mondo*dr 26.5

JULY / AUGUST 2016 | 26.5

THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION FOR TECHNOLOGY IN ENTERTAINMENT

DAVE LIANG

The founder of PR Lighting discusses its place in the lighting hierarchy.

ARCHITECTURAL AUDIO

Discreet audio systems designed with aesthetics at the forefront.

JULY / AUGUST 2016

MOVING HEADS

A round-up of the go-to fixtures for lighting designers.

THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION FOR TECHNOLOGY IN ENTERTAINMENT EUROPE & AMERICAS EDITION

MONITORING ESSENTIALS

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7 LEADER

Big thinking

MONDO*DR 26.5 JULY / AUGUST 2016

for smaller boxes Game-changing innovations in coaxial speaker design ON THE COVER Lock, Stock & Barrel, Dubai GENERAL MANAGER Justin Gawne j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk EDITOR Rachael Rogerson-Thorley r.rogerson-thorley@mondiale.co.uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Sam Hughes s.hughes@mondiale.co.uk SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Jamie Dixon j.dixon@mondiale.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Laura Iles l.iles@mondiale.co.uk INTERN Samuel McKeown mondointern@mondiale.co.uk ACCOUNTS Amanda Giles a.giles@mondiale.co.uk GENERAL ENQUIRIES ar@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 Two 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

It might seem like an obvious choice of topic for this issue’s leader, but it would also feel odd not to it mention at all. As I stated in my newsletter introduction on the eve of the decision, here at Mondiale, we backed the remain camp, so when the result of the referendum - that the UK would leave the EU - was announced, we all started to wonder just what it would mean for us on a business level. According to reports, it’s unlikely there will be any drastic changes in the near future, with the leaving process predicted to take a minimum of two years. However, I don’t feel there are any guarantees at this stage, because we simply just don’t know what will happen.

The choice of our next prime minister will have an impact, as will the outcome of negotiations we have with the other countries in the EU, and how we will interact with them - with regards to trading and travel for example - in the future.

Although the decision went against our opinion - and from looking at social media, it would seem many of you agree - I think, for now at least, it’s important that we stay positive, and have faith that if the dark times do come, that our personable and passionate industry will unite and see each other through it.

In cheerier news, I’m finally pleased to announce that our website for the mondo*dr Awards is now officially live. It has taken us a little longer than expected to get things up and running, but now that we have, we’re very excited about the concept. Log onto: www.mondodrawards. com for more information and if you would like to submit a venue and be in with a chance of winning one of our awards, simply click on the ‘enter now’ button.

Also new for mondo*dr - our country specific supplements. We’ll be kicking off with the first one - dedicated to the Indian market – being published alongside our next issue, September / October. If you’d like more details on how to get involved or would like to make a suggestion for a future country focus, please drop me a line.

Finally, over the next couple of months, I’ll be out and about in South East Asia and Australia - visiting Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Manila, Melbourne and Sydney - so if you have any installations in the region that you would like to see covered in mondo*dr, once again drop me a line.

RACHAEL ROGERSON-THORLEY EDITOR

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9 CONT ENTS

CONTENTS

22

12 IN DISCUSSION 14 INSIDE VIEW

DAVE LIANG With over 30 years of experience, the founder of PR Lighting tells us how he created one of the leading professional lighting manufacturers in the industry.

16 THE MONDO*DR AWARDS

IN DEPTH 22 INTERVIEW Dave Liang - PR Lighting 34 REPORT Architectural Audio

IN FOCUS

62 ALLIANZ RIVIERA With Euro 2016 held in France, the stadiums had to be of the highest quality, with Electro-Voice providing an exceptional audio installation.

60 MALMÖ LIVE Malmö 62 ALLIANZ RIVIERA / STADE PIERRE-MAUROY Nice / Lille 72 ÖREBRO CONCERT HALL Örebro 80 LOCK, STOCK & BARREL Dubai 86 UNITY FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH South Carolina 88 JEWEL Las Vegas 96 PLANET J Macau 99 OVATION OF THE SEAS Tianjin

99

120 KWEICHOW MAOTAI GROUP THEATER Guizhou 122 SARAWAK STADIUM Kuching

OVATION OF THE SEAS The third cruise ship in the series had to be equipped with the very best technology available, making it a fascinating project from start to finish.

IN BUSINESS 126 LLB Stockholm 130 KOBA Seoul 134 PALM EXPO Mumbai 140 INFOCOMM Las Vegas 146 PRODUCT DEMO AudioFocus

146 At its HQ in Brussels, AudioFocus showcased its brand new line array system with a live demo.

www.mondodr.com

150 IN DETAIL SGM, Lectrosonics, Amphenol 156 PRODUCT GUIDE Moving Heads 166 PRODUCT DIRECTORY 170 LAST PAGE INTERVIEW Bob Boster, Clear-Com

FRANÇAIS

Le sujet de ce Leader peut sembler évident, mais il serait également bizarre de ne pas en parler du tout. Comme je l’ai mentionné dans ma lettre d’information à la veille de la décision à savoir si le Royaume-Uni quitterait l’UE, ici chez Mondiale nous soutenions le camp des « In ». Alors lorsque le résultat du référendum est tombé, nous nous sommes tous demandé ce que cela signifierait pour nous sur le plan commercial. Selon les rapports, il est peu probable que l’on constate un changement drastique dans un avenir proche, puisque le processus de sortie devrait prendre au minimum deux ans. Cependant, au stade où nous en sommes, je ne perçois aucune garantie simplement parce que nous ne savons pas ce qui se passera. Le choix de notre prochain Premier ministre aura un impact important, tout autant que le résultat des négociations engagées avec les autres pays de l’UE et la façon dont nous interagirons avec eux à l’avenir quant aux échanges commerciaux et aux voyages par exemple. Bien que la décision soit à l’encontre de notre opinion — et selon les médias sociaux, il semble que beaucoup d’entre vous soient du même avis — je pense que pour l’instant du moins, il est essentiel de rester positifs. Si des temps plus durs se présentent, j’ose croire que la prestance et la passion de notre industrie nous uniront et nous aideront à traverser cette période difficile.

DEUTSCH

Auch wenn es so scheint, als ob die Wahl für den Inhalt des Leitartikels dieser Ausgabe selbstverständlich war, so wäre es doch eigenartig, überhaupt nicht darüber zu sprechen. Wie ich in meiner Einleitung zum Newsletter am Vorabend der Entscheidung vermerkt habe, haben wir hier bei Mondiale das Camp gegen den Brexit unterstützt. Als also das Ergebnis des Referendums, das heißt der Ausstieg GB aus der EU, verkündet wurde, stellten wir uns hier die Frage, was dies für uns geschäftlich bedeutet. Gemäß ersten Berichten ist es sehr unwahrscheinlich, dass es in naher Zukunft zu drastischen Veränderungen kommen wird, da der Ausstiegsprozess mindestens zwei Jahre dauern wird. Wie auch immer, ich habe nicht das Gefühl, dass es in diesem Stadium irgendwelche Sicherheiten gibt, weil wir schlicht und einfach nicht wissen, was auf uns zukommt. Die Wahl unseres nächsten Premierministers wird Auswirkungen haben, so wie auch unsere Verhandlungen mit den anderen EU-Staaten und wie wir mit ihnen in Zukunft zusammenwirken - mit Hinblick auf Handel und Reisen zum Beispiel. Auch wenn die Entscheidung nicht unserer Meinung entspricht - und wenn wir einen Blick auf die sozialen Medien werfen, scheint es, dass viele von Ihnen mit uns übereinstimmen - so bin ich der Auffassung, dass es zumindest im Moment wichtig ist, dass wir eine positive Einstellung bewahren und daran glauben, dass wenn schwere Zeiten auf uns zukommen, unsere menschliche und begeisternde Industrie zusammenhält und zueinander steht.

Potrebbe sembrare una scelta ovvia da parte di Leader parlare di quanto sta succedendo, ma potrebbe anche apparire strano non menzionarlo affatto. Come ho affermato nell’ introduzione della mia newsletter, alla vigilia della decisione, qui a Mondiale, abbiamo appoggiato la fazione del “remain”, quindi quando è stato annunciato il risultato del referendum (che il Regno Unito avrebbe lasciato l’Unione europea), abbiamo tutti cominciato a chiederci che cosa avrebbe significato per noi a livello di business.

Secondo i rapporti è improbabile che ci saranno cambiamenti drastici in un futuro prossimo, visto che il processo di uscita dovrebbe prendere un minimo di due anni.

Tuttavia, non mi sembra che vi siano garanzie in questa fase perché semplicemente non sappiamo cosa accadrà. La scelta del nostro prossimo primo ministro avrà un impatto, così come l’esito dei negoziati che abbiamo con gli altri paesi dell’Unione europea e il modo in cui interagiremo con loro in futuro per quanto riguarda il commercio ed il viaggiare, per esempio. Anche se la decisione è andata contro il nostro parere e, guardando i social media, sembra che molti di voi siano d’accordo, credo che, almeno per ora, sia importante mantenere un atteggiamento positivo ed avere fiducia; se arriveranno tempi bui, speriamo che la nostra attività fatta con personalità e passione ci unirà e ci farà superare il tutto.

ITALIANO

ESPAÑOL

37 Digital Projection Doughty 159 DPA 25 Duratruss 85 Eagle Stage Equipment 42 EAW 75 Elation 41 & 107 Equipson 39 ETC 115 FBT 11 Fine Art 5 Focusrite 147 Fohhn Audio 13 Funktion One 55 Genelec 45 Global Truss 32 & 33 GLP 157 Green Hippo 145 Infocomm India 98 K-array 47 Kuzar 169

KV2 169 L&S Distribution 147 Lab.gruppen 115 L-Acoustics 2 Lectrosonics 143 73 Look Solutions Madrix 159 BC Martin Audio MBN 67 & 69 Mega Systems 139 Milos 29 & 171 Music & Lights 49 & 163 Nexo 157 NEXT-proaudio 27 Osram 77 Palm China 8 PL+S Middle East 58 PR-Lighting 155 BPM | PRO 20 85 Prolight Concepts Prolyte 149

QSC 103 Renkus-Heinz 145 127 RGB Link Riedel 118 Robe 15 SGM 151 Sommer Cable 53 Starway 131 Steinigke 44 & 137 Studio Due 149 Sunlite 10 Tech Team 4 TTA Singapore 124 TW Audio 43 VMB 95 Wireless Solution 3 XTA 69 YODN Lighting 4

Podría parecer un tema obvio a tratar en la editorial de esta emisión, pero también sería raro no mencionar nada. Como dije en la introducción de mi boletín en la víspera de la decisión, aquí en Mondiale, dimos marcha atrás, de manera que cuando se anunció el resultado del referéndum – acerca de que el Reino Unido abandonaría a la Unión Europea- todos nos comenzamos a preguntar qué significaría eso para nosotros a nivel negocio. De acuerdo con los informes, es improbable que haya algún cambio drástico en el futuro cercano, con un proceso que se dice llevará al menos dos años. Sin embargo, no siento que haya alguna garantía al respecto porque simplemente no sabemos qué pasará.

La elección de nuestro próximo primer ministro tendrá un impacto, como lo tendrá el resultado de las negociaciones que tenemos con los otros países de la Unión Europea, y cómo interactuaremos con ellos- por ejemplo en lo que hace a las comercializaciones y viajes- en el futuro. A pesar de que la decisión fue contraria a nuestra opinión- y al ver los medios sociales, pareciera que muchos de ustedes sí estuvieron de acuerdo – creo que por ahora por lo menos, es importante que seamos positivos y que tengamos esperanza en que si vinieran los tiempos duros, nuestra afable y apasionada industria se unirá al igual que nosotros.

Advertising Index Absen 95 93 Adam Hall Adamson 129 ADJ 65 Antari 31 APG 111 ArKaos 83 ASC 105 & 135 AUDIOFOCUS 153 Audio-Technica 71 Avolites 90 & 91 Camco 119 Celestion 7 Chauvet 79 Chromateq 167 Clear-Com 67 Coda 57 d&b audiotechnik 17 & 161 D.A.S. Audio 133 Daslight 6 DiGiCo 117

VERTUS CLA 406A extends flexible active line array technology in live and installed audio applications. Portability and arrayable flying options of the birch plywood cabinet are maximised by virtue of the 12 integrated suspension points and wide range of hardware together with 0° - 10° - 20° incremental coupling angles. Equipped with four 6.5” LF custom woofers and a 1.4” B&C HF driver coupled to a 100°H x 25°V waveguide, the CLA 406A boasts an internal 900W RMS class D power module with DSP and EQ presets. The VERTUS CLA 118SA bass reflex subwoofer extends the LF frequencies courtesy of an 18” B&C woofer and 1200W RMS class D power module.

12 IN DISCUSSION

ULTRA POWERFUL LASER TECHNOLOGY Andreas Huber, Director of SSL development for professional and industrial applications at OSRAM, discusses laser technology and how it is used in entertainment lighting.

Here at OSRAM, we have been at the forefront of lighting technology since our journey first began back in 1906.

Since then, our eventful history has seen OSRAM constantly evolve as we look to reinvent light over and over again - from conventional lamps to LED light and right through to laser technology.

As a company, we draw the inspiration for our products and systems from right around the world as we look to invent the future and turn possibility into reality - in fact, on average, we register two patents every day. However, we are more than just the sum of our workforce, we ensure that the goals and ideas of our customers and partners come first. We focus on their needs and use those to give our ideas the direction to come to fruition.

OSRAM has always stood for quality and innovation and, ever since we first came to prominence in the 1920s with technologically superior products and an expansive company policy, we have always strived to maintain that. Now, as a leading force in the lighting industry, we are committed to driving the development of countless innovative lighting technologies forward.

With this in mind, we are focussing on laser lighting technology, particularly in terms of how it can be used to great effect in the entertainment lighting industry.

So, how does laser light actually work?

Laser diodes can produce focussed light from an extremely small, almost punctiform area. This allows laser light to be collected, shaped and focussed through the use of extremely compact optics.

As well as this, laser sources can also be combined very well, which results in high luminous flux packages, with light that can be focussed exceptionally well.

But, the answer to the question of how the laser beam is produced and the individual processes behind it stems from a development by the research laboratories

• Above Kreios Fresnel and Kreios Profile LED spotlights.

of OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, which is based in Regensburg, Germany.

Blue laser diodes with a sufficiently high output of at least one watt have been available for only a few years. These blue laser diodes are based on indium gallium nitride technology and were originally developed for professional projection systems. The colour of the light for these laser diodes can be freely set across a certain range through adjusting the mix of the indium and gallium elements.

The laser diodes emit monochromatic light with a wavelength of 450 nanometers, which is perceived as blue by the human eye - however, this light would not be suitable to be used directly. What is actually needed is white light, ideally with a colour temperature of around 5,600 Kelvin.

Specialists at OSRAM Specialty Lighting (SP) have therefore developed a module in which the laser light from multiple diodes hits a converter first. This then allows the blue laser light to be converted into a white light - the same process that is used in modern light emitting diodes.

The advantage of using laser light over other options is that laser light produces an extremely high luminance. In fact, it www.mondodr.com

is much higher than that of some other conventional technologies - it is around 10 times higher than that of the most intense LEDs available. This extremely high luminance allows very small optical components to be used, which, in turn, means that very compact luminaires with excellent emission characteristics can be built. When it comes to profile spotlights, for instance, phaser technology provides the basis for very narrow beam angles and sharply defined beams.

So, what are the next steps for laser technology in entertainment? For OSRAM, we used Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt to show the laser technology that we have discussed in action for entertainment lighting for the very first time. From there, we can see that a new generation of products has opened up.

We believe that this could also see a significant reduction in the maintenance costs of spotlights, with thanks to their long lifespan. But, in terms of the future, the first application-specific pilot projects have been implemented with an external OEM partner and internally at OSRAM. The opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and not necessarily of mondo*dr magazine.

COLOUR: ANY INSTALLATION: UNSEEN SOUND: OUTSTANDING MADE IN: GERMANY

Hearing does not have to be seen.

Why must professional loudspeakers always look so loudmouthed? Does not have to be so: www.fohhn.com

14 INSIDE VIEW

Royal Opera House Since it first opened in 1732, the Royal Opera House has become one of the world’s most recognised and respected performance venues. Based in Covent Garden, London, the venue relies on state-of-the-art equipment to ensure that each show achieves its potential. As a result, the venue has invested significantly in Wireless Solution W-DMX; with every purchase being made through White Light.

Justin Cook is the Lighting Systems Manager and part of the Technical Production team at the Royal Opera House. He commented: “We decided to invest in Wireless DMX as we were aware of the huge impact it would have in how productions are run at the Royal Opera House. We own 10 W-DMX Transmitters and around 40 receivers. Similarly, all additional bars and set practicals are run from Wireless DMX and we run four universes for any additional lighting equipment we require on top of our permanent rig.”

WIRELESS SOLUTION Wireless Solution is a manufacturer of wireless lighting control equipment, W-DMX, which to date has sold more than 350,000 units worldwide and has around 50 high end OEM partners.

Founded in 2003 by professionals from the lighting industry and wireless communication engineers, the company designs and produces the award-winning Wireless DMX system that is today the unofficial standard for those that require the most dependable product available for transmitting lighting control data wirelessly, no matter the distance or location. www.wirelessdmx.com

National Palace Museum In Taibao City, Taiwan, a southern branch of the National Palace Museum has opened, driving cultural, educational, social and economical development to both northern and southern regions of Taiwan. To commemorate its inauguration, Aurora Lighting was called in to overview the design, and local distributor Jackson Yu of DLHG, to offer project support to the job.

A total of 61 fixtures were used, including 20 Fine Art 230 BEAM, 16 Fine Art 1500 Spot, 20 Studio Due City Color and five PASP 4K SKYBEAM luminaires. Controlling these automated fixtures was an MA Lighting MA2 console and four W-DMX Blackbox F-1 units.

Vivid Sydney, an annual outdoor lighting festival, has recently worked with Taronga Zoo to light up a trail, with giant animal multimedia light sculptures. The project was created

by Ample Projects, with interactive lighting, sound effects and moving parts, created by Mandylights. “The zoo is basically pitch black at night and in many areas we really had to start from scratch,” commented Richard Neville of Mandylights. “There were some areas where we had complete free reign and others where we were complementing the lanterns.”

Crucial to the lighting design were 130 ShowPro Hex 18 LED PARs and 24 ShowPro EX36 LED Floods, both of which have an IP65 rating. The PARS provide a solid base of colour for the entire site onto which Mandylights layered more lighting.

Due to the sheer amount of foot traffic and several vehicles used in the zoo, running cables along the ground or higher up was a problem.“This is where Wireless Solutions W-DMX was invaluable,” stated Richard. “It just does a series of hops around the park into really difficult to reach places.” In total there were four BlackBox F-2 MKII with directional antennas and 16 Micro R-512 receivers, all plug-and-play. www.mondodr.com

Image by Destination NSW

Taronga Zoo

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16 MONDO*DR AWARDS

The mondo*dr awards website is now live.

www.mondodrawards.com

Launched to recognise and celebrate the technical marvels that are created in today’s entertainment outlets.

Log on to the website to read more about the awards and submit your project to be in with a chance of making it an award-winning installation.

JUDGING PANEL TO INCLUDE:

www.mondodr.com

35 Years xy

d&b is 35. Agnieszka is d&b.

Agnieszka Pyrich is Managing Director of Konsbud Audio, d&b Distributor for Poland. They’ve been on board since 2002. “There is good energy within the d&b family. Products are innovative and of superb quality. Fantastic.” In 35 years d&b has evolved from a small garage venture to a worldwide standard in professional sound systems. It’s people like Agnieszka who make this story possible, and just that bit different from the rest.

Welcome to System reality.

18 EX P O DIARY

20-21 JULY www.tourismtechnologyasia.com

8-13 SEPTEMBER www.ibc.org

11-13 AUGUST www.globallinkmp.com 12-14 SEPTEMBER www.infocomm-india.com

TOURISM & TECHNOLOGY SINGAPORE

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT & EVENT EXPO TOKYO, JAPAN

PALMM MANILA, PHILIPPINES

AVL+M BANGKOK, THAILAND

INTEGRATE SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

IBC AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

PALM EXPO CHINA BEIJING, CHINA

INFOCOMM INDIA MUMBAI, INDIA

BPM / PRO BIRMINGHAM, UK

PROLIGHT+SOUND MOSCOW, RUSSIA

1-4 SEPTEMBER www.palmexpo.com

20-22 JULY www.avlmthailand.com

15-17 SEPTEMBER

6 -8 JULY www.live-event.jp

www.prolight.messefrankfurt.ru

23-25 AUGUST www.integrate-expo.com

www.mondodr.com

11-13 SEPTEMBER www.visitbpm.co.uk

D

19 EX P O DIARY

21-23 OCTOBER www.ldishow.com 26-29 OCTOBER

18-20 SEPTEMBER www.plasashow.com

PLASA LONDON, UK

WFX LOUISVILLE, USA

16-18 NOVEMBER www.inter-bee.comÂ

www.prolightsound-shanghai.com

LDI LAS VEGAS, USA

INFOCOMM COLOMBIA BOGOTA, COLOMBIA

PROLIGHT+SOUND SHANGHAI CHINA

PROLIGHT+SOUND MIDDLE EAST DUBAI, UAE

6-8 DECEMBER www.infocomm-mea.com

INTERBEE TOKYO, JAPAN

INFOCOMM MEA DUBAI, UAE

JTSE PARIS, FRANCE,

11-13 OCTOBER www.infocomm.org 31 OCTOBER - 2 NOVEMBER 21-22 SEPTEMBER www.wfxweb.com

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22-23 NOVEMBER www.jtse.fr

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IN DEPTH

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INTERVIEW DAVE LIANG PR LIGHTING

REPORT ARCHITECTURAL AUDIO

After getting involved in the entertainment lighting industry by chance over 30 years ago, Dave Liang set up a small factory to produce simple products, which has now grown into PR Lighting one of the leading professional lighting manufacturers. Clive Wilson spoke to Dave to discuss his beginnings in the industry and the incredible growth that has seen PR Lighting supply products for huge events, such as the Beijing Olympic Games.

24 INT ERVIEW

When PR Lighting reached its 30th birthday in 2014, this landmark event passed without all the self-aggrandisement you might expect from a Western company.

But even devoid of all the hoopla, it was a real milestone in Chinese lighting development. To give some perspective, aside from being immortalised by George Orwell, 1984 was notable for falling just one year after the inauguration of the SIB technology show in Italy, which broke new frontiers, and arguably launched the modern kinetic motorised lighting industry to the wider world.

Yet it was to be 11 years (yes, you heard correctly) before Dave Liang, the founder of Pearl River, as it was originally known, came west to Frankfurt’s Prolight+Sound, and broke its insularity.

I recall visiting the 1997 Palm Expo in Beijing, just months before the return of Hong Kong to China, and eight years after Tiananmen Square and domino collapse of Communism in Europe - when the Chinese technology industry was one of primitivism and (breathe the word) plagiarism.

Without the exposure to much other than Western trade magazines for their information, and possibly confused by the glut of sealed beam GE4515 Par 36 pinspots

seemingly migrating from the American automotive transport industry to the first automatic whirligig beam lighting on the ceilings of dancehalls, Pearl River embarked on its own development programme.

The stage lighting market was still in its infancy, populated by a few inchoate manufacturers. An industry was yet to form around this and apart from stage lighting being sold to some of the big hotels, there was little activity. But, then Dave happened to pass by a shop and saw some stage lighting and mirrorballs in the window. “It was very simple but I did some investigation and realised the market was potentially huge and there was a good opportunity for us. In 1984 there was nothing like that.” Dave had previously run his own business for commercial interior decorative lighting; while his focus was on sales, brother Bill was more engineering based, working for a piano company. But both were heavily involved in the early product design for the new Pearl River Lighting.

Setting up the operation in a tiny 1,000 sq metre workshop in Downtown Guangzhou with a staff of between 20-30, the Liangs quickly focussed on the products the market needed - producing scanners www.mondodr.com

and mirrorballs. Dave proved he was a quick learner. “Everything started with the mirrorball for me - that’s what caught my attention,” he said. “But at the same time I conducted a series of investigations into what else the market required. International influence in China was minimal and we became one of the first companies in China to develop the scanner. Using the 24V 250W halogen source they developed their first intelligent light, the PR-988 scanner.

So, how did the story begin? For the first five years, the company experienced gradual, if unspectacular, growth. Graduating from halogen sources through discharge (HMI/Metal Halide), after producing the first intelligent light in China, products like the Orlando Scan 1200 moving mirror fixture showed its ability to compete with the best of them on the international stage. Slowly, an industry started to develop in China.

As previously stated, the first time Dave attended an international trade show was in 1995. “I exhibited at the Frankfurt show and our booth was visited by many Western companies who later became OEM customers for PR,” he said.

“By attending the show, I was able to understand the needs of the international

• Above Bill and the sales team.

B O DY WO R N M I C RO P H O N E S

G E T C LO S E R TO P U R E P E R F O R M A N C E U n b e a t a b l e s o u n d , m i n i m a l fo o t p r i n t When both body and voice need to be free, a DPA Bodyworn Mic should be your go-to solution. Headset or miniature, visible or concealed, the d:fine™ & d:screet™ series of bodyworn microphones give you astoundingly accurate sound in an incredibly small design.

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26 INT ERVIEW

market and customers.” He also noticed how advanced companies like Clay Paky and Martin were with their technology.

“The distance between our technologies was a big surprise to me and I realised there was still a lot for us to learn.”

Undaunted, by 1995, he believed that his company could continue to expand and become regarded as a serious player in the international marketplace, on the journey to becoming the sought-after brand it is today.

That Frankfurt visit had been something of a Damascene experience for Dave and, by the following, year the company was ready to start an OEM programme and meet buyers from international companies. “We started to sell to Western companies,” Dave remembered. But, more significantly, he realised that in order to gain global credibility, they needed to import their own Western influence early in the new millennium. At the same time, they decided to turn from OEM in favour of promoting their own brand globally, as it would guarantee a more secure future.

The catalyst was probably British Lighting Designer, Paul Dodd. He was one of several key people recruited from Italian company, FAL - among them, Antonio Papandrea, as Sales Manager, and Angello

Tacchi, who was in charge of R&D, all of whom helped the company develop an international face. At the same time, former High End Systems Technician, Steve Tulk, joined the company in 2001, followed in 2004 by Ernie Armas, who joined initially as Sales Manager, working with experienced Head of Department, Lin Hong. His influence has been massive and, later as International Sales Director, he helped to open up both the Americas and Asian markets.

2004 was also notable as being the year that Pearl River changed its international brand image by truncating the name to ’PR Lighting’.

“2004 was a very good year for us and by dropping the ‘Pearl River’ we started to attract more of an international image; we were starting to get recognised as a global brand, selling through a network of distributors,” stated Dave.

“By importing skilled people from the West who knew the international market we started to get introduced to more people at tradeshows; this helped build confidence in the brand and get us noticed.”

“It was a common perception with people in the West that they thought all we did was to copy - but the recruitment of www.mondodr.com

Western personnel helped us to enter the international markets with greater credibility.

“The only way to change people’s ideas was to keep improving our products and our technology - and that’s really been our focus since the beginning,” said Dave.

As the company continued to grow, it needed to enlarge capacities. The real landmark came with the third HQ move - arriving at the new 50,000 sq metre PR High-Tech Park in 2007. “Every move was a symbol of great development for PR, in both technology and productivity,” says Dave. “But the new industrial park was the real turning point, allowing us to develop products that the market really took to, like the XL series and PR5000 series.”

Yet their professionalism had already been recognised as far back as 1999. That was the year that PR, together with the Chinese Government offices responsible for the stage lighting industry, drafted the ‘Industry Standard in China’, and PR was the only the manufacturer to be invited to collaborate.

Along the way, its products have been specified for many high profile projects: the ceremony for the return of Macao, 50th Anniversary of the Peoples Republic

• Above Dave in his office at PR Lighting HQ in Guangzhou.

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28 INT ERVIEW

• Above Dave and the sales team in 2010.

of China, Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Chinese National Games and, of course, the thrilling Opening and Closing ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics at the Bird’s Nest - an unforgettable event in the pantheon of the spectacular.

That showcase used more than 200 PR Century Color 2500 fixtures and XL Washes to constantly colour change the façade, showing that by the end of that decade, Chinese lighting could mix it alongside the best in the world.

This observation puts a particular smile on Dave’s face as he realised that PR Lighting could finally keep pace alongside the global lighting giants. “In a competitive marketplace, we were chosen because our products were fully qualified and fit for purpose - and this was decided by the designers themselves.

They required rigorous testing and I was very happy with the way our products were chosen as it showed the extremely high standards our product had risen to.

This was important for the PR brand as it helped us to achieve a higher status and recognition.”

Looking at the company 32 years on, while Bill Liang has moved across to focus on the PR Group’s commercial

property business - although remaining on the main PR Lighting board as a key decision maker - Dave is the spearhead, generally seen holding court at international trade fairs.

He is able to reflect on having overseen some real product breakthroughs along the way. “We were one of the first companies to develop the LED moving heads, with the XRLED 1200 Spot, which produces the same output as a 1,200W discharge - as well as other LED units.”

In fact back in 2009 they had come out with arguably the brightest LED moving head in the market at the time, with the XLED 590, using Osram’s powerful new Diamond Dragon LED. Coincidentally, that was also the year that Ernie Armas moved to China and moved up to the role of Sales Director.

PR Lighting’s growing confidence in its own technologies and electronic design expertise has led them from the more forgiving world of rental staging into the high tariff, precision requirements of TV / studio lighting, where colour temperature, rendering indexes, flicker free operation and silent running are paramount.

As a consequence of this market expansion, the last five years have seen an average 30% year on year growth and in 2012 www.mondodr.com

a massive 70% increase in turnover over the previous year (largely on the back of the phenomenal success of the PR5000).

Today, PR Lighting’s workforce has grown to 800 personnel in Guangzhou.

“There have been three major factors in this growth,” believes Dave. “The market demand increased, our sales network became more complete and the quality of the products improved.”

In summary, he said: “I am extremely happy with the way PR Lighting has developed and we will continue that development. Today PR Lighting is the only company in China that exports with its own brand and we are confident will be able to maintain leadership in the industry through our many years of experience.”

Reviewing the various milestone years, he effortlessly alights on key dates. “In 1996, we started to enter the international market, in 2000, we started to promote the PR brand, in 2007, we moved to the new High-Tech Park and, in 2008, the Beijing Olympic Games.

“The PR brand has now been accepted on many international riders, and is number one in the domestic market. But although we have been recognised as an international leader we constantly strive to take

30 INT ERVIEW

“Today, PR Lighting is the only company in China that exports with its own brand and we are confident will be able to maintain leadership in the industry through our many years of experience.”

PR Lighting to a higher level in product development on the international market.

“PR Lighting is more than an assembly base, we are a professional lighting supplier with many technical advantages.”

The end of the global recession clearly saw a shift in the balance of power towards China when it came to entertainment and display technology. But in the wider context, Dave points to household names like ZTE and Huawei - along with local manufacture of Apple and the many luxurious cars made in China - to illustrate the respect now paid to Chinese manufacturing.

As for PR Lighting, the company has already made a huge investment in its own industry’s future, setting up cooperation with design training programmes with institutions and universities.

So, finally, what ambitions remain unwww.mondodr.com

fulfilled, other than a constant relentless drive to bring PR Lighting to higher international recognition? What will the next move be? Once you realise that he is in the process of creating a new nine-building High-Tech Park, designed to safeguard PR Lighting’s future growth, the answer becomes obvious.

The objective to this endeavour is to take Chinese entertainment technology to a higher level still, where companies from similar industries will interact in one space. “Some buildings we will be dedicated to offices, lighting and sound, stage design and also stage production.

“At the same time, a training centre will be created where different talents from the industry will be trained.”

In other words, China’s very own Production Park.

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34 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

M I A MI’S AM E R I CAN AI RL IN ES A R E N A COMPANY: AUDINATE LOCATION: FLORIDA, USA

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Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena, the home of the NBA’s Miami Heat, also serves as an international, versatile venue in the city’s burgeoning entertainment district. The 19,600-seat arena on the Biscayne Bay waterfront hosts more than 80 live events annually, including major concerts, family shows and national conferences.

The HEAT Group, which comprises the marketing and booking arm of AmericanAirlines Arena, has aggressively invested in state-of-the-art technology, renovations and expansions over the past 15 years.

Most recently, this included a complete audiovisual upgrade inside the arena bowl, and a built-fromscratch exterior performance area. As of February 2016, both areas utilise Audinate’s Dante Audio over IP networking solution for low-latency, multichannel audio routing and distribution.

The outdoor entertainment venue, Xfinity East Plaza (XEP) is a new 23,000 sq ft covered space located on the east side of the arena. The initial XEP system planning focussed on the careful placement of the D.A.S. Audio loudspeaker columns providing the best possible directional sound coverage and quality. Optimising the system achieved the goals of perfection, but it left much less time to complete the remaining integration projects on the drawing board.

Thankfully, Jorge Arronte, Manager of Arena Sound and Matrix for The HEAT Group, was already well versed in the ease and speed of installing a Dante digital audio network: “With an analogue distribution system, the copper connections put limits on how

35 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

quickly you can set up an audio system in a place not in the original design. We had some networking through EtherSound systems, but were constantly rebooting what was basically a single connection between a console and a remote rack. This is something you don’t want happening during an NBA game or a concert, as you’re essentially on pins and needles for the rest of the event.”

With the indoor Dante system working flawlessly for well over a year since installation, the next step was to replicate that success for the XEP project - and do so under a very tight timeline.

The freedom that Jorge found in transitioning to Dante inside the arena was a game-changer that would influence the XEP systems design. The initial arena network included 24 Dante-enabled devices, including an AEQ NETBOX 32 AD breakout box feeding Lab. gruppen Lake LM26 speaker management processors and PLM1000Q amplifiers. The entire network was deployed using Juniper switches - rarely deployed in audiovisual systems, but representative of Dante’s flexibility with nearly any switch on the market.

Jorge continued: “Dante opened up a lot of doors for us inside AmericanAirlines Arena. We transitioned the Juniper switches from service mode to enterprise mode to align more cleanly with the Dante network, and very quickly we were moving multicast signals to our Lab.gruppen Lake amplifier cubes inside the bowl, as well as in restrooms and smoking balconies, among other locations.”

