mondo*dr 25.2

Why Boston Opera House chose Bose RoomMatch ®

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Production Manager, Mike Marchetti:

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Concert sound quality for a wide variety of installed systems.

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“We wanted to achieve perfect coverage and intelligibility for the wide mezzanine and large balcony of the historic Boston Opera House, but were faced with the unique challenges of providing sound reinforcement for a variety of genres in a large theatre. The annual 200-plus show calendar is filled by the Boston Ballet and touring musical theatre productions hosted by Broadway in Boston.

Most touring productions are not capable of covering our large balcony with their systems. After I had 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 A/B shootout, I invited ten of my colleagues whose opinions I trust to be involved in the listening evaluations – these ranged from audio engineers and sound designers to production directors and the President of Broadway in Boston. I must admit, I was skeptical at first, but after my mind was made up, I started telling others in the industry how impressive the RoomMatch system is. And since the installation, my fondness for the system has grown stronger.” The dispersion patterns of the Bose RoomMatch system are extremely specific, so it was not a challenge to put together exactly the right configuration for our needs. ®

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2015 | 25.2

the international publication for technology in entertainment

januar y / februar y 2015

EUROPE & AMERICAS EDITION

his tor ic recreation reiner s as smann • v ideo + v isual s amplif ier s

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Six colors in one LED: red, green, blue, amber, white and UV. The Greek number Hexa (six) stands for the most brilliant color rendering LED technology can achieve.

The spots’ operation is silent as a whisper and the LEDs are consistently flicker free: Perfectly tailored for theaters, film studios or environments that could do with a little more than the usual standard.

mondo*dr 25.2 January / February 2015

This issue’s leader photo was taken at the UK launch of the K-array’s KH8 and KS8 at the Barbican Centre hosted by Sennheiser UK

ON THE COVER Sant Climent de Taüll, Spain Photo credit: Playmodes.com General Manager Justin Gawne / j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk Editor Rachael Rogerson / r.rogerson@mondiale.co.uk Assistant Editor Ashley White / a.white@mondiale.co.uk Advertising Manager Jamie Dixon / j.dixon@mondiale.co.uk Advertising Sales Laura Iles / l.iles@mondiale.co.uk Intern Jamie Medwell / mondointern@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

My first leader of 2014 started with an introduction, and this, my first of 2015 is no different, as many of you will be aware we welcomed at new team member to mondo*dr at the beginning of December. Ashley White joined us as Assistant Editor and she has already settled in well.

Ashley’s first official outing with be at ISE in Amsterdam next month, so many of you will have the opportunity to meet her there. And if you haven’t done so already, please add Ashley to your mailing list - you’ll find her email address to the left.

The World Trading Survey (WTS) should have hit your desks by now and hopefully you’ll have noticed that we’ve tried to implement a few changes this year, one of which is an event section, listing companies celebrating anniversaries in 2015. mondo*dr is reaching a milestone itself this year as the publication reaches the grand old age of 25. I’m sure we’ll be celebrating in some shape or form and we’re looking forward to marking those special occasions with the other companies that are celebrating too. The WTS will also be available in digital format and as an iPad edition for the very first time this year.

In this issue you’ll find our annual Video & Visuals Report which we run in line with ISE - and just prior to writing this leader there was some big news from this industry. Christie, renowned for its projection displays and visualisation solutions acquired coolux, the developer and supplier of 3D compositing and rendering systems, best known for its Pandoras Box product family. It will be interesting to see if there is any integration between the two companies at ISE - although it may well be too soon - but the development of this partnership is definitely one to watch.

Also in this first issue of 2015, you can read about my trip to Japan where I witnessed the world exclusive launch of the Yamaha RIVAGE PM10 mixing console - turn to page 116 for more details. And our Big Interview is with Reiner Sassmann, CEO of Camco, a significant figure in the industry I think you’ll agree, but who also has an air of mystery about him, turn to page 24 to read about the man behind Wenden, Germany based company.

Rachael Rogerson | Editor

www.eurolite.de

www.futurelight.com

GAME CHANGER

BRIGHT MULTI FUNCTIONAL LIGHT

CONTENT S 014

IN BRIEF

IN DEP T H 024 014

INTERVIEW REINER SASSMANN, CAMCO

034

REPORT VIDEO + VISUALS

IN FO CUS 034

024

062

080

074

096

088

056

MOSCOW HOUSE OF MUSIC, MOSCOW

062

THE NOBEL BROS, LEIDEN

068

BLUE MARLIN IBIZA , abu dhabi

074

ALIBI, belfast

080

QUANTUM OF THE SEAS, SHANGHAI

088

SHANGHAI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, hall, shanghai

096

PLAYBOY, HYDERBAD

IN BUSINE S S 102

LDI, LAS VEGAS

106

INTERBEE, TOKYO

110

JTSE, PARIS

116

PRODUCT LAUNCH: YAMAHA - RIVAGE PM10

117

PRODUCT GUIDE AMPLIFIERS

116

138

128

PRODUCT DIRECTORY

138

LAST PAGE INTERVIEW ALEX BRYAN - FENIX

012 AD INDEX

FRANÇAIS

DEUTSCH

Mon premier Leader de 2014 commença par une présentation, et celui de 2015 ne sera pas différent, car plusieurs d’entre vous savent que nous avons accueilli, début décembre dernier, un nouveau membre dans l’équipe mondo*dr. Ashley White nous a rejoints en tant qu’Adjointe au Rédacteur en Chef et elle déjà bien pris ses marques. Ashley effectuera sa première sortie officielle à l’exposition ISE à Amsterdam le mois prochain, donc vous aurez tous la chance de la rencontrer là-bas. Et si ce n’est pas déjà fait, veuillez rajouter Ashley à vos listes de diffusion. Le « World Trading Survey » devrait maintenant être sur votre bureau et j’espère que vous aurez remarqué que nous avons essayé d’y inclure quelques changements cette année.

Une section « Événements » offre la liste des sociétés célébrant un anniversaire en 2015, et mondo*dr marque aussi un jalon cette année puisque la publication à 25 ans. Nous célébrerons certainement cet événement sous une forme ou une autre, et nous souhaitons également nous joindre aux autres sociétés pour fêter les occasions spéciales.

Mein erster Leitartikel 2014 begann mit einer Einführung und dieser, mein erster 2015, ist nicht anders, da sich viele von Ihnen bewusst sind, dass wir seit Anfang Dezember ein neues Teammitglied bei mondo*dr haben. Ashley White ist zu uns als Redaktionsassistentin gekommen und hat sich bereits gut eingelebt.

Ashleys erster offizieller Ausflug wird nächsten Monat die ISE in Amsterdam sein, so dass viele von Ihnen die Gelegenheit haben werden, sie dort zu treffen. Und falls dies noch nicht erfolgt ist, fügen Sie bitte Ashley Ihren Mailinglisten hinzu. Die Welt-Trading-Umfrage müsste eigentlich auf Ihren Schreibtischen gelandet sein und Sie haben hoffentlich gemerkt, dass wir uns bemüht haben, dieses Jahr einige Veränderungen einzuführen, eine davon ist ein Event-Bereich, in dem Unternehmen aufgelistet werden, die 2015 Jubiläen feiern. mondo*dr setzt selbst dieses Jahr einen Meilenstein, da die Publikation das weise Alter von 25 erreicht. Ich bin mir sicher, dass wir dies auf irgendeine Art feiern werden und wir freuen uns darauf, solche besonderen Anlässe mit anderen Unternehmen, die auch ein Jubiläum haben, zu feiern.

ITALIANO

ESPAÑOL

Il mio primo Leader del 2014 si è aperto con un’introduzione e questo, il primo del 2015, non è differente visto che, come molti di voi sapranno, diamo il benvenuto ai nuovi membri della squadra di Mondo*dr che sono qui dall’inizio di dicembre. Ashley White si è aggiunta alla squadra come assistente editore e si è già integrata benissimo. Il primo viaggio ufficiale di Ashley sarà all’ ISE ad Amsterdam il mese prossimo, quindi molti di voi avranno la possibilità di incontrarla lì e se non lo aveste già fatto, aggiungete Ashley alla vostra mailing list. Il World Trading Survey dovrebbe esservi arrivato adesso e fortunatamente avrete notato che abbiamo provato ad apportare qualche cambiamento quest’anno, uno dei quali è nella sezione eventi dove sono elencate le società che celebrano l’anniversario nel 2015.

Lo stesso Mondo*dr sta raggiungendo un quarto di secolo quest’anno in quanto la sua pubblicazione raggiunge il grande traguardo dei 25 anni. Sono sicuro che festeggeremo in qualche modo e non vediamo l’ora di condividere queste occasioni speciali con le altre compagnie che anch’esse festeggeranno.

Mi primera editorial de 2014 comenzaba con una presentación, y ésta, mi primera editorial de 2015 no es diferente a aquella otra, dado que muchos de ustedes sabrán que le dimos la bienvenida a mondo*dr a un nuevo integrante del equipo a comienzos de Diciembre. Ashley White se unió a nosotros como Editora Asistente y ya se siente como en casa. El primer viaje oficial de Ashley será en el ISE de Ámsterdam el mes próximo, de manera que muchos de ustedes tendrán la oportunidad de conocerla allí. Y si aún no lo han hecho, por favor agreguen a Ashley a sus listas de contactos. La Encuesta Mundial de Actividad Comercial (World Trading Survey) debería haber llegado a sus manos para esta altura y con suerte habrán notado que hemos intentado implementar unos pocos cambios este año; uno de los cuales es una sección de eventos, la cual enumera empresas que celebran su aniversario en 2015. mondo*dr está derribando su propio hito este año ya que la publicación alcanza la edad de 25. Con seguridad celebraremos de alguna manera y esperamos marcar aquellas ocasiones especiales junto con las otras empresas que también se encuentren celebrando.

ADB ............................................ 79

EAW ............................................ 31

LPS Lasersysteme ....................... 85

Prolight+Sound Frankfurt ........... 135

ADJ.............................................. 15

Elation............................................ 2

Lynx Pro Audio ............................ 71

Prolight+Sound Guangzhou ....... 113

Amina .......................................... 50

FINE Art ........................................ 7

Madrix ......................................... 85

Prolyte ....................................... 131

Antari ........................................... 29

Fohhn Audio ............................... 27

Martin Audio .................................. 3

Pulsar .......................................... 61

Audio Technica .......................... 109

Full Fat Audio .............................. 53

MBN ....................................71 & 73

Renkus-Heinz ............................... 73

Audiocenter .................41, 83 & 121

Global Truss ................................ 33

Mediatech .................................... 54

Robe............................................ 10

AudioFocus ................................. 65

GLP............................................. 69

Meyer Sound .............................BC

Green Hippo ................................ 79

Music & Lights ...................39 & 129

SHS Global ............................... 109

Camco......................................... 95

Havells Sylvania ......................... 135

Nexo ........................................... 85

Sommer Cable ........................... 47

Chauvet ....................................... 51

ISE .............................................. 22

No Fakes ................................... 111

Starway ....................................... 67

d&b audiotechnik ......................... 87

K-array ....................................... 119

One Systems ............................. 105

Steinigke........................................ 9

D.A.S Audio ................................. 99

ADVERTS

sE Electronics .............................. 93

Bose ..................................13 & 115

Kind Audio ................................... 49

Palm China ................................ 107

Studio Due................................. 139

D3 Technologies .......................... 59

KOBA ........................................ 100

Palm India .................................... 93

Sunlite Nicolaudie .......................... 8

Daslight ....................................... 12

KV2 Audio ................................. 137

Pioneer Europe ............................ 43

TC Group ........................123 & 125

Dataton ...................................... 105

Light Sky Fly Dragon ...................... 5

PixelFLEX .................................... 32

The GET Show .............................. 6

DiGiCo ........................................ 17

Lightwave .................................... 77

PR-Lighting .................................. 19

Vello Light ...................................... 4

Digital Projection .......................... 46

Look Solutions ............................. 63

PRO .......................................... 133

XTA.............................................. 44

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26/08/14 10:32

014 in brief - europe/middle east/africa

IN BRIEF

P ULS A R FACTORY I N STALLATI O N REACH ES 100,000 HOURS A total of 12 Pulsar ChromaPanels were installed on the south-facing front of the Pulsar factory building in May 2003 and have been running 24/7 ever since, with an additional 21-metres of ChromaStrip 2 installed the following year. The original ChromaPanels printed with the Pulsar name have clocked an impressive 11 years, five months of continuous activity surpassing 100,000 hours. Braving all that the Great British weather has to throw at them, the fixtures have endured some of the wettest and hottest years in recent history as well as snow, ice, hail, fog, wind, and all weather in between for the past decade. Pulsar’s Dave Cowan explained: “Being able to say we have been around since 1970 and that our factory lighting installation has been running without issue for 100,000 hours is really important to our customers - especially those who may have been exposed to lower quality equipment in the past which needed replacing within months, obviously we’re very happy to report we have some extremely satisfied customers in really quite challenging climates.”

THE KEYS The Keys restaurant and nightclub, Darlington, opened in late November after extensive refurbishment of the grade two listed premises. The two-floor venue offers stylish décor, locally sourced food and an illuminated dancefloor. For the nightclub sound system a selection of Pioneer products were installed. The line-up comprises - from the Pioneer Pro Audio XY Series - seven XY-81 eight-inch loudspeakers and four XY-122 12-inch loudspeakers. For the bass six Pioneer Pro Audio XY-215S 15-inch subwoofers and one XY-115S reflex subwoofer were chosen. Pioneer was also selected for the DJ equipment and similar products have been installed throughout the rest of the venue.

V ERSATIL E PR L IGH TIN G IN STA LL AT MINSK’S PRIM E HAL L Prime Hall is a 2,000-seat, multi-tiered concert hall located inside Zamok, the biggest shopping mall in Minsk. Since it opened in the Belarus capital it has quickly become the city’s leading concert venue, thanks in part to its 120kW of dynamic lighting, and the large number of premium discharge and LED fixtures taken from the PR Lighting catalogue. In total over 130 pieces have been installed, largely drawn from the manufacturer’s popular XS1200 portfolio. The complete inventory comprises 34 XS 1200 Spots, 13 XS 1200 Washes, 20 XS 1200 Beams and six XL1200 Framing Spots. Also specified were 12 of PR Lighting’s XLED 3108 Zoom moving heads and 28 of the hugely popular XR300 Beams, and finally 18 of the economical Solo 575P Spot (575W discharge) fixtures provide further beam movement options.

www.mondodr.com

016 in brief - ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA

D E N GX IAO P I N G ME MORI AL HALL RENOVATION The Dengxiaoping Memorial Hall was built in memory of Chinese leader, Dengxiaoping; opening in Guang’an, China in 2004, it has received over 17 million visitors in the past ten years. However, in early 2014 the hall was closed for renovation when it was decided its facilities and technologies had become out-dated. After careful consideration, invisible loudspeakers from Amina Technologies were chosen for the new audio visual system. Ten LFi2e models were installed to provide background music for the hall. It has now re-opened and features 13 touchscreens, six LED screens and five projectors, alongside the invisible loudspeakers.

KWAN BROTHE RS A SIA N M ASH UP The Kwan Brothers Pan-Asian restaurant in Brisbane, Australia is located in an existing warehouse that formally operated as a Chinese noodle factory. The name Kwan Brothers is a nod to the former tenants Kwan Wo. The colour scheme and textural qualities are a reference to street art and Asian neon typical of those parts of the world. Unusual elements include the hidden bar behind an original cold room door and a 24-metre by four-metre high mural. JF Productions installed an audio system for the restaurant, comprising six Outline DVS8 loudspeakers, two Outline Eidos 108S subwoofers and two Outline IS6 surface mount loudspeakers. These were powered by five Lab.gruppen E Series 12:2 power amplifiers and for control there is a Bose Control space audio processor.

AUDIOCENTER ROCKS SE C RE T BA R IN MUM BAI PDT (Please Don’t Tell) is a secret style cocktail bar in Lower Parel, Mumbai, India. Taking inspiration from the speakeasy Prohibition era in early 20th Century America, the ambience of PDT Mumbai is somewhat similar to that of a venue being used as a criminal safe house, fused with a New York restaurant. The venue has been installed with Audiocenter PF12+ loudspeakers. The PF12+ is loaded with 12-inch customised Beyma ferrite drivers and a three-inch voice coil.

To drive these loudspeakers, two Class H+ circuit designed VA601 amplifiers from Audiocenter have also been installed.

www.mondodr.com

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018 in brief - the americas

J DI P R O DU CTI ON S HI GHLI GHTS BOSTON’S WESTIN WATERF RONT The Grand Ballroom at Boston’s Westin Waterfront Hotel has received a dramatic new lighting design by JDI Productions. The design used 24 Legend 412 moving heads, 18 Legend 230SR Beams and 30 WELL 2.0 battery-powered fixtures from Chauvet Professional. The movers are positioned around the room to create visual excitement the WELLs were placed around the perimeter to uplight walls. “We wanted to make a statement in this room with a lot of high-output fixtures,” explained LD, Derek Iorfida.

“This is a high-profile facility with a great reputation, so it deserves a top quality lighting system. Now, thanks to a solid design and some quality fixtures, it has one.”

POWERSOF T’S DEVA SYSTEM MAKE S US D E BUT AT RIV ERRINK The RiverRink inPhiladelphia is the site of the first US installation of Powersoft’s DEVA, a new messaging system that is helping cities like Philadelphia embrace ‘smart city’ applications. For the thousands of skaters that attend RiverRink each day, the Powersoft DEVA system delivers up to 115dB of pristine audio while consuming a diminutive physical footprint and remaining completely energy independent. Two of the DEVA units are programmed to take photos of skaters at regular intervals, enhancing the overall entertainment experience. After the rink closes, the system which is controlled over a wireless LAN able is to provide intelligent surveillance and active monitoring of the premises.

The installation comprises four DEVA units mounted on two steel poles on opposite sides of the skating rink. A fifth DEVA unit is mounted on a pole and pointed towards the entrance of the rink. Each unit measures approximately 45cm by 30cm and weighs just under 10kg comprises an active loudspeaker, an interactive messaging system, high powered LED lighting, an FM tuner, built in GPS, presence sensors, Wi-Fi and many other intelligent features. Live Sound Co. Chief Operating Officer Nik Mondo has never seen such a revolutionary product. “As far as I know, there is no other product on the market that combines such a compelling feature set,” he said. “The icing on the cake is that they can be solar powered and have a built-in battery, so they don’t require external power sources. This means that you don’t have to worry about the typical power restrictions that might be faced in other scenarios with other competing products on the marketplace.”

www.mondodr.com

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STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN 17-19 MARCH 2015 www.llb.se

FRANKFURT, GERMANY 15-18 APRIL 2015 www.prolight-sound.com

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GUANGZHOU, CHINA 1-4 APRIL 2015 www.getshow.com.cn

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16.12.14 12:59

IN DEP TH

INTERVIEW REINER SASSMANN, CAMCO

REPORT VIDEO + VISUALS

In this issue’s Big Interview we meet Camco founder, Reiner Sassmann. Phil Ward discusses with Reiner how he made his transition from 1960s rock ‘n’ roll to working with power amplifiers.

Then focussing on how Camco became successful in an already thriving industry, Reiner elaborates on why he enjoys his line of work, and his stance on the global economy.

This issues Report section, introduced by Screens Producer, Laura Frank of Luminous FX, looks at Video + Visuals. This is followed by a series of visually enticing venues from around the globe collaborations with nature, historical restorations, elaborate dinner shows and sense tingling nightclubs. It promises to be a feast for the eyes.

024 INTERVIEW

“THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SINGLE DAY IN MY LIFE WHEN I DIDN’T ENJOY COMING TO WORK, THROUGH THE GOOD TIMES AND THE BAD.” REINER SASSMANN Growing up in the counter-culture of the 1960s Camco’s Reiner Sassmann had a passion for rock n roll, VW vans and AC/DC. Phil Ward caught up with him to find out how he went from Flower Power to power amplification.

www.mondodr.com

INTERVIEW 025

www.mondodr.com

026 INTERVIEW

Kam at PLASA 09 BELOW: Norbert Sangermann, a Camco employee of 25-years, Reiner, Nexo Founder, Eric Vincenot and Joachim Stöcker, Reiner’s business partner many years ago receiving a Nexo Distributor of the Year Award.

RIGHT: Reiner in the early days of in his career.

While his countrymen Hans Thomann and Uli Behringer consistently grab the headlines, Reiner Sassmann calmly goes about his business. It may be smaller, but it’s pure, concentrated and as essential as electricity itself. Not the oldest brand on the block, Camco was founded in 1983 by which time its core territory - professional amplifiers - was already well populated with names to conjur black magic with. But it turned out that there was plenty of room for some more boxes, provided they came from the steady hand of Reiner and his quietly growing team of coil-winding craftsmen.

The modesty of power amplification belies its importance. No, you don’t get the knobs and faders to tweak dramatically; no sound emerges; there is scarcely a whisper of performance. You kind of just switch them on and leave them there. But without them…

Sauerland is east of Cologne but south enough of the Ruhr Valley to appear remarkably rustic for one of the most populous regions of Germany: North-RhineWestphalia. Camco nestles into the rolling hills of a National Park named after the red leaves of the forest, offering plenty of healthy breathing space right on the doorstep for employees. Reiner regularly starts the day with a jog through these trees: “You can go a whole day without seeing anybody,” he said.

He grew up in a small village not far away called Littfeld, the proximity of which to Krombach elevates the local culture to the giddy international heights of Krombacher Pils. They’ve been brewing that here since 1300, so there’s little they don’t know about mixing crushed malt with Felsquellwasser. Before settling on the hi-tech hamlet where the company is now based, Camco was created in the mining region of Siegerland. “There was a lot of heavy industry,” Reiner recounted, “and after the motorways were built the traffic just got worse and worse. We found this modern, light industrial estate built on farmland - although now the motorway reaches here and it’s almost as busy!

“The area has always enjoyed a lot of live music. While I was still at school I started doing a little bit of DJing in my spare time, but I was really interested in heavy rock ‘n’ roll. Early on I met Joachim Stoecker [now Camco MD] when he was playing bass in an AC/DC style heavy metal band - and, suddenly, I found that I was their sound engineer. I just love sound, that’s my heart. It seems I didn’t do such a bad job, other bands came along and I began to invest in a little bit of gear. Then I met a few people more into lighting and rigging and, before I knew it, we had a small rental company, even before leaving school.”

A pacifist, Reiner managed to avoid National Service and did a ‘Civil’ Service for the Red Cross instead. His response to military prerequisites was typical of a young man who, although too young to have been actively involved in the generation gap that opened up in ‘60s Germany, as elsewhere, admits today to inheriting his own heirlooms of the counter-culture.

“You get the chance to appeal in court against doing military service,” he explained, “and you have to give your reasons. They ask you some very annoying questions. www.mondodr.com

“In 1968 I was just starting school, but later I got into music and Flower Power meant a lot to me - yes I had long hair and a VW camper van.”

At the time, the Red Army Faction terrorists were very active in Germany, so they asked what I would do if one of them, on a motor bike with an automatic weapon, threatened to kill somebody - and I was in the car behind. Normal people, they argued, would try to apprehend this terrorist. My answer was very simple: the sensible action was actually to turn the car round and get well away. Most normal people would do the same. There are no Rambos; this is real life, not the movies. It was an honest answer and it seemed to work.

“In 1968 I was just starting school, but later on I got into music and Flower Power meant a lot to me - yes, I had long hair and a VW camper van. I like all types of music, even to this day, from rock to classical to jazz… it just has to be good and, of course, the sound quality is all-important. I can’t listen to an iPod, MP3 is unbearable. It was invented for convenience, not for quality. When I take the time to listen to music - or for test purposes - it demands a lot of concentration and needs higher quality, so I always use my best equipment.”

Studies finished, the fledgling sound supplier was registered as Camco in 1983.

It’s one of those names that sound a lot more meaningful than they really are, there are no technical or personal connotations to it, just “something that Joachim came up with and it seemed exactly right,” Reiner revealed.

Manufacturing came quickly. Already by 1984 the first amplifiers and loudspeakers were emerging from Camco for the local market, fairly traditional stuff with large transformers and point source configurations, but immediately tapping into a groundswell of technical expertise. As the portfolio grew over the decades, Reiner and his team consistently made the right decisions about which direction to go in, which technical breakthroughs to embrace and when to adopt given techniques and solutions over others. His own selection of those highlights is immensely revealing.

“As far as amplifiers are concerned, by the mid-‘90s we could see that there was a coming need for lightweight power. We had to look at that need and find a way of meeting it without sacrificing the reliability we were known for. We recruited R&D people, and found one person in particular, Carsten Wegner, who has been a partner in the business for almost a decade now. He created the famous Vortex

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028 INTERVIEW

“I don’t want to use the term ‘next generation’, because it’s used too much. So is ‘groundbreaking’, which I could also use. Let’s say we have found some solutions that are exceptional, that don’t already exist.” series, which took a while but became a great success, weighing just 12.4kg.

“After that point we knew we never wanted to lag behind in the industry. We’d started with limited resources and no rich backers - in the beginning we had long hair and worked in the music industry, so bank loans were few and far between.

So all the profits we made went straight back into the business. The Vortex was a major step, and we wanted to stay in front. We began research into completely new technology, filed some patents and kept going.”

Of the very latest technology, Reiner chose his words very carefully. “I don’t want to use the term ‘next generation’, because it’s used too much. So is ‘groundbreaking’, which I could also use. Let’s say we have found some solutions that are exceptional, and that don’t already exist.”

Full details will emerge during this year, but it comes as no surprise that there is an advanced green agenda at the heart of Camco’s latest thinking. Furthermore, this is a place of such rich understanding of electrical power that otherwise routine discussions about saving energy go deeper than the average cooling plant.

“Green energy,” began Reiner, globally warming to his subject, “means that the entire supply of current and voltage is getting more unstable. Wind turbines work when there is wind; solar panels work when there is sunlight. They provide some energy, but otherwise we need the big power plants and, since Germany is retreating from atomic power, they unfortunately have to burn even more coal.

Whichever way it goes, the whole infrastructure is changing.

“The supply of electricity will get more unstable in the coming years. It’s already unstable in countries like India, China and Australia, and it will never get better. It will get worse. In most of Western Europe, the power you get out of the socket is 100% stable. It’s pretty good. But the quality will drop as alternative energy www.mondodr.com

sources kick in and create a good deal of variety and, I’m afraid, unreliability.

Society is going that way. Even cars will be electrical one day. Gas stations will become power stations, drawing on the supply, so, how do we manage this?

Calculate the amount of kilowatts needed to replace petrol on an everyday basis.”

For Camco, energy efficiency is therefore underpinned by performance issues, not just social ones. “This is a challenge,” admitted Reiner. “It’s not an emergency, it’s just a challenge, and we have solutions. There is still a lot more efficiency to bring to amplification, even if on a global scale our industry’s usage of power doesn’t waste that much. The technologies we’re using are not just limited to audio, and we’ve found a very interesting new direction to go in.”

As for how amplification dovetails into the new digital landscape of professional audio, Reiner is similarly exacting in his analysis. “As it stands today, all amplification is strictly analogue,” he pointed out. “There are no digital amplifiers, at least in the professional world. Even a Class-D amplifier is an analogue amplifier, with digital control. The next challenge for all manufacturers is truly digital amplification, and this is going to take a while. We’ve had digital power supplies since 1999, but that’s a switch mode power supply for digital control and it’s not the whole story by any means. The audio is kept analogue because the sound quality of a Class-A amplifier has not been beaten by anything up to now. You can increase the efficiency a little by going to Class-H or something like that, but although the output stage can deliver something acceptable it still cannot match Class-A. Our goal would be to equal or exceed that quality with a digital amplifier, and nothing less. We’ll get there…”

Meanwhile, Camco has invested heavily in its digital control and, latterly, networking options. For Reiner, the whole topic of networking can immediately be divided into live touring, on the one hand, and fixed installation on the other.

“In live sound, nothing is resolved,” said said. “There is no real solution yet, and for simple reasons. Digital audio networking makes the most sense for routing multiple channels, but where do you find the most channels? It’s not at the output section of the desk; it’s the input section. If the desk manufacturers could accept one technology for this section, things could get interesting. But there is no clear advice or leadership from anybody on this, so for live use there are still many questions. Of course, in fixed installation you don’t have issues such as latency, so the solutions are better. Streaming over Ethernet is no problem.”

Ah yes, Ethernet. Like so many in professional audio whose abiding priority is sound quality, Reiner recognises why agreement on protocols remains so elusive to an industry eager to exploit digital technology’s dexterity but cautious about its means of transport. “Ethernet is not designed to provide media streaming,” he said.

“It’s just not designed for it, so I’m sceptical. But digital audio transmission makes a lot of sense, and we were happy to adopt AES / EBU for amplification. If there is one clear standard, it’s this one, and you can find bridges or connections to

030 INTERVIEW

BELOW: Reiner with Simon Oates of Tadco, which distributes Camco in South Africa.

RIGHT: Reiner with his two daughters.

anything. The other problem for amplifier manufacturers is that you’re faced with implementing all these protocols for only two or three channels, which is expensive.

That’s also true of optical fibre: it’s a wonderful solution but, again, putting fibreoptical cable into amplifiers is a completely different story. We keep a watching brief, I would say. The world needs more time.”

The Camco product lines are not yet clearly divided into live sound and installation series, with the entire portfolio enthusiastically adopted by both rental companies and integrators, but this will change. The wider issues affecting network connectivity, as well as true digital amplification, are still being assessed at Camco and the next products will no doubt reflect the decisions made here that so consistently turn out to be right.

Reiner has clear views on Europe’s recent financial difficulties but, as ever, takes the long-term view with a perspective gained from a lifetime of building strong connections of one kind or another.

“When I see what’s happening in Europe today, and beyond, it saddens me,” he said. “It’s particularly difficult to understand what’s been happening with the euro, especially when the benefits of building a united Europe are challenged for very poor reasons. Remember that, after the Second World War, Germany was financially supported by the Allies and the debts were at least partially released.

Now a country like Greece gets into trouble and Germany just blames them and refuses to help in a similar way. I find it embarrassing: Germany was helped after far worse things, and if you compare the money needed by Greece to how much Germany received, it’s nothing. If I compare how Germany was treated with how we now treat them, it makes me very disappointed.”

What the EU needs most of all, according to Reiner, is commitment. “There’s a saying in Germany, ‘you cannot be half pregnant, either you are pregnant, or you are not’. So, you’re either in Europe, or you’re not. It just doesn’t work by half measures. When I see the benefits of Europe, I can’t understand why anyone would pull away. When I started I had customers and suppliers in Belgium, France and elsewhere, and I’d drive the car all over collecting samples and delivering supplies. You had to stop at every single border and get those bloody EC carnets stamped, do all the paperwork, go through all the hassle with passports... nowadays we just travel freely. Maybe people don’t remember what it was like, all the negatives of being separated and isolated.

“For better or worse, Germany is making most of the money. Maybe that’s not how it should be, I’m not sure, but in actual fact everybody participates in Europe, including the UK. If anybody wants to pull out they can, it’s a free world. Maybe that’s why the UK is contemplating being half-pregnant… Even without the euro currency, imagine going back to the pre-1990s when there was a ‘Common www.mondodr.com

Market’ but only a few countries trying to build something, and still so much bureaucracy. The benefits of the community are there for everybody. Unfortunately it is all about money, but if you made a financial balance sheet it wouldn’t be a bad account for anyone. It’s OK, and if the balance sheet is OK why should we return to all the negative stuff? It makes no sense.

