifier; 4 x Martin Audio DX2 loudspeaker management system; 1 x Martin Audio DX1.5 loudspeaker management system; 4 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 Nexus platinum multiplayer; 1 x Pioneer DJM-900 nexus mixer; 1 x Yamaha 01V mixing console; www.o1neyasisland.com

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SONIC IMMERSION

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The Pioneer Pro Audio flagship system comprises the GS-Wave series 3-meter dance floor stack with GSA technology and the XY series in-fill speakers, all powered by Powersoft’s high-performance K-Series amps with built-in DSP. This comprehensive line up guarantees versatile installations that deliver optimum sound and complete coverage throughout venues of every shape and size.

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Serpentine Sackler Gallery © 2013 Luke Hayes

SERPENTINE SACKLER GALLERY london, uk

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Housed in a former 9th Century gunpowder store known as The Magazine, located in Kensington Gardens, just a few minutes walk from the Serpentine Gallery is a contemporary art space, which has been named the Serpentine Sackler Gallery. The name expresses a gesture of gratitude towards Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler, who made the project possible thanks to their generous donation - the largest single gift received by the Serpentine Gallery in its 41-year history.

The new 900 sq metre Grade II listed building fuses together historic, architectural charm from The Magazine and a smooth, clean, minimalist design courtesy of Zaha Hadid Architects, while renowned engineering consultancy, Arup provided engineering design services for the newest addition to the gallery’s collection of buildings. Arup’s Project Director, Ed Clark said: “The project presented a number of key challenges for the sensitive restoration of the existing building and the design of the new extension. We are all immensely proud of our contribution to this fantastic new addition to the Serpentine Gallery’s portfolio of buildings.”

Due to the simplistic design - which included the restoration of The Magazine building as a free-standing pavilion within the new space the audio and lighting systems were required to be discreet to avoid interfering with the aesthetics. Ed decided that a fully invisible audio system would be the best solution for the space, so made contact with Cambridgeshire-based Amina Technologies and together with Applications Manager, Matt Holland, devised an audio system that was capable of catering for public address, audio content for art

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exhibitions, voice re-enforcement for presentations and background / foreground music during events.

“From the outset it was essential that the speaker system provided full range sound, i.e. bass response below 100Hz,” explained Matt.

“This is the natural limit of the majority of Amina’s invisible range hence we also manufacture highly discrete subwoofers - however we had not long begun shipping our newest invisible model the AIW750E. “The AIW750E is the flagship Amina invisible loudspeaker and as such produces the widest bandwidth and highest power handling of the Evolution Series range. By using two separate vibrational panels per speaker fed via an external crossover-cum-protection circuit, the AIW750E operates from 50Hz - 20KHz along with the Amina trademark ultra-wide dispersion and ability to integrate sympathetically with an interior’s acoustically reflective surfaces.

This was music to Arup’s ears, so it was quickly selected as the ideal speaker solution for the gallery spaces,” continued Matt.

A total of 11 Amina Technologies AIW750E loudspeakers were specified for the new gallery. RG Jones, the company that was responsible for system integration, installed the loudspeakers in the ceiling, five metres apart. The AIW750E loudspeakers were fitted in conjunction with Amina Technologies BackboxCV345 back boxes, which significantly reduce sound bleed into the ceiling cavity. For additional performance enhancement, the plasterboard ceiling was designed and structured to complement the loudspeakers. Matt explained further: “Ceiling set-out design was undertaken to ensure that unwanted mechanical vibrations were stopped, one method used was to fix plasterboard sheets to the supporting frame with a higher than usual number of fixing screws. Once correctly fitted to

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the plasterboard a 2mm standard plaster skim was applied to the ceiling, concealing the speakers. The AIW750E is engineered for optimal performance once a 2mm plaster skim is applied to its flat vibrational panel surface and delivers 87dB / one metre / 2.83Vrms sensitivity.”

As well as the invisible in-wall loudspeakers from Amina Technologies, K-array KZ10 micro line arrays - that are capable of a 92dB continuous output - were also installed in the twin vaulted powder rooms, which lie at the heart of the gallery. Powering the entire audio system are four Lab.gruppen E8:2 amplifiers, while loudspeaker management is handled by QSC Q-Sys integrated

audio system. The latter comprises a QSC a Core 250i processor - which features centralised processing architecture utilising Intel processing and is equipped with standard gigabit Ethernet hardware and protocols for audio transport and control - together with a QSC TSC-8 touch panel mounted in a bespoke paging station with a gooseneck announcement microphone.

“Arup had suggested the QSC Q-Sys on the list of possible equipment choices, and although we have tended to use other systems for audio management in the past, we had heard a lot about Q-Sys and became very keen to learn more about what it could do,” explained Jake Miller, who headed up the RG Jones

Let art speak for itself T:+44 (0) 1480 354390 / E: inspired@amina.co.uk / W: www.amina.co.uk

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FRANÇAIS

« The Magazine », une ancienne poudrière datant de 1805, située dans les jardins de Kensington, à quelques minutes à pied de la galerie Serpentine, abrite aujourd’hui un espace d’art contemporain appelé la « Galerie Serpentine Sackler ». Son design minimaliste fut gracieusement offert par le cabinet Zaha Hadid Architects, tandis que le groupe d’ingénierie de renom Arup a fourni les services de conception technique. Des systèmes de sonorisation et d’éclairage discrets étaient nécessaires pour ne pas interférer avec l’esthétique du lieu. Le directeur de projet d’Arup, Ed Clark, décida qu’un système audio totalement invisible serait la meilleure solution pour l’espace, alors il contacta la société Amina Technologies basée à Cambridgeshire. Celle-ci a équipé la nouvelle galerie de 11 enceintes Amina Technologies AIW750E, installées par RG Jones. En plus des enceintes murales invisibles, des colonnes de micro K-array KZ10 ont également été demandées. Quatre amplificateurs Lab.gruppen E8:2 alimentent l’ensemble du système audio, tandis que les enceintes sont gérées par un système audio intégré QSC Q-Sys. Offrir un bain de jouvence à un vieux bâtiment est souvent une tâche réjouissante pour toutes les parties impliquées, et cela semble certainement avoir été le cas pour la galerie d’art Serpentine Sackler.

DEUTSCH

team.

The QSC Q-Sys system allows the audio playback within the gallery to be split into six zones, which can easily be switched on or off by the QSC TSC-8 touch panel, making for a hugely flexible system. It also enables the possibility for a radio microphone to be connected for sound reinforcement purposes that is utilised for exhibition guide commentary or visiting artist speeches. A mini-jack input on the custom paging station also allows the connection of an iPod or other audio source for exhibitions that require continuous audio backing or atmospheres. “I was interested in using the virtual paging in Q-Sys Manager to create the multiple zones and DSP front end on the paging station, and that proved very easy to do. I also like the QLAN concept of having audio and control capability available on the same standard network cable,” continued Jake.

Injecting a new lease of life into a old building is often a joyous accomplishment for all parties involved and this definitely seems to be the case with the Serpentine Sackler Gallery. Jake concluded: “The QSC Core 250i’s onboard DSP was also very useful in allowing us to get the best possible sound out of the K-array and Amina loudspeakers; the KZ10’s in particular, due to their very compact dimensions. Obviously, in an installation like this, the aesthetics of the system are key; you don’t want lots of equipment visible everywhere, so the speakers had to be very tiny, but that can have a knock-on effect on the sound. This system now sounds great.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND

11 x Amina Technologies AIW750E invisible loudspeaker; K-array KZ10 micro line arrays; 4 x Lab.gruppen E8:2 amplifier; 1 x QSC a Core 250i processor; 1 x QSC TSC-8 touch panel www.serpentinegalleries.org

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In einem ehemaligen Schießpulver-Depot aus dem Jahre 1805, bekannt unter dem Namen The Magazine, in Kensington Gardens, nur wenige Gehminuten von der Serpentine Gallery entfernt, befindet sich ein Ausstellungsbereich für zeitgenössische Kunst namens Serpentine Sackler Gallery. Das minimalistische Design wurde von Zaha Hadid Architects gesponsert, während das bekannte Ingenieurunternehmen Arup die Engineering-Design-Services bereitstellte. Von den Audio- und Beleuchtungssystemen wurde erwartet, dass sie diskret sind, um die Ästhetik nicht zu stören. Der Projektleiter von Arup, Ed Clark, entschied sich für ein komplett unsichtbares Audiosystem als beste Lösung für den Bereich und setzte sich dafür mit dem Unternehmen Amina Technologies aus Cambridgeshire in Verbindung. Das Unternehmen stellte 11 Amina Technologies AIW750E Lautsprecher für die neue Galerie bereit, die durch RG Jones installiert wurden. So wie auch für die unsichtbaren, in die Mauer eingebauten Lautsprecher entschied man sich ebenfalls für K-array KZ10 Mikro-Line-Arrays. Das gesamte Audiosystem wird über vier Lab.gruppen E8:2 Verstärker betrieben, während die Lautsprecher über das integrierte QSC Q-Sys Audiosystem verwaltet werden. Ein altes Gebäude wieder in Schuss zu bringen ist oftmals für alle Beteiligten eine erfreuliche Angelegenheit und für die Serpentine Sackler Gallery scheint dies eindeutig der Fall zu sein.

ITALIANO

Situato nei pressi di Kensington Gardens in un’ ex armeria del 1805 conosciuta come The Magazine, a pochi minuti a piedi dalla Serpentine Gallery, si trova uno spazio d’arte contemporanea che è stato nominato il Serpentine Sackler Gallery. Il design minimalista è stato gentilmente fornito da Zaha Hadid Architects, mentre la rinomata società di consulenza ingegneristica Arup si è occupata dei servizi di progettazione tecnica.

Sono stati richiesti dei sistemi audio-luci discreti per evitare di interferire con l’aspetto estetico dell’edificio. Il capo progetto della Arup, Ed Clark, mettendosi in contatto con Amina Technologies che ha sede nella zona di Cambridge, ha deciso che un sistema audio completamente invisibile sarebbe stato la soluzione migliore per lo spazio. La società ha fornito 11 altoparlanti AIW750E della Amina Technologies per la nuova galleria, che sono stati installati da RG Jones. Così come gli invisibili altoparlanti a muro, sono stati fissati anche gli array micro line K-array KZ10. A potenziare l’ intero sistema audio ci sono quattro amplificatori Lab.gruppen E8 : 2, mentre gli altoparlanti sono guidati dal sistema audio integrato QSC – Q-Sys. Dare nuova vita ad un vecchio edificio è spesso un risultato felice per tutte le parti coinvolte e questo sembra decisamente essere il caso della Serpentine Sackler Gallery.

ESPAÑOL

Emplazado en lo que fuera un depósito de pólvora en 1805, conocido como The Magazine, y ubicado en Kensington Gardens, a solo unos pasos de la Serpentine Gallery, es un espacio de arte contemporáneo, al que se le dio el nombre de Serpentine Sackler Gallery. El diseño minimalista fue suministrado por cortesía de Zaha Hadid Architects, mientras que la reconocida consultora de ingeniería, Arup, prestó los servicios de diseño de ingeniería. Se requería que los sistemas de audio e iluminación fueran discretos para evitar interferir con la estética. El Director de Proyecto de Arup, Ed Clark, decidió que un sistema de audio completamente invisible sería la mejor solución para el espacio. Entonces se contactó con Amina Technologies, con base en Cambridgeshire. La empresa proveyó 11 altoparlantes AIW750E de Amina Technologies para la nueva galería, que fueron instalados por RG Jones. Así como los altoparlantes invisibles incrustados en la pared, también se especificaron micro cajas acústicas K-array KZ10. El sistema de audio completo está potenciado por cuatro amplificadores Lab.gruppen E8:2, a la vez que el manejo de los altoparlantes está a cargo del sistema integrado de audio de QSC Q-Sys. El inyectar un nuevo aliciente de vida en un antiguo edificio, habitualmente, es un feliz logro para todas las partes involucradas y definitivamente este parece ser el caso de la Serpentine Sackler Gallery.

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02/05/2014 11:20

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MUSIKVEREIN VIENNA, AUSTRIA

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA The Musikverein in Vienna, Austria, is internationally known as the centre of Viennese music culture and a focus of the international concert circuit. The name itself has a twofold meaning; the concert hall on Vienna’s Karlsplatz and the society to which this building belongs, the Gesellschaft der Musikfreunde (Society of Music Lovers) in Vienna - two elements encapsulated by one name.

Home to the Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, the concert hall was erected in 1863 and designed by Danish architect, Theophil Hansen in the Neoclassical style of an ancient Greek temple, including a concert hall as well as smaller chamber music hall. The Goldener Saal, which is the main concert hall, has a maximum capacity of around

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2,000 with 1,744 seats and room for 300 standing. Its lively acoustics are primarily based on Theophil’s intuition, as he couldn’t rely on studies on architectural acoustics. The room’s rectangular shape and proportions, its boxes and sculptures allow early and numerous sound reflections. The original equipment comprised a historic pipe organ built by Friedrich Ladegast, and the first organ recital was held by Anton Bruckner in 1872. The present day organ was originally installed by the Austrian firm Rieger Orgelbau in 1907, highly esteemed by musicians such as Franz Schmidt and Marcel Dupre and rebuilt in 2011. Since 2001, the building has been undergoing renovations and several new rehearsal halls have been installed - the Brahmssaal, Gläserner Saal, Metallener Saal and Steinerner Saal.

As part of these renovations, independent audio engineer Martin Laumann was recently contracted by the Musikverein to specify a

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loudspeaker system for speech and in accepting the contract, was faced with a number of acoustical and logistical challenges. Firstly the system had to cope with a reverberation time of well over two seconds, which works well for orchestral music but poor for speech intelligibility. The loudspeakers also had to be completely hidden from view behind a grille, fit inside a narrow space in a less-than-ideal location, throw clear sound nearly 50-metres to back of the second balcony and present voices with a natural balance and timbre - no small task.

“We auditioned and measured three systems in a shootout and Meyer Sound’s CAL was clearly the best solution,” said Martin. “The CAL cabinets are more compact, the sound beam is better controlled, and the STI-PA (speech transmission index) intelligibility measurements show better values. CAL also fits neatly into the narrow space, so the

loudspeakers remain invisible to the audience.”

Jose Gaudin, European Technical Services for Meyer Sound, was involved in the project from the very beginning - surveying the room ahead of the demo and told mondo*dr: “The initial idea was to have a single CAL 96 cover the whole room but due to its size it didn’t fit within the planned spot. The loudspeakers in place are in the same area that serves as access to the organ, so they are mounted on a moving arm to make way. The CAL 96 was too high, so the decision was made to use two CAL 64 column array loudspeakers with an added capacity.”

Two CAL 64 column array loudspeakers are mounted side-by-side: the beam of one is aimed down at a 19º angle with a 20º vertical beam spread to cover the main floor; the other is aimed on axis with a 15º vertical beam spread to cover the two rear balconies. These two

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CAL loudspeakers are set up for failover redundancy.

“Since the two units are aware of each other, we could prepare a backup coverage pattern, that if one unit fails, detects an anomaly or goes offline for whatever the reason, the remaining active array will change its beam to accommodate the whole room,” said Jose. “The main challenge on this installation was the location of the loudspeakers. Both speakers fit almost exactly into the door / soffit footprint.

ATEC Pro-Audio (Meyer Sound distributor) did a great job on the rotating arm and installing the loudspeakers - since it’s not easy to work with the loudspeaker equipment inside the organ housing where there are pipes so small that you could bend them with your finger.”

Commenting on the benefits of the Meyer Sound system, Jose told mondo*dr: “The CAL 64 provides highly accurate beam steering due to all the research and development on acoustics and electronics, and the tightly controlled manufacturing and quality control of each component. The acoustical characteristic of the loudspeaker makes the voice sound very natural and the single source adds a very good localisation. Each speaker can be monitored through the network and they are aware of each other as well.

Manfred Prochazka of Austria-based ATEC Pro-Audio added: “The

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major task was to install a system which couldn’t be seen and without changing anything architecturally. The Golden Hall is world-famous and desired because of its acoustics and any small change to this would be considered a negative. Another task was that we had to build both CAL 64’s inside the organ - this was a fierce challenge solved by a tailoring frame for the CAL’s, which were done by a locksmith. During the installation inside the organ we had to be very careful not to damage anything.”

The two Meyer Sound CAL 64’s are set up for failover redundancy. In addition, the system includes two Meyer Sound MM-4XP self-powered miniature loudspeakers to cover small seating areas behind the stage on each side of the organ loft. The complete system also includes an Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixer and processor with remote capability, as well as Sennheiser wireless microphones.

In the Musikverein’s 600-seat Brahms Hall, ATEC also installed a Meyer Sound UltraSeries loudspeaker system. To accommodate the hall’s flexible seating and staging, loudspeakers are placed and timed to allow either longitudinal or transverse seating, with main loudspeakers in one configuration serving as delays in the other.

The system includes four UPJunior-XP VariO loudspeakers and four UP-4XP 48V loudspeakers, plus eight MM-4 miniature wide-range loudspeakers. Another Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixerwith a PL10 remote controller provides mixing and processing.

“The project was very interesting in every way as the collaboration with ATEC and Martin Laumann has been great,” concluded Jose.

“It is a great feeling to finish tuning a loudspeaker system that does exactly what is expected and a bit more, through collaboration with people in different areas of the world from Meyer Sound Design Services in the US to the locksmith in Austria, resulting in a flawless result.”

Since its installation the Meyer Sound CAL system has been used extensively for voice narration in performances such as Tchaikovsky’s Peter and the Wolf, as well as for introductions and commentary by conductors, rehearsals, and educational programs.

