MONDO-DR 32.5

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MONDO-DR 32.5 JULY / AUGUST 2022 ON THE COVER Illuminarium Las Vegas Image courtesy of HOLOPLOT EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Peter Iantorno p.iantorno@mondiale.co.uk ASSISTANT EDITOR Todd Staszko t.staszko@mondiale.co.uk DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER James Robertson j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER Laura Iles l.iles@mondiale.co.uk ACCOUNT MANAGER Matilda Matthews

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Welcome to our summer issue of MONDO-DR. First things first, let me say congratulations to all the winners at this year’s MONDO-DR Awards, which took place last month during InfoComm – and a big thank you to all our sponsors and supporters.

The run of three trade shows in a seven-week period is over – and I hope you’ve all had time to decompress.

In the midst of being whisked away to Frankfurt for Prolight + Sound, Barcelona for ISE and Las Vegas for InfoComm, I had the immense pleasure of attending the reopening of the recently refurbished 195 Piccadilly building in London – the home of BAFTA. Over £3m worth of AV technology has been installed and I hope you have as much fun reading our deep dive on page 40 as I did writing and researching it.

Our cover feature this month is Illuminarium Las Vegas, the second location of this fast-growing immersive experience facility, which features audio wizardry so that no two people have the same experience in a shared environment… find out more on page 52.

Enjoy the issue.

Publishing Ltd, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK Subscription records are maintained at

TODD STASZKO ASSISTANT EDITOR

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

W WW. M O NDO DR. C O M | LE A DE R

000

IN THIS ISSUE. . .

10

EXPO DIARY

12

INSIDE VIEW Blaze Audio

IN DEPTH 18

THE BIG INTERVIEW Monika Smetona and Ralph Heinz, Renkus-Heinz

28

REPORT Theatres and concerts halls

IN FOCUS 38

RUMBACH STREET SYNAGOGUE Budapest, Hungary

40

BAFTA 195 PICCADILLY London, UK

50

LEVITT PAVILION DENVER Colorado, USA

52

ILLUMINARIUM LAS VEGAS Nevada, USA

60

WONDERLAND NEW YORK NEW YORK, USA

64

PARX CASINO Pennsylvania, USA

68

SOMANG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Seoul, South Korea

70

RAISE TOKYO Tokyo, Japan

IN BUSINESS 76

EVENT REPORT Adam Hall

78

SHOW REPORTS Prolight + Sound, Frankfurt; ISE, Barcelona

82

PRODUCT GUIDE Moving heads

92

PRODUCT DIRECTORY

94

IN PROFILE Pharos

CONT E NT S | WWW. M O NDO DR. C O M

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EXPO DIARY SEP TEMBER SEP 4-6

SEP 9-12

PLASA LONDON, UK www.plasashow.com

IBC AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS show.ibc.org

O C TOBER OCT 4-6

OCT

18-20

OCT

24-26

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LLB STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN llb.se

OCT

25-27

N OVE M B ER NOV 2-4

NOV 19-21

AES NEW YORK, USA aes2.org

NOV 22-23

CHURCH FACILITIES CONFERENCE & EXPO DALLAS, USA www.churchfacilitiesexpo.com

EX P O DI A RY | W W W .M O ND O D R .C O M

AFIAL MADRID, SPAIN afial2022.net

INFOCOMM SOUTHEAST ASIA BANGKOK, THAILAND infocomm-sea.com

LDI LAS VEGAS, USA www.ldishow.com

JTSE PARIS, FRANCE jtse.fr

MORE POWER STILL CONNECTED

1002 · 1502 · 2004 · 3004

BLA Z E AUD I O E x ecuti v e S a l e s D i r e c t o r f or th e A m er ic a s , Ke v i n W i l k i n pr ovide s some ins igh t i n t o t h e c o m pa n y’s e xpa nsion into th e r e g i o n f o l l o w i n g its initia l E ur op e a n l a u n c h .

www.blaze-audio.com

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For several years, Pascal A/S of Copenhagen, Denmark has been one of the leading OEM suppliers of amplifier electronics for professional audio companies in the global AV market. Only recently did the company embark on a mission to formulate its own identity under the Blaze Audio nameplate. Blaze Audio was initially launched in Europe slightly over a year ago and now the company is making a push to expand its presence. Both in Europe and abroad, Blaze Audio is gaining traction as a manufacturer of power amplification, signal processing, loudspeakers, and related products under its own name.

Kevin Wilkin, Blaze Audio’s Executive Sales Director for the Americas, shared his perspectives on the opportunities and challenges such an endeavour involves. “Our company’s mission is to create commercial simplicity through product flexibility and competitive pricing, with the goal of becoming the go-to solution for system integrators and dealers handling all types of projects,” he began.

“Innovative product designs that enable fewer products to address a wide range of fixed install applications will be a key focus for everything Blaze Audio introduces. This enables system integrators and dealers to carry fewer SKUs in stock and simplify stock keeping, service, support, along with inbound and outbound ordering and logistics.”

According to Wilkin, Blaze Audio is dedicated to innovative engineering that redefines industry standards. “While we’re well established in Europe, Blaze Audio is a start-up here in the Americas. I was hired to formulate business operations for the Americas as well as to build the sales channel for North America. As a company, Pascal A/S has a proven track record for designing and building many of the very types of products that will be sold under the Blaze Audio name. The difference is that now, the company will be reaping the benefits of its own cutting-edge designs.”

Sustainability is a pillar of the company ethos. “Blaze Audio will always be dedicated to innovative engineering that redefines industry standards. This, by its nature, builds longevity into its products’ life cycles,” Wilkin explained.

“Consider our PowerZone Connect power amps and the versatile way they can be configured. So much of what we do today is done through our mobile phones and we expect to be able to make changes to our environment

Abo v e: Kevin Wilk in , Execu t ive Sa les D ir ect or f or t he Amer ic a s, B la z e Au d io.

PowerZone Connect 3004

with them. Hence, we at Blaze Audio are aligning with how people already interact with their personal technology.

The PowerZone Connect amplifiers can, of course, be controlled from any smart device since it is browser-based.

The amps have a router built into them that immediately shows their availability as a Wi-Fi device on phones, tablets, or laptops.”

Blaze Audio is focused on providing the best quality future-proof amplifier solutions at the lowest possible price point. “Our products must play well with others,” Wilkin added. “We’re rolling out new firmware for the PowerZone Control Web App with drivers for the major third party control platforms and ability to select loudspeaker presets encompassing all major brands. Moving forward, expect us to expand smart accessory options for our amplifiers.

What’s taking place with our PowerZone Connect amplifier line is just one example of our focus on the long view.”

In addition to innovative product design, the way the company conducts its business is equally notable. “We

offer complementary system design services for those who would benefit and by registering projects, the profitability for integrators becomes significantly greater,” Wilkin noted.

“Set-up time for the PowerZone Connect matrix amplifiers DSP is simple, yet sophisticated, so programming and labour time is minimal. These days, more and more AV companies are experiencing less and less profitability on hardware and are having to focus more on services to be profitable. This is not a new trend. As a good business partner, it’s important for Blaze Audio to facilitate the sale of services, and providing networkable audio products is part of that.”

Loudspeakers, an integral part of the picture According to Wilkin, Blaze Audio has one of the foremost loudspeaker engineers in the US on its team: Hugh Sarvis. The engineer has a long and distinguished track record, including being the founder of the highly regarded WorxAudio line of products, which is now part of the

11 3 7

Above lef t: A h ous e of wors h i p s olut ion by Bla ze A u di o.

Above right : Louds pea k er engineer H ug h Sa rv i s .

extensive range belonging to PreSonus Audio Electronics. During his WorxAudio years, Sarvis introduced the popular V8 line array, X Series, and UltraMax Series of products. As Managing Director of the PreSonus loudspeaker division, he was responsible for the PreSonus ULT and AIR Series loudspeaker systems, the ERIS E5 XT PreSonus Studio Monitor, the R65 PreSonus Studio Monitor, as well as the CDL Series.

“I first met and became a customer of Pascal in 2009 and started implementing their amplifier modules in our WorxAudio products around 2011,” Sarvis recalled. “When I sold WorxAudio to PreSonus in 2014 and became Managing Director of their loudspeaker division, PreSonus was already utilising Pascal modules, so it made the transition very smooth. After parting ways with PreSonus, I already owned all the testing hardware and software, so I took over the Lab in Greensboro, NC, which is now home to Blaze Audio’s US-based operations.”

Sarvis, continued: “It was during the stay-at-home period of the COVID pandemic that I reached out to one or two people at Pascal A/S I had come to know over the years about some ideas I was considering. I was informed they were exploring the idea of formulating their own identity under the Blaze Audio nameplate and was asked if I would be interested in collaborating with them.

I thought it was a terrific opportunity and this is when the Blaze Audio loudspeaker division was created. As Director of the loudspeaker division,

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my goals are to have commercial loudspeakers for the House of Worship, education, restaurant, bar, stadium, and AV markets. The forthcoming addition of loudspeakers creates a complementary relationship with Blaze Audio’s amplifiers and DSP. In the process, I believe this opens the door to a wealth of opportunity.”

Wilkin added: “Hugh has been an invaluable addition to the Blaze Audio team – our first loudspeaker is an excellent example of that.

With a 160° horizontal dispersion, it challenges the traditional notion that arrays need to limit horizontal dispersion to control sound better.

Blaze is documenting and proving in practice that an extremely well controlled loudspeaker with an ultra-wide horizontal dispersion can overcome many of the acoustical anomalies that consultants, installers, and production companies routinely wrestle with at significant expense.”

“It’s important to not lose sight of the fact that Pascal is still the leading ODM supplier for amplifiers and is experiencing record sales success,” Wilkin concluded. “Blaze Audio is yet another opportunity for the company to make a significant impact upon the pro audio landscape – in this case, with its own brand identity. There’s no better time than now for being rewarded for innovation and forward-thinking engineering.

I honestly believe the ROI on our offerings will result in great selling products for longer periods of time. Everyone involved in Blaze Audio is eager to make it all happen.”

IN DEP T H

18

THE BIG INTERVIEW Monika Smetona and Ralph Heinz, Renkus-Heinz

28

REPORT Theatres and concerts halls

IN DE P T H | WWW. M O NDO DR. C O M

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“TECHNOLOGIES AND FORM FACTORS ARE CONSTANTLY EVOLVING, BUT AT THE HEART OF ALL PROGRESS FOR RENKUS-HEINZ IS OUR GOAL OF HELPING AV INTEGRATORS, INSTALLERS, CONSULTANTS, AND PRODUCTION COMPANIES WORLDWIDE ADVANCE THEIR BUSINESSES AND SOLVE THEIR CUSTOMERS’ CHALLENGES.”