“Here’s another German example. Bavaria was the poorest part of West Germany after the War; Germany is divided into states with their own budgets, their own balance sheets and their own money, and above that we have the Bundesrepublik Deutschland, the Federal Republic of Germany. The BDR agreed that the poor should be supported by the wealthy, and Bavaria got massive financial aid. Then, after reunification, other states to the east needed support. Bavaria resisted. Now, the eastern states do not want to support Europe’s strugglers. In other words, those who get the most aid are the ones who complain loudest about supporting anyone else. I guess people forget.”

Never one to be half pregnant, Reiner’s wholesale embrace of business and finance at the helm of a runaway success in professional audio happened to coincide with the evolution of a working EU, however many pockets of resistance both he and Europe have encountered along the way. It a profound manner, the maturation of Europe as a political entity has defined his commercial outlook, as well as validating his youthful ideals forged during a period when most people under 30 knew there had to be something better, whatever that was.

Beyond Europe, the apotheosis of Camco has also chimed with the globalisation of professional audio. Reiner’s real-world classroom has taught him how to educate the markets from Australia to California; how to ship goods to every target; how to manage currency fluctuations; how to build a global brand. To oversee such expansion takes a certain acumen and a certain nerve, but Reiner’s response is disarmingly modest. “It wasn’t just my work,” he points out carefully. “The credit and the blame - should be apportioned to many other people. Sometimes you need good advisors, good connections and, always, good friends. On top of that, you need something that people often forget about, luck. If you have all of those things in good measure, you stand a chance.

“I’ve had many really good friends in the industry for over 30 years, and they remain so. I talk to them all every couple of weeks, sometimes every day, sometimes only once in a few months. Some of them are no longer in the business, but they have experience I can share. So all of these things have benefited Camco, not just one person. As far as I’m concerned, I have always had the drive to go for it and I’m extremely motivated. There has never been a single day in my life when I didn’t enjoy coming to work, through the good times and the bad. I love this company.”

032 INTERVIEW

Melbourne Athenaeum, one of Victoria’s oldest public institutions is a recent Camco installation.

Reiner has been intending to go into higher education for over 30 years. That plan has been resting on what has to be one of the most successful backburners ever resorted to, as his company unexpectedly turned into what he calls “a selfaccelerating thing”. Instead of college, though, Camco has afforded him continuous study of every aspect of the business, from logistics to distribution to his speciality, accounting.

“The real world is the best school of all,” he said. “There are positive and negative sides to it but, at the end of the day, this is what I did. I still have the plan to study formally; hopefully life will give me the opportunity to enter that new challenge.

I don’t regret anything. I have two beautiful children I’m very proud of; I’ve learned to provide for them - I love cooking, by the way - and I hope I’ve given them an appreciation of the world as a whole and to see beyond their immediate surroundings.

“One thing’s for sure, I won’t last forever. The company will change one day. But for now it’s simple, I am 52 years old, it feels like we started this yesterday, and I don’t want to stop. Not just yet, anyway!”

“One thing is for sure, I won’t last forever. The company will change one day. But for now it’s simple, I am 52 years old, it feels like I started this yesterday, and I don’t want it to stop. Not just yet anyway!”

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034 report

VIDEO + VISUALS Introduced by Screens Producer, Laura Frank of Luminous FX I had one of those glorious moments on a gig a few weeks back. You know that moment when you can take a step back from what you are doing, look up and soak in the big picture and think to yourself, ‘This is really cool’. Those are the moments that make up for the missed sleep and long hours, the fist slamming fights with your computer learning new software or face slapping moments when you find out the set has been rearranged two weeks into video content production. You have to cherish these moments and remember the years & sweat that went into making that moment happen. In the world of screen production, it’s been a very interesting few years indeed.

My exploration into video for live events started the summer of 2001 when I took 6 weeks off from work. I had been in NYC working as a moving lighting technician and as a lighting programmer for almost a decade and it seemed like it might be time to rest, regroup and take a look at what the future may hold. The lighting industry was at the beginning of a shift that motivated me to learn the language of video and motion graphics. Tools like Catalyst and LSD’s Icon M came up more frequently in shop talk and my curiosity was peaked. That was the summer I taught myself Photoshop, After Effects and enough about HTML to build a simple website.

It was also the beginning of the end of my lighting career.

I thrived in the lighting programming world. I had worked on Broadway shows like Spamalot. I programmed concert tours from Bowie to Madonna and television events like the Olympic Opening Ceremonies for Salt Lake City and the Concert for New York. But I was always looking out for the next new skill or technology I could master. It became clear I wanted to be a part of this emerging market that barely had a name. What would media servers and these new LED products coming out bring to the market I already knew? How do I become a part of that market and leverage the skills I already had? What else did I need to learn to get there?

If someone had sat me down and said, ‘well, you should consider learning how to edit video, create motion graphics, learn about video signal flow and all it’s implica-

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tions in broadcast television applications, pick up some xml, definitely learn how to draft in 3D, and UV map in 3D, and explain to someone else what a UV map is, call camera shots, generate LTC, set up an FTP, budget screens content for a two hour event, and master Mac to PC networking’, well, I might have been slightly daunted. But luckily, I had what every other lighting programmer I knew had: a healthy ego and an insatiable desire to master new tricks. I committed myself to becoming known as a media server programmer.

Initially, the issue wasn’t getting the jobs. The market was small and there were only so many events willing to experiment with media servers. Once in those jobs, I realised the issue was would anyone take these tools seriously? To projection designers, media servers were toys and the current offerings of LED screens were too low resolution. To broadcast video professionals, the media servers were a liability of signal flow. When a truck TD approached me to ask how I managed to get analogue hum in my digital signal path, I think I smiled politely and shrugged. I had enough video experience to be just shy of dangerous. But I represented new tools to the market that made visual content and screen control affordable where it hadn’t been before. Slowly throughout 2003-2006, there was momentum increasing for media servers and the display devices I could control. Still, I chose to align myself with the lighting department under the title of ‘Digital Lighting’ not so much to protect my presence, but at least to assert that the paradigm I represented was a new field and not a replacement to an existing workflow. There was traditional screens control and then there was something else: Digital lighting? Digital scenery? Scenic media?

Visual direction?

Whatever it was, hiring me meant I’d show up with a pile of stock footage and a few DVI outputs to add to the mix. There was little prior planning for either the technical or the creative element of my role. I could get away with that when I represented a system with one or two signal paths to a screen environment that encompassed 20% of the set. I could also get away with that when I represented the gear few

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Image courtesy of John Calkins, Set Desginer for StandUp2Cancer Benefit 2014

video professionals wanted to touch and no lighting professional could speak to with DMX. A good stock content library and some creative use of the effects tools available on any media server could keep a show looking unique and seemed like magic to the producers and designers I worked for. Now when I show up on site, I typically represent 10-18 signal paths covering screens that encompass 60% - 90% of the set. Video is the dominant visual statement for nearly every production I work on.

And my role has changed drastically.

I don’t want to imply there wasn’t incredible work going on in projection design for many years prior to this point using very large screen displays, but they were not as common an occurrence as we see today. My discussion is not about video design in the early days of media servers, but about the industry shift that has allowed vastly larger numbers of productions to include visual displays in their shows. This visual revolution, from my perspective started with the accessibility to the media servers and users who were lighting trained and could seemingly generate image content on the fly. Prior to that point, producers were used to long production cycles for getting content made for a show, limited flexibility once that content was made, and expensive tools to deliver that content to the screens. The introduction of media servers and the availability of new types of LED canvases made content appear where there was only color and texture prior and was achieved at a fraction of the cost of the more established processes. For good or bad, the market was created and allowed for visual media used in new ways. As the market matures, this leads the way to better design, more original content production and better execution of the use of media servers in live events.

I noticed the amount of visual displays started to increase around 2010. There was great momentum in the media server market building through 2007 and 2008, but when the recession hit, screens were the first scenic element to cut as production budgets were slashed. The next couple of years of economic recovery coincided with some great advances in LED tile. The price point of new tiles hitting the market became very attractive to productions looking revitalise the look of their shows. As a result, the server systems I worked on grew in size, the demand for video control in the entertainment market exploded and I found myself in control of the look and feel of the show. I had plenty of creative input as a lighting programmer, but I needed to re-evaluate and refine my creative approach for screens.

In 2003, I worked on David Bowie’s Reality tour as the content coordinator. We

were planning a large screen system and his advice to me was simple, ‘don’t upstage the band. I don’t care if we use the screens for only three songs; if it distracts from the music, we’ve failed’. That’s an incredible challenge. It’s very hard for live people on a stage to compete with moving imagery. Your brain will always engage with the fastest motion you see. It’s a hard wired fight or flight response and large scale visuals will easily overtake a live performer. This has shaped my approach to video and the visual production process ever since. I endeavor to support the stage, the people on that stage and not overwhelm the environment with the visual display.

Occasionally I’m successful.

To facilitate this approach, I started looking for ways to help the content development teams realise my goals utilising 3D pre-visualisation tools. Many content developers I work with have few opportunities to develop content for the stage. Their work is left in the 2D realm of broadcast or web. What is detailed and delicate on their screen is lost or even overwhelming on a stage. By the time that content gets to me, I am often in a production cycle without enough time to correct or rebuild the content so I need tools that give content creators the best 3D approximation of the live viewing experience they are creating for. The sooner I can give visual designers these tools in the content production workflow, the more likely they will use and benefit from pre-visualisation.

There are plenty of pre-visualisation options available, but all of the ones I was familiar with from my lighting days were dependent on the video playback gear being employed to play content. This puts pre-visualisation at the end of the content render and delivery process. I needed a solution that I could give to the content designers for their existing workflows using software tools already in hand. Around 2011 I started with Cinema 4D and I provided the content designers Cinema 4D templates to review the work they were creating in a 3D representation of the set with the screens. I noticed the improved results immediately. The content designers felt more confident about what they were creating and how it would be experienced on the set and I saw improvements in the files delivered, for both technical accuracy and creative use of the space. The next phase of this workflow is to introduce a pre-visualisation solutions prior to content being rendered.

I felt others in the production teams I worked with could benefit from the information rich experience of 3D pre-visualisation. Every time I put 3D tools in front of different production departments, I get incredible feedback on how this process would help

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036 report

decision making or creative goals get realised. However, I felt the viewer interactivity of the 3D emulation was critical to the value of the 3D experience. I did not want to provide a ‘pre-baked’ 3D preview like a camera fly through. I wanted a software tool I could hand to a television director to answer questions I couldn’t predict the answers to like, ‘do I want the camera here or here?’ But not every producer or director is going to have the software tools or the technical savvy to manage 3D visualisation. But they all will have a web browser.

I started looking at WebGL as a solution in the spring of 2013. WebGL allows any web browser to display a 3D object. Suddenly everyone has a pre-visualisation tool on their phone. Now I can send anyone a link to review video content as well as review camera placement and allow individuals to navigate the set themselves.

This tool has also become a powerful reference point to my system engineers as well. The sets I work on are layered with different LED and projection elements and clearly outlining where every pixel goes can get cumbersome. Relying on flattened drawings is too limiting and often only gets part of the information across. I describe the signals in 2D as well as 3D to improve accuracy on the signal flow as well as the content delivery. It’s the difference between ‘kind of getting it’ and solidly understanding the goals of the video system.

As a Screens Producer, I see my job as threefold: providing a workflow to support both my creative and technical teams to their best success, initiating that process early enough in the production cycle for creative input from the full production team, and having the tools in place on site to respond to immediate needs for change.

While I thrive in the technical challenge, engineering this workflow has allowed me to become stronger as a creative. And I am committed to providing software solutions for video pre-visualisation that I believe improve the design process for everyone involved.

While I’ve been discussing the value of 3D for design and content creation, this 3D toolset is the game changer that will allow projection mapping for the live one-off event to become a reality. For years we have enjoyed the experience of expertly realised projection mapping onto existing architecture. Anyone who has tried to achieve the same results on a set for a show that only exists for a few days before a live event knows this can bring a projection team to their knees contemplating their next career options. Of the three live events I worked on in 2014 with scenic projection mapping, John Calkin’s set for the Stand Up to Cancer fundraiser was the most complex. Five planes of scenery with an organic curved front arch were covered with 18 projectors and we had 20 hours of alignment time. Content development occurred in the two months leading up to the event on a 3D model we knew we’d

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PREVIOUS PAGE LEFT: A live two hour concert event for VH1 held at the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC. The set was designed by Anne Brahic, lighting design carried out by Tom Kenny. The video system was supplied by VER and d3 system supplied by WorldStage. System Programmer, Eric Marchwinski programmed the concert using SockPuppet on an MA Lighting grandMA2 console. Laura’s role was Screens Producer.

PREVIOUS PAGE RIGHT: A live one hour broadcast carried by 32 networks to raise funds for charity held at the Dolby Theater in LA. The set was designed by John Calkins and Allen Branton was in charge of lighting design. The projection and d3 system was supplied by Chaos Visual Productions and content was provided by Digital Flodur Inc. Laura programmed the system on SockPuppet using and an MA Lighting GrandMA2 console.

ABOVE: David Bowie Reality Tour 2003. A live stage shot of Bowie performing Ashes to Ashes. Richard Turner programmed the screens on Dataton Trax and Laura was the Content Coordinator.

have to update once the set was fully built in the venue. Currently you need a very accurate model to make your alignment time go smoothly. We had a ‘close enough’ model and warped the rest to stunning results. The content team was with us on site and we were able to share 3D mesh files between our image correction tool and their content production software. Could I have used another 20 hours of projector alignment time? Absolutely. But then I’m sure the projection team would have been the only people in the room who fully experienced the difference.

Also in 2014, I had another curved structure of a set for the Turner Network Upfront. An Upfront is a live corporate event that every major network produces in Spring for the advertising sales community to promote that network’s Autumn lineup. Those 90 minutes determine a network’s income potential for the year. There is a lot of pressure on the video department to present a flawless show and a well branded show. Aligning 12 projectors to three curved fabric elements was no small challenge, especially with the set completely built only three days before the event.

This time was of course shared with rehearsal as well as other elements of the load in being completed. But again, having a server using 3D projection correction helped get us most of the way there.

I see a time in the next two years where model accuracy will not make or break the alignment process. Tools will come online that will read and correct the 3D model based on the set as built. Between that and smaller form factor, high output projectors coming out, I expect to see LED taking a back seat to some beautifully realised projection mapped sets for live events. www.luminousfx.com

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THE HO B B I T - B ATTL E O F T H E F I V E A RM I E S Company: Green Hippo Location: London, UK The Hobbit - Battle of the Five Armies world premiere took place on 1 December 2014 at the Leicester Square Odeon in London and with the likes of Ian McKellan, Orlando Bloom, Martin Freeman and Director Peter Jackson gracing the red carpet.

The set-up for this premier was a mind-blowing journey to the entrance with 34 1.8-metre by 3.6-metre VER Win9 air screens lined up across the north side, corner and east sides of Leicester Square.

The approximately 220 sq metres of screens were fed from one Green Hippo

Hippotizer HD with a dual output running graphic content and looks, that included various poster campaigns and trailers along with video chases made up of trailer content, running around the square.

All graphics, visual effects and playback were controlled, programmed and operated

by Digital Insanity. www.green-hippo.com

H UAI’A N UR B A N PL A N N I N G E X H I BI T I O N H A L L Company: Digital Projection Location: Jiangsu, China Huan’an, known as Canal City, enjoys a unique location in the centre of northern Jiangsu Province, China and is replete with outstanding cultures and history. Huai’an Urban Planning Exhibition Hall gives visitors a real glimpse into the past history of the city. The exhibition hall features a central screen projection system and floor projection system employing dozens of digital projectors to boast a truly immersive virtual adventure.

The Canal Culture Art Gallery features 31 Digital Projection E-Vision 6500 projectors, which create a stunning landscape characterised by flowing lines and the views along the banks of the canal in a virtual environment.

Another attraction is a podium on which visitor can stand and take a ride back into

history to enjoy the grandeur and prosperity of the ancient city as well as a view of the modern city. Images are projected onto both a screen and the floor to create a truly immersive experience.

A third feature of the hall is the ‘Boat Trip in the south and Horse Trekking in the north’ exhibit that uses five Digital Projection E-Vision 6500 XGA projectors on a high-definition curved screen to offer visitors a visual history lesson in significance of the Great Canal as a transportation hub in ancient Huai’an city.

www.digitalprojection.co.uk

www.mondodr.com

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Image courtesy of ASK Media

MAR QUEE Company: Elation Location: Las Vegas, USA Marquee Nightclub is one of the highest grossing nightclubs in Las Vegas and one of the hottest and most luxurious nightclubs around. Located in the heart of The Strip, Marquee underwent a major LED lighting system upgrade recently with LD Steve Lieberman, owner of SJ Lighting, using over 1,100 new Elation Pixel Bar 40 LED strip lights to create an amazing 360° immersive experience.

SJ Lighting received praise as theatrical lighting design consultants for the original design at Marquee when the club debuted in 2010, and were called on again to give the club a fresh makeover. “Any venue needs to update its technologies to stay competitive because they play such a strong supporting role in creating the atmosphere,” Steve stated. “At Marquee, we wanted to create a new design that would carry them through the next several years, something that was low profile but has a couture element that wouldn’t get old.”

The focal point of the club is the main room with dancefloor and DJ stage and it is here that the club’s all-night energy originated. Steve found an opportunity to do something special by replacing a series of large white fabric sails that were getting tattered and discoloured after four years of collecting dirt and dust. “They covered large parts of the ceiling and we opted to pull those down and put in something more digital, something that would accentuate the architectural space,” he said.

The decision was made to install a ceiling of Pixel Bar 40’s, one-metre-long

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pixel-controllable RGB LED strip lights that add a special layer of visual excitement to the space. The slim colour-changing bars are laid out specifically in the space to highlight the soffits, recessed coffers, and beam lines and travel vertically up the wall inside the dance floor all the way to the outer walls of the room. Surrounding guests in a shower of colourful pixel-mapped effects, the fixture’s 850 Nits of brightness are enough to light the Marquee. They also provide a dynamic backdrop for the room’s distinctive moving head pods. The Pixel Bar system is, according to Steve “about as dynamic as it gets.”

He continued: “This was a very forensic, precise layout for 14 different zones.

Fixtures had to be spaced out properly at the right angle and there were design details in the club that had to be taken into consideration. It was definitely advanced geometry. We spent a lot of time making sure that placement of the Pixel Bars was 100% accurate.

“Before, there was nothing overhead that was animated and nothing that extended out to the furthest areas of the room,” Steve explained. “If you were sitting near the outer walls you might feel more like a spectator, just watching the dance floor. Now, because the new system penetrates the outer most levels, there is action going on there and guests there are more a part of the club. Everybody’s in and it adds more value to the VIP areas and more value to the club because it is more of an immer-

sive experience for everyone.”

Despite the large number of fixtures used, the Pixel Bar system was easy to set-up using RJ45 CAT5e ports and also easy to link together. Because the power supply and driver are enclosed in one it gave Steve the latitude to plug one box in and then daisy chain via Powercon, a simple wire schematic that made it easy for the electricians. It also allowed him to daisy chain Ethernet.

Power and data control to the 1,100 Pixel Bar 40 units is regulated via 100 Pixel Net 4 drivers with Artnet protocol support. The Artnet input allows up to four DMX universes to be used as output to the bars and is Artnet data linkable via CAT5. The pixel-mapping ceiling is controlled via a Madrix controller running 252 universes.

Steve is not the first to do a pixel mapping ceiling but certainly the Pixel Bar ceiling at Marquee is one of the most exceptional and unique. “It’s about how to take a concept, apply it and execute it,” he said. “There were so many levels involved in creating this successful system - a great electrical contractor, a low profile product with easy wiring and easily configurable software, combined with a clean and appropriate design. All these elements together made for a unique environment and a successful install.” www.elationlighting.com

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VILLA TH A L I A Company: DEP Location: Rotterdam, The Netherlands The Villa Thalia in Rotterdam, The Netherlands can accommodate up to 300 people for a sensational dinner show and afterwards it slowly transforms into a nightclub.

‘Flying’ bottles of champagne are delivered to the tables through the air, while 360° projection provides the illusion of being right in the middle of the show. Design and installation company, DEP provided the lighting, audio, video equipment as well as electrical design and engineering for Villa Thalia.

The unique 360° multimedia projection was realised with the help of Beam Brothers. The team used 15 Christie DWU951-Q WUXGA projectors and one Christie Titan Super Quad 1080p projectors working alongside three 7th Sense Delta Infinity Quad L5400G media servers and one 7th Sense Delta Infinity II L5400G media server. A Black Magic HyperDeck Studio Pro 2 disk recorder also helped bring the immersive environment to life.

A total of 100 custom-made V-shape digi LED profiles are also at home at Villa

www.mondodr.com

Thalia. These are complemented by 35 Showtec moving heads and eight Martin Professional Atomic 3000 DMX strobes. A further 50 Showtec LED par spotlights, 12 Showtec stage blinders, 300-metres of linear RGB stair lights and over 250 DEP spot lights were used to create the extensive light show for the performances, dinner show, and club nights, all of which are controlled by an MA Lighting grandMA2 lighting console.

As well as being a visually spectacular venue, Villa Thalia has been equipped a Seven Sound LSX Line-array audio system, which is controlled via a DiGiCo SD9 digital mixing console. “Every minute is different, every minute is a surprise. Villa Thalia exceeds the other nightlife options in every aspect. Going out to Villa Thalia is going out in style,” concluded a Villa Thalia customer. www.dep-nederland.nl

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C OLOSS E UM C LUB Company: LEDsCONTROL, Madrix Location: Jakarta, Indonesia Jakarta is the capital of Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s largest city, and a thriving metropolis with a lively nightlife. It is home to Colosseum Club and many other venues that strive for the attention of a population of over 10 million. With this is mind, the ambitious Team 1001 company behind the club knew that it had to stand out. The goal was to introduce a sound and lighting design that matched the club’s unique and truly colossal scale.

LEDsCONTROL took on the task of transforming the club using cutting edge lighting design. Rebeca Sánchez Pastor and Miquel Clot lead the team that was faced with providing a lighting and visual technology in the 1,000 sq metre venue with a 16-metre high ceiling.

Four Antari haze machines and a Universal Effects CO2 system, various Clay Paky,

GLP, and Futurelight moving heads and Cittadini lasers begin to create the club atmosphere. But LEDsCONTROL is renowned for the lighting medium that is part of its company name: A magnificent LED chandelier takes centre stage at Colosseum Club.

Three Pro-Truss 400mm circles of 14.4-metre, 7.5-metre, and six-metre trusses make up the structural base. On top of that, a kinetic array has been built. A total of 16 hoist chain motors of are used to move the systems. While the outer circle is connected to the mid circle with the help of a metal mesh, the inner circle can be hoisted independently.

The structure holds 850 double-sided LED tubes - each two-metres in length - and this requires a control system for around 90,000 separate DMX channels, equal to 176 DMX universes. Control is provided by one Madrix ultimate software controller and 22 Madrix Luna hardware ArtNet controllers.

The control system, the extraordinary lighting patterns and the one-of-a-kind 3D effects system creates a visually stunning experience that towers over the club arena. www.ledscontrol.com

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Image courtesy of Playmodes.com

S AN T CLIMENT D E TA Ü L L Company: Playmodes, Burzon*Comenge Location: Taüll, Spain The church of Sant Climent de Taüll in Spain, one of Europe’s foremost examples of Romanesque art, was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 2000 along with other Romanesque churches in the Vall de Boí built in the 11th and 12th Century. The building has remained practically unaltered ever since.

However, the overall restoration of the church to turn it into a museum was completed recently. A wide-ranging team of archaeologists, architects, restorers, conservationists, historians and specialists in audiovisuals, graphic design and animation were actively involved in the refurbishment which lasted eight months.

Thanks to funding from La Caixa’s social responsibility programme, the remains of the church’s original mural paintings, up until now protected behind a reproduction, were restored. At the same time the original frescoes currently kept at Museo Nacional de Arte de Cataluña (MNAC), with a particular mention for the central Pantocrator, are projected virtually onto the walls of the church’s apse and presbytery.

The true to life recreation, bordering on pictorial realism, is achieved thanks to six Christie E and G Series high definition projectors. The permanent mapping beams a ten-minute animation reproducing the whole original fresco with all its details and figures.

The Burzon*Comenge studio supervised and executed the audiovisual project, while the company Playmodes oversaw the technical production of the audiovisual system and commissioned the soundtrack for the mapping. The projectors were supplied by the Christie partner Charmex through the audiovisual integration and projects company Base2.

“It’s a completely innovative, world-class project and the first of its kind in Spain,” claimed Lluis Cabezas, Commercial Manager of Charmex’s Projects Department.

“Such a spectacular project called for the best professional projectors available on the market, and given the features, performance and robustness of Christie’s equipment, we recommended them straight off.”

Eloi Maduell, co-director of Playmodes, continued: “First we did some market research and then we performed tests with the projectors we had narrowed down.

In the end we opted for Christie because of the quality of the image, the colour and the cost. Its projectors guarantee incredible colour and image quality coupled with the durability we were looking for.”

The process of digitally reproducing and reconstructing the paintings was carried out in three phases. First of all, the parts now on exhibit in the MNAC museum were restored and reconstructed based on new findings from recent research into the painting. Secondly, the deteriorated parts still preserved in the church itself were recreated following the original brushwork, replicating both the main figures as well

www.mondodr.com

as the ornamental patterns. And in the third phase, the parts completely missing were reconstructed through comparisons with similar artworks.

The audiovisual recreation of the paintings shows visitors the fresco as it was originally conceived. To this end, it was necessary to redraw and repaint all the images in order to obtain a visual harmony between the preserved and the missing parts.

This layer-by-layer process was also necessary for the animation. The audiovisual gives the visiting public an insight into how the Romanesque frescoes were actually painted and shows the hierarchy of the iconographic representations included in this invaluable artistic and religious mural painting.

For the projection on the main apse, six Christie projectors were deployed to fill the whole central space of the church with images. First of all, a virtual model of the church was made using a 3D laser scanner to reproduce the geometry and texture after restoration. At the same time, the original painting at MNAC was minutely photographed in high definition in order to add it to the model and thus complete the virtual reconstruction.

Covering 100 sq metres, the mapping is a hypothetical recreation of the original paintings. The full-HD resolution images of the video projectors are superimposed on the architectural space with pinpoint precision, painting and animating the walls with the moving image.

Two of the projectors - a Christie DHD675-E and a Christie DHD550-G - are located at the base of the apse with angular optics (0.8 and 0.95) to cover the majority of the central apse and the ceiling. On the sides of the naves there are another two Christie DHD550-G projectors in vertical position, which project onto the sides of the apse with 1.9-2.25 optics through a mirror at 45ᵒ. And the final two Christie DHD675-E projectors are located over the narthex, or church entrance, to cover the lower and upper part of the central nave using 2.0-4.0 optics.

The mapping is played using Vioso’s Wings AV system, which synchronises the audiovisual on the six projectors, and controls the lighting of the church to match the audiovisual. “Thanks to it, we can control the whole projection very precisely with just one piece of software, as well as integrate the programming of the lights,” stated Eloi.

All the various projections involved warping, which was handled smoothly by the playback software. “In fact, this was one of the crucial decisions in the project as it required really high precision to match the images of the original painting with the remains still on the walls,” Eloi explained.

The truth is that it is a pioneering installation in Spain in terms of permanent video mapping in elements with high historic and tourist value. “We are proud to have been involved in developing a project of this kind with such high quality,” claimed Eloi. “It was a major challenge because the specifications for this mapping were much more demanding and complex that other projects we had worked on previously,” he concluded. http://playmodes.com / www.burzoncomenge.com www.christieEMEA.com

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BRIDGE STONE A R E NA Company: PixelFLEX Location: Nashville, USA The Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, USA has opened a new members only lounge that promises to transform the way fans experience live sport and entertainment.

Located on the Performers Level, The Lexus Lounge can hold up to 450 in what is guaranteed to be an unparalleled experience of luxury, relaxation and excitement with unprecedented access to players and other VIPs. Architecture firm Populous were behind the vision for this project. Knestrick was the general contractor on the project and the AVL consultant was Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon & Williams from Texas.

Chris Junghans, Senior Vice President of Corporate Development for the Nashville Predators and Bridgestone Arena said: “Our mission at Bridgestone Arena is to be the number one sports and entertainment venue in the US and the building of the Lexus Lounge and all that it encompasses, fits right along with that. As an entire space, the Lexus Lounge is unlike anything else the region has to offer. Everything the lounge provides in-game, including the one-of-a-kind visual experience the convex LED wall brings to the space, offers our clients a unique viewing opportunity of sports and entertainment events that is unique to us here in Nashville.”

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wide by 7ft high. It was created using 90 PixelFLEX FLEXUltra 2.5mm LED tiles.

It is the focal point of the room behind the main bar. Monty Rains, PixelFLEX Chief Operations Officer said: “The Lexus Lounge vision was to have an ultra VIP area where a patron could experience the hockey game or any other event via a panoramic high definition screen. The original specifications called for multiple projector screens. Given the fact that the owner wanted this screen to be the centerpiece of the VIP experience, we suggested using a curved LED screen for impact and lower cost of ownership. Creating a 45ft wide convex-shaped curved LED screen in 2mm pitch was a substantial challenge. To our knowledge, it had not been done before in such a tight pitch in a convex configuration. Not only did we have to craft the frames to the radius of the proposed wall, but the general contractor had to precisely construct the wall to the specifications of the design.” The install in the Lexus Lounge was facilitated and carried out by Elite Multimedia.

The decision to implement PixelFLEX products continued for the Nissan So Bro Entrance, a secondary entrance to the Bridgestone Arena, where a FLEXLite 6.9 LED wall measuring 16ft by 9ft has been installed to create a more interactive space for incoming fans. “The Nissan So Bro entrance is a great addition to the venue, tying together the arena and the new buildings south of Broadway, such as Nashville’s Music City Center and the new downtown hotels. The new video boards inside the Nissan So Bro entrance offer fans an opportunity to find out information about upcoming shows and events and sponsors as they enter the building while adding life to the entrance area,” concluded Chris. www.pixelflexled.com

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046 report

PAL ACE O F PA R L I A M E N T Company: Maxin10sity Location: Bucharest, Romania With a floor surface of 350,000 sq metres, the Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest, Romania, is the world’s largest administrative building after the Pentagon. To celebrate the 555th anniversary of the capital city, Creart, the city cultural centre, decided to offer something special to the inhabitants of Bucharest and were impressed by the videomapping project submitted by local event stager, 360 Revolution.

360 Revolution managed the technical side of the event, and called in Hungarian video mapping specialist Max10sity to handle the colossal task of creating a video mapping as well as organising all video projection content, acting as a curator for this artistic performance.