“Everybody is very pleased with the intelligibility of the new system,” reported Martin. “Voices have more depth, reach, and clarity in a room where you often can’t understand a colleague talking to you from only five-meters away.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND

2 x Meyer Sound CAL 64 line array; 2 x Meyer Sound MM-4XP loudspeaker; 8 x Meyer Sound MM-4 loudspeaker; 4 x Meyer Sound UPJunior-XP VariO loudspeaker; 4 x Meyer Sound UP-4XP loudspeaker; 2 x Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixer; 1 x Allen & Heath PL-10 remote controller; Sennheiser wireless microphones www.musikverein.at

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star-way.com

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LOS ANGELES

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM LA’S NATURAL HISTORY MUSUEM IS DEDICATED TO BRINGING THE HISTORY OF TODAY’S WORLD ALIVE AND SO WHEN A NEW PAVILLION AREA WAS INTRODUCED, A CUTTING EDGE AUDIOVISUAL SYSTEM WAS ESSENTIAL, AS MONDO*DR DISCOVERED.

los angeles, usa The Americas

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHM) houses one of the most extensive collections of natural and culturally historic artifacts on Earth, over 35 million objects in all, some dating as far back as 4.5 billion years. Since opening in 1913, the NHM’s mandate has been to preserve, protect and research those artifacts, and to curate ever more immersive exhibitions in an effort to inspire wonder, discovery and responsibility for our natural and cultural worlds, in visitors. With the 2013 addition of The Otis Booth Pavilion, which features a cutting edge audiovisual system that relies heavily on Tannoy’s QFlex, VLS and CMS Series loudspeakers, the NHM has created a space that will allow them to do so more effectively than ever before.

Made possible by a US$13m gift from the Otis Booth Foundation and designed by CO Architects, the construction of the pavilion was part of a comprehensive, decade long, US$135m renovation that transformed the NHM into an indoor and outdoor learning hub. In addition to serving as an entry way and re-orienting the museum towards LA’s Exposition Boulevard and a new 3.5-acre nature garden, the two-level space also functions as a venue for a variety of events and presentations.

Designed by Waveguide Consulting and installed by Sound Image, the audio system inhabiting the pavilion includes a pair of Tannoy QFlex 32 digitally steerable, multi-channel arrays, two VLS 30 passive column arrays and five CMS 601DC dual concentric in-ceiling loudspeakers for reinforcement of speech and program audio.

“We were asked to provide an audiovisual system that would

support a gigantic LED video wall and the entryway to the museum,” said Michael Di Santo, Waveguide’s LA-based Senior Project Consultant. “It’s an everyday entry to the museum, but it is also used for special events, so we designed an audio system that can be used for presentations on either the upper deck or lower level.”

Constructed almost entirely of 9ft by 11ft glass panes, the pavilion is an extremely challenging space acoustically. “Essentially it’s a six-storey glass cube with a concrete floor,” said Jerry Fleury, Sound Image’s Project Manager on the install, “and there are two different presets, so, if someone is presenting from upstairs or downstairs, they can switch from one preset to the other between or during events.”

Waveguide chose Tannoy’s QFlex and VLS arrays in order to maximise the museum’s ability to control the sound easily and effectively. “We evaluated several loudspeaker options for this challenging acoustical environment and determined the QFlex line arrays would be a good fit,” Michael explained. “We looked at the software and the ease of setup and I contacted our engineers and asked if we could look into it. In the end, we chose QFlex because of its flexibility.”

The VLS 30 arrays, however, were the choice of the designer of the audio system, Harry Allison, who is Director of Design Services at Waveguide’s Atlanta headquarters. “The ceiling and south wall of the pavilion have some acoustic properties, but the remainder of the space is all glass,” Harry said. “So there’s only one hard wall between the museum and the new room. There’s also a ramp that connects the pavilion to the existing building and a large landing

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where events will be held, but they can set up an event at either end of the room, so the system had to provide coverage and intelligible program and speech reinforcement for both levels.”

That task was made more difficult owing to a variety of third party, solid surface actuators placed on the glass walls that provide a constant background of pre-recorded whale song throughout the space; an aural accompaniment to one of the main visual features of the pavilion, a 63ft long fin whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. “The whale sounds are part of what makes the space feel alive,” Harry said. “And they’re always going to be in the background, but there’s also a restaurant in the space so there was a lot of ambient noise that we needed to cut through.”

The digitally steerable Tannoy QFlex 32 and FAST (Focussed Asymmetrical Shaping Technology) equipped Tannoy VLS arrays provided an ideal solution in terms of both intelligibility and aesthetics, but Tannoy products were a natural choice for a number of reasons, as Harry explained. “I have a lot of history with Tannoy.

I know its engineering is solid and I’m also a big fan of the QFlex graphical user interface. There are other beam steering products available, but QFlex seems, to me, to be the easiest, fastest way to get the results we wanted.”

The Tannoy QFlex 32 arrays are installed roughly 27ft high on the upper level to either side of the entrance doors and the VLS 30

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arrays are hung on the walls to either side. “Typically, the VLS are used for program audio and the QFlex for speech,” Harry said. “The Tannoy may also be used for the whale sounds. They have that capability and there’s a little of that coming through the VLS 30’s, but for the most part a subwoofer and the loudspeakers mounted on the glass walls are used for that.”

Consistency was a key driver in Harry’s choice to pair the VLS 30 arrays with the QFlex 32s. “I needed something that closely matched QFlex sonically and visually and I wanted to ensure that we could switch between them, one after the other or during an event, without people noticing. I could have covered the whole space with one line array in a corner, but we chose this solution to provide added flexibility.”

Five Tannoy CMS 601DC in-ceiling loudspeakers are also installed below the ramp and landing roughly 10ft above the lower level floor to provide additional sound reinforcement. The dual concentric configuration of the CMS 601s was a major factor in Harry’s choice of the product, as he explained: “When I have the opportunity, I’ll use the dual oncentric loudspeakers, but I use regular CMS or dual concentric CMS loudspeakers depending on how critical the listening environment is and how high the loudspeakers are placed.”

Beyond Tannoy’s consistency and clarity, the high level of service the company routinely provides is another reason its products

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FRANÇAIS

Le Musée d’histoire naturelle du comté de Los Angeles (NHM) abrite l’une des plus vastes collections d’objets historiques naturels et culturels de la Terre ; plus de 35 millions d’objets en tout, certains datant de plus de 4,5 milliards d’années. Le « Otis Booth Pavilion » rajouté en 2013 dispose d’un système AV de pointe s’appuyant fortement sur des hautparleurs Tannoy’s QFlex, VLS et CMS Series ; le NHM a ainsi créé un espace lui permettant de présenter ses artéfacts plus efficacement que jamais auparavant. Conçue par le cabinet CO Architects, la construction du pavillon faisait partie d’une série de rénovations globales de 135 millions de dollars échelonnées sur une décennie qui transforma le NHM en un centre d’apprentissage intérieur et extérieur. Le système audio du pavillon comprend un réseau de deux colonnes multicanaux Tannoy Qflex 32 numériquement orientables, de deux colonnes passives VLS 30 et cinq haut-parleurs CMS 601DC Dual Concentric intégrés au plafond, améliorant ainsi significativement l’intelligibilité de la parole et la clarté musicale ; le tout fut conçu par Waveguide Consulting et installé par Sound Image. « On nous a demandé d’installer un système AV capable d’épauler un gigantesque mur-écran DEL et la porte d’entrée au Musée », a déclaré Michael Di Santo, consultant en projet senior de Waveguide, basé à Los Angeles. « C’est l’entrée principale du Musée, mais elle est aussi utilisée lors d’événements spéciaux, donc nous avons conçu un système audio pouvant être utilisé aussi bien lors de présentations sur le pont supérieur qu’au niveau inférieur ».

DEUTSCH

All images courtesy of Tom Bonner Photography

have become one of Harry’s go-to loudspeaker choices. That was particularly important in this case, he said, citing Tannoy’s willingness to send out a representative to optimise and tune the system. “I think it’s important to mention that because it’s something Tannoy will do. Normally, I’d be on site, but there was no way I could be in California at the time of this project and I felt confident that they wouldn’t leave until the room sounded great.”

Tannoy’s PSU RS232 to VNET and VNET interface rack mount also figure prominently in the level of flexibility the system provides, allowing technicians to control the loudspeakers from any data port linked up to the audiovisual rack. Those ports came into play during the final tuning of the system, Jerry said, explaining that although he’d been working on the project for some time, it wasn’t until just before the grand opening that he had the opportunity to hear the system in action, fully tuned and with the beam steering finalised. “I set Tannoy’s technician up with a network connection, he showed me the software, then I let him do his work and I went off to do mine. Within 10 minutes, I heard these two giant steps and the room sounded like a train station. Then I heard him steer the sound to the midpoint of the room and down to the floor space and suddenly it sounded like I was listening to a pair of near field monitors. I’ve never heard anything like it.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND: 2 x Tannoy QFlex 32 column array loudspeaker; 2 x Tannoy VLS 30 column array loudspeaker; 5 x Tannoy CMS 601DC loudspeaker www.nhm.org

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Das Natural History Museum von Los Angeles County (NHM) beherbergt eine der umfangreichsten Sammlungen an Naturschätzen und kulturell historischen Artefakten auf der Erde, mehr als 35 Millionen Objekte insgesamt, von denen einige 4,5 Milliarden Jahre alt sind. Durch die Ergänzung 2013 des Otis Booth Pavillons mit seinem hochmodernen AV-System, das in starkem Masse von Tannoy’s QFlex, VLS und CMS Serien-Lautsprechern unterstützt wird, hat das NHM einen Bereich geschaffen, der ihnen viel mehr Möglichkeiten als bisher bietet. Der Bau des durch CO Architects entworfenen Pavillons war Teil einer umfassenden, jahrzehntelangen 135 Millionen Dollar teuren Renovierung, die das NHM zu einem Indoor und Outdoor Learning Hub gemacht haben.

Das durch Waveguide Consulting entworfene und durch Sound Image installierte Audiosystem im Pavillon umfasst ein Paar digital steuerbare, mehrkanalige Tannoy QFlex 32 Arrays, zwei VLS 30 passive SäulenArrays und fünf konzentrische, in die Decke eingebaute CMS 601DC Dual Lautsprecher zur Unterstützung von Vorträgen und Programm-Audio.

“Uns wurde der Auftrag erteilt, ein AV-System bereitzustellen, das eine gigantische LED-Videowand und den Eingang ins Museum unterstützt“, so Michael Di Santo, Senior Project Consultant des in LA ansässigen Unternehmens Waveguide. „Es handelt sich um einen gewöhnlichen Eingang ins Museum, aber er wird ebenfalls für besondere Events benutzt.

Deswegen haben wir ein Audiosystem konzipiert, das für Präsentationen auf dem Oberdeck oder auf dem unteren Niveau verwendet werden kann.”

ITALIANO

Il Museo di Storia Naturale della Contea di Los Angeles ( NHM ) ospita una delle più vaste collezioni di reperti naturali e antichi sulla terra con, in tutto, oltre 35 milioni di oggetti tra cui alcuni risalenti a 4,5 miliardi di anni fa. Con l’ aggiunta dell’ Otis Booth Pavilion nel 2013, che dispone di un sistema audio-video all’avanguardia che si basa fortemente sugli altoparlanti QFlex , VLS e CMS Series della Tannoy, l’ NHM ha creato uno spazio che gli permetterà di lavorare nel modo più efficace di sempre.

Progettato da CO Architects, la costruzione del Pavilion (padiglione) faceva parte di un approccio globale, decennale con 135.000.000 di dollari di ristrutturazione che ha trasformato il NHM in un centro di apprendimento interno ed esterno. Progettato da Waveguide Consulting e installato da Sound Image, il sistema audio che si trova nel Pavilion comprende una coppia di Tannoy QFlex 32 digitalmente orientabili, array multidimensionali, due array passivi VLS 30 e cinque altoparlanti a soffitto CMS 601DC Dual Concentric per il rinforzo e il programma audio. “ Ci è stato chiesto di fornire un sistema audio-video che supporti una gigantesca parete video a LED e l’ingresso del Museo “, ha detto Michael Di Santo, consulente progettista della Waveguide di Los Angeles. “ Il museo è aperto tutti i giorni, ma loro lo usano anche per eventi speciali, per questo abbiamo progettato un sistema audio che potevano utilizzare per le presentazioni sia sul piano superiore che su quello inferiore “.

ESPAÑOL

El Museo de Historia Natural de Los Ángeles (NHM) alberga una de las colecciones más grandes de artefactos naturales y culturalmente históricos en la Tierra, más de 35 millones de objetos en total, algunos inclusive datan de hace 4,5 billones de años atrás. Con el agregado del Otis Booth Pavilion en 2013, que presenta un sistema audiovisual de vanguardia que depende fuertemente de los QFlex, VLS y alto parlantes de CMS Series de Tannoy, el NHM ha creado un espacio que le permitirá hacerlo más efectivamente que antes. Diseñado por CO Architects, la construcción del Pabellón fue parte de una completa renovación de $135 millones de dólares de una larga década que transformó al NHM en un centro de aprendizaje interno y externo. Diseñado por Waveguide Consulting e instalado por Sound Image, el sistema de audio del Pabellón incluye un par de cajas acústicas multi-canal QFlex 32 digitalmente orientables de Tannoy, dos cajas acústicas de columnas pasivas VLS 30 y cinco altoparlantes en el techo CMS 601DC Dual Concentric para reforzar los discursos y el programa de audio. “Se nos solicitó que proveyésemos un sistema audiovisual que soportara un video de pared LED gigante y también la recepción del Museo”, dijo Michael Di Santo, consultor senior de proyectos de Waveguide con base en LA. “Es un ingreso de todos los días al Museo, pero también lo usan para otros eventos especiales, entonces diseñamos un sistema de audio que pudieran utilizar para presentaciones, ya sea en el nivel superior como en el nivel de más abajo”.

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Bahrain World Trade Center, Manama Photo by Phil Weymouth

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THE EMERSON MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA

One of the newest multifunctional establishments to hit Melbourne’s nightlife scene is The Emerson. It encompasses a bar, restaurant and club, which operate as individual spaces thanks to some clever design elements, yet seamlessly blend together at the same time.

The Emerson’s former guise was another nightclub, however, its layout was littered with elements of confusion due to its claustrophobic and maze-like design. A key aim when the venue was resurrected as The Emerson was to eradicate the chaos and instead, make it an inviting and interactive experience for guests to enjoy night after night.

South West Solutions (SWS) was the company tasked with providing a lighting and video solution for The Emerson, Managing Director, Matt Downs explained how the company got the gig: “We first heard

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about The Emerson project via an old client, with whom we’d worked with on a previous venue. We were also contacted by the management company brought in to run the venue on behalf of the owners, so it was quite interesting to know that two different parties wanted us to be involved with the overall vision of the venue.” SWS is also responsible for running Melbourne’s largest superclub, so the company was well equipped with experience in the field.

Although the project was already well underway when SWS was brought into the mix, meaning Matt had to make certain allowances, he produced a design that complemented the high standards of the finer detail. As a focal point Matt suggested the installation of a curved LED screen - made up of 30 Unilumin P3 LED panels, running content via an ArKaos media server - between the ground floor club and the first floor cocktail bar, a place that until that point was essentially dead space. This area also incorporates the rigging structure for the ground floor moving lights, which is hidden behind

VENUE 097

Photos by William Watt

the screen itself. “We had to come up with a way to rig the lighting and so we had custom-made brackets manufactured for the LED screen which could double as rigging brackets for the lighting,” continued Matt.

Due to the tight space in which they had to be installed, choosing the right lighting fixtures was crucial. Matt turned to Martin Professional’s Rush Series. The Emerson marks one of the first installations of the new range, as Matt managed to secure some of the first products available from Australian distributor, Show Technology. Matt selected six Martin Professional Rush MH2 Washes, four Martin Professional Rush MH1 Profiles, and four Martin Professional Rush MH3 Beams.

“Initially we had planned to put only the MH2 Washes behind the LED screen and the MH1’s and MH3’s hung from the roof so we could get more beam effects but without the necessary infrastructure, it just wasn’t possible,” explained Matt.

“They may be small in size but the output from all three fixtures is big,” he continued. “The MH1 Profile is very bright and provides some great effects, the MH2 Wash is fast and the MH3 Beam punches out some great narrow beams for spectacular mid-air looks and effects. Plus the colours on all of them are amazing.”

Show Technology provided Matt and his team with great support throughout the project. Matt expressed his praise: “Show Technology

were there with us every step of the way. From having full technical specifications, pictures and weights available at hand - to pass to the engineers and architects for approval - to having physical demo stock available for the owners to get their eyes and hands on. They also helped refine the product selection, knowing what stock would be available at the time of the installation - even though it was only six weeks from concept for us.”

When it came to control for the fixtures, management operators of The Emerson were keen to have a simple solution that did not require a full time lighting technician. Therefore Matt decided the best solution was to provide a complete lighting package from a single manufacturer. He chose Martin Professional M-PC V3 controller software with a touchscreen and a Martin Professional M2PC control surface for live control. “We opted for the touchscreen interface on the M Series, set up so that even the DJs can start the show, chase the lights in time to the music and change the mood of the venue,” said Matt.

“We only have one Cat5 cable to run the entire lighting effects and LED package from the lower level console area to the audiovisual control racks on the upper levels. However, this is where the M-Series software and Ether2DMX8 routers work a treat. Thanks to some smart network management, we can run the Martin Net, Art-

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Net for the servers and have full network access for remote offsite management.”

For additional atmosphere, SWS selected a Martin Professional JEM 365 hazer, which is CO² based and is in line with a recent change in the law. In certain Australian states, it is now illegal to isolate a smoke system, however, CO² based hazers produce very fine particles meaning the smoke / haze does not activate any smoke detectors.

Due to time constraints, the lighting and visual design was planned in three stages so that the club could be in operation as soon as possible. Scheduled to take place in the upcoming months is the installation of some LED mappable strips around the walls and roof area as well as on the VIP level - overlooking the main dancefloor - in order to blend the upper and lower levels together even further.

The audio solution at The Emerson lay in the hands of Melbourne-based, Light Dimensions and using a combination of Dynacord, Electro-Voice and Bosch, the company has managed to provide a suitable package for each area of the club.