M ON I KA SME TON A A ND R A L P H HE I NZ Pr e s i d e n t a n d C T O , Re nkus-H e inz

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IN T ERV I EW - R EN KUS- H E I NZ | W W W .M O N D O D R .C OM

P i c t u red: Ha r r o Hein z , Mon ik a S met on a a n d Ra lph Hein z .

19

Earlier this year, Renkus-Heinz co-founder Harro Heinz announced his retirement in a move that saw him move into a board of directors role, with Monika Smetona promoted from CFO to fill his position and Ralph Heinz continuing as CTO, set to lead the company.

Together, Monika and Ralph are in a good place as they continue to steer themselves away from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have a clear vision for the future – which will lean a little bit on the past.

“I do, and will continue to, consult Harro – he is a massive inspiration to everybody at Renkus-Heinz and remains our cultural north star,” Smetona commented. “It would be wasteful in the extreme not to capitalise on the resource that we have in Harro, because there is no substitute for experience.”

The pandemic presented the leadership at RenkusHeinz with numerous headaches across all facets of the business, but with diligent decisions, they remained proactive, meeting challenges head-on.

“Our leadership, specifically Harro Heinz, instilled a culture in our organisation that prepared RenkusHeinz optimally for the pandemic,” said Smetona.

“We kept a calm and resilient corporate head on our shoulders, stayed in direct touch with channel partners and customers to gauge the mood of the market, and to understand the challenges channel partners and customers were facing. We were always prepared to change and adapt if and when required.

“We had to internalise the challenges our customers were facing and produce sound solutions that worked for each customer vertical, with their respective audiences, regulations and restrictions in each territory. We had to listen, process and then be creative and agile in the commercial and technological solutions we provided.”

Supply chain management Supply chain issues affected technology industries around the world and the AV community was certainly not spared. However, Renkus-Heinz’s approach to supply chain management saw them continue trading throughout the pandemic.

“As we are a private, independent business, we have always applied our own approach to supply chain management,” noted Smetona. “We manufacture in our facility in Foothill Ranch, CA, and always maintained control of our inventory.

“Traditionally, we maintain a conservative number of raw materials on hand to have at least six months to a year’s worth of supply in reserve. That’s not to say we weren’t impacted by supply chain issues, but our strategy has been successful so far. Thankfully, we have been shipping consistently throughout the pandemic and the resulting supply chain crisis.”

Smetona has undertaken numerous roles since joining Renkus-Heinz 23 years ago as part of the finance

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A b o ve : M o n i k a S m e t o n a , Pr e s i d e n t , R e n k u s - H e i n z .

“ I B E LIE VE O N E OF THE MOS T IMP O RT AN T MILES TONES IN T HE COMP ANY ’S HIS TOR Y W AS W HE N RALPH JOINED THE BUSINE SS. HE IS OU R VIS IONAR Y AND CO N T RIBUTES S O MU C H BRILLIAN CE . ” - MO NI K A S ME T ONA

“WH I L E M Y E DU C A T I O N W A S IN M A N U F A C T U R I N G A N D M ECH A N I C A L E N G I N E E R I N G , I WA S, A N D S T I L L A M , A H U G E AU D I O P H I L E A N D M U S I C I A N .

AL L M Y TR A I N I N G A N D IN TERESTS C A M E T O G E T H E R N I CEL Y WHE N I J O I N E D R EN K US-H E I N Z . ” - RALPH HEINZ

team, working her way up through the company before eventually becoming President.

“My degree is in Business Administration and I began my career in accounting in the motorcycle and ATV safety industry, then I joined Renkus-Heinz when a position opened in the finance department,” said Smetona. “I grew in that role; I became involved in a wide array of disciplines and decisions within Renkus-Heinz. I held the position of COO, then became CFO, and finally succeeded my father as president. It has been an evolution, I have learned, acquired muscle memory (and a little scar tissue!), made friendships and helped steer the Renkus-Heinz business.”

Steering the business is something Smetona will do alongside Heinz, as they look to continue to grow in the professional audio market, and she is confident that Ralph’s skills will help them achieve that.

“I believe one of the most important milestones in the company’s history was when Ralph joined the business,” said Smetona. “He is our visionary and contributes so much brilliance. As CTO, Ralph has helped shape and solidify the culture of Renkus-Heinz. He has helped our business maintain solid family values and one of his most significant contributions to Renkus-Heinz was bringing his son, Brandon Heinz, as Product Manager to our team.

Brandon is a third-generation Heinz and an extremely enthusiastic, capable audio engineer in his own right.

“We strive toward being a better business partner to our distribution sales channels and end users,” Smetona continued. “You are seeing the tip of the iceberg with products like our new PCX passive columns that expose Renkus-Heinz IP to new price points and opportunities.”

For Heinz, his relationship with Smetona will not change as

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they embark on this new chapter in the company’s history.

“We know who we are, we know one another’s strengths and we respect one another deeply,” he commented. “I’m delighted to see her take on this role as President, and I’m confident she will be exceptional. I am equally pleased to concentrate my time and attention on the CTO role with the engineering team, contributing to the executive committee and advancing sound solutions with new and innovative products. Our relationship is rock-solid and that won’t change one bit.”

Heinz’s background is in mechanical engineering having studied at San Jose State University and he joined RenkusHeinz after graduating in 1989. Three years later, he became the principal loudspeaker designer and in 2016 he was named CTO, becoming the first person at the company to assume that role.

“When I was younger and my father, Harro, said he was going to start a loudspeaker company, I was over the moon,” said Ralph. “While my education was in manufacturing and mechanical engineering, I was, and still am, a huge audiophile and musician. All my training and interests came together nicely when I joined Renkus-Heinz.

“Over the years, we have developed many ground-breaking products and technologies in the areas of powerful, small-foot-print arrays, sound control and beam steering technologies. And even today, I’m thrilled to learn how integrators and end-users use our systems as solutions to their problems.

“From some of the world’s most recognised stadiums and theatres, to concert halls and nightclubs to classrooms,

A b o ve : Th e au d i o s o l u t i o n p r ovid ed by R e n k u s - H e i n z at C h u r c h o f S t . Ka t ha r in a , Zurich, Switzerland.

L e f t : R a l p h H e i n z , C TO , R e n k us- Hein z .

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boardrooms and houses of worship – even global transit hubs like LAX airport – everyone needs excellent sound that is flexible, controllable, and unobtrusive in its deployment.”

The Renkus-Heinz team remain committed to research and development as they seek to continually improve both their products and their professional relationships with customers and endusers alike.

“There is so much that makes Renkus-Heinz unique,” said Heinz. “As Monika noted, the ownership structure affords us independence; our culture provides us with depth and strength; our product and application engineering team enables us to produce meaningful solutions, and our channel partners and customers trust us for those professional-grade solutions that other loudspeaker manufacturers cannot match.”

Freshly launched in 2022 is the new PCX Series, a range of passive columns “with a twist” that complement their existing steerable systems.

Available in three different sizes upon launch – PCX4, PCX8 and PCX16 – the combination of the included wall mount bracket (with optional pan and tilt bracket) and Passive Unibeam will enable flush mounting in most applications. This results in the lowest possible architectural intrusion without compromising audio coverage.

“This launch brings our industry-leading steerable technologies, precise audio coverage, high intelligibility, and renowned sound quality to

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passive columns – making our solutions available to more partners and more installations worldwide,” commented Heinz.

“Steerable sound solutions are popular because they can address a vast range of challenging and unique acoustic space applications. As these systems continue to advance in their effectiveness and morph in their form, we will continue to maintain our leadership in the ‘steerables’ category by extending our technologies into larger and smaller systems, and by developing tools that make these systems easier and faster to design, specify and deploy.”

Evolving technologies While Heinz is always looking forward as technologies evolve and demand increases, he’s keen to highlight a favourite development he was involved in during his early years at the company.

“Choosing a favourite product is like choosing a favourite child,” he laughed. “That said, the first loudspeaker I ever designed, the C-2, is still a favourite. I’d also have to say the development of our advanced beam steering technologies holds many career high points for me.

“We were deep into the science of sound, generating asymmetric beams and utilising an entire array for all frequencies. Our team was chasing a new level of sound control and sonic excellence and basically redefining the concept of the loudspeaker. RenkusHeinz was doing something very different from

Abo v e: The West Ga t es a t Tom B r a d ley I n t er n a t ion a l Ter min a l a t Los An geles I n t er n a t ion a l Air por t , f ea t u r in g Ren k u s- Hein z I con yx lou d spea k er s f or c on t r olled a u d io c over a ge An d in t elligibilit y.

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other manufacturers and that solidified our position as trailblazers in the industry.

“Our decades of research and development work have culminated momentarily within our ICLive X series – which is no bigger than a typical 8-inch, two-way loudspeaker – yet it’s capable of steering sound away from reflective surfaces and toward the audience with excellent fidelity and coverage. I’m very proud of what we have been able to accomplish.”

Having rode the storm of the past two years, Renkus-Heinz is well placed to accomplish more as the company enters this new chapter with new leadership, and Smetona is relishing her responsibilities as the company’s President.

“The fact that I assume this role with great confidence, but also great humility, is important,” she said. “I have been here for over 20 years and have worked with all our partners and many of our customers for more than two decades, but I also understand that I still need to listen – I am a better listener than interviewee. I still need to learn, and I realise not every decision will be the right one, but I will learn from those missteps.”

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Everest Gra nd T he at re COMPANY: Allen & Heath LOCATION: Shigatse, Tibet

Nestled 3,900m above sea level amongst the mountainous peaks of Shigatse, Tibet, the recently completed Everest Grand Theatre holds the accolade of being the highest altitude professional theatre in the world and has been dubbed “the artistic pearl of the world’s third pole”.

When Chinese AV solutions provider EZPro was handed responsibility to supply the sound reinforcement system for the theatre, reliability and versatility were high on the list of criteria to maintain peak performance throughout the year.

“To meet the needs of the varied performances and activities, flexibility is absolutely critical,” explained Zhu Liuwei, Senior Technical Manager of EZPro. “With the dLive system, we could store and recall different ‘modes’ - by using Show Files, Scenes, and the Preset Library - to achieve very efficient changes. As the dLive audio engine resides in the MixRack, it is easy to change the location of the Surface if required, and this was another big plus for the theatre.”

For the install, EZPro partnered a pair of Allen & Heath dLive S7000 Surfaces with two DM64 MixRacks to operate as main and backup systems. The S7000 is the largest control Surface in the dLive range, offering up to 216 fader strips via 6 layers of 36 faders, in addition to 26 assignable SoftKeys, and local analogue and AES I/O. The dual 12”

touchscreens provide a comprehensive overview of the mix, with the Harmony UI allowing quick and intuitive control of all parameters.