The Palace of the Parliament is 270-metres long with an 86-metres high front façade, boasting a total projection area of 23,000sq metres. “For a project of this scale, 8K resolution quickly became obvious. We wanted the audience to experience this wow factor while at the same time create some emotion,” commented

Image courtesy of Ross Ashton

WIN DS OR CA STL E Company: Projection Studio Location: Berkshire, UK

www.mondodr.com

András Sass, Maxin10sity’s Art Director, who was in charge of developing the content with his colleague László Czigány. “Working with this resolution allowed us to dramatically improve the rendering and deliver very sharp images.”

The content focused on the building itself, highlighting its architectural details, and sublimating the grandiose nature of the Parliament. To support the images, Maxin10sity worked with Spanish songwriter and producer Ivan Torrent.

In order to project on the whole surface, the rental stager sourced an impressive 104 Panasonic PT-DZ21K three-chip DLP projectors from German company LANG AG. It is believed to be the highest number of projectors ever used for a projection mapping project, with an output of over two million lumens.

The projectors were installed in six different towers and arranged in a total of 14 clusters: two clusters of two projectors, ten clusters of eight and two clusters of ten. Considering the vast amount of projectors, the green credentials were quite impressive for this project, as a single truck was required to deliver the projection equipment, and all 104 projectors used only 260kW. Boasting 20,000 lumens, with a contrast ratio of 10.000:1 and a 1920x1200 resolution (WUXGA), the PT-DZ21K projectors reproduced razor-sharp and life like images on the façade. All projectors were controlled by five Pandora Box Quad Server systems from coolux, also courtesy of LANG AG. www. maxin10sity.com

The Projection Studio (TPS) recently created a stunning festive projection onto the central tower at Windsor Castle. Ross Ashton and his Projection Studio team were approached by Windsor’s Town Centre Manager, Paul Roach. Ross said: “It was an excellent piece to create in terms of imagination and style, it is also really satisfying that projected art is being recognised both as something that can unify and delight communities and people and - as a result - boost local businesses very cost-effectively.”

The castle’s central tower is 20-metres tall, 11-metres wide and highly visible.

Very conveniently the size is almost 16:9 in format and the image is being projected by a single Panasonic PZ21K projector fitted with a portrait adaption kit and located in a disused office block opposite.

The original sash window where the projector was pointed through has been replaced with an optical glass panel so the projector was completely protected from any external elements and had a clear surface through which to shoot across to the castle wall.

The parameters defining the artwork were interesting. The castle itself does not celebrate any festivities until Christmas Eve, however the illumination started a good six weeks prior to that… so Christmas themes were out. Ross instead hit upon the idea of featuring some of the beautiful original stained glass windows at St George’s Chapel within the castle’s grounds. “This glasswork is amazing in its own right and using it for the installation connects the castle and the special projected artwork in a subtle and elegant way,” he explained.

A bespoke photo shoot was conducted in the Chapel to gather his own original material. Many of the stained glass images were taken from the North and South quire aisles depicting portraits of monarchs together with heraldic badges, coats of arms and other decorative elements.

Ross also photographed the chapel’s intricate ceiling decorations and paintings on the organ pipes, the gold-leaf detail on the metalwork and the vibrant red door, which is also overlaid with gold and metallic features. All these aspects offered plenty of rich and highly textured material.

The images - which produced an enormous amount of material - were then edited and composited as animated video files by Paul Chatfield. www.theprojectionstudio.com

On the road… with the right material ■ ■

OUR DY NA MI C E A R T H Company: Electrosonic Location: Edinburgh, UK The ShowDome at Our Dynamic Earth (ODE) in Edinburgh has been transformed with support from Electrosonic, which provided refurbishment and technical upgrades to one of Scotland’s premier destination visitor attractions. In a two-phase project, Electrosonic has given the space a full-dome projection upgrade, a new theatre layout, 106 new seats, and a state-of-the-art server and content management system.

ODE showcases earth science by taking visitors on a journey through our planet’s past, present and future through interactive exhibits and a stop in the 14-metre ShowDome theatre, which originally opened in 1999.

“The client came to us for our ideas and proposal, which we developed with them,” said Electrosonic Project Manager Phil Downie. “The objectives were to upgrade the theatre to provide a higher-quality feel and experience for the audience, and to increase the flexibility of show playback and show management. The solution was to increase the capacity available to store shows ready for playback, improve the efficiency of the ‘workflow’ of the show data, increase the level of control for planetarium systems, and to have a wireless touch-panel interface.”

Phase one of the project included replacing the former projection system with a system featuring five channels of LED projection. The existing seating was removed, the floor was reinforced and new, tiered flooring was installed along with 106 premium seats, provided by Euro Seating, in a new forward-facing configuration. A stage was built at the front of the theatre to support the needs of staff, corporate guests and presenters.

Electrosonic also supplied new Philips lighting systems, including LED washes for scenic and mood effects, and spotlights for floor highlighting and on the stage. An insert projector display was added for digital presentations; a control system with an Apple iPad interface manages all media, lighting, audio and display hardware within the dome.

“The refurbishment delivered a higher-quality theatre with the capability to provide ambience and mood and, thus, an enhanced audience experience,” said Phil. “The ShowDome is also capable of more diverse applications with a stage for presentations and performances.”

In the second phase of the project, two 7thSense media server systems feed the projection of full-dome films inside the theatre. One of the servers represents a new configuration, which eliminates the requirement for time-consuming slicing and encoding of large, full-dome masters for a multi-channel dome display.

“The new server improves the efficiency of the ‘workflow’ of the show data in several ways,” Phil noted. “Slicing the shows into each channel is no longer needed, and when storing the shows for back up, only the masters have to be stored. There are no sliced channel files, which hugely reduces the storage required.”

Because the media server plays shows directly from a large amount of primary storage, it can play from a large selection of archived shows - up to 35 30-minute shows in 3K format. This eliminates the need to move shows from a second-tier storage. www.electrosonic.co.uk

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Company: Dataton, Barco Location: Moscow, Russia Dataton Watchout helped bring a welcome burst of colour and light to the Latvian capital during darkest November. The Staro Riga 2014 Festival of Light attracted an estimated 500,000 visitors with light processions, art installations and architectural projections. Dataton Watchout multi-display software provided projection mapping on four of the city’s landmark buildings.

The Staro Riga Festival of Light is the biggest in the region and this year’s event also celebrated Riga as the joint European Capital of Culture 2014. System integrator Solaris, based in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, supplied Watchout systems and hardware for projection mapping on the facades of the Astor Riga Hotel, Congress Centre, St Peter’s Church and the Academy of Arts during the five-day festival.

“We were brought in to realise the technical aspects of the shows in the city based on our many years of experience working on architectural mapping projects around the world,” said Anton Rodionov, Video Engineer and Project Manager at Solarisvideo. “Our background proved invaluable as the team had a hectic schedule setting up and fine-tuning installations in different parts of the city, contending with both the climate and the architectural challenges.”

Image courtesy of Sarah Rushton-Read

ROYAL BOTA NI C GA R D E N S Company: Blacklight Location: Edinburgh, UK www.mondodr.com

At the Astor Riga Hotel, Solarisvideo programmed and installed a Dataton Watchout system running on four Barco HDX-W20 FLEX projectors. The Riga Congress Centre projections used content driven by Watchout to three Barco HDF-W26 projectors. At St Peter’s Church, a Watchout system played out via a Barco HDQ2K40 and a Barco HDX-W20. The elegant Latvian Academy of Arts building featured Watchout, Barco HDF-W26 and HDX-W20 projectors. All in all, a lot of projection power was ready to roll as soon as dusk fell on 14 November.

“We have used Watchout for different-scale events and appreciate the user-friendly interface,” said Anton. “The flexibility, scalability and high stability in performance give a sense of confidence which leads to a comfortable and easy working process.

Our project experience in Riga became a perfect example of all those qualities.”

“The long nights in the north are a perfect backdrop for this kind of large-scale outdoor projection and we’re proud to see Watchout used in such a spectacular and entertaining fashion,” said Lars Sandlund, COO, Dataton. Watchout has recently been used in other outdoor projection mapping projects in Sweden, USA, Mexico and Turkey. www.dataton.com / www.barco.com

In celebration of all things natural and nocturnal, nighttime visitors to Edinburgh’s much-loved Royal Botanic Garden (RBGE) saw the familiar landscapes and buildings transformed by a magical light installation during November.

Designed by light artist Malcolm Innes, along with his colleague Euan Winton and supplied and installed by light solutions specialist Black Light the aptly named ‘Night in the Garden’ invited people to visit the gardens after dark to view and interact with an inspired display of light, art and nature.

“This installation was as much about dark as it is about light,” explained Malcolm Innes, a light art and projection artist, lecturer and researcher at Edinburgh Napier University. “By careful positioning of lighting fixtures and manipulation by programming we can mask familiar landmarks and emphasise other features that would not necessarily stand out during the day. Black Light and I have worked together over some years and as ever the inventive Black Light team has helped me really focus my creative ideas by offering realistic and practical technical solutions to satisfy the overall artistic concept.”

Black Light supplied an extensive list of lighting and sound equipment, alongside control systems and power distribution. “Many of the various lit features around the route required their own control system,” explained Black Light’s Calder Sibbald, Head of Hire and Event. “These were programmed on an ETC Gio and the cue stacks were then loaded into ETC Nomad Pucks, which then cycled the show throughout the evening.”

The imposing building was lit externally by a number of Robe CitySkape 48 LED units while inside Black Light used a combination of LED and tungsten ETC Source Four fixtures to project onto a huge disc hung in the centre of the house. Studio Due CityColor LED units and Briteq Power Pixel 8’s created a general feel of slowly morphing colour-ways that ran from dawn to day to dusk to moonlight. www.black-light.com

Image courtesy of Anton Rodionov, Solarisvideo

STARO RI GA FE STI VA L O F L I G H T

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V EGAS Company: d3 Location: Moscow, Russia Russian Visual Artists (RVA), famous for its LED ice-rink in Gorki Park, has recently seen the opening of Vegas, , a new shopping centre in Crocus City, Moscow, Russia that displays a dazzling amount of LED on both the exterior and interior of the building, all driven by d3. RVA worked on this colourful and energetic fixed install for approximately a year in various stages. The project was brought to RVA through Philips Lighting.

Recognising the simplicity of the d3 production suite and several key features such as mapping, having flexible output options, the rapid development of the software and the possibility to easily build in an understudy in case of hardware failure, Crocus were quickly convinced of the benefits of using d3 and decided to go with the workflow that Philips and RVA suggested.

Ivan Ostroukhov, Production Manager for Russian Visual Artists, described the main challenges of the project: “We needed to make sure we could provide the client with a cost-efficient system that could do all the things that were required. The install included over 30 screens of different shapes, sizes and resolutions, working with TV and camera signals, switching between individual screen and multi-screen video content, scheduling, and brightness control for the outdoor media facade. We carefully evaluated all the requirements to come up with the final solution, which definitely took some time.”

The second challenge was presented in the form of fail-safety. Ivan elaborated: “We’ve built networks before that are fully operational, even when one of the servers goes down or is being removed for maintenance. We use SDI and DVI matrices for this, which are automatically managed by d3. With a permanent install you want to make sure you have the back-up in place, and we’ve seen how well the d3 understudy system works.”

Lastly, the complexity of pixel density - with five different gap values - needed to be carefully considered. The client’s requirements were to have a single video for the entire exterior facade, meaning RVA had to develop content of more than 4K to be feed-mapped across a few outputs. Ivan continued: “d3 hardware allows us to play a lot of video simultaneously including content with very large textures. It all worked very well. We settled for a three d3 system network: one is the master server, the second one acts as a slave, and one is an understudy.

“That’s all we needed - we really got to test d3 Net next to all the usual sequencing and programming we really love doing with d3, and we were very impressed with how it handles a multi-machine set up.” www.d3technologies.com

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BIRMING H A M H I P P O D RO M E Company: ADI Location: Birmingham, UK Birmingham Hippodrome has digitised its external façade by converting existing signage to a high impact LED solution, created by specialists ADI. A 20 sq metre LED display, backlit lettering and light strips combine to bring greater flexibility and promotional impact to the most popular single auditorium in the UK. With its ability to show high quality video clips and exclusive previews, Birmingham Hippodrome is attracting increased interest from the passing public, which ultimately drives footfall and ticket sales for the range of world-class productions and performances they host throughout the year.

Mike Bradford, Birmingham Hippodrome’s Director of Operations commented: “By incorporating a digital screen we can communicate our extensive programme in a single signage solution, taking our external marketing to a whole new level and achieving greater stand-out for the venue itself. We chose to partner with ADI because of its specialism in LED and its ability to oversee the entire project, co-ordinating additional elements that add impact.”

AIW150i T: 01480 354390 W: www.amina.co.uk E: inspired@amina.co.uk

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With an extensive skillset, ADI centrally-managed the multi-faceted digital signage project, from proposing initial design options through to the installation process. ADI will also provide service and maintenance over the lifetime of the digital signage.

Drew Burrow, ADI’s Business Development Manager, added: “Leisure and live entertainment venues are increasingly embracing LED screen technology because it offers incredible opportunities in terms of visitor experience and commercial value.”

ADI’s 10mm outdoor SMD product was specified for the 20 sq metre portrait screen since it delivers clarity, energy efficiencies and durability in an outdoor environment.

The venue’s name has been created in backlit lettering with adjustable colours, while changeable LED lights strips run from the top to bottom edge of the signage.

ADI also co-ordinated the primary and secondary supporting steelwork, in addition to cladding panels for a contemporary finish that compliments Birmingham Hippodrome’s modern exterior. www.adi.tv

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A L BA H R TOW E RS Company: A&O Technology Location: Abu Dhabi, UAE On the occasion of the 43rd National Day of the United Arabic Emirates, A&O Technology as general contractor with its creative department, A&O Creative, staged an impressive multimedia show at the Al Bahr towers in Abu Dhabi.

Anyone who looked at the Abu Dhabi skyline during the festivities, which lasted several days, could not have failed to notice the city’s magnificent twin towers, which were bathed in brilliant, changing colours. As general supplier, A&O Technology realised a dynamic, colourful 360° illumination of the Al Bahr towers. The company’s creative department, A&O Creative, used intensive colours to create a cocoon-like architectural effect. The futuristic towers were transformed from colours of the national flag, then bathed in a deep, marine blue to shining white. A video projection on the façade complemented the light show.

To provide a homogeneous illumination, A&O Technology Falcon CMY LED Video searchlights and A&O Technology Sky Falcon Arc colour fixtures were stationed all round the towers. For the video projection, high-powered projectors were used.

This was not the first time that A&O Technology had illuminated the twin towers, having done so also for the National Day celebrations in 2012. The Al Bahr towers accommodate the headquarters inter alia of the Abu Dhabi Investment Council and the Al Hilal Bank. www.ao-technology.com

BUCK HE A D C H UR C H Company: ArKaos Location: Georgia, USA

Image courtesy of Chris Green

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Image courtesy of Jared Roman

Part of North Point Ministries, Buckhead Church in Atlanta, Georgia, is a 15 yearold establishment with a 3000-seat auditorium that hosts four services every Sunday. The church is in the process of growing its technical equipment to enrich the quality of its in-services. Part of this expansion involves the increased use of media and lighting to add to the dynamic format of the services.

Video forms a main element of the set designs: video imagery is projected onto set pieces or run through plasma screens on stage and used as a backdrop to performances. This is enhanced by the generous use of LED lighting. The set is changed every three or four months to keep things fresh and new for the church’s attendees.

When it came to finding a flexible, user-friendly way of controlling the variety of lighting and video effects, Lighting & Scenic Director at Buckhead Church, Jared Roman, turned to ArKaos MediaMaster.

“At first we started with just projecting basic video loops to screens and televisions on stage,” said Jared. “Now using the ArKaos MediaMaster we are able to map and layer video elements and also control a whole array of Chauvet Epix V2 LED fixtures taking advantage of their on-board KlingNet protocol.

“MediaMaster’s KlingNet Mapper allows us to control the Epix fixtures and blend them with the video mapping onto the scenic set elements. Video mapping is key to creating our dynamic sets. Now we can include video loops and add textural effects on the Epix strips and other set pieces.

“For example, we created a set composed of 19 vertical boxes lined with Elation LED tape. We used MediaMaster to drive the 19 universes for the LEDs inside these boxes with the LEDMapper, as well as the Chauvet Epix V2 LED strips. At certain points during the service the LEDs in the boxes were controlled directly by our Jands Vista L5 console - usually when they showed as solid colour and sometimes they were driven by MediaMaster which mapped both the Epix V2 LED strips and the LED’s inside the boxes to make one huge medium/low resolution video wall. www.arkaospro.com

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Publishers & Projects

IN FOCUS EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA MOSCOW HOUSE OF MUSIC, MOSCOW THE NOBEL BROS, LEIDEN BLUE MARTIN IBIZA, ABU DHABI ALIBI, BELFAST

ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA QUANTUM OF THE SEAS, SHANGHAI SHANGHAI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HALL, SHANGHAI PLAYBOY, HYDERBAD

Our In Focus section has a variety of venues in the EMEA region, featuring culture, clubbing and the challenges faced by outdoor installations. While Simon Duff covers China’s growing love of classical music in APAC section with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall. And in unusual feature for mondo*dr we look at a fixed installation that will always be on the move, on the Quantum of the Seas cruise ship.

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Image courtesy of Karoly Molnar

www.mondodr.com

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MOSCOW

MOSCOW INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF MUSIC moscow, russia

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA The Moscow International Performing Arts Centre - also known in its translated form as Moscow International House of Music (MIHM) - first opened in 2002 with the National Philharmonic of Russia orchestra making its debut at the venue under musical direction from conductor, Vladimir Spivakov. It was designed by principal architects, Vladilen Krasilnikov and Yuri Gnedovsky.

Svetlanov Hall - taking its name in honour of legendary conductor Evgeny Svetlanov - is the main venue within the complex and can seat up to 1,735 people. The space was always designed to be multi-functional and as such it needs to be equipped with the latest technology at all times to ensure flexibility. With this in mind, the Svetlanov Hall has recently upgraded its sound system to a Meyer Sound Constellation system. It is one of the first venues in Russia to be kitted out with a Constellation system, and it features a reinforcement system based around MICA line array cabinets.

With an architectural reverberation time of 1.7 seconds, the hall had less than perfect early reflections for unamplified music performance. With the new Constellation system, Svetlanov Hall can provide the correct acoustics for classical, pop and jazz performances, some with the integration of the magnificent 5,500pipe organ, the largest in Russia.

“Constellation makes Svetlanov Hall one of the best in Russia for all kinds of classical music,” said Pavel Kravchun, Associate Professor of Acoustics at Moscow Lomonosov State University, curator of organs for the Performing Arts Center, and an accomplished

organist himself. “When I played the organ in the improved acoustics for the first time, I enjoyed the long, cathedral-like reverberations.

Constellation makes the organ sound richer, and better balanced.”

The new electroacoustic system was designed by Meyer Sound, however its Russian distributor, Digital Sound Systems (DSS) adapted the design in accordance with Russian Federation regulations. DSS also completed the construction design, cables ways, winches localisation, suspension of line arrays and subwoofers and of course, it made the system installation.

Svetlanov Hall’s Constellation system employs a total of 137 compact self-powered loudspeakers -incorporating 40 Meyer Sound UP-4XP loudspeakers, 73 Meyer Sound MM-4XP selfpowered loudspeakers and 24 Meyer Sound Stella-8C installation loudspeakers - the majority of which are spaced overhead and around the perimeter of the venue. Although 16 of the Stella-8C installation loudspeakers form a unique feature - ‘active acoustical canopy’ - where the loudspeakers are suspended inside colourmatched cylindrical enclosures, which supply critical early reflections for the stage and front seating areas. The Constellation system also features 10 Meyer Sound UMS-SM subwoofers, which are crucial for properly enhancing the sound of the organ.

At the heart of the Constellation system are four Meyer Sound D-Mitri DVRAS digital processors which host the patented VRAS algorithms. The complete D-Mitri system comprises a total of 14 frames, and 48 Meyer Sound MIC-CARD miniature microphones

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“A symphony orchestra requires a huge amount of channels and I feel like only DiGiCo SD7’s are able to provide them.” are precisely placed around the hall to pick up the room’s physical response.

In addition to the Constellation system, the reinforcement PA has been upgraded from Meyer Sound M2D line arrays to Meyer Sound MICA line arrays. “The system remains in the same weight parameters as the previous one, which is very important for the hall constructions. All loudspeakers and frames painted in the custom colour chosen by the customer and fits perfectly into the interior of the hall. The combination of good audio and other parameters are very positive impact on the atmosphere of the concerts held in the hall.,” explained Marchenko Vladimir, CEO of DSS. The reinforcement system comprises two hangs, one left and right of the stage each made up of 10 Meyer Sound MICA line array cabinets flown under dual Meyer Sound 600-HP subwoofers. They sit alongside 12 Meyer Sound UPJ-1P loudspeakers to cover the balcony areas behind the arrays, six Meyer Sound M1D for front fills and eight Meyer Sound 700-HP subwoofers groundstacked to extend the low frequencies. “All the loudspeakers are active, with built in amplifiers. However we did install four Meyer Sound Galileo 616 processors and RMS system for remote loudspeaker monitoring. The processors are remotely controllable, which adds flexibility to the system,” continued Marchenko.

In line with the new PA, new mixing consoles have also been added and DiGiCo was the manufacturer of choice for the Head

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of Sound Reinforcement Department at the Moscow International House of Music, Alexander Odelevsky. A DiGiCo SD7 for FOH and a DiGiCo SD5 for monitors have been specified for the Svetlanov Hall. “Alexander was familiar with DiGiCo equipment and loves the convenience and the possibilities it gives. When the time of re-equipping the concert hall arrived Alexander insisted on the top brand in his opinion, wanting to purchase SD7’s. Luckily, his preference was shared by others at MIHM and the purchase of DiGiCo consoles was approved. This is how ARIS, the official distributor of DiGiCo equipment in Russia, came onboard,” explained Darya Bakhmanova of ARIS. Alongside the DiGiCo SD7 and DiGiCo SD5 are Waves SoundGrid servers to provide audio processing and three DiGiCo SD Racks, which provide 208 inputs and 208 outputs in total. All racks and consoles work in optical loop and there is a Mac Mini and an RME MADIface XT audio interface in place for multi-track recording, playback and virtual sound checks. “A symphony orchestra requires a huge amount of channels and I feel only DiGiCo SD7’s are able to provide them,” continued Darya. “MHM is the number one classical concert venue and therefore it must be equipped with the number one console. Art Director, Vladimir Spivakov is known for his demanding attitude towards sound quality, and Alexander is confident that DiGiCo consoles do not compromise in sound quality, flexibility or scalability meaning the products are able to meet even

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Image courtesy of Karoly Molnar

the toughest of requirements.”

The new DiGiCo line-up extended beyond Svetlanov Hall, in the 573-seat chamber hall is an SDTen plus a Waves SoundGrid server and two DiGiCo SD Racks. These are in charge of a small sound system simply made up of three Meyer Sound UPA-1P wide coverage loudspeakers, which are installed as a L-C-R configuration. While in the theatre hall that has a capacity of 530, is another DiGiCo SD7 digital console, as well as two Waves SoundGrid servers and two DiGiCo SD Racks have been specified

by ARIS. Here two different audio set-ups are possible depending on who is using the space. If a PA system is required then a L-C-R configuration is implemented. The flown left and right hangs each consist of four L-Acoustics ARCS constant curvature line sources and two L-Acoustics dV-SUB subwoofers and groundstacked underneath is one L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofer and two L-Acoustics MTD108 small format loudspeakers. The centre array simply comprises four L-Acoustics ARCS constant curvature line

“When I played the organ in the improved acoustics for the first time, I enjoyed the long, cathedrallike reverberations.

Constellations make the organ sound richer, and better balanced.”

visit us at the Panasonic stand. 1-P20, ISE, 10-12 Feb, RAI Amsterdam. www.d3technologies.com

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FRANÇAIS

Le Centre international des arts de la scène de Moscou, également connu sous le nom de Maison internationale de la musique de Moscou, a ouvert ses portes en 2002 en y accueillant le premier concert de l’Orchestre Philharmonique Nationale de Russie, sous la direction musicale du chef d’orchestre, Vladimir Spivakov. La salle principale du complexe, la Salle Svetlanov, peut accueillir jusqu’à 1 735 personnes.

Depuis toujours, cet espace est multifonctionnel et de ce fait doit être équipé des dernières technologies pour en garantir la flexibilité. Dans cet état d’esprit, le système sonore de la Salle Svetlanov, comprenant des colonnes M’elody de chez Meyer Sound, a récemment été remplacé par un système de type « Constellation » du même fabricant, utilisant des armoires à haut-parleurs Mica. C’est l’un des premiers sites en Russie à s’équiper d’un système de type « Constellation ». Pour rester en phase avec le nouveau système de sonorisation, de nouvelles consoles de mixage DiGiCo ont également été rajoutées, car ce fabricant reste le partenaire privilégié d’Alexander Odelevsky, Directeur du son à la Maison internationale de la musique de Moscou. Une console DiGiCo SD5 et une console SD7 ont été demandées pour la Salle Svetlanov et l’équipement DiGiCo s’étend aussi aux autres salles du complexe ; une SD7 gère la salle de théâtre et une SD10, la salle de musique de chambre.

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sources. The second option is a 5.1 surround sound set-up which is made up of six L-Acoustics MTD108 small format loudspeakers and two L-Acoustics SB218 subwoofers.

“The plan is to have all the halls and systems connected into one audio network synchronised by single Atomic clock-generator and a Stagetec Nexus Star audio routing system, which will make it possible to send and receive signals in any format,” said Darya.

Pavel Kravchun, Associate Professor of Acoustics at Moscow Lomonosov State University concluded on the new audio installation: “Now Svetlanov Hall is not one hall but a number of concert halls with optimum acoustics for every kind of music.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND SVETLANOV HALL: 40 x Meyer Sound UP-4XP loudspeaker; 73 x Meyer Sound MM-4XP self-powered loudspeaker; 24 x Meyer Sound Stella-8C installation loudspeaker; 10 x Meyer Sound UMS-SM subwoofer; 4 x Meyer Sound D-Mitri DVRAS digital processor; 48 x MIC-CARD miniature microphone; 20 x Meyer Sound MICA line array cabinet; 4 x Meyer Sound 600-HP subwoofer; 12 x Meyer Sound UPJ-1P loudspeaker; 6 x Meyer Sound M1D loudspeaker; 8 x Meyer Sound 700HP subwoofer; 4 x Meyer Sound Galileo 616 processor; 1 x DiGiCo SD7 mixing console; 1 x DiGiCo SD5 mixing console; 3 x Waves SoundGrid server; 3 x DiGiCo SD Rack CHAMBER HALL: 3 x Meyer Sound UPA-1P wide coverage loudspeaker; 1 x DiGiCo SDTen mixing console; 1 x Waves SoundGrid server; 2 x DiGiCo SD Rack THEATRE HALL: 12 x L-Acoustics ARCS constant curvature line source; 4 x L-Acoustics dV-SUB subwoofer; 2 x L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofer; 4 x L-Acoustics MTD108 small format loudspeaker; 6 x L-Acoustics MTD108 small format loudspeaker; 1 x DiGiCo SD7 mixing console; 2 x Waves SoundGrid server; 2 x DiGiCo SD Rack www.mmdm.ru

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Das Internationale Zentrum für darstellende Künste in Moskau - ebenfalls bekannt unter dem Namen Moskau International House of Music - wurde 2002 mit dem Debüt der russischen Nationalphilharmonie unter der musikalischen Leitung von Vladimir Spivakov eröffnet. Die Svetlanov-Halle ist der wichtigste Veranstaltungsort im Komplex und bietet 1735 Plätze.

Der Bereich wurde immer multifunktional konzipiert und muss deswegen mit der modernsten Technologie ausgestattet werden, um Flexibilität zu gewährleisten. Mit dieser Idee im Hinterkopf wurde das Soundsystem der Svetlanov-Halle kürzlich von Meyer Sound M’elody Line-Arrays auf ein Meyer Sound Constellation-System aufgerüstet, das Line-ArrayGehäuse von Mica benutzt. Somit handelt es sich um einen der ersten Veranstaltungsorte in Russland, der mit einem Konstellationssystem ausgestattet ist. Entsprechend dem neuen Leistungsverstärker wurden ebenfalls neue Mischpulte hinzugefügt und DiGiCo war der Hersteller, der für den technischen Leiter des Moskau International House of Music, Alexander Odelevsky, die erste Wahl war. Ein DiGiCo SD5 und ein SD7 wurden für die Svetlanov-Halle festgelegt und die DiGiCo-Ausrüstung setzt sich in den anderen Veranstaltungsorten des Komplexes ebenfalls fort, ein weiteres SD7 in der Theaterhalle und ein SD10 im kleinen Saal.

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Il centro internazionale di arti performanti di Mosca, anche conosciuto come l’International House of Music di Mosca, è stato inaugurato nel 2002 con l’orchestra filarmonica nazionale russa che ha debuttato sotto la direzione musicale del direttore Vladimir Spivakov. La Svetlanov Hall è l’edificio principale all’interno del complesso e può ospitare fino a 1.735 persone. Lo spazio è stato sempre progettato per essere multifunzionale e, in base alle proprie necessità, per essere equipaggiato con le ultime tecnologie per assicurare la massima flessibilità. Tenuto conto di questo, la Svetlanov Hall ha recentemente ampliato il suo sistema audio passando dai line array della Meyer Sound Melody al sistema Meyer Sound Constellation che usa dei cabinet per line array ed è stato uno dei primi posti in Russia ad aver usato un sistema Constellation. In linea con il nuovo PA, sono stati aggiunti dei nuovi mixer e DiGiCo è stato il fornitore del direttore del suono dell’International House of Music di Mosca, Alexander Odelevsky. Per la Svetlanov Hall sono stati specificatamente utilizzati gli SD5 e gli SD7 della DiGiCo e tutti gli equipaggiamenti della DiGiCo vengono utilizzati anche per gli altri edifici del complesso, insieme a un’altra SD7 nella hall del teatro e una SD10 nel salone.

ESPAÑOL

El Centro Internacional de Artes Escénicas de Moscú – el Salón Internacional de Música de Moscú - abrió sus puertas por primera vez en 2002 con la Orquesta Filarmónica Nacional Rusa con un debut bajo la dirección musical de Vladimir Spivakov. El Salón Svetlanov es el principal dentro del complejo y puede sentar hasta 1.735 personas. El espacio fue siempre diseñado para ser multi-funcional y como tal, necesita ser equipado con lo último en tecnología para asegurar flexibilidad. Con esto en mente, al Salón Svetlanov se le ha actualizado recientemente su sistema de sonido de las formaciones de cajas acústicas Meyer Sound M’elody a un sistema Meyer Sound Constellation utilizando gabinetes de formaciones de cajas acústicas Mica. Es uno de los primeros lugares en Rusia en equiparse con un sistema de Constelación. En línea con el nuevo PA, también se han agregado nuevas consolas de mezcla y DiGiCo fue el fabricante elegido por el Jefe de Sonido del Salón Internacional de Música de Moscú, Alexander Odelevsky. Para el Salón Svetlanov se han especificado un DiGiCo SD5 y un SD7. El equipamiento DiGiCo también continúa en los otros salones del complejo, otro SD7 en el salón del teatro y un SD10 en la sala de audición.