On the ground level - which is home to the bar and nightclub’s main dancefloor - Light Dimensions specified six Dynacord VL152 full range loudspeakers that have been wall-mounted around the perimeter of the room, supplemented by two Dynacord Sub 18 subwoofers to extend the low frequency of the system. There is also a single Dynacord A112 two-way loudspeaker for DJ monitoring. The bar area is taken care of by six Electro-Voice EVU1082/95 compact loudspeakers.

Power for the Dynacord cabinets is provided courtesy of one Dynacord H5000 amplifier and one Dynacord H2500 amplifier from the PowerH Series. These switch mode power supply amplifiers feature Class-H topology providing a stable, efficient output in a lightweight rack. Amplification for the Electro-Voice EVU1082/95 cabinets in the bar area - along with all the other Electro-Voice loudspeakers installed at The Emerson - is provided by seven Electro-Voice amplifiers from the Contractor Precision Series, six CPS2.4 equipped with two channels per 450W into two ohms and one CPS2.4 including two channels per 650W into two ohms.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION LIGHTING & VISUAL

6 x Martin Professional Rush MH2 Wash moving head; 4 x Martin Professional Rush MH1 Profile moving head; 4 x Martin Professional Rush MH3 Beam moving head; 1 x Martin Professional M-PC V3 controller software with a touchscreen; 1 x Martin Professional M2PC control surface; 1 x Martin Professional JEM 365 hazer; 30 x Unilumin P3 LED panel; 1 x ArKaos media server

SOUND

6 x Dynacord VL152 loudspeaker; 2 x Dynacord Sub 18 subwoofer; 1 x Dynacord H5000 amplifier; 1 x Dynacord H2500 amplifier; 1 x Dynacord A112 loudspeaker; 4 x Dynacord VL262 loudspeaker; 6 x Electro-Voice EVU1082 loudspeaker; 12 x Electro-Voice EV ZX1i loudspeaker; 6 x Electro-Voice CPS2.4 amplifier; 1 x Electro-Voice CPS2.4 power amplifier; 8 x Bosch LB2UC30L loudspeaker; Bosch LBC Series in-ceiling speakers; 5 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 Nexus multiplayer; 2 Pioneer DJM-900 Nexus mixer www.theemerson.com.au

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FRANÇAIS

« The Emerson » est un des plus récents établissements multifonctions animant la scène nocturne de Melbourne et proposant à la fois un bar, un restaurant et un club. L’éclairage et la vidéo de la salle devaient mettre l’accent sur la piste de danse, tout en intégrant les cabines VIP situées au niveau central et surplombant la section principale du club. La société South West Solutions a conçu et installé l’équipement technologique répondant à ces exigences et fut ravie de proposer certains des meilleurs produits de Martin Professional RUSH Series disponibles auprès du distributeur australien Show Technology, dont six lyres MH2, quatre profilés MH1 et quatre poutres MH3. Une console de contrôle M2PC adaptée au logiciel de contrôle Martin Professional M-PC V3 à écran tactile autorise un contrôle en direct. Du côté de l’audio, Light Dimensions a mis en place une solution comprenant des équipements Dynacord, Electro-Voice et Bosch, tous installés dans le club de danse, le bar à cocktails, le bar-restaurant sur le toit et les toilettes.

DEUTSCH

Eine der neuesten Mehrzweckeinrichtungen aus der Nightlife-Szene Melbournes ist The Emerson mit einer Bar, einem Restaurant und einem Club. Ziel des Beleuchtungsund Videopakets im Treff war es, den Tanzflächenbereich zur Geltung zu bringen und gleichzeitig die VIP-Räume zu integrieren, die sich auf zentraler Ebene befinden und den Hauptteil des Clubs überblicken. South West Solutions wurde beauftragt, die Technologie, die solchen Anforderungen gerecht werden könnte, zu entwerfen und zu beschaffen. Die Installationsfirma bestimmte mit Begeisterung einige der ersten Martin Professional RUSH Serienprodukte, die von dem australischen Händler Show Technology zur Verfügung gestellt wurden, einschließlich sechs MH2 Washes, vier MH1 Profilen und vier MH3 Beams. Zur Steuerung wurde eine Martin Professional M-PC V3 Controller-Software mit einem Touchscreen sowie eine M2PC Steuerfläche für die Live-Kontrolle verwendet. In Hinblick auf Audio bestimmte Light Dimensions die Lösung, die Dynacord, Electro-Voice und Bosch-Ausstattung umfasst und über den Tanzclub, der Cocktail-Lounge, den BarRestaurant-Bereich auf dem Dach und den Toiletten installiert ist.

ITALIANO

Uno dei locali multifunzionali più recenti, fiore all’occhiello della vita notturna di Melbourne, è l’ Emerson, che comprende un bar, un ristorante e una discoteca. Lo scopo del sistema audiovideo da installare nella struttura era quello di mettere in risalto la pista da ballo e allo stesso tempo di unire le cabine VIP, che si trovano al piano centrale con vista sulla parte principale del locale. È stato chiesto alla South West Solutions di progettare e fornire la tecnologia che avrebbe soddisfatto tali requisiti. La ditta installatrice è stata entusiasta di proporre alcuni dei primi prodotti della Martin Professional RUSH Series disponibili dal distributore australiano Show Technology tra cui sei luci wash MH2, quattro teste mobili MH1 Profile e quattro teste mobili a fascio MH3.

Per regolare il tutto è stato utilizzato sia un software di controllo Martin Professional M-PC V3 dotato di touch screen che una piattaforma di controllo M2PC che viene utilizzata dal vivo. Sul versante audio, la Light Dimensions ha indicato esattamente la soluzione che comprende i dispositivi Dynacord, Electro -Voice e Bosch, che sono stati installati attraverso la discoteca, la zona cocktail, il bar-ristorante panoramico e le toilette.

ESPAÑOL

Upstairs is the VIP area and cocktail lounge. Here Light Dimensions opted for eight Electro-Voice EV ZX1i two-way loudspeakers and four Dynacord VL262 full range loudspeakers. The combination of brands, mirrors that of below, creating a harmonious atmosphere between the different levels.

The highest level at The Emerson is home to a rooftop terrace, boasting stunning panoramic views of the city. A further four Electro-Voice EV ZX1i two-way loudspeakers and eight Bosch LB2UC30L loudspeakers provide the musical ambience for this cabana infused part of the venue.

The trio of brands provide even coverage throughout the venue, equipping each area with high quality, intelligent sound geared towards the needs of the individual spaces, whether that be punchy bass in the club or smooth tones for the relaxing lounge bar.

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Uno de los establecimientos multi-uso más nuevos en sacudir la escena de la vida nocturna en Melbourne, es The Emerson, con un bar, restaurante y una disco. El objetivo del paquete de iluminación y video en el lugar fue el de acentuar la zona de la pista de baile, mientras al mismo tiempo, se incorporaban las zonas VIP, situadas en el nivel central con vista al sector principal de la disco. Se le solicitó a South West Solutions que diseñen y suministren la tecnología que cumpliría con tales requerimientos. La empresa encargada de la instalación debió especificar algunos de los primeros productos Martin Professional RUSH Series disponibles por parte del distribuidor Australiano, Show Technology, incluyendo seis luces Wash MH2, cuatro Profiles MH1 y cuatro Beams MH3. Para el control se utiliza un software controlador M-PC V3 de Martin Professional con pantalla táctil, así como un control M2PC para el control en vivo. En cuanto al audio, Light Dimensions, especificó la solución contemplando un equipamiento Dynacord, ElectroVoice y Bosch, el cual fue instalado a lo largo de la discoteca, el lounge para cocteles, el bar-restaurante de la azotea y los toilets.

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BEIJING

VICS LOCATED IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST INVALUABLE COUNTRIES, VICS IN BEIJING, CHINA, OPENED DURING THE TURN OF THE MILLENNIUM. AS THE VENUE STEPS INTO ITS TEENAGE YEARS, IT RECENTLY UNDERWENT A COMPLETE OVERHAUL TO INJECT A NEW LEASE OF LIFE.

BEIJING, CHINA

ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA Arguably one of Beijing’s first real nightclubs, Vics has recently been treated to a full renovation, which includes a massively improved sound system and a more intelligent and sophisticated audio network. Vics is ‘a place to be seen’ in Beijing, so there was a lot at stake during the transformation.

Originally opened in 2000, located in a popular nightlife area of the city - beside the Workers Stadium - spanning across 1,200 sq metres and boasting eight VIP rooms, Vics nightclub is able to accommodate up to 1,000 clubbers in any given night. During the club’s lifetime, a number of competitor venues have opened up closeby, some came and went, while others have withstood the test of time, and striving to contend with the latter was one of the reasons for the refurbishment.

Vics turned to specialist provider of audio and visual solutions, Budee to head up the redesign. Established in 2002, Budee has gained recognition within the Chinese market through establishing

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distribution partnerships with a number of international brands, including Tannoy, Lab.gruppen, Lake and Electro-Voice to name just a few. These were the manufacturers chosen by Budee as the best solution for Vics’ new audio system.

Budee’s Director of Global Business Development, Eric Boyer explained the initial stage: “As one of China’s largest distributors of pro audio and visual equipment, we have long-standing relationships with most of China’s premier nightclubs and entertainment venues.

This is a very dynamic market and we spend a lot of time in the trenches researching our customers and their needs. Knowing our customers as well as we do is really one of the key elements of our continued success. When Vics decided it was time to refresh its ageing system, we were already in position to take on the project.”

The criteria for the new sound system was to ensure it was capable of dealing with punishing amounts of bass, it would produce audiophile clarity in the mids and highs on a day-to-day basis, as well as being easy to set-up and straightforward to manage. Budee worked with the club’s Director of Sound and Lighting, Liu Bin to design a system that fulfilled the requirements.

In the main room 12 Tannoy VQ 100 three-way loudspeakers

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have been specified, these provide a broad, even coverage across the room thanks to their 100º dispersion angle and are capable of high SPLs. The VQ Series loudspeakers sit alongside nine Tannoy VX 15HP dual concentric full range loudspeakers in the VIP area, while 16 Tannoy VS 15DR subwoofers provide the low end for the entire system.

Eric explained the choice of Tannoy: “One of the goals was to fulfil the vision of a true high-fidelity sound system in a dance club.

When you hear really loud music on a true high-fidelity system, the experience transcends merely listening. There is a real visceral impact as the listener connects with the music on a deeplyemotional level, truly getting lost in the music and in the moment.

“Tannoy has long held its reputation as a top-quality installation loudspeaker company. When often system designers are faced with making compromises between durability and sound quality, Budee feels that Tannoy delivers on both counts better than any other company in the business.

“Of course, one of the keys to this performance is Tannoy’s renowned dual-concentric driver, which delivers the full audio spectrum from a single point in space, greatly improving phase coherence of the program material and delivering a very natural and musical spherical wavefront, as well as constant directivity both horizontally and vertically, even well off-axis,” he said.

Additional subwoofers from Electro-Voice in the form of 12 ElectroVoice XLC215’s and two Electro-Voice EV ZX1 passive subwoofers have also been installed at Vics. “They deliver outstanding value and maintain the highest levels of performance. They were installed in areas of the club where they were best-suited to the sonic signature we were looking for,” commented Eric.

A combination of two Lake LM 26 digital audio processors, 12 Lab. gruppen FP 10000Q power amplifiers, eight FP 14000 power amplifiers, and two fP 3400 power amplifiers equip the system with power and loudspeaker management capabilities. The collaboration between the loudspeakers, amplifiers and processors was carefully considered in order to ensure coverage needs and SPL requirements were met in each and every area of the venue.

Eric continued: “As our goal was to build a truly hi-fi system, Lab. gruppen 2U FP+ Series amplifiers are ideal for clubs where space can often be limited but high power requirements remain. At 12kg, and with ultra low heat emission, we can supply a lot of clean power with a minimal footprint. To achieve such extreme channel density and power-volume ratio, Lab.gruppen engineers have refined and updated two proprietary technologies, regulated switch mode power supply and Class-TD output stage. Working together, these newgeneration proprietary circuits produce more power from a smaller

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 12 x Tannoy VQ 100 three-way full range point source loudspeaker; 16 x Tannoy VS 15DR direct radiating subwoofer; 9 x Tannoy VX 15HP dual concentric full range loudspeaker; 8 x Lab.gruppen FP 14000 stereo power amplifier; 2 x Lab.gruppen fP 3400 stereo power amplifier; 12 x Lab.gruppen FP 10000Q power amplifier; 2 x Lake LM 26 audio processer; 12 x ElectroVoice XLC215 high-output subwoofer; 2 x Electro-Voice ZX1 passive subwoofer www.vics.com.cn

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package while maintaining Lab.gruppen’s very high standards of sonic performance. The highs stay crisp and transparent; the mids warm and natural; and the tight, powerful low end delivers the visceral impact that the listener feels as well as hears.”

Like many other nightclub installations, Budee and the team were faced with acoustical challenges due to the building infrastructure and the reflections it presented. This issue was tackled head on with the help of the Lake LM 26’s, as they allow for independent control of up to six different outputs per unit, giving the system engineers at Vics very precise control of levels and equalisation to deal with the dynamic and imperfect environment.

Another common occurrence of nightclub re-fits is time constraints, as the venue cannot afford to be inoperable for a significant amount of time, especially when it has a strong reputation to uphold. Round the clock installation work took place in order to ensure the deadline

was met.

Music Director at the club, Siyuan Yu summed up the project: “What I like most about the new system is of course, the sound. I think it’s a fantastic system that can deliver the sound where you want it and gives our engineers and visiting DJs a lot of control in a very simple and intuitive way. As a DJ myself, I am always happiest when I know my sounds are hitting the audience in the way I hear them in my head. The frequency response of this system is amazingly smooth, and the dynamic response is very quick meaning it can handle anything we want to throw at it and still sound amazing doing it. The highs are very sweet and subtle, mids accurate and detailed, and the bottom end is just stunningly powerful, clean, and punchy, which is a very important point for a nice nightclub sound. We wanted a true hi-fi system and we got one.”

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108 VENUE

THE BANK hanoi, vietnam

ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA Located on the sixth floor of the Capital Building at 41 Hai Ba Trung, Hanoi, Vietnam and occupying 1,000 sq metres of space is The Bank, a nightclub comprising three rooms, each of which plays a different genre of music. T Bank is for clubbers wanting to listen to hip-hop and electro music, while F Bank is for funky house partygoers and for those looking for a more relaxing nightlife atmosphere, the outdoor terrace - where cocktails and champagne are always in full flow - would likely be the best spot.

To find an audio system suitable for a fixed installation such as The Bank, its owners looked to one of the largest rental houses in Vietnam, Fantasies Show Light (FSL) as a benchmark for sound equipment. In operation since 2002, FSL is an influential player in the rental market, providing audio solutions for a number of high profile events. Owners of The Bank hoped that by opting for a recognised brand from FSL’s repertoire would entice potential clubbers to the venue. Of course, they wanted to offer their customers a true clubbing experience too and therefore wanted the best possible sound system for the job.

With this criteria in mind, the owners contacted Funktion One’s Vietnamese distributor, Stage Professional - which has sold a large inventory of Funktion One products to FSL - and asked Hùng Tran Manh and his team to visit the venue and design an audio system that would cater for the nightclub’s requirements.

After presenting a demonstration of Funktion One’s Dance Stacks, the owners selected a DS1 system for The Bank. “Even before the demonstration, they’d heard a Funktion One system and loved it,” explained Hùng. So in effect, the Stage Professional demo was simply cementing their initial thoughts.”

Each Funktion One Dance Stack DS1 system comprises three Funktion One F218 dual 18-inch bass enclosures capable of delivering large quantities of tight, punchy, well-defined clean bass, one Funktion One DS15 horn loaded 15-inch enclosure, which takes care of the upper-bass and low-mid frequencies and one Funktion One DS210 loudspeaker for the mid-high frequencies.

Four of them are at home at The Bank. “The DS1 system is special, it’s different from any other sound system available and it’s also aesthetically pleasing,” continued Hùng.

The use of a complete solution such as the Funktion One Dance Stack, in comparison to a set of full range loudspeakers and supplementary subwoofers, allows for the quantity of enclosures to be reduced and makes the system alignment more straightforward for the sound engineer. “The owners wanted the best sound system available but at the same time required a product that would complement the club interior. These needs were met by the DS1’s

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superior output combined with their modern, decorative shape,” explained Hùng. The Dance Stacks are accompanied by eight Funktion One F101 compact loudspeakers that offer wide dispersion and superb bass definition.

Stage Professional believes that in order to achieve the best sound quality from the Funkion One Dance Stacks, they should be teamed with Funktion One amplifiers, which are OEM’d by MC² Audio. A total of 14 amplifiers from MC² Audio’s E Series were specified for The Bank, two E15’s, six E25’s, two E45’s and four E90’s. The E Series are lightweight, high-power switch mode amplifiers, which offer reliability, giving the sound engineers at The Bank peace of mind, as well as providing excellent sound quality.

Similarly, for processing needs Stage Professional opted for Funktion One products manufactured by OEM partner XTA, specifying two Funktion One XO4 and one Funktion One XO2 loudspeaker management unit, which are XTA DP426’s and XTA DP448’s respectively. With multiple inputs and outputs these processors provide a great deal of flexibility for the system.

Completing the audio line-up at The Bank is a DiGiCo SD11 digital mixing console. Featuring 32 input channels, four dynamic EQ processors, 12 flexi busses as well as an 8 x 8 output matrix, dual solo busses, and a master buss for added flexibility. Hùng said of the desk: “A DiGiCo desk is still the best console I have ever worked with, it is easy to use, sound alignment is straightforward and it enhances the overall sound quality. Being the smallest member of the SD range allowed it to fit into the small space we had available at the club.” The console also went some way to help Hùng and his team overcome the sound reflections that were being created due to the glass walls within the venue.