This was an immediate benefit, as achieving the sound

quality desired by both the NBA and other discerning audience members was a significant challenge with the old system.

Jorge stated that the sound was instantly 100 times better using the Dante network, with audibly being much tighter. Before the installation, Jorge did a lot of creative manipulation of highs, mids and lows using a dedicated EQ station. By the second game, Jorge reduced the latency from five milliseconds to one and constantly checked Dante Controller for errors to be safe, of which there were none. Dante was clearly stable from the start, and handled everything perfectly.

Dante’s total cost of ownership has also provided value every step of the way, with connections taking hours versus weeks simply through the transition to network cabling over copper. Reconfiguring the system for different events is also simplified.

Jorge spoke of how convenient it is to run any signal to anywhere in the building now, and that he’s even eliminated eight patchbays that were in the original design.

If someone requests an audio signal, all Jorge needs is a port to set it up, and since Dante made life much easier inside the arena, there really was no question that Jorge and his team would use it again for the XEP project. The savings by continuing to use Dante were significant. Since network cabling was now abundant all around the arena, there is no question it minimised the time needed to open XEP to the public.

The core of the Dante network for XEP was centralised to a telecom room adjacent to existing IT racks, which then minimised cable runs to the Lab.gruppen Lake www.mondodr.com

processing and amplification systems that power various loudspeakers and stage monitors. As with inside, the sound quality and latency at XEP have been widely praised, and has been used for live pre and post-game performances from Flo Rida, DJ Natty Rico, DJ Irie and many local bands.

Jorge noted that with Dante already functioning throughout the rest of the building, the process of configuring, sending and receiving signals needed at XEP or in the main control room is a matter of seconds versus hours.

Jorge concluded that expediency is crucial on game nights, when things run especially fast. Jorge found that recently he had a request to add some music-activated visualisation to an LED screen behind a DJ on stage at XEP. Adding a dual-channel receive unit created another Dante port to the switch, and it was up and running in less than a day - much to the surprise of the executive who suggested the idea.

Additionally, Jorge stated that these are many more reasons for the Dante system’s success; significant savings in integration time and ongoing maintenance, flexibility to route audio to-and-from any network inside and outside. The reduction in labour requirements during games and events is also a huge plus, allowing technical staff to focus on other projects, compatibility with existing Juniper switches, broad vendor and hardware support for Dante, and significant improvements in audio quality and signal latency. www.audinate.com

36 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

S H E ATS GOLDST E I N R ESID E N C E COMPANY: FUNKTION-ONE LOCATION: CALIFORNIA, USA

The Sheats Goldstein Residence has it all; high design, glamour and a wonderful history. This was Jackie Treehorn’s house in the Coen brothers’ cult classic, The Big Lebowski. Created by revered architect John Lautner and completed in 1963 for Helen and Paul Sheats, the house was bought by James Goldstein in 1972. James worked with John from 1979 until the architect’s death in 1994, adding new details and updates in line with the original vision. Not only is it a triumph of mid-century design, it has both a colourful past and a meaningful future.

Sound Investment, Funktion-One’s distributor for North America, has been involved in the latest and most probably last stage of redevelopment of the property. That involvement has so far lasted seven years and it has resulted in a custom Funktion-One sound system being installed in one of the most famous houses in LA. The nightclub space is also home to a lighting system designed by the highly-respected Steve Lieberman.

Before John’s death, he sketched an ambitious plan of

expanding the property and adding a guest house with a tennis court and a reception building. With sketch in hand, James sought an architect with the attributes necessary for realising James’ vision. Former apprentice of John, Duncan Nicholson of Nicholson Architects understood the design intent and was capable of bringing it to fruition. Duncan worked closely with John during the last seven years of his life. He was clearly the right person to continue the legacy.

It was Duncan who subsequently contacted Sound Investment’s Dean McNaughton and appointed the company as sound consultants. With a neighbouring property purchased and removed, everything was in place for the latest chapter of the Sheats Goldstein Residence to be written.

The house is an example of American Organic Architecture, meaning it derives its form as an extension of the surrounding environment and from the people for whom it was built. Angular shapes and concrete structures contribute to its bold design signature. The new development continues this thread.

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Discussing the nightclub, which is of a size that could comfortably accommodate 150 people, Sound Investment’s Dean commented: “Everything has been done in the style of the original home. Naturally, this has had a bearing on the sound design. The locations of the speakers were very specifically prescribed, the subwoofers have been built into cement - the level of detail in the requirements, in order to satisfy the overall architectural design, was constantly high. It was never going to be just one pass, it was probably 20 passes before we got it to where everybody was happy with the way it was going to look, the type of speaker we were going to use and the locations in which we could actually put them.”

Sound Investment customised six Funktion-One Resolution 1.5TTs, a model that gained approval as much for its look (the axhead and silver finish), as it was for its audio output. In keeping with the meticulous detailing, even the supplied silver finish was changed to another shade of grey / silver to ensure it is exactly right. Further modifications were necessary to remove

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all the connectors and plugs from sight, which coincidentally allows each box to be mounted as close as possible to the ceiling.

Six Funktion-One BR115 bass reflex speakers have been encased in concrete housings. Should they need to be accessed for maintenance, glass suckers cups are needed to assist with their removal. The system is powered by MC2 amplification and controlled via a BSS Soundweb network.

The final phase of this stage of redevelopment will see the addition of a lower terrace infinity pool, kitchen, dining area and theatre, all delivered under the guidance of Conner & Perry Architects. Practice owners, Kristopher W Conner and James Perry, were Duncan’s apprentices. Sound Investment will continue to be involved and will supply sound reinforcement where it is required.

Earlier this year, the news broke that James has donated the property to LACMA - the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. It’s a brilliant gesture, which ensures that everything that has contributed to the property’s creation and development will remain as a statement of design and collaboration. It’s a fitting tribute, especially to the architects. To John, who died in 1994, and to Duncan, who died suddenly in January 2015 at only 58 years old. It will also be a lasting tribute to James, who will always be known as a maverick - a generous maverick at that. www.funktion-one.com

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38 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

ST PET E R & ST PAU L’S C HU R C H / FRA M PTON PAR K BA PTIST C HU R C H COMPANY: ELECTRO VOICE LOCATION: BUCKINGHAM / LONDON, UK

Whether historic or modern in terms of architecture, houses of worship bring unique challenges to sound system designers and installers. This point is well illustrated in two recent UK installations by Creative Audio-Visual Solutions (CAVS), a design and integration firm located in Hertfordshire, UK that specialises in worship systems. Recently, the firm completed two very different church projects that illustrate this point.

Dating back to Saxon times, St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Buckingham wanted to modernise its sound system to better accommodate today’s worship style.

Along with clear and intelligible speech reproduction and the power required for full-range music reproduction, it was also important that the system had a low-profile design that wouldn’t interfere with the building’s historic architecture.

Conversely, Frampton Park Baptist Church in East London is a new building, but with the added challenge of being a multipurpose gymnasium when not being used for worship services. Both locations feature amplified praise bands, with multiple musicians and orchestral instruments. Another requirement at Frampton Park was to restrict loudspeaker placement to the areas directly adjacent to the stage, to keep them out of the way during sports events, and to allow the room’s temporary wall system to slide into place to close off the stage area.

For this room, CAVS System Designer, Ian Bethell and Sales Director, Rob Alvis used a pair of Electro-Voice EVF-1122S full-range loudspeakers in a L-R configuration above the stage, each augmented by an

Electro-Voice EVU-1082, mounted behind and angled to provide coverage to the side-stage areas. Bass enhancement comes courtesy of a pair of Electro-Voice EVF-1121S subwoofers mounted directly beneath the stage/altar area. CPS 2.9 and CPS 8.5 amplifiers from Electro-Voice supply power. For the band on stage, six Electro-Voice ZXA1 powered stage wedges provide monitoring.

Rob Alvis explained further: “It’s quite a reverberant space, so we avoided using 18-inch subs, which would be overpowering. Instead, we used the 12-inch EVF, which provides a nice punch with tight control of the low end. For the mains, we needed to cover a 15-metre throw, which the EVF-1122S handles with ease.”

Another highly reverberant sanctuary, St Peter and St Paul’s in Buckingham required a different approach. To ensure clarity of speech, Creative Audio-Visual recommended a point-source approach, using Electro-Voice ZX1i loudspeakers in a distributed system. A pair of these eight-inch, two-way speakers is affixed to each of four pillars in the sanctuary, with two more deployed up high on the rear pillars to serve the balcony. A single ZX1i serves the choir area. As drilling into original stone and marble of the historic building was not an option, CAVS engineers also devised a method of mounting both loudspeakers and video screens to the church pillars using custom band brackets that clamp around the columns without harm.

Two floor-mounted subwoofers, the 12-inch Electro-Voice ZX1 subwoofer, were added to augment the low-end response from the worship band’s bass and www.mondodr.com

drum components. The Electro-Voice CPS 2.9 multichannel amplifier powers the entire Electro-Voice ZX1 complement with a CPS 8.5 handling the subwoofers.

Rob stated that the ZX1 is a very flexible, high fidelity design in a compact package, which was perfect for St Peter and St Paul. Moving the speakers out into the congregation provided far better intelligibility than is typically heard in an historic sanctuary.

The sound systems in both locations share signal processing and routing via the Electro-Voice NetMax N8000 system controller, which allowed Creative Audio-Visual Solutions to tune these systems as a whole, and then optimise each loudspeaker component individually via FIR (finite impulse response) Drive.

The powerful Electro-Voice NetMax digital signal-processing engine offers powerful equalisation, dynamics, filtering, and crossover control.

Rob was not surprised that these very different houses of worship configurations resulted in the choice of EV loudspeakers.

Rob concluded: “One thing we love about Electro-Voice is their clarity and fidelity, and the wide range of dispersion patterns allows us to address any situation we’re likely to encounter. When you add to that the level of flexibility the Electro-Voice NetMax controller affords, it allows us to create excellent intelligibility and fidelity in difficult, reverberant spaces.

It has really made Electro-Voice the first brand we consider for nearly any worship space.” www.electrovoice.com

39 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

R ESTAURA N T D I A COMPANY: AUDAC LOCATION: KAUNAS, LITHUANIA

In the bustling and sprawling city of Kaunas, Lithuania is local restaurant, DIA. The restaurant specialises in creative and tasty cuisine, which is served with sublime service.

This popular restaurant is equipped with Audac XENO8 full range loudspeakers that blend beautifully into its cosy and modern interior design.

Thanks to the two zone six-channel preamplifier PRE26 and the DPA154 quad channel Class-D amplifiers, the staff can easily adjust and control the sound settings with simplicity. www.audac.be

40 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

CHUR C H OF SAI N T JEA N -BAPT I ST E D E MAU LEON COMPANY: FOHHN AUDIO LOCATION: MAULEON-LICHARRE, FRANCE

Architectural audio is a concept with which Fohhn Audio has long been associated. The German loudspeaker manufacturer has supplied numerous systems for a range of challenging environments from concert halls, churches and other historically protected buildings to modern shopping centres, airports and railway stations. However, a recent commission to produce what is probably the world’s first ‘talking cross’ for the Church of Saint Jean-Baptiste de Mauléon in the Basque region of France, provided engineers with a rather different challenge.

The picturesque 19th Century church, with its fine stained glass windows, is a cornerstone of the community by attracting many of the region’s visitors.

However, the building’s acoustics have left much to be desired, with generations of worshippers struggling, amid strong reflections and reverberation, to hear the detailed content of services.

With the church’s sound system due for an update, Régis Durouchoux, sound engineer from RDX in Tours - a company specialising in church sound reinforcement - was keen to pursue an idea he had nurtured for a while. The idea was to build a loudspeaker system into a cross, which could be suspended at the front of the church to provide invisible, high-quality

sound coverage. It was a concept that, in all his years of experience, Régis had never been able to implement due to technological limitations. However, at the suggestion of Daniel Borreau from Fohhn’s French distribution partner Rock-Audio Distribution, Régis tried one of Fohhn’s Linea Focus line source systems with integrated beam steering technology. Specially designed for use in challenging acoustic environments, these award-winning loudspeakers are remarkable for their ability to provide direct, targeted sound coverage along with the highest levels of speech intelligibility and music reproduction. The systems’ slim dimensions also enable them to be visually integrated into a range of settings, appearing almost invisible.

Immediately convinced by the results, Régis requested a Linea Focus LFI-220 system, subtly incorporated within a cruciform design, to be manufactured at the Fohhn factory in Nürtingen. The slender, 2.2-metre, electronically steerable loudspeaker, housed in the vertical axis of the cross, is equipped with 16 fourinch neodymium drivers, integrated 16-channel DSP amplifier and 16 separate DSP channels. The loudspeaker’s vertical sound inclination angle can be adjusted between -/+40º and its vertical beam width between 0º- 90º. This enables the loudspeaker beam

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to precisely target the congregation, while minimising reflections from the church’s stonewalls, ceiling and floor. The system also contains a special algorithm to further reduce the effect of unwanted side lobes, which can have an adverse affect on the overall clarity. Using Fohhn’s Audio Soft control software, adjustments can be made in real time, in 0.1º increments, enabling minute adjustments to be made to suit any changing acoustic situations. The loudspeaker housing, its front grille and the cruciform casement have all been painted in a special gold RAL colouring to complement the church’s interior.

Suspended over the altar, the magnificent gold cross appears, quite literally, to speak to the congregation. A combination of state-of-the-art loudspeaker technology and ecclesiastical art has now resulted in clear speech transmission and superior intelligibility - things that were previously unknown at the church.

The installation had its premiere at the Whit Sunday service, delighting both Pastor Jeannot Etchetto and his congregation. The pastor was heard to observe with some amusement that the new system even translates the Basque language. www.fohhn.com

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42 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

SHA N TO U SHE N G M I N G TA N G COMPANY: APG LOCATION: SHANTOU, CHINA APG North East Asia has announced completion of its first Uniline house of worship installation in China. Situated in Shantou, the 3,000 capacity Shantou Sheng Ming Tang church is one of the biggest in the Guangdong province.

The project was carried out by the Hong Kong based APG dealer, MPHK Group, which installed the entire sound system as well as HD video and LED stage lighting solutions. The project was completed in just a month, from system design to implementation.

APG North and Eastern Asia Managing Director, Raymond Wong commented: “The main acoustical challenge was to overcome the unwanted resonance due to the size of the church. Its high ceilings and the presence of two corridors on each side of the room were challenging as they created unwanted resonance. Because the Uniline range is easily controllable, we knew we would easily overcome those challenges and provide consistent coverage and high intelligibility for the public.”

Raymond and his team knew the Uniline would be the perfect solution to tackle these sonic challenges and provide a consistent and smooth coverage all across the auditorium. They specified six UL210 for the main speakers system, coupled with two bass extension TB118S subwoofers. Two MX2

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loudspeakers were installed for the front fill, while six loudspeakers from the DX range cover the balcony and stage areas. A total of 10 APG MX1 handles audio distribution in the corridors distribution loudspeakers from the Micro Axial Series.

The front of house speaker system is fed by three APG SA20:2 amplifiers, while the monitor and distribution loudspeakers are powered by Crown amplifiers. All APG loudspeaker parameters including level, equalisation, delay time, which are all managed by a couple of APG DMS48 digital controllers. MPHK also selected a combination of wireless and handheld Shure microphones to deliver the sermons, while the choir has been fitted with two matched pairs of Haun microphones.

According to Raymond, the customer is extremely satisfied with the new audio system deployed, stating that it was the best they have ever heard. They are now looking at fitting APG loudspeaker systems in sister churches.

Raymond concluded: “What’s impressive with the APG loudspeakers is that we get the same sound accuracy across the whole range.

And the Uniline range is so versatile and flexible that it is equally suited to reproduce the sound of a choir with a piano or an organ, a sermon or a pop / rock concert.” www.apg.audio

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44 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

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After outgrowing their current facility in Seoul, South Korea, the Beloved Church - formerly Great Faith Church - community set out to repurpose what used to be a gym complex in the same city. This new, 2,500-seat, 11,305 sq ft space was beautifully renovated into an architecturally stunning worship facility.

The church planned to do more with the new space by increasing worship events during services and installing two new, professional sound systems in order to provide even sound coverage to all churchgoers, high and even SPL, and superb clarity in both the main and auxiliary chapel. After listening to numerous product demonstrations from various major loudspeaker brands, Beloved Church chose to purchase and install Clair Brothers products. Seong Keun Ahn, Product Specialist and Application Engineer for Clair Brothers Korea carefully designed a system well suited to Beloved Church’s sonic requirements, and Fone Sound of Korea expertly installed the new CB system.

The main chapel’s PA consists of 14 i212-i with four USLP under stage subwoofers providing low end. The USLP design was perfect for the low stage height. Additionally, two CS18-II subwoofers were positioned in

the back of the room in order to cancel excess low energy and possible standing waves.

The new monitoring system consists of not only stage monitors - four 12AM and six WEDGE-P - but also a hanging stage fill systems of eight i208-i aimed at the pastor and worship leader. This combination results in clear and coherent present sound.

The sanctuary’s shape was not ideal for loudspeaker coverage especially because of its relatively low ceilings and long, deep balcony.

The team at Clair Brothers utilised a number of versatile Clair products in order to fully cover the space so that every person could hear the pastor’s message. Clair Brothers designers recommended three rows of delays for both under balcony and upper balcony comprised of 32 Clair Brothers IRIS-II-P in total. These loudspeakers were perfectly suited because of their shape, appearance and sound quality. In addition, 14 FF2-HP loudspeakers were used for side and front fills.

21 CB-PLM12K44 amplifiers and one CB-PLM20K44 amplifiers power the entire system, and the auxiliary chapel’s system features an equally high-performance system appropriately scaled to the space. www.clairbrothers.com

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SHE RATO N D O HA COMPANY: SENNHEISER LOCATION: DOHA, QATAR

One of the largest and most complex wireless audio systems deployments in the Middle East, the Sheraton Doha, an iconic five-star hotel in the capital of Qatar, has successfully leveraged Sennheiser’s solutions to roll out a state-of-the-art wireless conference and translation system across its entire meeting and conferencing facilities. The landmark project, which was handled by the DOUMMAR Group, ensures that the Sheraton Doha can continue to offer the very best event, meeting and conference facilities to its customers.

Esber Nasrallah is the Operations Manager for Q2 Advanced Technology Contracting LLC and was a team member, which handled the entire audiovisual portion of the hotel’s renovation. Esber commented: “The Sheraton Doha spared no expense and every system that has been utilised is absolutely first class.

It was decided that the usage of a wireless systems would deliver maximum flexibility in terms of mobility, portability and scale. The hotel wanted to be able to add or remove microphones and receivers effortlessly across the 12 expansive conference rooms as per guests’ requirements.”

Besides the challenge of accommodating over 200 channels into the UHF spectrum while avoiding intermodulation and interference, the team had to convince the regulatory authority in Qatar that it would not operate in certain frequency bands. The meticulous planning required to accomplish these tasks was aided by a specialised software called Sennheiser Intermodulation Frequency Management (SIFM), which allowed the team to input the frequency ranges and receive a detailed frequency distribution plan for the building. As there is no frequency overlapping of channels, Sheraton Doha can move transmitters about for portability without concerns of intermodulation and interference. The stringent wireless

security requirements were overcome by a combination of Sennheiser’s proprietary signal encoding and industry-standard 128-bit AES encryption.

The project saw the deployment of 120 Sennheiser 3000/5000 Series microphones with Neumann KK104 capsules - a combination used by many of the world’s most famous music artists. Also utilised were 400 ADN-W wireless delegate units for the portable conferencing systems, as well as 4000 Sennheiser HDE-2020 receivers and 21 SR-2020 transmitters for the translations systems - representing the largest and second largest global deployments for the Sennheiser conference and translation systems respectively.

Perhaps most impressively, Q2 Advanced Technology Contracting LLC and Sennheiser Middle East managed to plan, supply, commission and test all these systems in a short five-month timeframe.

Jean A. Doummar CEO of the Group stated: “The success of our endeavour at the Sheraton is the result of a quality centric management team and spirit and a tight collaboration between our partner Sennheiser, our back office in Beirut and front office is Doha, orchestrated and led by our Operations Manager, Esber Nasrallah.”

Technical Sales Manager for Sennheiser’s Middle East sector, Ryan Burr concluded: “We flew in experts from our headquarters in Germany and scaled our production to meet the project demands. Even with the extremely tight deadlines, we did not compromise on quality and attention to detail. We have received no negative feedback on the installation and no calls to assist or remedy any defect in the installation. This is despite the fact that the system is being used for daily events at the iconic venue, which I believe is best testament to the quality of the systems and the implementation.” www.sennheiser.com

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CAT H E DRAL OF ST. JO HN THE E VA NG E LI ST COMPANY: TANNOY LOCATION: WISCONSIN, USA

As the seat of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee for over 150 years, the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist has not only been an important place of worship, but an enduring local landmark. Constructed in 1893, its austere grandeur has led the building to be listed in the National Register of Historical Places. Consequently, the preservation of the cathedral’s elegant interior has always been a major concern and one of the reasons for the 2014 installation of a suite of Tannoy QFlex and VLS loudspeaker arrays.

When the previous sound system - installed in 2002 following the restoration of the interior - began to fail, the church engaged David Hosbach, President and Principal Design Consultant of Milwaukee’s DSH Audio Visions LLC. Initially, David provided a temporary solution to deal with the system’s unreliable processing, but there were also coverage and intelligibility issues and it became apparent David and his team were going to have to look at the loudspeaker layout.

Prior to 2002, the high altar was located in a traditional footprint at the cathedral, which is lined by columns on either side. David stated that with the artistic renovation of 2002, the altar and presiders’ chairs were

moved to a more central location on opposite sides of the nave, 50ft apart. Over time, it became clear the previous system didn’t address these changes adequately.

The Archbishop and parish priest conduct Mass at different times, with the priest presiding most often. The old system had speakers located on the Archbishop’s side, which created an echo/surround effect when the priest led Mass that diminished clarity substantially.

The new system addressed that issue.

As both a choir director and system designer, David has a unique understanding of the challenges traditional liturgical spaces present, and Tannoy is among the top manufacturer’s products he’s likely to deploy for this type of application.

St. John’s Director of Liturgy and Communications, Scott Eakins stated that the Tannoy loudspeakers are one of his favourite parts of the cathedral because the coverage is extremely consistent. The sound is clear and natural, and is easy to set up.

Aesthetics were also a factor. The first question asked was whether loudspeakers were going to be hung from the ceiling. Still, the major issue was that the congregation couldn’t hear clearly. Scott stated that the loud-

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speakers that were used previously were also steerable arrays, but the Tannoy loudspeakers are a mile ahead in performance. Often, the loudspeakers are described as invisible because they are painted the same colour as the columns.

The cathedral’s music program features both internationally known and local artists, but the Tannoy system is used primarily for speech reinforcement, vocal soloists and cantors in the 700-person capacity sanctuary. David explained how the room acoustics are just about perfect for music, but with an RT60 or approximately 2.5 seconds it’s less ideal for speech. The reason for choosing steerable arrays was because of the unanimous decision to keep sound from getting too far up into the airspace.

David specified multiple Tannoy QFlex products: a pair of QFlex 64s - placed just inside the first set of columns to either side of the nave; two QFlex 32’s to either side of the altar to cover seating areas between the altar and ambo; and a pair of QFlex 48’s, placed on columns towards the rear of the church.

Additionally, two VLS 30’s are deployed on either side of the organ console to cover the apse and six VLS 7’s

are mounted on columns to provide sound for congregants standing in the aisles and in areas where shadowing was an issue. David continued that the 64’s provide the foundation for the speech coming from the ambo and the tightest, most broadband, directional control frontto-back. The 64s are supported by the VLS and the QFlex 48s facing forward from the altar position and the 32’s cover seating areas behind the altar.

The accuracy of QFlex was key to David’s choice: “I like the way they steer - without creating the potential for interference zones. It’s like aiming a traditional speaker, but with smoother coverage. So I get the performance of a large format, traditional horn and bass horn without the visual distraction. The VLS are equally discreet and engineered to aim sound down 10 degrees even when installed flat on a surface. Also, they sound similar to QFlex. So it doesn’t matter where you sit, it sounds the same and is just as clear.”

Mike Jonas, Senior Project Manager at Clearwing Systems Integration, who handled the install, agreed: “We’ve used Tannoy in a variety of projects. QFlex really are a great solution for liturgical churches and Tannoy has a variety of products that work well for me.”

In addition to the Tannoy system, David designed an integrated video system with ambient microphones, cameras and post-production capabilities, so services may be recorded and streamed to a wider audience. www.tannoy.com

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A RTIP E LAG ART MUS E U M COMPANY: GENELEC LOCATION: STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

At 32,000 sq ft, Artipelag is one of Stockholm’s largest art galleries. The site includes a large exhibition room of about 11,000 sq ft with a 213ft-long side facing the water, and four exhibition rooms designed with distinctive architectural features. The so-called ‘Johan’ are situated facing north, which offers lovely lighting for the exhibited artworks. The rooms also simultaneously fulfill the latest requirements concerning climate, safety, and function for the exhibition of art.

The 13,000 sq ft Artbox with a 39ft high ceiling hosts cultural activities such as art exhibitions, opera performances, TVrecording / broadcasting, and banquets, which all can take place with an audience of up to 1,000 guests.

In the year 2000, Björn Jakobson, founder of the well-known company, ‘BabyBjörn’, was struck with the idea of creating a beautiful building for art and cultural experiences somewhere in the Stockholm archipelago. The place itself was cho-

sen with the greatest of care. Björn commented: “We searched for a location that was close to Stockholm, but which still had everything that characterised the unique Swedish archipelago fresh clean air, sparkling water, rocks and cliffs, beaches, and an abundance of plant and animal life. Here at Hålludden, about 12 miles east of Stockholm, we found our dream landscape.”

The building is comparable in size to Sweden’s largest state-owned museums and art exhibition institutions. Despite this, architect Johan Nyrén has managed to design a building in harmony with the natural surroundings, dressed in beveled pitched-pine planks, and carefully located between the pine trees and the cliffs with a view over Baggen’s Bay. One of the fundamental ideas was that as soon as a visitor came into the entrance hall, he or she would be met by the four elements: fire crackling in the fireplace; earth and the rock on which the building rests; the clear air and the sparkling water that surrounds

www.mondodr.com

and frames the site.

Since audio was not a part of the initial art gallery construction, the need for a serious retrofit sound system was crucial. Genelec was chosen as the number one partner due to its big portfolio of products and great reputation when it comes to superior audio quality, reliability and lastly, indeed, a great selection of accessories. Products installed included the 8020’s, the 8040’s, the 7040’s and the 8030’s.

Chief Technical adviser Johan Von Geijer provided concluding commented: “Genelec was our first choice since we needed to place loudspeakers in partially difficult places and challenging areas. Within these areas we needed a great bass response from a rather small cabinet. We also have some Genelec loudspeakers hidden under drop ceiling, but it works flawlessly due to its great bass response and great audio quality even off axis.” www.genelec.com

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P O HA N G FI RST P R ESBY TERI A N CHURCH COMPANY: NEXT-PRO AUDIO LOCATION: POHANG, KOREA

Pohang First Presbyterian Church has installed a NEXT-proaudio sound system in its 2,500 capacity main sanctuary. The size of the main sanctuary is 37-metres by 30-metres and the capacity is 2,500.

Korean distributor, AVIX took on the installation with the main aim being to achieve high sound pressure levels with high sound fidelity, and good speech intelligibility throughout the venue.

A total of 10 NEXT LA12 line array speakers per

side were fitted, in addition to NEXT LAs218 subwoofers. Four NEXT X12 full-range speakers were used as front fills with eight NEXT X8 supplying sound to the balconies. Five NEXT MQ10000 amplifiers, five NEXT MA2300 amplifiers and four NEXT MD14000 amplifiers were also used for subwoofers with four NEXT DP260s and one NEXT DP240 DSP processor. For all upper and under balcony systems two MA2300s and one MQ10000 were used. At the

church’s request the system was custom painted in an ivory colour to match its design.

“The system serves perfectly for the worship service,” said Antonio Correia, CEO and R&D Manager for NEXT-proaudio. “It performs great at any level and is consistent even as the level is pushed, with contemporary services running in proper dBA range. www.next-proaudio.com

UNIT E D ME T H ODI ST CH URC H OF VI STA COMPANY: VUE AUDIOTECHNIK LOCATION: CALIFORNIA, USA

Established in 1954, The United Methodist Church of Vista (UMC Vista) has been committed to serving its community through spoken word, classic and contemporary worship services, and a music program that includes a chancel choir, praise band, hand bell choir and a developing children’s music ministry. When UMC Vista recently decided to improve the sound system in its sanctuary, they called on Sound Image to facilitate the installation of a new audio system built around VUE Audiotechnik loudspeaker systems.

VUE’s i-Class integrator systems proved to be the right solution for UMC Vista. Four VUE i-8 compact full range foreground systems and two i-2x4.5 surface-mount foreground systems were hung on the ceiling between the fixtures, directed down toward the congregation seating area. The i-8’s and i-2x4.5’s provide consistent, even coverage across the congregation area without spilling sound toward the fixtures,

causing unwanted sonic reflections.

Senior Pastor at UMC Vista, Rev. Dr. Leigh Ann Shaw commented: “UMC Vista has had a great experience working with the team from Sound Image. They assessed our church needs and challenges quickly.

All concerns during the process were addressed with sensitivity and professionalism. The project was done on time and to the satisfaction of our Board of Trustees and our congregation. Several members said they’ve never been able to hear in the sanctuary until now.”

In the case of UMC Vista, four VUE is-26 compact surface mount subwoofers are used to extend system response down to 48Hz. The is-26 incorporates dual 6.5-inch LF transducers in a high-density wood enclosure that features integrated hang points. Capable of handling 220W continuous power, the is-26 can deliver a maximum long-term output of 118dB SPL while weighing in at only 22.5lbs. www.mondodr.com

The church uses three additional VUE i-2x4.5’s for choir and platform monitors. Other equipment employed in the new system includes an Allen & Heath mixing console, Shure wireless microphone systems, QSC power amplifiers and Symetrix signal processing.

Barrel Sound Diffusor panels from AMD Acoustical Material Distributors were installed to improve venue acoustics, providing a combination of sound reflection and absorption for increased intelligibility. The results have clearly been favourable.

Rev. Dr. Leigh Ann Shaw concluded: “Sound Image has exceeded our expectations with installation and training members of the church sound team on how to use the equipment. Despite working with other sound engineers over the last decade, our church has never sounded better. UMC Vista is grateful for the expertise and professionalism of Sound Image and VUE Audiotechnik.” www.vueaudio.com

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DRIV E

© Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft

COMPANY: ASC LOCATION: BERLIN, GERMANY

In May 2015 The Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft opened a new communication platform in the heart of the capital, the Volkswagen Group Forum DRIVE with all 12 group brands as well as the Volkswagen Financial Services AG under one roof. The focus is not on sales, but on information and communication. Furthermore DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum offers a comprehensive framework for a numerous events in arts and culture. The exhibitions change every three months and highlight one brand or topics of interest to the Group, such as Porsche until the middle of June 2016, or - as an alternative - a guest exhibition, such as media art platform Ars Electronica Linz, which started on 30 June.

The public is provided with an insight into the visions and themes of the Volkswagen Group and the aims that drive its brands.

Volkswagen Immobilien was the general contractor in charge of building the new presentation and conference areas on the capital’s foremost shopping boulevards, at the intersection of the corner of Friedrichstrasse 84 / Unter den Linden. Professor Christoph Mäckler Architects were responsible for the architecture. macom was appointed to plan the audiovisual solutions.

This resulted in an invitation to tender for the installation of permanent lighting, sound, video, projection, and control equipment in the exhibition areas, as well

as media equipment in the conference rooms, and the tender was awarded to Amptown System Company.

The aim was to establish modern, flexibly expandable media equipment that would assist in the presentation of brands at different types of events. These include exhibitions, press conferences, vehicle presentations, cultural events, live music performances, corporate seminars, and events for which the venue would be rented out to others. Because of this, the client required the building’s technology to be easy to operate and as versatile as possible.

From the beginning, the project had a strong focus on invisible but advanced sound reproduction, so macom chose a combination of a Barco Iosono Core system and a Yamaha AFC3 Active Field Control System. AFC3 is an acoustic enhancement system that is used to improve or enhance the architectural acoustic characteristics of a room and optimise reverberation time, while preserving that room’s natural acoustic ‘signature’. Yamaha DSP technology enabled macom and ASC to adjust acoustic conditions by using an acoustic feedback system that makes AFC different from, and superior to, other techniques that are based on the use of digital reverbs to simulate room characteristics. AFC3 is able to deliver the same high-quality sonic experience to every performer and member of the audience.

www.mondodr.com

At the DRIVE. Volkswagen Group Forum, the Yamaha AFC3 system is used to create a perfect acoustic ambience that suits musical performances varying from solo grand piano concerts to string quartets, or even small chamber orchestras, without putting extra microphones to instruments. Eight high-class microphones embedded into the walls and ceiling pick up the artists’ and audience’s sounds and are fed into four Yamaha DSP frames, which calculate room responses based on the world’s famous concerts halls, along with longer reverberation times. Using a Dante digital audio network, the processed signal is distributed into more than 20 Yamaha power amplifiers, most of them XMV eight-channel versions.

At the end of the signal path, more than 100 custom-made loudspeakers were invisibly installed for the sound, having been designed to fulfill the requirements for sound reinforcement in case of a panel discussion, as well as for reverberation time enhancement with implemented 3D sound.

Reverberation changes can be made at the push of a button on a Crestron touch panel, allowing the performance environment to be adjusted almost instantly - without installing ugly-looking loudspeakers and microphones that disrupt the room’s beautiful and classy architecture. www.amptown-system.com

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T H E T BILI S I OP E RA AN D BALL E T T H E AT R E COMPANY: SALZBRENNER LOCATION: TBILISI, GEORGIA

The Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theatre or, to give it its full name, The Zakaria Paliashvili Tbilisi State Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet, was founded in 1851, but has recently been equipped with state-of-the-art technology to support future productions.

After six years work the building has been restored to its former glory and the technical systems have been almost completely renewed. This has catapulted the facilities into the digital 21st Century from the out-dated all-analogue systems. The systems integrator, Salzbrenner media planned, documented, supervised, and installed the systems, following up with commissioning and training including a week of intensive training modules for the state-of-the-art technology.