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Images courtesy of Coen Bastiaanssen

THE NOBEL BROS leiden, the netherlands EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

A mid-19th Century industrial building in the Dutch town of Leiden has been converted into a new live music venue by the local government.

The Nobel Bros is named after the building’s last two occupants, who originally dealt in rags and scrap metal and vacated the property in 1987, after which it was used for storage and as a band rehearsal room. The protected building’s frontage, a stark contrast of old rusted fascia and post-modern glazing, bears testament to both the past and future of a building that will provide a viable circuit venue across two rooms.

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The main hall has a capacity of 600-700, with a further 200 in the smaller room, which can either function independently or as an overspill. The opening of this venue in The Netherland’s leading university town had already rendered the closure of the previous (smaller) venue LVC, although the LVC Foundation has been brought in to manage the operation here. And it is the foundation that suggested retaining the ‘Nobel’ name.

The gestation period of this conversion has been a lengthy 18 months, dating back to 2012 when plans were first drawn up. TM Audio won a competitive tender to supply audio and visual tools. The lighting desks and trussing were supplied by sister company LightCo while the luminaires came from Controllux.

Brought in only in December to oversee the technology is expe-

rienced FOH Engineer and former Tour / Production Manager, Bart van der Smissen - but tracking the progress throughout the fit-out and dealing with issues as they cropped up was Freelance Engineer, Martijn De Jong.

TM Audio responded successfully to the specification written by consultants, PB theateradviseurs. Project Manager, Rudolf Nagtzaam met the requirement for even coverage up to the balcony tiers by providing a Martin Audio L-C-R line array configuration. The left and right hangs each comprise five Martin Audio W8LC line array cabinets, while in the centre six Martin Audio W8LM line array cabinets are flown in two adjacent clusters of three. For the low frequencies, three Martin Audio Blackline S218+ double 18-inch subwoofers are recessed under the stage apron on either side and four groundstacked Martin Audio Blackline F15+ loudspeakers are provided as infills.

With natural finishes, largely fabricated in wood, steel and mesh, the interior is almost acoustically dead. But with two high balcony tiers and minimal depth from the stage to the back of the room, achieving the coverage pattern was no easy task. “People want the sound image to be onstage,” noted Rudolf. “The trim height of the array is adjustable on a chain hoist but is generally flown high to avoid sightline intrusion from the top balcony tier. The subwoofers are isolated in concrete and couple quite nicely with the array because it has a lot of low end. It’s the best solution for this venue.”

EQing the room and sound system was left to experienced Ampco Sound Engineer, Hugo Scholten. “He uses SMAART but doesn’t tune everything with pink noise, he also uses his ears,” said Bart. “When Hugo first set foot in the venue he immediately liked the acoustics.” The acoustic isolation is largely due to the

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care taken by the architect Ector Hoogstat of EHA Associates.

Providing stage fills are Martin Audio Blackline H3+ loudspeakers stacked on Blackline S218+ subwoofers, which act as part of the monitor system - and are used when the room is reconfigured for dance sound and the stage becomes a dancefloor. There is a similar H3+ / S218+ set-up in the small annex room, where a BSS Soundweb London processing platform is provided to input routing and guest engineers’ control.

To facilitate this, there is a large patchbay and multiple tie-lines, with provision for analogue multi cabling - for use by incoming production teams - and tie-lines between the two rooms.

TM Audio has become the first company in Europe to deploy Powersoft’s new X Series of Dante-supporting four-channel and eight-channel - X4 and X8 respectively - process controlled amplifiers, which actively drive all the loudspeakers. An X8 is assigned to each of the two loudspeaker clusters and an X4 for infills for with low / high / mid separation, the pressure on channels is high. The floor monitors deployed are also powered by these devices, although their own dedicated controller handles the processing.

Deployment of the new X Series has been a real coup. Originally the Ottocanali and Duecanali were written into the spec but this was quickly upgraded when the new four-channel and eight-channel X Series was released. “I told the consultant I was planning to change the specification as the other amplifiers didn’t have the DSP built in.

Without the X Series the rack would have been filled with amplifiers.

These are really powerful - they support Dante and we can do full system monitoring via Armonia,” Rudolf explained. The new version of Armonia will provide additional functionality. “It enables you set up a dedicated private network and once the settings are good you just lock it off.”

For control a DiGiCo SD8 digital console with 36-faders has been

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designated for the main FOH mix, alongside a DiGiCo SD9 console on monitors, and a smaller, 24-channel SD8 for the second room, for use as required. Bart said the DiGiCo brand was on the wish list right from the start: “We requested it because of rider acceptance and versatility. You can do anything you want with it and all engineers have their show files on a USB stick. All the desks are portable so they can easily be redeployed and with two 96kHz D2-Racks, in combination with the line array and amplifiers the audio quality will receive a tremendous boost.”

While the venue isn’t multi-cultural in the strict sense, it will host stand-up comedians and as you would expect in a town from which trance guru Armin van Buuren originates, there is a strong DJ / dance music culture, and the venue will feature acts like the Leid-

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FRANÇAIS

Chief Technician, Bart van der Smissen

sche Breakbeat Community (LBC) and Doorgedraaid - and other well known émigrés from the former LVC. Therefore TM Audio has also supplied a Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayer a Pioneer DJM-900 mixer for playback.

Presets are thus required for both conventional auditorium concert and dance nights, when the stage becomes the dancefloor. Settings will be locked away within the Powersoft environment but a separate X8 is made available for visiting sound engineers. Likewise they will have access to two Lake LM 44 processors for input routing and guest engineers’ control.

As for lighting, while an MA Lighting grandMA2 Light console with a wing drives the larger room an Avolites Pearl Expert Pro console is found in the small room - supported by 48-way and 24-way ETC Unison dimming respectively. The lighting bars at The Nobel Bros incorporate 18 Robe Robin 100 LEDBeam moving heads, 12 Robe Robin 300LEDWashes, eight Robe Robin DLX Spot LED movers, and a further 12 Robe Robin 100 LEDBeam moving heads run the show in the small room.

In addition four Briteq BTX-180LS LED moving heads with rotating gobos help build the mood, along with 10 Robe CycFX LED battens, and all beams are brought to life by a Swefog haze machine in the large venue and Rosco Vapour fog machines in both.

The live action is boosted by a large 12-metre by eight metre projection screen, and 10,000 ANSI lumens Barco projector firing onto it, while upstairs four Hitachi 4000 LCD projectors are used to hit small screens positioned at the end of every balcony. The main projection screen also shows activity from the main room in the small annex room.

And so The Nobel Bros can look forward to a healthy future thanks to the work of the technical teams and architect, as well as IMd Consulting Engineers, who designed the main structure, and contractors Du Prie Construction & Development, who carried out the implementation.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND

10 x Martin Audio W8LC line array cabinet; 6 x Martin Audio W8LM line array cabinet; 6 x Martin Audio Blackline S218+ subwoofer; 4 x Martin Audio Blackline F15+ loudspeaker; Martin Audio Blackline H3+ loudspeakers; Martin Audio Blackline S218+ subwoofers; 3 x Powersoft X8 amplifier; 1 x Powersoft X4 amplifer; 2 x DiGiCo SD8 digital console; 1 x DiGiCo SD9 digital console; 2 x Lake LM 44 processor; 1 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayer; 1 x Pioneer DJM-900 mixer

LIGHTING & VISUAL

30 x Robe Robin 100 LEDBeam moving head; 12 x Robe Robin 300LEDWash moving head; 8 x Robe Robin DLX Spot LED moving head; 10 x Robe CycFX LED batten; 4 x Briteq BTX180LS LED moving head; 1 x MA Lighting grandMA2 Light console; 1 x Avolites Pearl Expert Pro console; 1 x Swefog haze machine; 2 x Rosco Vapour fog machine; 1 x 12-metre by eight metre projection screen; 1 x Barco 10,000 ANSI lumen projector; 4 x Hitachi 4000 LCD projector www.tmaudio.nl

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Le Nobel Bros est un bâtiment industriel datant du milieu du 19e siècle qui se trouve dans la ville néerlandaise de Leiden et qui a récemment été transformé en salle de concert par les autorités locales. L’entreprise TM Audio a remporté un appel d’offres assez compétitif pour fournir des appareils audio et visuels. Les consoles d’éclairages et les armatures renforcées ont été fournies par la société sœur Lightco, tandis que les luminaires sont de chez Controllux. La finition naturelle principalement en bois, en acier et en grillages, confère à l’intérieur de la bâtisse une acoustique quasi inexistante. Donc, atteindre une couverture suffisante n’a pas été des plus facile. TM Audio a su répondre aux spécifications écrites par les consultants de « PB theateradviseurs ». Le chef de projet Rudolf Nagtzaam répondit aux exigences d’une couverture homogène jusqu’au niveau des balcons en fournissant un module d’enceintes d’array Martin Audio W8LC/W8LM L/C/R. TM Audio a également soutenu le tout avec une station Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus et une DJM 900 Nexus. En ce qui concerne l’éclairage, une console légère grandMA2 de chez MA Lighting gère la grande salle, tandis qu’une Avolites Pro Expert se trouve dans la petite salle ; les deux salles sont équipées d’un gradateur de lumière Unison de respectivement 48 voies et 24 voies, de chez ETC. Le direct est démultiplié par un grand écran de douze mètres sur huit éclairé par un projecteur Barco de 10 000 lumens ANSI, tandis qu’à l’étage 4 projecteurs LCD Hitachi de 4 000 lumens éclairent les petits écrans placés à l’extrémité de chaque balcon.

DEUTSCH

Nobel Bros ist ein Industriegebäude aus der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts in der holländischen Stadt Leiden, das durch die lokale Regierung in einen neuen Livemusiktreff umfunktioniert wurde. TM Audio gewann die Ausschreibung für die Bereitstellung von Audio- und visuellen Tools. Die Lichtstellanlagen und die Traversen wurden durch das Tochterunternehmen Lightco bereitgestellt, während die Leuchten von Controllux stammen. Die Inneneinrichtung ist mit ihren natürlichen Materialien, die größtenteils aus Holz, Stahl und Netz hergestellt wurden, akustisch beinahe echofrei. Die Abdeckung war eine schwierige Aufgabe. TM Audio befriedigte erfolgreich die durch die Berater, PB theateradviseurs, verfasste Spezifikation.

Ihr Projektmanager Rudolf Nagtzaam erfüllte den Anspruch auf eine gleichmäßige Abdeckung bis hoch zu den Balkonrängen durch eine Martin Audio W8LC / W8LM L / C / R Line-Array. TM Audio hat ebenfalls Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus und DJM 900 Nexus-Playback bereitgestellt. Für die Beleuchtung steuert eine MA Lighting grandMA2 Lite-Konsole den größeren Raum, während sich ein Pro Expert von Avolites im kleinen Raum befindet - Unterstützt durch jeweils 48-Wegeund 24-Wege-ETC Unison Dimming. Die Live-Action wird durch eine 12 mal 8 Meter große Projektionswand geboostet mit 10.000 ANSI lumens Barco Projektoren, die darauf abfeuern, während oben vier Hitachi 4000 LCD Projektoren eingesetzt werden, um kleine Wände, die sich am Ende von jedem Balkon befinden, zu erreichen.

ITALIANO

Il Nobel Bros è un edificio industriale della metà del XIX secolo che si trova nella città olandese di Leiden e che è stato trasformato dal governo in un nuovo locale di musica dal vivo. TM Audio si è aggiudicato una gara d’appalto molto competitiva per la fornitura di strumenti audiovideo. I mixer luci e le americane sono state fornite dalla compagnia sorella Lightco mentre le luminarie arrivano da Controllux. Con arredi naturali, per la maggior parte fabbricati in legno, acciaio e tessuto a rete, l’interno è acusticamente quasi morto quindi raggiungere un prototipo non era cosa facile. TM Audio ha risposto con successo alle specifiche richieste dei consulenti PB theateradviseurs. Il loro Project Manager, Rudolf Nagtzaam, ha assecondato le loro richieste anche per la copertura delle logge, fornendo un line array Martin Audio W8LC/W8LM L/C/R. TM Audio ha anche fornito un playback Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus e DJM 900 Nexus. Come per le luci, se la console MA Lighting grandMA2 controlla la sala più grande, un Avolites Pro Expert si trova nella sala piccola e sono supportati rispettivamente da una Unison dimming ETC. Tutto quello che accade dal vivo è propagato da un grande schermo da proiezione 12x8 metri e un proiettore 10.000 ANSI lumens della Barco posto su di quello mentre i 4 proiettori LCD Hitachi 4000 sono usati per proiettare su schermi piccoli posti alla fine di ogni balcone.

ESPAÑOL

El Nobel Bros es un edificio industrial de mediados del siglo 19 en la ciudad Holandesa de Leiden, el cual ha sido convertido, por el gobierno local, en un sitio de música en vivo. TM Audio ganó una competitiva licitación para proveer las herramientas para el audio y video. Los mostradores iluminados y las estructuras de enganche fueron suministrados por la compañía Lightco mientras que las luminarias fueron de Controllux. Al interior prácticamente se lo mató acústicamente con terminaciones naturales, fabricadas en gran parte en madera, acero y malla; por lo que lograr el patrón de cobertura no fue tarea fácil. TM Audio respondió con éxito a las especificaciones escritas por los consultores, PB theateradviseurs. Su Gerente de Proyecto, Rudolf Nagtzaam, cumplió con los requerimientos de la cobertura hasta las gradas de las terrazas proveyendo una formación de cajas acústicas W8LC / W8LM L / C / R de Martin Audio. TM Audio también suministró reproductores Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus y DJM 900 Nexus. En cuanto a la iluminación, mientras una consola grandMA2 Lite de MA Lighting controla el salón principal, en el salón más chico se encuentra una Pro Expert de Avolites - respaldado por reguladores de iluminación ETC Unison de 48 vías y 24 vías respectivamente. La acción en vivo está estimulada por una pantalla de proyección de 12 x 8 metros y un proyector ANSI lumens Barco 10.000 que dispara en ella, a la vez que en la planta superior cuatro proyectores Hitachi 4000 LCD son utilizados para proyectar en pequeñas pantallas que están ubicadas al final de cada terraza.

DEF_pub_DataKolor-333x236-06-13:StarWay

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068 VENUE

BLUE MARLIN IBIZA abu dhabi, UAE

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA When you hear Blue Marlin Ibiza, it’s fairly obviously where the venue is located, the clue is in the name. However, the brand spread its wings, travelled across the Mediterranean Sea and set up a franchised home in the UAE. Technically situated in Abu Dhabi, although it’s actually only a 15 minute drive from Dubai Marina, Blue Marlin Ibiza in the UAE - located on the desert oasis of Ghantoot Island, at the Golden Tulip Al Jazira Hotel & Resort - offers many of the same traits as its Spanish sibling.

Landing in the Middle East just over two years ago, James Field of Imagine Audio Visual - a design and installation company - has been involved from the very beginning. James was in charge of the original audiovisual set-up when the venue first opened and he headed the upgrade that took place recently too. James said: “Piet Goedhart, a good friend of mine, who is alsoi the Technical Director for the franchise is EAW nuts, just like me. We have been for a long time, since the KF850’s and the original Avalon Series. I’ve just always loved the sound of EAW loudspeakers, so it was great when we met and we were both fanatics about the same kind of sound, we both had a very similar philosophy.”

The club in Ibiza has always been fairly centred around EAW and Lab.gruppen products. The general vibe of the venue is a daytime,

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lounge club where people go and relax on the beach and audio wise, sound pressure levels are very low. When the franchise in Abu Dhabi first opened it was designed to cater for the same audience with James specifying an EAW MQ Series system. The club opened to rave reviews and guests and DJs alike said ‘the sound in this club is something special’, which upped the anti of the franchaise.

International DJs played at the club week after week and hundreds of clubbers would stand disappointed outside because the venue had reached its full capacity.

Blue Marlin in Abu Dhabi took off in a big way and after less than two years in operation the audio system needed cranking up a notch. Knowing the EAW products well, James knew he couldn’t simply extended the existing system because the MQ Series of loudspeakers are best suited to a point source set-up, but what he needed in order to cater for the huge crowds on the dancefloor was an arrayable system, not that this came as an easy decision. “I used to be dead against boxes that need a processor to sound good, I felt that you should be able to plug the signal in and get a good sound because it’s a nice box design. But to be honest, I think the future is moving away from that and my choice to put the KF740 into Blue Marlin, I didn’t take lightly, because I’ve always been very much a proponent of point source systems for dance clubs.”

James set to work on a complete redesign. “The new system is multi-zoned, we have the terrace which is the main party area in the

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evening, but in the daytime that area is not utilised as much as the beach area. In the daytime, from about 1pm, it’s beach beds and we actually have a second DJ booth on the beach too, so it’s very much a chilled-out beach party vibe.

“I decided that if I upgraded the terrace system, I could move the old terrace system to the beach and the old beach system to the VIP, so pretty much every part of the venue got an upgrade. It was a lot of work, literally moving every loudspeaker in the venue.”

For the main dancefloor area, which takes prominence in the evening, James specified four EAW KF740 line arrays each comprising four enclosures, which are flown from the corners of the rectangular truss structure - installed by rigging specialist, Even2 - firing inwards. He selected these products on recommendation from Steve Smith and Hans Freytag of Executive Audio - who supplied the equipment - and James knew he could trust their judgement and he knew he would get the support he needed for this important project. “I hadn’t actually heard the KF740 properly but I had faith in Steve, Hans and the team at EAW and I told them the brief. I said ‘listen guys, our club’s reputation is the sound system and I need an SPL upgrade, I need to go louder, but I don’t want to sacrifice quality. They, without hesitation, said ‘listen, use the KF740.

“When we first flew them up, I was so nervous, it was literally just the boxes processed with EAW’s proprietary UX8800 DSP / matrix and the sound just wowed us. They actually sounded like EAW’s old school loudspeakers, which amazed us to be honest.

“I was concerned about the mid-range, I wasn’t concerned about the highs or the lows, I knew that was going to be there. I was concerned about the clarity of the mid-range, I was concerned about the edge overlapping between the array elements, I was concerned about getting this huge power-ally down the middle, but because we did a four point configuration, the dispersion and the evenness of the coverage, blew us all away.”

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070 VENUE

To extend the low frequency of the system, James opted for two subwoofer arrays flown left and right of the stage, each consisting of six EAW SB1002 subwoofers, as well as four more groundstacked in front of the DJ booth to reinforce the thumping bass. “Last season the subwoofer arrays were groundstacked and I found that when I had 1,500 bodies on the main dancefloor, the low end was just not making it far enough to the back sections,” said James.

“So this season I opted to fly the main subwoofer arrays. I lose the ground coupling, but this was a reasonable trade off in order to be able to steer the low frequencies where they are needed when we are full.”

Covering the beach and VIP areas are loudspeakers from the original installation, a combination of EAW MK8 two-way cabinets, EAW UB12Si compact loudspeakers, EAW JF8 trapezoidal loudspeakers and EAW CIS400 ceiling speakers. “We are like the EAW catalogue, and this is what I love about EAW, it has a loudspeaker model for every situation. For me loudspeaker placement and choosing the right loudspeaker is the most important thing to create good sound in the space. Making sure that you’ve got a model that’s got the right dispersion, the right power and the right frequency response. The only thing it doesn’t have, which I’ll keep bugging it for is a DJ monitor. I would love for EAW to have one of those.”

Having to contend with the heat, humidity and dust from the Arabian desert has always been a concern for James, but he said dealing with it all comes down to experience. Having learnt from the original installation, James made some small modifications and implemented a few tricks - such as greasing up all the screws and building his own back plates for the loudspeakers, which was primarily to provide the correct connections but also doubled up as an extra layer of weather proofing - to make maintenance and service life easier.

He also put in place some preventative measures when it came to cabling, the KF740’s required eight core cables and the cable runs are quite big so James went with eight core 6mm cables in order to avoid too much voltage drop to the far arrays. To pull these cables though, part of the venue had to be dug up, in the 45 degree Arabian heat, not an easy task. Alongside the eight-core cables, more power cables - all of which are housed in metal conduits - had to be pulled for the new amplifiers that were being installed, plus a bunch of CAT 6 cables - some of which are in use and other are there for future use, that are housed in plastic conduits. “Cables are the veins of a system, without good cabling everything else doesn’t matter, you can have the greatest amplifier and the greatest loudspeaker and if it’s not cabled properly then it’s not great,” said James.

To provide power for the upgraded sound system, James added a further 12 Lab.gruppen C88:4 amplifiers - again supplied by Executive Audio - taking the total up to 24 units housed in three racks. The venue is also equipped with Lab.gruppen’s NomadLink network, which provides remote monitoring, control, and power sequencing functions for the amplifiers and “just makes things really

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easy” according to James. “I really like the group feature in the Lab. gruppen device control software. I can make channel groups and use them as mute groups, traditionally I would have done that in the processing, but with the way the Lab.gruppen product works, I’m doing it all in the software.”

Ever the enthusiast for the products he uses, James continued: “I chose Lab.gruppen because of the sound quality and market leading reliability. When you’re in the desert at uncontrollable temperatures, and while we do have redundant air conditioning in the amplifier room, it can fail but the Lab.gruppen amplifiers don’t.

Also the fact that the amplifiers love going down to low resistance meaning you can hook up a lot of loudspeakers to one channel. For me, as a system designer, they’re very flexible.

“The other thing I love about the Lab.gruppen amplifiers is the voltage limiting, it’s well implemented, you can basically turn a 1,200W channel into anything that you need. With the addition of the new units, I calculated that we have 250kW of amplifier power, which appears quite ridiculous!”

For ancillary loudspeaker management control Blue Marlin relies on two Lake LM 26 processors and five Xilica XP 4080 processors.

And finally topping off the audio equipment is the DJ booth which features an Allen & Heath DJ mixer, James’ choice because it is purely analogue and he wanted it to sound as such. “I’ve got a Rane SM26S as the splitter/mixer and I love this thing because it can handle +30dB without breaking up and when you’ve got DJs, you need something like that. They’re so pristine and transparent, I’ve been using these mixers in almost every single installation I’ve done in the last 15 years.

“And I’m using the Apex Argos sound level limiter, which is set to a 30 second attack time and a 30 second release time, so if the DJ is going over, the volume very slowly turns down and when they come back onto the threshold, it very slowly turns up and this is

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 16 x EAW KF740 line array cabinet; 12 x EAW SB1002 subwoofer; 40 x EAW MK8 two-way loudspeaker; EAW UB12Si compact loudspeakers; EAW JF8 trapezoidal loudspeakers; EAW CIS400 ceiling speakers; 24 x Lab.gruppen C88:4 amplifier; 1 x Lab.gruppen’s NomadLink network; 2 x Lake LM 26 processor; 5 x Xilica XP 4080 processor; 1 x Allen & Heath DJ mixer; 1 x Rane SM26S splitter/mixer; 1 x Apex Argos sound level limiter lighting 60 x P8 LED IP rated panel; 1 x Avolites Tiger Touch lighting console; 1 x Resolume Arena media server software package; Variety of generic beam moving heads www.bluemarlinibiza-uae.com

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072 VENUE

FRANÇAIS

Lorsqu’on entend parler du Blue Marlin Ibiza, il est assez évident de deviner là où il se trouve, l’indice étant donné dans le nom. Toutefois, la marque a récemment déployé ses ailes au-delà de la Méditerranée et a ouvert une nouvelle franchise aux Émirats Arabes Unis. Techniquement situé à Abu Dhabi, bien qu’il soit réellement à seulement 15 minutes en voiture de Dubaï Marina, le Blue Marlin Ibiza des EAU présente une grande ressemblance avec le club espagnol. James Field de l’entreprise de conception et d’installation Imagine Audio Visual à Dubaï, fut chargé de l’aménagement du système sonore d’origine lors de l’ouverture du site et il a aussi dirigé sa récente mise à niveau. En terme de fabricants, James n’a pas beaucoup dévié de l’ancien au nouveau système, car il s’est plutôt concentré sur l’installation de la gamme des derniers produits de ses entreprises audio préférées : EAW et Lab.gruppen.

James travaille avec ces deux marques depuis de nombreuses années et à son avis, celles-ci sont imbattables dans un environnement de club.

Le nouveau système de sonorisation principal choisi par James est un module de haut-parleurs EAW KF740 compacts à haut rendement extrêmement léger. En dépit du fait qu’il était quelque peu anxieux à l’idée d’utiliser des produits qu’il n’avait jamais utilisés auparavant, lorsque ces appareils furent installés, la dispersion et la régularité de la couverture du son le laissèrent, lui et son équipe, bouche bée.

DEUTSCH transparent limiting, you’re not squashing peaks, you’re not altering the sound, it’s almost an auto-volume control rather than a limiter,” he explained.

When it came selecting the lighting and visual equipment for the beach club, James took a stance which may well split opinion but it’s one he stands by. With Blue Marlin being a completely outdoor club, exposed to elements 24/7, any moving head put out there is going to get destroyed, as evidenced by the first set of moving heads James installed. Once these failed James took the decision to order a number of different generic beam moving heads from China, which he tested and then installed the best of the what was on offer. The club has a stock of spares that can be swapped out as required.

“The philosophy is, we know that it’s going to rain and we know that the climate is changing, so we just have to except that things are going to break. I would love to have high-end intelligent lights out there but in my opinion that would be crazy as I don’t think any fixtures can withstand these conditions.” There are also 60 P8 LED IP rated panels in Blue Marlin - which James had custom-made to the required specification - however rather than set-up as a screen, they have been installed as more of a texture and lighting effect in order to blend in with the lush garden beside the beach surroundings.

To control the lighting and visual elements is a combination of an Avolites Tiger Touch console and a Resolume Arena media server software package. “I love Avolites and the way the company is moving forward, the Tiger Touch console for me, sits in a perfect little place, its size, the power and the amount of faders it has is kind of unique. I’m a fan of Avolites lighting consoles, especially in a club setting for busking, for when my lighting guy needs to be listening to the music and jamming at the same time.

“For me it’s very important that video and lighting is treated as unified thing and I like to be able to set up the system so that lighting guy can actually do the video as well. With the Avolites console I am using ArtNet control into the Resolume Arena software, so that if LJ/VJ chooses a certain lighting fixture group, a video layer in Resolume will also respond to any colour pallets that are specified. For example, if group one of the lighting fixtures turn red then one of the video layers will also turn red, automatically following what’s going on.” For James, the pairing is the ideal partnership for visual control at Blue Marlin.

When working on iconic projects such as this it’s not hard to see why James favours the UAE over his native Australia on a work level. With the erection of the Mall of the World in Dubai - to name just one of the new malls being built - and the Expo 2020 also being held in the same Emirate, James sees big business for the audiovisual industry in this region of the world and he’s sure to be part of it.

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Wenn Sie den Namen des Blue Marlin Ibiza hören, scheint es eindeutig zu sein, wo sich dieser Treff befindet, der Schlüssel liegt im Namen.

Die Marke hat allerdings kürzlich ihre Flügel ausgebreitet, überquerte das Mittelmeer und hat in den VAE ein neues konzessioniertes Heim eingerichtet. Der Blue Marlin Ibiza in den VAE befindet sich technisch gesehen in Abu Dhabi, auch wenn es momentan nur 15 Minuten Fahrt von Dubai Marina entfernt liegt und weist zahlreiche Ähnlichkeiten mit seinem spanischen Bruder auf. James Field von Imagine Audio Visual in Dubai, einem Design- und Installationsunternehmen, wurde mit dem ursprünglichen Soundsystem bei der ersten Eröffnung des Treffs beauftragt und er leitete ebenfalls die kürzliche Aktualisierung. James übernahm nicht allzu viel vom alten System für das neue, er entschied sich eher für die Installation der modernsten Produkte, die der Markt zu bieten hat. Die Audio-Unternehmen seiner Wahl sind EAW und Lab.gruppen, James hat bereits seit mehreren Jahren mit ihnen zusammengearbeitet und sie sind seiner Meinung nach unschlagbar im Bereich ClubEinrichtung. James entschied sich für EAW KF740 Line-Arrays für den neuen Hauptverstärker und obwohl er zu Beginn nervös war, da er noch nie diese Produkte aus erster Hand gehört hat, haben die Verteilung und Gleichmäßigkeit der Abdeckung ihn und den Rest des Teams umgehauen.

ITALIANO

Quando sentite parlare del Blue Marlin Ibiza è quasi scontato capire dove si trova il locale, considerato il suo nome. Il brand, comunque, ha recentemente spiegato le ali e, attraversando il Mar Mediterraneo, ha aperto un franchising negli Emirati Arabi Uniti. Tecnicamente situato ad Abu Dhabi, anche se è solo a 15 minuti da Dubai Marina, il Blue Marlin Ibiza negli EAU ha molti tratti in comune con il suo gemello spagnolo. Quando il locale è stato inaugurato, James Field dell’Image Audio Visual di Dubai (compagnia di progettazione e installazione) si occupava dell’istallazione audio originale e si è occupato anche del suo recente ampliamento. James non è stato titubante nella scelta di produttori prudenti dal vecchio al nuovo sistema, ma è stata più una questione di installare gli ultimi prodotti presi dal range. Le compagnie audio che ha scelto sono EAW e Lab.gruppen con le quali James ha lavorato per diversi anni e che egli ritiene insuperabili nell’ambiente del club. James ha optato per dei line array EAW KF740 per il nuovo PA principale e malgrado fosse inizialmente nervoso, in quanto non aveva sentito prima questi prodotti, una volta che sono stati accesi, la dispersione e l’uniformità della copertura ha sorpreso sia lui che il resto della squadra.

ESPAÑOL

Al escuchar acerca de Blue Marlin Ibiza, es obvio que se sabe dónde está ubicado. La clave está en el nombre. Sin embargo, la marca ha tomado vuelo recientemente viajado a través del Mar Mediterráneo y ha instalado una nueva franquicia en los Emiratos Árabes. Situado técnicamente en Abu Dabi, a pesar de que se encuentra a solo 15 minutos en auto de Dubai Marina, Blue Marlin Ibiza en los Emiratos Árabes, ofrece muchas de las características que se ofrecen en el país hermano de España. James Field de Imagine Audio Visual en Dubai, una empresa de diseño e instalación, estuvo a cargo de la puesta original de sonido cuando el lugar abrió por primera vez y él también lideró la reciente actualización. James no fue influenciado demasiado por el consejo del fabricante del viejo sistema al nuevo, se trató más de instalar los productos más nuevos al alcance. Las compañías de audio que eligió son EAW and Lab.gruppen. James ha trabajado con ambas marcas durante una gran cantidad de años y para él, son invencibles en el ámbito de las discotecas. James optó por formación de cajas acústicas EAW KF740 para el nuevo PA principal y, a pesar de estar nervioso inicialmente ya que no había escuchado de estos productos de primera fuente, una vez que estuvieron instalados, la dispersión y la uniformidad de la cobertura hicieron volarlo por el aire a él y al resto del equipo.

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074 VENUE

ALIBI BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA

In the heart of Belfast’s Queen’s Quarter, on Bradbury Place, is Alibi.