The Bank has been in operation for a number of months now and by all accounts is attracting a healthy crowd thanks to the high-end equipment choices made by the owners and Stage Professional.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 4 x Funktion One Dance Stack DS1 system; 8 x Funktion One F101 compact loudspeaker; 2 x MC² Audio E15 amplifier; 6 x MC² Audio E25 amplifier; 2 x MC² Audio E45 amplifier; 4 x MC² Audio E90 amplifier; 2 x XTA DP448 loudspeaker management unit; 1 x XTA DP426 loudspeaker management unit; 1 x DiGiCo SD11 digital mixing console www.facebook.com/thebankhanoi

IN BUSINE S S PROLIGHT + SOUND / GET SHOW, guangzhou ATTENDED BY JUSTIN GAWNE & JAMIE DIXON

PROLIGHT + SOUND, FRANKFURT ATTENDED BY THE MONDO*DR TEAM

AFIAL, MADRID

ATTENDED BY JAMIE DIXON & HELEN FLETCHER

PRODUCT GUIDE MIXING CONSOLES

PRODUCT DIRECTORY

This issue’s show reports kick off with two trips to China - covering ProLight+Sound (PL+S) in Guangzhou and the GET Show, which also took place in the Chinese province just a few days after PL+S ended.

Then it was time for the whole team to make its way to Frankfurt for what is still considered one of the most influential tradeshows on the calendar - you can read all about the latest releases over our 12 page report!

A couple of weeks later and it was time for Helen and Jamie to take to the skies again, on this ocassion for the sunnier (or not so) climate of Madrid. AFIAL has been on hold for the past few years following the recession but it seems a reinstatement of the show brought with it positivity that the market is now ready to move forward.

Our Product Guide this issue focuses on mixing consoles and is split between: digital, analogue and powered versions.

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1. Mr Zhang of Zobo with Paolo Stefani of Montarbo. 2. Nathan Chenn with the Munson Sound team. 3. Huifeng took to wearing red scarves throughout the show. 4. Patrick Cheng and Cheng Pei Jung of King Point with their innovative phone software to control lighting via Bluetooth. 5. Frankie Ma of Majestic Trading with Daniel Bartolome of Master Audio. 6. Chris Fish of dmt with Anthony Gofton of Solid State Logic. 7. David Liu, GM of the Guangzhou office of Rightway Audio Consultants. 8. David Dohrmann of Adamson with Richie Wang of distributor Real Music. 9. FBT in karaoke mode.

PROLIGHT+SOUND GUANGZHOU

The Chinese exhibition circuit for the entertainment technology sector has been getting pretty crowded and very divisive recently. The one time main exhibition Palm in Beijing has suffered from it’s move to an out of town exhibition hall and has given the Guangzhou shows a chance to start growing in both domestic and international exhibitors. The nascent Infocomm in Beijing has started to woo exhibitors away from Palm with its more focused offering providing an event for the influential system integration market. Most notably Meyer Sound has made the switch and is looking to add to the incredibly powerful Infocomm related exhibitions. Always on the sidelines was Prolight+Sound Shanghai - organised by Messe Frankfurt - this exhibition has struggled to build a good Prolight+Sound section, while its Music Messe section flourished. This could have been the driving force

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behind Messe Frankfurt’s partnership with STE - organiser of the Guangzhou Sound & Light show - and the renaming to Prolight+Sound Guangzhou (PL+S). In its previous incarnation this show, though the largest in China for the entertainment technology industry, had never really got the attention of the international visitor or had much affect over Palm, Beijing and with the break away GET show - organised by the Chinese manufacturers association SCEE - running at the a similar time, had always been viewed as having the second class Chinese manufacturers exhibiting.

However, on my first visit to the rebranded show and its second year of operation

by Messe Frankfurt, there was a very noticeable difference in its look and feel better signage and layout, the show felt more professional. With a total of 1,138

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10. Martin Capp of Global 9 with the team. 11. Jason Shi and Dave Croxton of KV² Audio. 12. The Audiocenter team. 13. Stanley Lee and Andre Correia of Next Pro Audio with Richie Wang of Real Music. 14. Tony Symms of Pharos exhibited in its own right within the lighting halls. 15. Jack and George Lee of Global Truss were the consummate hosts as ever. 16. Top Plot is the Nexo distributor in China. 17. D+E displayed the real Avolites consoles, sadly the knock offs could still be found upstairs, something that has to be dealt with by the organisers.

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1. Scott Davies of Arriba cases. 2. Bruno Nicolaudie of Nicolaudie launched his latest entry level control solution. 3. Bryan Kelly of Green Hippo with colleagues. 4. Dirk Linnenweber of Adelto and the team. 5. The Harman stand. 6. RCF’s educational videos of transducer manufacturing drew the crowds. 7. LSC Lighting’s, Richie Mickan with distributor, Quanya. 8. Chili Sound’s Sven Olsen acted as show barista, saving us from exhibition coffee .

exhibitors there were a lot of new participants, in particular on the audio side. The Messe Frankfurt influence has given it more appeal to western manufacturers with the likes of Harman, D.A.S. Audio, Sennheiser, Beyerdynamic and first time exhibitor dBTechnologies taking floor space in their own right as well as a host of other brands being represented by distributors or regional dealers. However, it is still suffering on the lighting side with most of the ‘A list’ manufacturers choosing to exhibit at GET Show, though I did see that a number of lighting manufacturers had opted to exhibit at both shows this year. Visitor numbers to the show were an impressive 60,068 which represented a near 25% increase on the 2013 show.

What maybe driving these big visitor numbers, apart from the quantity of exhibitors, could also be the concurrent LED show running within the Pazhou exhibition complex. This event covers the entire spectrum of LED technology from signage to manufacturing equipment but of most appeal to the PL+S audience will be the LED screen halls. This is providing both the domestic and international visitor a chance to look at and purchase lighting, sound and video technology and as the

Prolight, LED and GET shows are running over a nine-day period makes it all a worthwhile trip to Guangzhou.

On the show floor exhibitors were upbeat but there were murmurings of the slowdown in the Chinese economy and also the drying up of Chinese government contracts, this is a direct result of the crackdown on corruption currently going on within the Chinese government and it is affecting the rewarding of contracts. How long this will go on for is unknown but there is a real concern within the Chinese manufacturing industry.

Next years event is scheduled for 2 - 5 March and no doubt there will be further growth in exhibitors and visitors, and also maybe even an agreement with SCEE to properly merge the GET show within the Prolight event, ultimately a sensible thing to do.

Prolight+Sound Guangzhou 2015 will take place from March 2-3 at the China Import and Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou. For more information visit: htt://prolight-sound-guangzhou.hk.messefrankfurt.com

THE GET SHOW

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1. Vera Ho of Fine Art with mondo*dr’s Advertising Sales Manager, Jamie Dixon. 2. Rocky Lee and Josep Maria Sans of SAE Audio. 3. The Weifa stand. 4. Mike Long (second from right) pictured with the Brighthole team. 5. The DJ Power team. 6. Anna Zhang, Sasha Xiong, Lawrence Mao and Ernie Armas of PR Lighting. 7. Jamie with Yunhui Liu of GTD Lighting & Truss. 8. The Weinas team. 9. There’s a theme to this photo page... Jamie photographed again, but this time with Alex Bryan of Fenix on the left and the Global Truss ladies. 10. Lola Guo and the Light Sky team. 11.

Yihan Lee (second from right) with the FDL team. 12. Coral Law, Vicky Ouyang and Lisa Yang of Ledika. 13. Jamie (again) with Terry Chen of DI Color.

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1. Gaetan Byk and Paul J de Benedictis of Amadeus. 2. The Avolites team. 3. The Antari team. 4. Mathieu Delquignies, Xavier Pion, Bruno Garros of APG. 5. Tom Harrold of audio-technica. 6.

The Audiocenter stand. 7. Oliver Braun of B&K Braun.

PROLIGHT+SOUND FRANKFURT

When the Mondiale Publishing team descended into the halls of Frankfurt’s Messe in March, you could assume that as we’re well-versed in tradeshow etiquette, there could be little change in the atmosphere for trade press like us. However, with some Prolight+Sound first-timers under our wing, it was also noted that there were some first-time exhibitors at the show too, proving that while this expo is a true audiovisual tradition, it also carries weight for new exhibitors.

Not only was this year’s show the most positive and successful for us as a magazine to date - proving certain wheels are turning again - but there was a genuine mix of international visitors, leading to some really exciting business and entertain-

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ment content for us to report on following these new launches. Read on for the 2014 news...

A.C. Entertainment Technologies showcased a selection of products from Chroma-Q, Spotlight, Jands, ArKaos, Prolyte, SGM, High End Systems, Philips Entertainment, Soundcraft, Sennheiser, Shure, Christie, Martin Audio, Audio Techica, beyerdynamic and JBL to name but a few.

Adamson launched Energia E12 / E218 touring packages. Both have efficient power handling allowing the footprint on stage and total cost to the end user to be minimised.

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SUPER BRIGHT STAGE

Beam Effect MATRIX BEAM LED

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The American DJ Matrix Beam LED is designed as a Blinder/Cyc effect or as a matrix chase effect for stages and mobile productions.

This fixture has built-in light chases with the option to create the alphabetic and numeric characters in light via DMX. The Matrix Beam is powered by twenty-five 3-Watt warm white LEDs in a 5x5 panel.

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8. Cristina Marconi and Jeffrey Cox of 18 Sound. 9. Jochen Sommer of Adamson. 10. Steve McIntyre and Stephen Richards of Amphenol. 11. Tom Van de Sande of Audac.

ADB Lighting introduced new features to its Liberty, Freedom and Imago consoles as well as the Eurorack 60 DimSwitch, Eurodim Twin Tech evolution and its 25kW fanless profile.

Three new products made their European debut on the ADJ stand: the Inno Spot Pro and 3 Sixty 2R moving heads, and the Dotz Brick 3.3 wash / blinder matrix panel.

Adlib showcased its AA brand of boutique loudspeakers ideal for installations, high end corporate events and industry shows.

Allen & Heath launched a new addition to its Xone DJ range, as well as showing the Qu-24 compact digital mixer and Xone:23 DJ mixer.

Amadeus introduced the ML 8 ultra-compact subwoofer, designed for space-limited installation or live use.

Analog Way presented the Secure Power Unit, an external power accessory compatible with three models of the LiveCore Series of premium switchers.

APG extended its scope of Uniline, with the introduction of a second dedicated subwoofer, the UL118B. ArKaos showed its complete range of media servers, marking the first European showing of all three servers side by side.

Audio-Technica showed the M-Series of professional monitoring headphones. Taking cues from the

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1. Dirk Hagedorn of Avid. 2. Valère Huart-Gyors of Ayrton. 3. Tine Helme takes charge of the Optocore press conference. 4. Luca Giorgi of Powersoft. 5. The PR Lighting team. 6. Eric Laanstra of Prolyte. 7. John Paice of Celestion. 8. Davide Barbetta and Renato Ferrari of Clay Paky.

design of the ATH-M50, the new ATH-M20x, ATH-M30x and ATH-M40x deliver accurate audio and outstanding comfort.

Avid introduced a number of new features to its Pro Tools 11 software, including Pro Tools | HDX and the AAX 64-bit plug-in format.

Avolites and Avolites Media shared a dedicated stand for the first time and showcased the new S-Series media servers along with the latest generation in the Infinity line, the Ai Infinity EX Series.

Ayrton launched the NandoBeam S6 along with the WildBeam R LED beam light.

Beyerdynamic celebrated its 90th anniversary and presented its most recent product line, including the GMB 33/35 S microphone.

Beyma introduced the MC500 subwoofer range alongside an upgraded version of its 18P1000Fe subwoofer - the 18P1000FeV2. The new 18PWB1000Fe was also shown along with the10CX300Fe. BK Braun presented many new products in different areas such as the GLP X2 moving heads, the Ehrgeiz Airdmx, and the Ignition Pico XR. The focus of the Bose Professional stand was on its three new cards that bring Dante networking interoperability to its ControlSpace processors and PowerMatch amplifiers.

BSS Audio has added the BLU-50 processor to its range of Soundweb London processors.

Cadac unveiled several new products including an expanded MegaCOMMS net-

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work with a Madi network bridge and a MegaCOMMS router plus Waves integration for its flagship CDC Eight.

Camco occupied its usual stand space at the show and displayed its i-Series of amplifiers.

Celebrating its 90th anniversary, Celestion introduced its FTX range of loudspeakers, available in 12-inch, 8-inch and 6.5-inch versions. Also launched was the CDX14-3030, a 1.4-inch exit, ferrite magnet compression driver.

Cerwin-Vega unveiled its P1000X 10-inch powered loudspeaker, the latest addition to its P-Series line; as well as new XD powered desktop loudspeaker models - the XD4 and XD5 and accompanying XD8s subwoofer.

ChainMaster celebrated its 20th anniversary at the show. 1994 saw the first of its many triumphs, when it presented the VBG70-certified chain-hoist controller. The next milestones were the VarioLift in 1998, and two years later the VarioTrolley.

Chauvet Professional introduced its Rogue Series of moving heads, which includes four models - the R1 Spot, R1 Beam, R2 Spot, R2 Beam.

City Theatrical showcased new products including the QolorFLEX light tapes, D Series dimmers and the Show Baby 5 wireless DMX transmitter.

There was a huge buzz around the Clay Paky stand due to new products on show the B-Eye, the SuperSharpy and the Stormy.

Clear-Com launched ProGrid, a fibre-based infrastructure system that enables users to transport and distribute audio, intercom, video and control data.

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9. Kamil Swobodzinki takes centre stage for the Bosch press conference. 10. TPi’s Kelly Murray gets the Chainmaster treatment. 11. The beyerdynamic stand was busy throughout. 12. The Cadac team kicked off the press conferences on day one. 13. Stacy Payne of Cerwin-Vega was all smiles for the camera.

coolux presented its Pandoras Box compact player - a hardware-based media player developed for professional 24/7 use and built using server-grade hardware.

Coda Audio launched the Linus10 amplifier - a stand-alone unit and the key component of the Linus Rack20 and Linus Rack40, which provide complete system management solutions for various Coda Audio systems.

Dataton exhibited with German premium partner Mediaservice Rainer Beddig. The focus was on the new Watchnet demonstrated in an advanced dome projection application. d&b audiotechnik showcased its R1 remote control software, enabling users to export complex sound reinforcement models straight from simulation software via a remote control platform that provides seamless access to all functions, into the drive train of a sound reinforcement system. dbx introduced the DriveRack PA2 loudspeaker management system - ideal for bands, musicians and artists who carry their own PA and for a wide range of installed sound applications.

DiGiCo exhibited alongside its new German distributor united-b launching its D2-Rack, designed to support and expand the SD Range’s higher sample rate I/O solutions.

DPA Microphones presented the d:fine 66 and 88 headset microphones - ideal for actors, musicians and singers who need to move freely.

DTS Lighting presented three lighting fixtures: Wonder, Nick NRG 501 and Max. Duratruss presented its DuraStage Pro-Stage platforms. With a TÜV-tested loading capacity of 500kg per sq metres they are strong enough to bear massive loads for any kind of performance.

Dynacord presented the latest member of its powered mixer family, the PM 502. The system includes five mic / line and three stereo inputs as well as a master section tailored to the needs of day-to-day

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W W W. F U T U R E L I G H T. C O M

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1. David Catterall and Jon Hole of Zero 88, exhibiting under Eaton. 2. Robert Giner of D.A.S. Audio. 3. James Gordon of DiGiCo. 4. Gunther Matejka and Helmut Seidl on the Dynacord stand. 5.

DTS presented its range of lighting fixtures. 6. Simon Browne of Clear-Com. 7. Mick Anderson presents the Coda Audio press conference. 8. The DPA Microphones press conference started the second day of the show off.

use with three master outputs - each with an individual seven-band EQ. Eighteen Sound presented the 18iD subwoofer, engineered for maximum power transfer when operated with Class D and similar (iPal compatible) amplifiers.

Elation showcased three new luminaires including the Platinum Wash 16R Pro; the Platinum Profile 35 Pro, a full-featured fixture with internal framing; and the Rayzor Beam 2R, a small and speedy fixture powerful enough to work alongside larger luminaires.

Equipson presented its Work Arion 5 compact self-powered line array system, which joins Arion 10 as part of the Arion Series. The UDA 16 column loudspeaker was also showcased.

The Cobalt 10 control desk was presented for the first time on the ETC stand. It features the same short, direct operating syntax and on-the-fly operating style of the Cobalt 20 but with a 20% smaller footprint. Also on show was the Source Four LED CYC fixtures; the SmartPack Wall Mount + ThruPower control system; the Source Four Mini and Source Four Mini LED fixtures; and the Source Four LED Series 2 fixtures.

Electro-Voice presented its ETX powered loudspeakers. Unique features include a single-knob DSP interface with LCD, FIR-Drive performance optimisation and Signal Synchronised Transducers (SST) waveguide design.

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Eurotruss introduced a selection of new stage decks and roof systems with the PR10 Pitch Roof receiving a lot of attention.

FBT presented several products, including its new Modus line array system. Modus is a constant curvature line array system comprising two modules, the Modus 4805LA (five°V) and the Modus 4820LA (20°V), each one equipped with four by eight-inch neodymium magnet woofers and four by one-inch (1.7-inch VC) neodymium magnet HF compression drivers.

Fohhn Audio unveiled the latest addition to its Focus Series range of steerable line array systems - Focus Venue, aimed at large venue installation and live sound applications.

Full Fat Audio’s four channel amplifiers with DSP Ethernet control were well received as a versatile solution to many audio applications.

Funktion One presented the PSM318 DJ monitor, Resolution 3 SH Evo and Resolution 3 EH Evo for the first time.

Genelec showcased the 8010 compact professional monitor and the 1238A threeway monitoring loudspeaker.

GLP celebrated two golden decades in the industry - the milestone was celebrated with a press party.

Green Hippo showcased the Hippotizer Chipmunk as well as key features of its

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14 9. The d&b audiotechnik stand. 10. Tim Pratt and Mark Holdroyd of Fane. 11. The Fenix stand. 12. Erik Larsen and Sophie Pierronnet of ETC. 13. Evangelos Kourouklis and Elena Koukiari of Electron. 14. The Harman press conference.