Stage management control has progressed a great deal in recent years and the Tbilisi opera house now has an extensive stage management system from the Salbrenner PerformanCeTRL product line. This comprises components from the Delec’s oratis intercom series including a Talk 16 subscriber unit and provides all the audio functions and extensive logic programming, while Salzbrenner MediaControl handles the control - a symbiosis which also deals with the signals for the many cue lights labelled in Georgian characters.

Wireless radio and partyline intercom is based on a combination of Riedel, Motorola and Telex components, all controlled by the Delec and MediaControl systems. A video infrastructure with two Panasonic cameras interfaced with SDI, routing processing and monitor screens complements the stage management system. Audio mixing in the main auditorium is taken care of by a 42 fader Stagetec Auratus mixing console in the sound control room connected via a Nexus audio network with four Base Devices and a total of 77 I/O cards. 5.1 audio monitoring was installed alongside TFT displays from LG, a custom-made control desk and 30HU rack cabinet by Salzbrenner media’s mechanical engineering department, and multimedia equipment including recording and play-out units.

Apart from the main stage, a number of rehearsal stages and rooms were equipped with mobile and self-powered KS Audio full range loudspeaker systems, three Tascam compact 16-channel analogue audio mixers and dynamic microphones from beyerdynamic.

Installation work in historic buildings always presents particular problems.

Careful selection of equipment and thoughtful siting is essential to avoid detracting from the classic look. For this reason, sub-woofers are located in the orchestra pit and 16 sophisticated KS line array loudspeakers along with two Seeburg column loudspeakers, which are as unobtrusive as possible, are used for reinforcement. Alongside the audio and video cabling an extensive data network for general-purpose signal distribution as well as control of all relevant system components was also installed. For external productions additional video distribution was added, based on a Triax cable network.

With this lavish refurbishment and a modern, rock solid new technical infrastructure Tbilisi Opera is well prepared for the next chapters in its history.” www.salzbrenner.com

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ST JAM ES C E N T R E

The St James Centre is the new home of Jersey Youth Service. The project involved the conversion of the listed 19th Century St James Church into a performance venue, incorporating a multi-purpose auditorium, together with music and media facilities, therefore posing the challenge of respecting and retaining heritage, while creating an excellent acoustic environment.

Hoare Lea Acoustics undertook the acoustic design of the two music rehearsal rooms, recording studio and radio broadcasting room, all located on the balcony of the church.

The listed balcony is formed by a raked timber structure located above the aisles and rear of the church. Below, on the ground floor, a 179-seat multi-purpose auditorium was to be created. The design required separation of amplified music spaces from the auditorium.

The client advised a possible commercial use of the auditorium and the aspiration for the music rehearsal rooms to achieve inaudibility to the auditorium. This

Photo by Glen Perotte

COMPANY: HOARE LEA ACOUSTICS LOCATION: ST HELIER, JERSEY

was despite anticipated noise levels of up to 115dB(A) in the rooms.

The architect agreed to include a corridor along the edge of the balcony to create a buffer zone. However, the internal roof remained a direct transmission path.

Treatment was therefore specified as two independent rows of posi-joists with triple layers of plasterboard both sides and a heavy resiliently suspended ceiling below, predicted to achieve Rw 76dB. Contrary to the brief, and due to limitations of the building for flanking sound control, the conclusion of the study was that inaudibility would not be achieved and music noise levels in the region of 30dB(A) in the auditorium were likely to result.

Increasing the performance standards in terms of DnT,w would not necessarily provide satisfaction due to the low frequency content of amplified music.

Design developments focussed on detailing the sound insulation. Higher performance partitions were speci-

TEL FAI R M US E U M COMPANY: K-ARRAY LOCATION: GEORGIA, USA Telfair Museums, the oldest public art museum in the Southeast, has been an integral part of Savannah, Georgia’s social landscape for over a century. Since opening its doors to the public in the 1880s, the museum has grown from a renovated family mansion into a distinguished cultural institution boasting three architecturally-significant buildings; a permanent collection of approximately 4,000 works of art from America and Europe, dating primarily from the 18th21st centuries; and a history of dynamic educational programming, community outreach, and exciting exhibitions.

Local audio visual consultants Michael Gaster & Associates were recently asked to make audiovisual system upgrades for the museum gallery. A new loudspeaker system that improved intelligibility in the relatively reverberant gallery space was needed. The requirements were better audio quality and minimal visual impact on the space. Based off previous success with the brand, MG+A selected K-array to meet the challenges the museum was facing.

KK52 Kobra loudspeakers paired with the KKS50 subwoofer were selected for the project for their size to output ratio. The Kobra, with its wide horizontal and relatively narrow vertical patterns, satisfied the coverage requirements of the space, while its slender and paintable physical characteristics met the client’s unobtrusive requirements.

System Designer, Michael Gaster commented: “It is a challenge to work in such a historic space.

We discovered partway through the installation that the structure we were working on was constructed around the items we needed to uninstall. The museum carpenter had to be called in and brought up to date on the installation.”

Once the system was installed the clients were extremely happy with the end result. In fact, the installation was described to be well married into the décor of the museum, and its sound performance is very impressive. www.k-array.com www.mondodr.com

fied, but the sound insulation design at low frequencies still needed improvement. The room within-a-room design was enhanced by swapping the twin metal frame partition to timber studs and using the studs as a supporting structure for the internal roof, so that the upper row of posi-joists were supported from the outer timber frame, and the lower row of posi-joists were supported from the inner. This innovative approach removed the need for structural steel and ensured the inner box, and all services supported off it, were not bridged to the side of the partition exposed to the auditorium.

A bespoke and innovative design, the confidence to work outside usual design recommendations, combined with good communication, ensured the success of this ambitious project, providing a wonderful example of how heritage and character can be respected, while acoustic excellence is achieved. www.hoareleaacoustics.com

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G LY N D E BO URN E COMPANY: DiGiCO LOCATION: UK

Founded in 1934 by John Christie, Glyndebourne sits in the East Sussex countryside where performances are staged in a modern auditorium which seats 1,200. There is an overriding commitment to quality from the institution, including its sound reinforcement system, which was upgraded back in 2012 by systems integrator Stage Electrics.

Glyndebourne also tours its productions extensively outside its summer season, so as well as having a discrete loudspeaker system, it required a control package that would be as unobtrusive as the PA design. For this, a DiGiCo SD11 was specified along with two D-Racks, one installed and one flight cased, which takes up minimal space and is also ideal for Glyndebourne’s touring productions.

“We had been looking to upgrade to a high-quality, but visually unobtrusive, sound reinforcement system for some time and we were looking for a truly innovative solution,” stated the theatre’s head of sound, Simon Cassford, at the time of installation.

“Stage Electrics’ system design gives us the option of either full hands-on mixing from the DiGiCo SD11 console, from various locations in the auditorium, or via an Allen & Heath IDR8 that provides simple remote control with presets for various setups from

anywhere in the house. And the whole system, along with the new loudspeaker arrays, sounds beautifully pure and clear.”

Four years on, Glyndebourne’s SD11 has fulfilled its original brief and has provided trouble free mixing throughout. “Glyndebourne is set up to be acoustically amazing,” said Tom Warren, Glyndebourne’s Audiovisual Technician. “There’s actually very little sound reinforcement required here and, due to the nature of the performers, we rarely use microphones and generally only if we have child performers. But when we do need it, it should be of such quality that the audience shouldn’t know it’s happening.”

The fact that SD11 is rarely sited in the auditorium and spends most of its time sitting backstage next to the prompt desk helps with this, as it is completely out of the audience’s sight. Its small size is imperative for its location and its reliability is crucial in providing consistent results.“Things need to be totally reliable here and the SD11 has been brilliant,” continued Tom. “We haven’t had a single issue with it. It just sits there and works. It couldn’t be better.”

With little sound reinforcement requirements, the SD11 is mainly used for foldback and sound effects.

“There are situations that arise where we need to do

more with it,” said Tom, “but we don’t generally use a great deal of inputs. However, there are multiple outputs required and everything we do with it is show critical. If the performers couldn’t hear themselves on stage, we would have a real problem. Even though the SD11 is physically small, it has more than enough capacity to handle everything we need it do.

“From the sound department’s point of view, we know things are right when no one says anything about them, and we rarely get any comments now.

Added to that is the fact that we take the SD11 on tour and it’s still working perfectly when we get it back here, which makes it the perfect choice for us.”

“The Stage Electrics system design has provided us with flexibility and the sonic results of the complete package speaks for itself,” said Simon. “The whole system sounds beautifully pure, clear and is virtually concealed, which means our audiences are completely unaware of it - providing us with the perfect results we were looking for.”

“Getting another SD11 is something that we’re definitely considering,” concludes Tom. “We could look at getting something bigger at FOH, but we wouldn’t do it because the size of the SD11 is just so perfect.” www.digico.biz

56 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

E V E R GR E E N C LU B CO M P L E X COMPANY: KV2 AUDIO LOCATION: BAIA MARE, ROMANIA

When Csaba Majoros, owner of a Romanian local TV station and a lifetime fan of quality audio equipment, decided to build his own luxury hotel to incorporate a music club, he wasn’t willing to make any compromises in terms of sound quality.

Csaba Majoros commented: “I’ve been in show-business and club music for more than 25 years, so I wanted the absolute best for my new complex including the music club, conference room and the hotel in Baia Mare. During some deep research, I somehow found KV2 while surfing on the Internet, I wanted to compare the so-called leading brands and invite the KV2 distributor and partner to run a defined and controlled A/B test for me so that I could make an informed choice for my project.” The Romanian distributor Audivision, based in Constanta - 900km away from Baia Mare, did just that and Csaba made his decision

on KV2. He stated how he could not believe the clarity, power and transparency of the sound and especially the quality of the sound even when operated at low volume. Before the installation begun, Marius Craiu of Audiovision explained to the client the importance of acoustical treatment: “I really loved the project from the beginning and especially Csaba’s openess to our solution. We recommended him to consider the windows from the start and some soundproofing of the walls and ceiling and he made it happen.”

All the windows that could cause any harm to the acoustics were removed and replaced by faux ones from the outside. For the walls, 60 acoustic panels covering more than 50 sq metres were used to cancel a flutter effect created by the peak pyramid form of the ceiling. This was put into action after Marius explained how important it is that a club should have

The 2,000-seat Orchestra Hall in downtown Minnesota, opened in 1974, is home to the Minnesota Orchestra. The hall has long been renowned for excellent acoustics, due in part to the 100-plus large cubes that form a distinctive ‘falling rock’ pattern on the ceiling and stage.

Minnesota Orchestra’s Technical Director, Joel Mooney commented: “The acoustics are fantastic for the orchestra, which is the primary focus. But you also have to meet all the needs of modern music and production. Technology has changed since the last time we remodeled the hall, so we took this opportunity to upgrade the sound system.”

In 2015, the hall unveiled a new L-Acoustics sound reinforcement system comprised of a L-C-R configuration of Kiva line array loudspeakers, together with SB15m and SB18 subwoofers, all of which are powered by LA4X amplified controllers. Joel stated the Minnesota venue has 14 Kivas in the center hang, which is primarily for speech and general classical reinforcement, and also has 13 Kivas on the left and 13 on the right.

The L-R hangs are both topped by a pair of SB15m subwoofers to provide flown low frequency extension. A pair of SB18 single 18-inch subwoofers takes position behind a fascia created during the remodel below the stage lip.

Joel continued: “In a movie scenario, sometimes it works great to keep the L-C-R way up high because the movie screen is up high. You’re hearing the orchestra, and there’s the movie; it’s almost a studio sound experience.”

Conversely, the image can be brought to stage level while still providing coverage of the hall’s multiple tiers. Joel elaborated that the other scenario is to leave the centre up high for coverage of the upper tiers, because it’s a long haul. The reason for this is the centre can cover tiers one, two and three, which allows the left and right line array speakers to project down out of the ceiling to cover tier one and the main floor, maybe even with a smaller box count.

In a situation where a rock band is performing with the orchestra, Joel concluded that the engineer really prefers to have the image down even lower.

To achieve this, the Kivas can be stacked on top of the subs on the far ends of the stage to lower the image. www.l-acoustics.com

good soundproofing and acoustics, which made Csaba cancel the planned window design. After that, a soundproofing material was placed on all the walls and ceilings with a 15cm depth.

The main conference room has been equipped with six ESD5’s, whilst the restaurant received six costume coloured ESD6 full range enclosures, installed on the walls plus a mobile sound system set-up for live events, consisting of two EX12’s and two EX1.18 subwoofers.

When it comes to the second-floor club, the ground floor is equipped with four three-way ESD15’s and four ESD1.18 subwoofers, where the first floor has a huge central void, it is equipped with a further four ESD12’s aligned from the centre to the margins and four ESD1.18’s. www.kv2audio.com

M IN N ESOTA O R C H ESTRA HA LL COMPANY: L-ACOUSTICS LOCATION: MINNESOTA, USA

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57 REP ORT: ARCH IT ECT URAL AUDIO

U N IQ LO COMPANY: TOA LOCATION: LONDON, UK

UNIQLO was founded in 1984 and are always striving to achieve the highest levels of development and growth, now having more than 1,000 shops across the globe. This endeavour can be seen in the redevelopment of its London flagship store at 311 Oxford Street, London.

This installation project by Goertz Medientechnik clearly shows how to successfully integrate audio technology into an aesthetically ambitious shop design. The challenge was to create appealing background music and announcements that enhance the customers experience without being obtrusive.

As well as requiring subtle background music and announcements to all 5 floors, the third floor - the children’s floor - has its own special music. The white walls and wooden floors form the subtle backdrop for the adult floors, whilst the children’s area is a flood with vibrant colour.

TOA’s flush-mount ceiling speakers F-2352C and F-2352SC were installed in the ceilings to provide a

clear sound to a wide area. These loudspeakers are almost invisible, so do not alter the careful aesthetics of the store. Additionally, F-2000 and F-1300 wide-dispersion loudspeakers were installed, both are an attractive solution for providing the audio required, as they blend nicely in to the different areas of the shop. The white speakers were installed horizontally on the wall to carefully disappear in to the corners as desired.

Due to the need for multi-zone paging, music distribution and room-combining application, TOA’s M-9000M2 digital matrix mixer as well as multichannel power amplifier DA-500FH have also been specified. This means that background music can easily be adjusted to suit the individual atmosphere of each floor. Flexible zone paging, thanks to the RM-9012 zone paging microphones on each cash desk, ensures all employees can easily make announcements. www.toa.co.uk

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• Page 72

IN FOCUS

• Page 60

EMEA MALMÖ LIVE MALMÖ • Page 80

ALLIANZ RIVIERA / STADE PIERRE-MAUROY NICE / LILLE

ÖREBRO CONCERT HALL ÖREBRO

LOCK, STOCK & BARREL DUBAI

THE AMERICAS UNITY FREE WILL CHURCH SOUTH CAROLINA

JEWEL LAS VEGAS

• Page 88

• Page 120

APAC PLANET J

• Page 122

MACAU

OVATION OF THE SEAS TIANJIN

MAOTAI THEATER GUIZHOU

SARAWAK STADIUM KUCHING

60 IN BRIEF - EMEA

Malmรถ comes aLive with d&b audiotechnik.

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61 IN BRIEF - EMEA

The Malmö Live complex is a stunning architectural vision, a combination of angled glass and concrete that houses a congress centre, a five-star hotel, two restaurants, a bar, a flexible performance space known as the Cube and a concert hall, home to the Malmö Symphony Orchestra.

The audio installation for both the concert hall and the smaller Cube venue were put out to a public procurement tender. From more than half a dozen submissions, Arva Trading AB beat off the competition to secure the project.

Technical Manager, Ronny Sjöstrand said: “The tender documents demanded a very high technical standard.

We supplied an EASE simulation of the concert hall with specification for SPL, STI value and equivalent SPL, frequency and STI on every one of the 1,600 seats. Our submission was to install a d&b audiotechnik system of primarily Vi loudspeakers with T10 and Yi for the delay system. T10’s with V-GSUBs were also specified for the Cube room. The total project also included sound installation for other parts of this huge complex, which has been described as ‘a city within a city’; it stretches to 54,000 metres sq. For Arva, it represents a total of eight months planning and installation work.”

Despite the concert hall being home to the Malmö Symphony Orchestra, the d&b installation had to be designed for a much broader range of musical performance, from orchestral pieces to heavy metal rock - indeed, the opening concert featured both these genres. Once the contract was secured, Ronny consulted with Jonas Wagner and Boris Rehders from d&b Application Support.

“Although this is a purpose-built room, there were still areas that required some imaginative solutions to ensure even coverage throughout the hall,” explained Jonas. “On the first floor balconies both behind and left and right of the stage, we mounted 8S loudspeakers recessed into the ceiling of the balconies. Aside from the aesthetic impact for FOH, where they are installed behind the stage, the speakers can be used as monitors for the choir platform when required. A rather unique solution, but one that worked perfectly here.”

The hall, at 45-metres long, 23-metres wide and 20-metres high is almost twice as long as it is wide, making the support of the Yi delay system a most important facet of the sound design. Yi12’s were used for the second balcony and Yi8’s for fills, while T10’s were employed at the front of the stage and for the side balcony delays. High power D80 amplifiers were used to drive the main arrays of Vi8 and Vi12 loudspeakers; the 10D amplifier, specifically designed for permanent installations was the choice to drive the fills and delays.

The complexity of the installation was helped by the deployment of the new d&b DS10 Audio network bridge, which offers an interface between Dante and the AES3 digital inputs of d&b amplifiers while also providing distribution of Ethernet control data. Each unit is able to provide up to sixteen AES3 output channels via the Dante audio transport protocol through Ethernet, allowing for a significant reduction in cabling requirements as a large analog multicore is not required, therefore producing a reduction in time and cost as well as the impact on the building’s infrastructure.

“Here at Arva, as Sweden’s exclusive distributor for d&b audiotechnik, we are used to embarking on high profile projects,” concluded Ronny. “But Malmö Live is a very special venue. We are especially happy that both the consulting company and the concert house are so pleased with the result.” www.dbaudio.com

www.mondodr.com

62 VENUE - EMEA

ALLIANZ RIVIERA / STADE PIERRE-MAUROY NICE / LILLE, FRANCE EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

With the prestigious UEFA Euro 2016 tournament being held in France, it was vital that stadiums right across the country were fully equipped to host a total of 51 matches over the month-long event.

To take a closer look at some of the work that has gone into the stadiums, mondo*dr went with Electro-Voice to two Euro 2016 venues that boast an impressive audio setup. www.mondodr.com

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The first stadium on the agenda was the Allianz Riveira in Nice, which is home to Ligue 1 side, OGC Nice.

Following failed projects to bring a new, state-of-the-art stadium to the city, the award of Euro 2016 to France allowed significant progress to be made. From there, it took over two years to build the 35,000-capacity arena, which officially opened in September 2013.

From the outside, the Allianz Riviera boasts a white finish, with rounded corners and a illuminous exterior - much like Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena making it a very aesthetically pleasing venue for visitors. The stadium was chosen to host three group games and the Round of 16 clash between England and Iceland at Euro 2016, which is, in some part, down to the excellent installation of Electro-Voice and Dynacord equipment.

The EN54 standard which was originally introduced as a European product standard for fire warning systems, in 2011 was extended to cover voice alarm systems, taking account of the industry trend towards combining the

two tasks. The standard covers three areas of particular relevance to voice alarm systems: voice alarm control and indicating equipment (DIN EN 54-16), loudspeakers (DIN EN 54-24) and power supply equipment (DIN EN 54-4).

The Allianz Riviera stadium is the first stadium in Europe using EN54 compliant products so far, until more up-to-date technology is available.

The installation itself, which began in March 2013 and was completed

by August, was carried out by French system integration expert, Manganelli Technology.

Jean Maradet, the Product & Service Manager for EVI Audio France, takes up the story: “The invitation to tender for the Allianz Riviera installation stipulated that the sound reinforcement needs of the stadium - from voice alarm to live concerts - should be satisfied by an integrated system.”

The install was a complex one, with the intelligibility levels prescribed by the system norms and stadium standards having to be met, as well as homogenous www.mondodr.com

• Above The Allianz Riviera, which is home to Ligue 1 side, OGC Nice.

sound pressure levels needing to be achieved throughout the whole stadium.

Using Electro-Voice loudspeakers from the EV-Innovation Series, the installation was planned using simulation software and a 3D spatial model, ensuring all the required parameters of the sound reinforcement system were calculated.

“The greatest challenge was the programming of all safety-relevant aspects via the IRIS-Net software platform. The assistance provided by Technical Support in the Straubing headquarters of Bosch Communications Systems was of enormous help to us in this task,” said Jean.

“IRIS-Net is the nerve centre of the installation. Without the unbelievable programming possibilities it offers, it would have been impossible to implement such a complex sound reinforcement solution.”

The plan for the Allianz Riviera when it came to installing the Electro-Voice loudspeakers was to divide the stadium into a total of 26 zones; six for the grandstands, one for the pitch and the

64 VENUE - EMEA

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rest for the indoor areas. The loudspeaker systems that are in place are fed at five different points by one main and four sub-racks, which contain digital matrices and multi-channel amplifiers. All the racks are linked with one another via two redundant fibre-optic networks. These boast a turbo ring feature, which has been specifically designed to ensure that, in the event of a connection failure between the two racks, the integrity of the network is restored in less than 20 milliseconds.

The decision to use Electro-Voice loudspeakers was, in some part, influenced through their use at a number of stadiums across the world, where they are performing excellently. With a wide variety of models available - all with different coverage patterns, ElectroVoice loudspeakers were seen as the ideal choice in terms of adapting to the sound reinforcement demands of the installation at the Allianz Riviera. Their coaxial, horn-loaded system design allows them to achieve at the same time high sound pressure levels and excellent intelligibility.

In the end, it was the EV-Innovation range that was chosen, with the range serving as the main sound system for the stadium. The loudspeakers are installed throughout the pitch and spectator stands areas. EV-Innovation loudspeakers are specifically designed to meet any requirements of audio installations, no matter how diverse they are. With several product lines within the range, Manganelli Technology were provided with the building blocks needed to address the acoustical challenges that the Allianz Riveira presented.

There was much more to the audio install www.mondodr.com

than the pitch and stands, though, with Manganelli Technology also needing to focus on both inside and outside of the stadium. Again, loudspeakers from Electro-Voice were used, as well as Bosch, to provide optimal sound all over the venue. For the surrounds and approaches to the stadium itself, 35 Electro-Voice ZX1i-100T loudspeakers were installed, while the passages, changing rooms and bars were kitted out with over 450 Bosch LC1-WM06E8 ceiling loudspeakers and 400 Bosch LP1-UC10 unidirectional sound projectors for an incredible sound coverage.

In terms of the finishing touches for the audio installation, the digital signal processing is provided by Electro-Voice’s NetMax N8000 digital matrices, while the power comes from 19 CPS 4.10 and 15 CPS 8.5 amplifiers from Electro-Voice equipped with RCM-810 remote control modules.

For the lounge areas of the Allianz Riviera, there were different needs to be addressed, with Electro-Voice equipment catering for the comfort of the guests. Six of Electro-Voice’s PWS-4 wall panels have been used, which allows users to select between different sources, such as CD players, wireless microphones and mixing consoles, at the touch of a button.

The evacuation system also relied on equipment from Bosch, with one Dynarcord ProMatrix 8016 digital matrix, five Dynacord DPC 8015 paging consoles plus two DPC 8120 paging console extensions, and seven DCS 400 base units capable of hosting a control module or several relay modules that cater to the sound reinforcement needs of the new stadium in case of emergency.

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• Above The stateof-the-art Stade PierreMauroy.

“The greatest challenge was the programming of all safetyrelevant aspects via the IRISNet software platform.”

Jean discussed the full install further: “We had the advantage when tendering of being able to point to a wide variety of world-class references in this segment of the market. Nonetheless, very careful calculation was called for, as the budget was very constraining.

“Fortunately, the audio performance of the EVH loudspeakers and the extensive feature set of IRIS-Net - including the patented variable load drive technology of the multi-channel amplifiers and the comprehensive remote monitoring of all power amplifier channels and loudspeakers - convinced the client ‘beyond the shadow of a doubt’ that ours was the optimal solution.”

With the audio installation delivering exceptional sound in terms of both entertainment and safety for the visiting fans, it is clear to see why, along with the outstanding facilities on offer and the incredible setting of Nice itself, the Allianz Riviera was chosen as a Euro 2016 stadium by UEFA. Next on the list was a flight to the north of France to visit the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille, which officially opened in August 2012 after two years of construction. The stadium, which boasts an impressive 50,000-seat capacity, is home to Ligue 1 side, LOSC Lille Métropole.

However, it has to be said that the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is much more than just

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND ALLIANZ RIVIERA: Electro-Voice N8000 digital matrices; Electro-Voice PWS-4 wall panels for NetMax; Electro-Voice CPS 4.10 power amplifiers with RCM-810 controllers; Electro-Voice CPS 8.5 power amplifiers with RCM810 controllers; Electro-Voice EVH1152D/96 loudspeakers; Electro-Voice EVH1152D/64 loudspeakers; Electro-Voice ZX1i-100T loudspeakers; Dynacord DPM 8016 digital matrix; Dynacord DPC 8015 paging consoles with 2 x DPC8120 extensions; Dynacord DCS 400 base units with five DC409R, one DCS416R and three DCS412R cards; Bosch LC1-WM06E8 ceiling loudspeakers; Bosch LP1-UC10 sound projectors; Bosch LBB1965 message manager STADE PIERRE-MAUROY: Electro-Voice weather-resistant Sx600 PIX loudspeakers; Electro-Voice EVID two-way surface mount speakers; Dynacord DL 96 ceiling speakers; Dynacord DL 800 weatherproof horn speakers; Dynacord ProMatrix DPM 4000 matrix managers; Dynacord ProMatrix DMM 4650 digital message makers; Dynacord ProMatrix DPP 4004 matrix managers; Electro-Voice NetMax N8000 digital matrices VISUAL STADE PIERRE-MAUROY: 2 x Barco SF-10v LED display

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68 VENUE - EMEA

• Above from clockwise Sound control room at Stade PierreMauroy, Dynacord DPM 4000, one of the main stands, exterior of the stadium.

a football ground - it’s best described as a multifunctional arena, with its ability to transform from a football stadium to a large concert venue, or even a small indoor sports or concert arena.

This ability comes from the ambitious plans that were put in place ahead of building the stadium, which included a retractable roof - that can open and close in approximately 30 minutes - and a huge focus on renewable energy, with solar panels and two windmills providing the power. What sets the Stade Pierre-Mauroy apart, though, is the incredible hydraulics and tracks feature that allows one half of the pitch to raise and slide above the other half in around three hours. This reveals a second lower level floor plan and surrounding seats - named Boîte à Spectacles - allowing tennis, basketball and music shows to take place. The Boîte à Spectacles can be configured to give an overall capacity of anywhere in between 6,900 and 30,000 seats. As well as regular football matches, the Stade Pierre-Mauroy has hosted other high-profile events,

such as the David Cup finals in 2014 and Rihanna’s sell-out show in 2013.

The Stade Pierre-Mauroy was a key part of France’s Euro 2016 plans, with world champions, Germany, playing their opening game against Ukraine, as well as hosting one of host’s group games, a Round of 16 tie and a Quarter Final, too.

It’s easy to see why the venue was chosen, with it’s large capacity and state-of-the-art technology, which, of course, includes the audio installation that was once again completed by Manganelli Technology.

For the main sound system around the pitch and stands, Electro-Voice’s weather-resistant Sx600 PIX loudspeakers were chosen, which is partly due to the past success of the technology in six other stadiums in France. Serving as the main audio system for the stadium, these high output loudspeakers deliver high intelligibility sound at high sound pressure levels, making them ideally suited for the stadium setting. The Sx600 PIX loudspeakers provide an exceptional coverage across the stands and pitch, with www.mondodr.com

each cabinet featuring a dual-element 12-inch vertical line and an integrated 600W internal transformer for running on 100V systems. These are placed in optimal positions around the stadium in clusters of three, offering clarity and precision when it comes to the sound quality.

There are also scoreboards in place within the stadium; two 60 sq metres Barco SF-10v outdoor LED displays for which specialist content is created by the technical team at the stadium on match days.

When it came to the indoor locations, such as the meeting rooms, aisles and gangways, at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, the team at Manganelli Technology decided that products from both Dynarcord and Electro-Voice would be the best fit for what was needed. All of the areas mentioned feature Dynacord DL 96 high-power ceiling loudspeakers, along with Dynacord DL 800 weatherproof horn loudspeakers, which are used in the aisles and gangways due to their impressive performance in noisy environments. The

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70 VENUE - EMEA

FRANÇAIS

Le prestigieux Championnat d’Europe UEFA de football 2016 ayant lieu en France, il était donc important que les stades du pays soient entièrement prêts à accueillir les 51 matchs pendant le mois du championnat. Afin d’examiner de plus près le travail effectué dans les stades, le magazine mondo*dr et Electro-Voice se sont rendus dans deux stades de l’Euro 2016 qui affichent fièrement une impressionnante configuration audio. Le premier stade à l’ordre du jour était celui de l’Allianz Riviera à Nice, qui a été choisi pour accueillir trois matchs de groupe et le cycle de 16 affrontements entre ÉQUIPE et ÉQUIPE de l’Euro 2016. Sa sélection est en quelque sorte due à l’excellente installation d’équipements Electro-Voice et Dynacord, réalisée par l’intégrateur de système français, Manganelli Technology. Dans le nord de la France, nous avons visité le Stade Pierre-Mauroy à Lille. Installé autour du terrain et des stands, le système de sonorisation principal comprend des haut-parleurs Electro-Voice Sx600 PIX résistants aux intempéries. Des tableaux de bord ont également été mis en place dans le stade — deux écrans Barco SF-10v LED de 60 mètres carrés en plein air qui affichent un contenu spécialisé créé par l’équipe technique du stade les jours de match.

DEUTSCH

Vor dem Hi nterg ru nd der prestiget rächtigen Fu ßbal l Europameisterschaft 2016 in Frankreich war es äußerst wichtig, dass die Stadien im ganzen Land bereit für die insgesamt 51 Spiele während des gesamten Turniermonats waren. Um einen genaueren Blick auf einen Teil der Arbeit, der in den Stadien durchgeführt worden ist, zu werfen, hat sich mondo*dr Magazine zusammen mit Electro-Voice in zwei Stadien der EM 2016 begeben, die sich durch eine beeindruckende Audioinstallation auszeichnen.

Das erste Stadion im Kalender war die Allianz Riviera in Nizza.

Das Stadion wurde für drei Gruppenspiele und das Achtelfinale zwischen TEAM und TEAM bei der EM 2016 ausgewählt, unter anderem wegen seiner hervorragenden Installation von ElectroVoice- und Dynacord-Ausrüstung, die durch das französische Systemintegrationsunternehmen Manganelli Technology durchgeführt wurde. Als nächstes stand ein Flug in den Norden Frankreichs auf dem Programm, um das Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille zu besichtigen. Für das Hauptsoundsystem rund um das Spielfeld und in den Rängen wurden wetterfeste Sx600 PIX Lautsprecher von Electro-Voice ausgewählt. Im Stadion gibt es ebenfalls zwei Anzeigetafeln - zwei 60 Quadratmeter große Barco SF-10v Outdoor LED-Anzeigen - für spezifische Inhalte, die an Spieltagen durch das technische Team des Stadions geschaffen werden..

ITALIANO

Essendo stata scelta la Francia per il prestigioso torneo UEFA EURO 2016, era fondamentale che gli stadi di tutto il paese fossero completamente pronti ad ospitare un totale di 51 partite del torneo che dura un mese. Per dare un’occhiata più da vicino ad una parte del lavoro che è stato fatto negli stadi, mondo*dr magazine è andato con Electro-Voice in due stati degli Euro 2016 che vantano una configurazione audio impressionante. Come da agenda, il primo stadio che abbiamo visitato è stato l’Allianz Riveira a Nizza. Lo stadio è stato scelto per ospitare tre giochi di gruppo ed il girone di 16 partite tra una squadra e l’altra di Euro 2016, che è, in parte, non all’altezza dell’eccellente installazione di Electro-Voice e delle attrezzature Dynacord fornite dalla compagnia francese di sistemi di integrazione Manganelli Technology. Dopo, abbiamo preso un volo per il nord della Francia per visitare lo stadio Pierre-Mauroy a Lille.

Per il sistema audio principale, intorno al campo ed alle tribune, sono stati scelti degli altoparlanti SX600 PIX di Electro-Voice resistenti alle intemperie. Inoltre, ci sono dei tabelloni situati all’interno dello stadio (due display LED Barco SF-10V per esterni da 60 Mq) che trasmettono contenuti speciali creati allo stadio dal team tecnico nei giorni delle partite.

ESPAÑOL

Con la prestigiosa copa Euro UEFA 2016 llevada a cabo en Francia, fue crucial que los estadios de todo el país estuvieran totalmente listos para albergar a un total de 51 partidos a lo largo de dicho torneo de un mes de duración. De manera de poder darle un vistazo más de cerca a algunos trabajos que se han llevado a cabo en los estadios, la revista mondo*dr fue junto con Electro-Voice a dos de los estadios de la Euro UEFA 2016 que presumían tener una configuración de audio sorprendente. El primer estadio en la agenda era el Allianz Riveira en Niza. El estadio fue elegido para albergar tres grupos de juego y la Ronda de 16 encuentros entre EQUIPO y EQUIPO en la Euro 2016, lo cual, de alguna manera, se debe a la excelente instalación de equipos Electro-Voice y Dynacord que fue llevada a cabo por la empresa Francesa de integración de sistemas, Manganelli Technology. Lo que seguía en la lista era un vuelo al norte de Francia para visitar el Stade Pierre-Mauroy en Lille. Para el sistema de sonido principal de alrededor del campo de juego y las tribunas se eligieron los altoparlantes Sx600 PIX de Electro-Voice que son resistentes a las condiciones climáticas.

También hay marcadores dentro del estadio - dos pantallas LED de exterior SF-10v Barco de 60 metros cuadrados- las cuales proyectan contenido creado por el equipo técnico del estadio los días de partidos.

“The Stade Pierre-Mauroy is much more than just a football ground - it’s best described as a multifunctional arena, with its ability to transform from a football stadium to a large concert venue, or even a small indoor sports or concert arena.”

Electro-Voice EVID two-way surface mount range have also been deployed throughout the indoor locations of the stadium to deliver unrivalled sound in some of the most challenging acoustic environments.