A sophisticated new bar and restaurant with a focus on good liquor, food and music. The two-floor venue consists of a three tiered smoking terrace, a club with private booths for hire, and hosts a selection of live entertainment, acoustic performances and DJ sets. Behind a large set of brass doors the venue has a touch of 1920s glamour; a checkerboard floor, gilded mirrors, vintage portraits and ceiling high cabinets filled with bourbon, gin and champagnes from around the world. “I have been working with the owners of Alibi nightclub for the last five years,” explained Dave Charman from Liteworx AV. In fact Dave has been working alongside the venue’s Technical Director, Wil-

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liam Barrett, on numerous projects over the past 15 years. Together, as Dave puts it, they “have always had a very strong passion for providing the most unique and desirable audio and visual systems.

“I was approached by William and asked to transform the previous venue with some unique lighting and video solutions that would enable it to stand out among competitors.” The brief for the new lighting set-up at Alibi was a complete overhaul from its predecessor. “We wanted to produce an effect that would really give people a reason to look up and just say ‘wow’ and create a real talking point of the venue,” said William. “Keeping in mind how a lot of designs have come full circle over the years the concept for a 21st Century moving light rig was developed.”

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Dave explained that the idea of removing the large LED screens that were previously installed in the venue was “initially met with some bewilderment” as this concept was quite popular and fashionable. But rather than overloading guests’ senses, the concept was to simplify the lighting effects and create a more subtle environment.To do this Dave designed a triangular geometric lighting structure that he suspended from the ceiling above the dancefloor to create a visual display to complement the music. To bring this concept to life he used 36 Digital Pixel DPPT1000 360° LED Tubes that are attached to a sturdy frame allowing it to move and create a 3D effect. “Firstly, we had to find suitable winch motors that allowed us to animate the rig

structure in the desired fashion and the desired speed. We found only a handful of suppliers which had such a product and were suitable for the application, the most attractive of which was manufactured by a Danish company named Wahlberg. Wahlberg has produced a number of suitable products that have been used for similar situations which had proven over time to be successful and more importantly reliable.”

A total of 24 Wahlberg Winch 10 rig winches were specified for Alibi.

“Next was the control system. We discovered some very specific control systems available on the market but the details of the product and proven applications were limited,” continued Dave. “It was at this point we decided that the actual control parameters not as complex

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as first envisioned so we made the decision to use a tried and tested control system that we could customise in house to enable us to control the rig movement along with all of the intelligent lighting equipment and pixel arrays, all from one simple touchscreen.” The chosen system was a ShowCAD Artist control software package.

“Now that we had the desired motors and control system in place the final problem we had to overcome was how to control the 576 individual pixels - 1,728 DMX channels - surrounding the edges of the triangles. The brushed type assemblies we used to send power to the triangles weren’t up to scratch, as there were intermittent dropouts of signal during the motors movement. So we decided to send the DMX data wirelessly, which in itself was more involved than we first envisioned due to the close proximity of the transmitters and receivers, as well as the large amount of Wi-Fi traffic and metallic structures in the area. This is where we invited Wireless Solution of Sweden to provide us with a solution.” A total of 12 Wireless Solution Micro R-512 Lite G4 receivers and two Wireless Solution Blackbox F-2 G4 transmitters are installed at Alibi. “On its recommendation we installed numerous wireless DMX receivers and transmitters around the rig structure to send the data to the individual triangles. This initially proved to be a success but after a short time we were having intermittent problems with the integrity of the transmissions but after short phone call to the guys at Wireless Solution the problem was resolved by them dialing in remotely and adjusting the transmission parameters to overcome our issues.”

For intelligent lighting fixtures Dave selected Chauvet Professional as his manufacturer of choice having used the equipment for the last few years. “The lighting concepts at Alibi were based around multiple point sources of light, rather than having fewer larger, brighter fixtures,” commented William. “The Chauvet Professional Intimidator Spot LED 350 gave us the functionality that we were after along with the small form factor and punchy output,” explained Dave. Being the most powerful LED Spot in the Intimidator Series, the moving head features a motorised focus for crisp, rotating gobos when projecting from a distance.

For the new audio set up Alibi required a versatile, reliable, high fidelity sound to match needs of the proposed clientele and high end DJs and acts. “The venue wanted to move towards a higher customer service experience with a lot of table serviced booths and seating arrangements,” said William. “These encompass a compact dancefloor area. We wanted an even coverage outside of the dancefloor with a concentration of higher levels on it, without too much of this over spilling into the more intimate seated areas.”

For this reason a KV2 Audio sound system was selected. “A range of ES1.0 mid-highs suited the purpose. They have exceptional ‘near

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“The lighting concepts at Alibi were based around multiple point sources of light, rather than having fewer larger, brighter fixtures.”

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hi-fi’ clarity at high levels and with some careful cabinet placement we were able to achieve the desired effect,” said Dave. Two KV2 Audio ES 1.0 mid-high loudspeakers supplemented by two KV2 Audio ES2.5 and an ES1.8 subwoofer are in place on the dancefloor.

While infills for the VIP area consist of two KV2 Audio EX10’s, “The infill cabinets have exceptional coverage and again great accuracy and precision at high frequency,” he continued.

Dave selected the KV2 Audio EPACK amplifiers with built in DSP to provide a ‘plug and play’ solution. He also opted for an Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixer and dedicated control plates to allow easy adjustment of levels and source selection throughout the venue. He explained: “The Allen & Heath iDR-8 allowed us to easily combat any future noise issues we may have and more importantly, allow us to remotely monitor and configure the system as and when changes are required. The iDR-8 also helped us digitally steer the sound onto the dancefloor as the bass loudspeakers are not positioned directly on the dancefloor.” Completing the audio equipment is the DJ booth line-up, which consists of one Pioneer DJM-900 mixer and two Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayers.

At it’s core Alibi creates a nightclub experience that comes in line with other cosmopolitan cities. The 3D light installation and wellplaced audio equipment, creates an immersive atmosphere that complements the décor, and promises to have revelers entertained long into the night.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION LIGHTING & EFFECTS

1 x ShowCAD Artist control software package; 16 x Chauvet Professional Intimidator Spot LED 350 moving head; 4 x Chauvet Professional SlimPAR Quad 12 IRC parcan; 36 x Digital Pixel DPPT1000 360° LED tubes; 12 x Wireless Solution Sweden Micro R-512 Lite G4 receiver; 2 x Wireless Solution BlackBox F-2 G4 transmitter; 24 x Wahlberg Winch 10 rig winch; 2 x KV2 Audio EX10; 2 x Martin Professional Magnum 2500HZ haze machine; 10 x ETC Source Four Mini followspot

SOUND

1 x Allen & Heath iDR-8 matrix mixer; 2 x Allen & Heath PL4 remote controller; 2 x KV2 Audio ES1.0 loudspeaker; 2 x KV2 Audio ES2.5 subwoofer; 1 x KV2 Audio ES1.8 subwoofer; 2 x KV2 Audio EX10 loudspeaker; 2 x KV2 Audio EPAK 2500R amplifier; 1 x Pioneer DJM-900 mixer; 2 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayer alibibelfast.com

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Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

QUANTUM OF shanghai, china

ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA

Royal Caribbean International (RCI) launched its new generation of cruise liners on 23 November 2014, with Quantum of the Seas setting sail on its maiden voyage. The company’s Quantum Class promises the most sought after destinations, ground-breaking ships, breath-taking spaces and unforgettable experiences. The overall aim is to create ‘wow’. With Quantum of the Seas, the bar has been set.

RCI’s 23rd ship in its fleet of cruise liners was built by Meyer Werft. It is 347.75 metres long and 41.4 metres wide and offers space on 18 decks for around 4,180 passengers and approximately 1,500 crew members. It is the largest cruise liner ever built in Germany and the third biggest in the world. Its maiden voyage from Cape Liberty to the Bahamas will be followed - in May 2015 - by a world voyage towards Shanghai, which will be its homeport.

At the heart of this new maritime experience is Two70 - a performance and entertainment space that offers magnificent 270º panoramic sea views through floor-to-ceiling Vistarama glass walls that span almost three decks high at the stern of the ship. It offers a modern performance space for dancers, singers, aerialists and musicians and has been installed with some unique entertainment

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technology, including six 100-inch LED robotic screens, huge projection infrastructure and professional lighting and sound solutions.

Hamburg-based system supplier Amptown System Company (ASC) undertook the complete networking of around 40 entertainment areas on Quantum of the Seas, and fitted out the cruise liner with its audio, video, lighting and control equipment. The company is an independent full-service supplier of media system solutions, which employs more than 140 people at its offices in Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Stuttgart. Over its 20-year history, ASC has built a strong reputation for delivering large-scale maritime projects.

Two70’s visual elements really define its signature look and feel.

The high glass walls are not only a revolutionary step in ship design, they are also equipped with intelligent technology. ASC installed 18 Panasonic projectors, which fill the 30-metre wide and six-metre high backdrop behind the stage with 12K resolution visuals. They are complemented by six Robotic Art Roboscreens that rest in the ceiling space until they are brought to life, transforming the set with different movements, positions and angles.

ASC adapted the projection content accordingly to create a seamless visual spectacle. Remote control protocol, Ember+ was integrated into coolux’s Widget Designer software to provide image control and playback. The use of Pandoras Box and Widget Designer enables images to be played by projection and on LED areas, while a Virtual Studio Manager (VSM) system takes care of routing on all signal

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Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

THE SEAS channels as well as to additional players, such as AJA Ki Pro-Players. Lighting equipment from Elation, ETC and Martin Professional completes the dynamic visual infrastructure.

As well as supplying the projection and lighting technology, ASC installed an APG sound concept, consisting of 11 APG UL 210 line array cabinets, four APG TB215S subwoofers and six APG SB115 subwoofers for the main system, supplemented by 13 APG MX1GN loudspeakers, 22 APG DX8 loudspeakers and ten APG SMX 15 monitor loudspeakers for fills and delays.This system blends in perfectly with the scenery thanks to its sleek line-array design. Additional loudspeakers from KV2 Audio, as well as monitors from Genelec and JBL have been installed. Mixing requirements are taken care of by a DiGiCo SD8 digital console, and a Shure UHF-R Wireless microphone system and Shure PSM900/1000 IEMs are also in place.

Power is supplied, in the main, by Lab.gruppen C Series amplifiers and the audio is networked using QSC Q-Sys Core 500i DSP core.

ASC company founder, Ulrich Müller, commented on the collaborative venture between RCI and Meyer Werft: “In Two70, cruise passengers on Quantum of the Seas will be able to enjoy a 270º panoramic view throughout the day. At dusk, our projection and control equipment helps to carry guests in a smooth transition from day to night, and facilitates the projection of extraordinary imagery. This multi-dimensional technology can be used to support performances by live artists, singers, dancers, acrobats, and musicians. It is accompanied

by graphical and special effects, and boasts breath-taking video projection, digital landscapes, changing sensory worlds and top-level sound.”

The extraordinary coolux installation ensures that the different elements meet with seamless synergy. Ulrich continued: “This is the first time we have ever been involved with robots on a cruise liner.

The coolux system communicates its image data with a system which controls six roboscreens, each over two metres high and moved by dexterous robotic arms. The scenery created in this way, by being moved around and rotated, can be individualised or merged into one big image. Mechanical movement combined with content provided in real time produces an intensified visual experience which can be described as a kinetic art form in its own right.”

Quantum of the Seas was still under tender in 2012. In the summer of that year, RCI and Meyer Werft awarded the contract for installing the entertainment media systems on board to ASC. The integrators put together an internal engineering team during the two-year leadtime, and even changed its corporate structures in an ambitious move to accommodate what was then its biggest ever cruise liner order.

ASC quickly expanded its logistics and supply offerings, as well as its production facilities, enabling it to immediately begin with pre-production of 200 equipment racks for two boats - Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, which will be completed in April 2015. ASC will also deliver entertainment technology to a third RCI Quantum

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Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Class vessel - Ovation of the Seas.

Ulrich outlined: “Media installations on cruise ships tend to be among the more challenging projects in the event technology industry. You can’t just launch straight into it; you have to have years of experience and you have to acquaint yourself in depth with processes at the shipyard. Each manufacturer did their bit to ensure that with all the new features, it really is a fantastic system integration.”

ASC’s Managing Director, Leif Witte, added: “To finance a project like this you have to be able to demonstrate a certain level of size and strength as a company, and you have to present a convincing business plan. We did our homework and we have the right financial background, as well as experience in a range of business areas that relate to major projects. For instance: we don’t just focus on entertainment concepts. Because of our customer structure we are also very much at home in the world of conference systems and we can boast technical expertise in some other unusual areas. This includes broadcasting experience and cinema expertise. We are constantly striving to improve and raise our standards of quality.

“We carefully adapted our logistics to the procedures and challenges which Quantum of the Seas presented. The networking of the various systems - which meant especially control, projection, content management and audio network - was also a quantum leap for us into a new dimension. ‘Cruising into the future of entertainment’ has been the slogan for our media equipment work this time. By it, we wish to promote ourselves as a trustworthy partner for customer system integration and world-class entertainment in the maritime business.”

The challenges associated with projects like this aren’t just confined to strategic business considerations; maritime conditions put new pressures on the equipment too. For land-based projects,

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“This is the first time we have ever been involved with robots on a cruise liner. The coolux system communicates its image data with a system which controls six roboscreens, each over two metres high and moved by dexterous robotic arms.

Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Moment Factory’s visual impressions from the design stage

Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 11 x APG UL 210 line array cabinet; 4 x APG TB215S subwoofer; 6 x APG SB115 subwoofer; 13 x APG MX1GN loudspeaker; 22 x APG DX8 loudspeaker; 10 x APG SMX 15 monitor loudspeaker; 10 x APG SA30-2 amplifier; 7 x APG DMS48 loudspeaker controller; 4 x Genelec 8030A monitor; 6 x JBL STX812M monitor; 3 x Lab.gruppen C20-8 amplifier; 2 x Lab.gruppen C10-8 amplifier; 8 x Powersoft K6 amplifier; 8 x QSC CX902 amplifier; 1 x QSC CX204V amplifier; 1 x QSC Core 500i DSP core; 2 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayer; 1 x Pioneer DJM-900 mixer; 1 x Riedel RCP-1112 Artist matrix intercom panel; 1 x Riedel DCP-1116 Artist matrix intercom desktop station; Riedel headsets and belt packs; 8 x Shure P9TR-G7 wireless monitor transmitter / receiver; 10 x Shure SE425-CL in ear monitor lighting & visual 12 x Elation Platinum Wash ZFX Pro moving head; 24 x Elation Platinum Wash ZFX ProXL moving head; 24 x Elation Satura Spot LED Pro moving head; 6 x Elation Platinum Beam 5R Extreme moving head; 8 x Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II moving head; 11 x ADJ InnoScan LED scanner; 32 x ETC Selador Vivid-R Classic LED fixture; 4 x Martin Professional MAC Viper Performance moving head; 4 x Martin Professional MAC Viper Wash DX moving head; 8 x Martin Professional Atomic 3000 DMX strobe; 1 x Le Maitre MVS hazer; 1 x High End Systems Hog 4 Full Boar 4 digital lighting console; 1 x High End Systems Hog 4 playback wing; 1 x High End Systems Hog 4 DP8000 digital lighting console processor; 1 x Visual Productions B-Station lighting controller; 3 x coolux WidgetDesigner ULT V4 software package; 2 x coolux ServerQuadSTD4DVI-16SSD server; 5 x coolux ServerQuadLT4DVI-8SSD server; 15 x Panasonic PT-DZ21KE projector www.royalcaribbean.com/quantumoftheseas

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Image courtesy of Moment Factory

Image courtesy of Moment Factory Image courtesy of Moment Factory

Image courtesy of Moment Factory

integrators have a different approach to screwing or fixing technical equipment. With cruise ships, technicians have to plan everything that will go into a specific assembly process during the planning and construction phases. This requires intensive communication and a good working relationship with the ship planning engineers.

Another important consideration is the fact that the cruise ship swings all the time. ASC had to find solutions to absorb harmful vibrations caused by this movement, thus protecting all of the technical equipment. Line-arrays, subwoofers and racks have been protected using suspension wherever possible - minimising the negative effect unwanted vibrations can have on audio quality - while special measures to resist the damaging effects of salt water are a must for all of the equipment.

Keen to bring the technology to life and maximise its impact, RCI needed a show for Two70. Through a tender process, Moment Factory’s Starwater was selected and is now a permanent performance attraction for the space.

Starwater is Moment Factory’s first original theatrical production. The story is inspired by the beauty of the sea and the skies, and has been written and designed specifically for the 400-seat room. Moment Factory’s creative team, in collaboration with RCI’s entertainment directors, created a narrative inspired by the The Muse - Starwater’s protagonist. Balancing strength and beauty, she takes the audience on an almost hour-long experiential multimedia journey. The show combines Two70’s immersive technologies with 16 performing artists, including singers, dancers, aerialists and a cellist.

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“The networking of the various systems - which meant especially control, projection, content management and audio network - was also a quantum leap for us into a new dimension.

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21/08/2014 14:29

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Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Moment Factory’s visual impressions from the design stage

Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

Image courtesy of Royal Caribbean

“We went through a first pitch to give a sense of how we interpreted the beautiful room, how we could use everything that’s in it and create a storyline that would be universal and that would touch everyone’s feelings,” explained Moment Factory’s Senior Art Director, Marie Claire Lagacé. “Moment Factory has a lot of expertise in everything that’s multimedia. Being that the room has the screens, with a lot of projection, we produced not just a show with the video but with artists as well. Everything is very cinematographic. Music-wise, RCI adored the message we were creating; they understood that the performers and the performance would be integrated. We created elements that were quite simple, that would actually use the room in different points of view. If someone is watching the show again but from a new viewpoint, it will look fresh and different.”

Moment Factory embraced the unusual conditions associated with working on a floating venue said Multimedia Director, Simon Garant: “Being on a ship is like being in another world. Just waiting for the power to be able to plug in a computer or to access internet communication with the Montreal team. Being in sea trials and seeing our projectors shaking and moving. Feeling the floor moving for the dancers. It was all a different experience. We needed to find ways of adapting to those kinds of situations.”

But the extra pressure wasn’t a hindrance, revealed Claire: “There’s always pressure, of course. But there’s also pressure that we put on ourselves, which is even more challenging than the pressure we receive from the conditions. The relationship with RCI was really good - we got a lot of support from them - and that partnership really helped to make this happen.

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“I think those challenges are part of what made our team stronger we had to really communicate. That’s also rewarding. We just finished a post-mortem and that’s the outcome. It’s all about making it happen and making sure we’re as tight as possible in these crazy circumstances.”

Quantum of the Seas has taken the cruise ship experience to a new level and in realising its state-of-the-art elements, collaborators like ASC and Moment Factory have had the opportunity to grow and develop. ASC’s Managing Director, Leif Witte, believes that the order for the Quantum Class represents the beginning of a new era for ASC. “Working in collaboration with design and planning engineers at RCI and our procurement and engineering partners at Meyer Shipyard, we have been able to develop the entertainment technology for a new generation of cruise liners. Our shipping team integrated entertainment equipment into the infrastructure and architecture of Quantum of the Seas to help the shipping company succeed in its mission of uniting innovation and entertainment to arrive at a completely new kind of experience.

“We are very proud of the fact that we, as a German service provider, managed to win the bid amid stiff international competition. The collaboration has enriched our technical expertise with some very valuable experience. We did an enormous amount of homework at ASC and extended our workshop and production facilities in Hamburg to enable us to carefully assemble and punctually deliver more than 200 equipment racks. This is how the Quantum Class brought us into a new dimension of organisation and logistics.”

Extremely reverberant spaces

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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.

Huge room volumes

Parallel wall mounting Large and high ceilings Highly reflective surfaces

Visual unobtrusiveness

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SHANGHAI

SHANGHAI SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA HALL SHANGHAI, CHINA

ASIA/PACIFIC/OCEANIA

In the West the industrial revolution took place over some 200 years. In China this change is taking place in a matter of a few decades. The pace is staggering and includes innovative thinking when it comes to the ambition and courage of its contemporary architecture.

The newly opened Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall (SSO) includes recording studios and post production IOSONO 3D sound facilities, with four Rupert Neve Designs 5088 discrete analogue mixing consoles. All recording facilities were designed and constructed by SIWEI Music Engineering Design Group (SWD Group).

As Europe and America continue to debate the merits of classical music elsewhere in the world and in particular China people are happily discovering and consuming it. It is estimated that some 60 million Chinese are learning to play the piano. Building the cultural palaces of the future is the challenge and inspiration for architects and installers, as they compete to create the venues with the most ‘wow’ factor. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall, officially opened on 6 September 2014 is one such project.

Covering a floor space of 19,950 sq metres the SSO has become a new cultural landmark in Shanghai. The world-class facility consists of a 1,200-seat main concert hall, a 400-seat chamber and recording facility and an entrance hall with the foyer spaces interconnecting the three halls in a four-storey basement.

The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra - Asia’s oldest orchestra, founded in 1879 - became China’s first organisation to hire the acoustician before the architect. Best known for his work on Los Angeles’ Walt Disney Concert Hall, superstar acoustic designer Yasuhisa Toyota approved both the design and the architect, Arata

Isozaki. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra administrators took research trips to famous international venues at the start of the design process. From the outset the ambition of the building was huge. Yashisa commented: “We were not constructing a common building, but making a great musical instrument.” He promised audiences that “every seat is a golden seat” in the main concert hall and chamber hall.

The main concert hall adopts acoustic timber panels for the ceiling and walls ‘floating’ in front of the three-dimensionally curved outer skin. All the luminaries for the architectural lighting, as well as stage lighting are integrated within the acoustic panels to avoid visual clutter in space. Lighting was designed by Arup lighting. To support the architects and their design goals, Arup conducted extensive lighting analysis for different lighting scenarios accommodating different settings for performances. The simulations with advanced software packages ensure sufficient illumination of the space, while fulfilling the tight restrictions on the luminaire mounting position for acoustic design.

The lighting truss in the concert hall is flexible and can be assembled freely. Both in the chamber hall and concert hall the installed lighting consoles are ETC Ion and ETC Element. Truss fixtures include ETC Source Four PAR MCM Series.

In order to block out the vibrations and noise from the metro, which lies within six metres of the venue, Yasuhisa and Arata built the concert hall on 300 base isolators. Known as China’s first ‘floating building’, the concert hall actually sits on giant steel springs, the first time the technology has been used in the country. Arata designed two-thirds of the hall’s construction below ground level, so that the building is no more than 18-metres at its highest, fitting naturally

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“With the IOSONO 3D sound studio, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will establish a firm status in artistry as well as technology.” amid the surrounding buildings and residential compounds dating to the early 20th Century French Concession period.

The chamber hall offers capacity for large ensembles as well as a recording studio and IOSONO 3D holographic and post-production facilities, designed and constructed by SWD Group. For decades, since the dismantling of the recording studio of the China Record Shanghai Corporation, Shanghai has not had a venue big enough to hold large recordings. The new facility is the world’s first concert hall with an IOSONO 3D holographic post-production studio. IOSONO is an innovative provider of 3D audio solutions for cinema, events, and entertainment. Based in Erfurt, Germany, since its foundation in 2004, IOSONO has quickly become one of the technology leaders in the area of 3D Audio. The product range includes audio processors for surround playback as well as authoring software.

In October last year, Belgian visual technology company Barco acquired IOSONO, rebranding it Barco Audio Technologies.

In May 2013 after successful construction of the very first SWDIOSONO studio in China, IOSONO continued to expand its presence in the country by establishing an office on the ground, IOSONO China in partnership with SWD Group. At the SSO the control room for the recording studio is situated just beside the stage two floors up on the second level. The control room for the chamber hall is on the third floor overlooking the chamber hall. Both are about 10 sq metres and both can be used for multi-track work and have a reverb time of around 0.25 seconds and a very smooth frequency response. Tie lines via including MADI can be fed to the 5.1 surround post-production studio. In the SSO 3D holographic post-production studio, the IOSONO system can export different kinds of audio formats according to different needs, such as 5.1, 7.1, 11.1, making possible the fact that one production method exports different sound format. The integration of five surround speakers and one subwoofer, matching up with top-of-the-line acoustic module of ZSOUND promises a perfect sound recording. “With the IOSONO 3D Sound Studio, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will establish a firm status in artistry as well as in technology,” said Siwei Zou, CEO of SWD Group.

Another major factor that will ensure the success of the recording studio is the choice of recording console, a Rupert Neve Designs 5088 discrete analogue mixing console. Universally acknowledged as a mixer with unrivalled pedigree, it can record and reproduce sound with unmatched precision, presenting an all-round and touchable sound. The 5088 is the culmination of Rupert Neve’s vast analogue circuitry knowledge. As his first fully discrete mixing design in over 30 years, the 5088 incorporates and improves upon many of the same concepts used in his most prized vintage designs, such as high voltage, single sided, fully discrete amplification and complete transformer isolation, which helped make those original designs famous. These elements provide extended frequency response and dynamic range, a tremendously low noise floor and

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immense headroom.

The channel module is designed to effectively handle multiple normal led sources, creating master, group and aux mixes with great efficiency and ease. Its SwiftMix moving fader automation is built around state of the art motorized faders and DAW control over Ethernet. All object-based sound creation can be produced in the Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) sound production studio. The recording medium in use is Pro Tools DAW: Pro Pools HDX with Apogee Symphony IO and Mac Pro Thunderbolt Chassis, HD recorders and backup-tape recorders. The outboard equipment includes Drawmer 1969 Mercenary Edition, Drawmer Vacuum 1961 Tube Equaliser and TC 6000 electronic reverb. In terms tie lines, broadcast feeds and other cabling facilities SWD has opted to use extensive MADI facilities. Chief Engineer at SWD Group, Iverson Hsu commented: “We reserved enough patch-bays to meet the output needs of different signals, such as flexible large multi audio channel routing. And Madi can implement audio format to ensure lossless, multiple-channel, multifunctional transfer, over potentially long distances.”

Loudspeakers in the recording studios include three-way active Tri-AmpPack GL68HR by ATC, (Acoustic Transducer Company).

Sound engineers and mixers from SWD Group will support on the major performances when required by SSO. Acoustically, when designing the recording studio control room facility, SWD Group adopted the combination of acoustic modules, acoustic transmission cloth and aluminium alloy perforation plates

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to ensure the perfect sound transparent rate. In the term of sound insulation design, the multi-adoption of air conditioner pipe sound insulation, ‘sandwich’ style sound-proof wall, full of polyester, sound lock, sound-proof door, to the largest extent, guaranteed professionalisation and standardisation of post-production studio.

The inner design of the 5.1 surround post-production studio is an insertion strip style installation, ensuring the aesthetics of the whole studio. Meanwhile, the inner acoustical environment conforms to highest international acoustic standard, ITU1116.

The overall space boasts its design of no parallel surface. The unique inner design, natural cavity, as well as low frequency absorption in the design over comes any issues with standing waves. The post-production studio reaches a level that no other recording studios in China can compete. IOSONO system can record and reproduce sound in four dimensions with unmatched precision, presenting an all-round and touchable sound, promising a wholly immersive experience. And based on that, the IOSONO

system in use makes SSO a technology leader in the industry.

Work on the new SSO venue began for SWD Group at the end of 2012 with project planning and work on site commencing in February 2014. The recording system and 5.1 surround postproduction studio were finished in August 2014, while the IOSONO 3D sound post production studio was finished in November 2014.

Professor Lu Xiaoxing who works at Shanghai Conservatory of Music the first Chinese Grammy winner, world-renowned sound engineer and a senior consultant with SWD Group, commented: “A 3D system in a venue like this is completely new. It will be possible to preserve concert experiences and bring them to audiences that were not able to enjoy the music in this great hall. IOSONO’s 3D sound is a big step in perceiving music and this will be a big trend for the future.” The 3D sound recording studio is using an IOSONO audio system with four layers of speakers. For a seamless content creation work flow sound engineers will use IOSONO’s spatial audio workstation and Anymix Pro plug-ins, producing immersive 3D

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“We’re happy to spend more money on high quality components and less on marketing, because we believe this quality will translate to more satisfied clients, on whom we can then rely to help spread the word for us.” and surround mixes.

Many of the microphones SWD Group used in the SSO project are made by sE Electronics - an audio manufacturer owned by the SWD Group - including its flagship sE Rupert Neve Signature Series microphones. sE’s Brand Manager, Chris Dauray commented: “sE is proud to continue the old-world traditions of microphone manufacturing - this means treating all mic capsules as musical instruments, and hand-crafting them as such. We’re happy to spend more money on high quality components and less on marketing, because we believe this quality will translate to more satisfied clients, on whom we can then rely to help spread the word for us. Being a part of this amazing new building - and included side-by-side with other world-class manufacturers like Rupert Neve Designs, DPA, Schoeps, and Neumann - makes us very happy.” Iverson explained why several sE Rupert Neve RNR1 ribbon microphones are used in the SSO project: “The traditional appeal of the condenser has been the assumption of consistent frequency response from 20Hz to 20kHz. Traditionally engineers using ribbons, however expensive, have had to accept their significant frequency limitations or have had to augment the recording with a condenser mic to capture the high frequency absent from the ribbon output. The RNR1 used in the SSO project, which sE co-designed with Rupert Neve, is the world’s first ribbon microphone to offer the same consistency of frequency response, from 20Hz right up to 25kHz, while retaining the fullness

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and warmth people have come to love about ribbon mics.”

Coming from the US, SWD Group is the first professional team engaging in ‘Music Engineering Design’ in China. Adrian Guo, SWD Group’s Marcom Supervisor of Marketing said: “We keep a foothold in high-end design, endeavouring to create world-class audiovisual studios, cinemas and theatres, media centres, high-end home theatres, multi-media labs and so on.”

The founder of the SWD Group, Siwei Zou, an American who graduated from the composition department of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, is a master of music engineering. Once was the conductor and composer of Shanghai Opera Theatre, and the visiting scholar of California University, Zou now acts as the senior consultant of Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, board member of San Francisco Conservatory of Music, guest professor of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and the president of the internationally famous microphone company sE Electronics.

Other key members on the team include: Keith Olsen, a Grammy winning record producer and sound engineer; Andy Munro, a worldrenowned musical engineer, studio designer and technology leader in professional audio; Jürg Jecklin, the professor of Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst Wien; Tony Grimani, one of the standard-setters of THX, former manager of engineering department of Dolby Laboratories, president and chief consultant of PMI; and Professor Lu Xiaoxing.

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FRANÇAIS

D’une superficie de 19 950 m², la salle de Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall est devenue un nouveau point de repère culturel de la ville ; c’est aussi le premier organisme de Chine à embaucher l’acousticien avant l’architecte. Mieux connu pour sa réalisation de la salle de concert Walt Disney de Los Angeles, le concepteur acoustique Yasuhisa Toyota a donné son accord à la fois pour la conception et pour le choix de l’architecte, Arata Isozaki. Toyota explique : « Nous ne construisions pas un bâtiment ordinaire, mais un grand instrument de musique. » L’éclairage fut imaginé par l’entreprise Arup Lighting qui a aussi mené de vastes études de l’éclairage, utilisant différents scénarios de lumière afin de répondre aux différents cadres de spectacles. Toyota et Isozaki édifièrent la salle de concert sur 300 isolateurs de base, afin de bloquer les vibrations et le bruit venant du métro qui se trouve à six mètres de la salle. Reconnue comme premier « bâtiment flottant » de Chine, la salle de concert repose effectivement sur des ressorts en acier géants ; une première en terme d’utilisation de cette technologie dans le pays.