The DM64 MixRack is built around Allen & Heath’s 96kHz XCVI processing core, delivering 128 input channels with full processing, 64 mix outs with full processing, a configurable bus architecture, and class-leading latency of 0.7ms. The S7000 and DM64 are linked via dual redundant gigaACE sockets and both support a pair of hot-swappable PSUs for added redundancy and resilience.

With Dante used throughout the theatre for audio distribution, both dLive systems were equipped with Dante cards with the Primary and Secondary ports being used to provide a redundant audio link, via network switches, to the power amps and speakers. Additionally, an analogue audio connection from the main MixRack was used to provide an additional level of redundancy in the event of a network hardware failure.

“The dLive system ticks all the boxes. A flexible FOH position, ease-of-use and fast setup” concluded Liuwei. “The variety of built-in DEEP Processors helped FOH engineers to deliver a studio-quality mix for music performances.” www.allen-heath.com

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T h e ate r i m P a r k COMPANY: Elation Professional LOCATION: Vienna, Austria

Vienna’s Theater im Park, a new open-air stage nestled in the gardens of the Palais Schwarzenberg in the heart of the city, is a wonderfully idyllic setting to take in a summer show. The new stage, which debuted in 2020, has been outfitted with Elation Professional Proteus Lucius IP65-rated LED moving heads specified and installed by event services company six by nine of Linz, Austria.

The opulent palace and magnificent gardens attract a steady stream of visitors in their own right, but now a summer series of shows from theatre, cabaret and comedy to classic and pop music events, has made the area even more popular. Six by nine was called on to light the new stage, a role that included the entire technical installation including engineering and other technical elements, as well as show execution and maintenance.

A flexible lighting system was required that could cover a variety of show formats, something that could easily transition from theatre performance to concert or comedy show. Six by nine required an allpurpose fixture with excellent output that could easily adjust the beam size when needed. It also needed to have framing shutters and because the fixtures would be mounted outside and therefore exposed to the elements, they needed them to be outdoor rated.

Michael Sarsteiner, director at six by nine, explained that a shootout with other fixtures was not necessary as the specification of the Elation Proteus Lucius was exactly what they were looking for. “We found the Lucius to be an ideal match,” he said. “The wide zoom range is a great benefit, and it also houses a very nice selection of standard gobos and projection/FX possibilities. Overall, the ratio of price to performance was outstanding.”

Outfitted with a complete FX system featuring three gobo wheels, animation, iris, dual prism and dual frost, as well as framing, the Proteus Lucius can be used as a profile, beam or wash light, reducing the need for variant fixtures. A compact brother to Elation’s popular Proteus Maximus, the Lucius offers 33,500 lumens of output and 5.5° to 50° zoom in a CMY colour mixing luminaire.

The Lucius fixtures are mounted on truss towers in front of the stage and are accessible to a host of lighting designers and operators throughout the season. Installed in time for the 2021 summer season, the Lucius fixtures worked with Elation Rayzor 760 as front and back wash lights, as well as key lights, while Elation Paladin Brick outdoor flood lights with frost filter and barn doors illuminated large trees beside the stage.

The 2022 summer season at Theater im Park kicked off on 19 May and runs a full programme until 18 September. “We have been surprised in a very positive way about the progress Elation has made over the past few years in creating and manufacturing new lighting fixtures at reasonable rates,” Sarsteiner concluded. “This transaction from specification to delivery was fast and efficient and Karl Lager [Elation sales rep], who was so kind to facilitate the acquisition, provides us with great support.” www.elationlighting.com

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Cavat i n a H a l l COMPANY: L-Acoustics LOCATION: Bielsko-Biała, Poland

A unique multi-functional building combining office and cultural spaces, Poland’s Cavatina Hall opened its doors at the start of this year. The sixstorey multifunctional building counts over 9,000 sq m of A-class office space, a chamber music hall, and a cutting-edge recording studio, but the crown jewel of the building is the 1,000-capacity concert hall, which boasts a state-of-the-art stage, with AV technology integrated into an extensive digital and analogue network, and L-Acoustics’ progressive L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal sound technology, delivered by Warsawbased L-Acoustics Certified Provider Distributor, Audio Plus.

Briefed with selecting top-of-the-range technology and providing expert support throughout the complex design, the Audio Plus team, and its chosen suppliers and sub-contractors, were the sole contractors to work on the project from its inception until completion.

“When we were invited to manage the AV installation, we knew this project would be exceptional. We knew this would be a place where we could design the sound technology of the future,” recalled Sylwester Wojcieszek from SDST, who was responsible for the technology design.

“During initial discussions, it was quickly decided that we would design a 360° immersive sound system to fulfil this desire, and the best one to fit that brief is L-Acoustics L-ISA technology.”

The specification ranks Cavatina Hall as a venue with one of the largest L-ISA installations in Europe. In total, 141 L-Acoustics cabinets are distributed in a 360° configuration. The frontal system is based on seven hangs of six Kiva II and an SB15m spanning the width of the stage, with further low frequency delivered by four KS28 subs suspended above the audience in an end-fire arrangement. Eight 5XT serve spatial front-fill, while a further nine 5XT serve audio for the seats in the two balconies behind the stage. Two additional X8 cabinets are used as in-fill and six X8 cover the balconies, while 28 further X8, 14 at each balcony level, are placed as effect cabinets. The system is controlled by two redundant L-ISA Processors.

Stage monitoring is managed by a total of 23 cabinets including X8, X12 and X15HiQ. The entire system is powered by a combination of LA4X, LA2Xi and LA12X amplified controllers, which give a combined 108 kW of power. In addition, to serve events in other spaces such as the foyer or chamber hall, Cavatina Hall has a mobile Syva system. www.l-acoustics.com

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M alm ö Opera H o us e COMPANY: DPA Microphones LOCATION: Malmö, Sweden

First opened in 1944, the construction of the Malmö Opera house in Sweden, then a standard drama theatre, was considered a significant achievement for its time, given that World War II was raging along its borders. Today, the opera house is world-renowned. Known as “the people’s theatre,” because of its ability to provide quality performances to everyone, the venue’s main auditorium is shaped like an amphitheatre to ensure every one of the 1,500 seats has a good view. In a typical year, Malmö Opera will host around 175,000 visitors, producing roughly 150 operas and musical shows per year.

Of course, things have been anything but ‘typical’ the last couple of years. For a significant period of time, Sweden implemented drastic limitations of an in-person audience — allowing only 50 people in the 1,500-seat auditorium. In response, Malmö Opera sought to change the way it delivered its world-renowned productions to audiences. This meant, pivoting to livestreaming its operas and musicals, in addition to continuing to host radio broadcasts of its opera premieres.

While the orchestras and performers in the venue’s musicals were used to wearing mics, opera singers typically are not miked during performances and find it uncomfortable to perform as such. Due to this, Svante Axbacke, head of sound, says they had always used floor mics for the radio broadcasts. When it came time to livestream, however, Axbacke knew the venue needed a mic solution that would capture the performances in the most natural way possible, while also being comfortable and unimposing to the opera singers’ performances.

In order to get the Malmö Opera streaming services up and running, Svante worked with Sweden-based distributor ARVA to purchase DPA’s 4060 lavalier mics with SONY digital wireless beltpacks for the opera singers. With a high-end audio system already in place, the team was able to utilise the equipment in the venue’s rehearsal studio to mix the performances for streaming.

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A longtime DPA user, Axbacke was familiar with the comfort and reliable clarity of the mics. “I’ve been with Malmö Opera for 13 years and we’ve been using their mics for our musicals and other non-opera events since before I arrived,” Axbacke says. “We chose them because of the quality of sound, and they’re also really durable. It’s easy to have sweat problems and different kinds of wear and tear on the microphones, but the 4060s are amazing.

“After the first time we used the mics for a radio broadcast of an opera premiere instead of the floor mics, we now always use the 4060s for those broadcasts because that was the best radio recording we ever did.”

In addition, Axbacke says they previously used the 4060s for about 50 performances of “Singing in the Rain,” incorporating real rain falling from above the main character while singing and dancing between the verses.

“The 4060 mic worked flawlessly,” he adds. “Nothing happened to it. It was durable and the clarity was amazing amid the noise of the rain. Plus, this was also the first year that we integrated the SONY digital wireless system, and the combination with the DPA mics made everything really clear and transparent.”

Axbacke also says that he likes how DPA offers several different mounts for the DPA 4099 Instrument Microphones he uses to mic the different instruments in its rather large orchestra — which can consist of up to 40 musicians at once. “It’s beneficial to have one good mic that you can use for so many different things,” he said. “DPA has a little clip or stand for every situation to make it possible.”

Now that restrictions have lifted and the world is all but fully reopened, Malmö Opera is able to once again run productions more traditionally.

Of course, the venue still airs premieres of its shows, this time simultaneously to radio, and now also airs other performances to its livestreaming platforms. www.dpamicrophones.com

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De Voo r uit COMPANY: Robe LOCATION: Ghent, Belgium

De Vooruit in Ghent, Belgium, is an award-winning and historically significant festival and arts centre – originally built for the Flemish labour movement between 1911 and 1914 – as well as an interesting and eye-catching building containing multiple halls now mainly used for concerts, club nights, live performances and assorted cultural events.

The 1,100-capacity concert hall has recently received a complete lighting upgrade, with Robe chosen as the moving light brand with a mixture of 31 T1 Profiles, 12 Spiider wash beams and 22 LEDBeam 350s. These were specified after discussions between De Vooruit’s technical crew co-ordinator Karel Clemminck and lighting expert Jarne Pollet, together with Peter Vanhove from locally based rental company, Euro PA. “We loved the finesse of white light ranges and the T1 colour mixing generally,” stated Clemminck. While they originally thought this an ideal fixture for front lighting in the Theatre Hall, the intention was to use the new lights venue-wide, so with all the other features and they knew T1 Profiles would be great for the Concert Hall as well.

Most of the events staged at De Vooruit will bring in their own lighting designers, so with the re-fit it was also important to have brands and lights that everyone liked, used and thought practical.

The in-house lighting team mainly lights the club nights, so they all wanted the most flexible and versatile and robust kit. A full-time technical team of 10 plus some freelancers work closely with regular Euro PA techs and engineers to stage the music events.