The loudspeaker system in place at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy is powered by the Electro-Voice Contractor Precision Series power amplifiers and Electro-Voice NetMax N8000 digital matrices. Able to combine a top-quality performance, reliability and the ultimate in remote control, the system is perfectly tailored to the needs of the stadium.

Elsewhere, at the heart of the public address and voice evacuation is a www.mondodr.com

Dynacord ProMatrix 4000 system, which comprises of DPM 4000 matrix managers DMM4650 digital message managers and DPC4000 Series call stations, catering to the sound reinforcement needs of the stadium in case of an emergency.

With such a modern, forward-thinking design, the audio-visual components of the Stade Pierre-Mauroy had to be up to a high standard, which is why Manganelli Technology’s choice to use Electro-Voice and Dynacord was an inspired one. With an exceptional, top-quality system in place, it was almost guaranteed that the Euro 2016 tournament would benefit from hosting matches at this impressive stadium.

IT meet A-T

Introducing network Microphones with direct Dante™ Protocol Operating over a simple Ethernet connection, Audio-Technica’s new Network Microphones put you in control. The programmable user switch lets you trigger a video camera’s pan/tilt, a room’s lighting preset or any other function of a compatible Danteenabled device. Each mic comes equipped with a Red/Green LED to keep you informed of local mute status and other processes. And, of course, you still get the clear, articulate sound you expect from A-T. So plug it in, and introduce your network to its new best friend.

www.audio-technica.com

Images by Emil Nordin

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ÖREBRO CONCERT HALL

Following a huge renovation to the historical Örebro Concert Hall, a decision was made to significantly improve the audio, visual and lighting technology for the state-of-the-art venue.

ÖREBRO, SWEDEN EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

www.mondodr.com

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Fog generators, 650 W, 1300 W, 2600 W, 3000 W & 9000 W The Örebro Concert Hall, which was established in 1932, is an impressive music and arts venue that sits by the river Svartån. Home to the Swedish Chamber Orchestra, the hall holds great historical significance in Sweden and regularly hosts a wide range of event and acts, included rock and pop bands, standup shows and, of course, orchestras. In addition, television and radio companies, such as Swedish Radio, attend key events, which requires broadcast feeds.

With the Örebro Concert Hall maintaining its importance throughout the years, the decision was made to significantly upgrade the venue throughout - transforming it into a state-

of-the-art facility, while maintaining its traditional concert hall theme.

The hall’s audiovisual equipment was at the forefront of the major renovation and it was Norway-based, Benum, that was tasked with the new install.

With the Swedish Chamber Orchestra based at the venue, it was vital that the audio setup within the performance hall was of the best possible standard. So, the team at Benum set about providing the products that would match the huge plans in place.

For the PA system, EAW MW8B 8-inch MicroWedge and MW12B 12-inch MicroWedge stage monitor systems both in black - were specified for the

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venue.

The MW Series represents a new level of performance and functionality in stage monitor design, making them the ideal for permanent installations in any kind of performing arts and music venue, such as the Örebro Concert Hall.

The coaxial design pairs a 12-inch woofer with a three-inch voice-coil compression driver to provide full yet controlled 90° conical dispersion. All frequencies emanate from the exact same point, eliminating crossover region problems, as well as time and phase irregularities, along with optimising coherency. The coaxial approach also contributes to a very compact, low-profile footprint. The port on the front of the cabinet enhances low frequency response in coupling with the floor; the opening also houses a convenient carrying handle and dual NL4 connectors.

The loudspeaker system for the hall is powered by six four-channel M50QHDSP amplifiers from Powersoft Coming from Powersoft’s M Series, these amplifiers deliver unparalleled efficiency, www.mondodr.com

as well as being environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The size and weight is an absolute minimum, too, thanks to the 1U standard and the reduced depth of the equipment.

Mixing technology at the Örebro Concert Hall is based around Allen & Heath products, with two dLive S5000 Control Surfaces with DM32 and DM64 MixRacks, while three DX32 expansion racks provide the capacity for visiting orchestras or other productions that may be hosted at the venue with larger channel counts. dLive was chosen because of its flexibility, high bus capacity, powerful 96kHz sampling rate, multiple networking options and the possibility to expand and connect to other visiting systems.

Designed predominantly to manage FOH and monitor sound in the main concert hall, the system is flightcased and mobile, meaning that is is also ready to manage events that are staged in other areas of the venue, such as the restaurant or grand foyer.

“As there are many different concerts

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Anna™ delivers all of the fidelity and flexibility of Anya in a smaller and lighter package that is perfect for an extremely wide variety of applications. Unlike conventional articulated arrays, Anna columns hang straight, array horizontally, are aware how they are flown, are self-aware of their array configuration and can generate a three-dimensional coverage to perfectly match the requirements of any space using software alone. In seconds.

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 12 x EAW MW8B MicroWedge; 12 x EAW MW12B MicroWedge; 6 x Powersoft M50Q-HDSP amplifier; 2 x Allen & Heath dLive S5000 mixer; 1 x Allen & Heath dLive DM32 MixRack; 5 x Audio-Technica AEW-R5200 mic; 5 x Audio-Technica AEW-T5400a mic; 9 x Audio-Technica AEW-T1000a mics; 1 x Audio-Technica AEW-DA550C mic; 1x Audio-Technica AEW-A49 mic; 16 x Audio-Technica AE3000 mic; 8 x Audio-Technica AE5400 mic; 8 x Audio-Technica AE6100 mic; 2 x Audio-Technica AT5045P mic; 4 x Audio-Technica ATM350 mic LIGHTING & VISUAL 16 x ETC LED Series 2 Tungsten HD profile; 8 x ETC LED Series 2 Lustr profile; 14 x ETC ColorSource PAR fixture; 12 x ETC ColorSource Spot Cyc adapter; 8 x JB Lighting A8 moving heads; 1 x ETC Cobalt 10 console; 2 x Robert Juliat Manon followspot; 8 x ETC Source Four Mini fixtures; 4 x ETC Desire D22 Tungsten fixtures; 4 x Philips Showline SL Beam 100 moving head; 1 x ETC Smartmodule 2 console; 1 x ETC Smartfade ML 48 console; 2 x Barco HDX W18 projector; 2 x Barco HDX W20 Flex projector; 1 x d3 2x2 Plus media server www.orebrokonserthus.com

and events held at Örebro Concert Hall, dLive’s workflow is ideal because it lets you get started quickly and focus on what’s important - great sound regardless of whether the show is a standup act or a full orchestra,” explained Daniom Michael, the Production Manager for the Örebro Concert Hall.

“The dLive system provides perfect service for visiting TV and radio broadcast companies, and when the hall has multiple artists performing, they now have the possibility to send to five different systems via MADI, Dante and other networks.”

Elsewhere, Benum chose to use AudioTechnica microphones for the whole venue, with a whole range selected for a variety of purposes. There are 16 AE3000 microphones installed, which deliver supreme performance at extreme SPLs - allowing the large diaphragm cardioid condenser instrument mic to excel in applications, such as toms, snare, timpani, horns and overheads. There are eight AE5400 mics used, too, as well as another eight AE6100 mics for clean, clear and crisp vocals.

The decision to choose Audio-Technica microphones and headphones was based on the quality, durability and performance, making it ideal for the www.mondodr.com

Örebro Concert Hall performance area, which requires the highest standard.

For the lighting setup, Stockholm-based Intersonic provided a range of products to enhance the impressive venue.

In the concert hall itself, Intersonic provided products from ETC, including 16 ETC LED Series 2 Tungsten HD profiles, and 14 ETC ColorSource PAR fixtures. There are also eight JB Lighting A8 LED Wash moving heads, while the control comes from an ETC Cobalt 10 console.

Intersonic also provided the lighting setup in the foyer, with eight ETC Source Four Mini White fixtures and four ETC Desire D22 Tungsten profiles used, along with four Phillips Showline SL Beam 100 moving heads. An ETC Smartfade ML 48 console was used for the lighting control.

For the visuals, Intersonic decided to use Barco projectors, which included two HDX W18 and two HDX W20 Flex units, with the content provided via a d3 2x2Plus media server.

As well as the spacious, state-of-the-art concert hall, with its first-class acoustics, the venue also boasts a restaurant, new foyers, special rooms for child and youth activities and much more. The possibilities offered by modern sound and light technology, as well as accessibility

06/2016

www.osram.com/lok-it

Light is entertainment in full spectrum The perfect instrument for every job The OSRAM Lok-it!® Power Series adds more varieties to the improved standard Lok-it!® 1000/PS and Lok-it!® 1700/PS to expand this range of powerful, high-performance lamps: the Lok-it!®1000/PS Brilliant and Lok-it!® 1400/PS Brilliant with CRI up to 95 and the Lok-it!® 1000/PS Blue with its intense 7,500K CCT. Designed to give you the versatility you need to run a wide range of applications, these Power Series lamps deliver top performance. To learn more about powerful, high-performance lighting, visit www.osram.com/lok-it.

Light is OSRAM

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FRANÇAIS

La salle de concert Örebro créé en 1932 est un impressionnant lieu d’arts et de musique situé au bord de la rivière Svartån. La salle, qui revêt une grande importance historique en Suède, accueille l’Orchestre de chambre suédois. On y organise aussi régulièrement différents événements et spectacles. Avec l’importance qu’a prise la salle de concert Örebro au fil des ans, les responsables décidèrent d’entièrement rénover le lieu, pour le transformer en un établissement ultramoderne, tout en conservant son thème traditionnel de salle de concert. La plus importante rénovation consista à choisir un nouvel équipement audiovisuel, installé par la société Benum basée en Norvège. En ce qui concerne la mise en place audio, un retour de scène MW Series de chez EAW s’ajoutant à l’amplification du M Series de Powersoft et deux consoles dLive de chez Allen & Heath ont été sélectionnées. Benum a également choisi d’utiliser des microphones Audio-Technica dans toute la salle, avec toute une gamme de produits sélectionnés à des fins variées. Intersonic — relevant de Bright Group — a fourni, installé et configuré les systèmes d’éclairage et de vidéos, en sélectionnant des équipements de chez ETC, JB Lighting, Robert Juliat et Philips Showline, ainsi que du Barco et d3 Technologies.

DEUTSCH

Das Konzerthaus in Örebro aus dem Jahre 1932 ist ein beeindruckendes Musik- und Kunstzentrum am Ufer des Flusses Svartån. Die Halle ist die Heimat des schwedischen Kammerorchesters und hat eine wichtige historische Bedeutung in Schweden. Hier finden regelmäßig verschiedene Veranstaltungen statt. Damit das Konzerthaus in Örebro im Laufe der Jahre seine Bedeutung beibehalten kann, wurde beschlossen, das Gebäude komplett und gründlich zu sanieren und es zu einer hochmodernen Einrichtung umzugestalten, dabei aber gleichzeitig seine traditionelle Bedeutung als Konzerthaus zu bewahren. Die AV-Ausstattung der Halle stand im Mittelpunkt der Sanierung und das norwegische Unternehmen Benum wurde mit der neuen Installation beauftragt. Für die Audio-Anordnung wurden eine Kombination aus EAW’s MW Series, die mit Verstärkung von Powersoft’s M Series gekoppelt sind, und zwei dLive Konsolen von Allen & Heath ausgewählt. Benum entschied sich ebenfalls, AudioTechnica Mikrofone für das gesamte Gebäude zu benutzen, mit einem kompletten Sortiment, das für zahlreiche Zwecke ausgewählt wurde. Intersonic – Teil der Bright Group – lieferte, installierte und konfigurierte die Beleuchtungs- und Videosysteme und wählte Produkte von ETC, JB Lighting, Robert Juliat und Philips Showline sowie von Barco und d3 Technologies aus.

ITALIANO

La Örebro Concert Hall, che è stata istituita nel 1932, è un locale di grande effetto di musica ed arte che si trova vicino al fiume Svartån. Sede della Swedish Chamber Orchestra, la sala ha un grande significato storico in Svezia e ospita regolarmente una vasta gamma di eventi ed atti. Avendo mantenuto la sua importanza nel corso degli anni, è stata presa la decisione di rinnovare completamente la Örebro Concert Hall in modo significativo, trasformandola in una struttura all’avanguardia, pur mantenendo il suo ruolo tradizionale come sala da concerto. Il sistema audio/video della sala è stato il fulcro della ristrutturazione eseguita dall’azienda norvegese Benum, che ha avuto il compito di implementare la nuova installazione. Per quanto riguarda l’audio, sono state selezionate una combinazione di MW Series della EAW, insieme con l’amplificazione M Series della Powersoft e due console dLive della Allen & Heath. Benum ha anche scelto di utilizzare microfoni Audio-Technica per tutto il locale, con un’intera gamma selezionata a seconda delle esigenze. Intersonic (parte del Bright Group) ha fornito, installato e configurato il sistema video/luci, selezionando i prodotti della ETC, JB Lighting, Robert Juliat e Philips Showline, così come Barco e D3 Technologies.

“Following the upgrade to the venue’s lighting, audio and visual technology, the new, improved Örebro Concert Hall was inaugurated to coincide with the 750th anniversary of the Örebro Municipality.”

ESPAÑOL

El Örebro Concert Hall, que fue establecido en 1932, es un sitio impresionante de música y artes apostado sobre el río Svartån.

Siendo sede de la Orquesta de Cámara Sueca, el auditorio guarda un gran significado histórico en Suecia y con frecuencia recibe una amplia variedad de eventos y performances. Siendo que el Örebro Concert Hall ha mantenido su importancia a lo largo de los años, se tomó la decisión de actualizar significativamente y por completo todo el lugar- transformándolo en un sitio con instalaciones con lo último en tecnología a la vez que se mantenía su temática tradicional de auditorio para conciertos. El equipamiento AV fue la vanguardia de la gran renovación y fue la gente de Benum- con base en Noruega, quienes estuvieron a cargo de la nueva instalación.

Para la puesta del audio se seleccionó una combinación de MW Series de EAW con amplificación de M Series de Powersoft y dos consolas dLive de Allen & Heath. Benum además eligió utilizar micrófonos de Audio-Technica para todo el lugar, con una amplia gama seleccionada para una variedad de propósitos. Intersonic – parte de Bright Group – suministró, instaló y configuró los sistemas de iluminación y video, seleccionando productos de ETC, JB Lighting, Robert Juliat y Philips Showline, así como Barco y d3 Technologies.

for all, have governed both the planning and construction work.

Following the upgrade to the venue’s lighting, audio and visual technology, the new, improved Örebro Concert Hall was inaugurated to coincide with the 750th anniversary of the Örebro Municipality.

Throughout the renovation, the main focus behind the plans has always been the audience, with it being such a popular, well-visited venue in Örebro and right across the region. Now, with the upgrade having been completed to such an incredibly high standard, the Örebro www.mondodr.com

Concert Hall is a modern, well-designed attraction that is able to welcome everyone, whether it’s for a music concert or art show. Örebro Concert Hall has been given the ability to offer the complete experience when it comes to hosting important, contemporary culture events in the region. It is a traditional concert hall that has been given a new lease of life - now, it is ready to face the future and continue to strengthen the role of music, art and culture in the town of Örebro.

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LOCK, STOCK & BARREL DUBAI, UAE EUROPE, MIDDLE EAST & AFRICA

Having opened more than 25 entertainment outlets in the last decade, Solutions Leisure has a keen eye for what people want. In the case of Lock, Stock & Barrel, it has ditched the glitz and glamour of Dubai, in favour of a retro, unpretentious, industrial vibe to win over a new crowd. www.mondodr.com

Upon arriving at the Best New Nightlife Venue - a recognition awarded by Time Out Dubai Music and Nightlife Awards 2016 - my first impression was very deceptive. Having no prior knowledge of the award, when I entered the venue, which is located at The Grand Millennium Hotel Dubai in Tecom, an area not necessarily best known as a tourist destination, for some reason I was expecting a fairly typical restaurant and bar. What stood before me was a venue that attracted people looking for an alternative to the hangouts that Dubai has become accustomed to. Instead offering an industrial theme with a theatrical twist. Operator, Solutions Leisure was clear from the start that it wanted this to be a ‘venue for everybody’ and had its heart set on ‘something different’.

Opened earlier this year, Lock, Stock & Barrel (LSB) welcomes guests seven days a week and during that time takes on many different guises from an after work drinking venue to a sports bar right through to a live music and club venue.

It is a two-storey venue, and the ceiling is high, which opens the space out, making it feel larger. It can cater for a capacity of 600-650 people.

The mezzanine was put in specifically for

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this build, when it was transformed from its previous occupant. As well as housing an extra bar and seating area, it is also home to two lounges and management offices, the walls of which are clad with container sides customised to fit the space. The balcony offers the best place to see all the quirks and charm of the venue from the speaker feature wall, the exposed brick work, the aged paint work and the centrepiece - an LED wall made of beer bottles.

Lighting Designer, Ben Rogers, explained how he got the LSB gig: “I came onboard originally because they wanted to talk about video solutions. So I started off with matrix video systems and how to put in a proper high definition system for first class sports presentation. It was one of those conversations where they said, ‘oh, do you do lighting as well?’ and I said ‘actually, I do video as well!’

“I hit it off with the team from there, they are very creative and dynamic. They had a laser sharp focus on what the guest experience should be and I was tasked with resourcing the technology to deliver that. They wanted something different, a bar for everybody that can morphs throughout the week from a great sports lounge to a perfect after working drink

spot to a live music venue and so on.”

The starting point was the show lighting for the stage area, which is central in the room and is extended as necessary when bands or DJs are playing in the venue. “We started talking about show lighting and building a package for that, but we soon realised that everything in this venue affected everything else.

Show lighting couldn’t be anything unless we had control of the architectural lighting,” continued Ben. “It’s a massively theatrical space, which appeals to me because that’s my heritage. So the interior design, masterminded by Chris Barnes at Broadway Interiors, is really fantastic to work with - lots of texture, colour and shape. We wanted to create character, create tone, play on that contrast of light and dark, exactly like you would on a theatre set.”

When it came to the design, Ben admitted he looked at it as separate areas. With the stage area he designed the bottle wall as the main feature, which is complemented by Prolight Concepts Kudos 100Z moving heads and 2 Prolight Concepts COB LED Matrix Tri Pixel Panel 25 blinders. The wall itself is made up of the same matrix panels this time on a dedicated controller - an ArKaos www.mondodr.com

• Above LSB offers a retro, unpretentious, industrial vibe.

LED Master that runs over Kling-Net. Six Elation EZKling Nodes are used to provide the protocol conversion between the panels and the ArKaos server.

“ArKaos was my first media server solution over 16 years ago and I’ve always found it to be a reliable and affordable software platform with great functionality.” As well as the LED Master, Ben specified a Studio Server - featuring four outputs - that interfaces the main video matrix and can be routed to the TV screens or projectors in the venue and is used for branding and visual graphics.

Eight Prolight Concepts 350SR LED Spots have been mounted in the roof above and below the mezzanine level to add a more club animation feel when required. To complete the show lighting are eight Prolight Concepts 16R Profiles, the only discharge fixtures in the inventory. These are mounted underneath beer kegs suspended from the ceiling. “I like the flexibility of this fixture - it has a good zoom and critically for me has full CMY mixing so I can get the subtle changes and tints to match the venue’s detailed scheme.”

Ben continued: “In spite of all this new technology, one of the original instructions from the client was to deliver

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“ArKaos was my first media server solution over 16 years ago and I’ve always found it to be a reliable and affordable software platform with great functionality.”

a warm an inviting glow and to avoid anything too digital. In the show lighting package I avoided beam units and choose to keep the stage framed with soft edged wash beams so the more classic rock ‘n’ roll vibe was also maintained.”

The requirement for this tungsten style colour temperature is clearly apparent in the choice of architectural fittings where colour mixing and amber LED sources dominate. Architectural lighting is also based on fixtures from Prolight Concepts - fulfilled through its distribution partner in the UAE, Real Events & Entertainment - and includes Kudos 60 Beam LED moving heads, PF100 LED Profiles in warm white, LED Slimline 12Q5 RGBA Battens and over 500-metres of SMD LED Tape. While additional special effects come in the form of a HazeBase Hazer Pro haze machine and eight HazeBase Base Classic smoke machines, as well as bubble and snow machines from Antari.

“It all runs on a MA Lighting dot2 XF-B console,” continued Ben. “We could have compromised on that but it didn’t make sense to in the long run, as we’ve now got future expansion capacity in this system.

I’ve been an MA programmer for a long time now so that’s my go-to console but www.mondodr.com

in a venue like this, a full MA2 would have been a bit too much, so the dot2 is a great solution. It’s been refined to this kind of work. It’s got the capacity for eight universes but we’re only using about 60% of its capacity at the moment.

Its a really intuitive solution and a stable platform running both architectural and show lighting.”

Ben worked with the in-house team to create the lighting presets for the venue and so far they have built up a week’s worth of different options - a weekend sports look, a ladies night, a lads night, band lighting and club lighting. They also observed how natural lights shifts through the venue during the day. “We’ve actually dialled it down at bit as we were over-lighting it in the beginning trying to show off all the detail. Now we’ve found that as the evening draws in we want to capture that warm inviting atmosphere of a traditional pub venue - that is until the late night transformation into a pumping club or live music venue.”

The level of detail in the interior design has demanded a multi-layered and deceptively complex technical package but it’s one Ben noted he is exceptional proud of, he said: “I love that moment when people enter for the first time, look

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• Above Guests are often surprised at what they see when entering the venue.

up, and their jaw drops - at that point I know we’ve managed something special.” Competition in Dubai for nightlife venues is fierce, yet after just a few months, LSB seems to be coming out on top night-after-night and I am told it’s now impossible to get a table at the weekends without a very early reservation.

To wrap up the audiovisual design at LSB, it needed a pumping audio system, and following the recent influx of installations in the region, TW AUDIO was awarded the contract via its local distributor, Pulse ME. “It was so different doing the installation at LSB, in comparison to the other clubs we have done so far,” explained Joe Chidiac, Managing Partner at Pulse ME. “The design is very unusual for Dubai. There is no glamour, no plush sofas, instead there are raw container walls, brick walls and everything very industrial, yet it’s still colourful and oozes a cool atmosphere. So rather than having to deal with heavy fabrics and furnishings that tend to swallow sound, we had to overcome the obstacle of reflective walls. Once again, it showed us the importance of understanding the acoustical environment. We chose a combination of loudspeakers to suit the club’s needs, taking into consideration bands playing live on a regular basis.”

The main PA comprises TW AUDiO

T24N’s, one on each side of the stage, while fill throughout the rest of the venue is provided by 10 TW AUDiO M12’s, two TW AUDiO M10’s and eight TW AUDiO M8’s. To extend the low frequency range Pulse ME specified six TW AUDiO B18, five B15 and one B30 subwoofers. The system is powered by 11 Powersoft K3DSP amplifiers with BSS Soundweb London BLU control.

With yet another food and beverage outlet under its belt - taking the total to

more than 25 venues in the last decade - operator, Solutions Leisure describes LSB in Dubai as the flagship venue. The quick success of the casual, unpretentious and retro venue, with its industrial décor a far cry away from the expected glitz and glamour of Dubai has proved to be a winning formula, and by describing it as a flagship the hint is there that the company may well be set to replicate this elsewhere in the not too distant future.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION LIGHTING, VISUALS & EFFECTS 20 x Prolight Concepts Kudos 100Z moving head; 8 x Prolight Concepts 16R Profile moving head; 8 x Prolight Concepts 350SR LED Spot moving head; 26 x Prolight Concepts COB LED Matrix Tri Pixel Panel 25; 40 x Prolight Concepts Kudos 60 Beam LED moving head; 20 x Prolight Concepts PF100 LED Profile WW moving head; 500-metres Prolight Concepts SMD LED Tape; 6 x Prolight Concepts LED Slimline 12Q5 RGBA batten; 8 x Prolight Concepts Slimline HEX LED Par fixture; 12 x Visio VBar LED batten; 1 x MA Lighting dot2 XF-B console; 1 x ArKaos Studio media server; 1 x ArKaos LED Master media server; 6 x Elation EZKling nodes; 1 x HazeBase Hazer Pro haze machine; 8 x HazeBase Base Classic smoke machine; 2 x Antari bubble machine; 2 x Antari snow machine SOUND 2 x TW AUDiO T24N loudspeaker; 10 x TW AUDiO M12 loudspeaker; 2 x TW AUDiO M10 loudspeaker; 8 x TW AUDiO M8 loudspeaker; 6 x TW AUDiO B18 subwoofer; 5 x TW AUDiO B15 subwoofer; 1 x TW AUDiO B30 subwoofer; 11 x Powersoft K3DSP amplifier; 1 x BSS Soundweb London BLU control unit www.lsbdubai.com

www.mondodr.com

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86 IN BRIEF - T H E AMERICAS

WorxAudio delivers a loud and clear message at Unity Free Will Baptist Church

Working under a guiding theme ‘Advancing His Kingdom’, Unity Free Will Baptist Church recently completed a major construction project that resulted in a brand new facility. With Senior Pastor Jeff Manning guiding the church’s various programs, the new facility brings an unprecedented level of opportunity for all who worship there. Music plays a vital role in the church’s worship services and, recognising the importance of audio quality as a means of engaging and motivating the congregation, church management elected to deploy world class audio equipment throughout the complex - all of it drawn from the catalog of WorxAudio Technologies a division of PreSonus Audio Electronics.

Hi-Tech Electronics of Greenville was contracted to design and install the various systems at Unity Free Will Baptist Church. After consulting with church management to assess their goals and expectations, company owner David Williams and his team selected a variety of loudspeakers drawn

primarily from WorxAudio’s TrueLine and UltraMax product lines.

“Unity Free Will Baptist Church has WorxAudio loudspeaker systems throughout the complex,” David explained. “While the new sanctuary was the largest part of this project, there are also loudspeaker systems in several secondary rooms that provide the church with numerous options.”

In the sanctuary, the Hi-Tech Electronics team placed a total of 16 WorxAudio XL1i-P compact line array enclosures finished in white, flown evenly left and right of the stage. Positioned over the front centre of the stage, there are five white V5T-P line array elements. A single XL1M-P loudspeaker enclosure mounted on the rear of the centre loudspeaker cluster faces down onto the stage and serves as a monitor system for the choir. Additionally, two Wave Series 8M-P floor monitors complete the loudspeaker assortment. For low frequency support, David and his crew deployed two WorxAudio UW118S-B-P subwoofers on the floor in front of

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87 IN BRIEF - T H E AMERICAS

the stage.

When queried about those attributes that made the WorxAudio XL1i-P and V5T-P line array systems the ideal solution for this project, David offered: “Both the XL1i-P and V5T-P line arrays offer 160º horizontal dispersion. This is an unusually broad dispersion pattern for any line array system and it does wonders for providing even coverage throughout the space. Combined with WorxAudio’s exemplary music reproduction characteristics and high level of speech intelligibility, the system delivers terrific sound no matter where one happens to be seated.”

The Unity Free Will Baptist Church project was a major undertaking that required close consultation with WorxAudio’s customer and technical support staff. David reported being very pleased with the assistance he received. “The entire WorxAudio support team had our back every step of the way,” he said. “Hugh Sarvis was extremely helpful. He made

loudspeaker selection recommendations, helped us with the acoustic modeling of the setup in the sanctuary, and answered any and all questions we threw at him. WorxAudio knows how to take great care of their customers.”

Kevin Justice, the church’s Pastor of Worship and Administration, echoed David’s thoughts: “After working with David Williams on several small projects and then listening to a full sound system he installed at another area church, I was convinced he was the person to coordinate and install our new SR setup. I have not been disappointed. The clarity and distribution of the WorxAudio loudspeaker systems has been everything he promised. Numerous people in our congregation have remarked that they are able to hear both the music and the spoken word with great clarity - even at lower volume levels.” www.worxaudio.com

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Image by Invision Studio

88 VENUE - T H E AMERICAS

JEWEL LAS VEGAS, USA THE AMERICAS

Getting the band back together - after the success and dominance of projects that have gone before - was the decision made by the Hakkasan Group team when its latest venue, JEWEL reared its head. Located in the Aria Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, USA, JEWEL, as is usual with Hakkasan Group outlets, wanted to offer its guests the best experience in an innovative way, exposing them to something they haven’t seen before. www.mondodr.com

“The project initially came about following Hakkasan’s acquisition of The Light Group and the space of their former nightclub HAZE,” said James Algate, Hakkasan Group’s Vice President of Entertainment. “The previous owners of The Light Group and Aria had already developed plans for the space, however, after our team began to understand the direction the resort wanted to go, we set out to improve the plans and create a venue that would be more fitting within Aria. This was to be a nightclub that catered to their high-end clientele through an intimate design, and would be a significantly compelling offering in the ever-changing and competitive Las Vegas market.”

After seeing the capabilities and successes of past projects including OMNIA nightclub in Las Vegas and San Diego, and Hakkasan nightclub at MGM Grand, Hakkasan Group felt it was a natural decision to bring the teams who they worked with back on board. There’s a real synergy between interior designer, Rockwell led by Shaun Sullivan, Frank Murray, Chris Kmeic, Mags Morton and Len Bolger at Audiotek, architect Shaun

89 VENUE - T H E AMERICAS

• Above The main room at JEWEL.

Yauch of BWA and Nevin Edwards from local integrators, NTA. “With the design and architect teams appointed, the core ambition and direction detailed and agreed

by Hakkasan’s Vice President of Development and Construction Jerry Klint as project manager, in cooperation with James Algate and Derek Silverstein - Executive VP of Operations - from Hakkasan’s design team, we were confident that we could achieve something completely radical and innovative to reflect the modern style and architecture of the Aria Resort,” said Frank.

It was established early on that covering the room in video walls wasn’t the favoured option, neither was installing an ubiquitous LED screen located behind the performer, or scaling it right back to a simple lighting fixture design. So a number of think tank design meetings were required. “We had initial discussions with James. His concern was that video features had become an ‘arms race’ with promoters and club operators using more and more, higher output, higher resolution LED video, leading to the

atmosphere and entertainment in venues being lost to technology. This was a view with which we were in complete agreement,” Frank continued. “Clever use of visual effects coupled with custom design visual media content was the goal, right from the start.”

James added: “As our other venues, such as Hakkasan nightclub and OMNIA nightclub, provide grandiose experiences that mostly surround the DJ talent and multi-room destinations, JEWEL provides guests with a more intimate and modern luxurious experience.

While we still boast top-tier talent and performances, we have put more focus on the overall client experience through the design, VIP offerings and integrating the technology into the design aesthetic of the project.”

Obviously, OMNIA’s eight layered, fourstorey high kinetic chandelier, which was designed specifically to be and has fulfilled its duty as the talking point, set a benchmark in club design, and with JEWEL, it wasn’t the intention to challenge that status quo. Rather to look at this as a new concept in design. “Ed Shaw, Video Director at Hakkasan Group www.mondodr.com

wanted to integrate the lighting and video elements into a cohesive unit,” added Chris. And the design of this started to come together thanks to Ayrton’s Dream Panel Twin, which was launched at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, earlier this year. Using both sides of the 54 Dream Panel Twin - installed in a grid formation behind the DJ - to construct a kinetic video wall. “It was a new process with a product that was not available when the other clubs were designed, so the new technologies helped with the creative process,” Frank explained.

“As soon as we saw the Ayrton Dream Panel Twin we knew they would look fantastic in a large array behind a performer, a complete game changer from the standard, flat, one-dimensional video wall. It opened up a completely new world of imagination and creativity, for both the lighting and video elements,” Andy Taylor Audiotek’s LD added.

The video wall is an array of Dream Panel Twins, which goes against the norm of a plain grid by the insertion of two parentheses, each comprising 11 Ayrton Magic Dots that reflect the central oculus feature, and is framed by

Image by Al Powers

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• Above The grand opening at JEWEL

two vertical columns of five Magic Dots spaced between the horizontal rows of Dream Panels. The dots are mounted on custom fabricated telescopic brackets to ensure the LED emitter is proud of the panel when the panels are flat. “To have a panel combining 6mm video and 64 high output LED matrix luminaires in one fixture was a dream come true for ambitious lighting designers like us,” said Frank.

The ceiling feature consists of a virtual coffer dome, which was constructed in concentric ovals rings highlighted by ROE Hybrid 15S LED tiles. Rockwell added a number of mirrored rings within the video structures to enhance the visual impact and maximise the output.

Frank continued: “This is a product that is unique on so many levels. A truly versatile, creative tool, with the custom

shape and size - the individual brackets, the secondary high output module within the centre of the tile, and the high quality of the LED and control electronics this is truly a stunning product - we could build a building within a building using these modules.” The rings descend into four corner pillars of video creating a canopy to define the space and add a kinetic and sculptural shape to the overall club - not just the dancefloor area. The ROE Hybrid 15S LED tiles were made into a custom size to be used on the bands of LED around the room. The bands were made from around 3,000 150mm square tiles, each of which has a 90W high power spotlight in the centre. This allows the bands around the room to be used in two ways, either as a series of pixel-mapped dots, or as a higher resolution display allowing the look and ambience of the

room to change very quickly, another feature that is unique to the club.

“Arnaud Pierrel - LD with Ayrton at all the landmark exhibitions, really made the Dream Panel Twins and Magic Dots come alive with superb programming and concepts,” said Chris.

“The integration of lighting and video together created interesting challenges but Ed Shaw created specific video content to exploit these features. We also used the ROE Hybrid 15S product, as a dual lighting and video effect, so the two disciplines were really integrated on this project.”

Audiotek’s Andy Taylor takes up the story: “The Ayrton Cosmopix were our next choice, but we realised they could only really be used to their full potential if they were floating in mid-air and not just wildly spinning about at ceiling

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91 VENUE - T H E AMERICAS

height. In this space, having them drop down on the Desisti Pantographs adds a pretty impressive gag, filling the whole room above and below them with beams.”

Once the two main features were in place, it was a case of filling in the details.

Around the central ceiling oculus there is a ring of eight Robe Pointes and a ring of eight Robe DL4X moving heads. “The trusty Robe Pointes were chosen for their beam patterns and their amazing in-air effects, and the DL4Xs for added gobo texturing and spotting of tables and performance areas,” Andy continued.

A further 40 Pointes have been configured in 10 ‘spoke’ formations emanating from the centre of the ceiling.

Grouped tightly together in fours as a modern interpretation and homage to old school four-way ACL bars. Again in groups of fours, more Magic Dots have

been installed around the balcony the edge, to create another level of lighting.