C’est aussi la première salle de concert au monde munie d’un studio de postproduction holographique IOSONO 3D. Le studio d’enregistrement sonore en 3D utilise un système audio IOSONO avec quatre couches de haut-parleurs. Pour obtenir une création de contenus en continu et homogènes, les ingénieurs du son utilisent une plateforme « Spatial Audio » et des plug-ins Anymix Pro d’IOSONO, qui produisent une combinaison de sons immersifs et ambiophoniques en 3D. Long Yu, l’actuel Directeur musical de l’Orchestre Symphonique de Shanghai résume le projet en disant : « Nous sommes très heureux, le son est magnifique. »

DEUTSCH

The new concert hall opened to much praise for its acoustics and architecture. Guest conductor of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Gustavo Dudamel after leading the debut performance compared the new hall to a Stradivarius violin. “Having such a wonderful concert hall of its own, the orchestra will be able to “develop a sound, a personality, a soul”, he said. Chinese pianist Lang lang, violinist Maxim Vengerov and Yo-Yo Ma have all performed concerts in the new venue in recent months. Long Yu, SSO’s current Music Director summarised the end result: “We are so happy, the sound is gorgeous.” Concluding Siwei Zou said: “Siwei Music Engineering Design Group is aiming at create the new form of culture of Shanghai, even in China. And at the same time, SIWEI Music Engineering Design is gradually showcasing its profession and accomplishment in acoustic and audio fields via Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall project. The innovative integration of artistry and technology surly will wow music lovers all over the world.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND

IOSONO 3D audio system; 1 x Rupert Neve Designs 5088 discrete analogue mixer; ATC Tri-AmpPack GL68HR three way active loudspeakers; sE Rupert Neve RN17 microphones; sE Rupert Neve RNR1 microphones; sE Voodoo VR2 microphones; sE T2 microphones; Neumann U87 microphones; DPA 4006A microphones; DPA 4011A microphones; Schoeps MK4 microphones; 1 x Drawmer 1969 mercenary edition preamplifier; 1 x Drawmer Vacuum 1961 tube equaliser; 1 x TC Electronic System 6000 reverb

LIGHTING

ETC Ion lighting consoles; ETC Element lighting consoles; ETC Source Four PAR MCM Series fixtures www.sh-symphony.com

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Die Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall mit ihren 19.950 Quadratmetern Grundfläche ist zu einem neuen kulturellen Wahrzeichen in Shanghai geworden. Sie ist die erste Organisation Chinas, die den Akustiker vor dem Architekten angeworben hat. Der Akustikdesigner Yasuhisa Toyota, der für seine Arbeit in der Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles bestens bekannt ist, hat sowohl das Design wie auch den Architekten Arata Isozaki anerkannt. Toyota kommentierte: “Wir haben kein übliches Gebäude gebaut, sondern haben ein großes Musikinstrument gemacht.” Die Beleuchtung wurde durch Arup lighting entworfen.

Arup führte umfassende Beleuchtungsanalysen für verschiedene Lichtszenarien durch, die verschiedene Einstellungen an die jeweilige Aufführung anpassen. Um die Vibrationen und Geräusche der Metro abzublocken, die sechs Meter unter dem Veranstaltungsort liegt, haben Toyota und Isozaki die Konzerthalle auf 300 Standardisolatoren errichtet.

Die Konzerthalle, die in China als erstes ‘schwimmendes Gebäude’ bekannt ist, steht in der Tat auf riesigen Stahlfedern. Es ist das erste Mal, das diese Technik in dem Land eingesetzt wurde. Die neue Einrichtung ist weltweit die erste Konzerthalle mit einem holographischen 3D-Postproduktionsstudio von IOSONO. Das 3D-Tonstudio verwendet ein Audiosystem von IOSONO mit vier Lautsprecherschichten. Für den übergangslosen Workflow zur Inhaltserstellung benutzen die Toningenieure die Spatial Audio Workstation und Anymix Pro-Anschlüsse von IOSONO, die immersive 3D-Surround-Mischungen produzieren. Long Yu, der derzeitige Musikdirektor von SSO resümierte das Endergebnis folgendermaßen: “Wir sind so glücklich,der Sound ist fantastisch.”

ITALIANO

Con una superficie di 19.950 m², la Symphony Orchestra Hall è diventata un nuovo marchio culturale a Shanghai, diventando la prima organizzazione cinese ad assumere i tecnici del suono prima dell’architetto. Più conosciuto per aver lavorato alla Walt Disney Concert Hall di Los Angeles, il progettista del suono Yasuhisa Toyota ha approvato sia il progetto che l’architetto Arata Isozaki. Toyota ha commentato: “Non stavamo costruendo un edificio comune, ma un grande strumento musicale”.

L’impianto luci è stato progettato da Arup Lighting che ha analizzato grandi impianti luci per diversi scenari di illuminazione adattandosi a diversi tipi di performance. Inoltre per bloccare le vibrazioni e il rumore dal metro, che si trova a sei metri dal locale, Toyota e Isozaki hanno costruito la Concert Hall sulla base di 300 isolati. Conosciuto come il primo “edificio fluttuante” in China la Concert Hall effettivamente si siede su giganti falle di acciaio ed era la prima volta che la tecnologia veniva usata nel paese. La nuova struttura è la prima Concert Hall al mondo con uno studio olografico post-produzione IOSONO 3D. Lo studio di registrazione 3D usa un sistema audio IOSONO con 4 altoparlanti. Per un contenuto senza soluzione di continuità del flusso di lavoro, gli ingegneri del IOSONO useranno delle Spatial Audio Workstation e dei plug-in Anymix Pro della Iosono che producono degli intensi mix 3D e surround. Long Yu, l’attuale direttore musicale della SSO, ha sintetizzato i risultati finali: “Siamo felici, il suono è incredibile”.

ESPAÑOL

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra Hall cubre una superficie de 19.950 metros cuadrados y se ha convertido en un nuevo punto de referencia cultural en Shanghai; convirtiéndose en la primera organización de China en contratar al especialista en acústica antes que al arquitecto. Más conocido por su labor en el Auditorio Walt Disney de Los Angeles, el diseñador de acústica, Yasuhisa Toyota, aprobó tanto al diseño como al arquitecto, Arata Isozaki. Toyota comentó: “No estábamos construyendo un edificio común sino creando un gran instrumento musical”. La iluminación fue diseñada por Arup lighting. Arup condujo extensos analisis en cuanto a la iluminación para distintos escenarios de iluminación adaptándose a diferentes puestas para las interpretaciones. Para aislar las vibraciones y el ruido del Metro, el cual recorre seis metros del lugar, Toyota e Isozaki construyeron un auditorio sobre 300 bases aislantes.

Conocido como el “primer edificio flotante de China”, el auditorio de hecho, descansa sobre resortes de acero gigantes, la primera vez que fue utilizada esta tecnología en el país. Las nuevas instalaciones corresponden al primer auditorio del mundo con un estudio de producción holográfica IOSONO 3D. El estudio de grabación de sonido 3D utiliza un sistema de audio IOSONO con cuatro filas de parlantes. Para lograr un flujo constante de creación de contenido, los ingenieros en sonido utilizarán el Puesto de Audio Espacial de IOSONO y los plug-ins de Anymix Pro, para producir mezclas 3D envolventes. Long Yu, el actual Director de Música de SSO resumió el resultado final: “Estamos tan contentos; el sonido es precioso”.

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PLAYBOY HYDERABAD, INDIA Asia/Pacific/oceania

The first of its kind to open in India, Playboy club in the Novotel, Hyderabad, aims to create a surreal atmosphere and an immersive nightclub experience for its guests. Encompassing 6,000 sq ft over two floors, it offers gourmet food, premium drinks and entertainment from internationally renowned bands and DJs, through a powerful sound system and dazzling light installation. Playboy club opened as a franchise of Playboy Enterprises in collaboration with PB Lifestyle India, which contracted Light Vision India (LVI) for the lighting installation. Satish Rana, Principal Designer from LVI who performed the installation explained that the design brief was a simple but challenging one. He said: “The owners envisioned it being a dynamic, ever-changing lighting environment. They didn’t want Playboy club to look like a typical club.” Satish’s task was to create a design that was both unique and unconventional, while still creating a subtle party atmosphere for guests. To accomplish this, he explained: “I decided

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on an installation that was more like a concert or theatrical production that would integrate with the music and sound.”

Beginning with the lighting design, Satish selected Martin Professional fixtures. He installed a bevy of Martin Professional moving heads including three Rush MH2 Washes, three Rush MH1 Profile LED spotlights, three MAC 101 LED washlights and two Rush MH3 Beams. The fixtures are ceiling mounted throughout the venue. This variety gives a remarkably wide range of lighting effects and colour variations. Both of which Satish emphasisies “are as important as the music, furnishings and amenities, in setting the mood and atmosphere of the venue. I wanted a lighting system that could go from subtly complementing the elegant interior finishes and materials, to transporting dancers and partygoers into an otherworldly experience of ever-changing colours, moving spotlights, strobes and effects.”

Martin Professional provided the products to achieve this.

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To create the Playboy bunny logo synonymous with the brand, compact Pollux spotlights from ERCO were used in various locations; which not only serve as a branding tool but also gives the space “a definitive language”. EL Lights EL Tape was used for vertical highlights. The EL Tape is energy efficient, discreet at just 0.02mm thick, and generates very little heat. All the coves and bar counter panels are lit up using LED strips, from Osram, which were used to create long seamless bands of light. Design proved not to be the only challenge; time was also a constraint. “From the beginning the timeline for Playboy club project was extremely tight,” said Satish. “LVI’s biggest challenge was the turn around, and we managed to achieve the desired effects in that time frame quite successfully given the help and special support extended by the Martin Professional India team.”

With the lighting system complete, it was time to turn the attention to audio to complete the venue. White Eagle Entertainment, which

specialise in audiovisual integrated solutions, was responsible for the installation of the sound systems. Arun Kalra, explained the process of creating an audio set-up that could not only deliver power, but tonal quality and even coverage too. In Arun’s opinion the venue was unique in terms of its size and high ceilings. Arun and his team designed the sound system using Outline’s Open Array simulation software. The software predicts the results expected from an installation of Outline products, providing a detailed loudspeaker placement guide to ensure the correct set-up procedure from an acoustic and mechanical point of view. “At first we designed a line array system,” explained Arun.

“But due to the budget we also had to consider a point source system which in the end provided an ideal solution.” The main sound system on the dancefloor comprises four Outline Doppia II 9075 three-way loudspeakers, chosen for their dual 12-inch woofers, single 10-inch mid-range driver and their three-inch high frequency compression

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driver. In the surrounding areas Arun specified two Outline Eidos 15’s and eight Outline Eidos 12’s, loudspeakers which both have high SPL capabilities. Two Outline Eidos 118S subwoofers extend the low frequency response. Four Outline DBS 18-2i multi-purposes loudspeakers are also in place for infills. A selection of Outline amplifiers provide power for the sound system, specifically Arun selected the four Outline M5000-4 amplifers and one T20-1 amplifier. While for loudspeaker management two Apex Intelli Z2 processors are in place. “The Intelli Z2 processors are four in, eight out units, which provide us with FIR filtering and great sound quality,” said Arun.

For control a Yamaha LS9-32 digital mixer was chosen for being lightweight and easy to set-up, plus a Pioneer DJM-2000 DJ mixer featuring a peak limiter that allows playback while limiting distortion at maximum output levels.

Through the use of colour, geometric panelling and lighting design Playboy club has a rich yet subtle quality. The clever use of spot lighting highlights points in the room, whilst the use of LED strips alone in others, masks the space in a pink hue. In order to enter the club, guests must first walk through a dark and dimly lit tunnel space.

When you consider the contrast of this to the colour effects, spotlights, and light beams synchronised with the music as they reach the main room; it is not hard to see what sort of impact it would have on patrons. “As opening night arrived, the team at LVI was geared to see everyone’s reactions to the installation first hand”, explained Satish.

“All the people who entered had the same expressions on their faces, a look that said ‘wow’ that look was the reward for all our sleepless nights and hard work!”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND

4 x Outline Doppia II 9075 loudspeaker; 2 x Outline Eidos 15 loudspeaker; 8 x Outline Eidos 12 loudspeaker; 2 x Outline Eidos 118S subwoofer; 4 x Outline DBS 18-2i loudspeaker; 4 x Outline M5000-4 Amplifier; 1 x Outline T20-1 amplifier; 2 x Apex Intelli Z2 processor; 1 x Pioneer DJM-2000 DJ mixer; 4 x Pioneer CDJ-2000 multiplayer; 1 x Yamaha LS9-32 digital mixer

LIGHTING

3 x Martin Professional RUSH MH2 Wash moving head; 3 x Martin Professional RUSH MH1 Profile LED spotlight; 2 x Martin Professional Rush MH3 Beam moving head; 3 x Martin Professional MAC 101 LED washlight; 3 x ERCO Pollux spotlight; EL Light EL Tape; Osram LED strips www.playboyindia.co.in

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IN BUSINE S S LDI, LAS VEGAS ATTENDED BY JAMIE DIXON

INTERBEE, TOKYO ATTENDED BY RACHAEL ROGERSON

JTSE, PARIS ATTENDED BY LAURA IIES

PRODUCT LAUNCH

YAMAHA - RIVAGE PM10

PRODUCT GUIDE AMPLIFIERS

PRODUCT DIRECTORY

In our In Business section this issue, Jamie opens with his report on the highlights from LDI, Las Vegas.

InterBEE 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of the show, you can read all the details on Japan’s largest audio, video and communications professional exhibition.

Then its over to JTSE in Paris where Laura caught up with exhibitors new and old, at the event.

The product launch of Yamaha’s RIVAGE PM10 digital mixing system, on the eve InterBEE in Tokyo was a dedicated invite only event that mondo*dr - as the only member of the UK press - was privileged to attend.

The Product Guide focusses on the various amplifiers available on the market. And finally, in our Last Page Interview we meet Alex Bryan, Export Manager at Fenix.

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1. The Antari team. 2. The Phillips press conference. 3. Cecil Fredriksen of Martin Professional. 4. The coolux stand. 5. David Venus (left) with collegues, proudly showing their Parnelli Award. 6. Kate Giannoulas (right) and colleague of Omnisystem. 7. Marina Prak (left) and the rest of the Prolyte team. 8. The Lightwave stand 9. The ETC stand.

LDI

LAS VEGAS After spending a few sun-soaked days in super-hip LA visiting some of America’s finest audio and lighting companies, I found myself on a short domestic flight heading to the bright lights of Las Vegas for this year’s LDI conference and tradeshow.

As always I was greeted with the friendly, hospitable and hectic welcome that only Las Vegas can offer.

As a relative newbie to the industry and with only one prior visit to LDI, I wondered if the buzz and vibrancy of the hedonistic city would filter into the atmosphere of the tradeshow, it’s fair to say I wasn’t disappointed.

At 10am on 21 November 2014 the doors to the conference centre opened and

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the eager guests began to descend on the halls like a Boxing Day sale. I got the feeling this was going to be a busy show!

Highlights from this year’s LDI included the unveiling of Le Maitre’s new, low-consumption hazer - the EcoHazer - which uses a brand new heating system borne out of Le Maitre’s R&D team’s experience developing the HazeMaster.

The show also saw Robe celebrating the grand finale of its 20th anniversary festivities, exhibiting several well-established products including its BMFL Spot, as well as newer additions, the agile new air cutter, miniPointe.

CORE Lighting was in attendance for the second year running, showing off

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10. Bruce Baum of Le Maitre. 11. Larry Beck and Eric Loader of Elation Professional. 12. Oliver Braun of B&K Braun. 13. Laser pioneers Dusan Navara and Justin Perry on the Kvant booth. 14.

The A.C. Lighting stand. 15. A.T.C. Lighting represents Wireless Solution, MDG, Clay Paky, Robert Juliat and MA Lighting in the US market. 16. TPi’s Hannah Eakins, Katherine Walmsley and Michael Brooksbank of Chauvet and Lindsay Gouldthorpe and Mark Walsh of BPM / PRO with a flamboyant friend. 17. mondo*dr’s Jamie Dixon and Jack Lee looking smooth on the Global Truss stand. 18. Siggi Ruff (left) and colleague on the LPS stand. 19. The Avolites gang. 20. Lightconverse gives mondo*dr the thumbs up. 21. The GLP stand. 22. A busy Osram stand.

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1. The Altman Lighting stand. 2. Meetings on the DTS stand. 3. The Rosco stand. 4. The Robe stand was constantly busy. 5. Tara Walley of Airstar. 6. Kris Dawsel and Alfred Gonzales of American DJ. 7. The Spotlight stand. 8. TMB represents Green Hippo in The States. 9. The LDR stand.

two of its new releases - the PinPoint and the ColourPoint MK2, while High End Systems teamed up with Parasole Systems to feature the STAR600 as its centre attraction alongside Shapeshifter C2 moving heads and Solaspot Pro 1500’s.

Visual Productions was present to exhibit its range of lighting control software for Mac, PC & Linux and solid-state hardware controllers including the CueCore. And ArKaos hit this year’s show hard with four half-day training courses on the use of its MediaMaster software.

For its 100th year of trading, Phillips Entertainment Lighting showcased award-winning products from their Philips Selecon, Showline, Philips Strand Lighting and Philips Vari-Lite lines and hosted a champagne reception.

In true transatlantic tradition, the US’s Rose Brand teamed up with the UK’s Triple E to showcase Triple E’s combined chain-driven ERAIL system, while fresh from the PRO show in Birmingham, Elation Professional’s Sniper projector made its North American debut alongside other products and professional lighting innovations from the manufacturer.

DJ and Lighting Designer, Arnoldo Offermann, in conjunction with American DJ, conducted a full day of training on Arkaos GrandVJ, demonstrating video mapping and the composition of up to eight layers of video on the fly. New on display from Wireless Solution was the W-DMX UglyBox MK2, a compact new wireless signal tester, the W-DMX COB, a transceiver solution in an ultra compact size, as well as the new NANO RDM RX, the company’s next phase of wireless RDM receivers.

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Over on Avolites booth, the brand new Quartz console made its debut, which went down well with the visitors. Clay Paky delivered an excellent haul, providing the first previews of its Mythos, Supersharpy and Stormy projectors.

Sunday was met with the familiar malaise that the final days of a tradeshow often bring, and it became clear that Vegas had left no prisoners for exhibitors and guests alike.

The feeling all round was one of contentment and relative tranquillity, which permitted me some final goodbyes and the opportunity for some all-important exhibitor feedback.

Although some time is needed before an exhibitor can truly establish the success of a show, it would seem that the majority were pleased with both the quality and quantity of attendees and enquiries alike, with expectations both met and surpassed.

Las Vegas is a city that often divides opinion, and while I find myself sitting on the fence, I thoroughly enjoyed meeting with colleagues and friends of the industry to help make this year’s LDI one to remember.

I could certainly write more about my four days in one of the world’s most renowned cities but, as they say, ‘what happens in Vegas...’ you know the rest.

LDI returns to the Las Vegas Convention Center on 23-25 November this year. For more information go to: www.ldishow.com

Built for the Weather. Built for the Game.

AQUATOPIA AQUARIUM, ANTWERP, BELGIUM

THAMMASAT STADIU, PATHUMTHANI, THAILAND

SPEED SKATING STADIUM, SOCHI. RUSSIA

EDWARD JONES DOME | ST. LOUIS, MO

COWBOYS STADIUM | ARLINGTON, TX

onesystems.com

CHAMPIONS SQUARE | NEW ORLEANS, LA

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1. Prolyte Japan, All Creation and A.C. Lighting shared a stand. 2. Otaritec distribute d&b audiotechnik, XTA and Genelec in the Japanese market. 3. The K-array stand. 4. Stephen Richards of Amphenol flanked by colleagues from the Japanese office. 5. Visitors took a keen interest in the L-Acoustics K2 system. 6. Out Board’s Robin Whittaker with Masahiro Ilzuka. 7. Hiroshi Kubota of TOA. 8. James Gordon and Ian Staddon of DiGiCo flank Akira Noguchi of Hibino. 9. Andy Davies and Yusuke ‘Loki’ Karato on the Martin Audio stand.

INTERBEE TOKYO

When it comes to travelling East for tradeshows or installations, there is no need to tell most of you that the majority of the time, you’ll find the same face from mondo*dr in that part of the world. Despite my best efforts to get to all the major countries in the APAC region - so that I have a fully rounded view of the industry in that part of the world - there are a few places I’ve yet to tick off the list. However, a last minute decision in November last year meant I managed to fulfil a trip to one of those sought after destinations, Japan.

Broadcast focussed show InterBEE took place at the Makuhari Messe, located in the Mihama-ku area of Chiba city, just outside of central Tokyo from 19-21 No-

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vember 2014. The exhibition welcomed a record number of 977 companies spread across 1,773 stands, including 543 exhibitors from 33 countries. Visitor numbers also reached a record high with the final total confirmed at 37,959.

Being my first time in Japan makes it difficult for me to pass judgement as I have no comparison, but the general vibe on the show floor was positive. This was backed up not only by the figures but also by the presence of manufacturers who had flown in to support their distribution partners. Representatives from DiGiCo, Prolyte, EAW, Nexo, Amphenol, Martin Audio, Roland, Out Board, Dataton and Harman were all present at the show. ,

ads-236x333mm.indd 1

24/11/14 2:15 pm

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1. Satoshi Yamaguchi of Media Integration with Dan Page of DiGiGrid. 2. Lars Sandlund of Dataton with President of Laguna Hills, Izumi Higasayama. 3. Yong-il Kim and Edward Chia of Bosch. 4.

The Audio-Technica stand. 5. Nexo’s Manabu Takeda, Denis Baudier, Tatsuya ‘Tatsu’ Arakawa and Nicolas Kirsch. 6. The TC Group team. 7. Harman’s Rodney Houston (centre) with Hibino’s Yoshi Tadokoro (right) and colleague. 8. The Onkyo Tokki team line up with EAW’s James Bamlett. 9. The RCF stand.

The 2014 event marked the 50th anniversary of InterBEE, which has been held each year since the inaugural event. The celebrations included a live entertainment event on the second day of the exhibition, and the introduction of a new show feature in the form of a line array demonstration area. Companies that participated included d&b audiotechnik with its Y-Series, TOA’s HX-7 compact arrays, the VTX Series from JBL, Meyer Sound’s Mina, Martin Audio and its MLA, Nexo’s STM Series, EAW’s Anya, the K2 system from L-Acoustics and Coda Audio’s LA12 three-way line array.

As well as the show celebrating its 50th anniversary, so too was Hibino, one of the country’s leading distributors. The company supplies Coda Audio, Camco, DPA, Calrec and DiGiCo products to the Japanese market, as well as the Harman catalogue of brands through its professional audio sales division.

With little else on offer in terms of a tradeshow platform in the Japanese market although a rival show, Live Entertainment & Event Expo did emerge in 2014 - it’s

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no wonder this is a busy show. It is a well-known fact that Japan is one of the leading nations when it comes to technology and people are always eager to know where and when the next big development will arise. On this occasion visitors were not disappointed, as Japanese based audio manufacturer, Yamaha chose the eve of the show to launch its high anticipated new console to the world. During an invite only event, the company unveiled the RIVAGE PM10, turn to page 116 for more details.

Despite the announcement of Japan’s economy unexpectedly shrinking the day before the show opened, spirits were certainly not indicative of a recession. For me personally, I enjoyed getting a glimpse at the Japanese market and I’m very much looking forward to returning to find out more.

InterBEE will return to the Makuhari Messe on 18-20 November 2015. For more information go to: www.inter-bee.com

Technology with Trust Pre-Owned - Tour Ready Professional Audio and Lighting

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1. Lawo’s Hervé de Caro. 2. The team on the CIE Cables stand. 3. The DPA team line up for a photo. 4. Johan Wadsten of Merging Technologies. 5. Julien Fabbn from AEI. 6. Gilles Goveaerts and Christian Leonard of ADB. 7. Executive Director of Idea Pro Audio, Gerard Loret. 8. Algam distributes Martin Audio in France. 9. The Robert Juliat demo area.

JTSE PARIS

Being my first ever trade show in the industry, I was more than happy to revisit Paris, France one year later for JTSE. After getting up at 3am for an early flight, a day of networking is never the most appealing thought, but as soon as I walked through the front doors of Dock Pullman, I was welcomed by the smell of fresh coffee, familiar faces and could feel the relaxed but excited energy of the crowd within.

JTSE took place at Dock Pullman on 25-26 November 2014. Over the two days, there were more than 4,000 visitors who had come to Paris to see the 150 exhibitors, at an event now considered the largest professional audio tradeshow in

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France. As well as the main hall which displayed professional lighting, audio, textiles and even screen manufacturers, there were the two ‘real life’ demonstration areas for professional lighting and sound.

The lighting demonstration area at Dock Haussmann took the form of black boxes and was home to the usual suspects including Spotlight, Philips, Robert Juliat and ETC, each showing its range of products. As well as Clay Paky’s popular Projector range, Chauvet Professional also demonstrated its ever increasing Nexus Series.

The way this demo area is set up creates the perfect place to show off exactly what these professional lights can do. The darkness of the rooms allows you to

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1. Cadac desks were in control in one of the live sound areas. 2. Gael Beecourt, CEO of Pixelight. 3. Jean-Yves Beaussart of Verlinde proudly showing the Stagemaker hoists. 4. The Nexo team.

5. The Yahama stand was busy throughout the show. 6. Avab distributes ETC in the French market. 7. A light show in the Dimatec demonstration area. 8. Julien Regue and Catherine Dron of Audio-Technica. 9. Jon Petts of Chauvet Professional with David Deforge of Algam. 10. The Roland team. 11. The Rock-Audio Distribution team. 12. Amadeus had a busy show. 13. Meetings taking place on the L-Acoustics stand.

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1. President Arnaud Leschemelle (centre) and the rest of the Freevox team. 2. The Martin Professional team. 3. The Europodium stand. 4. The team on the Showtex booth. 5. The lovely Huges Coffey of CAE Group. 6. The Highlite team. 7. The Avolites team. 8. The Meyer Sound demo area.

get the best visual sense of how each individual light works.

This year in the sound demonstration area, there were two stages with three different sets ups. The first being Alcons Audio Loudspeakers coupled with Innovason and Lawo consoles and Sennheiser microphones. The second configuration comprised Outline, Cadac and DPA Mircophones and the third, Meyer Sound, Avid and Audio Technica. Each of these demonstrations created impressive sound, but the DPA Microphones show particularly stood out as each microphone was perfectly matched to each instrument, including vocals, creating a very clear and precise sound. The Cadac consoles really helped with this as the development of the software over 2014 made it a lot more compatible with the DPA technology. Avid also set up six of its S3 consoles enabling visitors to gain some hands-on mixing experience, which was a first for JTSE. This was one of the things that showed the development of this theatre show for 2014.

Back on the show floor, some of the highlights included DPA Microphones’ d:screet necklace microphone, mainly used in houses of worship, the Lab.gruppen

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D Series amplifiers and the Lawo MC2 36 live console, which was launched at IBC in Amsterdam back in September.

Another factor that demonstrated the growth of JTSE was the sophistication of the stands. Even though each of the stands in the main hall are only aloud to be a certain size, some exhibitors managed to find ways to improve and create stands that seemed visually larger and more impressive, such as the Algam and Avab stands.

As a local show, with mainly local exhibitors, JTSE sees welcomes plenty of familiar faces, which is what helps to create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Everyone I spoke to said they enjoyed the relaxed and informal ambience of JTSE. Furthering, it’s a great show to combine business and networking at the same time. This is certainly one of my favourite tradeshows and judging by the reaction from the exhibitors I spoke with, JTSE 2014 was a great success for them too.

JTSE returns to the same location on 25-26 November 2015. For more information go to: www.jtse.fr

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1. Chihaya ‘Chick’ Hirai, Director of Pro Audio Business Unit, Yamaha and Tak Nakata, Yamaha President with the new console. 2. The new RIVAGE PM10 in all its glory.

YAMAHA LAUNCH RIVAGE PM10 The long-awaited arrival of Yamaha’s new live sound mixing console, which the company has described as the dawn of a new era, made its debut on the eve of InterBEE in Tokyo, Japan, at a dedicated, invite-only event, and mondo*dr was the only member of the UK press to attend, making it an extra special occasion.

Taking place at the New Otani Hotel in Makuhari, Yamaha opted to launch the new console in its country of origin but the faces that filled the room were from all around the globe. Executive Officer and General Manager of Audio Products, Sales & Marketing, Hogan Osawa welcomed guests, before Terry Holton, General Manager at Yamaha R&D Centre in the UK outlined Yamaha’s history in the console world, which started back in 1972 with the PM200.

Fast-forward 42 years and meet RIVAGE PM10, the first console in a series - so more models will follow - and Yamaha’s new baby. It was introduced to the world by Pro Audio Applications Engineering Manager, Andy Cooper, who said: “It’s a privilege and an honour to present this product.” Andy explained the PM10 through four channels; sound quality, operability, functionality and network ability.

The RIVAGE PM10 includes the newly-developed RY16-ML-SILK hybrid microphone preamplifier. This unique design features an analogue section, which delivers supremely consistent, natural-sounding audio, even at high gain levels. It is partnered with a 96kHz, 24-bit A/D converter, followed by enhanced Yamaha VCM digital modelling of Rupert Neve Designs transformer circuitry and acclaimed Silk processing. The

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audio engineer can have a completely transparent audio input path or, using the Silk Red and Blue modes and the texture control in the console’s selected channel, can be very creative with the colour and character of each individual input.

As well as forging closer ties with Rupert Neve in the development of the RY16-ML-SILK, new VCM models of the Rupert EQ773, Rupert Comp 754, Rupert EQ810 and Rupert Comp 830 are featured in the RIVAGE PM10. Not only that, but Yamaha has worked with TC Electronic to include two reverbs, the VSS4HD room simulation reverb and the highly creative ‘NonLin2’ stereo reverb, as featured in their popular System 6000 devices. Yamaha has also been working closely with Eventide to add the H3000-Live Ultra-Harmoniser as a future standard inclusion in the RIVAGE PM10 system.

One of the most important and attractive aspects of the RIVAGE PM10 control surface is a full selected channel section, 24 of the control surface’s channel strips extend virtually seamlessly into the twin, 15-inch touchscreen displays, while rotary encoders feature ‘horseshoe’ ring indicators for optimum visibility. A third display screen can be added via a DVI socket, if required.

Further innovations include greatly enhanced scene functions, dual monitor busses, the ability to run up to 384 effects processors at once and four USB connections for data storage, mouse / keyboard control and two track USB recording.

The backbone of the RIVAGE PM10 system is Yama-

ha’s newly developed TWINLANe ring network, which can handle up to 400 audio channels at 96kHz, 32-bit over distances of up to 300 metres. TWINLANe can connect up to eight RPio622 I/O units and, at launch, up to two CS-R10 control surfaces and up to two DSP-R10 DSP engines.

The RPio622 features six of Yamaha’s new RY card slots, into which can be inserted three different types of i/o card, providing up to 96 mic preamps per rack. In addition, the RPio622 and DSP-R10 feature the new HY card slots - two and four respectively - for further I/O, while all three hardware components of the system feature two of Yamaha’s familiar MY card slots.