Hippotizer range, such as RegionMapper, and the FlexRes codec. The new Aviary Video Tools product range was also presented.

Guil took two stands at the show for the first time ever. Presenting support products for sound systems and its range of staging products.

HazeBase’s new base*station and base*reservoir were showcased at this year’s show.

High End Systems launched the ShapeShifter, an LED wash moving head with more movement in the head itself.

J&C Joel had another successful show, launching the MagicFX Kabuki System and its new Airmesh fabric. The Kabuki System is a special effect in which a fabric is dropped swiftly from above to conceal or reveal a product, space or performers.

The response to JB Lighting’s two product highlights - the Sparx 7 and the Varyscan P8 - was great among distributors and project planners. Many visitors from the theatre industry came to its stand, due perhaps in no small part, to the fact that its A-series has become a solid parameter in theatres and opera houses throughout Europe.

JBL introduced the latest addition to its EON portable loudspeakers with the EON600 Series. Also introduced was the latest iteration of its HiQnet Performance Manager version 1.7.

K-array launched its Tornado Series of loudspeakers along with the KA24 and KA84 KA Series amplifiers. The latest model in the Anakonda Series - the Anakonda KAN200+, which has been designed with 16 incorporated transducers - double the amount compared to its predecessor - was present-

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124 expo

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1. Daniela Bohl of Fohhn Audio. 2. Alexander Buchner and Stefan Brenner of Galaxis. 3. Mark Ravenhill of GLP. 4. The Elation stand. 5. Sara Montironi, Roberto Mataloni and Chiara Palmieri of FBT. 6. Ann Andrews of Funktion-One. 7. Bryan Kelly and James Heron of Green Hippo. 8. The HK Audio stand. 9. Francesco Maffei with K-array product developer. 10. mondo*dr’s Jamie Dixon with Gerard lloret and Richi Rozas of Idea Pro Audio. 11. Joe Keul of Kling & Freitag. 12. The LaserAnimation stand.

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13. Denis Phoenix and Norbert Stangl of Laserworld. 14. Martin Van Hekken, Jas Parekh (FOS Global) and Claire Taylforth of J&C Joel. 15. The LDR team. 16. Le Maitre at PRG Festhalle. 17. Orietta Rosso of Litec with Jamie and Rachael. 18. LPS Lasersysteme’s Siggi Ruff, Dimitry Varustin and Rudi Maikler.

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Kling & Frietag was on hand to show its Passio high-performance loudspeakers with an integrated modular mounting system. The Passio meets the high demands of perfect acoustics as well as offering universal mounting options without sacrificing style.

Synergy Production House was appointed official KV2 distributor for South Africa during the show.

Laserworld presented two of its latest product series: the RTI ATTO and the RTI FEMTO Series. Both offer compact laser systems, equipped with diodes, guaranteeing great beam specifications.

Lawo presented the Innovason Eclipse GT live mixer, featuring new soundpad functionality that allows recorded sounds to be recalled at the push of a button and can be used to provide sound effects for scenes being performed on stage. Also on display was the compact mc²56 and mc²66 consoles that integrate the mc² AutoMix feature.

L-Acoustics presented the LA4X amplified controller based on a four-input by four-output architecture; along with the K2 line source, which employs Panflex horizontal steering technology.

LSC’s PowerPoint Power Distro system was showcased - it provides 12 channels of 10A, 13A or 16A of power with each circuit protected by an RCBO. LDR introduced the Astro 200W LED follow spot, featuring a state-of-the-art optical design resulting in an outstanding light output and a perfect beam shaping at any angle.

Le Maitre showed a full product line-up including: Salamander Quad Pro; Salamander; HazeMaster; MVS Hazer; Neutron Hazer; Mini Mist; G300 and GForce smoke machines; Freezefog Pro; and a

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1. Alan Marsh, Victoria Chernih and Stephanie Schmit of Sennheiser. 2. Glitter Rose performs on the Montarbo stand. 3. The Nexo press conference. 4. MA Lighting’s Bjoern Gaentzsch. 5.

One of mondo*dr’s favourites Rob ‘Rub It Like You Love It’ Hofkamp of Martin Audio. 6. Demo’s taking place on the Martin Professional stand. 7. Luke Jenks of Meyer Sound. 8. The Midas press conference. 9. The Music & Lights team.

range of pyrotechnic controllers and samples, as well as videos.

Litec premiered several new products at the show. Formerly focusing exclusively on trussing, the manufacturer introduced several diversified products, including crowd barriers, ballast systems and dynamic stack tracks.

Look Solutions presented the newsest hazer to be added to the range, Unique 2.1, described as the silent hazer.

LumenRadio debuted the smallest wireless DMX solution - the CRMXchip.

Nexo previewed its GEO M6 compact loudspeaker series - a versatile arrayable cabinet design that features true modularity, flexibility in use, high SPL output, and sonic clarity for speech and music reinforcement.

With the MA VPU light (video processing unit), MA Lighting has developed a smart and compact video control. It features sophisticated hardware and the in-built screen displays all essential information about the status of the MA VPU light.

Martin Audio launched its DD12 two-way loudspeaker system - combining onboard networking, DSP and Class D amplification with state-of-the-art transducers and differential dispersion horn technology to achieve high fidelity, output capability and coverage consistency across the audience.

The MAC Quantum from Martin Professional made its European debut as did the

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MAC Quantum Profile, Martin ShowDesigner 6, and additions to its VC-Grids and VC-Strips lines.

MBN presented its whole ProLED and MBNLED range.

MC² presented a limited edition of its flagship E100 amplifier to coincide with its 21st birthday celebrations. Special prominence was also given to its S Series of amplifiers.

Merging showcased its Hapi networked audio interface, providing the same Ravenna / AES67 connectivity as its father - the Horus - serving as an ideal interface for smaller systems.

Meyer Sound showcased its Lyon line array loudspeaker system, designed for large auditorium installations, tours and festivals and available in two versions: the Lyon-M main line array loudspeaker and the Lyon-W wide-coverage line array loudspeaker.

Music Group had an impressive presence at the show with its brands Midas, Klark Teknik, Turbosound, Behringer and Bugera. Much talked about was Music Group’s new campus currently being built which, when completed in mid-2014, will become home of up to 10,000 employees.

Next Pro Audio debuted its HFA Series - fully powered PA systems designed to

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14 10. The Philips stand. 11. The Pioneer Professional Audio stand. 12. Next Pro Audio’s Andre Correia and Antonio Correia. 13. Odyssey Gear’s Steve Schiffman. 14. Outline’s Michele Noselli and Giorgio Biffi.

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One Systems unveiled its 118IM-Sub, built using the manufacturer’s 18 I/O 18-inch extended bass transducer featuring its patented I/O voice coil design.

Following the development of new software, enabling Optocore devices to be connected directly to the Optocore-DiGiCo fibre loop, the German specialist created an ambitious network at PL+S, which saw the two companies connect via single mode fibre. Visitors were able to see the remote X6R mic preamp on the Optocore booth being controlled from the console on DiGiCo’s stand.

Out Board launched a new suite of TiMax networking interfaces dubbed Connectivity. The new Madi64 and Dante-64 Connectivity devices fit into the rear option slots of the TiMax2 SoundHub audio show control matrix and playback server to provide 64 channels in and out on the respective transport protocols.

Outline announced its best-selling Eidos range is to further expand with the addition of three new members, the X123W, the 6.5 and the 12 SP. Pangolin showcased its ScannerMAX products, including the Compact-506 and the Saturn 1 scanning system.

Peavey made a presence with the Agora Stage - kitted out entirely with Peavey commercial audio equipment including Versarray loudspeakers, Crest amplification, Nion and Digitool processors looking after speaker management.

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1. Arturo Vicari of RCF with Umberto Zanghieri founder of ZP Engineering. 2. Josef Valchar of Robe. 3. Severine Zucchiatti of Robert Juliat was rather pleased with her copy of mondo*dr. 4.

Martin Barbour Systems Sales Engineer EMEA for QSC. 5. Hekan Sjoo and Margie Ulm of Renkus-Heinz. 6. Matt DeLong and Laurie Giraudeau of Rosco. 7. The Roland Systems Group stand. 8.

Hugues Coffy of S2CEB. 9. The SommerCable stand. 10. Dan Duffell of SSL. 11. Rick Scharpenberg and Stefan Klinge of Riedel.

Making its debut at this year’s show, Pioneer Professional Audio showcased its flagship GS-WAVE Series club system and its XY Series professional installation loudspeakers.

Philips Entertainment’s four brands debuted a raft of new products. The VL4000 Spotlight from Vari-Lite; the SL Nitro 510C from Showline; the LED Rama fresnel from Selecon, and an expandable control system from Strand.

Powersoft unveiled its X Series amplifiers, consisting of two models. The X8 is the largest boasting eight channels in a 2U chassis, while the X4 features four channels in a single rack unit.

PR Lighting previewed the XLED 2007 Beam, the XR230 Spot, the XR330 Spot, the XR1000 Spot, the XR1000 Beam, the LED Studio 3400 and the Car Show Lamp.

Prolyte showcased the Aetos 250kg hoist and controllers, and the StageDex LinLine deck. The Lite Structures truss range was also relaunched with the addition of lighting track integration possibilities.

Pulsar launched the LumaFlood 130i and the LumaWash 130i - both combining high power, high efficacy and white LEDs to output up to 13,000 lumens with a rated power of 130W.

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The main attraction on the RCF stand was directed at the new L-Pad range of audio mixers. A dedicated mixer division has been established at RCF and represents an important strategic move in R&D. Rane showed off its new EXP7x acoustic echo canceler expander and webpage control for the HAL DSP series.

Renkus-Heinz displayed its Iconyx steerable line array systems. Full IC Live and IC Live Dual systems were also on display, as well as IC2, and all configurations of third-generation Iconyx IC-R-II systems.

Riedel presented the MN-ST-AL-2 MediorNet expansion card for Studer consoles.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Robe introduced several new products including the LED Beam 1000, CycFX 4, PARFect 100 and the Actor 3, 6 and 12.

Robert Juliat exhibited its range of lighting fixtures and showed its expertise in follow spot design with the Lancelot 4,000W HTI, Cyrano 2,500W HMI and Victor 1,800W MSR follow spots.

Roland Systems Group launched its S-2416 Stage Unit - expanding the current line up by offering 24 analogue pre-amps and 16 analogue outputs. It hosts an eight by eight AES / EBU port to provide a digital input / output environment enabling direct connection to speaker processors and amplifiers.

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130 expo

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1. Lieven Maes of Sylvania. 2. Another mondo*dr favourite, Mark Flanagan of TC Group. 3. TW Audio’s Bernhard Wuestner. 4. Dan Dugan and Karl Christmas on the Yamaha stand. 5. SGM’s Peter Johansen. 6. Andres Gause and Kenny Janssens from ShowLED. 7. Vue Audiotechnik’s Kyle Ritland, Jim Sides with Faik Haluk Akgun. 8. Tarm’s Ralf Lottig. 9. XTA / MC²’s Richard Flemming. 10. DiGiCo’s David ‘Webby’ Webster, Adamson’s Brock Adamson and Meyer Sound’s Jodi Hughes. 11. The Visual Productions team. 12. The United FX stand. 13. The Rane stand.

Sennheiser’s interactive stand formed the backdrop for its MK8 studio microphone launch, which features five switchable polar patterns to adapt to any recording situation.

SGM once again partnered with OASE Living to showcase just how impervious to liquid the G-Spot LED moving head is.

Spotlight exhibited its Follow LED 250 RGBW, offering full RGBW LED illumination with only 300W and a sophisticated optical system.

Solid State Logic announced a trio of major new developments for its Duende Native range. The three new plug-ins complement the existing range with two plugins designed to bring some analogue saturation and distortion emulation to digital DAW, and the third delivering high precision frequency specific phase correction.

Sommer Cable focused its attention on its in-house brand Cardinal DVM, which announced the broadening of its DVM 120 Series with the single-channel model versions DVM-120-DIS and DVM-120-DISH. Soundcraft introduced its Vi3000 digital live sound console, offering a host of state-of-the-art features including the internal DSP Soundcraft SpiderCore, a new industrial design, 96 channels to mix, and onboard Dante compatibility.

Steinigke presented three Infinity models adding to its Futurelight’s range: the DMH-75 spotlight; the PLB-130 beam; and the Eye-7 RGBW. Studiomaster premiered its Venture Series high performance ultra-compact professional reinforcement cabinets. Available in both active and passive variants, Venture comprises 12-inch and 15-inch two-way cabinets.

There were many new products to be seen on Tarm Showlaser’s stand including

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the LaserDot and the LaserJacket.

TC Group launched the latest version of its Lake Controller software, featuring a number of key developments aimed at both live sound and large-scale fixed install applications.

TOA presented the SR-D8 active line array loudspeaker and the new digital mixer series comprising of the M-864D and M-633D. Verlinde added a heavy loads version to its range of Stagemaker SR hoists. With its one-metric tonne lifting capacity, the SR10 is ideal for handling grids and scenographic equipment of large capacity.

Visual Productions introduced Cuety: Lighting Control for iOS. A new generation lighting controller that turns an iPad into a powerful lighting console.

Vue Audiotechnik officially introduced its hs-20 subwoofer with active compliance management (ACM) technology, originally developed for the hs-28 and hs-25 systems.

Wireless Solution debuted new W-DMX triple band technology, after being the first company to introduce dual band technology for wireless lighting control in 2011.

XTA introduced the DP544, which includes all the features of the DP548 but now comes in a four input - four output format.

While the launch of the QL Series digital mixing consoles was the headline event of Yamaha’s stand, the brand new R Remote was also showcased.

Prolight+Sound 2015 will take place from 15-18 April at the Messe Frankfurt, Germany. For more information visit: pls.messefrankfurt.com

132 EXPO

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1. The TC Group was represented by distributor Soinua Pro. 2. JBL had a strong presence at the show. 3. Pierre de Lora and Christophe de Lora of SFAT with Fernando Cittadini. 4. Juan Jose Vila of Equipson. 5. Marta Landete and Alex Bryan of Fenix. 6. Richi Rozas and Gerard Loret of Idea Pro Audio. 7. The D.A.S Audio team. 8. The Martin Professional product line was on display.

9. Jon Petts of Chauvet Professional was on hand to answer any questions visitors might have.

AFIAL MADRID

Having been on hold for the past few years thanks to the effects of the global recession, there were mixed expectations when it came to the return of the AFIAL show this year. After speaking to a handful of Spanish companies which were at the ProLight+Sound (PL+S) show in Frankfurt, just a couple of weeks previously, the general consensus appeared to be that the Spanish industry would support the show’s return in both exhibitor and visitor form.

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Held at Madrid Arena, support from the local industry certainly seemed to be there with good visitor numbers - whether this was more down to a clever layout of stands with the show split over two levels and exhibition stands on the upper level placed around the edge of the floor space is questionable, but there was definitely a positive vibe around the show floor and everyone appeared to be looking towards the future of the industry.

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134 EXPO

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1. Martin Audio’s MLA Series was on display. 2. Meyer Sound and DiGiCo featured on a distributor stand. 3. Robe products on show. 4. Representatives from Rosco’s Spanish offices were on hand at the show. 5. The VMB stand. 6. Bose was represented by its Spanish distributor. 7. The Alfalite stand. 8. The Avolites team showed their support for the show. Pictured: Stephen BairdSmith, Annalisa Terranova - part of the Ai technical training team, and Koy Neminathan. 9. Clay Paky presentation on the Stonex stand. 10. The Yamaha stand. 11. Peter Heath and Nico Suarez of Roland Systems Group. 12. Alex Barrand of Pioneer Professional Audio was on hand to answer any questions on the Arroyo Sonido stand.

All major Spanish brands were represented including the likes of D.A.S Audio, Equipson, Fenix and Idea, as were a plethora of international brands whether through a distributor or Spanish subsidiary. Brands seen just a couple of weeks previously at PL+S as well as at AFIAL included: Adamson, Avolites, Bose, Chauvet, JBL, Martin Audio, Martin Professional, Meyer Sound, DiGiCo, Roland, Pioneer Professional Audio, Robe, Rosco, TC Group and Yamaha to name just a few.

While the Spanish market has got a long road to recovery ahead of it, of all the exhibitors we spoke to during the show, not one had anything negative to say.

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They were happy to be there and glad the show had taken place. The show served a dual purpose - on the one hand it presented all the latest major releases the international market had seen at PL+S and secondly it showed those involved in the Spanish market that there is hope and a resurrection on the way, albeit a rather slow one.

AFIAL 2016 is due to take place at Madrid Arena, Spain, from March 25 27. For more info visit:www.afial.net

136 product launch

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1. Andrew Pat, Industrial Designer, Andy Brown, Vi Series Senior Product Manager and Brian Gleeson, Software Engineer. 2. Andy presented the new console to the press with Marketing Director, Keith Watson alongside. 3. The new Vi3000 in all its glory.

VI3000 LAUNCH Just ahead of the Prolight+Sound (PL+S) tradeshow in Frankfurt, mondo*dr headed to Potters Bar, headquarters of UK console manufacturer, Soundcraft for a sneak preview of the latest sibling to join the Vi Series.

Building the success of its predecessors, the Vi3000 digital console is the first Soundcraft desk to date to have a Dante interface built-in as standard. It benefits from all the classic features we have come to expect from a Vi console, yet at the same time is taking a leap into the future.

Since the Vi Series launched eight years ago, the company has sold many thousands of desks and by doing so has firmly established itself as a serious brand in the live market. The range offers superb sound quality and a friendly user interface, values which Soundcraft deem crucial for providing both the end user and the service provider with peace of mind.

Andy Brown, Product Manager for the Vi Series, has been involved since the initial development of the Vi Series, he said: “The new Vi3000 is the first Soundcraft console to have a built-in Dante interface as standard. Until now, all Soundcraft consoles have had option cards and while the Vi3000 still has the cards, its built-in Dante allows interaction between other Dante enabled products or allows use as a recording feed using a Dante virtual sound card driver provided by Audinate.”