Clemminck reported that they are already seeing a “huge difference” in the quality and dynamics of the light shows that can be produced – as performances are gradually restarting in different formats. “It’s been a big investment but well worth it,” he commented. www.robe.cz

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Bob Bur to n P er fo r m i n g A r t s Ce n te r COMPANY: Elation Professional LOCATION: California, USA

The Bob Burton Center for the Performing Arts is a beautiful 532-seat live performance venue in Fallbrook, California that serves as a joint community/school facility with Fallbrook Union High School. Used for everything from high school productions to local theatre, dance, and music performances, the venue’s stage lighting rig was recently upgraded with state-of-the-art Elation Professional fixtures as part of an energy reduction grant project. Production and installation company Pyxis Industries of Wildomar, California, worked with the venue on the upgrade, which included Netron data distribution, as well as Magmatic brand atmospheric effects.

Besides the energy savings factor, the lighting system needed to be flexible as the venue is used for a variety of purposes. Seeking to replace several outdated incandescent fixtures with something more modern, Chad Costanzo, President at Pyxis Industries, worked with Elation’s Southern California rep, Richard Wilson, to arrange a demo.

Costanzo worked with the venue’s Theater Operations Technician, Tony Bushley-Anello, on fixture specification and lighting system design.

The result is a new stage lighting system made up of all Elation LED luminaires. A total of 13 Fuze PAR Z175 lights with 175W RGBW COB LED engine project a high-quality flat field of light yet emulate the classic lens

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look of a traditional Fresnel. They work with 64 Colour 5 Profiles, a highquality ellipsoidal spot with 180W RGBAM LED engine and CRI over 94.

For flexibility of positioning, the system includes moving heads, 12 Fuze Wash Z350s, a single-source PAR automated yoke wash luminaire with 120W RGBW COB LEDs which replace old ellipsoidal fixtures, and 16 Fuze Profile LED moving head framing fixtures with a 305W RGBMA LED engine. Twenty-one Seven PAR 19IP par wash lights replace conventional downlighting fixtures, with additional colour coming from 15 SixPar 300IP™ lights. Rounding out the rig are 17 Seven Batten 72, 6ft colourchanging LED battens.

The all-LED lighting system is not only highly efficient and requires little maintenance, it also operates silently for ‘you could have heard a pin drop’ performances. Tony and his team at the venue completed the installation themselves. “They were able to get away from 1500W and 1000W lamps so it’s a big energy savings for the school, which will really pay off over time,” Chad comments. “The new system allowed them to compare the LED vs incandescent systems and document the energy savings, which was substantial. They have cut their energy consumption almost in half, a reduction that easily met the grant requirements.” www.elationlighting.com

IN FOC U S

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RUMBACH STREET SYNAGOGUE Budapest, Hungary

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BAFTA 195 PICCADILLY London, UK

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LEVITT PAVILION DENVER Colorado, USA

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ILLUMINARIUM LAS VEGAS Nevada, USA

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WONDERLAND NEW YORK NEW YORK, USA

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PARX CASINO Pennsylvania, USA

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SOMANG PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH Seoul, South Korea

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RAISE TOKYO Tokyo, Japan

IN F O C U S | WWW. M O NDO DR. C O M

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IN B RI E F R ob e f inds s a n c t u a r y a t Ru mba c h Str eet Syn a g o g u e .

Budapest’s Rumbach Street Synagogue, designed by Viennese architect Otto Wagner in 1872, has recently been restored with a selection of Robe fixtures seamlessly lighting up the space.

Finally reopened after decades of dereliction, the main chamber and other related spaces have been kitted out, with AVL Trade integrating a full lighting and AV system into the synagogue as the final detailing of the restoration project, which has transformed the venue into a set of stunning modern event spaces for Hungarian Jewish umbrella organisation, Mazsihisz.

Csaba Csanadi worked on the project for over two years, with the initial approach and invitation for AVL Trade to tender on the project coming just as the pandemic was starting.

He didn’t think twice when it came to selecting moving lights and specified a selection of Robe fixtures including 12 T1 Profiles, 12 Spiiders and 16 LEDBeam 150s.

“T1 Profiles are a fantastic all-round fixture producing great skin tones and with excellent dimming, perfect for camera applications and also for theatrical style shows and musical performances,” said Csanadi. The Spiiders were picked for their washing capabilities, rich colours and because they can produce effects and a bit of craziness using the individual pixels or the flower effects while the LEDBeam 150s were a ‘no brainer’.

Csanadi stated: “They are small, light and unobtrusive enough to be displayed anywhere in the room as needed – on the stage floor or rigged on the truss to highlight the ceiling and other architectural features.” www.robe.cz

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B AFTA 195 P I C C A D I LLY EMEA

LONDON / UK

S t u n n i n g G ra de II Liste d building re c e ive s m a j o r AV u p g rade a mid total re f urbish me nt.

A bove: T he Pr ince s s A n ne T h ea tre, fea turi n g a Dolby Vis ion and Dolb y A tm os c i nem a .

P hoto: BAFT A/R ory Mulv ey .

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Think of BAFTA and you will most likely picture the glitz and glamour of their annual ceremonies, but pull back the curtain and you’ll reveal a world-leading independent arts charity which supports the growth of creative talent in the UK. Working in film, games and television, BAFTA’s aim is to inspire, support and celebrate new talent, and the organisation’s capability to deliver on this has been future-proofed with a total renovation of its headquarters at 195 Piccadilly in London, with around £3m worth of AV technology being installed over a two-year period.

The work was a massive collaborative effort between consultants Charcoalblue, solutions specialists White Light, cinema integrators CinemaNext, Benedetti Architects and BAFTA’s suppliers Dolby, Christie, QSC and ETC. The building features two world-class cinema spaces, 360° projectionmapping capabilities and a large gallery space equipped with Christie projectors and LED screens.

Technology now plays a huge role in realising BAFTA’s ambition and the building is teeming with the latest hardware and software across five floors, with 1,600 sq m of flexible, creative spaces.

Pauline Campbell, Head of Property at BAFTA, oversaw the project and is delighted with how it all came together. “My background is in theatres, and I joined BAFTA eight-and-a-half years ago as Head of Facilities with a view to start the ball rolling on this project,” said Campbell. “I then became client lead and saw the project through from the initial designs to practical completion, and we couldn’t have asked for better partners, consultants and contractors.

“We chose Charcoalblue from a competitive tender to do the AV design,” she added. “When they came in, we asked them to do a wish-list of partners that we should approach. Then BAFTA’s partnerships team went out and spoke to each of the suggested companies and, right from that start, it was about building a relationship – not just about a company coming in and putting in some technology. It was about the relationship and finding organisations aligned with what we were wanting to achieve within this building.

“We wanted to remodel the existing space to have a centre of excellence, a member’s space, an events space and a place where we can bring the industry together both physically and virtually,” Campbell noted. “The biggest challenge for all of us was trying to include everything that we

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Right: T he Ra y Dolb y R oom , feat uring 360º proj ec ti on mapping capa b i li ty .

wanted to achieve in the limited footprint of the building.

We were trying to extend our footprint without having any more space to do it in.”

Some of the larger technological installations are on floors one, two and three, however every room in the building has Christie LED screens for signage and information with connectivity via panels; broadcast capabilities and room-toroom connectivity; building-wide QSC professional audio, video and room control automation; acoustic treatment and soundproofing, and individually controlled lighting and air conditioning.

With the highest quality experience needed, the QSC Q-SYS Platform was the perfect fit that offers software-based scalable technology, providing an alternative to the need for constant hardware additions; a crucial goal to create a system that can be built upon for years to come.

The first major piece of technology visitors see when they enter the building is a 1.2m by 2.7m Christie MicroTiles LED video wall that showcases engaging content at the reception entrance.

First Floor Heading upstairs, the Ray Dolby Room, which spans the entire first floor, has been transformed into a unique venue. Pull down the blinds on the floor-to-ceiling windows and the room becomes a canvas for 360º projection mapping courtesy of the 12 Christie D20WU-HS laser projectors positioned in the ceiling recess.

Christie Mystique software and Pandoras Box are used for content management while a selection of QSC AcousticDesign Series loudspeakers are installed for a 3D immersive sound experience. Projection mapping, broadcast capabilities, crystal clear sound and a digital ‘step and repeat’ wall means endless possibilities for events; all of which can be delivered in a live, virtual or hybrid way.

Jason Larcombe, Senior Project Manager, White Light, took up the story: “We have done projection-mapping

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solutions before in all sorts of different environments, but this one offered many challenges because there is so much going on in that central recess area to allow those 12 projectors to sit up there,” he explained. “This project is unique because it is a partnership between a wide range of different people, and it has been an interesting collaboration. We worked closely with Christie in shaping it alongside BAFTA’s demands and wishes. And that is unusual for a project of this nature.”

According to Larcombe, all the parties involved shared the same vision and passion. “What often happens is that the manufacturers don’t get involved with the result – a client will request 50 boxes of a certain thing, it is delivered, and that’s it. So, they never get to understand what those 50 boxes end up doing,” he stated. “However, on this occasion, Christie was actively involved in the design of the projection mapping system. They suggested certain technologies in certain places and made assets available from their ranges.

And they also ensured that everything was updated to the latest version. It was that sort of collaboration that went on from the beginning. It was a case of saying ‘these are the opportunities, how can we introduce technology to meet them, and raise the bar?’.”

Being actively involved in every step of the process was something that Christie was more than happy to do. Chris Connett, Senior Business Development Manager, Christie, said: “One of the briefs BAFTA gave us for the Ray Dolby Room was that they wanted to be able to make the room multifunctional, so they could easily change the setting of the room, for example from morning to afternoon for two different functions in the space. So, setting the scene with the projection system was something they were not able to do before, but now they can.”

Ian Stickland, Managing Director/Partner, Charcoalblue, was keen to highlight the collaboration between all parties.

“There was a lot of back and forth between everyone in regard to the technology – particularly in the Ray Dolby

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Room, because we had to work carefully in terms of what we could fit in the ceiling,” he explained. “There is hardly any space in there, so we talked to Christie to make sure that their options would fit. Most of the time we were not picking specific models; we were aware of all the different options, and we could then present that to BAFTA and say, ‘this is what Christie can provide you’.”

Charcoalblue’s role in the refurbishment dates back six years to when BAFTA initially went searching for help in redeveloping the building.

“It was early in 2016 when we started on the project and we were involved in developing the overall concept of the building and how technology could be embedded in the space,” continued Stickland. “Our initial appointment was to be part of the design team to conceptualise where we would use audio and imagery, and how it would impact the experience. We were there throughout the testing process, right until the end. A big part of what we were doing was finding the right technology partners and the right integrators and helping to put the jigsaw together in getting the right people together to deliver that type of building alongside BAFTA. “What was nice with working with White Light, CinemaNext, Christie, Dolby and QSC, is that they are real specialists working on their own specific area, rather than one overarching thing, so we could pick the right companies to do the right sections of the building.”