“For a number of years, the industry has been asking when Yamaha will launch a new, state-of-the-art digital console for large scale productions. We have always said that, when it comes, it will be as much a landmark for the industry as the PM1D and PM5D were. So I am very pleased to say that, with RIVAGE PM10, that time has arrived,” said Chihaya ‘Chick’ Hirai, Director of Pro Audio Business Unit.

“We believe that RIVAGE PM10 will be another pivotal moment in the history of digital audio mixing. It delivers a system, which will be the most versatile, the most user-friendly and the most reliable for all larger events.

We look forward to introducing sound engineers to RIVAGE PM10 and inspiring them with the dawn of a new age for live sound digital mixing systems.”

Shipping dates and pricing for the RIVAGE PM10 have yet to be announced. www.yamahaproaudio.com

am•pli•fi•er

[am-pluh-fahy-er] n.

An amplifier is a device that amplifies audio signals to a level suitable for driving loudspeakers. It is the final electronic stage in a typical audio playback chain.

Two key features of an amplifier are power output and efficiency. Amplifiers take a signal output - from a music source or mixing desk, for example - and make it strong enough to be audible through a loudspeaker system. This is accomplished by substantially increasing the voltage of the input signal, which will cause a correspondingly large current to flow through the system.

PRODUCT GUIDE

AMPLIFIERS EMEA | JAMES FIELD | IMAGINE AUDIO VISUAL

I use Lab.gruppen because of the sound quality. The Lab.gruppen amplifiers love going down to low resistance meaning you can hook up a lot of loudspeakers to one channel. For me, as a system designer, they’re very flexible. The other thing I love about the Lab.gruppen amplifiers is the voltage limiting, it’s well implemented, you can basically turn a 1,200W channel into anything that you need.

APAC | KUMBHA YOUNG GRENIER | SOUND WIZARD

New amplifier technology has come a long way over the years. Aside from improved build quality and performance features, pretty much across the board, the best more recent feature is DSP integration enabling networked setups for amplifier control. Source and control features for distribution with realtime information feedback make modern amplifier smart and keeping with the times.

THE AMERICAS | JACK KELLY | GROUP ONE I’ve been working with MC2 Audio amplifier products for many years. The performance and reliability of these products keep our customers returning job after job. The people behind the company are first rate and provide unparalleled support. The expansion of the XTA / MC2 Audio design team led to the introduction of the ground breaking XTA APA Adaptive Processing Amplifier Series in 2014 - a ground breaking step forward in amplification and processing.

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APART AUDIO | REVAMP1680 www. apart-audio.com

The REVAMP1680 is a professional digital power amplifier with 16-channels delivering 80W of power output into four ohms, also bridgeable to eight-channels delivering 160W into eight ohms. This three-rack unit amplifier with very high channel separation also has a dual analog power supply with toiroidal power transformers. The high damping factor results in a dynamic sound and standby power consumption is very low at less than 0.5 watts.

AUDAC | SMA & SMQ www. audac.be

The features and availability in different output powers make the SMA & SMQ power amplifier series ideal for both fixed and mobile applications. Whether accessing it on an administrator or a user level, configuration is made easy using a WaveDynamics DSP processor in combination with a front facing 2.5-inch LCD display and control buttons. Acoustic optimisation can be achieved using available Butterworth, Bessel and Linkwitz-Riley filters with selectable roll-off which can be configured as low / high & band pass, adjustable seven-Band equalisation and Q-factor. Other provided functions include delay, dynamic bass boost, output power limiting, while the input selection matrix allows for great flexibility. For complete system integration, it has an RS-232 control port. Audac provides a complete library of presets for its loudspeakers ensuring the best acoustical performance with a bulletproof loudspeaker protection. These can be uploaded using the USB input that can also be used for making a backup of your work.

AUDIOCENTER | ACP SERIES www.ac-pro.net

The ACP Series includes four models offering a range from 450W to 1.6kW per channel at eight ohms stereo to satisfy all requirements.

The ACP Series feature Audiocenter’s latest Class-H+ output topology, which eliminates cross distortion usually found in other Class H designs. With carefully selected components like audiophile Wima capacitors, Rubycon capacitors, Onsemi transistors, Neutrik connectors and Belden audio wires, ACP Series has Hi-Fi sound. The cables for high-pressure signal and low-pressure signal are arranged separately for better specifications. Adopting shield grill cover made of steel in power supply part ensures Hi-Fi sound and high damping factor. This makes ACP Series suitable for any kind of application, from high power subwoofers to critical monitoring where crystal clear highs are mandatory.

CAMCO | Q-POWER 14 www.camco.de The Camco Q-Power Series, a range of four different four-channel, high output power amplifiers, has been designed to provide that powerful pure sonic performance which is now so synonymous with the Camcobrand name. The all-new Q-Power 14 with DSP controlled PFC power supply is the flagship of the series, offering up to 14kW of undistorted power in an extreme compact and lightweight package.

The development of a DSP controlled, active PFC (Power Factor Correction) enables the Q-Power 14 to use the mains power supply much more efficiently than before. The PFC makes the immense power of 3.5kW per channel possible and improves the impedance headroom down to two ohms. The PFC provides a solid supply voltage to the amplifier output modules, independently from different or fluctuating mains voltages. Via a USB connector on the rear, the power supply can be configured to different circuit breaker characteristics and tripping currents. The Q-Power 14 power supply’s DSP automatically choses the best regulating algorithms for highest power performance for any mains voltage range (100 V, 120 V and 230 V).

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CROWN | DCI SERIES www.crownaudio.com

D&B AUDIOTECHNIK | D80 www.dbaudio.com

With four channels neatly tucked into a two-rack unit, the highly efficient D80 is perfectly suited to installation and mobile environments. All features and functions can be controlled via the colour, TFT touchscreen located on the front panel of the amplifier, which tilts upwards for ease of use. Each of the Class-D amplifier’s four channels can deliver 4kW into four ohms, with user-definable delay settings of up to ten seconds. Integrated Digital Signal Processing provides configurations for the entire d&b loudspeaker range, along with a full set of control and protection functions. Both analogue and digital inputs and links are included. Two 16-band equalisers per channel can be addressed separately, allowing the system technician one for fine-tuning and a second for the sound engineer to adapt to artistic taste. The incorporated LoadMatch function electronically compensates for loudspeaker cable properties without the need for an extra conductor, resulting in greater accuracy of audio reproduction over a bandwidth of up to 20kHz. The D80 utilises a switch mode power supply with active Power Factor Correction making the output capability of the amplifier largely unaffected by voltage variations caused by substandard electrical sources.

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Crown’s DCi two, four, and eight channel amplifiers offer high standards in sound quality, flexibility, and efficiency. At the heart of the twelve-model DCi Series is Harman’s exclusive DriveCore technology. The DriveCore amplifier IC chip combines the amplifier driver stage into the power output stage along with additional audio-signal functions, yet is about the size of a postage stamp. All amplifiers are just 2U rack spaces high, to conserve valuable installation space. The DCi Series is Crown’s greenest amplifier line ever, with a PFC power supply, a selectable powersave auto-standby mode where the amplifier will power down after 30 minutes of no input signal and consume less than 1W. DriveCore technology dramatically reduces the footprint of the amplifier by replacing over 500 parts from a typical amplifier design with one single IC. A smaller amplifier engine means more channels can be put into a 2RU box with more capabilities. In addition, a rear-panel AUX port enables the amplifiers to be integrated into control systems for remote on/off and amplifier fault monitoring.

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D.A.S. AUDIO | D-100 www.dasaudio.com

The D-100 is a lightweight, high-power switch mode amplifier designed to the highest standards of reliability and sound quality. Developed for the touring market, the switch mode power supply is capable of delivering high peaks with very low distortion, and is kept within its safe operating area by a sophisticated intelligent limiter. The D-100 will run cool even in the most challenging conditions, delivering 2,800W at four ohms with all channels driven and an impressive two x 7,400W at four ohms in bridge mode. The sonically transparent limiters linked to the output current monitors and power supply, keeps the mains input and output currents within safe operation.

DYNACORD | H5000 www.dynacord.com Part of Dynacord’s PowerH Series, the H5000 amplifier is ideal for driving professional touring, high-end concert and professional sound applications. The innovative three-stage grounded bridge Class H topology with ‘floating’ switching power supply unit guarantees the ultimate in efficiency and audio performance of the very highest quality. Additionally, the multi-stage concept and class-H enable an eco-friendly operation of the lead-free amp through reduction of power losses. Next to classical protections, the H5000 design employs the multi-stage ATP (Advanced Thermal Protection) system, which helps prevent the power amplifier from switching off when the temperature exceeds a critical level. The newly designed MCS system (Mains Current Supervision) prevents power amplifier breakdown caused by the activation of the automatic circuit breaker. For this, among other things, the MCS system uses the highly precise measurement of the RMS value of the actual mains current consumption. Information about the status of the power amplifier and its internal protections is provided on a LC-display. By utilising the optionally available remote control module RCM-28 that is compatible with IRIS-Net, Dynacord’s H5000 power amplifier additionally offers comprehensive remote monitoring and remote control functions plus a universal two-channel digital audio controller (DSP) including highly precise FIR-filtering and optimised algorithms for digital speaker protection.

FULL FAT AUDIO | FFA-4004DPS & FFA-6004DSP www.fullfataudio.com

Full Fat Audio’s four channel amplifiers, FFA-400DSP and FFA-6005DSP are now available with on board digital signal processing (DSP).

The DSP controlled amplifier provides a cost effective solution for sound system design and can be used for installation or temporary sound systems. The DSP is accessed by an Ethercon connector on the rear of the amplifier and controlled and programmed by PC based software. The DSP has two audio inputs which are analogue or selectable AES/EBU digital. Unusually there are six audio output channels, four assigned to the FFA-6004 or FFA-4004DPS and two assigned to a pair of male XLR connection on the rear of the amplifier. These extra processed outputs can be used for example for a three way stereo system of bass, mid and high frequency where the two outputs drive a two channel bass amplifier.

HIGHLITE | CX SERIES www. highlite.nl

The DAP CX Series consists of five models representing output powers from stereo 200W until 1450W. All models include protection circuits and are built in strong solid housing. They are a good mobile choice for musicians, DJs, and entertainers due to the 256mm depth (excl.

CX-3000) and for installations in public areas.

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GUIDE - AMPLIFIERS 121

HOELLSTERN | DELTA 20.4 www. hoellstern.com

The DELTA20.4-DSP amplifier is a high-performance four-channel power amplifier with a built-in DSP loudspeaker management. The integration of Hoellstern’s proprietary DSP controller gives the DELTA20.4-DSP amplifier extra benefits over traditional solutions with separate components. Due to the precise and comprehensive Hoellstern loudspeaker libraries the DELTA20.4-DSP amplifier offers additional benefits as a loudspeaker brand independent solution with a decisive advantage over conventional system components.

K-ARRAY | KA24 & KA84 www.k-array.com

The KA24 is a four channel per 500W into four ohm and the KA84 is a four channel per 2,000W into four ohm. Each model has four fully independent and configurable channels. The integrated DSP offers EQ, matrix, levels, delays and limiter functions on every channel, to avoid the need of external additional processors. The front panel has an easy-to-use touchscreen that gives access to all the basic functions for quick setup and corrections. The KA24 and KA84 can be used as a mixer for fixed installations thanks to the microphone and Phantom power options available on every analog IN. 2 GPIO ports give easy external analog controls using K-array accessories. An onboard K-array speaker preset library gives an optimal and easy configuration for endless combinations. All DSP functions are remote controlled via the K-framework software over RS485 (three-pin XLR) or integrated USB connector. Both amplifiers are built into a 2U light weight aluminum chassis and come with a kit of removable rack adapters and four rubber pads for flat surfaces. KA amplifiers feature optical limiters, and protection against over temperature, over current and short circuits.

122 GUIDE - AMPLIFIERS

KIND AUDIO | DD+ / DQ+ SERIES www.kindaudio.com

The DD+ / DQ+ Series consists of five models with two channel and five models with four channel, offering a range in power from 750W to 2,600W per channel at four ohms all in 2RU space chassis that are only 455mm deep and weighting 10kg. The DD+ / DQ+ models are based on Class-D output circuit controlled by KIND modulator. The great advantages of this technology are: low heat dissipation, compact size, and KIND sonic integrity. Reactive ‘back EMF’ from the speaker is recycled to the power supply, and efficiency higher than 85% keeps AC power needs to a minimum, while delivering more energy to the speaker. Thanks to the high efficiency the DD+ /DQ+ series dramatically reduce power distribution demands. In addition to higher power, the DD+ / DQ+ Series offers higher input voltage, multiple selectable input gains, and with the four channel models a very high power density.

KLING & FREITAG | TOPAS www.kling-freitag.biz The Topas is a network-capable, dual-channel DSP amplifier for fixed installations. The DSP amplifier was specially designed for optimal operation with Kling & Freitag loudspeakers. It is also possible to use it with other loudspeaker systems. Via Ethernet, the Topas can be highly variably switched on and off, controlled and monitored. The four general-purpose inputs allow users to adjust volume (digital VCA), switch on / off the amplifier, mute the channels and switch the inputs of the audio signal. Users can assign events to the outputs such as amplifier status, mute status of the channels or Prio audio activity via the web interface. Further features include the integrated web server for concise configuration, easy location of all devices in the network using AutoIP/mDNS, and the configurable access control with user/ password. The Topas can be operated remotely, no matter which operating system is used. Because of the redundant firmware, updates are safe and easy. The standby power consumption is limited to 4.5W. The amplifier is ready to operate within a few seconds after power on. The activation can be set via a signal over GPI, ethernet or by pressing the front button. The Topas allows users to monitor the internal protection circuits (clipping, DC, short circuit, temperature, voltage) via the web interface or soon, over a remote application. Permanent monitoring of the processor via watchdog and load monitoring of the connected speakers in the future is guaranteed. All events can be monitored via web interface or GPIO.

KME | DA 428 www.kme-sound.com

The DA 428 is a completely digital four-channel Class-D amplifier with 700W at four ohm output power on each channel. This compact, lightweight 19-inch-2U device is equipped with comprehensive DSP features like matrix router, six fully parametric equalisers, two crossover networks, delay and dynamic processor per channel. All parameters as well as user navigation can be managed using a simple five key navigation pad together with four rotary encoders. The user interface has a graphic LCD display and four RGB LEDs informing about relevant operation parameters and state of the single channels. Factory and user presets may be stored inside the unit; an SD-card reader is implemented and can be used to easily transfer preset and system information to other units.

LAB.GRUPPEN | D SERIES www.labgruppen.com

Available in three power configurations-8kW, 12kW and 20kW total power output - D Series heralds the debut of Lab.gruppen’s Rational Power Management (RPM) technology. RPM allows truly flexible power allocation across all channels to ensure the most efficient and rational use of total amplifier inventory. The D Series platform is available in two distinct variants-one featuring Lake, the other featuring Tesira by Biamp Systems-each offering unique capabilities and advantages. The Lake variant offers a well-established and proven package of Lake Processing DSP with analogue, AES and a dual-redundant Dante network solution; supported by the development of new custom software to provide extensive integration potential with most key systems manufacturers. With the Tesira variant of D Series, comes a potent new collaboration between Lab.gruppen and Biamp Systems. This has resulted in dedicated models equipped with Tesira DSP, with AVB audio and control, to offer amplifier and DSP platform integration, designed to ensure seamless interoperability between respective systems.

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We’ve got every angle covered...

Introducing the new VX 8M L-ACOUSTICS | LA4X www.l-acoustics.com The LA4X is an amplified controller based on a four-input by four-output architecture. LA4X relies on a ‘green’ universal switch mode power supply suitable for mains from 90V to 265V. A PFC maximises the amplifier efficiency. LA4X delivers four x 1kW RMS power at eight omhs or eight omhs with record hold times. The LA4X inputs are available in analogue or digital format with automatic fallback functions. Proprietary algorithms are processed in a 32-bit floating point DSP engine at a 96kHz sampling rate. A dedicated engineering approach combining IIR and FIR filters generates perfectly linearised phase curves and significantly improved impulse responses. The amplified controller can act both as an EQ station and a delay line, offering on each channel up to 1,000ms of delay, a pool of eight IIR and three FIR filters and the air absorption compensation filter. The L-DRIVE protection system carries out a dual analysis of signal level in real-time and RMS and acts as an intelligent power regulator to preserve the durability of the components, while maintaining the highest dynamic range. The LA4X can be controlled and monitored from its front panel, by the LA Network Manager PC software or from third party platforms.

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LYNX | RS SERIES www.lynxproaudio.com 40º monitor angle The new power amplifiers RS series represent the best compromise between economy and performances including seven models with power output from 1kW to 4 kW on two or four channels.

This cost-effective range is designed for the professionals researching quality, reliability and value.

The RS amps are Class H with a compact package of 25cm deep and ultra lightweight at 6kg. All RS models offer the latest generation of switching power supply technology and an advanced protection pack including the Power Management System (PMS) the Intelligent Clip Limiter (ICL), Soft-start, Turn-on Turn-off transients, Over-heating, DC, RF, Short-circuit and many more. The amplifiers can operate on two different configurations: Dual or Bridge.

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www.tannoypro.com

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MARTIN AUDIO | MA5.2KDSP www.martin-audio.com Martin Audio’s versatile MA5.2KDSP delivers two x 2.6kW into four ohms in a state-of-the-art, 1U, lightweight design. It is suitable for a very wide range of professional applications. MA5.2KDSP’s efficient switch-mode power supply features global mains operation and Power Factor Correction, which reduces mains current draw and maintains performance if the mains voltage varies. Class-D output stages achieve approximately 95% efficiency, almost independent of input level, dissipating only 5% energy as heat. A host of features include a front panel LCD interactive display, variable-speed cooling fan and PC remote control. The status monitoring includes load impedance, AC mains voltage and current, output voltage and internal temperature. Comprehensive amplifier safeguards include AC, DC, VHF and short circuit protection, clip limiters and a two-stage thermal protection strategy. The MA5.2KDSP has advanced signal-processing capabilities including parametric EQ, and IIR and FIR filters for crossover implementation. The amplifier may be remote controlled using Martin Audio Control Manager software, which can be used to control multiple amplifiers and provides extensive programming, control and monitoring facilities.

MC2 AUDIO | TI SERIES www.mc2-audio.co.uk

The Ti Series amplifiers combine AB technology with a host of features developed for installers, in a range of powers from 375W up to over 1,800W per channel. The amplifiers can be used as stand-alone devices straight out of the box, but when connected to a PC, they can be programmed to add a much greater level of functionality. VCAs can be enabled for simple level control panels; load monitoring can be set up and loads learnt, with a variety of options also available for local and remote warning of loads going out of range. When combined with a Ti Series Dante or Cobranet breakout box (BoB), off-line monitoring can be configured to watch the whole system, and warn of load changes, temperature issues, protect faults, comms faults and even if an amplifier is being driven into limit for a long period, all without needing to have a computer connected. Control data is combined with the networked audio so amplifiers in different locations need only an Ethernet cable between local breakout boxes to watch a system of over 100 amps and BoBs.

NEXO | NXAMP www.nexo.fr The NXAMP is a powered TD Controller, generated in collaboration between NEXO and Yamaha. The integration of amplifier with the Nexo TD Controller provides a cooler, cleaner and more efficient solution, which brings cost and operational benefits to live use as well as fixed installation. There are two NXAMP models; 4x4 and 4x1.The 4x4 displays exceptional output performance; one unit will power up to 16 Nexo PS15 loudspeakers, or 12 STM modules. Combining the two functions in one device saves the expense of buying a processor as well as an amplifier, and reduces the number of analogue-to-digital conversions required by discrete units. The NXAMP is lighter and smaller than conventional amplifier-processor systems, and it eliminates several stages of A/D conversion. The TDController function provides crossover, sensed amplifier control and system alignment, using digital software algorithms to combine this calibrated data with sensed voltage and current measurements, precisely controlling the temperature and displacement of each driver. Both models have multiple voltage, current, temperature sense lines from the amplifier’s output, to protect both the amplifier and power supply.The rear panel expansion slot allows easy addition of EtherSound or Dante network cards.

OUTLINE | M5000-4 www.outline.it

Equally versatile in both portable and installed system configurations, and with its four channels delivering up to 5kW all neatly packed in one single rack unit weighing just over 7.3kg, Outline’s M5000-4 is a flexible, cost-effective solution for small to medium sound systems.

The M5000-4’s four channels of amplification combined with the external DSP presets for Outline loudspeaker systems provide the perfect solution for a number of applications. The flexible two/four channel format is ideal for installations where space is at a premium, but where output power is essential. The M5000-4 is capable of driving 100V line systems, making this an ideal choice for all installation challenges.

Users of portable systems are also well served by the M5000-4: the compact design, high power output, lightweight format, the ease of matching Outline loudspeaker systems and the use of carefully designed factory preset files. The added sound quality is thanks to its unique, patented Class-D output stage design. All of which make the M5000-4 a superior commercial and practical value amplifier.

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...and we mean

EVERY angle.

PEAVEY | IPR2 7500 DPS www.peavey.com

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The IPR2 Series amplifiers are designed with a resonant switch-mode power supply and a highspeed class-D topology that yields the highest audio resolution and efficiency available. Advanced technology and extensive protection circuitry allow operation with greater efficiency into difficult loads and power conditions. The DDT (Distortion Detection Technique) circuitry ensures trouble-free operation into loads as low as two ohms. DDT protects drivers and ensures that sonic integrity is maintained, even in extreme overload conditions. The IPR2’s high-efficiency design allows the amplifier to operate at very low temperatures, and does not require massive heat sinks to cool. As the name implies, the IPR2 7500 DSP includes advanced digital signal processing. The DSP was designed to be incredibly effective, yet extremely easy to use. Using unique and revolutionary advanced bass enhancement processes, the IPR2 DSP amplifiers dramatically improve the perceived level of bass in any system, using a fraction of the power that would be required with any other power amplifier. The revolutionary Peavey IPR2 DSP Series power amplifiers are the only power amps to integrate Waves MaxxBass technology, which uses psychoacoustics to create precise harmonic overtones that give the illusion of adding low frequencies to the mix. This technology allows sound engineers to dial more perceived low-end into a system without adding more power amps, processing or subwoofers.

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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 52kW 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. Ultimately flexible and safe, Powersoft’s legendary and reliable power supply is now suitable for Single Phase, Bi-Phase or Three Phase operation from 85V AC up to 440V AC without the need for manual selection. The amplifiers also feature an innovative system of channel routing, a truly universal mono, bi and three-phase balancing power supply and a revolutionary fully-featured DSP.

Tannoy’s Dual Concentric™ technology allows the VX 8M to deliver exceptionally smooth beam-width characteristics resulting in an even coverage pattern at all frequencies aiding predictable system design.

Symmetrical dispersion characteristics enhance speaker placement flexibility, allowing vertical or horizontal monitor applications without any compromise in sound quality.

The VX 8M is one of many options available as part of our VX Series. To find out more about our VX range of enclosure please visit tannoypro.com/vxseries

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GUIDE - AMPLIFIERS

QSC | PLD SERIES www.qsc.com With three models in the line (PLD4.2, PLD4.3 and PLD4.5), QSC PLD Series amplifiers are designed for portable and live production applications. Offering robust, high fidelity output power, while simultaneously deploying sophisticated digital processing to drive multiple channels and configurations of loudspeakers. Housed in lightweight 2U rack-mount configurations, PLD amplifiers feature new QSC proprietary Class-D power devices and feature Flexible Amplifier Summing Technology (FAST). FAST provides better power allocation by distributing the total amplifier power across one, two, three or all four outputs enabling amp channels to be combined for maximum current or voltage output with the largest model capable of producing 5kW continuous power with burst ratings of up to 8kW. Independent, full-function, onboard loudspeaker DSP on every channel includes crossover and parametric EQ filters, limiting and alignment delay.

QUEST | QX4500 www.questaudio.net The QX4500 is a lightweight and high power amplifier with on board 64-bit digital processing suitable for all professional applications. The amplifier section is conservatively rated at 19kW RMS per channel at four ohms and includes low standby mains consumption and full networking capability. The QX4500 64 bit DSP controller system gives a depth of control that meets the highest of engineering standards. The integrated DSP also features 10 parametric equalisers (PEQs) on each input and each output, AES and analogue inputs and a wide variety of filter and limiting alternatives. Up to 100 presets can be stored in the DSP for instant recall.

SAE | POWER PLANT SERIES www.saeaudio.com Reinventing the concept of high-density multichannel power amplifiers, the Power Plant Series from SAE Audio represent a step further on system performance for high-end installations and pro-touring audio applications. Featuring advanced technology on Class-D power-stages, along with an internal modular structure and channel-independent SMPS power supplies, the Power Plant series brings seamless benefits delivering an unprecedented sound performance with an enormous power density reaching up to 20kW on a single amplifier unit.

YAMAHA | XMV SERIES www.yamahaproaudio.com Combining Class-D efficiency with features designed specifically to benefit commercial installation audio systems, Yamaha’s XMV Series multi-channel power amplifiers comprises eight models: the four channel XMV4280, XMV4140, XMV4280-D, and XMV4140-D and the eight channel XMV8280, XMV 8140, XMV8280-D and XMV 8140-D. XMV amplifiers can operate in both high and low impedance modes simultaneously, eliminating the need for additional equipment and streamlining the installation process. 70V and 100V operation is user-selectable for every pair of channels, with 70V or 100V mode assignable to each pair without affecting the number of available output channels. A Double Power Mode function effectively doubles the output power of selected channels meaning speakers with varying output capacities can be powered simultaneously by the same amplifier. XMV amplifiers feature an innovative, patent pending circuit that brings the efficiency level of the amplifier’s output stage up to over 90%, achieved by automatically switching the circuit to match the corresponding output voltage. Equipped with either Audinate’s Dante digital audio network or the YDIF digital audio format, XMV amplifiers also feature a new switching power supply equipped with power factor correction. This ensures harmonic control and decreases the amount of current draw dramatically, yet still maintains the same output power.

XTA | APA SERIES www.audiocore.co.uk XTA’s APA (Adaptive Processing Amplifier) Series combine new power and DSP platforms designed to interact intelligently and adapt to prevailing conditions, protecting drivers, and enhancing performance from all speaker systems. By including identical quality analogue to digital converters at the outputs as well as the inputs, real time currents and voltages presented at the speaker terminals are fed back into the DSP in addition to processing the incoming audio, allowing the amplifier to adapt and correct its performance continuously. Tight coupling of the power supply’s behaviour through real time monitoring of the mains supply, as well as over twenty temperature sense points means that the amplifier can adjust its power consumption and output drive to ensure that maximum permissible power is always available. The APA-4E8 features four channels of power and processing (totalling 20kW peak output into 4R),with a full suite of XTA’s world renowned DSP including dynamic EQ, FIR (and phase linearisation) and classic IIR filtering, mix matrix, our famously transparent limiters and soft knee compressors. Audio can be routed from analogue, AES or network sources. DSP the amp isn’t using can process further channels and route them back onto the network. USB and internal SD cards offer playback of emergency ‘EVAC’ messages. The APA also includes extensive GPIO and remote control covered by Ethernet, USB and RS485. The 2U design has a colour LCD and weighs 15kg. New remote software, for Windows and Mac, is also available.

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IN DETAIL GREEN HIPPO | HIPPOTIZER TAIGA www.green-hippo.com The powerhouse of the range, Hippotizer Taiga redefines the possibilities within a single media server. Featuring six Display Port 1.2 or six DVI Dual Link outputs, Hippotizer Taiga can drive at least three 4K displays at full frame rate.

Taiga uses the newest generation of server-class computer hardware to deliver unrivalled performance, and includes brand new feature components such as SHAPE, Green Hippo’s 3D modelling software and 3D Visualiser, which combines broadcast quality video with a 3D model to accurately simulate even the most complicated shows.

Every V4 system features front panel indication of system status and the latest graphics technology to deliver unmatched performance.

With Hippotizer’s Media Manager, all media can be imported using drag and drop.

WatchFolders automate new media detection, encoding and distribution. Our Codec: FlexRes, enables visually lossless playback with direct export from most content creation software. Add the STRATA caddy system, for instant media transfer on fast, durable, Solid State Drives and Hippotizer V4 really is taking the work out of workflow.

A&O | FALCON BEAM 2 www.ao-technology.com Thanks to a new high-precision parabolic reflector with an ultra-reflective coating, the FALCON BEAM 2 guarantees dazzling brightness. The colour changer is based on the tried-and-tested technology of the FALCON range. The new luminaire also impresses with reduced power consumption and swift zoom progressions. Equally convincing is the increased speed of its pan and tilt movements. Due to its aluminium and stainless steel construction the latest member of the FALCON range is also both robust and reliable.

ACME | LP-F100 www.acme.com.cn Acme has launched a new LED light with high CRI, which has wide-beam spread, efficient soft light, outstanding light distribution and has a lifespan of 50,000 hours. LP-F100 adopted blue CREE LED as light sources and utilises the latest advancement in lighting science to emit high-quality and stable light output.

It also delivers CRI over 96, generates a 120° beam spread, and the interchangeable phosphor panels allow you to achieve a variety of colour temperatures with a single fixture. The lights contain free flicker, which avoid vision fatigue and spitting light distribution. LP-F100 is an excellent solution for TV studios and theatres where the high CRI and high-quality light are paramount. Standard DMX control mode and a knob for dimmer adjustment for different applications to create diverse atmosphere as required. Excellent ventilation system and super quiet design in full duty cycle of operation ensure the fixtures reliable performance and definitely not influence studios’ temperature. Compact and lightweight design for easy and convenience to install and service. With the environment in mind, LP-F100 contains no hazardous chemicals, such as mercury, and create no harmful radiation emissions such as UV or IR, making it more eco-friendly than traditional lighting.

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ADJ | ILLUSION DOTZ 4.4 www.adj.com The Illusion Dotz 4.4 is a wash fixture that utilises a powerful COB LED 4x4 matrix mounted on a moving head yoke. Thanks to its 16 30W tri-colour COB LEDs, the Illusion Dotz 4.4 is incredibly bright; capable of both wash effects and beam effects - thanks to a 15° beam angle - alongside its use as a pixel-mappable effects matrix. The fixture’s Artnet / Klingnet compatibility, which allows the user to project low-resolution video content across the COB LEDs, via RJ45 connections on the rear using control solutions such as Arkaos Media, Master Express and Media Master Pro. Projecting video content across the matrix of the Illusion Dotz 4.4 can result in experimental and highly distinctive visual effects, creating the perfect backdrop for events, stage productions and musical performances With its powerful COB LED source, combination of moving head and matrix panel, and pixel-mapping capabilities, the Illusion Dotz 4.4 is a uniquely diverse fixture, capable of creating vibrant washes, animated colour patterns and party-starting strobe effects; in turn creating pure lighting excitement for audiences in clubs, music venues and theatres.

AKG | APS4 www.akg.com Providing even more options for owners of its range of wireless microphone systems, AKG is introducing the new APS4 antenna power splitter. The APS4 antenna power splitter can be operated in an extended frequency range of 470MHz - 952 MHz for maximum flexibility and is available for DMS700, WMS4500, WMS470 and WMS420 receivers. The APS4 features multiple technical improvements including a flat frequency response. It is a wide-band UHF active antenna power splitter that can feed up to four receivers with the RF signal coming from one pair of antennas. It also supplied power to all connected receivers via BNC cables. Two rear panel antenna inputs provide a 12 VDC supply voltage for powering up to three active elements per antenna path, for example, one active antenna (RA4000 B / W or SRA2 B / W) and two AB4000 antenna boosters connected to one RF input. APS4 sets are available in four different power supply variants: EU, US, UK or none included.