The use of both these and the Cosmopix is a good combination because they have the same LED emitter. Eight Robe ColourStrobes - four encircling the central oculus and the other four, at the top of the LED corner pillars - complete the lighting fixture inventory. “The aim was to have a system with enough of each different type of light that everything didn’t have to be on all the time, spinning out of control in a migraine inducing rainbow chase. The end goal was to be able to create dramatically different looks in the room by subtle use of a selection of fixtures,” Andy added. Kvant ClubMax 6000 lasers were also incorporated in strategic locations to add an extra dimension to the lightshow, which also include customised graphics and

programming by JEWEL technicians, Jorge Tellez and Shaun Coleman.

For control, Andy selected an Avolites package and he explained his reasons: “With the amount of pixel based fixtures in the system, Avolites’ pixel mapper was the obvious choice for us to get the best effects out of not only the lighting side of the Dream Panel Twins, but the Cosmopix and Magic Dots as well. We thought the keyframe shapes would be especially useful for programming the Dream Panel Twin moves and we also worked closely with the development team to debut a couple of neat little features that will be revealed in future software releases.”

The console line-up comprises a Sapphire Touch plus a Sapphire Touch Wing, as well as a Quartz and a trio of Titan Net processors. Chris continued: “As the

• Above A combination of Ayrton’s Dream Panel Twins and Magic Dots make up the video wall.

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92 VENUE - T H E AMERICAS

• Above The entrance staircase was created using Absen’s A103 LED wall and Avolites Ai servers.

project developed and it became apparent there was going to be a single operator for video and lighting, this cemented our decision, as the console could provide seamless integration between lighting and the Ai video servers.

“The Ai video servers were chosen to host all of the video content for the room, as well as the screens in the entry-ways and outside the club. Including the very ambitious LED staircase. The Ai has a very close integration with the Avolites control surfaces being used in the club, and as the fixtures we are using are so dependent on a close integration between lighting and video this made a lot of sense. Another reason these were used was the complex shapes of the LED around the club, especially on the staircase and the ROE Hybrid bands around the room and the Ai is currently the leader in slightly weird shaped LED and mapping.”

“It was invaluable to have the Avolites team on site for the final couple of weeks, and in 30 very odd years in this industry I have never come across a company more dedicated to getting a very challenging project across the line,” added Andy. Ollie Waits, Tim Hornung, Steven Baird Smith and Brad White from Avolites headquarters were on site for support, and JB Toby was also involved from the UK base. “Their contribution was invaluable - and their presence is a testament to their support and

commitment,” reaffirmed Frank.

Aside from the main club area, the team also specified an Absen A103 LED wall in the entrance staircase, providing an amazing first impression for guests.

“The recessed wall panel combination with the video steps makes this a truly three-dimensional visual experience,” said Chris.

“Absen have been our partner on many of our projects both in the US, Europe and in Malaysia. Their latest products are stunning in performance and build quality. Using this Absen screen in the lobby and grand staircase - an area where the video is literally in the face of the

clientele proves the optical performance and attention to detail that we have come to expect from Absen has gotten even better,” said Frank.

“What differentiates this from other projects and sets this venue apart - are the textures and content of the video media provided by Ed Shaw and his company Ne1co, which created specifically for this space and venue.”

“From a lighting point of view, most of the challenges during the project involved the physical installation of the fittings in some pretty awkward places - especially among the mirrored ceiling features - but these were all handled fantastically by NTA,”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION LIGHTING & VISUALS 54 x Ayrton DreamPanel Twin luminaire; 48 x Ayrton Magic Dot-R LED moving head; 6 x Ayrton Cosmopix-R luminaire; 48 x Robe Robin Pointe moving head; 8 x Robe DL4X Spot moving head; 8 x Robe ColourStrobe LED fixture; 1 x Avolites Sapphire Touch console; 1 x Avolites Sappire Touch Wing console; 1 x Avolites Quartz console; 3 x Avolites Titan Net processor; Avolites Media Ai servers; 6 x Desisti Spider Pantograph (custom DMX control); 2,000 x ROE Hybrid 15S LED tile; 1 x Absen A103 LED wall; Kvant ClubMax 6000 lasers SOUND 10 x L-Acoustics ARCS II loudspeaker; 10 x L-Acoustics 12XTi loudspeaker; 16 x L-Acoustics 8XTi loudspeaker; 8 x L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofer; L-Acoustics LA4 and LA8 amplified controllers; 1 x QSC Q-SYS Core 250i with TSC-7w touchscreens jewelnightclub.com

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FRANÇAIS

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DEUTSCH

Nach dem Erfolg und der Dominanz der vorherigen Projekte hat der Vorstand der Hakkasan Group beschlossen, die Band wieder zu vereinen, als ihr letzter Treff, der JEWEL im Aria Resort und Casino von Las Vegas, seinen Kopf zurückwarf. Die Entscheidung, wieder auf das Team hinter Omnia in Las Vegas und San Diego und Hakkasan von The MGM Grand zu setzen, erschien ganz natürlich.

Zwischen dem Innenarchitekten Rockwell unter der Leitung von Shaun Sullivan, Frank Murray, Chris Kmeic, Mags Morton und Len Bolger von Audiotek, dem Architekten Shaun Yauch von BWA und Nevin Edwards des lokalen Integratoren NTA besteht eine regelrechte Synergie. Das Kernstück des Clubs besteht aus einer DJ-Wand mit Ayrton DreamPanel Twin Leuchten und Ayrton Magic Dot-Rs, die das zentrale Rundfenster-Merkmal widerspiegeln. Das Deckenmerkmal besteht aus einer virtuellen Kassetten-Kuppel, die aus konzentrischen ovalen Ringen besteht, welche durch ROE Hybrid 15S LED Platten betont werden. Und rund um das zentrale Rundfenster im Dach gibt es einen Ring mit acht Robe Pointes und einen mit acht Robe DL4X Moving Heads. Zur Steuerung wurde ein Avolites Package mit einem Sapphire Touch und einem Sapphire Touch Wing sowie einem Quarz und einem Trio von Titan Net Prozessoren ausgewählt. L-Acoustics vervollständigte die audiovisuelle Anlage im JEWEL mit dem PA-System.

ITALIANO

Far ritornare il gruppo di nuovo insieme, dopo il successo e la predominanza dei progetti precedenti, è stata la decisione presa dal consiglio Hakkasan Group quando è stato creato Jewel, il suo ultimo locale situato nell’ Aria Resort e Casino di Las Vegas. Sembrava una decisione naturale per portare la squadra di nuovo a bordo dopo Omnia a Las Vegas e San Diego e Hakkasan al MGM Grand. C’è una vera e propria sinergia tra l’azienda di design di interni Rockwell guidata da Shaun Sullivan, Frank Murray, Chris Kmeic, Mags Morton e Len Bolger di Audiotek, l’ architetto Shaun Yauch di BWA e Nevin Edwards dell’azienda di integrazione locale NTA. Il fulcro del club è costituito da una parete DJ che comprende delle luci DreamPanel Twin della Ayrton, intervallate da delle Magic Dot-R, sempre della Ayrton, che riflettono la caratteristica centrale dell’ oculo. Il soffitto è costituito da una cupola a cassettoni virtuale, che è stata costruita in anelli ovali concentrici messi in evidenza da mattonelle a Led ROE 15S Hybrid. Inoltre, intorno all’occhio centrale del soffitto c’è un anello di otto Robe Pointers e un anello di otto teste mobili Robe DL4X. Per il controllo, è stato selezionato un pacchetto Avolites comprendente un Sapphire Touch più un Sapphire Touch Wing, nonché un Quartz e un trio di processori Titan Net. L-Acoustics ha completato l’impianto audiovisivio del Jewel fornendo il sistema PA.

ESPAÑOL

Volver a juntar a la banda de nuevo - luego del éxito y dominio de los proyectos que fueron anteriores - fue la decisión tomada por el directorio de Hakkasan Group cuando apareció su último sitio, JEWEL - ubicado en el Aria Resort and Casino, Las Vegas. Parecía ser una decisión natural relanzar al equipo detrás de Omnia en Las Vegas y San Diego y Hakkasan en The MGM Grand. Existe una sinergia real entre los diseñadores de interiores Rockwell liderados por Shaun Sullivan, Frank Murray, Chris Kmeic, Mags Morton y Len Bolger en Audiotek, el arquitecto Shaun Yauch de BWA y Nevin Edwards de los integradores locales, NTA. La atracción principal de la disco está conformada por una pared de DJ compuesta de luminarias DreamPanel Twin de Ayrton, intercaladas con Magic Dot-Rs de Ayrton que reflejan el óculo central. EL cielorraso consiste en un domo virtual, el cual fue construido en aros con forma de óvalos concéntricos resaltados por mozaicos LED ROE Hybrid 15S. Alrededor del óculo central del cielorraso hay un aro de ocho Robe Pointers y un aro de ocho cabezales móviles Robe DL4X. Para el control se seleccionó un paquete Avolites que incluye un Sapphire Touch más un Sapphire Touch Wing, así como un Quartz y un trio de procesadores Titan Net. L-Acoustics completó la puesta audiovisual en JEWEL proveyendo el sistema PA.

Image by Al Powers

En vue d’aménager son dernier établissement, le JEWEL, situé dans le Aria Resort et Casino à Las Vegas, le conseil d’administration du Hakkasan Group a décidé de reconstituer une équipe qui avait couronné sa grande maîtrise d’un énorme succès lors de précédents projets. Il semblait alors évident que les équipes responsables du succès de l’Omnia à Las Vegas et San Diego et Hakkasan au MGM Grand se retrouvent, car il existait une vraie synergie entre le designer d’intérieur Rockwell dirigé par Shaun Sullivan, Frank Murray, Chris Kmeic, Mag Morton et Len Bolger chez Audiotek, l’architecte Shaun Yauch de BWA et Nevin Edwards des intégrateurs locaux NTA. La pièce maîtresse du club est le mur du DJ comprenant deux luminaires DreamPanel de chez Ayrton entrecoupés de Magic Dot-R du même fabricant, et qui renvoient à l’oculus central. Le magnifique plafond à caissons virtuels est constitué d’anneaux ovales concentriques rehaussés d’un carrelage en LED ROE Hybrid15S. De plus, autour de l’oculus central du plafond se trouve un anneau de huit lyres Robe Pointes et un autre anneau de huit lyres Robe DL4X – la composition est contrôlée par un système Avolites comprenant une console Sapphire Touch en plus d’une Wing, ainsi qu’une console Quartz et un trio de processeurs Titan Net. L-Acoustics a complété la mise en place audiovisuelle du JEWEL en fournissant le système de sonorisation.

said Frank. “The support structure for the DJ wall was also a particular challenge for the architects and I think when the rest of Las Vegas has crumbled to dust, that thing will still be standing! Every install throws up its own unique set of challenges, but that’s what makes these things interesting,” added Andy.

The same team was also charged with designing and specifying the audio setup. “We start every project with a blank sheet of paper. Every project and venue represents a different challenge and makes different design demands,” said Chris.

Collectively, about 12 months were spent researching different manufacturers and the new products that were coming to market. “We feel this information and knowledge is what gives us the edge at the design stage,” he continued.

“We are big fans of the L-Acoustics brand and for our large-scale projects it is currently our most popular choice.

We have a superb relationship with L-Acoustics and find their support and commitment to quality and design beyond reproach.” The main system is based around two five-wide arrays of L-Acoustics ARCS II, placed either side of the DJ. The reason for such a wide array is due to the configuration of the room, which is much wider than it is deep, leading to a much more intimate experience for all of the seats and audience on the balcony. A standard stereo system was chosen, as the room lends itself to this set-up - a balcony surrounding the main dancefloor on all sides other than the DJ side of the room, with fills covering above and below the balcony easily time aligned to those sources either side of the DJ. The fills are a combination of L-Acoustics 12XTi and 8XTi cabinets, while low end for the entire system is provided by L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofers. LA4 and LA8 amplified controllers from the manufacturer power www.mondodr.com

the system.

“The decision on audio was a joint decision between myself and James at Hakkasan,” Chris continued. “For the OMNIA project we both undertook a wide-ranging research exercise, and that system at OMNIA has been superbly received. This caused us to design the main PA around the ARCSII product. As we are dealers for the L-Acoustics range, we undertook a SoundVision modelling process, working with Dan Orton at L-Acoustics, which is the most accurate audio design software available today, in my opinion. The software plots show the client how the system will perform in the venue and provides information on all the acoustic parameters.

“The Hakkasan Group’s other clubs have a reputation for being some of the best nightclubs in the world, and the sound is central to this reputation, so maintaining that sound quality was an important part of the brief,” continued Chris.

Summing up Frank said: “The most important thing to mention in all of this is the fantastic team that was involved in this project. From everyone at Hakkasan Group’s in-house team including Andrea Frey and Gerardo Gonzalez, Ed Shaw and Jorge Tellez, Nevin Edwards the lead at NTA with support from Joe Garcia Miranda, Shaun Yauch at BWA architects, Arnaud Pierrel the Dream Panel genius, our wizard Tim Hornung and the fantastic team from Avolites. It was a complete pleasure to work with them all. Without any one of them there is no way we would have been able to complete this project.”

James concluded: “JEWEL fits perfectly into our portfolio of nightclubs in Las Vegas both in capacity but it also allows us to offer a more intimate type of nightclub experience for our guests, which in turn helps diversify our offerings in this market.”

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96 IN BRIEF - APAC

Macau’s Planet J - the world’s first liveaction role-play theme park - is kitted out with ETC.

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97 IN BRIEF - APAC

Planet J, located at the Sands Cotai Central in Macau, has taken revolutionary steps, putting together trendsetting interactive elements and a sophisticated lighting control system to provide visitors the world’s first live-action role-play theme park.

“The lighting will change as players interact with their surroundings,” said Derek Warrick, the Lighting and Systems Design Manager from StandardVision. “This means a lot of programming and interaction between computer systems. It also means that the park will look different from minute to minute, so you will get a unique visit every time.”

In the 95,000 sq ft of interior space, the park is divided into eight zones, each with a unique theme and different lighting concept. To create the magical world that makes people feel like part of the story, Derek employs an LED system that includes ETC fixtures with the unique x7 Color System blending seven LED colours, embedded into scenic elements to complement the ambient lighting fixtures. “The x7 Color System provides such a full colour spectrum, that people walking through the park look

great, and we didn’t have too many surprises when we lit the scenery,” described Derek.

Planet J has hundreds of ETC LED luminaires installed, including 483 Source Four LED Lustr+, 575 Desire D60 Vivid, 255 Desire D22 Lustr+, and 37 Desire D40 Vivid fixtures. “These fixtures have great light output and colour rendering,” Derek explained. “The RDM capability saved countless hours and days of work.”

The control system is a mixture of Unison Mosaic and Paradigm architectural controllers utilising DMX and DALI protocols across 92 universes and 16 loops. “The mix of both Paradigm and Mosaic controllers provides us a flexible yet robust system. We haven’t put a large demand on the systems yet as interactivity is still being programmed, but I have faith that everything will work as intended,” said Derek. A lot of interactivity comes from the game interfaces. This means final programming can only be tested when the park is fully operational. www.etcconnect.com

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100 VENUE - APAC

TIANJIN, CHINA ASIA-PACIFIC

Despite having never been on a cruise ship and not really having the craving to go on one, when the opportunity to get on board arose - even if it was just for six hours - I was rather intrigued, so I didn’t let the chance slip by. mondo*dr has already covered the first two ships in the series, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, and completing the trio is Ovation of the Seas, which took its maiden voyage in April this year.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS With its home in Tianjin, China, Ovation of the Seas has been built specifically to sail in the Chinese seas, furthering Royal Caribbean International’s commitment to growing the China holiday market. Ovation joins Quantum, Mariner, Voyager and Legend to make up the largest fleet of ships for any cruise brand in China, with home ports in four cities - Shanghai, Tianjin, Hong Kong and Xiamen.

Royal Caribbean’s President and CEO, Michael Bayley said: “It’s wonderful to welcome Ovation of the Seas to the Royal Caribbean family of ships. We have once again introduced yet another one of the most technologically advanced cruise ships and the very first that has been built for the China market - a market we continue to demonstrate our commitment to expanding. Quantum Class has redefined the status quo, and we are excited for our

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guests in China and Australia to enjoy their extraordinary vacations on board this stunner.”

Built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany at a cost of US$1 billion, Ovation spans 18 decks, encompasses 168,666 gross registered tonnes, carries 4,180 guests at double occupancy and features 2,091 staterooms. And similar to its siblings that have gone before, it features first-at-sea amenities including: the North Star, an observation capsule that

101 VENUE - APAC

gently rises more than 300ft in the air to treat guests to breathtaking panoramic views; thrilling skydiving and surfing experiences; Two70, a daily social space which transforms into a multifunctional entertainment venue in the evening; and SeaPlex, the largest indoor activity space at sea, in which activities such as basketball, roller-skating and bumper cars can take place. All of this plus 18 restaurants, the Royal Esplanade shopping mall, the Music Hall for live music and events, the Pool Deck, a solarium, a conference centre and a fully equipped fitness centre.

In addition, Ovation of the Seas offers three specifically Chinese attractions to help Chinese guests feel at home. Firstly, Fan Bingbing, the internationally-acclaimed Chinese actress has been appointed Godmother of the ship.

Secondly, in a unique collaboration with China’s Forbidden City Imperial Palace Museum, Ovation offers displays of historical relics from the Forbidden City and feature invited experts to hold talks about the Imperial Palace in Beijing. And finally, there is also a

giant 33ft ‘Mama and Baby’ art installation, depicting a mother panda and her cub, reaching out to one another as a symbol of good luck - pandas are considered national treasures in China. Signage is also written in English and Mandarin, and the decoration is slightly different, tailored more towards the Chinese market. Some retail stores have also been replaced, and fast food restaurant, Johnny Rockets has been substituted by Kung Fu Panda Noodles.

Once again, not straying far from the previous two ships in the series - which is completely normal for projects such as this - system integrator, Amptown System Company (ASC) took on the entertainment technology feat installing more than 40 entertainment spaces.

Planning and realising the Quantum series has changed the operating infrastructure of the company, it created a well-established team of ASC audiovisual engineers, sound and lighting designers, network specialists, all of whom work closely with the Royal Caribbean architects and technical team under the

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leadership of Royal Caribbean’s Superintendent SLVR & Architectural Lighting, Christopher Vlassopulos. And a guided tour by the man himself was most definitely the best way to experience a cruise ship for the first time.

CLIMB ABOARD Getting on board the cruise ship - which was docked at Southampton, UK during my visit - was as official as you’d expect. I had to hand in my passport to obtain a badge that would allow me access. This was followed by a double lot of security checks and meeting my guide for the day, Christopher, the moment I stepped on board - although the latter was probably more so I didn’t get lost!

Even without much prior knowledge of the cruise ship industry, it’s not difficult to ascertain that there is a mammoth amount of technology installed on board, however, until you see it with your own eyes and see every inch of detail that has gone into each aspect of the vessel, you’ll still under estimate the task… and this is just one cruise ship.

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The Quantum class cruise ships are the first vessels in the world to be equipped with full LED technology from Elation and ETC - with the small exception of a couple of Martin by Harman MAC Vipers in the Royal Theater.

At the RCI’s request, ASC employed LED equivalents of most of the conventional lighting components. Because the LED lamps emit less heat, the air conditioning does not have to work as hard, which further reduces overall energy consumption on the ship. A relatively small installation depth in ceilings also requires special attention since there is rarely more than 100mm

available on board. Richard Dixon, a Marine Design Consultant from Project International, said: “We only use one-quarter of the energy of a comparable ship thanks to LED. 10 years ago comparable ships were using approximately 1mW and now we’re using about 240-260kW.” Christopher actually started his career in the lighting world, after being educated in the UK, he moved to the US with the company that set up the distribution of Martin Professional in Florida. “I was selling Martin Professional products to Royal Caribbean,” he said. “But then in ‘94 - ‘95, Royal Caribbean started a huge

TECHNICAL INFORMATION ROYAL THEATER SOUND 20 x Meyer Sound M’elodie curvilinear array loudspeaker; 4 x Meyer Sound 700 HP subwoofer; 5 x Meyer Sound Mina curvilinear array cabinet; 12 x Meyer Sound UPM-1P loudspeaker; 40 x Meyer Sound UPJunior loudspeaker; 7 x Meyer Sound UP-4XP loudspeaker; 3 x Meyer Sound Galileo 616 loudspeaker management system; 1 x DiGiCo SD5 mixing console; 1 x DiGiCo SD-Rack; 2 x DiGiCo SD-Mini Racks; 1 x Riedel MediaNet real-time media network; 1 x Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom system; 1 x Riedel Acrobat wireless intercom system; Shure UHF-R Series receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphones; 4 x Genelec 8030A monitor LIGHTING & VISUAL 144 x Elation EPV20 LED panel; 1 x Christie HD10K-M lateral projector; 1 x Barco DP2K digital cinema projector; 1 x coolux Pandoras Box Quad Server LT; 1 x coolux Pandoras Box Manager LT; 1 x coolux Widget Designer ULT; Elation Platinum Wash ZFX Pro moving heads; Elation Satura Spot LED Pro moving heads; Elation Platinum Beam 5R Extreme moving heads; Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II moving heads; Elation Platinum Spot 35R Pro moving heads; Martin Professional MAC Viper Performance moving heads; Martin Professional Viper Wash DX moving heads; Martin Professional Atomic 300 DMX strobes; ETC Source Four LED Series 2 Tungsten HD fixtures; ETC Series 2 Lustr fixtures; ETC Series 1 Lustr+ fixture; 26 x ETC Desire D40 Lustr+ fixture; LeMaitre MVS hazers; 1 x High End Systems HOG 4 Full Boar lighting console; 1 x High End Systems HOG 4 Playback Wing; 2 x Luminex Ethernet-DMX8 Art-Net hub; 10 x Luminex DMX512-A 2.10 DMX hub

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project, Voyager of the Seas. It was the company’s first larger cruise ship, going from being able to accommodate 1,000 guests up to 3,000 guests, so a big milestone. Royal Caribbean was desperate to get people in who knew what they were doing, so brought me in and I’ve stayed ever since.”

FIRST STOP… ROYAL THEATER Our first stop on the tour was the Royal Theater.

“We’re a floating soundbox, and when we’re selecting materials we have to choose those that are sound absorbing.

“There is a lot of extra consideration that goes into the design of a cruise ship,” continued Christopher. But selecting the right products is also key, as they have to be durable, reliable and capable of being in operation 24/7. The main PA loudspeakers in the Royal Theater belong to Meyer Sound and the system comprises 20 Meyer Sound M’elodie ultra compact high-power curvilinear array loudspeakers and four Meyer Sound 700 HP ultra high-power subwoofers, split equally left and right of the stage. A further five compact Meyer Sound Mina curvilinear array cabinets make up the central cluster. Delays are courtesy of 12 Meyer Sound UPM1 ultra compact wide-coverage loudspeakers, while 40 Meyer Sound UPJunior loudspeakers have been installed as surround speakers and another delay line. Completing the loudspeaker inventory are seven Meyer Sound UP-4XP ultra compact loudspeakers installed for front fill. As with any Meyer Sound PA system, processing is taken care of by the company’s proprietary loudspeaker management system. Three Galileo 616 systems are in place for a broad range of control options.

“For any manufacturer to get into the cruise ship business, it has to work harder than usual,” said Christopher. “We’ve been working with Meyer Sound for a number of years. They help

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INSIDER INSIGHTS NAME: Christopher Vlassopulos JOB TITLE: Superintendent SLVR & Architectural Lighting for Royal Caribbean International & Celebrity Cruises LIKES ABOUT TECHNOLOGY: Makes me look good generally but specifically in my role at RCCL. DISLIKES ABOUT TECHNOLOGY: Occasionally moves too quickly for outfitting cruise ships.

THE NEXT BIG THING IN TECHNOLOGY WORLD: I have to say it as I pioneered it on our ships for entertainment - robotics!

us because they too have a great deal of experience, they assist with the design and although there is a lot of effort and resources involved, they give us an excellent and a reliable service because they know the importance of designing a cruise ship product properly.”

To satisfy the need for a flexible infrastructure, 250 connection points are located around the Royal Theater, achieved with the help of an analogue Ghielmetti Patchbay. This routes input signals to a DiGiCo SD-Rack and two SD-Mini Racks, connected via an optical multicore to a DiGiCo SD5. Located at the FOH position, the SD5 is used to mix both FOH and monitors, the FOH sound being mixed in 5.1. The system can handle 448 audio channels at 96kHz, with the SD5 also offering three redundant BNC-MADI ports, eight analogue I/O and eight AES/EBU (mono) I/O, it is ideally suited to mixing a broad spectrum of events.

Sound Designer, Hendrik Maaßen, said: “The premium SD5 console and its fully integrated sound periphery correspond perfectly with the demanding requirements of the Royal Caribbean show specialists, who developed a wide range of different day and night entertainment for the Royal Theater.”

As a system integrator with a comprehensive project experience in the maritime business ASC offers the complete range of media technology and services. With its core competence in theatre and musical sound reinforcement ASC realised a concept tailored to the idea of Royal Caribbean and on par with large stages onshore.

Depending on the sailing schedule of any given ship, the shows in the theatre will

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change. For Ovation, the current shows are The Dream and Live. Love. Legs catering to the Chinese market.

The stage is lit using a combination of more than 100 moving lights and 100 theatrical profiles. Elation features heavily in the intelligent lighting line-up, products include Elation Platinum Wash ZFX Pros, Satura Spot LED Pro moving heads, Platinum Beam 5R Extremes, Platinum Spot LED Pro IIs and Platinum Spot 35R Pro moving heads. These sit alongside Martin Professional MAC Viper Performances and Viper Wash DXs. Martin Professional Atomic 300 DMX strobes and LeMaitre MVS hazers provide additional special effects for any performance that requires it. ETC Source Four LED profiles and Desire D40 Lustr+ fixtures were used on the sibling ships so have therefore proved their worth alongside the moving lights. Particularly noteworthy are the ETC Source Four Series 2 Tungsten HD and Lustr, which set a high standard in terms of brightness and colour in the Royal Theater. A High End Systems HOG 4 Full Boar lighting console and a HOG 4 Playback Wing provides control. “In the US, I think we’re one of the largest customers of HOG consoles, we have more than many rental companies because Royal Caribbean has 25 cruise ships and Ovation alone has seven Full Boar consoles, there’s that and more on every ship,” said Christopher.

A total of 144 Elation EPV20 LED panels have been installed, three screens in total - one large 5.8-metre by 11.5-metre screen positioned upstage as a dynamic backdrop and smaller 5.8-metre by 1.9-metre screens positioned at each side of the stage. The LED video system modules are attached to the theatre

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• Opposite Even the fitness centre has an audio system.

• Above In the solarium, weatherised loudspeakers were required.

fly systems, installed hanging from rails, and attached to the front of lifting platforms, allowing the total LED surface of approximately 80 sq metres with a pixel spacing of 20mm to be visible or completely invisible depending on the scenery requirements.

Content for the screens is fed through a coolux Pandoras Box Quad Server LT and a workstation equipped with the coolux Pandoras Box Manager LT and a Widget Designer ULT for show management.

Furthermore, ASC fed two video signals from the Pandoras Box server into the ship-wide broadcasting system, allowing routing of the signals to the Christie HD10K-M lateral projections and the

powerful Barco DP2K digital cinema projector in the theatre. This means the projectors can be used flexibly and creatively in the shows.

FITNESS CENTRE For those looking to stay in shape and combat over-indulging on holiday, our next stop would appeal. The fitness centre isn’t somewhere you would consider as an obvious place for a technology installation, because the music is atmospheric rather than being at the forefront. “We provide audio wherever it’s needed so not just in the obvious spaces, here in the fitness centre for example, it simply requires background music,” Christopher

explained. QSC Acoustic Design ceilingmount loudspeakers have been installed in the fitness centre, as well as all the other areas on the ship that requires background music. And on this series of ships exclusively, Christopher opted to add QSC AD-C81T ceiling subwoofers to the fitness centre system too. “In retrospect, I probably wouldn’t install ceiling subwoofers again since these QSC ceiling install speakers have such good low frequency response, the subwoofers are not necessary in most applications.”

The QSC ceiling-mount loudspeakers have a dual purpose as they are part of the entertainment system and the PA-GA system for voice evacuation. The

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“We’re a floating soundbox, and when we’re selecting materials we have to choose those that are sound absorbing. There is a lot of extra consideration that goes into the design of a cruise ship.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION FITNESS CENTRE, SOLARIUM, UNDERCOVER POOL & POOL DECK SOUND QSC AcousticDesign ceiling-mount loudspeakers; 16 x QSC AD-C81T ceiling-mount subwoofer; 6 x QSC AD-S82 outdoor loudspeaker; 6 x QSC ADS282HT outdoor loudspeaker; 3 x QSC CX902 amplifier; 1 x QSC CX1202V amplifier; 2 x QSC CX204V amplifier; 1 x QSC CX404 amplifier; 1 x QSC Core 500i DSP core; Shure UHF-R Series receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphone; 17 x Community W2-312 weatherised loudspeaker; 5 x Community W2-112 subwoofer; 3 x Yamaha 01V96VCM mixing console

loudspeakers also come with monitoring and DSP capabilities via a Q-SYS platform, which hasn’t been the case with previous generation background music systems.

In fact music on board the ship has gone through quite a transformation over the years in terms of the different mediums.

“We used to use AEI tapes so we had to have a tape deck and the quality wasn’t very good. We paid copyright fee but then the tapes would wear out pretty quickly.

Then we moved to CDs and had the option for people to put in their own CDs, but they started to skip, so again it wasn’t a great situation,” Christopher continued.

“But then Muzak and DMX Music in the US arrived and changed everything. The companies design playlists and you can select a genre of music depending on the space, once you’ve paid the copyright fee.

It’s a hard drive connected to the Internet, which downloads two new songs every night, so that you never hear the same song twice. We have 24 hard drives to

accommodate the music requirements on board.”

SOLARIUM, UNDERCOVER POOL & POOL DECK Heading out and onto the deck, we reached the solarium first, a covered area in which people can relax on sun loungers.

“In spaces like this the loudspeakers need to be hidden as much as possible, which is why they ended up mounted on the columns,” said Christopher. Community W2-312 weatherised loudspeakers and W2-112 subwoofers in white to blend in with the aesthetics were specified for the solarium. And it was more of the same as we moved through to the undercover pool and the Pool Deck - the latter of which is used as a multifunctional space.

“These areas are difficult because of all the hard surfaces. Although, it’s not only the surfaces and the weather, there are also other constraints such as budgets and we have volume limits on board too,” www.mondodr.com

VISUAL 1 x Daktronics DVX-1800 10mm LED screen measuring 7,049mm by 3,758mm

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SEAPLEX SOUND 8 x Meyer Sound UPQ-1P self-powered loudspeaker; 6 x Meyer Sound 600HP subwoofer; 4 x QSC ADC81T subwoofer; 1 x QSC CX204V amplifier; 1 x QSC Core 500i DSP core; 1 x QSC TSC-3 control panel; Shure UHF-R Series receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphones; 1 x Yamaha 01V96VCM mixing console; 2 x Genelec 8030A monitor LIGHTING & VISUAL 60 x Elation EPV6SMD panel; 1 x coolux Widget Designer ULT; 1 x coolux Workstation computer; 47 x Elation Design Wash LED Zoom moving head; 14 x Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II moving head; 1 x High End Systems HOG 4 Road Hog console; 1 x Visual Production B-Station controller; 3 x Luminex DMX512-A 2.10 DMX hub

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• Above The SeaPlex is a multipurpose space, which is used all hours of the day.

• Opposite The North Star was inspired by the glass cabinets of the London Eye.

he continued. “It’s one of the areas where ASC stepped in with its many years of experience and strong involvement. We have the equipment to install but it’s about knowing the constraints in terms of the sea movements, the reverberation effects, sea water conditions, sound isolation and how many loudspeakers can be installed in the space. By working together as a team we get the benefits of ASC specially manufacturing vibration-damped mounts for the loudspeakers. If the architects had their way there would be no loudspeakers at all!”

The audio set-up in these areas are configured as distributed systems, which is best suited to the requirements of the

TECHNICAL INFORMATION ESPLANADE SOUND 21 x Meyer Sound UPJ-1P loudspeaker; 28 x Meyer Sound MM4; 7 x Meyer Sound MM10 subwoofer; 1 x DiGiCo SD11 console; 1 x DiGiCo D-Rack; 1 x QSC CX204V amplifier; 1 x QSC CX302V amplifier; 5 x QSC CX702 amplifier; 1 x QSC Core 500i DSP core; 1 x QSC TSC-3 control panel; Shure UHF-R Series receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphones; 1 x Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom system; 2 x Genelec 8030A monitor LIGHTING & VISUAL 12 x Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro moving head; 14 x Elation Design Wash LED Zoom moving head; 4 x ETC Source Four Lustr+ Series 2 LED profile spot; 1 x High End Systems HOG 4 Road Hog console; 1 x Luminex Ethernet-DMX8 Art-Net-hub; 3 x Luminex DMX512-A 2.10 DMX hub

space, whether that be a band performance in the undercover pool area or an event or movie night on the Pool Deck. “The boys in blue - the cleaners - use pressure washers in these areas and they just wash everything down, a light, a loudspeaker, they don’t care, so this system had to be robust,” said Chris.

For movie nights on the Pool Deck, a Daktronics DVX-1800 10mm LED screen measuring 7,049mm by 3,758mm has been installed and for the first time it’s been mounted bow to stern rather than port to starboard. The outdoor pool is slightly smaller than on the other ships because the undercover pool takes up some space that is usually used, hence the reason for the new mounting position. Christopher added: “The screen is very expensive but you get what you pay for. It’s on all the time and we’d like to get six to seven years out of it. We’ve put this product on a lot of other ships so we have a relationship with Daktronics, so we know the level of support we receive and the ease of maintenance.”

SEAPLEX Moving through to the SeaPlex, a multifunctional space that is the largest indoor entertainment and leisure venue at sea. A lot of cruise ships are favouring these multipurpose venues now because space is at a premium. SeaPlex centres around a large sports pitch that can be used for bumper cars, basketball, fivea-side football or even a trapeze school and at night it’s used as a dancefloor. Plus around the periphery, there is ping-pong, fuse ball and Xbox 360 consoles. It’s a

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space that is used every hour of the day and so the technology installed had to take all of that into consideration.