Second Floor The second floor is where most of the technology is positioned, with the centrepiece being the Princess Anne Theatre, considered one of the most technologically advanced screening facilities in the world, featuring Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos sound system.

The room also features lighting fixtures by ETC, including four Desire Fresnel fixtures, two Source Four LED Series 2 fixtures, four ColorSource Jr fixtures and three Relevé Spot fixtures, all controlled by an ETC Eos console for when the auditorium is used for non-screened events.

Jordan Bedding, Technical Sales Manager of UK and Ireland, CinemaNext, shared his experiences of working on the project. “We almost looked at it as two separate projects as there is the Princess

Anne Theatre – a Dolby Vision cinema that we were working on with Dolby more or less exclusively – and the smaller Run Run Shaw Theatre on the third floor, which was brand new as part of the building’s refurbishment,” he said. “Dolby provided almost all the equipment in the Princess Anne Theatre, and we did the rack layout drawings, placing the amps where they needed to go and also all the connections between the projection booth in the Princess Anne Theatre and the rack room for Run Run Shaw Theatre. That means that essentially the two theatres are connected, so you can load a film in the Princess Anne Theatre and link it to the Run Run Shaw Theatre.”

As the largest cinema space within the building, the Princess Anne Theatre is a spectacular facility, and it being a Dolby Vision screen elevates it among the elite cinemas in Europe.

Nick Watson, Dolby’s Technical Director, Content Relations, said: “We started discussing a potential Dolby Atmos installation in the Princess Anne Theatre over seven years ago. However, as plans evolved for the redevelopment of 195 Piccadilly, it became clear that we could extend our partnership and work with BAFTA on the redesign of the theatre to also include state-of-the-art Dolby Vision projection. The theatre design collaboration started in earnest in 2019.

“It was great to work with BAFTA, which from the outset was passionate about creating the best possible environments in 195 Piccadilly,” he continued. “We have a team of architects and engineers who worked closely with all the BAFTA partners during the design phase of the Princess Anne Theatre and projection area, to ensure that the technical design met or exceeded our requirements.

Watson described some of the main challenges, which revolved around not only making the best viewing experience possible in the Princess Anne Theatre, but also in supporting all the picture and sound formats that need to be replayed in the auditorium and maintaining its use as a multipurpose space. “Through close collaboration with the architects and integrators, we have helped to create an environment that can be dark enough to allow for the full dynamic range of Dolby Vision to be experienced during screenings, but at the same time able to be beautifully lit to host other events,” he explained.

A b o ve : Th e s t u n n i n g R i c h ar d A t t e n bor ou gh R o o m s w i t h a c c e s s t o t h e o u t d o o r ter r a c e.

L e f t : Th e n e w C r e a t i v e a n d F u t u r e G a ller ies w it h C h r i s t i e p r o j e c t o r s an d L E D s c r e e n s.

P h o t o : B A F TA / R o r y M u l v e y .

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Above: T he Dolb y V i s i on dua l la s er project ion s y s tem i n th e P ri nc es s Anne T heat r e.

Photo: BAFT A /Jorda n A nders on.

ROOM BY ROOM TECHNICAL INFORMATION PRINCESS ANNE THEATRE Dolby Vision projection system Dolby Atmos sound system 4 x ETC Desire Fresnel fixtures 2 x ETC Source Four LED Series 2 fixtures 4 x ETC ColorSource Jr fixtures 3 x ETC Relevé Spot fixtures RAY DOLBY ROOM 12 x Christie D20WU-HS Series projectors Christie Pandoras Box media server Christie Mystique Premium Edition QSC audio system for 3D immersive experience RUN RUN SHAW THEATRE Christie CP2309-RGB DCI-compliant projector Dolby Atmos sound system QSC Q-SYS Core 510i integrated processor QSC SR-1020 surround speakers QSC DPA-Q Series network amplifiers QSC Reference Monitor System CREATIVE AND FUTURE GALLERIES 3 x Christie DHD1075-GS projector 7 x Christie 55” UHD LCD displays BUILDING-WIDE AV SOLUTION Q-SYS Core 510i integrated processor Q-SYS CX-Q Series networked amplifiers AcousticDesign Series loudspeakers Q-SYS NV Series network video endpoints FOYER Christie MicroTiles LED video wall STAIRWELL Christie Captiva DWU500 short throw projector www.bafta.org

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“Similarly, the theatre has great acoustic performance, and many of the speakers in the auditorium are hidden behind fabric to minimise distraction – only 20 speakers are visible out of a total of 67 loudspeaker cabinets, including overhead – while still being able to reproduce Dolby Atmos soundtracks at studio quality and with pinpoint accuracy.

“We are incredibly proud of the results in the Princess Anne Theatre, which showcases the most advanced picture and sound technologies in cinema,” Watson beamed. “As a BAFTA voting member, I am pleased to say that I’ve had the pleasure of being able to enjoy experiencing films screened in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos as the filmmakers intended.”

Stepping out of the cinema, you are led to the new Creative and Future Galleries, which is BAFTA’s first ever dedicated learning space. This gives them the ability to bring their charitable outreach in-house for the first time, and the space features seven Christie 55-inch UHD LCD displays and three Christie DHD1075-GS projectors. The area can be split into four separate smaller rooms or left open as one large exhibition room.

Larcombe continued: “BAFTA is not just about the corporate events, it is about networking, collaboration and education. They have a great training engagement and education department, and the building must operate on so many different levels and be all sorts of things to different people. It achieves that, because it has the right balance of the members’ zone, the corporate event area, and the relaxing exhibition areas, so they can make it what they want.

“Our role at White Light was almost like being the glue of the building, because lots of the technological elements are coming from different places but they don’t necessarily talk to each other. So, we had to design the overarching control system and work with Q-SYS to figure out how you get something to talk to something else, so that no matter where you are in the building, you can effectively plug in and get your signal to another place.

“It’s that network design which had to be considered heavily.

We looked carefully at the opportunities the technology gave us to ensure that the right interface was put between them,” he added. “A lot of work went into the back-end design of the building’s system, because in addition to the screens that you see on the walls, they all have processors and cables linking them from screen to processor. An extreme example of this is one screen which has over 100 cables going out of it – and over some distance. That means a cable package needs to be put in place carefully for the end contractors.”

Third Floor Moving up a level, the third floor is where the new Run Run Shaw Theatre is situated, a room where film, gaming and TV members have an intimate space to watch their work or productions. With a capacity of 41, it is much smaller than the 227-seater Princess Anne Theatre, but despite its smaller size it provided a few challenges when it came to installing the Dolby Atmos sound system and the Christie CP2309-RGB DCIcompliant projector.

“The Run Run Shaw theatre was not without its design challenges and there were several that CinemaNext faced in terms of placement of speakers, finding a way to position the projector, and position the overhead speakers around existing ducts and beams, which were previously not identified as being there,” said Connett. “Also, using laser projection on such a small screen, there was a lot of consideration that went into how we reduce the light output of the projector so that the image is not too bright and could meet specific DCI standards.”

CinemaNext worked with the building’s architects and constructors to ensure that the technology was successfully installed to everybody’s satisfaction. “This project was different to the way we would normally work,” said Bedding. “If we

L eft: The Ru n Ru n Sha w Thea t r e.

Ph o to : B AFTA/ Jor d a n An d er son .

were working with a commercial client or independent cinema, we would work out what equipment was going to be installed and specify the equipment having looked at the options. Then once the client decided on that, we would go ahead and work out the electrical and AV cabling specification, and then we would look to install and commission the equipment. But this was almost like reverse engineering whereby a lot of the equipment had already been specified and we had to put in place the infrastructure to make it work. And in the Run Run Shaw Theatre, there wasn’t a projector pod in place, so we had to design the pod enclosure for the projector, look at the airsupply and the extractor that was required, and also work closely with the architect – in both theatres – to make sure the sight lines were really good from any seat.”

Bedding recalled how when CinemaNext came into the project, the mechanical design of the building – which goes above the decorative ceiling – was already laid out, with an indicative design for the Dolby Atmos sound system.

“When we looked at the mechanical drawings and where the speakers needed to go, there were clashes between the ducting design,” he revealed. “So, we spoke to the contractor to make amendments to the ducting positioning for the speakers to go in the right place so that the theatre could be approved by Dolby as a Dolby Atmos system.”

The team had “millimetres of space to work with” when it came to fitting the speakers. “The ceiling speakers have to be angled into the centre of the seating in order to get the best sound quality,” Bedding explained. “The building constructors, Knight Harwood, accepted that amendments needed to be made, because ultimately the most important part of that theatre is the projection and sound.”

This cinema’s Dolby Atmos system features a Q-SYS Core 510i integrated processor, which the in-house technical team uses to orchestrate the audio and control processing

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throughout the theatre space. Accompanying this are QSC DPA-Q Series network amplifiers and QSC Reference Monitor System as the chosen behind-the-screen solution, as well as QSC SR-1020 surround speakers for the auditorium. The theatre technicians also have access to projector and room audio controls via a Q-SYS TSC Series network touch screen.

“This was a project for us that spanned almost the entire COVID-19 pandemic, and everyone worked very closely together,” continued Bedding. “There was this overhanging question about how the cinema industry would bounce back after the pandemic, given the fact that cinemas, bars and clubs were the first to close in that period and were the last to open. However, you could feel that everyone was upbeat in that we were building one of the best cinemas in London, and hopefully we’d be moving the industry forward from a period of uncertainty.

“The building opened within a month or two of restrictions being lifted, so it was strange how it spanned that entire period. Thinking about what BAFTA stands for as a charity, about bringing young people into the cinema industry – this facility is absolutely cutting edge and will be around for years and years to come.”

Ensuring the building would be technologically relevant for the next generation of talent was part of BAFTA’s remit for the project, and Campbell believes they have achieved this.

“We could not be more pleased with the collaboration and the care that everyone has shown to this project and this building,” she said. “It was a passion project for everybody and one thing that we were all completely aligned on was that this project meant that we would be able to bring new talent into the industry. We are a charity and everything that we do, and every penny we make, goes into ensuring that the next generation of talent is given an opportunity to showcase themselves.”

Photo credit: BAFTA/Scott Garfitt

WHEN BAFTA MET CHRISTIE As an Official Technology Supplier for BAFTA 195 Piccadilly, we’re proud to see creativity come to life across the building. From displays that welcome you to dazzling 360-degree projection mapping, Christie® products work together to create magic in an amazing space. 195 Piccadilly has a happy future, supporting all aspects of film, games, and television.