AVOLITES MEDIA | AI VERSION 8 www.avolitesmedia.com V8 introduces the new camera based warp and blend feature, allowing users to blend large projection surfaces with multiple projectors to be visually perfect, as well as a brand new Surface Modelling page, for the creation of editable 3D sets. Performance in Ai V8 has been massively improved, with optimisation of the render engine offering around a 50% improvement in video throughput using the AiM Superstream codec. Performance whilst live compositing high-resolution background layers with low-resolution foreground layers has also been much improved. It is now easier to track the performance of your Ai system, thanks to the introduction of Performance Units. The user interface displays a power bar indicating the load that the system is under. As you add more layers and outputs, this power bar depletes according to the system capabilities.

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BARCO | RLS­-W12 www.barco.com The RLS­-W12 is a new single chip DLP projector that produces 12,000 centre lumens light output and offers WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) resolution, extended warping, blending, and HDBaseT technology. Designed for fixed installation in museums, theatres and conference auditoriums, it’s also ideally suited for the hotel and exhibition rental market thanks to its rugged design, extended warping and blending functionalities, and optional rental frame. Offering high brightness images, the RLS-W12 features a rugged design that reduces noise and minimises power consumption. Its twin 465W NSH lamps are affordable and also provide a long lifetime. It operates at full brightness on a voltage range of 110V - 240V. Featuring HDBaseT and BarcoLink, the RLS-W12 supports point-to-point transmission of video signals - up to WUXGA (1,920 x 1,200) at 60Hz - from source to projector, over distances of more than 70 metres, via a single Cat 5 or BNC cable. By eliminating multiple cables and connectors, it provides more simplicity, flexibility and lower installation costs. The RLS-W12 can be easily controlled via the wired or wireless remote control, the Android and iOS app, and the user-friendly Projector Toolset software.

BOSE | RMU206 & RMU108 & RMU105 pro.bose.com Bose Professional has announced three new RoomMatch Utility loudspeaker models: the RMU206, RMU108 and RMU105, joining the RMU208 small-format sound-reinforcement loudspeaker in the series. Featuring RoomMatch array modules’ mid / high sonic character, these RMU models are designed either to complement a RoomMatch full-range array installation or to be used on their own for high-quality foreground music, under-balcony, zone-fill and vocal-range floor monitor applications. Now consisting of four models, the RoomMatch Utility series ranges in size from double eight-inch woofers to single five-inch woofer designs. RoomMatch Utility loudspeakers include the same Bose EMB2 compression drivers as RoomMatch full-range array modules, rather than the small dome tweeters or compression drivers found in conventional zone-fill loudspeakers. The Bose EMB2 compression driver features a two-inch titanium diaphragm and patented phase plug to reduce distortion and allow the use of a lower crossover frequency to improve vocal clarity. The RMU models’ implementation of the EMB2 drivers helps ensure consistent, high-quality sound throughout venues that require multiple sizes of loudspeakers, while saving installation time and expense by simplifying the equalisation process.

CLEAR-COM | LQ SERIES www.clearcom.com Clear-Com has announced that it is now shipping the LQ Series, a new family of connectivity devices for linking intercom and audio systems over LAN, WAN or IP networks. Based on Clear-Com’s patented I.V.-Core technology, LQ (formerly known as LINQ) provides the industry with the next step in intercom / audio linking technology. As part of building a communications link, LQ utilises the low latency audio CODEC OPUS, which features a range of different settings to provide high quality audio on the network bandwidth available. This means that the LQ Series can be used for intercom conversation, networked music performances and for audio signals that need to be transported between different facilities. The compact LQ throw-down devices enable connections of two-wire partyline with call signaling and four-wire audio over LAN, WAN or Internet IP infrastructures. The LQ Series has a two-wire (LQ-2W2) or four-wire (LQ-4W2) option. The LQ-2W2 is both Clear-Com and RTS TW compatible. A maximum of six LQ IP interfaces can be linked together in any 2- or 4-wire combination.

D.A.S AUDIO | VANTEC SERIES www.dasaudio.com D.A.S. Audio has launched the new Vantec Series of portable systems. The Vantec Series is comprised of four models available in both powered and passive configurations. The completely new series incorporates 12-inch, 15-inch powered two-way systems, a double 15-inch powered three-way system employing a dual-band configuration and a single 18-inch powered subwoofer system. The Vantec series is equipped with the new “F” series loudspeakers, developed

by D.A.S. Audio to provide exceptional performance and reliability. The new M-28 compression driver features a FEM (Finite Element Modeling) optimised motor, phase-plug and diaphragm. Attached to the D.A.S. Audio designed CD-horn, the assembly provides brilliant high frequency reproduction and optimum control of dispersion with 90º x 50º coverage angles. Both the 12-inch and the 15-inch two-way systems have dual angle pole mount sockets (0º, 10º) as well as angled side panels allowing the systems to double as stage monitors. Rigging points, ergonomic handles with rubber inserts and a rugged front grille provide for a wide range of use in well portable applications as well as fixed installations.

DBX | AFS2 www.dbxpro.com Dbx is now shipping its AFS2 advanced feedback suppression processor, designed to completely eliminate feedback from a PA system. The AFS2 is ideal for bands, DJs, live sound and fixed installation applications and offers a host of upgraded features including a Wizard auto-setup function, a completely re-designed advanced feedback suppression module, and a large LCD display. Successor to the popular AFS224, the AFS2 provides state-of-the-art feedback elimination, yet is simple to use, thanks to its one-button Wizard function that automates key setup parameters and walks the user through the configuration process. The AFS2 offers a full LCD display and 24 LED metres per channel for setup and monitoring. The AFS2 can be added to a system in minutes, thanks to its easy rear-panel connectivity and its optimised front panel. The AFS2’s all-new DSP module takes dbx advanced feedback suppression (AFS) to an entirely new level. This new module provides for faster and more focused filter sets in both fixed and live mode. While 10- and 12-filter feedback-elimination processors are commonplace, the dedicated processor in the AFS2 provides up to 24 programmable filters per channel with filter Qs up to 1 / 80 of an octave.

DIGICO | SD APP www.digico.biz The new DiGiCo SD App is compatible with all consoles in the SD Range and allows users to take advantage of both Apple and DiGiCo’s touch screen technology. The DiGiCo SD App turns your iPad into a remote control surface and also expands the control surface. The application also takes the existing feature set and presents it in a new way to take advantage of the extra screen, allowing engineers to implement specific functions dedicated for FOH or monitors.

Aimed at installation and touring applications, the DiGiCo SD App includes a number of dedicated screens that open up the iPad surface to a selection of the consoles’ functionality. For example, there are eight macros available on the hardware buttons of an SD9, but by connecting the iPad via the DiGiCo SD App, a large number of user-defined buttons will be available, which reside on the iPad screen, allowing for quick access, while the console remains clear to mix the show on.

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SUPPORT THAT MATTERS

DTS | PROFILO LED 80 www.dts-lighting.com Profilo LED 80 FC is a compact, lightweight, DMX-controlled LED shaper equipped with an high-power full colour (RGBW) LED featuring four LED channels (RGBW). The unit features a 18°- 36° linear zoom with high-efficiency optical system, and an internal rotating system with four removable shutters, to give high-precision shaping of light beams. Profilo LED 80 FC is a modern alternative to conventional lights, improving light quality, flexibility of use and installation, energy savings and component duration. The fixture doesn’t heat up, and the projection is always flicker free. The dimming curves are similar to those of halogen lamps. The connectors are Powerconn in/out and five- pole DMX in/out.

ELATION | PROTON 3K www.elationlighting.com The Protron 3K from Elation Professional is a new high-powered LED strobe light capable of blasting out 80,000 lumens of power from 200 x 3W cool white LEDs. Its energy-efficient design and affordable price tag make it an attractive choice for all types of applications from stage and studio to nightclubs and more. Compact and lightweight at only 7.8 kg, the Protron 3K delivers the same output as Xenon strobes but uses much less power with high or low power mode options. Utilising special optics and new LED driver technology, the Protron 3K includes built-in effect macros like burst, pulse and lighting for unique effects possibilities and can even operate full on without causing thermal-out issues thanks to regulated silent cooling fans that keep the Protron 3K from overheating. The Protron 3K is controllable via four DMX modes for a variety of control options and a host of features come standard like three-pin and five-pin DMX in/out and powerCON in/out connections with included PowerCON cable. A 4-button control panel with LCD menu display makes for easy navigation through DMX and manual settings and an auto-sensing power supply allows the Protron 3K to operate anywhere in the world.

WHEN SAFETY COUNTS YOU CAN RELY ON PROLYTE TO PERFORM Prolyte manufactures carefully engineered products supported by a wealth of specialist knowledge, practical experience and user feedback. The company is passionate about improving standards and actively promotes the transfer of information to increase

JB LIGHTING | SPARX 10 www.jblighting.com The Sparx 10 is the latest of JB-Lightings state-of-the-art LED washlights. It has a round light aperture, minimal struts between the lenses and a fully illuminated lighting field. Due to the size, the light-emitting surface is extremely impressive and ideal for the display of the countless patterns. The light beam is naturally clearly defined - perfect for effect and illumination applications.

The Sparx 10 is equipped with 37 RGBW multichip LEDs combined with the unique LED cooling system from JB-Lighting to optimally benefit from the further development of the LED technology with low weight and low noise levels, and utilise the enhanced performance of the LEDs. The zoom range is 4° - 40°. The powerful three-phase stepper motors ensure a high pan / tilt speed, whilst the volume still remains very low. The Sparx 10 comes with the integrated radio DMX from JB-Lighting as standard. The elegant design with slender head and base integrates superbly into every stage set and the package dimensions are sensationally compact for this type of powerful washlight.

awareness of safe working practices.

Compliance with the strictest standards and regulations, rigorous quality control, publication of technical data and the Prolyte Campus training program sets Prolyte apart from the crowd. Because safety matters.

WWW.PROLYTE.COM FACEBOOK.COM/PROLYTEGROUP TWITTER.COM/PROLYTE

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JBL PROFESSIONAL | INTELLIVOX 380 SERIES www.jblpro.com Building on its industry-leading line of Intellivox loudspeakers, JBL Professional has introduced the new Intellivox 380 Series. The DC380, DS380 and DSX380 offer unmatched control, complex room coverage capabilities, and pinpoint steerability, making them ideal for applications where intelligibility and accuracy are critical. The flagship model in the Intellivox 380 Series is the DSX380, which features complex room-molding DDS Beam Shaping. This technology molds the coverage to match the requirements of rooms that have multi-faceted listening planes, while providing not only consistent SPL but also consistent frequency response throughout the listening space. In addition to its ability to deliver clear and intelligible speech the DSX380 units also feature extended high frequency bandwidth, so they sound great with music especially when you add a subwoofer. The DS380 also features DDS Beam Shaping, with a longer acoustic array length.

LTM | LOADGUARD MINI www.liftturnmove.co.uk LTM recently added the new LoadGuard Mini chain hoist to its range of LoadGuard Chain Hoists. The LoadGuard Mini is the only chain hoist of its size on the market with geared limit switches. It is an extremely lightweight hoist, weighing only 12kg, with a lifting capacity of 250kg on one fall of chain. Features on this hoist include the new profile steel chain which carries heavier loads with low wear, which when users consider the overall lifetime cost of owning a chain hoist, can be a considerable saving. The standard hoist can have components added to improve the use for the operator. Features such as a second brake, limit switches, locking hooks, larger chain bags, load cells built into hook or eye suspension give a glimpse to the future of the hoisting technology available from LoadGuard.

MARTIN PROFESSIONAL | EXTERIOR PIXLINE & VDO FENIX 6 & VDO SCEPTRON www.martin.com Harman’s Martin Professional has introduced a range of new LED Video solutions to create more dynamic lighting designs and exterior installations. The range includes the Exterior PixLine family, the VDO Fenix 6, and the VDO Sceptron family. The VDO Fenix 6 is a touring-friendly outdoor LED video panel with 6mm pixel pitch and full cross-rental compatibility. The robust and ergonomic frame eliminates the need to use an add-on touring frame and allows for fast and easy build-up of LED video walls.The VDO Sceptron family features linear outdoor-rated LED video fixtures with 10,mm 20mm, or 40mm pixel pitch and an extensive range of field-exchangeable optical accessories that offer a wide variety of looks. Controlled by the Martin P3 System Controller family, VDO Sceptron fixtures boast simple configuration, mapping and setup. The Sceptron family is also backwards compatible with DMX for smaller setups. Integrated power and data cabling allows for long daisy-chains with many fixtures per cable-run.

MEYER SOUND | CAL SERIES www.meyersound.com The CAL Series of straight line source loudspeakers couples advanced digital processing with no-compromise engineering to realise the full potential of beam-steering and beam-splitting line source technology. CAL Series loudspeakers are compatible with analogue, AES digital and AVB networked signal sources. CAL is designed to introduce high vocal clarity in even the most reverberant environments and provide exceptional headroom for music and speech reinforcement. It is offered in three models, each with different power capabilities. All drivers are tight-packed and are individually amplified and processed.

OSRAM | KREIOS PAR www.osram.com The new Kreios Par LED fixtures for indoor or outdoor use, provides colour options, dimmable from zero to 100% with onboard controls that allow for manual operation or connection to a DMX. The transportable, lightweight luminaires feature a passive cooling system and the Kreios Par LED fixtures deliver an output of up to 4,200 lumen, rendering them ready to highlight vast architectural facades or shine through expansive arenas. Osram offers four Kreios Par outdoor variations with different beam angles. These durable lights are housed in IP65 jet-waterproof, very robust fixtures. There are also three Kreios Par product versions with four different beam angles for indoor entertainment and event lighting available.

PIONEER | XDJ-1000 www.pioneerdj.com Pioneer DJ has released the XDJ-1000: the first in a new line-up of digitally focused, USB-only, rekordbox-ready players. The XDJ-1000 is Pioneer DJ’s first deck to feature a touch screen, a familiar club layout and a host of pro-DJ performance features. The large, full-colour LCD touch screen allows for intuitive control and its interactive GUI has tabs for browse, play and perform, giving DJs access to the player’s full armoury. Many features are inherited from the top-flight CDJ-2000NXS, including 206mm jog wheels, slip ,mode, quantise and beat sync. Plus the brand new quantised beat jump / loop move feature means DJs can spontaneously move one, two or four beats backwards or forwards within a loop. DJs can use the Qwerty touch-screen keyboard to search for keywords, then scroll on-screen or with the large rotary dial.

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ADD EVENT TITLE:

PRO 2015

LOCATION:

NEC, BIRMINGHAM, UK

DAYS:

3

STARTS:

SAT, 12 SEP 2015

ENDS:

MON, 14 SEP 2015

URL:

WWW.VISITPRO.CO.UK VISITPROSHOW

NOTES:

• Add to work diary • Book travel & hotel

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134 DIRECTORY

PR LIGHTING | XLED 3007 www.pr-lighting.com PR Lighting has extended its XLED Series with the release of the XLED 3007. Containing seven LEDs (4-in-1 RGBW), each rated at 20W, this is a larger version of the XLED 2007 and features a 6:1 zoom - one of many similar functions it shares with the company’s successful XLED 3019. And crucially, each LED is individually controllable. Aside from its impressive zoom ratio (7°-42°), the fixture has endless pan and tilt rotation. In other words it will pan 720°, 360° or endlessly, and tilt 270° with Swap and Invert function, auto position correction and magnet positioning function. Other notable features of the XLED 3007 are the fact that it will operate to sound (sound to light), has optional wireless control, features touch keys on the panel and over-temperature protection. The XLED 3007 contains all the functions that one would expect, including 0-100% linearly adjustable dimmer; RGBW linear colour mixing (with macro); linear colour temperature correction (2700K-10000K); electronic strobe (0-25 fps); beam angle of 1 / 2 (max) and field angle 1 / 10 (max). Other useful options include DMX wireless control support.

RCF | DXT 9000 / 3000 www.rcf.it RCF has released its new flagship DXT 9000 and DXT 3000, digital voice alarm systems certified to EN 54-16 and EN 54-4 standards. The DXT 9000 is a distributed system in which every component, including the loudspeakers, has its own physical address, can be monitored according to current EN 54 standards, and can be configured after installation where necessary. While paging and voice evacuation are the primary uses for the DXT 9000, it can also be used to interface pro-audio active speakers through RCF’s RD-NET control and monitoring system. The DXT 3000 would be ideal for applications such as supermarkets, schools and offices, and also represents a practical solution for installations intended to integrate an existing music and PA system with a voice-only emergency evacuation system that conforms to the latest standards and legislation. In short, the new DXT 3000 is virtually a Plug ‘n’ Play product.

ROBE | ROBIN 1000 LEDBEAM www.robe.cz Based on an array of powerful 15W RGBW LED multichips, the new Robin 1000 LEDBeam from Robe LED, features optics especially developed for a high output under any circumstance and with the moving head fitted with fast-spin motors which utilise Robe‘s speedy software driving technique - as used in the Pointe and Robin 100 LEDBeam - making it ideal for any high profile stage, long distance throw or extra wide theatre scene. All the important software features of the LED series have been incorporated - including CMY / RGBW colour mixing, improved smooth dimming, tungsten lamp emulation, variable CTO or powerful strobe, which in turn make the new Robin 1000 LEDBeam a very appealing wash / beam solution.

ROBERT JULIAT | MERLIN www.robertjuliat.com Robert Juliat has introduced its latest followspots, the brand-new Merlin and Roxie. Merlin is the culmination of an ambitious project to produce a powerful, rugged followspot for the touring market. With an output that belies its 2,500W HMI lamp and a 3°-12° beam range, Merlin covers both long and medium throw ranges in one unit. Merlin’s newly designed bodywork ensures easy installation and maintenance, tough enough for the road.

SENNHEISER | EM 9046 DAN EXTENSION CARD www.en-uk.sennheiser.com Sennheiser has announced the availability of its Dante card for the EM 9046 receiver, enabling the top-of-the-range Digital 9000 wireless microphone system to be integrated into Dante audio-over-IP networks. Also available are -as free downloads- the associated new Digital 9000 firmware version 3.0.3, and the new Wireless Systems Manager 4.2 with a set of optimised monitoring functions. The EM 9046 DAN extension card is simply inserted into the expansion slot of the EM 9046 eight-channel receiver. Internally, the card features 16 audio inputs to send the digital audio and command signals over the Dante network.

Connection is via two Gbit RJ45 sockets that serve to either establish two redundant network circuits or daisy-chain the signals. The card works with sampling rates of 44.1/48/88.2 and 96 kHz at a resolution of 24 bits.

SHURE | 5575LE www.shure.co.uk To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the 55 Unidyne microphone, Shure has launched the 5575LE - a limited edition of the classic cardioid dynamic microphone with a few carefully chosen 21st Century upgrades to improve durability and sound quality. The 5575LE features the current Unidyne III cardioid element, the instantly identifiable large outer grill, vintage badging, and a zinc die-cast finish, with a silver-finish desk stand. The microphone is supplied in an aluminium flight case with a 75th anniversary logo, including a certificate of authenticity. Available in a numbered manufacturing run of just 5575 pieces, the 5575LE pays homage to the original 55 Unidyne, packaging together vintage aesthetic and performance features for performers and collectors alike.

www.mondodr.com

Find out more at: www.prolight-sound.com info@uk.messefrankfurt.com Tel. +44 (0) 14 83 48 39 83

DU: 10.12.2014

Curtain up, spotlights on! We’re staging the hottest trends in the areas of entertainment, media and creativity for you. Experience at Prolight + Sound 2015 the latest developments in audio technology, lighting technology, communication technology, theatre and stage technology, media technology, visual communication and system integration. Expand your expertise and update your knowledge with the comprehensive range of specialist conferences at the fair.

59980_001_PLS_allg_Mondo-dr_106x310_GB • CD-Rom • ISO 39 • CMYK • yi: 12.11.2014

Hands on energy

GB

15 – 18. 4. 2015

136 DIRECTORY

SOMMER CABLE | HI-MARLIN www.sommercable.com The new XLR-connector HI-MARLIN boasts an attractive and ergenomic design, while also resisting water, dust and UV, repeling either direct water or infiltrating moisture. Suitable for particularly wet situations such as the installation in leisure parks, near the coast, in ship and boat building, or outdoor events.

The connector is available in three-pin and five-pin versions with nickel plated or black housings and all versions have cable-protecting stain relief; its pressure is evenly spread over the entire cable diameter and squeezes no bumps into the jacket and insulation material. Due to the special stain relief and the durable locking device, easy and fuss-free mounting or cable assembly is guaranteed.

SONAB AUDIO | SYSTEM 9 www.sonabaudio.com Sonab, a subsidiary of Audio Pro AB has introduced its System 9 retail environment wireless audio system. The innovative ‘snap and play’ system allows for easy fitting as the CLS powered loudspeakers clip into existing 240V spotlight track for power and then receive CD quality audio signals wirelessly from the CTX wireless transmitter, which can be connected to any sound source, including PC, Mac, Smart Phone or Tablet. The System 9 system is designed to help minimise installation costs and time, whilst still offering a flexible sound system that delivers premium sound quality. By simply clicking the CLS Powered Speaker into the track, wirelessly supplied audio can be activated and installation time per unit is reduced. Changing the position of a loudspeaker is simple as the user simply unclips the speaker and clips it in to another location.

STEINIGKE | FUTURELIGHT DMB-160 www.eshop.steinigke.de With its DMB-160, Futurelight now presents a moving head which works in this particular field, but with a speciality: as light source with am extremely bright 150W COB LED. Thanks to a high quality glass optic, the image is good and even beats some discharge lamps. The beam angle of the DMB-160 is 3°, so the device is perfectly suited for use on short to middle distances. Besides numerous gobos and a wide range of colours, the prism wheel has to be mentioned. As well as the rotating eight-fold prism, projecting the images in a circle, there’s a special six-fold prism, which shows the images arranged in a line. A frost filter is an additional feature. PowerCon inputs and outputs as well as XLR sockets from Neutrik, high quality mechanisms and motors, an elaborate fan, good optics, a high quality LED and a stable construction make up a harmonious product, which fulfills professional demands.

SYMETRIX | SYMNET COMPOSER 3.0 & SYMNET RADIUS 12X8 EX www.symetrix.co Symetrix has launched SymNet Composer 3.0, an update to the manufacturer’s award-winning open architecture design software. Version 3.0 has built upon the native sup-port of Audinate’s Dante media networking technology for select third-party devices in earlier releases, and extends support of market-leading products thanks to new partnerships with Shure and Audio-Technica. Alongside the introduction of SymNet Composer 3.0, Symetrix also launched the SymNet Radius 12x8 EX. An upgrade to the popular SymNet Radius 12x8 DSP, the new version features the addition of an expansion slot which, when utilised, increases the total audio input / output count from 20 to 24 in the same 1U format. Also available is the two Line VoIP Interface Card, which is an Asterisk- and Cisco-compatible plug-in card for the SymNet Edge and Radius DSPs that natively integrates with SIP-based call platforms and unified communications environments. Designed to be easy to deploy and manage, the two Line VoIP Interface Card is suited for a variety of conferencing, paging, remote monitoring and broadcast applications.

TANNOY | VX 8M www.tannoypro.com The VX 8M is a brand new full range Dual Concentric loudspeaker from Tannoy, providing a compact, yet punchy and sonically vibrant solution for small-to-medium scale performance sound reinforcement. With a tightly controlled 90° dispersion for optimum coverage and forward gain, the VX 8M has a peak output of 119dB and a recommended amplifier power of 260W, making it a powerful and versatile performer for a wide range of applications.

Targeted to small and medium sized applications, such as corporate events, house of worship, performance spaces, portable PA and the likes, the new VX 8M can combine with any Tannoy VX loudspeaker or VSX Series high performance subwoofer, precision engineered to deliver high impact, low and ultra-low frequency reinforcement in a compact format.

VMB | TE-046 www.prolifts.es VMB has released the new TE-046 as part of its telescopic series of lifters. Based on the company’s biggest seller, the TE-034, the new TE-046 is its bigger brother, maintaining its compact features whilst being able to lift a total of 150kg to a height of 4.6-metres. It is made from three steel aluminium profiles, has an adjustable three position folding base and comes with a handle for easy transport. It also includes the companies ALS (Auto Lock Security) system a safety feature, which automatically locks the lift masts as they rise. The TE-046 is the ideal tool for any small to medium sized rental company looking to rig sound, light and/or trussing quickly and safely.

www.mondodr.com

THE ULTIMATE CLUB SYSTEM

KV2 SL SERIES SLIMLINE WIDE DISPERSION SPEAKER SYSTEM

SL412

WIRELESS SOLUTION | UGLYBOX MK2 www.wirelessdmx.com

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

Wireless Solution has introduced the UglyBox MK2. The UglyBox MK2 is housed in a compact body, resembling a gaming control with a 4.3-inch Touch LCD Screen. It supports 2.4GHz, 5.2GHz and 5.8GHz and is a transceiver solution, which means that it can be used as both transmitter and receiver.

It has a complete DMX tester that provides all data in live format directly on the screen. It also has a built in DMX Controller as well as an RGB Fixture to simulate LED fixtures on the LCD Screen for quick testing. In history mode you can also see over time that you have a stable signal over a certain period.

The unit runs on a rechargeable Lithium battery for up to 12 hours and has a built-in SD Card reader to save all data for later export to Microsoft Excel. The UglyBox MK2 is geared towards rental and installation companies but useful for anyone. The unit is also designed to update with additional features as they become available.

WORK PRO | NEO 5 A ES & NEO 5 IP www.equipson.es

WORX AUDIO | XL3I & XL3T www.worxaudio.com WorxAudio Technologies has introduced the XL3i and XL3T line array systems. New additions to the TrueLine Series, the new XL3i and XL3T’s throw capabilities mark a dramatic departure from conventional line array systems of this size and class. Combined, the three XL3i / XL3T modules create a 38° vertical system with an unusually broad horizontal dispersion of 150°. The new WorxAudio Technologies XL3i and XL3T line array systems incorporate three modules, each with a large-format compression driver with a three inch diaphragm and 1.4-inch exit coupled to a stabilised proprietary FlatWave Former that delivers high frequencies over a predictable and controlled coverage area. These high-performance compression drivers are paired with dual 8-inch cone transducers coupled to the Acoustic Intergrading Module to minimise cone filtering and provide a fully balanced sound with a 55 Hz to 20 kHz (-3 dB) frequency range. XL3i and XL3T enclosures are made of sturdy, multi-ply Baltic birch, heavily braced for cabinet rigidity.

SL2.15

NEO 5 A ES and NEO 5 IP, the two latest additions to the NEO Series of loudspeakers designed and developed by WORK Pro, are now available. These two new provide audio visual professionals with powerful solutions to fit the requirements of every type of installations and offer additional advantages such as the optimisation in energy consumption. The NEO 5 A ES is the updated version of NEO 5 A and has been developed to maximise savings in energy consumption. The brand has also come up with a smart solution capable of shutting down when it is not receiving audio signal. This auto-off feature means a reduction in its consumption below 1W. The NEO 5 IP is a waterproof version of NEO 5 and due to its high IP range, this two-way passive loudspeaker is suitable for outdoor installations in complete safety because it withstands unfavourable weather conditions. Its features and functionalities make NEO 5 IP a good choice for those professionals who need to design and install audio systems in medium-size and large installations. NEO 5 IP as well as NEO 5 A ES are available in black and white versions.

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

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I have always been in touch with the entertainment industry, but I believe Fenix has inspired my interest with its passion.

ALEX BRYAN EXPOR T MA NAG E R , F E N I X What was it that first attracted you to the entertainment industry?

Fenix is 100% a family business, and it has been around for more than two decades. I have always been in touch with the entertainment industry, but I believe Fenix has inspired my interest with its passion.

How long have you been at Fenix and what is your role within the company?

I have been involved since I was a teenager. Due to my inquisitiveness, I used to go to the factory every free day I had and during my school holidays. I did this so I could learn different skills. In 2008, after I finished my BBA at London South Bank University, I joined the company as export manager where I started to build and develop the export department.

Today, we can proudly say that our products are used in more than 70 countries all around the globe.

What’s the most rewarding thing about working for Fenix?

In 2004 we were forced to close our previous company. The family faced a challenge to make a successful business again. We are committed and work hard to make this a reality. We have just begun the dream but with the help and trust of our worldwide customers, we will continue to grow the Fenix business.

Fenix has recently moved to a new facility, what is the significance of this?

www.mondodr.com

Over the last two years we have been looking to move the factory as the company has been growing constantly. At the beginning of the year, we agreed to manufacture OEM products for two well-known European companies. We then experienced growth in several countries and we felt that it was the right time to take the strategic step. The new headquarters is five times bigger and it will bring us the opportunity to continue developing and innovating products.

The trussing and lifting towers industry is a competitive one, how does Fenix stay ahead of the game?

The market is getting harder every day. But the fact is, we like that, because it pushes us to continue innovating and to keep a leadership position within the industry. We are constantly listening to customer feedback, because we believe it is important. I always say, that my customers ‘design’ my products somehow. It is our passion and the most rewarding thing is when a customer congratulates you after a successful event.

What can we expect from Fenix in the near future?

The recent factory move has given us power to keep on fighting. Now, with more floor space we are able to create new ideas and turn them into reality. We are now recruiting engineers, welders and office administrators. We are trying to diversify the markets we operate in and soon we will start manufacturing

new products. We believe that some will be a revolutionary for the market.

Tell our readers something they may not know about Fenix?

As you may know, in Greek mythology a phoenix is a bird that is reborn from its ash. It is the reason why we chose it as the name for the new company in 2004. To be honest, I have to say that it is one of best family decisions we made.

Where is your favourite place in the world and why?

Istanbul. Since I travelled there for first time in 2006 during a family trip, I fell in love with the city. As a convergence of Europe and Asia, it is a city full of contrasts and cultures. Since the holiday I have visited again for business, and every time I go it brings a smile to my face.

If you could describe yourself with a song, which one would it be?

In 1997, Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz wrote a song called ‘Corazón Partío’. It has a lyric with a deep and interesting message: ‘Giving only what you don’t need, has never been sharing, it is giving charity’.

Despite being a child when I listened to it, I will never forget it. I always try to keep it in mind when travelling to undeveloped countries and try to find the time to help others. Luckily, our industry is all about people, fun and happiness. Let’s make everybody smile!

graphics: Vilfredo Maria Ricci - © 2014 Studio Due

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– James Hetfield, Metallica

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Meyer Sound delivered a smaller wedge while keeping the giant Metallica sound.

low-profile high-power stage monitor

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Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc. • 2832 San Pablo Ave. • Berkeley, CA 94702 • 510 486.1166

PUBLISTING Mondo Jan 2015 Issue Creative: MJF-210 Unit:

FP4C

Live: 210 x 310mm Contact: Elania Nanopoulos Phone: 510 486.1166 x115

Trim: 236 x 333mm Bleed: 242 x 339mm Gutter:

n/a

PRODUCTION NOTES Keylines do not print INK: 4/c STOCK: magazine

Close Date 1/9/15

Revision #

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