Eight Meyer Sound UPQ-1P self-powered loudspeakers have been mounted on the pillars that sit around the sports pitch and these are complemented by six Meyer Sound 600HP subwoofers that are primarily used in the evening when the SeaPlex becomes a party venue.

The wireless equipment provided in the SeaPlex is provided by the UHF-R Series from Shure. “We wanted to be able to offer some headroom in the sound system for certain events and charters. For example when Atlantis charter a cruise, they turn the system right up past the ceiling limit because it’s all their guests on board and there could be up to 2,000 people partying in the SeaPlex on that charter. So we designed the system with extra headroom on purpose, it’s not just about day-to-day operation.”

An Elation LED screen comprising 60 EPV6SMD panels is housed at one end of the pitch, the size is unusual but with the help of the coolux WidgetDesigner the software enabled the programming of two 16:9 screens. More Elation fixtures are mounted in the ceiling behind metal grills that have been put in place as safety measures. LED was once again important throughout this space as the fixtures are in use all the time and if they had been incandescent lamps, there would require regular lamps replacements. “That’s the single biggest improvement for us, floating and not having to buy and store spares. As we’ve been operating a couple of weeks, we’d be into lamp changing time now.

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“For all its complexity, the ASC entertainment network is very stable and definitely a perfect choice for any application involving signal transmission and distribution.”

We’d have done all the programming for at least three weeks before passengers came on board with constant lights on, lights off. So, yes, technology has helped enormously,” said Chris.

Elation fixtures in the SeaPlex include Design Wash LED Zoom moving heads and Platinum Spot LED Pro II. Control is via another High End Systems console, this time a HOG 4 Road Hog when a fullon lighting show is required. Although for simpler control, an eight-way touch panel is in place with presets for every scenario, so whichever member of staff is coordinating the current activity can also control the ambiance by selecting the appropriate setting. It’s possible to adjust the parameters within the modes, too, if necessary.

The audio works on a similar touch panel platform. “We have many different modes for the different activities, all of which are saved as presets in the QSC Q-SYS platform and then there are numerous Q-SYS TSC-3 touch screen panels to toggle between the presets. These things are set and forget. So basically we’re doing to the same thing time and time again.

Typically in the past, a technician would have to come in and set up the system and on the smaller ships it was manageable but on these larger one, it’s not possible so the system has to be user friendly,” www.mondodr.com

Christopher explained.

Ovation uses Q-LAN, QSC’s network protocol for transport and control. “We grew with the market,” said Christopher.

“On board Oasis, we had a proper entertainment LAN for the first time but it was home grown, constructed by a company called TDI and we didn’t really have the right switches, but we were learning. Then the market grew, and of course now you can buy the system whereas before it was a bit of an invention.

It did work, but not as efficiently or as effectively as it does today.”

For the shipyard, running the network over fibre and using audio protocols such as Dante was very attractive because before they were having to run big cables, so by using the Q-SYS platform the shipyard saved a significant amount of cable, and weight too. It’s a massive change to go to fibre cable, but it’s made life so much easier. There are five Q-SYS Core 500i processors, as well as a centralised Core 4000 for entertainment audio across the whole ship with a dedicated, redundant pair of Q-SYS Core 4000’s for voice evacuation, known as PA-GA, too. Christopher explained further: “Not only to do we have what we call the ‘ASC Entertainment Network’ - an audio, video and control network, which besides other information transports the Q-LAN data of

Eric Loader, Elation Professional Sales Director: “We began working with RCCL’s design team back in 2007 when the first Oasis class ship designs started out. RCCL came to us looking for energy efficient, low maintenance and reliable solutions for various ship venues and we provided them with some of the first LED moving heads on the market back then, including our Design Spot LEDs and Elation Impression fixtures, as well as various LED strips and Pars for other areas of the vessel. Our European team, led by Marc Librecht, has worked closely with ASC and the ship yards to deliver the products. For every ship since the first Oasis, we have worked together to globally support and service RCCL and our partners along the way.

Over the years, Elation products have proved not only reliable but we continue to offer more solutions to RCCL so that they are now included in all the major performance and event spaces on board the latest vessel, Ovation and newest Harmony ship, which was supplied

by Videlio/HMS and features over 500 Elation LED lighting and video products. We are very pleased to say that now over a dozen RCI newbuild and rebuild ships feature Elation products and we are proud to have provided an extremely reliable and energy efficient solution that has surpassed RCI’s requirements and expectations.”

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James Bradley, DiGiCo Technical Sales Engineer: “We’re delighted that our involvement in the cruise industry has increased significantly in recent years. It’s a very competitive market and, as entertainment is a huge part of the overall cruise ship experience, there is an expectation for quality from the cruise line’s clientele; they expect to get the same experience they have when they go to a Broadway or West End show. This is a tough environment in terms of demands made on equipment. Reliability is paramount, particularly as the ships spend a long time away from port. We have a proven track record in both the theatre and live industries. In fact, our consoles have become an industry standard, which means they are instantly familiar to the engineers on board. Their compact nature is also an advantage in situations where space is limited and the session compatibility between different consoles in different locations makes it easy to move things around.”

Martin Barbour, QSC Product Manager, Installed Systems: “Projects like Ovation of the Seas are great examples of how the Q-SYS platform can solve a huge diversity of design challenges in a new, more modern approach to professional media processing and distribution. On this project Q-SYS is deployed as a full performance system for what is effectively a huge, floating entertainment district, as well as a fully standards compliant voice alarm system. By basing the Q-SYS on standard IT hardware, software and protocols, we can ensure that as a solution, it integrates perfectly with the ship-wide ASC Entertainment Network.”

Grégory Dapsanse, APG Marketing & Business Development Director: “The cruise ship industry is typically a niche market where APG is setting itself apart from the competition thanks to unconventional products and specific features - our entire range of loudspeakers comes with an anti-damp treatment as standard. Ovation of the Seas is the third cruise ship fitted with APG loudspeaker technology after Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas. Because of the drastic integration constraints and the level of sound quality required for the shows, Sound Designer, Hendrik Maassen reached out to us to work together on the loudspeaker selection and the specific work that was required in order to have a perfect sound coverage while keeping the sound system discreet. This for us at APG was an amazing experience which allowed to gain deep understanding and knowledge in such projects, which in turn allowed us to open new opportunities with audiovisual integrators in this segment. “ John Monitto, Director of Technical Solutions for Meyer Sound: “Meyer Sound was once again selected as the main provider of professional loudspeaker systems for this prestigious project. The proven quality and reliability of the Meyer Sound products and support services have been a big factor in why they have been the primary supplier since the Freedom-class ships. Over the past 15 years, Meyer Sound and Royal Caribbean have developed an excellent relationship that has ultimately benefited the RCCL passenger entertainment experience. At Meyer Sound we feel fortunate to have been closely involved with the design and development of this next generation of RCCL ships. Early collaboration with the cruise line and their architects and designers is a key element in developing world-class entertainment spaces. But this is not the only project stage we’re involved in. Later in the project, we work closely with the integrator, ASC to ensure that all the Meyer Sound systems are optimised to maximum performance. And last but not least we provide global support to the integrator and the cruise line after the Ovation of the Seas has entered into service. It’s this holistic approach that has made our relationship with Royal Caribbean so enduring.”

Rik Hoerée, Sales Director at Riedel Communications: “On board Ovation of the Seas, the MediorNet network including MetroN and MicroN supports flexible routing of high-quality audio and video, while the Artist and Acrobat systems enable the clear, reliable communications critical for the complex live productions that are part of the cruising experience. We’re proud that Riedel solutions play these fundamental roles on Ovation of the Seas and siblings, Quantum of the Seas and Anthem of the Seas, which are three of the world’s largest and most innovative passenger ships.”

the QSC Q-SYS platform and ASC are able to VPN into from Hamburg, so if there are any issues, they can go into the network and make changes - we also have a large fibre network for the Riedel MediaNet, which has been a huge success and was built in by TV Tools from Helsinki. It’s all fibre and it’s the same story for that, traditionally the yard would have to run around eight coax cables to 20 different locations around the ship but now we’re just running them on fibre.”

There is redundancy back-up for the backup and back-up, which was designed by ASC Network Project Manager, Thorsten Heuer. He said: “The three ships in the Quantum series - Quantum of the Seas,

Anthem of the Seas and Ovation of the Seas - are all of them equipped with an ASC Entertainment Network and are all currently cruising the seas of the world. For all its complexity the ASC Entertainment Network is very stable and definitely a perfect choice for any application involving signal transmission and distribution.”

FLOWRIDER, WINDJAMMER, NORTH STAR After visiting the flowrider and the windjammer, which are covered by the same Community weatherised loudspeakers installed on the Pool Deck, Christopher described the length of the

TECHNICAL INFORMATION MUSIC HALL SOUND 8 x Meyer Sound M’elodie loudspeaker; Meyer Sound MINA loudspeakers; 6 x Meyer Sound UP4XP loudspeaker; 3 x Meyer Sound UPM-1P loudspeaker; 5 x Meyer Sound UPJunior loudspeaker; 2 x Meyer Sound Gallieo 408 loudspeaker management system; 1 x DiGiCo SD8-24 console; 1 x DiGiCo MADiRack; 1 x QSC CX204V amplifier; 1 x QSC CX302V amplifier; 3 x QSC CX902 amplifier; 1 x QSC Core 500i DSP core; Shure UHF-R Series receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphones; 2 x Genelec 8030A monitor LIGHTING & VISUAL 19 x Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II moving head; 18 x Elation Platinum Wash ZFX Pro moving head; 8 x Source Four Lustr+ Series 2 LED profile; 1 x High End Systems HOG 4 Road Hog console; 1 x Visual Production B-Station controller; 1 x Panasonic PT-RZ12KU projector; 1 x Luminex Ethernet-DMX8 Art-Net-hub; 2 x Luminex DMX512-A 2.10 DMX hub

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queue for the North Star - a viewing gondola in the shape of a jewel, for which the source of inspiration were the glass cabins of the London Eye - when it is in operation. It is operational when the ship is in dock at most ports and it gives guests the opportunity to admire the ocean from a height of more than 90-metres during a 15-minute ride. A lightweight, outdoor use lighting concept was required for the capsule, another task that fell to ASC and was implemented by Lighting Designer, Philipp-Sebastian Herbst and his team, who focussed on the subject of industrial cranes and glass cabins to achieve a customised lightweight light concept. The ASC team opted for specially manufactured LED spot strobes that are able to resist wind, sun and salty sea air, products such as a Seematz searchlight as a sky beamer and aircraft navigation lights as strobes were selected for the job.

ROYAL ESPLANDE Yet another area for hosting events on board Ovation is the Royal Esplanade, a shopping mall interspersed with bars and restaurants. This was actually the area of the ship that masterminded the creation of the Meyer Sound MM10 subwoofer, which was designed specifically for Christopher’s requirements. He needed a subwoofer that fitted into a lamppost on board Oasis of the Seas and for Ovation he replicated the philosophy. The subwoofers are in the bottom of the columns this time, which run the entire length of the shopping mall. The Meyer Sound UPJ-1P’s cover the main area and under the square speaker cupboards there are Meyer Sound MM4 cubes to cover

the balcony. “The architect did a really good job concealing the system, there are a lot of openings, which lend themselves well for loudspeaker positions. We did a design with ASC and Meyer Sound, described where we’d like to have the loudspeakers and we more or less got what we wanted. The cabinets have built-in amplification and are very durable.” A DiGiCo SD11 is in charge of mixing requirements in the Royal Esplanade.

The architect continued with a discreet design for the lighting too, selecting Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro moving heads and Design Wash LED

Zooms in white, which are flush mounted to the ceiling on custom-made plates with four latches that allow the fixtures to drop down for easy maintenance access. They are supplemented by white ETC Series 2 Lustr LED profile spots.

MUSIC HALL Towards the end of the Esplanade, guests will come to the Music Hall. It’s another multiuse space with a bar on both the upper and lower floors.

It’s possible to use the Music Hall as a conference space, as a stage for cooking shows, fashions

TECHNICAL INFORMATION TWO70 SOUND 2 x KV2 ESR215 loudspeaker; 10 x APG SMX15 loudspeaker; 13 x APG MX1GN loudspeaker; 22 x APG DX8 loudspeaker; 4 x APG TB215S subwoofer; 6 x APG SB115 subwoofer; 10 x APG SA30 amplifier; 7 x APG DMS48 processor; 3 x Lab.gruppen C20-8 amplifier; 2 x Lab.gruppen C10-8 amplifier; 8 x Powersoft K6 amplifier; 1 x DiGiCo SD824 console; 1 x DiGiCo MADiRack; 3 x QSC CX902 amplifier; 1 x QSC CX204V amplifier; 8 x QSC AD-S32T loudspeaker; 1 x QSC Core 500i DSP core; Shure UHF-R Series receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphones; 4 x Genelec 8030A monitor LIGHTING & VISUAL 18 x Panasonic PT-DZ21KE projector; Vistarama projection surfaces; 6 x RoboScreens; 2 x coolux Widget Designer ULT; 1 x coolux Workstation computer; 2 x coolux Pandoras Box Quad Server; 5 x coolux Pandoras Box Dual Server; 12 x Elation Platinum Wash ZFX Pro moving head; 24 x Elation Platinum Wash ZFX Pro XL moving head; 24 x 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; 32 x ETC Selador Vivid-R Classic LED fixture; 4 x Martin by Harman MAC Viper Performance moving head; 8 x Martin by Harman Atomic 300 DMX strobe; 1 x Visual Production B-Station controller; 4x Luminex Ethernet-DMX8 Art-Net-hub; 11 x Luminex DMX512-A 2.10 DMX hub

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113 VENUE - APAC

shows, yoga classes and, of course, live music performances as well. “This venue was inspired

by The House of Blues. We knew we wanted live music so needed a space for that and we knew we wanted a wooden dancefloor. This is a very popular venue,” said Christopher.

Tech-wise, it is much of the same again with equipment from Meyer Sound, Elation, ETC, DiGiCo, High End Systems and coolux. Meyer Sound M’elodie and MINA cabinets make up the main PA for the Music Hall with fill provided by UP4XPs, UPM-1Ps and UPJuniors. As is usually the system is processed by three Meyer Sound Galileo 616 loudspeaker management systems.

A DiGiCo SD8-24 and MADiRack is at home in the operating booth. ASC Sound Designer, Hendrik Maaßen added: “One of the reasons why I specify DiGiCo for offshore use is the excellent sound experience for the audience. The great sound is the result of its sophisticated Stealth Digital Processing technology, which inspires me a lot. There are a multitude of benefits associated with it. For instance, DiGiCo has achieved a high acceptance among a wide range of users and another benefit, which is extremely important at sea, is that DiGiCo consoles provide a high degree of operational safety for us. I appreciate the great support and good cooperation with DiGiCo.” Microphones for the Music Hall are provided courtesy of DPA, Sennheiser and Shure - the latter dominating the inventory. “We’re nearly all Shure wireless but we have to be careful with frequencies because there’s a European standard and a US standard. This ship is going to be based in China for now though, so it doesn’t matter too much.”

ASC used professional components including receivers, pocket transmitters, and microphones belonging to the Shure UHF-R Series to set up the wireless equipment integrated into the Music Hall.

This makes it easy to set up, control, and monitor live acts using the Wireless Workbench software, and it guarantees a broad switching bandwidth and very good sound quality.

Lighting is housed and directed mainly at the stage area. A collection of ETC Source Fours cater for the theatrical requirements. “There is no other light at the moment that is as close to the original Source Four,” said ASC Lighting Specialist, Philipp-Sebastian Herbst. “The Source Four LED Series 2 is the brightest LED fixture available. The tungsten version has a high CRI value, and we can achieve vibrant and saturated colours on the Lustr version. Though the LED version is not (yet) as bright as the conventional tungsten lamp, the Series 2, which was used on board the Ovation of the Seas is a big step forward to match up with the traditional version,” he continued. Elation’s Platinum Spot LED Pro IIs and Platinum Wash ZFX Pros add to the line-up, all of which are controlled via a High End Systems HOG 4 Road Hog. The visual element in the Music Hall on board Ovation is slightly different to that of its siblings, as Christopher decided to swap out the projector for the newer model. The Panasonic PT-RZ12KU features the laser light source, so there is no lamp to change in that either. “It runs HDMI over CAT5 with an extender. We also have a full video rack with tie lines down to the broadcast room, we can stream from other areas of the ship because we www.mondodr.com

have fibre everywhere so we can send stuff anyway we like,” said Christopher.

TWO70 Our final stop on the tour was Two70, unsurprisingly, another multifunctional space.

The centrepiece, with doubt has to be the visual installation comprising two spectacular creations - the Vistarama projection surfaces and the six Roboscreens, a term that is now patented.

Before a show starts in the venue, the sun shields that serve as the projection surfaces are rolled down to cover the windows. This system - known as Vistarama - is then serviced by 18 Panasonic PT-DZ21KE projectors, which create imaginative scene designs on this innovative background.

The technology is so sophisticated that, should maintenance work take place, the projectors automatically re-calibrate without affecting the projection mapping - using 64 light sensors that have been integrated into the window frames - to produce a seamless overall projection. Sebastian Kirsch, ASC Project Manager for visual systems worked closely together with Christopher and the Meyer Werft team supported by coolux and Moment Factory to achieve the best possible result. ASC manufactory designed and built a special, vibration damped mounting for each Panasonic projector. These allow the technical team on board to change filters and lamps in a very easy way, without changing the position of the projectors. The projectors slot back in to place, with millimetre precision.

The slope, curvature and surface texture of the Vistarama projection surfaces requires the

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• Above Elation and ETC fixtures make up the lighting inventory in Two70, something that is replicated throughout the ship, as are High End Systems consoles.

image content - developed by Moment Factory - to be geometrically adapted.

“The result is a projection with a total resolution of 12,480 pixels by 2,280 pixels and a projection size of 36-metres by sixmetres,” said Sebastian. “To create this we have used the Pandoras Box media server and the Widget Designer show control software from coolux media systems.

Pandoras Box provides the perfect tools for adjusting the image content in three dimensions in real time. Despite an extremely steep projection angle and the short distance between the window façade and the projectors, this so-called ‘warping’ process makes it seem like a single projector is projecting on a flat cinema screen.”

The idea for the RoboScreens came into play about six years ago when Christopher met Casino Arts’ Andy Flessas aka andyRobot. Christopher had heard about the creation and was intrigued to see it for himself, so went along to a Bon Jovi gig to see the RoboScreens in action.

Christopher explained further: “I went to see the show, thought the concept was interesting and started talking to Andy, he a guy that’s as eccentric as they come.

I then started talking internally about it with my team. Then the Two70 room was envisaged knowing we would have two deck-high windows, so we thought the

robots and screens could go there. The design evolved and we ended up with six robots because the gantry that they’re on goes up into the ceiling and when the robots go into what’s known as their bedroom position, and don’t even know that they are there.

“This is unlike anything else, we’re getting real time telemetry from the robot about the position of the screen and from the coolux system we’re able to move the screen and the video independently so we can get it to follow the screen, and it’s all happening in realtime, it’s unbelievable number crunching, and very clever. It’s part of the show but this is essentially kinetic art.”

To prove just how extraordinary the invention of the RoboScreens really is after Andy’s work on the Quantum series of ships and the amount of press coverage it received, he is now employed

by NASA to help them with their robotics recovery of material from asteroids.

Because essentially, to get screens with robots to make the shapes and patterns that they do is the most complicated robotic project other that what they’re doing for space exploration. Further recognition for the system was honoured when during Prolight+Sound 2016, ASC, Royal Caribbean and MeyerWerft were awarded a SINUS Award in the www.mondodr.com

entertainment category for the integration and management of complex projections and innovative content for the Vistarama and the dancing RoboScreens.

“We couldn’t have done this without ASC’s effort in the design phase, in particular for the video systems in Two70 as it was a long road to make that happen.

Nobody has this set-up anywhere else, there is no venue in the world that has six RoboScreens on a beam that goes up and down - we created that. But as I said we’re in the hotel business so we don’t really have the right to create such things but the way we can do it is to partner with the right people and the right team - the manufacturer, the system integrator, the shipyard, the architects,” said Christopher.

As for the audio in Two70, it differs from the rest of the ship because after going through three different designs, an APG system was specified. “In this space there are so many things which are architecturally navel. The propulsion is directly below so we get the jelly effect - an official ship term - meaning the whole thing was moving. To combat the movement, the size of the columns had to quadruple. A lot of acoustic treatment was required too so we couldn’t hear or feel the propulsion. It’s a very complicated space acoustically and every time something changed we had to change the design of

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• Above Two70 features Vistarama projection surfaces and six RoboScreens with visual content created

by Moment Factory.

the sound system.”

The original decision for a classic line array concept changed because it would have interfered with sightlines too much.

Instead KV2 ESR215 three-way full range loudspeakers were mounted on the pillars - one either side of the staging area - to provide the front sound system.

Their slim line appearance means they are well-integrated into the architectural environment and they don’t restrict visibility to the Vistarama.

The APG system comprises 10 SMX15’s as the main loudspeakers, supplemented by 13 MX1GN loudspeakers and 22 DX8 loudspeakers - all of which feature an anti-damp treatment as standard, which means they are capable of withstanding the harshest of environment. The MX1GNs and DX8’s were also colour matched witht he decor. The majority of the cabinets are installed in the ceiling firing downwards to give an even coverage. The four APG TB215S subwoofers and six SB115 subwoofers are in the coffee tables on the deck, so the low energy is concentrated on the stage and surrounding seating area.

Sound Designer, Hendrik Maaßen said: “ASC asked me to be the sound designer for this amazing and challenging project.

Because of the wonderful design of the venue, Royal Caribbean also wanted to use it as a lounge during the daytime, so they were looking for discreet loudspeakers, meaning they couldn’t be optimally installed from a sonic point of view.

Because of its amazing phase coherence

and smooth conical dispersion, the APG SMX15 coaxial loudspeakers proved to be the perfect choice for this particular application. We were able to create a high quality, evenly spread out coverage in the venue without any phase issues.

When in the room, you don’t really see the loudspeaker, you just feel immersed in the sound. I would like to thank APG for providing stellar professional support and expertise during the entire design phase and installation.”

The entire system is powered by three Lab. gruppen C20-8 and two Lab.gruppen C108 amplifiers, as well as eight Powersoft K6 amplifiers. Another DiGiCo SD8-24 and MADiRack have been installed in Two70.

More Elation and ETC fixtures are at home again here, as are two High End Systems consoles, one HOG 4 Full Boar and one HOG 4 Playback Wing 4.

It’s difficult to imagine the starting point on such a project, yet Christopher has done this over and over again for years now and to great success. He tried to pinpoint the initial stages: “It’s a case of experience and it’s a collaborative effort.

Martin by Harman, Meyer Sound, Riedel, Clear-Com, SGM all those companies have someone who is appointed as a marine specialist, who deals with the cruise industry and they know what’s needed. I don’t have a team of technicians, it’s just me, a laptop and my cellphone so we’re completely dependent on vendors and manufacturers. So if they come to the table and say, we have this product, and www.mondodr.com

we know how you want it integrated and what you require from a service point of view, then we’re already talking the right language.

“It is a bit of a buyer’s market. So rather than us going to them, they’re coming to us. It’s all about relationships. If a company approaches me then I’m going to listen to what they have to say. Take the example of ASC as a system integrator. With a service provider we have the guarantee of them taking on a certain responsibility. ASC is obliged to ensure the whole system is running reliably and lives by this principle.

The ASC team support us and Meyer Werft from the beginning of planning until completion of the technology installation and right through to getting the shop operational. They will go above and beyond the manufacturer’s warranty to provide additional parts and extra warranty. You really have to know what you’re doing to serve this industry.”

Christopher’s final word noted that, he is in fact not in the lighting or audio business, he’s in the cruise ship business but he admitted entertainment technology plays a huge part in that. “In the 16 years that I’ve worked for Royal Caribbean, I’ve probably spent close to half a billion dollars on technology. It’s all out there floating on those 25 ships, doing what it’s supposed to do night-after-night, it’s a 24hour operation,” he concluded.

Images © Royal Caribbean International and ASC.

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BELIEVE IT FROM ED SHEERAN TO ARIANA GRANDE TO METALLICA – TOP TOURS ARE PROVING THE POWER OF THE LEO FAMILY.

The LEO Family provides power and clarity for nearly every application, from intimate performance spaces to the world’s largest outdoor festivals. LEOPARD, the smallest in the family, is gaining a following for being the most lightweight and versatile line array in its class. It’s no wonder top tours around the world trust the LEO Family for a flawless performance, night after night.

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Close Date

PUBLISTING Mondo May/June 2016 Issue Creative: Believe It - Artists

Contact: Elania Nanopoulos Phone: 510 486.1166 x115

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PRODUCTION NOTES Keylines do not print

Trim:

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INK: 4/c

Bleed:

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STOCK: magazine

Gutter:

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04/29/16

Revision #

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KWEICHOW MAOTAI GROUP CONFERENCE CENTER & THEATER GUIZHOU, CHINA ASIA-PACIFIC

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121 VENUE - APAC

Technology is just one small part of the entertainment world, but it plays a vital role in creating the right experience and ambiance for the audience. It’s often not given the credit it deserves, because people don’t stop to consider just what makes-up the atmosphere. Food and beverage is a more tangible area of the entertainment industry and for a recent project in China, a master of the latter tried its hand at the former.

Kweichow Maotai Group employs nearly 30,000 people in the wine production industry, producing a kind of Baijiu or Chinese wine. The Maotai beverage originates from the Qing dynasty and is produced in a town of the same name, located in the north of Guizhou Province.

Its popularity in China is second-to-none, even when compared with Western liquor brands.

The group decided to try its hand at another area of entertainment recently, constructing a new multi-purpose auditorium and conference centre aptly named Kweichow Maotai Group Conference Center & Theater - with the help of was leading audiovisual consultancy, Guizhou Chiyu, who in turn brought in respected audio specialist, Tico Digital Group.

“Initial work on the project began in March 2014, when we began to create a design, which we then submitted in December 2014,” recalled Lu Cheng of Tico Digital Group. “Everything was installed by summer 2015, but all of the systems were put through a rigorous trial lasting many months to ensure that the technology met the requirements of the owners.”

The 2,600-capacity auditorium features an audience area of more than 10,000 sq ft and the seats rise over three levels, incorporating two shallow but steep balconies, which obviously threw up a number of acoustical challenges. Although some acoustic treatment was applied to the rear wall of the venue, reflections from that combined with further reflections from the balcony fascias delivered an overall reverberant atmosphere. In addition to achieving even coverage despite the difficult acoustics and the restriction of product placement, the audio solution also needed to be aesthetically pleasing to protect the décor. The correct product selection really was key.

“A conventional line array or even a point source solution in a theatre of this size would simply have been too obtrusive,” continued Lu. “It would have been extremely hard to install a large system

without harming the auditorium’s beautiful and ornate design. And even if we had tried to hide a large system, the position of the screens means that we would not have achieved the desired coverage.”

Renkus-Heinz was selected as the manufacturer that could deliver the solution that would tick all the boxes, utilising the company’s Iconyx digitally steered beam technology. Two selfpowered IC2 enclosures are flown above the stage, in the centre of the proscenium to provide the core coverage. Each IC2 is capable of delivering as many as four individually controllable beams, ensuring targeted coverage towards the audience while avoiding the two reflective balcony fronts. Six IC Live columns, split evenly left and right of the stage create fully steerable left and right channels and four DRS182B subwoofers extend the low frequency capabilities.

“The ability to steer coverage with RenkusHeinz IC Series speakers and the fact they are small in size means that they can be located in the most appropriate location for the venue, ensuring there’s no harm done to the venue’s interior décor, while still achieving an excellent result,” said Lu. Four Renkus-Heinz TRX121/12 loudspeakers and five CF61-2’s have been mounted in the lip of the stage to provide front fill, while on stage six TRX121/9 loudspeakers and two CF15-S subwoofers complete the enclosure line-up.

Taking control of mixing requirements is a Yamaha CL5 digital mixer, which is housed in the control room located on the first balcony and with three networking infrastructures in place, the auditorium is equipped for any production that takes

place. “The installation is fully ready for all major networking protocols - Dante, AVB and Cobranet, which means that, in the future, it can be extended in whichever way the owner requires. Almost any possible future network transport protocol can be connected to the existing system.”

Put simply, the theatre is a working demonstration of the principle behind AES67. “If future products need to be added or if a broadcasting system, for example, needs to be integrated, then the architecture will be able to support any transport protocols that are required,” Lu added.

A Biamp Tesira server sits at the heart of the set-up, with the CL5 connected via Dante Virtual Soundcard. “The routing of signals, playback from sources and even recording have all become very simple and convenient.” Simplified remote control is also available. “Using Biamp Canvas, we have created a custom interface for an iPad Mini, so when a fully trained user is operating the system, he can use the console, but someone less experienced can be still be in control.” Finishing off the audio inventory are microphones from Audio-Technica, eight channels of Sennheiser wireless mic coverage, and conferencing systems from Telex.

Concluding, Lu said: “We have paid close attention to the implementation of every stage of this project. We have participated in training the operators throughout this period of evaluation. The owners have now experienced the system in use for more than six months and they are very satisfied.

After two years, I can now say that this our landmark project.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 6 x Renkus-Heinz ICL-FR loudspeaker; 2 x Renkus-Heinz ICL-IC2 loudspeaker; 2 x Renkus-Heinz CF12S-5R loudspeaker; 6 x Renkus-Heinz TRX121/9 loudspeaker; 4 x Renkus-Heinz CF12S-5 loudspeaker; 4 x Renkus-Heinz DRS18-2B subwoofer; 2 x Renkus-Heinz CF15S-5 subwoofer; 6 x Renkus-Heinz TRX121/12 loudspeaker; 5 x Renkus-Heinz CF61-2 loudspeaker; 1 x Yamaha CL5 digital console; 1 x Biamp Tesira server

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123 VENUE - APAC

SARAWAK STADIUM KUCHING, MALAYSIA ASIA-PACIFIC

Built almost 20 years ago, the Sarawak Stadium in Kuching, Malaysia - originally erected for the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship - was in need of an audio upgrade and with the hosting of the SUKMA sporting event on the horizon, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

The audio brief was quite specific. Any solution chosen needed to achieve an even SPL of 90dB in every seat with only a +/-3dB margin, as well as having an extra 10dB headroom built-in and having a linear frequency response. It fell to AV Electronics Marketing (AVEM) to fulfil the requirements. AVEM drew on its experience of installing stadiums - the most notable being Stadium Shah Alam - to design and specify the Sarawak Stadium. AVEM’s favoured choice of PA was Audiocenter and the company worked alongside local contactor, Kejuruteraan Daya Maju (KDM), to complete the installation.

Due to the age of the stadium and the way in which it was designed back in the ‘90s - future proofing was certainly not at the forefront of the plans - finding suitable rigging points for the new system became

a struggle. Easy maintenance of the system also had to be taken into consideration for loudspeaker placement. However, with the help of the company’s Systems Engineer, Roshan Malim, and some revisions, the system design was completed using EASE modelling software. Roshan also assisted with the final tuning and alignment of the system.

The final installation comprises eight clusters, each made up of six Audiocenter V-HLA12+ MKII cabinets flown evenly down the horizontal lengths of the stadium, four more clusters - two

at each end - providing coverage for the side audiences, and a further four firing at the field. A Proel PC-260 DSP processor manages each cluster. A total of 16 Audiocenter DA2.2 and 16 DA12.2 amplifiers power the 96 V-HLA12+ MKII cabinets. The DA2.2’s are used for the high frequencies and the latter for the mid frequencies.

Thanks to Audiocenter, AVEM and KDM, the Sarawak Stadium is now well equipped for the crowds to descend when the SUKMA 2016 event kicks off in July.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION SOUND 96 x Audiocenter V-HLA12+ MKII cabinet; 16 x Audiocenter DA2.2 amplifier; 16 x Audiocenter DA12.2 amplifier; 14 x Proel PC-260 DSP processor

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• Page 130

IN BUSINESS

• Page 126

EXPO LLB • Page 134

STOCKHOLM

BY SAM HUGHES

EXPO KOBA SEOUL

BY JAMIE DIXON

EXPO PALM EXPO MUMBAI

BY RACHAEL ROGERSON-THORLEY

• Page 140

• Page 146

• Page 170

EXPO INFOCOMM LAS VEGAS

BY LAURA ILES

• Page 150

PRODUCT DEMO AUDIOFOCUS

BY SAM HUGHES

IN DETAIL SGM LECTROSONICS AMPHENOL

PRODUCT GUIDE MOVING HEADS

PRODUCT DIRECTORY LAST PAGE INTERVIEW BOB BOSTER

126 EX P O

• Charlie Andersson and Olli Van Der Linden from ShowTex

• Daniel Rüdén from GLP

• Marko Ala-Turkia from Aura Audio

• Anderson & Co’s Robert Vesterlund

LLB STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN / 10-12 MAY This year’s LLB show took place at the Stockholm International Fairs venue, with three days of events planned alongside those companies exhibiting in the hall.

With 2016’s Eurovision Song Contest being held in Stockholm - at the Ericsson Globe, which is not too far from the LLB venue on the same week as the show itself, it was definitely one to attend. It seemed as though everyone from the industry descended upon the city for a few days, giving mondo*dr plenty of opportunity to meet and catch up with lots of companies.

• Tomas Luthman from Totalljud

• The Standard Audio stand

As suspected, with the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, interest in the show was high, with a 30% increase on those registered as visitors from the year before. The industry in Scandinavia has been healthy in recent years, though, there is no doubt that the LLB show has benefitted from the happy coincidence. The organisers made the most of it, too, with transportation organised for those working at the Ericsson Globe for Eurovision.

It was my first visit to LLB, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, though, upon arrival, I was pleasantly surprised to see a busy hall full

of exhibitors and visitors. The stands, although some were fairly compact, looked great and always seemed to have a healthy amount of visitors.

As well as the usual stands, there were plenty of guest speakers and seminars throughout the three days, which proved to be very popular.