CD2734-BAFTA-mondo-dr-full-page-ad-social-images-June-22-EN.indd 1

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IN BR IEF Me ye r Sound PA N THER ma rks g loba l in stall de but at Le vi tt Pavilion De nve r.

The Levitt Pavilion Denver holds the distinction of being the first venue across the world to showcase Meyer Sound’s new PANTHER linear line array loudspeakers after they were installed in May. The system comprises main left and right hangs of eight-each PANTHER loudspeakers, with six narrower “L” pattern cabinets on top and two “W” wide cabinets underneath.

Side hangs are eight each LINA very compact linear line array loudspeakers, with three more LINA loudspeakers for centre fill. Deep bass is driven by 12 1100-LFC low frequency control elements, with system drive and optimisation supplied by one GALAXY 816 and two GALAXY 408 Network Platforms. Each PANTHER cabinet connects directly to the GALAXY processor via an AVB network using the Milan protocol.

The system was provided by Denver-based Production Services International (PSI), and company owner Alan Hart was on hand to evaluate the new investment. “PANTHER is far better than anything I’ve been able to bring in here before,” he said. “The sound is big and full, and the way the 1100 subs work with the PANTHER arrays is just phenomenal. The sound was strong and clear everywhere until I got to the top of the rise where the noise limit applies, and it quickly dropped off.”

System design and tuning was performed by Meyer Sound’s Director of System Optimisation Bob McCarthy and Senior Technical Support Specialist Josh Dorn-Fehrmann.

“As a music venue and a community asset, sound mitigation and remaining compliant with our noise ordinances are top priorities. So much of controlling our sound is based on the responsiveness of our PA,” said Andy Thomas, interim Executive Director for Levitt Pavilion Denver. “The Meyer Sound system allows us complete clarity and control of our audio. It allows us to put on a sonically exciting show within the venue while at the same time, controlling the output at the top. PANTHER checks all of the boxes for us and we couldn’t be more excited.” www.meyersound.com

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I LLUMI N A R I UM A MERIC AS

LAS VEGAS / USA

A pl e t hora of industry-le ading te c h nolog y c o m bine s to c re ate a g a te wa y to oth e r w o r l ds a t th is 360° imme rsive f ac ility.

Following the success of the company’s first award-winning interactive venture in Atlanta, the second Illuminarium Experiences venue opened in Las Vegas in May. Located in Area 15 – an entertainment district filled with immersive experiences, bars and eateries – Illuminarium Las Vegas utilises a range of innovative technology from the likes of Panasonic, HOLOPLOT, disguise, Lightware and Powersoft to create a 360° immersive experiential space, transporting visitors to far-flung places.

Incorporating six years of diligent research and building on the basis of the Atlanta venue – which opened last year, before some of the desired technology to be implemented was available – the Las Vegas branch is a full realisation of the Illuminarium Experiences team’s vision.

Featuring two rooms – the introductory Chapter 1 and the larger Chapter 2 – guests are whisked away to a new environment, with early experiences offering the chance to go on a remote African safari, a mission to the Moon and beyond, and to walk amid the work of artist Georgia O’Keeffe.

Brian Allen, Executive Vice President of Technology and Content Integration at Illuminarium Experiences, explained how the company set about this ambitious project. “It was apparent to me when we started this endeavour that we couldn’t just go to manufacturers, buy a bunch of product and walk away – that was not going to work,” he stated. “It was about finding companies that have a great product and also share in our vision for the future of immersive entertainment.”

A total of 46 of Panasonic PT-RQ50k projectors are used in Chapter 2, while HOLOPLOT X1 loudspeaker modules are configured to create a 360° immersive sound system.

The visual content is powered by 18 disguise vx 4 media servers and carried by Lightware UBEX video distribution technology.

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A total of 145 Powersoft Inertial Drive MOVER transducers rumble in the floor, adding to the experience, leaving taste and smell as the only human senses Illuminarium Experiences are yet to excite.

“I was tasked with finding the best technology that was out there,” said Allen. “We went on a sort of speed-dating spree and started talking to everyone. There wasn’t anyone I would not talk to, because it’s a numbers game – it was about how many things I could look at to then make the most informed decision.

“It also comes down to the people who are behind these products,” he added. “With Panasonic, disguise, Powersoft and HOLOPLOT, we have customised, bespoke versions of their product at this point – and that’s because of the two-way relationship we have forged.”

One of the key components to the success of the facility is the audio system designed by Berlin-based pro audio company HOLOPLOT, which delivers a unique experience for every individual who sets foot inside Illuminarium.

Utilising the 360° immersive X1 system, the venue can achieve unprecedented authenticity of sound reproduction, which matches with the visual content. Using 3D Audio-Beamforming, precisely shaped and steered acoustic beams to create sound fields of any form and size, the HOLOPLOT system creates multiple sound zones across the room, including zones directly next to each other with different content.

In Chapter 2, a total of 43 MD96 modules and eight MD80-S modules are all strategically placed around the room, out of view, to create the X1 system.

Natalia Szczepanczyk, Senior Application Engineer at HOLOPLOT, worked as Project Manager and Assistant Designer on the Las Vegas venue and co-ordinated configuration ideas and simulations to find the right solution for the space.

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“Ultimately, we are trying to match what you hear with what you see, so we would run a sophisticated simulation of the space to see how our sound beams would work in terms of coverage and the spatial performance – so how well we are able to localise the sound on the walls,” Szczepanczyk explained. “This is a new idea of sound – it is as if you step in and out of it like you would with light – and within the room there are specific zones and so everyone has a slightly different experience. Aurally, what is happening in one spot is not heard two metres away, and vice versa. So, everyone has an individual experience inside a collective experience.”

In Chapter 2, there are eight Module 80-S – larger modules with subwoofers – which offer the option of a bass boost for when the venue is used for events where DJs are performing. “They can convert the whole place into a bar, which is amazing.”

It didn’t take the Illuminarium Experiences team long to decide that utilising HOLOPLOT’s technology was the way forward, as Szczepanczyk explained. “They paid us a visit in Berlin a few years ago for a demonstration, and very soon after that they contacted us saying that they wanted us to be involved,” she said. “What we showed them is that within one area we can send a certain signal to some people and another signal to other people – and we didn’t know that this was exactly what they wanted!

“I think that this is the future of immersive experiences,”

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she added. “You can have speakers positioned in one location in the wall and using the raw reflections you can create a completely encompassing immersive experience – which is unique and has not been done before.”

Hiding the speakers behind the walls on which the visual content is projected proved a challenge, but it was overcome with a sophisticated solution.

“All the modules placed at ear height are behind panels made by Strong MDI which are micro-perforated,” Szczepanczyk revealed. “The HOLOPLOT module knows there is this panel in front of it and corrects itself for any losses in 3D thanks to our sophisticated algorithms, so the result is a nice flat frequency response. The panel is solid and integrates into the wall, and from a couple of metres, away you can’t see any gaps for the sound to get through.

“Integration into the wall took a bit of time in terms of measurements and correction. The really exciting part is learning what else we can do with it. The architecture in Las Vegas is a little different to the venue in Atlanta, so the module positions needed to be adjusted a little bit, but the X1 positioning flexibility due to its modularity, as well as ease of the beamforming configuration, made this a relatively easy process.”

The visual element With the audio senses ably taken care of by HOLOPLOT, Allen turned to Panasonic to deliver the visual element

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to the walls and floor. Joe Conover, Themed Entertainment Solutions, Panasonic Connect, explained how with Allen’s brief, the company created a new ultra short-throw lens for its PT-RQ50k to fulfil the Illuminarium Experiences vision.

“Back in 2018, Panasonic was introducing its new prototype RQ50k – it was in native 4k and looked to be one of the smallest and most compact units in its class,” said Conover. “Brian saw it and that’s when our discussions started, because it met his standards in terms of brightness on the wall, pixel density and being native 4k.

“It wasn’t a product, per se, but shortly after that we flew to Atlanta to meet the team and we put a together a plan to bring the technology into the Atlanta location for Illuminarium Experiences.”

At the time the Atlanta venue was being developed, Panasonic did not have a lens for the PT-RQ50k projector that could deliver content to the floor as Allen had envisaged, so a hybrid of PT-RQ50k projectors for the walls and the PT-RQ32k, with its short-throw lens, for the floor was used. “As a result, we started having discussions about designing a short-throw lens for the PT-RQ50, which could be utilised throughout the facility in Las Vegas,” Conover explained.

“During the pandemic in 2020, we had thoughtful conversations on designing and engineering a lens based on Brian’s specification, and

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we then put a deal together between Panasonic US and the Panasonic factory in Osaka, Japan, to manufacture such a lens. That lens was fully vetted and realised throughout 2020, and I had a prototype in my hand in April 2021. Then we delivered the equipment – now known by its product nomenclature “ET-D3QW200” – shortly thereafter in July 2021 for the installation in Las Vegas.”

The Atlanta facility was used throughout the pandemic because it benefitted from an adjacent lab space. “That allowed us to test many items – including the prototype Ultra-Short Throw Zoom Lens with a range of 0.55 – 0.65:1 with minimum loss of light in Native 4K, learning how much lux we would cast on the wall and how many pixels. It was instrumental and we enjoyed having that space to test and hone the product for what is seen in Las Vegas,” Conover recalled.

Allen’s input into the development of the short-throw lens proved extremely important, because they are currently planning future Illuminarium Experiences venues, which have been announced in Chicago and Miami.

“From a layout and technical infrastructure and system perspective, Las Vegas will be the blueprint moving forward,” said Allen. “Developing the lens has been very helpful because we are doing projection studies for future locations now, and it is helping because where columns or

“ P e o p le c ra ve and wa nt th e se type s of e xper ien ces, an d a l m ost c ome to e xpe c t e xpe rie nc e s be ing in ter active an d pe r s o nalise d in re al time .”

Right a n d b el o w : Seating opt i on s i n C hap ter 2 du ri n g t he ‘SP AC E’ e x pe ri e n c e .

obstructions exist, we are figuring out some interesting ways to cover the projection.”

The integration at the venue was done by Electrosonic, with Allen vetting everything as the project went along. “We put a high standard on ourselves, and we wanted to make sure that it was upheld,” said Allen. “Electrosonic did all of the install and integration work, based on our design.”

Generating seamless content in real-time across the 36,000 sq ft venue is disguise’s media playback systems and video server technology. On site are 18 disguise vx 4 media servers which drive the space – all with upgraded storage drives for a total of 60 terabytes of storage in the director and understudy machines.

“The increased storage capacity is not only required to accommodate the show but also enables the local servers to hold enough content to rotate the reels of content as desired,” said Peter Kirkup, Solutions Director, disguise. “In addition, 45 disguise rx render nodes were deployed at the time of the opening to gain the ability to generate content in real-time.”