The Vi3000 features new, high quality mic preamps that were originally developed for the Studer Vista 1

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console but until now haven’t been used in a Soundcraft product. It comes complete with extensive rear panel connectivity too. In addition to a full complement of analogue and digital inputs and outputs, the console provides Midi, USB, Ethernet, DVI out, Dante / Madi record feed outputs, redundant power supply and other connections.

Andy explained further: “It can actually be configured with up to 48 mic inputs on the back of the desk if you want to use it with a copper multicore and 16 line outs.

Or you can go the other way and have 16 mic inputs and have 48 line outputs if you want to use it as a monitor desk for example.

“It has two expansion card slots which are standard Studer D21m expansion cards, which means you can connect two stageboxes because this console can actually mix up to 96 sources as well as 24 mono / stereo busses. So you’ve got 48 inputs maximum on the back but then potentially you could have up to two stageboxes on here as well.”

The Vi3000 can also accommodate the new Soundcraft Realtime Rack, a hardware / software unit designed in collaboration with plug-in manufacturer, Universal Audio, that provides access to 74 industry-standard UAD plug-ins.

Inside, the key difference of the Vi3000 compared to the existing Vi products is the new internal DSP SpiderCore, which was developed using Studer technology from the Studer Vista 1 console and Soundcraft’s Vi

Version 4.8 operating software, while at the same time adding a fourth 24-channel fader layer to improve access to the console’s 96 input channels. “We took the technology from the Studer Vista 1 console, adapted it and transplanted it into the Vi3000 surface,” continued Andy.

“There’s a whole new look to the surface but it is still recognisable as part of the Vi family. It features dramatic cosmetic changes and industrial design changes, different end cheeks, colour schemes and new graphics too.” Alongside the new features, the Vi3000 has kept hold of some original aspects including FaderGlow illuminated faders that display different colours according to function, the ability to store and recall snapshots and cues, compatibility with Soundcraft’s ViSi app that allows remote control from an iPad, built-in Lexicon reverb / delays, a well as dbx compression and effects.

The Soundcraft Vi3000 made its official debut at PL+S in Frankfurt, Keith Watson, Soundcraft’s Marketing Director said: It was the most popular console launch we’ve had. Recent Si Performer and Si Expression launches were of course based on higher volumes, but given the pro level of the Vi3000 we were permanently engaged in demos for all four days. Individual responses, as well as rental house reactions were overwhelmingly positive, we couldn’t really have hoped for a better response.” www.soundcraft.com

138 GUIDE - DIGITAL MIXING consoles

ALLEN & HEATH | QU-24 www.allen-heath.com The Qu-24 compact digital mixer features total recall of settings, a touchscreen, Qu-Drive integrated multi-track recorder, dSNAKE for remote I/O and personal monitoring, multi-channel USB streaming to Mac, Qu-Pad control app, and iLive’s effects library. Qu-24 features a dedicated fader per mic input channel, 24 mic / line inputs, three stereo inputs, four effects engines with four dedicated sends and stereo returns, 20 mix outputs including two stereo matrix mix outputs and two stereo groups with full processing, patchable AES digital output with a further two-channel ALT output, dedicated talkback mic input, and two-track output. The mixer is packed with massive processing capability and the SuperStrip provides control knobs for a selected channel’s key processing parameters, such as gain, HPF, parametric EQ, gate threshold, compressor threshold and pan. Qu-Drive, the mixer’s integrated 18-channel USB recorder, works with an external USB drive to record and playback multi-track and stereo audio .wav files. The USB interface can also be used to store scene and library data for archiving and later recall. A&H’s proprietary dSnake low latency audio connection enables the mixer to connect over a single Cat5 digital snake to a remote audio rack, such as the AR84 or AR2412, and is compatible with the ME personal mixing system. There is a free QuPad app giving wireless control of the mixer’s key parameters and settings, enabling the user to tweak the PA, adjust the monitors on stage, and even mix the show from the audience.

AVID | S3L www.avid.com

The Avid S3L system delivers the sound quality, performance and features of Avid live systems in an all-new modular, networked design.

The open and flexible system comprises a high-performance HDX-powered mix engine running Venue software and AAX DSP plug-ins, scalable remote I/O, compact EuCon-enabled control surface, and Pro Tools software for integrated live sound mixing and recording. For artists and musicians, S3L delivers the audio clarity and studio processing they need to sound and perform at their best. For engineers, having a high-performance engine at the core empowers them to create richly layered mixes quickly and champion their clients’ signature sounds. Ideal for touring, installation or in any performance venue, S3L easily responds to a broad range of demands.

BEHRINGER | X32 www.behringer.com

The Behringer X32 digital mixer’s 32 Midas-designed microphone preamps, 25 motorised faders and buses, 16 XLR outs and much more, make it ideal for live and studio applications, as well as installations. New v2.0 firmware provides enhanced workflow and adds new capabilities, including Acoustic Integration for total connectivity and control of loudspeaker and IEM systems. X32’s more than 50 onboard FX, and additional new classic processor plug-ins now feature Behringer’s proprietary True Physical Modelling. Swappable expansion cards support USB (included), ADAT, MADI and Dante protocols for expanded versatility, along with onboard Ultranet and AES50 connectivity and remote mixing from smart devices and computers.

CADAC | CDC EIGHT www.cadac-sound.com

CDC Eight is Cadac’s flagship digital live console with 128 channels and 48 outputs as standard, coupled with a tactile and intuitive user interface. Its unique high agility control surface is accessed via 24-inch HD touchscreens, with a further six inch touchscreen accessing the system control and automation. The console is available in two frame sizes: dual screen with 32 faders or single screen with 16 faders. CDC Eight’s sound quality is a result of Cadac’s mic pre circuitry, combined with a proprietary DSP platform featuring time-aligned, phase-coherent mix bus architecture. With a far less menu dependent operating system, the CDC Eight offers an unparalleled user experience with exceptional audio quality. New V2 software features further advanced automation features, new effects processing, Waves plug-ins integration - controlled from within the OS - multiple languages, and integration with SAM, Cadac’s industry leading show automation software.

The optional CDC MC router enables configuration of systems of up to 3,072 channels of 24bit / 96kHz audio, comprising multiple I/O stageboxes and CDC consoles. The CDC MC MADI bridge enables the integration of any third party MADI hardware into the system.

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DIGITAL mixing consoles - GUIDE 139

DIGICO | SD RANGE www.digico.biz

DiGiCo’s SD Range of consoles includes the SD11i, SD9, SD8, SD10, SD5 and flagship SD7. All consoles in the range incorporate DiGiCo’s Stealth digital processing to give extensive effects processing, unrivalled audio quality, precision and processing power. The SD Series provides, as standard, an output matrix - its busses being additional to the console’s aux and groups, solo and master / LCR and up to 5.1 for each model. Application specific extensions for most consoles in the range allow them to become the perfect tool for either broadcast or theatre. Several rack options are available, from the SD-Rack, with 56 in and 56 out, to the SD mini rack with eight in and eight out. MADI, CAT5 or Opticore connections are available on all models, allowing for a rack count of 14 on any one redundant optical loop. All consoles operate in the same way, have the same unrivalled sonic quality and, with SD Convert, session files can be swapped between consoles.

INNOVASON | ECLIPSE GT www.innovason.com The Eclipse GT multipurpose compact digital mixing console incorporating the Pandora panning algorithm, now offers the M.A.R.S SoundPad plug-in which enables users to create and manage sound effects, jingles, security announcements and so on. Efficient and easy to use, SoundPad allows the preparation and triggering of up to 64 audio files in any format, each containing up to eight audio channels, that may be triggered in various ways including via time code, Midi, touchscreen operation, fader start, mute key etc. It also includes a module for the creation of playlists. Up to four playlists per project may be set up, with each playlist containing up to 256 audio files. Eclipse GT has the ability to control and memorise all the parameters utilised by the new generation of digital microphones from Neumann / Sennheiser.

The result is a completely integrated digital workflow that takes the dynamic range and signal fidelity experienced with analogue microphones to an exciting new level.

140 GUIDE - DIGITAL MIXING consoles

LAWO | MC²56 www.lawo.com

The mc²56 has received a redesign which sees it incorporate a number of features crucial to theatre applications. At the heart of the mc²56 is the powerful HD Core where all audio and control data converge. Now integrating Ravenna networking technology, stage boxes may be connected directly to the HD Core via audio-over-IP using either Cat or fibre-optic cables. Additional features like button glow, instant local access and the new overbridge ensure fast and safe operation. In terms of future-proofing, the mc²56 is packed with features such as loudness metering, new surround tools and a new mirroring function that has been designed especially for theatre applications. This allows the mc²56 to be optimally located in the auditorium to prepare and fine-tune the mix. The console settings are then mirrored to a console in the control room where the evening performance is mixed to free up seats in the auditorium. The mc²56 is available in five frame sizes for maximum flexibility: 16, 32, 48, 64 or 80 faders and a standalone 16-fader extender may be added to any configuration.

MIDAS | PRO2C www.midasconsoles.com

The compact Pro2C is a powerful digital mixing console that is feature-rich and versatile in its functionality. When paired with a single Midas DL251 Stage Box, the PRO2C provides 48 Midas microphone / line inputs and 16 analogue XLR outputs onstage - in addition to the eight microphone / line inputs and 16 XLR analogue outputs at the console. Users have a total of 64 input channels and 27 phase-coherent mix buses at their disposal, which comprise 16 user-configurable buses and eight matrices. As with all Midas PRO Series desks, engineers already familiar with Midas can just load their existing show files straight into the PRO2C, regardless of which Midas digital console was used to create them.

RCF | L-PAD SERIES www.rcf.it The nine consoles that make up the L-Pad Series of digital mixing consoles from RCF come both with and without effects. Seven of the models feature compressors, while five of the models include internal multi-effects - all housed in a compact, ergonomic layout contained within a sleek, Italian designed chassis. Careful attention and research has been devoted to the design of warm–sounding and transparent mic preamps. The compressors installed on the microphone channels are highly intuitive, with a single knob that controls the threshold and compression ratio at the same time. The three-band EQ on mono channels and the two bands on the stereo channels are extremely effective thanks to the correct choice of frequency and allow the user to process the input signal professionally. RCF L-Pad8C, 8CX and 10C all rely on super-tested modular and 45mm faders while on the 12C and 12CX models 60mm faders are present. Finally, a sophisticated DSP takes care of the management of the internal effects: 16 presets are available in the compact RCF L-Pad6X while RCF L-Pad8CX and 12CX have a choice of 99 different presets.

ROLAND SYSTEMS GROUP | M-480 www.rolandsystemsgroup.com Available with a five-year warranty, the sound quality, powerful functions, expandability options and intuitive operation of the Roland M-480 48 channel digital console enable an enhanced level of flexible audio processing. With 48 mixing channels plus six stereo returns for a total of 60 channels, six built-in stereo (dual-mono) multi-effects and 12 graphic EQs (switchable to eight-band PEQs), four-band advanced parametric EQ and delays on all inputs and outputs, the M-480 is ideal for live events, mobile production, broadcasting and sound installation. The M-480 also supports a cascade connection that enables 96 channels of mixing by connecting a second unit - all via one simple Cat5e / six cable. The M-480 can be controlled remotely by connecting a PC via USB. The M-480RCS control software has the same user interface as the built-in display and can also be used when the M-480 is not connected allowing offline set-up and configuring of the system before an event. Supporting live multi-channel recording, the M-480 can be connected to the Roland R-1000 recorder with Cat5e / 6 cables to easily record (or playback) up to 48 channels of 24 bit audio.

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142 GUIDE - DIGITAL MIXING consoles

SOUNDCRAFT | VI3000 www.soundcraft.com The latest addition to Soundcraft’s Vi range of digital live consoles combines the Vistonics-based control surface concepts of the Vi4 and 6 consoles, with Soundcraft SpiderCore - a powerful integrated DSP and I/O engine based on Studer technology and compact enough to reside inside the control surface itself. In addition to a full complement of on-board mic and line I/O, configurable up to 48 mic line inputs and 16 line outputs using combinations of 16 channel XLR modules in four rear-mounted slots, the console includes two 64 channel expansion slots allowing up to two Madi-based stageboxes to be connected, or alternatively the slots provide access to the extensive range of D21m IO option cards, addressing all industry standard audio formats. For the first time in a Soundcraft console, a built-in 64 x 64 channel Dante interface provides direct recording / playback connection via Ethernet to any PC or Mac-based recording software, or allows the Vi3000 to integrate into an existing Dante network. The Dante interface is complemented by an additional optical Madi interface designed for either record feeds or connection of the new Soundcraft Realtime Rack Plug-in processing engine, adding the power of Universal Audio UAD-powered plug-ins to the Vi’s pristine audio quality.

SOLID STATE LOGIC | SSL LIVE www.solid-state-logic.com

SSL Live is a flexible and powerful digital audio console specifically suited to touring or installation, FOH or monitors, to venues, arenas, theatres and concert halls, to anywhere where audio quality is important and engineers require power, complete flexibility and a user interface that puts them in control. Live provides 976 inputs and outputs, 192 full processing audio paths at 96kHz and a full complement of stage I/O options. The control surface features two multitouch gestural touchscreens, ergonomic hardware controls and exceptional levels of visual feedback. Control surface layouts can be configured to suit different applications.

TOA | M-864D www.toaelectronics.com

The M-864D is the upgrade to the M-8633D, featuring all the functionality and operability of its predecessor as well as adding new features such as analogue-feel fader operation, 15 input channels, remote controller operation and fine-tuning of settings with GUI software.

Automatic Resonance Control (ARC) is featured within the M-864D and with the touch of a button, enables the user to eliminate unpleasant reverberations to deliver a more clear and concise sound and optimise speech. Alongside ARC, the M-864D also has a Feedback Suppressor function which eliminates the feedback caused by carrying a microphone.

YAMAHA | QL1 / QL5 www.yamahaproaudio.com

Featuring virtually all the facilities of the CL Series digital consoles in a very compact form, Yamaha’s QL1 and QL5 digital mixers are ideal for small-to-medium sized productions on their own, thanks to their onboard input / output connections. However, onboard Dante networking means they can be seamlessly integrated into bigger systems with Yamaha’s CL Series and R Series I/O units. Thanks to the new port-to-port facility, CL series consoles can have full access to the QL’s onboard I/O, complete with auto gain compensation, allowing precisely scalable audio solutions to be created.

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144 GUIDE - analogue / powered MIXING consoles

ALTAIR | ELECTRA E-3 www.altairconsoles.com

This analogue console offers many novel functions, including cable test on inputs and digital equalisation / dynamics in 16 auxiliary inputs. Motorised CA faders allow many intuitive layer functions. Offered in 32 / 40 / 48M+4S input channel configurations, the E-3 features eight subgroups, 16 auxiliaries, eight motorised volume control amplifiers (VCA’s), an 8 x 16 matrix and LCR masters. Eight mute masters store 100 scenes, and digital parametric-equalisation and dynamics complement the auxiliaries. Inputs have a four-band EQ, with peak-shelf-switchable low frequency / high-frequency bands and fully parametric mid frequencies. Metering is extensive, with nine-step LEDs next to each fader, along with 24 LED metres on the auxiliaries and groups and four mechanical volume unit metres (VU) for PFL / LCR masters. An optional redundant power supply is also available.

APB-DYNASONICS | PRODESK-8 SERIES www.apb-dynasonics.com ProDesk-8 is a high performance / low phase shift analogue mixing console family intended for live performance applications in portable and fixed installations, though it is often used in project studios because of its very clean performance. It is a member of the APB-DynaSonics US manufactured ProDesk series of consoles that are available as four or eight subgroup with 16 to 48 mono input channels (modular blocks of 8 input channels). All versions include four stereo line level input channels plus a digital USB stereo input and output. Burr-Brown microphone pre amplifiers are incorporated on mono input channels. Mono channel EQ includes four-band sweep EQ plus a variable high pass filter. All ProDesk products are designed for easy operation and units are provided with a plug-in universal power supply assembly and most chassis can accept a second redundant plug-in power supply.

CREST | XRM www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

The Crest XRM stereo mixer provides the artist with maximum control of their personalised mix. Front panel switches allow for easy reconfiguration of each output pair to stereo operation, allowing up to six stereo mixes from the 12 send pots. The XRM takes up minimal space in a sound control booth or side of stage, and is small enough to travel as carry-on luggage with musicians who take their own self contained in-ear system with them on the road. Highly versatile, it can be used as a mono / stereo matrix mixer with 12 mono and four stereo mic / line input channels, all with mic preamps and individual 48V phantom power switches.

DYNACORD | CMS 1000-3 www.dynacord.com With its CMS Series, Dynacord presents its latest high-quality mixers. One of a total of four mixers, the CMS 1000-3 offers a host of outstanding features. These include high-quality, extremely low-noise, microphone preamps; six AUX busses; two 24-bit stereo effects units; an 11-band graphic equaliser; vocal voicing filters; and a low-cut filter. Also integrated is a four-in / four-out USB interface. The effects section of the CMS 1000-3 is as extensive as it is practical - with two separately editable effects processors with two 100 factory presets, two 20 user presets, remote control (via MIDI), tap delay, USB configuration as well as a large, high-contrast OLED display. The CMS 1000-3 is equally well suited for live performance on stage or in the studio.

STUDIOMASTER | HORIZON SERIES www.studiomaster.com The Horizon Series of mixers offer 12 or 20 input configurations, in both self-powered and passive variants, and a form factor with an emphasis on portability and minimum weight, that features light aluminium panels and sustainable-bamboo end cheeks. Specifications include new generation Studiomaster mic-pres, ultra low noise discrete circuitry, effects and dynamics processing, three-band channel EQ with mid-sweep, four auxiliary sends, a high performance optical compressor on the input channels, and two-way active cross-over on the main outputs. The powered versions pack a colossal 2,000W, from twin 1,000W Class-D amplifiers with discrete switch mode power supplies, flexibly assignable to FOH and / or stage monitoring. The control surface is the result of a ground up re-evaluation, specifying only the necessary features and controls, in order to minimise clutter and improve operability.