The photo exhibition, which was located in the main hall, was a unique addition, too. ‘In the Eye of the Hurricane Rock ‘n’ Roll’ showcased pictures of famous rock stars from the past 45 years by photographer, Neal Preston. The exhibition offered a unique insight into the

• Rene Rainer on AV Stumpfl’s stand

• Intersonic’s stand at LLB

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• Mikael Uddh from SGM

The Berger Audac stand • Ken of VUE Audiotechnik

127 EX P O

• Ludwig Lepage and Claus Spreyer from Robert Juliat • The Chauvet stand

• Marcelo Cordero from Aero Audio Scandinavia

• The Yamaha stand

rock history, with intimate photos capturing musicians in their creative and personal environment.

I spoke to a few of the exhibitors while at the show and, overall, it has to be said that the reaction was generally positive.

“The LLB show was great! We’ve had a wonderful response to our new products, a lot of traffic and we’re happy with the quality of visitors here,” said Claus Spreyer, Sales Director at Robert Juliat. “It is definitely the largest Nordic expo and the best place to meet lighting consultants and designers from all over.”

Daniel Rüdén, the Sales Manager for GLP, Nordic Region said: “It was the first time we’ve attended the LLB exhibition with our own booth and we felt there was

• Live demo on the Robert Juliat stand

128 EX P O

• The XL Audio booth

a great response to our products all across our x4 range - especially our X-4 Bar that raised a lot of eyebrows, along with our brand new GT-1 discharge fixture.

“We met a lot of new customers and we even got some orders confirmed during the exhibition. So, all in all, LLB was a great success for us.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Charlie Andersson, Sales Executive at ShowTex, when I visited the stand: “We are satisfied with how the show has gone for us, it is always nice to meet our customers in person.

“The most popular products have been the pipe and drape system, EasyDrape, together with our different projection surfaces for hologram effects. However,

the numbers of new visitors was kind of low compared to the last fair, but, overall, the LLB was good for us.”

Elsewhere, the team at Osram were delighted with how their products were received by visitors to the show.

“The fair was very positive for Osram and we certainly noticed that there was plenty of interest in our new Kreios fresnel and profile,” said Andre Gulliksen, Regional Head of Nordic Display & Optic for Osram. “One of the high points of the exhibition was to show the new Kreios Series and also reach out with the message that we sell light fixtures, not only bulbs.

Additionally, it is always good to participate in local fairs, it improves our important contact with the end

users.”

My first experience of LLB was certainly a productive one, with exhibitors offering a great insight into the Scandinavian market.

There was certainly a buzz around the show - and Stockholm itself with Eurovision set up just around the corner and, although LLB did make the most of the event happening simultaneously, I’m not sure it helped in terms of atmosphere.

However, it didn’t distract too much, with exhibitors and visitors alike commenting on what was a successful, well-organised show.

An LLB Forum will take place on 9-10 May 2017 in Gothenburg.

For more information, go to: www.llb.se

• Live display on the Dataton stand

• Dimitri Metzeltin from Benum

• The Allen & Heath stand

• The Teaterteknik stand

• The Genelec stand

• The L-Acoustics stand

www.mondodr.com

• Andre Gulliksen from Osram

• Lawo’s stand

• Johan Eriksson and Jorgen Christensen on the Benum stand

MONDO_S-Series_LAUNCH_S119.indd 1

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130 EX P O

• Jason Echols and the EK Lighting team

KOBA

SEOUL / 19-22 MAY

With KOBA having become a regular fixture on our tradeshow calendar - despite primarily focussing on the broadcast sector - I headed back to the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center for my second consecutive year.

Although it has a strong broadcast element, the professional audio and lighting sectors are also well represented. This year particularly appeared

to have an increase in lighting exhibitors, of particular note was the presence of EK Lighting, which had an impressive booth and debuted the ORB 300 spotlight. It is also easy to navigate the different markets on the show floor, as they are divided into three distinct halls - A and C for lighting and audio, and hall D for broadcast.

Visitor figures peaked at just over 40,000, and

they came to see what 1,1017 companies from 28 countries had to offer. Visitors too span across the sectors, which include installation, touring and of course, broadcast, and visitors to this show are both local and international, further demonstrating the popularity of the exhibition.

The usual suspects were in attendance, these included: Soundus, which distributes a

• Soundus’ DJ shaking hands with Robert Winterhoff, the new MD at beyerdynamic

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132 EX P O

• DJ and Ian Staddon with the DiGiCo SD5

• Norman Lim of Klotz with Soundus’ Jesse Park

• Hongtae Kim and Cheol Yoon of Tech Data

number of brands including DiGiCo, Coda Audio, K-array, and the newly appointed beyerdynamic and Klotz; Dasan SR representing Powersoft and dbTechnologies; Sama Sound that look after Allen & Heath, Shure and HK Audio in the Korean market; distributor of the Harman brands, Tech Data; Sound Solution showcasing products from Adamson, RCF and Sommer Cable; and Tongsuh Technology, which represents Wireless Solution, Clay Paky, Prolyte, Hazebase, JB Lighting in the Korean market.

A notable absentee from the show this year though was Sovico - distributor

of Meyer Sound and QSC - instead the company opted to run its own dedicated two-day event at the same time as the exhibition.

As well as the show floor offerings, a full line-up of seminar programmes took place and were well attended.

The show, now in its 26th year, looks as though it is catering to its market well, and as long as the organiser continues to listen to feedback and observes changes in the market, I’m confident companies will continue to support the show.

KOBA will return to the COEX on 16-19 May 2017. For more information, go to: www.kobashow.com

• Sukjoo Yoon and Karen Choi of Able Tech with Paul from RGB Link

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134 EX P O

• The Sonodyne launched the PM Series to the Indian market

• Stephen Baird-Smith, Kekul Sheth, Koy Neminathan and Rasesh Parekh

• Alessandro Pagliani and George Krampera from KV2 posing with distributor Murali Manohar of Cinetekk

PALM EXPO MUMBAI, INDIA / 26-28 MAY After a year’s break – for me – from Palm Expo Mumbai, I was surprised to see what a difference there was at the show. From registration and signage, everything has been streamlined to be more efficient and straightforward.

Inside the halls, the layout had changed and stands had moved positions from where they’d been in previous years. This always throws you off course to begin with, but I soon managed

• Sanjay Chawala and Chandan Mahtani representing Adam Hall

to figure out the navigation. More stands had been purpose built this year, too, rather than just a standard shell scheme. With that change and the sheer growth factor of the show, the show this year covered 24,336 sq metres of floor space. Hall 5 showcased stage audio and lighting, lasers, effects and DJ technology, while Hall 1 was occupied by professional audio, studio sound and audiovisual technology. Across the show floor, there were

• The Modern Stage Services team

• Andre and Antonio Correia from Next Pro Audio with Gurprit Singh and Gurmukh Singh Malhorta from Namdhari Impex

• The GM Audio stand

www.mondodr.com

183 exhibitors with more than 500 brands on display, while the official visitor count totalled at 22,366.

Food and beverage offerings have also increased both inside on the show floor and outside but still within the complex - the extra variety is definitely appealing for visitors.

With the organisation of the show changing hands last year - in January 2015 - from Diversified to ABEC (ITE), this year offered

135 EX P O

• Robert Oaks from Eagle Truss with his Indian distributor

• Nicolas Kirsch from Nexo with Indian distributor Sun Infonet

• Clifford Pereira from Genlec and Prashant Damile from Pandam

the chance for the new organisers to really put their stamp on the exhibition. And with the guidance of the Palm team - many of whom have been onboard for a number of years - it seems as though it was a winning formula.

All the usual features, such as the Harman live arena, the outdoor line array demo, the demo cubes and the conference and seminar programme all took place again this year, as well as the annual Palm Sound & Light Awards.

New partnerships were introduced, Renkus-Heinz exhibited with its new distributor, Acoustics Arts. Director, Sidharth Chhibber, said: “Acoustic Arts has long been associated with the world’s leading technology providers, and our vast network of professional systems integrators and resellers expect nothing less. We

• The Beyerdynamic team

136 EX P O

• Eshdeep Singh Bhasin and Varundeeo Sungh Bhasin of Lumen Bright Technologies

• Maulik and Kiran Sanghavi from Premier Pro Group

• Outdoor demos

know they will be as delighted as we are for this new association. We are proud to be associated with Renkus-Heinz, and excited to be working together.”

Adam Hall also has a new distributor, KEi. Director of Adam Hall Asia, Chandan Mahtani - who was at the show giving his support - said, even after just a few months of working together, that everything is going well. NEXT-proaudio appointed its distributor, Namdhari, just a few months ago, too, with directors Gurmukh Singh Malhotra and Gurprit Singh both revealing that the brand is performing positively and that they have made their first significant sales to an Indian rental house. The company also distributes AudioFocus and on display at the stand was a world

• Davinder and Sahil Wadhwa from Modern Stage

first demo of AudioFocus’ 40-inch subwoofer, powered by Powersoft M-Force.

Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES) has expanded its portfolio over becoming the sole distributor for Avolites and taking on Powersoft and Madrix, all of which had manufacturer representation at the show.

Nicolas Kirsh from Nexo Asia was at the show and very pleased with the current state of the Indian market, before going on to mention that it has been one of Nexo’s most successful distributors in the region in recent months.

Sonodyne announced the PM Series, the company’s new range of production monitors that was on display at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, but the

• The Electro-Voice booth

• Beta Three represented by Sound Emporium

• Gurprit Singh and Gurmukh Singh Malhorta from Namdhari Impex representing Audio Focus

www.mondodr.com

• Jitendra J. Joshi from Global Communications with Justin Knox from RGB Link

• Dusan Navara from Kvant with Justin Perry of Pangolin

www.eurolite.de

138 EX P O

• Ansata’s Leslie Lean

• Sidharth Chhibber from Acoustics Arts with Hakan Sjoo from Renkus-Heinz

• TW Audio represented by Acoustic Arts

company also decided to give it a homecoming launch.

Some interesting news was the separation of Modern Stage Services.

Once a sibling-run business, the two brothers have now parted ways, each working with their respective sons and each taking a handful of brands. Davinder and Pratik Wadhwa have kept hold of the more visual companies, such as Christie and Dataton, moving their focus slightly more onto solution projects. While Varinder and Sahil Wadhwa have retained MA Lighting, DTS, SGM, Antari and Prolyte, to highlight just a few. The separation was clear with each having their own booth in different halls. The effect its having on the customers seems unsure at the

moment, but perhaps time will tell.

Ramesh Chetwani, the Exhibition Director, concluded: “Year after year, we keep striving to add more exhibitors and brands on the floor to showcase new line of products that are entering the market. This year, PALM recorded the highest number of new exhibitors, which proves that the market is maturing and is ready for more top of the range products and technology. The only way is up.”

Palm Expo Mumbai will return to the Bombay Exhibition Centre from 1-3 June 2017. For more info go to: www. palmexpo.in

• The Bose team

• Alex Bryan from Fenix Stage with his distributor, Star Dimensions

• Devasis Barkataki and Karan Kathuria representing Music Group with Alphatec

• The D.A.S Audio booth

• The HiTech team

• The Celestion stand

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• Prashant Govindan from Harman India

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140 EX P O

• The Absen booth

• The Anchor Audio team

• Giacomo Previ from Eighteen Sound

• Brian Dowdle and Alfred Gonzales from ADJ

• Audinate training session for Dante users

• The Audix stand

INFOCOMM LAS VEGAS / 8-10 JUNE

Infocomm once again took place in America’s sin city, Las Vegas. With 40,000 visitors from 110 countries and over 1,000 exhibitors, this year’s show was predicted to be the most successful year for Infocomm. Many companies released new products or showcased upgrades to their flagship product lines for the first time on US soil. Day one was busy with a steady flow of visitors, but, by day three, traffic was slowing.

The professional lighting and video companies reported a good turn out this year, however, it wasn’t the same story for the audio manufacturers, who largely seemed a little disappointed with the footfall. They instead were favouring the NAMM show, tipping it to step into the limelight as a major player in the audiovisual tradeshow market in the US. • Peer Jambor from Vitec Video Innovations

Highlights from the showfloor included ADJ introducing a number of new products including the Vizi Hybrid 16RX, offering three-in-one beam, wash and spot. The Vizi Beam RXONE, the Ikon Profile, and the Encore Profile 1000.

The new Bose PRO PowerShare adaptable power amplifier line, which consists of three 1U models: two-channel and four-channel fixed-install models, the PS602 and PS604; and one twochannel portable amplifier, the PS602P. Christie addressed the increasing demand for world-class, large-scale audience experiences in major entertainment venues worldwide with Christie Mystique.

Clear-Com released new communication products including: HelixNet, which provides 24 channels of group communication; and

• The AM&S press call

www.mondodr.com

FreeSpeak II, a 1.9GHz and 2.4GHz digital wireless intercom system offered as a standalone base station system or as an integrated wireless cell controller card solution to the Eclipse-HX matrix intercom. d&b audiotechnik announced the introduction of its new software plug-in for the Q-SYS platform from QSC, enabling the comprehensive control and monitoring of d&b amplifiers and loudspeakers from any Q-SYS Core. d3 gave visitors a first glimpse of its new r13 software, which possesses a mix of new and improved features. Additionally, there are improvements to matrix control, time code readout module and an upgraded web module.

Dataton showcased the latest features in its WATCHOUT multi-display production and

• Monique and Stephen from Amphenol

• Amandine Teyssier and Melissa Guimaraes from Analog Way

141 EX P O

• Anthony Errigo of Ashly Audio

• Albert Chauvet

• Reto Brader and Joan Anton Parilla representing Barix

• Avid’s Derk Hedegorn

• Kim and Grace Paoli of Community

• Lars Sandlund of Dataton

• Ecler’s Enric

• Elation’s Eric Loader

• The Blizzard Lighting booth

• Clair Brothers stand

• The D.A.S. Audio booth

• The GLP stand

www.mondodr.com

• Electro-Voice stand

• The KV2 booth

142 EX P O

• Karl Winkler of Lectrosonics

• Doug Macallum and colleague from One Systems

• Listen Technologies press call

• The Mega Systems team

• David Venus and the PixelFLEX team

playback system.

DiGiCo presented its entire range of SD Series consoles from the flagship SD7 to the rack mountable SD1, plus the highly-acclaimed, compact S21 on stand C11510. Major interest however, surrounded DiGiCo’s new and enhanced SD series console, Stealth Core 2.

DPA Microphones released its newly expanded line of d:vote Instrument Microphones with the addition of three new instrument mount options, such as the CM4099 Clamp Mount, the SM4099 Stand Mount and the AC4099 Clip for the Accordion.

Electro-Voice’s X1-212/120 and X2-212/210 vertical line-array loudspeakers – suitable for a wide variety of applications where wide bandwidth, vertical and

• Matthew Kelling, Matthew Broms, Graydon Broms, Brad Weston, and Chris Rouse from Renewed Vision

• Maureen Hayes and Rob Hofkamp from Martin Audio

horizontal directivity control, and high efficiency are required in a compact package - were on display at the show and were well received by visitors.

British loudspeaker manufacturer, EM Acoustics, exhibited for the first time at Infocomm, presenting a wide selection of its loudspeaker and amplifier range, including the new M-C12 and M-C15 coaxial stage monitors.

L-Acoustics launched Kiva II, a new ultra-compact modular line source, featuring L-Acoustics’ Wavefront Sculpture Technology (WST).

Mega-Lite of MEGA Systems showcased its new pars, strobes and ellipsoidals in the form of the Tuff Baby P84, XS LED W, XS LED RGB, Drama LED W50 and Drama LED W120 fixtures.

• The Renkus-Heinz team

• Sarah Jane Thompson and Stephan Grawe from Music Group

www.mondodr.com

• The Pimeview stand

• Ram Audio’s Monica Royo

• The RGB Link team

Shown Actual Weight.

Of course the SSM bodypack transmitter is small - in fact, it is smaller than any other full-featured transmitter on the market. But you might not know how light it is. At 2.3 oz. (65.2 g.) with battery, it is half the weight of the most popular alternative, making it easier to conceal and less bothersome to the talent. Even still, the housing is all metal so it is still just as rugged as any other Lectrosonics transmitter. Other cool features include remote setting capable with a smartphone app, superb audio quality with Digital Hybrid WirelessŽ and a 75 Mhz (3-block) tuning range. Check it out in person sometime soon - it’s even smaller and lighter than it looks in the picture.

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144 EX P O

• Antonio and Andre Correia

• The RCF booth

Meyer Sound introduced Galileo GALAXY, which offers advanced processing power and networking standards, and marks a quantum leap forward for the Galileo platform that was first launched in 2005.

PixelFLEX launched LED video solutions including the FLEXLite NXG, the FLEXLite Plus with its 15º curve, reFLEXion LED video stand.

Powersoft offered comprehensive training and demonstrations of its amplifiers, exploring how to get the most from its Dante-enabled Ottocanali DSP+D Series, and how its Class D amplifiers can be integrated into large scale installations.

QSC unveiled the new Q-SYS PTZ-IP cameras and Q-SYS I/O-USB bridge. QSC also released two new models to the SPA Series of amplifiers - the SPA2-200 and SPA4-100.

Ram Audio enjoyed a successful presentation of its MDi Series of amplifiers, as well as the new generation of QuantaPulse switching mode power supplies with power factor correction to improve efficiency.

• Ilona Adamson from Vue Audiotechnik

• Ever Bryggman from Meyer Sound

• The SGM team

• Vivitek stand

RGBlink launched a new app for its presentation processors. XPOSE brings remote software control of the X Series products into a single app, with X2 and X3 now both available within XPOSE. Sommer Cable presented the new compact push button modules of the Cardinal DVM Series. The SYS WALL 45x45, SYS 50x50, and the SYS WALL 45x55 all make media control easy with its fast setup.

VITEC showcased the latest enhancements to its IPTV Sports Venue Solution that allows any stadium or arena to stream high-quality live, on-demand, or recorded video over its existing IP infrastructure.

Vivitek highlighted the newest additions to its laser projector line - the DU8090Z, the DU7090Z, and the DH759USTi. And finally, VUE Audiotechnik introduced the al-12, the newest and largest-format addition to the company’s successful al-Class line arrays.

Infocomm 2017 will take place at Orange County Convention Center in Orlando from 14-16 June. For more information, go to: www.infocommshow.org

• The Pioneer Professional Audio booth

• Tim Burnham from Tempest

• PK Sound’s Casey Hughes

• Randall Lee from Revolabs

• Patrick Heyn, Kristine Fowler and colleague from QSC

• The Sommer Cable stand

• Mark Ryals of Symetrix

• The Vectorworks stand

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• Joe Lapchick and Alexandra Tessier of Theatrixx

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146 P RODUCT DEMO

AUDIOFOCUS | DEMO DAY AudioFocus are a relatively new company in the industry, however, despite this, it has certainly made plenty sit up and take notice, with high-quality, reliable audio products created with what seems to be a real air of confidence.

I had this in mind as I set off to Brussels for the international launch of its ARES 12i line array system. AudioFocus invited mondo*dr and others to visit the AudioFocus offices to see the product in action, so I was looking forward to hearing the quality for myself. The fact that this was a comparitive event made it all the more interesting - particularly as AudioFocus had decided to pitch their ARES 12i up against the

L-Acoustics K2 system. A show of the aforementioned confidence, perhaps? I was soon to find out.

Upon my arrival, I was warmly welcomed by members of the AudioFocus team and was immediately struck by the vast knowledge and passion shown as they took myself and the rest of the visitors through the company history, future plans and, of course, the reason why we were all there - the ARES 12i.

The ARES 12i system certainly looked the part as we were taken to the impressive outdoor setup created by the AudioFocus team, but where does it fit within the industry? Xavier Marchal, www.mondodr.com

co-founder and developer, explained further: “The ARES 12i is the perfect system for medium-to-large events, whether it’s gigs, open-air shows or for theatre use.

“I think when you start something like this, it is always a question of passion and, here at AudioFocus, that is something that every employee has in abundance. We want to make the best products that we possibly can.

“We feel we have created a product that offers an incredible sound quality and we hope that this event will allow people to hear that and, of course, offer feedback so we can continue to improve if we need to.”

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148 P RODUCT DEMO

The ARES 12i is a state-of-the-art, self-powered three-way line-array system that features dual 12-inch speakers, eight 3-inch drivers and two 1-inch exit compression drivers. There’s a Powersoft built-in amplifier, too, which is managed

by AudioFocus DSP. The system itself can be fuly controlled by the AF management software, which ensures perfect matching between the system and the audience.

The demo of both systems certainly offered a detailed insight into the capabilities of the ARES

12i, allowing us to directly compare to the K2 system. Playing a range of different tracks, the AudioFocus team switched between the two systems every 10 seconds, which helped in picking up the detailed nuances in terms of how the sound was distributed.

I asked Alexandre Kostenko, Sales Director at AudioFocus, why they made the bold decision to test the ARES 12i against the K2 system as part of the launch.

“We chose to do this as a comparative event with www.mondodr.com

the L-Acoustics K2 line array simply because it is a well-known product - it’s not a secret that the K2 is the international standard when it comes to a line array systems for big, major events. We are looking at the best in the world and we want to provide an alternative to the market.”

So, does this mean that AudioFocus are looking to compete with the likes of L-Acoustics? Alex explained further: “Our plan, at least in the short term, is not to compete directly with the K2 - our positioning is different, as well as the segment of the customer base. We want to provide high-quality systems at a reasonable price, with all the support that the end user deserves to have.

So, we’re not going to be in the same field.

“The systems, however, are very similar in terms of characteristics and components - this is why we chose the K2, as it is very close. We just want to allow people to listen to both, so they can feel and hear the difference, allowing them to test it for themselves and have their own opinions.”

These sentiments were echoed by Xavier: “We decided that a comparative event with the K2, which is the international standard, was the best way to show off the ARES 12i as it allows us to compare, receive feedback, learn and improve.

“It’s not to fight, of course, we just want to see and show where we are in relation. We’re very friendly!”

I have to say that I was genuinely impressed by the quality of the ARES 12i, particularly when you consider it was directly up against the K2.

The system offered a clear, rich, smooth sound with each different track that was played - the AudioFocus product held its own and you can certainly see why it has proved to be popular within the industry already.

Following the demonstration, I wanted to find out whether the whole event had lived up to the expectations of the AudioFocus team after all their hard work to get to this point.

“It has been great, the aim was to launch the system along with the marketing campaign, so now the awareness is there - we a receiving phone calls every day from all over,” said Alex.

“There is definitely an interest from the industry, particularly as we are a new player on the market.

We’re an ambitious, small Belgian company that is finding its place in the industry, but we are extremely positive about the future and excited to continue the journey.”

Xavier added: “Overall, I think the event has been a real success - and very exciting. When you compare your system directly to the K2, you have to be sure, so we’ve all been looking forward to welcoming people for this.

“And, like I’ve said, the feedback has been so positive and helpful, so we’re really glad that we have been able to do this.”

AudioFocus are clearly on what promises to be an exciting journey - and one that is just getting started, too. However, armed with their vast wealth of knowledge, enthusiasm and impressive products, it is sure to end in success. They’re right to be confident. www.audiofocus.eu

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SGM | IP66-RATED LED FIXTURES 2

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Originally founded in 1975, SGM has over 40 years of experience producing lighting technology. Highly specialised in LED and IP65-rated lighting solutions, SGM has embarked on a journey to become one of the world’s leading manufacturer of LED lighting.

With a constantly growing, highlyqualified distributor network and branded subsidiaries around the world, SGM has established a strong global presence, while the company’s product innovations, such as the IP65-rated G-Spot and G-1 Beam LED moving heads, have truly revolutionised the lighting industry.

SGM stands for innovation and experimentation with emerging technologies, and boasts an experienced R&D team. Since 2012, SGM has been headquartered in Denmark under the management of Peter Johansen.

While consolidating its position as an established player in entertainment lighting, SGM is intensifying its focus on architectural lighting solutions. As a result, the spring of 2016 marked the birth of a whole new range of IP66-rated LED fixtures designed for permanent outdoor installations in both entertainment and architectural applications.

The new permanent outdoor installation fixtures from SGM are based on

SGM’s familiar standard fixtures - with the same optical performance and electrical components, but optimised for permanent outdoor installations.

Engineered to endure even the most extreme weather conditions, the POIs take on rainy days, icy winters, dusty winds, extreme heat and salty sprays of seawater - eliminating the need to shield off the fixtures to protect them from the elements.

All POI fixtures come standard with a five-year warranty. A patented dehumidification processor prevents condensation, which, in turn, prevents corrosion and ultimately prolongs the lifespan of the electronic components.

With the A-4 RM ArtNet to DMX converter, the POI fixtures become remotely accessible, allowing users to program a show from a remote location, upload it and schedule it on site. If connected to the internet, it works as a remote monitoring device to notify the service provider of any problems within the fixtures.

Customisation is part of the POI philosophy. The POI fixtures are available in white and black, as well as an array of custom RAL colours, to accommodate the requirements and high aesthetic standards of architects and designers. www.sgmlight.com www.mondodr.com

3

1 i-5 POI 2 G-1 Beam POI 3 G-Spot POI

Peter Johansen, SGM CEO said: “If you work with outdoor applications, you know that so far no other manufacturers have been able to produce truly outdoor-compatible products. Those days are over! At SGM we have developed a range of reliable permanent outdoor installation products to give Lighting Designers and Architects the possibility of incorporating entertainment lighting into architecture.”

G·Spot POI

Weather-resistant

IP66

152 IN DETAIL

LECTROSONICS | SSM

Although Lectrosonics has long been known for compact, even downright tiny bodypack transmitters, such as the SM Series, these products are most often seen in film and TV production environments.

In order to develop a product for sound reinforcement and theatrical applications, the company started from scratch with an entirely new design.

The two technical factors that restrict the further shrinking of these devices are the microphone connector and the battery. Lectrosonics has long used the robust and compact TA-type â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;mini XLRâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; connector for bodypack transmitters.

However, the TA is non-standard in theatre installations. And, when using AA batteries for powering, one must contend with how this drives transmitter housing designs.

Furthermore, a bodypack transmitter must be durable and reasonably sweat and moisture resistant, while still being small and light enough to avoid bothering the talent or the wardrobe department. And, finally, the RF, audio performance and battery run time must be at least as good as what is currently

being offered on the market.

With all these challenges in mind, Lectrosonics set out to develop a new bodypack unit using the industry standard Lemo 3 microphone connector, and based around a lithium ion rechargeable battery.

Ultimately, the company sourced the battery directly from the manufacturer, as a private labeled part - the LB-50. Run time for the SSM is in excess of six hours on a full charge, even when running at 50mW RF power. If the transmitter is set to 25mW, the run time is about 10% longer.

The SSM employs patented Digital Hybrid Wireless transmission technology for tight channel spacing while delivering digital audio quality. Audio specs are 40-20kHz frequency response with a tolerance of +/-1dB; 107dB dynamic range; and THD below 1% for the audio band. For optimised operation with a wide range of lavaliere and headset microphones, the SSM offers menu options for various makes and models, plus the ability to manually set the bias voltage, input impedance and audio www.mondodr.com

â&#x20AC;˘ Above The SSM Series

polarity.

To ensure the extreme durability associated with Lectrosonics products was not sacrificed in the new design, the company stayed with machined billet for the housing, then the battery door is heat treated stainless steel. The entire housing is then plated with a special material that resists scratching and corrosion.

The result is a unit that can withstand many years of typical use, without even a blemish. Even still, the weight, with battery, is only 65.2g.

Finally, settings on the SSM can be updated remotely by using LectroRM, a third party app on iOS or Android, a particularly handy feature for when the transmitter is already buried on the talent.

Three 75MHz wide UHF bands are currently offered for worldwide use: A1 covering 470-537MHz; B1 covering 537614MHz; and C1 covering 614-691MHz. Each of these bands offers more than 3,000 frequency choices.

The SSM is available worldwide via authorised Lectrosonics dealers. www.lectrosonics.com

AUDIOFOCUS WANTS YOU TO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE

FR-X

CONSTANT CURVATURE ENCLOSURE

Thanks to the AF horn and specific DSP treatment, comb effects are eliminated to ensure a perfect coupling between FR-X cabinets and create a coherent wavefront at any location. We call that ‘’X-comb’’ technology that permits the use of rotating horn to adapt directivity and obtain curvature array.

www.audiofocus.eu

Made in Belgium

154 IN DETAIL

AMPHENOL | AMPHE-DANTE

Amphenol has advanced its innovation in professional connector and cabling solutions to the Dante audio networking universe with the introduction of Amphe-Dante adapters.

The Amphe-Dante range of Dante digital to analogue audio adapters are engineered to simplify the connection of analog equipment, including amplifiers and loudspeakers, to Dante networks.

Importantly, its unique cable dongle housing design is a world-first for Danteenabled products, allowing systems integrators to mount the adapter without the costs and labour of additional rack or shelf space.

Amphe-Dante adapters receive audio channels from a Dante network and provide studio-quality, low-latency audio via an XLR connector to analogue audio equipment.

Any audio available on the Dante network can be routed via the XLR outputs to an amplifier, powered loudspeaker, mixing console, DSP, or other analogue audio device.

The initial release offers a single or two-channel option with premium XLR connectors and a durable moulded housing. XLR adapters - for example XLR-to-RCA and XLR-to-phono - can

be used to connect to audio equipment without built-in XLR connectors, ensuring flexible options for customers.

“The new Amphenol adapters allow a huge market of legacy products like amplifiers and loudspeakers to now be Dante-enabled,” said Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate.

“Affordable solutions that allow analogue products to connect to a Dante network are an important piece of the audio networking ecosystem, and the AmpheDante products do just that.”

“We are excited to be working with Audinate to bring a truly unique product to the audio networking market,” said Stephen Richards, Sales & Marketing Director at Amphenol Australia.

“The opportunity to collaborate with another successful Australian company offering world class technology will enable us to be at the forefront of digital audio connectivity.”

The Amphenol Audio international brand name was launched in 2006 and represents the flagship of one of the company’s main core businesses and specialist product ranges.

The company has been producing products for the professional audio industry for over 50 years. Since the

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• Above A two-channel Amphe-Dante adapter

development of our XLR AC Series connectors, they have continued to provide customers with exacting quality in an increasingly competitive environment.

Continuous improvement through ISO9001, a focus on environmental awareness and development of next generation industry leading products is our philosophy.

As the entertainment industry moves into the future, the emerging technologies from other industries have become more prevalent and more challenging.

Amphenol’s global presence combined with its close technical relationships with other Amphenol divisions, each a specialist and leader in its own interconnect field, places it well to support innovation and meet this challenge head on.

The ability of Amphenol to provide a full range of design services required to support the customers applications design and modelling, applications engineering, fabrication, value-added assembly and testing, coupled with the largest interconnect offering on the market means support for all of your system level needs. www.amphenolaudio.com

156 P RODUCT GUIDE

moving•heads

[moo-ving hedz] n.

Units tend to be of two types - the light beam is modulated by a moving mirror with the luminaire stationary, or, the luminaire moves to create motion. A typical unit, usually powered either by a small discharge lamp or LED, is equipped with various functions including intensity, focus, iris, colour, gobo, rotating gobo, pan / tilt, speed control and reset.

PRODUCT GUIDE

MOVING HEADS

EMEA PETER JOHANSEN SGM

APAC RICHARD KEUNG LSD SINGAPORE

“SGM stands for innovation and experimentation with emerging technologies, and boasts one of the most experienced R&D teams in the lighting business; most of whom are behind the development of some of the first moving heads ever to see the light of day.

At SGM, we challenge the status quo and our mission is to supply the professional markets - both architectural and entertainment - with state-of-the-art and cuttingedge technology. As a result, the spring of 2016 marked the birth of a whole new range of lighting fixtures for permanent outdoor installation (POI) designed to withstand extreme conditions.”

“When it comes to moving heads, I just love the small, 60W ultrafast movement of the Robe Spikie, particularly as it can move continuous using pan and tilt.

The fixture can quickly zoom from a soft wide 28° wash to a tight sharpedged 4° beam. Crazy features like the Dynamic Beam Divider and Innovative Digital Flower Effect further add to its capabilities making it an exciting next generation LED WashBeam.”

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THE AMERICAS MICHAEL GRAHAM CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL

“The Maverick MK 2 Wash and Maverick MK2 Spot draw on advances in LED technology that have given us the ability to create high powered, affordable fixtures with a relatively small footprint.

Improvements in LEDs design along with enhanced cooling methods h av e a l l ow e d u s to p u s h t h e design envelope further than ever.

For example, in the Maverick MK2 Spot, we were able to use a 440W single source LED, and with the use of custom optics and colour mixing system, provide even CMY colour mixing, as well as offer a flat field that produces razor sharp gobo images across the entire beam.”

Photo: Ralph@Larmann.com | Lighting Design: Thomas Gerdon

GLP German Light Products GmbH

THE SPECIAL ONES  Im Stöckmädle 13, 76307 Karlsbad, Germany  /GLP.German.Light.Products

^ ^ ^ ^ ^

10 OR 20 HIGH POWER RGBW LEDS NEW ULTRA FAST ZOOM 210° TILT MOVEMENT INDIVIDUAL PIXEL CONTROL INTERNAL MACRO EFFECTS

 +49 (7248) 972 19 0

 /GLPimpression

 info@glp.de

 www.glp.de

FOCUSSED DISPERSION

PRECISION

SOUND RIGHT WHERE IT’S NEEDED

System designers love the focussed dispersion of NEXO speakers. It gives them the tools they need to achieve perfect coverage in any space.

The new ID24 achieves smooth, full-frequency sound and high output from a cabinet measuring just 309mm wide, with a unique, user-rotatable horn providing unprecedented control over HF directivity.

With an ‘a la carte’ selection of colours, grilles, directivity and connectivity, and compatibility with a wide range of mobile and fixed-installation hardware, ID Series delivers precision sound, right where it’s needed.

www.nexo.fr #42128 - Resize Half ID Series Dispersion ad.indd 1

Thinking. Inside the box.

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158 P RODUCT GUIDE - MOVING H EADS

ACME LED Spot 400 & 500

A&O Technology Falcon Beam 2

The LED Spot moving heads are the brightest that Acme have ever produced. Both models have attracted interest from users, due to their quality and innovation, as well as their low-power consumption and simple maintenance.The LED Spot moving heads include a CMY colour mixing module, framing system and, of course, the classic colour and gobo wheels, prism and wide linear zoom. www.acme.com.cn

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. The compact searchlight takes up very little space for a device of such luminosity. Due to its aluminium and stainless steel construction the latest member of the Falcon range is also both robust and reliable. The new Falcon Beam 2 is an ideal choice for large lighting installations and events. The prolonged working life of the lamp, the low maintenance costs and optics make the Falcon Beam 2 a favourable option for a number of lighting applications. www.ao-technology.com

Adam Hall Cameo Auro Series The Cameo Auro Series presents new LED moving heads. Auro Spot 100, 200 and 400 make fascinating colour, prism and gobo effects possible. Particularly impressive with the Auro Matrix 500 and Auro Bar 100 are the pixel mapping effects, in which individual LEDs can be controlled. The LEDs of the Aurobeam 150 can also be individually controlled via single pixel control. The Auro spots operate with ultra-fast three-phase motors for 630° panning and 235° tilting (230° tilt for the Auro Spot 400).