According to Kirkup, the biggest challenge of Illuminarium is its sheer scale and the need for it to function seamlessly as a fully immersive experience, without compromising on content quality during the capture and display processes. “disguise’s media servers need to push

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and render over 170 million pixels of content that are regularly updated, so, at the outset, a technical workflow must be established that would work for the creatives and scale repeatedly for the reels of content,” he noted.

“The key in tackling these challenges was to break up the massive content into smaller and more manageable chunks. Once the content was diced into pieces, workflows within disguise would synchronise and pull it all together again to play out in one coherent space.”

Illuminarium Experiences is believed to be unique in using cluster rendering for a projection-mapped experience.

“The fact that we were able to bring this one-of-a-kind vision to life so seamlessly, breaking boundaries that were previously difficult to overcome, is extremely satisfying,” Kirkup added.

The delivery of uncompressed video signals was a priority for Allen, and he chose Lightware UBEX AV-over-IP platform as the solution.

“There were several features and qualities Brian was looking for that the AV technology had to fulfil,” said Steve Samson, Vice President, Lightware. “It had to be able to handle uncompressed video signals, since any loss on quality would have jeopardised the overall visual experience, and because other manufacturers’ AV-over-IP devices use compression, UBEX was the clear winner with its uncompressed signal management capabilities.

“We are always beyond thrilled when our technology

helps to make great ideas become a reality, and this is particularly true when it comes to the amazing next-generation experiences created by Illuminarium Experiences,” he added.

Completing the immersive aspect are 145 Powersoft Inertial Drive MOVER transducers, which add a physical element as they vibrate under floor, powered by 10 Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+D amplifiers.

Tom Knesel, General Manager, Powersoft North America, said: “We are honoured to be an official technology partner to this pioneering installation, which is home to some of the most advanced technologies ever seen in an entertainment venue.

“Illuminarium makes real the kind of true immersion which has only been hinted at elsewhere, providing a preview of the interactive, high-tech, multi-sensory experiences we see becoming commonplace in the decades to come.”

With companies working hand in hand to ensure all their capabilities are maximised, it is easy to see why the number of Illuminarium Experiences venues will increase across the United States – and there are plans to take it to a global audience.

“The immersive attraction space and the location-based entertainment space are going to continue to grow,” Allen concluded. “People crave and want these types of experiences, and almost come to expect experiences being interactive and personalised in real time.”

TECHNICAL INFORMATION 49 x HOLOPLOT MD96 module 10 x HOLOPLOT MD80-S module 2 x HOLOPLOT Controllers (for redundancy) 46 x Panasonic PT-RQ50k projectors 18 x disguise vx 4 media servers 45 x disguise rx render nodes Lightware UBEX video distribution technology 145 x Powersoft Inertial Drive MOVER transducers 10 x Powersoft Quattrocanali 4804 DSP+D amplifiers www.illuminarium.com

Above: T he foy er s pa c e b efore g ues t s ent e r th e I llum i na ri um .

Right: T he mi c ro-perfora ted panel in t he wa ll to a llow th e s ound t hr ou g h .

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SPOT 2.6

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WO N D E R L A ND N E W YO R K A MERIC AS

NEW YORK / USA

A bra nd-ne w a dult e nter tain men t ve nue in Ma nh a ttan’s F latir on Distr ict wows its c ustome rs with a bespok e SB S Slamme r a udio system.

Nestled amid the sea of high-rise apartment and office buildings in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, Wonderland New York aims to revolutionise the world of adult entertainment, offering an inclusive and diverse selection of high-energy performances that can be enjoyed by men and women alike.

The former theatre has undergone several transformations in its history, including being owned by singer-songwriter husband and wife duo Ashford & Simpson in the 1980s, before morphing into the VIP Room in the mid ’90s, and now Wonderland in 2022. The nightclub is now run by Twenty West Partners, who have over 25 years of experience in nightlife and adult entertainment in New Jersey, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

At just short of 10,000 sq ft and with a capacity for 300 guests spread over two floors, the venue underwent a complete renovation prior to the nightclub’s launch in April 2022, with SBS Designs entrusted with the project.

The main stage is the focal point at Wonderland, with two 12ft 4k NovaStar LED video walls, mirrored pillars throughout, trace lighting including ADJ LED Bars and CHAUVET Professional R1 fixtures, as well as a mezzanine to catch the action from any angle. However, the headline attraction on the club is undoubtedly the Hybrid SBS Slammer audio system, which was purpose built for the space.

Completely handmade by SBS Designs with no off-the-shelf parts, the system offers high-definition analogue processing and a wide frequency response with a vintage Urei 1620 front end pre amp to add full control and a unique texture to the playback.

“The hanging three-way, full-range, horn-loaded SBS Slammer system features a one-of-a-kind, state-of-the-art fly system, handmade, manufactured inside of Wonderland NYC designed by my partner Nicky and rigged by Vinnie Croparotta and Quinn Backer,” revealed SBS Designs’ Craig ‘Shorty’ Bernabeu. “It was made to spec with today’s latest technologies to hang the large footprint, three-way, horn-loaded loudspeakers, using Unistrut and threaded rods.”

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TECHNICAL INFORMATION AUDIO SBS Slammer system SBS Designs S2Pro Class AB Amplifier – SBS Slammer STA 371 Hanging Tweeter arrays SBS Designs S2Pro Class AB Amplifier – three-way FullRange High Freq Wav-Guides SBS Designs S2Pro Class AB Amplifier – three-way Full-Range Mid High SBS Designs S6Pro Class AB+B Amplifier – three-way FullRange Mid-Bass SBS Designs S6Pro Class AB+B Amplifier – Sub-Bass SBS Designs S6Pro Class AB+B Amplifier – Sub-Bass SBS Designs S4 Monitors PROCESSING SBS Deigns Iso-Q2 Finalizing EQ Thrive Audio Bender program EQ (Pre SBS Designs) Urei 1620 Vintage Sub Mixer Ashly 3102 EQS PRIVATE LOUNGE ROOM SBS Slammer SL30 Sub-Bass horns – Powered by SBS Designs S4 4 x RCF c5215Two way Tops Powered by a Thrive Audio Iona Custom One off – Pre SBS Designs Ashly 3102 EQ Bryston 10B Class A X-Over Denon sc6000 Media players Denon x1850 Mixer LIGHTING 78 x ADJ LED Bars 10 x CHAUVET Professional R1 VISUAL 2 x 12ft 4K NovaStar LED Walls www.sbsslammer.com

B e l o w : Th e i n t e r i o r s o f W o n d e r l an d Ne w Y o r k .

Shorty explained that due to the age of the space and the ceiling, it would have been difficult to level the speakers – hence the need for a bespoke fly solution. “The system also gives the illusion of the speakers being free, just hanging, because you don’t see the Unistrut system,” he noted. “It allowed the angle to be exact at each of the six hangs for dispersion.”

Like all traditional SBS Slammer designs, this five-way HiFi system offers two diamond-shaped SBS Slammer STA-371 Tweeter arrays.

The hanging STA-371 arrays are strategically placed to add air and extension, and to make the playback seem endless, and give the illusion that the instruments are floating over the floor.

This design also incorporates eight dual 18 SBS Slammer horns, which are coupled for a 13ft-wide horn-loaded sub-bass for low end, with handmade point-to-point wiring with handmade sheathing.

The venue’s DJ booth features Denon hardware with two SC6000 media players and x1850 mixer with SBS Modified Italian JBL two-way monitors powered by a SBS Designs S4 Class A + AB amplifier, with 950W of power.

“With the venue being an old theatre and me being into horn-loaded designs – which is what they did years ago in most theatres – that’s exactly what I offered,” Shorty said, reflecting on the successful install.

“It went in better than expected. The room at Wonderland has a sweet charm and a character that is truly unique.”

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P ARX CAS INO A M ER ICAS

PENNSYLVANIA / USA

d igiLE D pr o v i d e s s us ta in a b l e u pg r a d e to outd o o r s c r e e n s at Parx Casino.

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When tasked with replacing the three giant outdoor LED screens that were initially installed at the Parx Casino in Pennsylvania back in 2009, digiLED cleverly used all the existing fixtures rather than building new ones, making the project not only hugely successful but also extremely environmentally friendly.

By referring to old drawings and plans from the initial build, digiLED was able to custom build modern cabinets that not only shared the same physical dimensions of the old screens, but also allowed the power and data connections to be in the same locations, which minimised cable reworks and extended the life of the power distribution unit.

As well as this, the mounting bolts were in the exact same place as the old screen.

This all meant that during the refurbishment no steel had to be removed, no hot works were required, no drilling or grinding was needed, and the closest anyone got to adjusting the steel work was the occasional use of a shim.

“In a way, it was a lucky coincidence that we

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realised we could do it this way,” said Graham Burgess, CEO, digiLED. “The old screens had a 22mm pixel pitch, which was the standard back then, but now for a screen like that you would typically install a screen with 10mm or 11mm pixel pitch. By halving the pixel pitch from 22mm to 11mm, you quadruple the resolution – and we realised that by doing this we could make the electronics for these new screens exactly the same, but with four times the number of pixels and four times the number of driver ICs.” What complicated the task was the presence of huge glass canopies, situated below the screens, which act as a clear roof for people as they enter the building.

“That glass is hugely expensive, and when we did the original installation, those glass canopies were not there because it was a new building,” said Burgess. “When they subsequently asked to get the screens replaced, one of the things people were terrified of was dropping things, because it would have been a very, very expensive mistake to damage that glass. So, we

“ I ’ ve a l w a y s a dm ir e d d i g i L E D ’ s unfa l te r i n g com m it m e n t t o ens ur in g t h a t th eir p r o d u c t s m eet th e c l i e n t ’ s r equir e m e n t s . ”

looked to design the screens so that they fitted into the existing structures that were already there in situ.”

The re-use of the steelwork was very carefully planned and designed into the new installations and represented a significant cost saving for the client, as well as enhancing the green credentials of the project.

Not only do the new screens now use less power, but they also use fewer power supplies.

While the old screens had six 320W power supplies, now four do the same job. The original displays had 12 cooling fans per cabinet, now they have just two gentle fans to maintain an air flow. Unusually, the screens can run without air conditioning due to the very efficient power supplies, driving efficient electronics, keeping the screens cool.

Indoor Installation digiLED was also on hand three years ago to provide two massive screens in Sportsbook, a new addition to the casino’s facilities.

Having been asked to provide an allencompassing, immersive visual experience that was able to play multiple feeds at the same time, digiLED’s digiTHIN Q was chosen for its ability to create stunningly flat screens.