Balanced XLR and jack, and unbalanced RCA phono I/O connectivity throughout is augmented with a USB 2.0 interface for computer / digital audio player connectivity. The curved front trim panel features a concealed centre carry handle on the powered models, enabling the mixer to be carried in one hand.

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ADJ | EVENT BAR Q4 www.adj.com ADJ has added white to the Event Bar Q4, making it a highly-versatile four-head X-Y bar pin-spot system; 10W CREE quad-colour LEDs power the fixtures, which can pan and tilt independently, making for razor-sharp beams - with a 5º beam angle and a fully-controllable lightshow. While in a static position these four moving-heads can work independently to spotlight tables, centrepieces or décor in any colour, but can also scan beams around the room to add energy to the dance-loor. Featuring 12 pre-programmed shows and chase-effects it is also fully controllable via DMX. Various operational modes allow users to easily control the fixtures, including auto, sound active, and RGBW dimmer. For easy control, the ADJ UC3 handheld remote can be used to select mode, alter show speed and activate various strobe effects. The power supply for up to six Event Bar Q4s (120V) can also be daisy-chained together to minimise the need for messy cables and to reduce setup times.

ADLIB | AA SPEAKERS www.adlib.co.uk Hand-crafted and designed to perfection by a dedicated team of individuals who know their audio, using quality components, precision engineering and innovation, the AA Series from Adlib is the ultimate boutique brand for those who understand that their sound really matters. Currently there are four products available for re-sale in the AA range - the AA61, AA81 and AA121 - containing six, eight and 12-inch drivers respectively, complete with a dedicated AA12HL 12-inch subwoofer. All the AA series cabinets are constructed from premium birch ply sourced in Finland, and are available with a hard-wearing textured paint exterior for installs. The AA61 is a versatile 2-way passive system for high output applications needing a lightweight and compact enclosure. The AA81 is also two-way passive and designed to provide exceptional sound reinforcement from a very expediently sized enclosure. The AA121 is a full range compact two way passive trapezoidal 450W enclosure. The AA12HL600 high powered compact 600W sub was designed specifically to complement the AA61, AA81, AA121 speakers and extend and increase the total low frequency output power.

AMADEUS | ML 8 SUBWOOFER www.amadeus-audio.com Amadeus, has announced the release of its new ML 8 ultra-compact subwoofer. The ML 8 subwoofer is designed for space-limited installation or live use by sound professionals wishing to combine high sonic fidelity with an ultra-compact format. The ML 8 is the smallest member of Amadeus’ ML Series that now range from 8-inches to dual 18-inch models. The ML 8 subwoofer can be paired perfectly with the newly released PMX 4 ultra-compact speaker. The new ML 8 compact subwoofer completes the Amadeus ML Subwoofer Series speaker line as the smallest in its line, which includes the dual 18, 18, 15, 12, and 8-inch models, each available in passive, self-powered and EtherSound-enabled versions. In the same way as the Amadeus ML 12, ML 15, ML 18 and ML 28 speakers, the newly developed ML 8 is also built around a proprietary internal reinforcement structure designed to neutralise any standing waves and to suppress energy loss caused by vibrations. The ML 8 draws 600W peak from the line, under an eight-ohm impedance and produces 118dB peak SPL.

ANALOG WAY | SECURE POWER UNIT www.analogway.com The Secure Power Unit, an external power accessory compatible with three models of the LiveCore Series of premium switchers, is a new power protection module designed for the SmartMatriX Ultra, Ascender 32 and Ascender 48. It features dual power supplies providing redundancy against branch circuit failure or unstable power. Its battery module provides approximately 10 minutes in case of mains loss, thus offering time to restore power or back up the system.

It can be managed from the Web RCS, the user interface designed for the LiveCore Series, offering advanced status monitoring. This can be achieved by simply connecting an included RS232 cable between the LiveCore device and the Secure Power Unit.

ANTARI | AF-3 www.antari.com The AF-3 is a mini, but all-purpose, stage fan featuring four control options, linear output control, low power consumption, adjustable blowing directions, durable metal housing and compact size. In addition to the onboard DMX control and the manual knob, wire and wireless controllers are optional to cope with diverse needs. Total power consumption is merely 100W. The attached bracket enables various blowing directions within 90º while hanged or placed on the floor. Solid and handy design allows easy carry and storage.

ARKAOS PRO | MEDIAMASTER 4.0 www.arkaos.net MediaMaster 4.0, is the latest and ever-more powerful version of ArKaos PRO’s media server software. MediaMaster 4.0 brings more flexible protection via an optional dongle and many additional features, yet retains the simplicity of operation familiar to its users. A completely redesigned licensing system allows the user to register and deregister any machine remotely from their own account so MediaMaster 4.0 is not restricted to use on only one machine.

MediaMaster 4.0’s long list of new features includes new aspect ratio and cropping tools, new hue, saturation and lightness tools, layer-based volume control and a redesigned interface. The addition of a new video optimiser and video mapper means visuals can all be corrected, blended and mapped within the same application. The video optimiser makes wrongly-used codecs or bad settings during re-encoding a thing of the past as it automatically re-encodes all visuals to mpeg format, even up to 4k and 8k files. The new video mapper offers integrated geometrical correct and edge blending functions to enhance the professional appearance of the final output.

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AUDAC | SMA / SMQ www.audac.eu The SMA and SMQ Class D power amplifiers featuring WaveDynamics audio processing technology come in different output configurations with two or four channels and are available in output powers of 350W, 500W and 750W. The WaveDynamics DSP processor in combination with the 2.5-inch LCD display gives an unmatched user experience with intuitive functions overview for easy configuration. Acoustics can be optimised using the filters selectable between low, high, and band pass and the seven-band equaliser, which both have adjustable frequencies and Q-factor. Other functions are delay and dynamic bass boost. These settings can be custom configured using the front panel of the amplifier, whereby access can be given in two different levels using password or USB-key protection. Loudspeaker protection is provided by an output power limiter whereby the maximum output power for every channel can be configured, which is made simple by the loudspeaker presets and full system configurations which can selected from a library and uploaded with an USB flash drive. A great input flexibility and source compatibility is provided by the input selection matrix in combination with the XLR and terminal block signal connections. The outputs are performed using speaker and terminal block connections.

AUDICA PROFESSIONAL | MEDIAN IC 125 / 165 www.audicapro.co.uk The Median IC 125 and IC 165, two-way, full-range premium ceiling loudspeakers are designed for applications where high fidelity audio quality is a primary requirement. The open back design saves depth and weight for installations where a sealed enclosure (back-can) is not required. The five-inch IC 125 and 6.5-inch IC165 have a sensitivity of 87dB/W/m, 40W power handling and their dispersion is 120ยบ -6dB at 6kHz. The IC 125 has a frequency response of 75Hz to 20kHz +/-3dB, with the larger IC 165 offering greater low frequency extension to 70Hz. Both models feature a swivel high frequency unit, to direct the sound to the required listening area, and incorporate a +3dB / flat / -3dB HF control to shape the frequency response for the application or room acoustics.

Quick to install they feature swing out legs for secure fitting and the ultra-low profile grille is magnetically mounted for a fast fit and a clean, discreet appearance.

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AUDIO-TECHNICA | AT4060A TUBE MICROPHONE www.eu.audio-technica.com Audio-Technica has announced the re-introduction of its modern classic AT4060a tube microphone. The tube-powered cardioid condenser mic, combines warm, round vintage tone with a dynamic range that far exceeds that of other tube microphones. Coupled to its high SPL capabilities, the AT4060a is capable of capturing everything from the subtlest nuances of vocal and instrumental performances to high-powered guitar cabinets. The new version of the microphone also benefits from a newly designed power supply unit (AT8560), engineered for improved performance and lower noise. Created to deliver outstanding tone for many years, the AT4060’s two-micron-thick, vapour-deposited gold diaphragms undergo a five-step ageing process to ensure constant, consistent performance, while the dual-diaphragm capsule design maintains precise polar pattern definition across the full frequency range of the mic. Featuring a hand-selected, individually tested and aged Sovtek 6922 tube, the AT4060 achieves the coveted, classic sound of tube design without compromising the specification standards required for the most demanding modern recording situations.

AYRTON | WILDBEAM R www.ayrton.eu Ayrton has announced the introduction of the WildBeam R, a new addition to the Ayrton line. It couples seven individually controlled 15W RGBW LED emitters with brand new, 67mm collimators to create an astonishingly powerful, compact luminaire with a sharp 4.5° beam. Using less than 130W, including pan and tilt motors, WildBeam’s optical output produces a 2,500 lumen shaft of light and hits a record-breaking 90% efficiency. WildBeam R’s light engine is composed of seven 15W Osram Ostar RGBW LED emitters, which can be individually controlled to project a multitude of dynamic colour effects in space and to animate the beam around a central point. Crisp delineation of the individual component beams remains perfectly distinct at all times.

CELESTION | CDX14-3030 www.celestion.com Celestion, has announced the launch of the CDX14-3030; a new 1.4-inch exit, ferrite magnet compression driver. With a 3-inch copper clad aluminium voice coil driving a titanium diaphragm, the device delivers 75Wrms power handling and sensitivity across a frequency range of 500 to 18,000Hz. Like other CDX compression drivers in the range, CDX14-3030 makes extensive use of Celestion’s experience in Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to optimise magnetic and acoustic design, helping the device to achieve outstanding performance.This new compression drivers also use Celestion’s next generation of sound castle diaphragm clamping assembly to ensure even clamping pressure on the diaphragm surround, while actively reducing stress on the diaphragm during operation. This contributes to lower distortion while enabling the full internal volume of the rear cover to act as a loading chamber for the diaphragm, resulting in superior mid-band response.

CERWIN-VEGA | P1000X www.cerwinvega.com Cerwin-Vega has introduced the P1000X 10-inch powered loudspeaker, the latest addition to its P-Series Line. A more compact version of the original P1500X, the P1000X is suited for a variety of sound reinforcement applications, from live concerts to public speaking. Featuring many of the same controls as its predecessor, the P1000X is a two-way, bi-amped, full-range bass-reflex loudspeaker that employs a 10-inch woofer and high-frequency compression driver.

Powered by a custom 1,000W Class-D amplifier, the P1000X has a proprietary hemi-conical horn that provides enhanced sound clarity over an even and wide coverage area. A built-in mixer with multiple channels and I/O connections allows for simple and fast setup, while enhanced EQ, Vega Bass boost and highpass filter controls enable exact tuning and exceptional performance for any event. Its lightweight, robust polymer enclosure includes a self-tightening pole cup, as well as ergonomic handles. Built-in rigging points and a remote volume port make the P1000X ideal for suspended installation.

CLEAR-COM | HELIXNET PARTYLINE www.clearcom.com Three new product units that bring significant flexibility and functionality to the HelixNet Partyline intercom system have been added to the digital product range, allowing many more stations to be added to the system - HRM-4X Remote Station, HKB-2X Speaker Station and S-Mount. HelixNet is a digital network partyline intercom system, designed as a digital version of Clear-Com’s industry-standard analogue partyline system, bringing simplicity, efficiency and intelligent features to those who require a cost-effective digital communication solution. HRM-4X Remote Station - provides the intercom functionality of the Main Station but without powering the system or housing interfaces, and is therefore a more compact unit. The Remote Station provides access to four simultaneous channels of intercom communication, plus program audio. It receives audio data, control data, and DC power via the same cable, and additionally has the capability to be locally powered via an external power supply or use Power-over-Ethernet (PoE) connection.

DIGITAL PROJECTION | E-VISION 6500 www.digitalprojection.com

The new E-Vision 6500 features 7,000 ANSI lumens and comes in WXGA and XGA resolutions. This projector has the same wide array of lens options, user swappable colour wheels and advanced colour controls that have made the E-Vision range a favourite in AV solutions. It also has a wide variety of lenses ranging from 0.8 - 8.74:1, making it one of the brightest, most flexible single chip entry level DLP projectors on the market.

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DYNACORD | AXM 12A www.dynacord.com Thanks to its coaxial 12-inch / 1.75-inch chassis, the AXM 12A powered monitor boasts an evenly spread 90° conical. The high efficiency of this transducer combined with the onboard 520W Class-D amplifier allows a maximum SPL of 128dB. Other features include integrated digital signal processing with IIR / FIR settings, a digital three-band equaliser, an adjustable low cut and a sweepable feedback filter. Three audio inputs are available: two mic / line inputs on XLR / jack combo sockets and a stereo RCA. The backlit liquid crystal display and push-button encoder represent a user-friendly interface and provide information on the levels of the three inputs. Five presets for monitoring and PA applications are provided, along with five more memories for user settings. For effective protection during transportation and use, the control panel is recessed. Stand-mounted, the AXM 12A can serve as a compact yet powerful PA or to provide fill. The integrated delay function equips the AXM 12A to act as a delay loudspeaker.

EIGHTEEN SOUND | XG10 www.eighteensound.com

The XG10 line source waveguide features a transmission line acoustic design that minimises internal reflections and acoustic loss. When paired with an Eighteen Sound one-inch exit high frequency compression driver it delivers a high level of performance. The waveguide has been optimised to provide a 10º vertical dispersion angle, while the horizontal coverage angle can vary from 80º to 120º depending upon the specific cabinet design.

ELATION | RAYZOR BEAM 2R www.elationlighting.com The Rayzor Beam 2R is a small and speedy beam luminaire with an intense and extremely narrow long-throw beam. It houses the 132W Platinum 2R lamp with high precision reflector and its 3º beam is powerful enough to work alongside larger fixtures and won’t get lost in ambient lighting from LED backdrops.

Capable of projecting 49,470 lux at 42.9-inch, light output is comparable to an MSD lamp of 300W for an energy savings of more than 50%. Average lamp life is 6,000 hours in an energy efficient package that consumes a maximum of 210W. The Rayzor Beam 2R punches out a variety of colours and effects using 13 dichroic colour filters, including UV and CTO / CTB colour correction, and houses 14 gobo patterns, among the six multi-sized beam gobos. The beam can be manipulated for additional effect using an eight-facet rotating prism with macros, a variable electronic strobe and 0-100% dimmer. The Rayzor Beam 2R includes a host of other features that make operation simple like three DMX channel modes (10/12/16) for versatile programming, RDM protocol and a six-button control panel and LCD menu display. Other features like five-pin DMX in / out, PowerCon connectors and a universal switch-mode power supply are standard.

ETC | SOURCE FOUR LED SERIES 2 www.etcconnect.com The Source Four LED Series 2 is a powerful spotlight with the most expansive colour spectrum possible from an LED luminaire. Since introducing the Source Four LED luminaire in 2012, ETC has experimented with the x7 colour system, mixing together new colour combinations to create brighter light that covers a larger spectrum. It is twice as bright as the original Source Four LED Lustr+ and features improved tints for three times the brightness. It can easily be used to light talent on stage or on screen, with natural white light that can be tweaked to compliment individual skin tones. And when paired with a Source Four LED CYC adapter, the Source Four LED Series 2 is a powerhouse for lighting cycloramas. White and painted PVC and cloth come to life with vibrant colour and smooth coverage. Source Four Mini LED ETC is also unveiling the much-anticipated LED version of the Source Four Mini spotlight.

FENIX | AT SERIES www.fenixlt.es

The AT Series of lifting towers are front loading and allow the load to rise from the floor avoiding any single effort. They are available in three models: AT-04, AT05 and AT-06 and in two colours - aluminum and black. The AT-04 is one of the smallest lifting towers on the market for small and medium line array systems.

HK AUDIO | PULSAR SERIES www.hkaudio.com The Pulsar loudspeaker series has been extended with a compact variant - the PL 110 FA. It is loaded with a 10-inch subwoofer and like its larger siblings, the PL 112 FA and PL 115 FA, houses a 1,000W, bi-amped power system that delivers 650W to the subwoofer and 350W to the tweeter. An intelligent multi-band limiter tames spiking bass signals to ensure the audio image remains stable even at high volumes. This unit also features four combinable filter settings that voice the loudspeaker array’s frequency response to suit the given application. The PL 110 FA may also be configured in combination with the PL 118 Sub A, a bass bin loaded with an 18-inch subwoofer, to cover events with audiences of up to around 500 people.

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JBL | HIQNET PERFORMANCE MANAGER hiqnet.harmanpro.com JBL HiQnet Performance Manager is a software application designed to configure networked audio systems within performance venues. It reduces design time, simplifies networking and automates control interface configuration. Performance Manager disguises the complexity of system configuration and guides even the less-experienced user through the process so as to achieve a far more optimal result than would otherwise be possible. Version 1.7 provides support for JBL’s VTX F Series loudspeakers’ as well as new circuiting functionality, while online matching now has the option of preserving the physical device addresses and making the virtual device in Performance Manager receive the HiQnet address from the networked device. In amplify manually mode the associations can be made directly by dragging loudspeaker bandpasses to amplifier channels or vice versa; a fix has been implemented so that online-mode parameter values are not lost when the loudspeaker preset is changed, and it is now possible to use circuit jumpers to mute individual circuits.

K-ARRAY | KAN200 + www.k-array.com

The KAN200 + is a flexible array element, which is the same length (200cm) and has the same flexibility as the KAN200. It also boasts 16 transducers and can be driven by the KAN 200 presets. Moreover, it has improved SPL +6dB and an impedance of 32ohms. The KAN200 + is an ideal solution for portable applications and installation designs.

L-ACOUSTICS | K2 www.l-acoustics.com With K2, L-Acoustics offers K1 performance in a rescaled package. The K2 system flexibility makes it suited to both permanent installation and touring applications, from theatre to stadium productions. A K2 line source utilises the characteristics of wavefront sculpture technology. Inter-element angles can be set with laser like accuracy up to a generous 10˚, allowing the optimisation of the vertical coverage with SPL smoothly spread across the audience. K2 employs the L-Acoustics Panflex, a unique horizontal steering technology which combines mechanically adjustable fins with DSP algorithms effective from 300Hz. Four different settings are possible: two symmetric (70° or 110°) and two asymmetric (90° as 35°/55° or 55°/35°). By combining WST and Panflex, L-Acoustics addresses the control of directivity in both vertical and horizontal planes. As a result K2 can match the complex shape of any audience geometry with best sonic performance and minimum noise pollution.