The differences here lie primarily in the LEDs, which range from 60W (Auro Spot 100), and 100W (Auro Spot 200) to the powerful 180W (Auro Spot 400), and achieve extremely high luminance of up to 190,000 lux. Two gobo wheels, with seven rotating and nine fixed gobos, as well as two colour wheels with a total of 12 intense colours, and warm and cold whites, make the Auro Spot 400 the frontrunner of these three new LED moving heads. www.adamhall.com

ADJ Vizi Beam RXONE The newest fixture in ADJ’s popular Vizi Series of moving heads, the Vizi Beam RXONE, is a compact and quick moving head with a potent Osram Sirius HRI 1R discharge long life lamp - 6,000 hours - that produces a super sharp beam of light that travels up to 100-metres. This 16-bit, nimble mover also includes a frost filter to give the beam a wash effect of 21° making this fixture very versatile. Under the hood the Vizi Beam RXONE boasts a 16-facet prism to break apart the solid beam into 16 mini beams, 14 colour plus white and 15 static, fixed gobos. The RXONE has two DMX modes - 15 or 17 channel mode - three-pin DMX in/out, PowerCon in/out plus a low power consumption of only 199W at max power. Incredibly powerful, surprisingly compact, impressively agile and unbelievably affordable, the RXONE is perfect for a variety of portable and permanent applications. www.adj.com

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Ayrton AlienPix-RS A member of Ayrton’s new RS product line, AlienPix-RS is a unique, conceptual, multi-rotational fixture that combines a multiplicity of effects within a single luminaire. Inspired by fixtures from the ‘70s and ‘80s, AlienPix-RS is a reinterpretation using modern technology, optics and LED sources to create revolutionary new volumetric 3D effects. AlienPix-RS is formed of five spot heads surrounding a central disk, each of which contains a tight, 3.5° RGBW LED emitter, which can be controlled individually in continuous, unlimited, rotation. The main disc rotation, and additional pan and tilt movement, are controlled by powerful tri-phase stepper motors that allow fast, accurate and silent positioning. In total AlienPix-RS can simultaneously perform up to eight multi-directional, continuous axes of movement and deliver a total light output up to 6,000 lumens/1,080,000 cd. AlienPix-RS offers several control modes: basic mode provides access to a library of pre-programmed pattern effects; extended mode gives access all functionalities and controls each LED separately. It has series connectivity and can be driven by DMX-RDM, Art-Net or a wireless DMX-RDM from LumenRadio.

This compact luminaire has a diameter of less than 40cm, but the combinations of movement and colour are immeasurable. www.ayrton.eu

Chauvet Maverick MK2 Spot & MK2 Wash Powered by a 440W LED engine, Maverick MK2 Spot boasts a CMY+CTO colour mixing system, two six position rotating slot and lock gobo wheels, a seven position plus white colour wheel, variable frost and three facet prism. All of this projected through a 13° to 37° zoom system. With the ability to control the Maverick MK2 Spot over DMX, Art-Net, sACN, or by WDMX, there is an option for every situation. As an added feature, this fixture can receive Art-Net in, and send out DMX simplifying cable runs. Maverick MK2 Wash includes an even output, custom designed optics, full pixel mapping, virtual gobo wheel with background colours, pre-programmed colors and an extremely flexible 7º-49º zoom range.

Powered by 12 (40W) Osram RGBW LEDs, it has the muscle to handle any application, even aerial washing, with ease. Its lightweight and compact design allows this fixture to be used in a variety of applications. Take control with DMX, sACN, Art-Net, KlingNet or WDMX for programming versatility. To shorten cable runs, this fixture can receive in TCP/IP protocol and output DMX. www.chauvetlighting.com

160 P RODUCT GUIDE - MOVING H EADS

Chroma-Q AutoLED II The innovative Chroma-Q AutoLED II is a 6,500K CCT daylight white LED moving head fixture that boasts an extreme 16,430 lumens output for ultra bright, long distance throw; a high CRI; and a smooth linear dimming curve. Specifically designed for providing precise daylight illumination of motor industry tradeshows, fashion events and retail environments, the AutoLED II incorporates DMX control, allowing it to be operated from any DMX enabled lighting console - saving time, energy and manpower when rigging, focussing and cabling fixtures. www.chroma-q.com

EHRGEIZ Helios 7B The EHRGEIZ Helios 7B is a very unique moving light. Thanks to the doublebattery solution, the Helios 7B is supplied with power in a redundant arrangement, which makes it possible to remove and change one of the two batteries at any time. The batteries are then charged in the standard DC18RC quick charger from Makita. The Helios 7B creates fantastic beam effects, but can control each pixel in each colour separately, if required.

Furthermore the Helios 7B has built in W-DMX by LumenRadio. The SteadyColor dimming as well as the ConsitentColor Optics are only two more of plenty features of the Helios 7B. www.EHRGEIZ.com

Clay Paky Spheriscan The Spheriscan’s pan rotation does not have an end-stop - its mirror goes on turning endlessly beyond 360°, which creates an absolutely original swirling effect. Its speed may be adjusted as desired and reach a maximum of 250 rpm, that is more than four revolutions per second. Spheriscan is without a doubt much more powerful and brighter than any of the other scanners that came before it. Its new Osram lamp works at 1,200W. Spheriscan features a 13°-34° high speed zoom, one rotating gobo wheel with six gobos, one fixed gobo wheel with eight gobos, a rotating prism, a fast sixteen-blade iris, a linear frost filter, CMY system, a seven-colour wheel. A RGB system, built into the top head, turns it into a glowing transparent dome. Three dedicated DMX channels allow for unlimited colours. Spheriscan is built to be used outdoors. Using a special optional support system, Spheriscan may be recessed into the stage floor, with only its transparent head visible, to create original gazing projections. Spheriscan is therefore a tribute to the past with an endless variety of state-of-the-art technical features. It is a powerful effects light capable of adding a new distinctive touch to shows and an appliance you can use on many occasions, including big events, indoor and outdoor concerts and architectural installations. www.claypaky.it

Elation Platinum FLX Elation’s Platinum FLX is a beam/spot/wash lighting fixture that has clear advantages over traditional hybrid systems. It allows for a narrower beam angle and brighter central point in beam mode, a more uniform and brighter spot field, and a flat-field wash that can also zoom. Capable of switching between beam and spot modes quickly and accurately, it offers CMY colour mixing, dichroic colours, and two gobo wheels. A 470W Platinum 20R lamp delivers up to 20,000 lumens of power while still providing an energy efficient solution. Other features include six-way linear and eight-facet rotating prisms, animation and wash frost effects, Art-Net (DMX over Ethernet) support and a mechanical shutter for high-speed strobe effects. www.elationlighting.eu

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xy

System enhancer.

The new DS10 Audio network bridge is not just an ordinary Dante interface: it is the next step in the d&b system approach. In combination with the d&b amplifiers, the new DS10 streamlines the complete d&b sound reinforcement system. One piece of remote control software, one audio network bridge, one consistent amplifier DSP platform: an entirety where each fits all. www.dbaudio.com

Welcome to System reality.

DS10_02_EU(Mondo)_333x236_190616.indd 1

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162 P RODUCT GUIDE - MOVING H EADS

GLP GT-1 The GT-1 from GLP is a true hybrid fixture, working as both a spot and a beam fixture with highest levels of performance. Using a high powered 470W discharge lamp, its high quality optical system produces a light beam that features an enormous 22:1 ratio zoom range from 2.5° to 55°. When in spot mode, the GT-1 offers a wide range of effects, including CMY colour mixing, eight rotating gobos, 14 fixed pattern gobos, additional beam reduction gobos, and an interchangeable animation wheel. The GT-1 also features three different rotating prisms, a fixed color wheel with CTO/CTB filters, and a frost for softening the beam. When in beam mode, the GT-1 produces a highly parallel beam of light at 2.5° through its large 145mm diameter front lens that remains bright and consistent over long distances. The GLP GT-1 features our unique baseless design, inbuilt wireless DMX control, full 16-bit pan and tilt movement, full range dimming and shuttering capability, an in built battery for fixture setup, an auto sensing power supply and a low weight of just 25kg, in all giving a vastly versatile fixture for a wide range of applications. www.glp.de

Highlite Infinity IS-400 The Infinity iS-400 is a 440W LED spot moving head with high-end technology that is characteristic for Infinity. It is a full feature fixture with a double rotating gobo wheel, CMY and dichroic colour wheels, CTO, prism, frost, 1:3 zoom range, and iris. Each gobo wheel has one special multi-coloured gobo which can be combined and morphed to create amazing colourful projections and mid-air effects. Thanks to the rotating gobo wheels and the rotating three-facet prism, the possibilities for own beam and projection creations are endless. The gobo and colour wheels can create fast colour bumps and quick gobo jumps as well as very slow smooth gobo rotations. The CMY system is equipped with a CTO filter and is both fast and smooth. An iris macro channel gives the light designer direct access to beam trimming effects without the need for programming. The digital motion FX can generate effects on top of the gobo set for more dramatic projections. The iS-400 is equipped with high grade optics and a 440W LED chip to replace 700W/800W discharge fixtures. www.highlite.nl

JB Lighting LED-Spot Varyscan P7 With an incredibly low LED power consumption of 270W, the P7 delivers the brightness of a 700W discharge lamp. The moving light owes this enormous light yield in particular to its outstanding optical properties and the high-technology cooling. The LED light source maintains the colour temperature at a constant level over the entire lifetime of 20,000 hours.

The unwanted drift to green is thus a thing of the past.

The P7 offers a complete range of effect highlights.

Starting with the impressive optical zoom system which covers a range of 8° to 48°. The effects unit comprises a CMY colour mixing unit and all the effects which are required to create stunning shows.

Its aesthetic design along with the comfortable handling, make the P7 an ideal solution for any application. www.jb-lighting.de

Icon ICON-M066 The ICON-M066 is a mini zoom moving head that allows users to create beautiful washes of colour, with its 10-60° beam angle. As it is comes in a compact size, as well as being lightweight, it makes it an ideal fixture for small clubs, bars, theatres and churches, along with other entertainment venues, such as roller rinks and bowling centres. Featuring four 10W fourin-one quad LEDs in RGBW, the ICON-M066 offers exciting, eye-catching lighting effects, with its fast moving head in a whole range of colours.

The ICON-M066 also has a pan and tilt inversion mode that allows one head do the opposite of another when linked together, giving you the ability to create atmospheric effects. www.icon-light.com

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Martin by Harman MAC Axiom Hybrid Martin by Harman’S MAC Axiom Hybrid is a true all-in-one product, combining beam and spot into one compact unit that also offers diffused wash functionality.

The high-precision optical system offers exceptional contrast, both in mid-air and projection as well as a surprisingly flat field, usually not seen with this short-arc lamp technology. The zoom smoothly widens from 2º-44º and the Osram Sirius HRI 440W 7,000K lamp contributes to the MAC Axiom Hybrid’s impressive output. The fixture features 16 static and nine interchangeable rotating gobos for mid-air and projection. Exciting animation effects are integrated into the fixed gobo wheel and the three- and eight-facet rotating prisms offer dynamic prism zoom effects. Designers are given unlimited choices from subtle pastel shades to deep and saturated colors, thanks to the implementation of the MAC Viper CMY colour palette. All of this comes in a small footprint and lightweight package of just 24.8kg. www.martin.com

Music&Lights STARK1000 The STARK series of moving washlight introduces a new generation in the field of hybrid automated luminaires. STARK400 and STARK1000 are designed to be high performance washlights, sharp and powerful beam lights, and special effects generator of new visual and aerial effects. STARK projectors implements new 40W RGBW. Full colour LED technology combined with a new design optical system to delivers unprecedent lumen output, zoom from 3.5° to 45° and real pixel control of each single source. www.musiclights.it

164 P RODUCT GUIDE - MOVING H EADS

PR Lighting XR 440 BWS This new range of high-output moving heads integrates three features in one unit, and adopt PR patented technology.

The XR 440 BWS houses a powerful Osram Sirius HRI 440W lamp, and features include an advanced colour index with CYM linear colour mixing system, with macro; colour wheel with 12 colours and CTO plus open; bi-directional rainbow effect at variable speeds; step/linear colour change. There is a fixed gobo wheel with 13 fixed gobos plus open, bi-directionally scrolling at variable speeds - plus a shake effect at variable speeds. The fixture also contains a rotating gobo wheel, with nine rotating gobos plus open, bi-directionally scrolling at variable speeds - plus a shake effect at variable speeds. Either glass or metal gobos can be fitted.

The fixture contains two prisms - one eight-facet and one 16 facet - with bi-directional rotation at variable speeds, plus an optional three-facet and gradient prisms.Other features include frost filter, and motorized linearly adjustable focus and zoom - as well as strobe (shutter speed 0-3-25 fps). The head movement offers 540° pan and 270° tilt. www.pr-lighting.com

Robe DL7F Wash & Square The traditional fresnel front lens of the new Robin DL7F Wash ensures a classic look and homogenised conventional beam with high resolution smooth dimmer. The 200mm diameter fresnel lens is easily interchangeable for optional PC lens. New innovative internal scrim module of graduated filter can be inserted into the light path and allows rotation of the whole assembly +/- 180° to achieve even wash coverage when projecting onto a non-perpendicular surface. Mechanical features include a newly designed linear motorised zoom of 7°–65° and an interchangeable diffusion filter. The fixture uses an internal barndoor module for creating different shapes. The barndoor module consists of four individually controllable blades and is rotatable by +/- 90°. The Robe Square offers new exciting possibilities by combining video projection, pixel animations, beam effects and LED wash light all in a continuous rotation movement fixture. LED matrix of 25 powerful RGBW multichips in pixel mappable array can be controlled via traditional RGB channels or via easy-to-use network driven application. Nine individually controllable effect engines can create beam effects or in-air animations. Five independent zooming layers offer unique possibilities of zoom waves and combination of wash coverage on the edges and beam effect in the centre at the same time. Continuous rotation movement of pan and tilt offers creation of video as well as scenographical elements on the scene. www.robe.cz

SGM G-Spot POI The G-Spot POI is based on the revolutionary G-Spot LED moving head and optimised to deliver optimum performance in any outdoor application – both entertainment and permanent architectural installations. Regardless of location and meteorological conditions, the G-Spot POI continues to deliver stunning colours and superior optical performance with its highpower RGBY light engine. Because of its resilient IP66-rated housing, the G-Spot POI is virtually maintenance-free - an occasional wipe of the exterior lens is all it takes to prep the G-Spot POI for the next show. The simple, durable exterior of the G-Spot POI defends it from vandalism.

Being fully RDM compatible makes it ideal for installation in non-accessible locations. The POI moving heads from SGM are the only truly outdoorcompatible moving heads to date. The G-Spot POI also ensures that there is no accumulation of dust or externally induced impact on the internal optics, gobos and light source unit, offering an excellent, reliable performance in any conditions. www.sgmlight.com

Starway Servo Spot 15K The Servo Spot 15K luminaire has a light output over 16,000 lumens from a 420W LED source and is equipped with a CMY colour mixing system and linear CTO, a colour wheel of eight colours plus open, seven rotating gobos plus open, seven fixed gobos plus open. It has an incredibly quick zoom from 7° to 60°, a three-facet prism, iris and progressive frost. It is also RDM compatible. www.star-way.com

165 P RODUCT GUIDE - MOVING H EADS

Steinigke Eurolite LED TMH X-12 The Eurolite TMH X-12 moving head spot is part of the X series which features this attractive combination of quality and price - designed to satisfy high demands. The X-12 is equipped with a COB LED showing 120W. It provides the spot with pure power MSD 250 or MSR 575 is more than a match to these lamps. The high quality of the LED ensures flicker free projection. The spot is cooled by a silent fan and has a gobo wheel with seven rotating gobos (plus open), a color wheel with eight dichroic colour filters (and white) as well as a rotating three-facet-prism. Regarding control, you can choose between a 13 and a 15 channel DMX mode.

Positioning is realised via 16-bit resolution, the beam angle is 12°. The X series consists of this spot, a washer, a 5 x 5 matrix moving head and three beam heads. Modern technology perfectly suited for clubs and discotheques of all sizes. www.steinigke.de

StudioDue Nanoled/C The Nanoled/C is a powerful, dynamic RGB moving head fixture that is suitable for club installations.

The impressive fixture is small, compact and easy to use, too, all while being fast and furious, with unlimited colours and sinuous movement. The Nanoled/C also allows users to create different effects, with medium and narrow beam lense kits. The dynamic menu on the control panel makes it simple and intuitive to use, with a 16 bit LED dimming for precise colour mixing. Also, with a fast fixing bracket and fast lock, the Nanoled/C allows for a secure and easy installation. www.studiodue.com

Syncrolite SyncroMITE Beam Syncroliteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s newest fixture, the SyncroMITE Beam features XenoColor mixing and long throw gobo projection. Powered by a 2,000K xenon lamp - the SyncroMITE is ideal for on-stage and over-stage applications where high CRI and big, bold, bright beams are a must. The SyncroMITE is a compact self-contained system that rigs, powers and is controlled like any conventional moving light but offers the traditional Syncrolite look, just in a smaller package. Featuring the OmniColor system and available with beam spreading lens and breakup gobo patterns both lights excel in their role as true large format lighting fixtures. Well suited for events, concerts, television, film and architectural application. All Syncrolite moving lights feature DMX control for tilt and pan and the rest of their automated functions. www.syncrolite.com

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166 DIRECTORY

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2

4

3

1. Alpha Lite Hori CYC Color Series The customising LED light of Alpha Lite, the Hori CYC Color is a user-friendly horizontal light that focusses on colour tone and light distribution. Depending on user circumstances, installations or light fixtures type, optic design and option lens is easily changeable.

Therefore, the Hori CYC Color series can cover all sizes of studios from small to large.

Standard option lenses are either the 60x135 or 130x85 with a 1.5-metre distance, the eight-metre height light with its 1.8-metre width, or the 130x85 lenses cover with a 4.5-metres width and 4.5-metres. Other lens sizes available are: 60x90, 85x150, 20x60, 30x60, and 40x60. The Alpha Lite colour system controls brightness and colour balance based on colour temperature so as to minimise distortion. Hori CYC Color LED chips are CREE xp-e (RGBW), xml colour (RGBW) LED. Through mixing, colour range is available to 24bit. Especially yellow and amber colours, which are extremely clear. Also, the white colour can be adjusted in various colour temperatures. Alpha Lite colour system set standard of CIE1931 and the RGBA led brightness ratio is central and coordinates colour space, and the fixture brightness ratio can be adjustable so users can be in control of the white balance. www.alpha-lite.net

2. Ashly Audio nX-Series Ashly Audio have announced the expansion of its popular nX-Series of multi-mode amplifiers to cover applications where less power is needed. The new nX family models deliver 75W or 150W per channel in a single rack unit frame that can house either two or four channels.

Like all the models in the nX series, they start out with the base model (nX models). The nXe models add Ethernet for monitoring and control. The nXp models feature the networking and built-in Protea DSP matrix processor. Optional Dante or CobraNet cards can be added to nXe or nXp models. These multi-mode power amplifiers allow you to drive low impedance (2, 4, 8 ohms), or 25V, 70V, 100V constant voltage systems output via rear panel dipswitches.

All nX-Series amplifiers offer comprehensive energy management features and can make installations a little greener, in both senses of the word. The nX amplifiers are built in the company’s Webster, New York factory and are covered by Ashly’s industry-leading five-year warranty. The new two-channel and four-channel by 75W and 150W complete the family of nX power amplifiers. Output choices range from a four-channel amplifier rated to deliver

3,000W per channel into two ohms all the way down to a dual-channel 75W amp. Ashly is the only manufacturer that offers the option to put a Dante network card on a network amplifier without DSP. Integrators and sound system designers appreciate the ability to specify an entire rack of amplifiers with an identical feature set. ashly.com

3. Community Compact I SERIES Community has announced three I SERIES Compact models designed to match the performance, appearance and voicing of the larger I SERIES point source and subwoofer models. I SERIES Compact loudspeakers are the perfect complement to Community’s larger I SERIES 800-Level and 600-level models for distributed applications, front-fill, side-fill or as the main loudspeakers in smaller spaces. All Compact I SERIES have ‘best in class’ LF extension, sensitivity and maximum output, and ensuring high quality sound reproduction.

The 6.5-inch IC6-1062 features unprecedented LF extension for its cabinet size and a very wide dispersion 100º x 100º e fabric dome HF on a shallow waveguide, providing a smooth response while retaining high sensitivity. The single eight-inch IC6-1082 and symmetrical dual eight-inch IC6-2082 are available with two rotatable horn patterns (120º x 60º, 90º x 60º) paired with low distortion, high output 1.7-inch diaphragm HF compression drivers. Compact I SERIES are available in textured black or white or in a custom colour as one of several Configure-to-Order (CTO) options. U-brackets, vertical yokes and a 70V/100V auto former are also available and the enclosures have mounting points for selected third party brackets. Compact I SERIES may be ordered in weather-resistant versions featuring grey PolyGlas enclosures and optional stainless steel, powder-coated U-brackets. www.communitypro.com

4. Doughty Engineering Modular Rigging System Doughty Engineering has recently added the Super Lightweight Drop Arm and Projector Mount to its award winning Modular Rigging System. The Projector Mount offers full 360º rotation, tilts in two directions and is adjustable to fit most projectors. Meanwhile the Super Lightweight Drop Arm, with a safe working load (SWL) of 10kg, gives lighting designers the opportunity to hang smaller luminaires. With a 16mm spigot and a safety bond slot, the Super Lightweight Drop Arm fits 48-51mm diameter barrels and is adjustable from 75-

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400mm in length. The Modular Rigging System was designed to offer lighting designers the opportunity to be more creative and versatile with their lighting designs. It has allowed designers to dream up even more interesting ways to use the system. www.doughty-engineering.co.uk

5. Ecler DN44BOB DN44BOB is a four inputs and four outputs audio over IP Break-Out Box, compatible with Audinateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dante. It allows the converting of four analogue audio signals into four Dante channels and sending them into an Ethernet LAN, as well as to take four Dante channels from the Ethernet network and convert them to analogue audio signals. DN44BOB includes four GPI control ports (0-10VDC) and four GPO control ports (NO/NC relays) too. It can be used together with other EclerNet Dante ready products or as a stand-alone Dante interface in combination with any audio device including analogue audio inputs and/or outputs.

Together with our new Dante interface, a new EclerNet Manager software pack, as well as a new EclerNet Manager user manual that has also been released. It is strongly recommended for customers to download both to keep up-to-date with EclerNet technology, especially with the brand-new models, DUO-NET player and DN44BOB. www.ecler.com

6. FENIX Stage AC-630W FENIX Stage has announced the launch of a new stabilising base, which feature extendable legs and wheels for moving the truss easily known as the AC-630W. This new base will make all jobs more comfortable. AC-630W is more versatile thanks to its adjustable legs, allowing the base to be placed everywhere. It is even possible to put it against the wall and just retract one of its legs. All these characteristics make the accessory suitable for being used in many places. Additionally, it is made of steel and has four stabilisers which helps to level the truss properly and in safety conditions in every surface (flat or uneven). It can be used with squared trusses of different sizes (SQ-10, SQ-22, SQ-29 and SQ-40). The base AC-630W is an indispensable tool for photocalls, goal posts, corporate events. It is also available without wheels (reference AC-630) and in black (reference AC-630WB). w ww.fenixstage.com

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of them with 70V or 100V line direct drive output, in a ultra-light and compact package of just 5.5kg and 35cm deep. ramaudio.com

1. Modulo Pi Modulo Player The highly versatile Modulo Player from the French engineering company, Modulo Pi is a complete server solution for the most complex and demanding video applications, with an easy to use workflow. This reliable and synchronous multi-video network tool is targeted at a wide range of events and permanent installations, such as shows, museums, architectural, mapping, showrooms, exhibits, theatres, concert touring, and corporate events. Modulo Player’s powerful software is controlled by the Modulo Player Remote application and with its intuitive interface provides easy access to many highly advanced features to guarantee the realisation of any video projects. The system’s userfriendly Remote allows media distribution from a unique interface to all Modulo Servers connected to the same network. The system supports a variety of codecs, including MPEG2, H.264, and HAP up to 4K. As an alternative to compressed files, it will also play uncompressed TGA sequences and 3D Stereo movies in 120 fps. In addition, it supports playback of multichannel audio (ASIO) embedded with video or uncompressed audio.

The system goes even further. Combined with specific HD-SDI and HDMI I/O cards Modulo Player allows low-latency live capture of any event — while in terms of flexibility in the output processing stage, an advanced warp and blending engine provides access to powerful and easy-to-use tools so that outputs can be calibrated independently. In this new age of 3D mapping, Modulo Player can also handle highly demanding mapping to complex surfaces in a straightforward and elegant fashion, since the company’s unique X-MAP feature enables multilayer PSD files to be directly imported as a template.

Using Tasks you can automate actions in a Show. With this feature you can both control manually (Using buttons) or sequentially events by integrating your actions in Cues in the playlist. You can use several devices or Midi keys to trigger actions. Display tasks or design your customised task buttons using the User Interface Designer in the Remote application. Launch them from a tablet or iPad, using the Modulo Panel application Finally, Modulo Player can control or be triggered by a number of third party devices and platforms, including projectors, matrix switchers, GPIO, DMX Art-Net, MIDI, OSC, LTC/MTC Timecode, Ethernet TCP/IP, Serial etc. which can be added directly into Modulo Player. modulo-pi.com

2. RAM Audio MDi SERIES MDi Series is the newest solution from RAM Audio for fixed installations, where state-ofthe-art amplification technology has been used to manage acoustic systems in the most efficient and greenest way possible, without diminishing quality of sound and dynamics that have always typified RAM Audio amplifiers. A new generation of QuantaPulse switching mode power supplies with Power Factor Correction to improve efficiency, with a schematic thought to give a very high capacity of instantaneous power, together with very evolved high efficiency audio modules in class D with an excellent quality of sound, are the basis on which RAM Audio has developed this new series that is capable of offering the most optimal solution to the very exigent fixed-installations market. The series is formed by 8 models of two, four and eight channels from 1,400W to 1,2000W, all

3. Verity Audio AMBIENCE series Verity Audio has introduced AMBIENCE, its first series of column loudspeakers. The AMBIENCE loudspeakers feature a unique design with a high quality finishing and a superior sound performance. AMBIENCE is the ideal system to provide an exquisite and powerful sound to a wide range of movable and fixed installation applications such as fashion shops or other retail stores, luxurious KTVs, high-end bars and clubs, auditoriums, theatres or even home cinemas. The AMBIENCE loudspeaker series includes four models, the COL4.3, COL8.3 and COL16.3 columns and the SUB210S subwoofer. The COL4.3, COL8.3 and COL16.3 columns are composed of four, eight and 16 three-inch full range neodymium drivers respectively. One of the major benefits of the COL speakers is the narrow vertical angle of its sound beam. This feature is very helpful to reduce undesired ceiling reflections and have a better distribution of the sound pressure.

Additionally, on the COL8.3 and COL16.3, different vertical aperture angles of the sound beam can be selected by means of a slide switch allowing to precisely focus the sound on the audience. For the COL4.3 the vertical aperture angle is fixed to 20 degrees. The COL speakers provide a crystal clear sound, which is free of distortion for mid and high frequencies, particularly appropriate for vocals sound reproduction. The SUB210S is composed of two 10-inch drivers and comes in a small cabinet form factor. It features a symmetrical position of the drivers and reflex ports placed on the bottom side of the cabinet. This innovative design cancels any cabinet vibration and distortion, translating to an exceptionally clean, deep, natural and punchy bass. www.verityaudio.com

4. X-Laser The Skywriter HPX Tour Just a few years ago, using a 5W, full-colour laser system was reserved for only large production companies with budgets big enough for large laser lighting rigs. Today, as laser technology has advanced and X-Laser’s product development has evolved, a true 5W RGB laser system exists at a price point that makes laser beam and graphics displays accessible to more clients than ever. The Skywriter HPX Tour is that system, which offers a solid build and high-quality laser sources to make it a stellar option for both permanent installs and high-mileage touring acts. On top of its 5W of raw power, the HPX Tour brings to the table ILDA-standard 30K precision galvanometer scanners that allow the unit to create sharp graphics projections up to 300ft away and at sizes up to 100ft tall. Keeping the HPX Tour cool are six external fans mounted above nearly 500 sq inches of heat sink fins, so the projector can run for hours on end, show after show. Furthermore, its sealed optical deck keeps the laser sources and internal components clear from dust and water, giving the unit good weather resistance. The Skywriter HPX Tour, just like every X-Laser product, is fully FDA certified and eligible for X-Laser’s EZ Variance Kit. It’s the versatile, vivid and U.S-legal choice for venues and touring acts that want to use intense laser effects to elevate their lighting rigs, and elevate their business. x-laser.us

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ES Series

Legendary Point Source System

Renowned for clarity, output and versatile capabilities that has amazed audio professionals around the globe.

Arrange a demo of ES today and hear the KV2 Difference. www.kv2audio.com/ES

The Future of Sound. Made Perfectly Clear.

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“Clear-Com knows that systems need to be flexible enough to connect with other communication or audio systems, so we build in open interfaces for creating solutions.”

BOB BOSTER President of Clear-Com What is your background and how did you get into the communications industry?

I worked backstage in a theatre production at the age of eight, which gave me an early exposure in live entertainment. In fact, I wore my firstever Clear-Com beltpack doing production in a community theatre.

Growing up with this background, I cultivated a natural interest to understand the ways in which media influences people. So much so that I selected this field of study during my university years and took technical courses in production, which overlapped nicely with my background in theatre.

When I was at the University of North Carolina, I ran a theatre company, where I directed, designed lighting and sound, and worked as a Technical Director. After receiving my bachelor’s degree in radio television and motion pictures/dramatic arts from North Carolina and a master’s degree in electronic music and recording technology from Mills College in Oakland, California, I started at Orban in the Engineering QA department.

Then I went to ENCO Systems [provider of radio automation and audio playout for TV] where I was a Product Manager and, later, General Manager - working in the Detroit area and in West Sussex, UK. Eventually, I moved into sales.

Tell me how you first got involved with ClearCom and how you became the president?

I landed in the Regional Sales Manager role at Clear-Com in May of 2006. My territory covered the Western part of United States. I developed lasting and trusting relationships with the channel partners and customer users in my area, who brought me into their world to deeply understand the challenges of their communication needs.

Combining my previous roles in engineering, product management and sales with my background in sound production and broadcast provided me a solid foundation to succeed in this regional position. I advanced through the ranks over the next few years, with each new position increasing in responsibilities. Eventually I became the Vice President of Worldwide Sales. I worked alongside the former Clear-Com President on many aspects of the business, including corporate

strategy, business development and product roadmapping. With his departure in 2011, I had a new challenge presented to me which I jumped at.

Clear-Com has been in business for almost 50 years, what is the secret to its success?

There’s no secret. Clear-Com pioneered the first distributed intercom beltpack for enabling seamless coordination and providing clear communication among production teams in live performances; hence, our name ‘Clear-Com’.

We build solutions that fit into customer environments and workflows, not inventing things for the sake of coming out with something cool.

Our continuous focus on quality with rugged beltpacks that last for decades and in delivering the ‘Clear-Com Sound’ that everyone in the industry expects. And, finally, providing support services to our customers from cradle to grave.

What sets Clear-Com apart from other communication equipment manufacturers?

Two big differences - breadth of our solution offering and our focus on the customer. We have by far the broadest offering of communication solutions, which we are expert at helping the market deploy to solve all kinds of complex and demanding communications challenges. We simply have more ways to do things, meaning you can have some choices about what you want and take an iterative approach to building your system.

Additionally, we really do prioritise our customers’ needs in a way that the marketplace tells us is unique. Across the business, we have a focus on service and getting things done to meet the customers’ needs.

How has Clear-Com communication systems helped made a difference to many different artists’ performances worldwide?

The purpose of an intercom system is to ensure all the people working in the production - be it the producer, director, stagehands, sound and lighting groups - continuously talk and/or hear important instructions on the assigned channels at any given moment before or during the performance.

Clear-Com systems are known for their sound quality and performance reliability. They just work www.mondodr.com

when and where the communication is critically needed to deliver the cue to the right person at the exact moment. These instructions are vital to coordinating on-stage performances and to the safety of the performers, especially when equipment and props are moving on/off the stage.

And what about the installation industry, what impact has Clear-Com communication systems had in that market?

For this industry, the key is to give them intercom systems that work for their production requirements today and future-proof them for needs down the road, without requiring customers to overhauling their existing infrastructure.

Because of Clear-Com’s background and the experts we hire to design, develop and support these products, we understand that our communication products must work with whatever the common cabling infrastructure whether its microphone cabling, category cabling, IP or wireless. Clear-Com knows that systems need to be flexible enough to connect with other communication or audio systems, so we build in open interfaces for creating solutions.

Tell our readers something they wouldn’t know about Clear-Com? Charlie Butten - the inventor of the world’s first Emmy-award winning distributed-power intercom beltpack - still works at Clear-Com and continues to design new intercom products.

If you were stranded on a desert island with just one piece of technology, what would it be and why?

Great question! Probably the smart answer is an Iridium phone so I could get someone to rescue me, but I certainly am partial to my iPhone for entertainment value.

If you’d chosen a different career path, what would it be?

Educating people about media literacy somehow, probably as a writer and activist, or teaching that subject. I remain convinced that one of the great challenges in our age is people not understanding how to interpret the media content they consume.

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

Combining the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;single point-sourceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; benefits of Coaxial designs with the consistent coverage of Differential Dispersion technology, the CDD installation series delivers wider coverage - even close up to the speaker ensuring high fidelity sound to every member of the audience.

This also means in larger spaces that fewer speakers are required reducing the overall cost of the installation project.

WEATHERISED The series is now available to order in weather resistant format.

Visit martin-audio.com to discover more

Unite Your Audience The Martin Audio Experience

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