LASERWORLD | BEAMNET beamnet.laserworld.com The BeamNET offers pure effect solutions without beam deflection, but as extra strong single beam units. Two models with single beam output and three bar-style models with 10 parallel beams each are available. The BeamNET units are designed as easy-to-use solutions to provide additional effects to stages and big shows, without the need of complex control and setup - all BeamNET systems can easily be triggered through DMX / Artnet and allow easy control of every single laser source. The BeamNET Series can be integrated to an existing light show with every kind of common light desks. As the BeamNET addresses professional applications, the power supply has been standardised and all units are powered through a PoE switch, meaning only one LAN cable transports power and control signal.

LDR | ASTRO www.ldr.it The Astro 200W LED features state-of-the-art optical design, which results in an outstanding light output and a perfect beam shaping at any angle. Dimming is fast and accurate with a resolution of up to 512 steps controlled from a single channel through DMX / RDM signal or from a control knob positioned on the rear panel of the unit. Available in warm white at 3,200K or cool white at 5,600K, Astro has been designed for all those applications where power supply is limited and running costs need to be significantly reduced.

LECTROSONICS | DNT16I / DNT0212 www.lectrosonics.com The DNT16i input processor and the DNT0212 output processor support both switched and redundant Dante modes of operation and feature 48 independent automatic mixers with 36 inputs per mixer. The DNT16i features 16 mic / line analogue inputs via Phoenix connectors with 48V phantom power and wide gain control on each. As a processor, the DNT16i provides inputs into a Dante network from analogue and digital signals. Each input provides extensive signal processing and routing to any one or all of 48 automatic mixers operating at the cross points of an internal digital matrix within the processor. The outputs of the matrix can be assigned to a Dante transmit channel and / or be routed back to an input to be further mixed with other inputs. The DNT16i is 1RU in size.

The DNT0212 output processor features two line level analogue inputs, eight line level analogue outputs, and four mic / line analogue outputs. The DNT0212 subscribes to channels on a Dante network and delivers them to an internal digital matrix for automatic mixing and processing. The outputs of the matrix can be assigned to a Dante transmit channel, an analogue output and / or be routed back to an input to be further mixed and processed with other channels or matrix mixes. Outputs also include loudspeaker management DSP functions.

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LED LUX | LLI 230 www.ledluxitalia.com

The LLI 230 is a very simple moving head mounting the new Osram Sirius HRI 230 with an extraordinary light output. It features a 0°-3° beam angle, mechanical dimming, linear focus, fixed gobo wheel with 17 gobos, colour wheel with 14 dichroic filters, eight-facet prism bi-directional variable speed rotation, frost lens. The 230’s application is very versatile; it can be utilised for any kind of entertainment shows, TV studios, theatre, concerts and big events.

LSC LIGHTING | GENVI www.lsclighting.com GenVI is the sixth generation of dimmers to be manufactured by LSC. Equally at home in the lighting, sound and video markets, for portable or permanent installation, the GenVI advanced dimming system allows any of its outputs to be configured as an eight bit or 16 bit dimmer, or alternatively as a direct power relay channel. GenVI has all the specifications expected of a professional grade dimmer including Softpatch, colour touchscreen operation, RDM (for remote control and monitoring), riggers control, local scene and chase replay and emergency back up scene. The TruPower circuits are true relay connection providing a direct power path to the load so they are safe for any type of connected load.

LYNX PRO AUDIO | DS-12 www.lynxproaudio.com Available in any colour and finish, the DS-12 is designed to not only be pleasing to the eye but also to the ear. The horn loaded, high power DS-12 is primarily designed for installations, especially clubs / discos, is bi-amplified and can also be manufactured as a self-powered version to deliver all the features such as FIR that Lynx Pro Audio electronics deliver. It uses an exponential 12-inch driver (64mm aluminium voice coil) for the low / mid and the high frequencies are looked after by a 1.4-inch neodymium compression driver with titanium diaphragm and mylar surround. The special GFK / sandwich horn delivers 60º by 40º coverage.

MA LIGHTING | MA VPU www.malighting.com The MA VPU (Video Processing Unit) is a powerful solution for controlling, live accessing and altering videos, still images and 3D objects in real time. All videos, still images and 3D objects can be scaled, positioned, tiled, coloured and manipulated directly from any grandMA2 console. It is as simple as controlling any other fixture - the MA VPU just has to be added to the network session. There are no additional parameters needed to control an MA VPU. The whole operation relies on the highly intuitive well-established MA philosophy. So if you know grandMA2, you know the MA VPU. Thanks to the power of the MA VPU all videos can be displayed in up-to Full-HD. Furthermore, the internal output synchronisation of the MANet2 ensures the highest frame and DMX synchronicity. Horizontal and vertical soft edge blending as well as keystone correction help to scale videos to any size desired. More than that, the MA VPU offers a convenient 3D key stoning functionality and enables the user to fit content to any 3D objects, regardless of size and shape. Furthermore improvements to frame interpolation and smooth speed control can be used to adjust the playback speed.

NEW VERSION 5.7

YOU‘VE GOT THE SKILLS. WE‘VE GOT THE TOOLS. Discover coolux Pandoras Box hard- and software, the perfect tools for interactive media control.

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MERGING TECHNOLOGIES | HAPI www.merging.com The identical sonic transparency and astounding headroom combines with the same Ravenna / AES67 connectivity to make Hapi a powerful and compact package. Modularity is one of the keys to the success of Horus, and Hapi inherits that benefit. Offering two option slots that take the AD8D / AD8DP and DA8 / DA8P I/O cards or the MADI option, perfect compatibility with existing Horus units is assured. The CoreAudio virtual sound driver joins the ASIO option to allow users of any Mac or PC software to enjoy the benefits of Ravenna and the ability to add other AES67 enabled products to the network. The improvements in audio quality offered by Hapi can be enjoyed without the need to invest in any additional Merging hardware or software. Any DAW or workstation can connect to Hapi or Horus and enjoy the benefits of not only controlling the microphone inputs from a web browser, but also the MADI, AES / EBU and Ravenna streams via a single Cat 5e cable.

MEYER SOUND | HMS-15 www.meyersound.com The new self-powered HMS-15 surround loudspeaker has been specifically designed for high-power, longer-throw applications in cinema exhibition auditoriums as well as in post-production and screening rooms. While it offers exemplary performance in 5.1 and 7.1 formats, the HMS-15 is ideally suited for the extreme demands of immersive formats such as Dolby Atmos and Barco Auro. Inside the cabinet, the HMS-15 houses a 15-inch long-excursion low frequency driver; a three-inch diaphragm high frequency compression driver coupled to a consistent 80° by 50° horn; and two-channel amplification with active crossover, driver protection, and correction for phase and frequency response. It has a resultant frequency range of 50Hz to 18kHz and a maximum peak SPL of 133dB with very low distortion. It can be mounted on walls or ceilings at fixed or adjustable angles with the optional wall-mount brackets or U-bracket, adapting easily to the physical requirements of any surround or immersive sound format.

NEUMANN | KH 120 D www.neumann.com The KH 120 D nearfield studio monitor is the digital version of the KH 120 A monitor and carries forward the compact design of its predecessor while boasting an additional BNC input for AES /EBU or S / P-DIF formats (24-bit/192 kHz), enabling seamless digital workflow right up to playback on the studio monitor. A new feature added to the KH 120 D is a digital delay unit for both the analogue and digital input channels. This allows the monitor to be used for tasks where time alignment is required. The KH 120 range has been designed for use as near-field loudspeakers or as rear loudspeakers in larger multi-channel systems.

NEXT PRO AUDIO | HFA SERIES www.next-proaudio.com The HFA Series is a fully powered PA system designed to deliver high output and dynamics, extreme linearity and fidelity for unrivalled performance. The heart of the new Next-ProAudio powered loudspeaker series, is a powerful, 2200Wrms, lightweight, highly efficient Class-D power amplifier module, with switch mode power supply, that delivers an impressive sonic punch with perfectly balanced, rich and transparent, sound at any volume. The integrated DSP with A/D-D/A low noise converters, provides eight selectable presets that can be accessed by an easy selector, located on the front module panel or real time edited by a PC, using the supplied Soundware software, via USB remote control. This permits easy customisation of the sound program, for various applications or different venues. An intelligent automatic standby mode is activated when the amplifier detects no input signal, saving energy and extending the expected work life. With the Soundware software it is possible to edit the six pre-loaded presets and store it in one of the two free memories. To extend the low frequency response, the HFA full-range loudspeakers can perfectly match with the HFA subwoofers, available in three models, 12-inch, 15-inch and 18-inch.

PIXELFLEX | FLEXLITE www.pixelflexled.com Available in both indoor and outdoor options, FLEXLite has been designed for permanent installations and lightweight event screens. The frame is made of die cast aluminum, resulting in a lightweight yet durable tile that weighs 28lbs each. PixelFLEX has taken all of the aspects it has been known for in its touring products and transformed them into a single product that makes sense for installation. It can be installed and dismantled by one person, making FLEXLite time and labour efficient. The LED panel also comes in a rectangle shape - versus the traditional square - and consequently covers more space with less tiles. As with PixelFLEX’s existing line of LED video screens, FLEXLite is simple to operate and set up; videos and images can be sent to the screen using any computer with a DVI-D or HDMI connection. In addition, the quality of the FLEXLite screens keep with the standard PixelFLEX holds all of its products to. It uses the latest debugging technology to prohibit issues with gray scale level, allowing for clear, crisp content playback. The LED screen also has a powerful 140º viewing angle so more of the audience gets the full impression of the desired content.

POWERSOFT | X SERIES www.powersoft-audio.com The X Series consists of two models. The X8 is the largest amplifier in the range, boasting eight channels in a 2U chassis, while the X4 features four channels in a single rack unit. Both models share the same power density, being capable of delivering up to 5,200W at two ohms per channel. The X Series natively supports AES3, two redundant Dante by Audinate digital streams and analogue inputs, providing up to four different selectable input sources per channel.

Suitable for both low and high impedance applications, the Powersoft X8 and X4 are equally suitable for concert touring and professional fixed installations.

The modular construction permits the rear input / output connections to feature either XLR / speakON or Phoenix connectors, depending on the requirement of the specific application. The set-up parameters of the Powersoft X Series are fully integrated into Armonía Pro Audio Suite which offers an intuitive interface for parameter adjustment, a comprehensive control over the digital audio processing and complete real-time monitoring of the system performance. An integrated WiFi connection permits the Powersoft X Series to be accessed and managed via any smartphone or tablet through a user interface specifically developed for local monitoring.

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RCF | ART 745-A www.rcf.it The ART 745-A is a unique product in his category. The titanium dome, four-inch voice coil neo compression driver offers a unique vocal clarity and sound projection. The 15-inch neo woofer offers an extremely linear response and a precise, deep low frequency control. The transducers are built in our factory in Italy using the most advanced assembly technologies. The amplifier delivers 1,400W and is controlled by a DSP that takes care of crossover, equalisation, phase alignment, soft limiting and speaker protections. At the core of ART 745-A design is the new ND 940 compression driver. The ND 940 large format compression driver delivers one of the key advantages of the ART 745-A, the four-inch voice coil allows a crossover point of 650Hz and therefore almost all of the vocal range can be produced by this driver. The powerful digital amplifier offers very high output, extremely low distortion and an incredibly natural sound.

The ART 745-A is equipped with ergonomically designed handles with rubber handgrips for a better portability. The ART 745-A can be used in standard configuration as well as in stage monitor mode.

ROBE | LEDBEAM 1000 www.robe.cz

Robe’s super fast Robin 100 LEDBeam is the ultimate effects lighting tool. A highly optimised motorised control produces speedy pan and tilt movement, three LED zones allow the creation of various colour chases, and the extra punchy 7º beam angle can be amplified with fast strobing. Simplified control via pre-programmed colours, colour chases and effects on a virtual colour wheel and various strobing and pulsing effects allow quick and easy programming.

SENNHEISER | HD RANGE www.sennheiser.com The HD8 DJ, HD7 DJ and the HD6 MIX have been developed in conjunction with some of the world’s top DJs. The HD8 DJ is dedicated to the needs of professional DJs with excellent sound reproduction, while the HD7 DJ offers an engaging, dynamic sound that’s ideal for playing live. Both delivering a mid-low end emphasis, the sound remains tight and never overwhelms, with clarity retained in the high frequencies. Meanwhile, the HD6 MIX, a model aimed primarily at studio-based music creation, delivers a balanced, accurate sound for mixing and monitoring work. The elliptical shape of the ear cups avoids pinching the ears and is enhanced by interchangeable ear pads for comfortable listening during long periods of use. For hassle-free one-ear monitoring, both DJ models feature swivelling ear cups with up to 210° of movement and three different wearing positions. With both coiled and straight three-metre high-performance cables included that can connect to either ear cup, these headphones can adapt to suit any individual preference. A bayonet twist lock makes for secure connection to the headphones.

VARI-LITE | VL4000 / VL4000GT www.vari-lite.com Philips Vari-Lite has introduced the new VL4000 Spot and VL4000GT Spot luminaires. As the next generation of Vari-Lite luminaires designed specifically to provide designers, rental companies, venues and productions with unlimited possibilities without compromises, the 1,200W VL4000 Spot and the 1,500W VL4000GT Spot are complete with low ambient noise, high lumen output, and amazing optics. As every aspect of the Series 4,000 luminaires has been designed with performance in mind, the 1,200W VL4000 Spot boasts 25,000 lumens and the 1,500W VL4000GT Spot produces 35,000 lumens of output. Both luminaires feature a new cooling system that quietly draws air into the fixtures while their high-resolution optics ensure remarkable centre-to-edge focusing and an unprecedented contrast ratio. Both the VL4000 Spot and VL4000 GT Spot also include a 5:1 zoom, which covers an amazing nine to 44º without sacrificing output or clarity. For image and beam control, series 4,000 luminaires feature dual rotating gobo wheels with a remarkable new collection of optimised gobo patterns ideal for both aerial and projected imagery.

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...We would much rather work with one of the best audio brands and no one else than lots of different brands.

We never double up on products.

ARNAUD LESCHEMELLE PRESIDENT, FREEVOX GROUP Where did your career in the industry begin?

I have always been into music and was a DJ from the age of 14, doing weddings, parties and so on, but my career really started in 1993 when I started working with J.Collyns before being appointed Sales Manager at CSI in 1998. I had a short break from the industry while I pursued other things, but returned to CSI in 2002 as General Manager.

How did CSI grow as a company in the beginning?

It started with the Freevox (audio), Elite and Starway brands before the first media server was added to the portfolio in 2004 - video had started to play a major role and began to blurr the lines of the lighting world, therefore CSI continued to grow, but we realised we couldn’t do everything at the same time.

We concentrated our efforts on lighting and merged products from Elite and Starway - rebranding them all as Starway. CSI grew further to become the biggest European distributor of Vari-Lite. In 2009 we bought

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Halto and signed an agreement with Griven.

CSI eventually moved back into audio though?

Yes, that’s correct. In 2012 SCV’s General Manager sadly passed away and as a result got into difficulties, affecting a number of audio brands including Harman. We bought SCV Audio & SCV Hi Tech and we now offer a full range covering audio, lighting and video under three separate arms and revived Freevox to manage the global offering and become the mother company.

You’re quite selective about the brands you represent though aren’t you?

Very much so… We would much rather work with one of the best audio brands and no one else than lots of different brands. We never double up on products and we feel very privileged to be working with Harman, as there is a lot of history there, a lot of innovation and I don’t want to detract from that. With Starway on the lighting side we can take our business

in the direction we want to. We have a product selection that has had great success in France already and when you’ve been involved in projects such as the Eiffel Tower and London Bridge I think it’s safe to say the products you’re working with are doing the job.

So what’s next for the Freevox Group?

We’re pushing forward the global offering with our distribution efforts inside of France. At present less than 5% of our business comes from North Africa thanks to its close partnerships with France historically. We’ll look to work with new distributors around the world for Starway, with the arrival of Umberto Maurizio to manage the export business.

You need the right products and people working for you to make things happen and make the business grow. This is something I feel confident we have at Freevox.

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IS LIVE PUSH YOUR SOUND AS FAR AS YOU WANT

The LYON linear sound reinforcement system is designed to faithfully reproduce your sound even when the system is pushed to its limits. Live sound venues and tours around the world rely on LYON for the most consistent sound at all levels.

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L Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc. • 2832 San Pablo Ave. • Berkeley, CA 94702 • 510 486.1166

PUBLISTING Mondo May 2014 Issue Creative: LYON Live Unit:

Close Date 4/25/2014

FP4C

PRODUCTION NOTES Live: 210 x 310mm Trim: 236 x 333mm Contact: Elania Nanopoulos Bleed: 242 x 339mm

Keylines do not print INK: 4/c STOCK: magazine

Phone: 510 486.1166 x115 Gutter:

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PACIFIC DIGITAL IMAGE • 333 Broadway, San Francisco CA 94133 • 415.274.7234 • www.pacdigital.com Filename: 302413msl01_Mondo.ps_wf02 Operator: SpoolServer Time: 11:14:54 Colors: Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black Date: 14-04-25 NOTE TO RECIPIENT: This file is processed using a Prinergy Workflow System with an Adobe Postscript Level 3 RIP. The resultant PDF contains traps and overprints. Please ensure that any post-processing used to produce these files supports this functionality. To correctly view these files in Acrobat, please ensure that Output Preview (Separation Preview in earlier versions than 7.x) and Overprint Preview are enabled. If the files are re-processed and these aspects are ignored, the traps and/or overprints may not be interpreted correctly and incorrect reproduction may result. Please contact Pacific Digital Image with any questions or concerns.

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