The first LED screen, a massive 165sqm,

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stretches the entire length of the Sportsbook room. Both the left and right edges of the display curve around the contours of the room perfectly, thanks to the ability of the digiTHIN Q to create a seamless, faceted display. digiLED met the tough deadlines for the project and finished on time for commissioning, meaning the grand opening was timed perfectly ahead of the start to the 2019 NFL season.

This year, digiLED continued its relationship with Parx Casino with the outdoor upgrade to great effect. Mitch Kaplan, CEO of Video WallTronics, said, “I’ve worked closely with digiLED for 20 years, and have been involved in both the original outdoor installation at Parx Casino back in 2009 and now the replacement.

I’ve always admired digiLED’s unfaltering commitment to ensuring that their products meet the client’s requirements.”

Celebrating their third successful commission

by WallTronics to provide screens at the Casino, which is located in the Philadelphia suburb of Bensalem, Burgess said: “It has been great to be involved for so many years in such prestigious installations. We greatly appreciate the trust Video WallTronics and Parx Casino have demonstrated in using our products for their LED projects over the past 13 years.”

Moesgaard Museum, Aarhus

“Smart IP opens up a world of possibilities” Johan Ahrenfeldt, Moesgaard Museum Installers around the world are embracing the exceptional sound quality and single-cable convenience of Genelec Smart IP networked installation loudspeakers.

With PoE, AES67 and Dante compatibility, plus sophisticated loudspeaker management all supported via a standard CAT cable, Smart IP delivers simplicity and cost effectiveness – even in the most complex installations.

Find out more at www.genelec.com/smart-ip

IN B RI E F Somang Presbyterian Church looks to the future with TW AUDiO ELLA. Located in Seoul’s Gangnam district, Somang Presbyterian Church has a reputation for its progressive use of technology in worship services. The most recent example – a reinvention of its second sanctuary – has proven no less influential, drawing the attention of congregants and sound engineers alike.

Jung Hak Kim and Seokwoo Choi of Star Networks selected a TW AUDiO ELLA audio system for the project. “This was a big decision for the church,” explained Choi. “It was not easy to invest in new technology during the global pandemic, but it’s an investment for the next generation.”

Two L-R hangs of 12 per side ELLA6 enclosures now cover the entire sanctuary, supported by just two S32 subwoofers. The subs are positioned discreetly in the middle of the proscenium, where organ speakers were once installed. The S32’s cardioid preset minimises rearward lobing. The entire system is powered by two Powersoft T604DSP and one Powersoft T602DSP. “ELLA’s sleek and elegant appearance blends perfectly with the venue’s aesthetic,” Choi noted. “It’s almost invisible compared with the old bulky PA and the congregation enjoys perfect sightlines to the LED screen. Also, the SPL of the new system is around a third of its predecessor but delivers better intelligibility and coverage.”

The church is delighted. “The pastor has described it as a huge upgrade. He’s thrilled, and the church’s musicians say they feel like they are performing in a concert hall.” www.twaudio.com

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R A I S E T O KY O A PA C

TOKYO / JAPAN

A be spoke Void A cou stics audio syste m elevates the g ue st e xpe rien ce at this stylish Ginza n ightclu b.

As night-time descends on Japan’s ‘city that never sleeps’, the metropolitan centre of Tokyo offers a sensory overload of lights and sound. The trendy, upmarket district of Ginza is home to the glass-fronted Tokyu Plaza skyscraper where, on the sixth floor, a remarkable new nightclub and DJ lounge has opened to great acclaim. Owned by prolific Japanese venue operator, Lounge Operation (the company behind other Tokyo venues including Sel Octagon, Ce La Vi and Plus), Raise Tokyo offers a VIP nightclub experience for everyone from Tokyoites to visiting celebrities and tourists.

The 800-capacity club boasts a bold mission statement to ‘re-define the nightlife experience’, and with 27m-high, floor-to-ceiling glass frontage offering generous views out over the Tokyo cityscape, it certainly delivers on looks.

The stylised design brief for the 740 sq m venue is evident throughout, with a sleek aesthetic complemented by a wide range of visual technology.

In addition to the nine LED screens dotted around the venue, there’s also an extensive MA Lighting grandMA3controlled lighting rig featuring numerous intelligent fixtures including the Robe LEDBeam 150. There’s also several SFX offerings from MagicFX and Showven, as well as lasers controlled via Pangolin BEYOND. And the visually appealing nature of the venue doesn’t stop there, as even the chrome Void speakers are highlighted as design features, adding to the futuristic style of the venue.

“The high-end audio installation in Raise is the first time we have specified Void Acoustics for a Lounge Operation venue – but the GM is a Void fan and was keen to see the brand deployed throughout the club, not only because of the audio excellence, but because of the design aesthetic of all Void products”, explained Tocci Satoru, Director of eastaudio inc. and Tokyo Sound System Laboratory – the long-term exclusive distributor for Void Acoustics in Japan.

The audio installation is significant and Tocci and his team believe they have delivered a well-balanced audioscape despite the constraints of limited space and various other unique challenges. Bespoke chrome-coloured Tri Motion and Airten V3 loudspeakers adorn the dancefloor, supported by a substantial number of Venu V2 and Stasys

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118 subwoofers, which are deployed throughout the venue to ensure even diffusion, clarity, and seamless sound. The ArcM 12 acts as a DJ monitor, while the amplification is supported with the Bias D1, Bias Q1 and Bias Q2.

The system also includes the first Japanese installation of the Arcline 218 subwoofer and is completed with Cirrus 6.1 ceiling speakers. “We aimed to create an even sound space by eliminating blind spots, and we made meticulous adjustments to reduce cancellation,” Tocci explained.

A specific request from the operator was to have the Royal VIP area (located behind the DJ podium) to be enhanced with a significant bass ‘experience’, and so a Venu 215 V2 subwoofer is embedded behind the VIP sofa.

One of the biggest challenges for the team was unexpected and unique to the club. Within the venue, there were no interior walls from which to hang fixtures, so the entire sound system needed to be mounted using strategically placed bespoke structures. “The inability to hang speakers was a major constraint to the sound plan,” Tocci revealed.

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“We had to think outside the box to achieve the vision desired by our client.

“The glass is polyhedral and has no parallel surfaces, so there are no standing waves from reflections,” he continued. “Acoustically, the room is not as bad as one might expect. The ceiling, however, has a height of 27m and the glass is shaped to tilt inwards as it goes up, so the sound pressure of the bass is not reduced even on the upper floors.”

Absorption was improved to minimise the transmission of the sub on the floor and reduce noise spill. A Forward Directivity Isolator (F.D.I) system was also utilised. “F.D.I suppresses resonance by surrounding the array with a unique structure to prevent sound leakage, while at the same time improving the impulse response and directivity,” Tocci explained. “This results in a ‘tighter’ bass and a more natural sound.”

The result is impactful and out-of-the-ordinary. “As well as the beautiful aesthetics of the speakers, the sound quality

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is outstanding,” Tocci stated. “As a nightclub in the heart of Tokyo’s prestigious Ginza district, the speakers needed to be stylish as well as of an exceptional audio design.”

Yet again, given the pandemic timing, the additional challenges of the installation were added to by the remote nature of advising the integrator on the ground. Sean Iskhander, APAC Sales Manager for Void, who is based in Singapore, explained: “Having no option to travel to Japan, our advice and input was mostly over email and WhatsApp. We had to ensure we were giving as much support to the team at eastaudio as we could to fulfil the project, being thorough in our responses and advice, and with a keen attention to detail.”

Tocci is delighted with the result. “It is a luxurious club, and the sound quality is equally luxurious and of an extremely high definition,” he commented. “This has been acknowledged by many of the club goers who have been lucky enough to get their hands on a highly sought-after ticket to Raise.”

Taro Fujita, General Manager for Raise Tokyo, is equally happy. “We are pleased that the sound quality and aesthetics of Void’s speakers complements the highend club perfectly,” he stated. “A Void sound system can accommodate the wide variety of music genres and the wide range of music played by the famous DJs who are playing at our club. In addition, the bespoke silver chrome finish of the speakers is a significant visual addition to the interior design of Raise Tokyo.

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DELAY FILL 2 x Void Acoustics Airten V3 - 500W AES 2way coax 4 x Void Acoustics Venu 12 V2 - 400W AES 2way 4 x Void Acoustics Venu 15 V2 - 450W AES 2way 4 x Void Acoustics Venu 10 V2 - 350W AES 2way 3 x Void Acoustics Venu 215 V2 - Double Sub / 1000W AES 2 x Void Acoustics Stasys 118 - Single Sub / 1200W AES DJ MONITOR SYSTEM 2 x Void Acoustics ArcM12 - 500W AES 2way coax DJ EQUIPMENT 2 x Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 4 x Pioneer CDJ-3000 2 x Pioneer DJ PLX-1000 RANE SL4 Setato DJ MIC 2 x SHURE SM 58 - Wireless SENNHEISER e845S - Wired LIGHTING SYSTEM MA Light MA3 on PC Command Wing XT MA Light MA3 on PC Fader Wing 14 x E’spec SILVERSTAR PLUTO BEAM 12 x LED SPOT MOVING 400W 10 x Robe Robin LED Beam 150 RGBW 9 x STROBE 720 0.4W LED RGBW 2 x ANTARI F1 FAZER SFX 2 x MAGICFX SWIRLFAN ll 4 x MAGICFX PSYCO2JET 8 x SHOWVEN SONICBOOM X 2 x MAGICFX STADIUM BLASTER (Confetti shooter units) www.raisetokyo.com

IN BUSINE S S

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EVENT REPORT Adam Hall

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SHOW REPORTS Prolight + Sound, Frankfurt; ISE, Barcelona

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PRODUCT GUIDE Moving heads

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PRODUCT DIRECTORY

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IN PROFILE Pharos

IN B US INE SS | WWW. M O NDO DR. C O M

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LD SYSTEMS UNVEILS MAILA AT ADAM HALL HQ ROCK BAND MILKY CHANCE DEMONSTRATE NEW COMPACT LINE ARRAY SYSTEM AHEAD OF PROLIGHT+SOUND.

LD Systems debuted its latest innovation, a modular, intelligent all-round line array – MAILA – on the evening prior to this year’s Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, marking a milestone for the brand as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.

Around 300 guests were invited to Adam Hall’s Experience Centre and they saw (and heard) the speakers get put through their paces by German band Milky Chance.

“After a break of almost three years from the event, we wanted to send a very clear message of optimism to our customers and partners – it’s time to come together again, to shape the future of ‘live’ together and to discuss innovations,” said Markus Jahnel, COO, Adam Hall Group.

In the afternoon, assembled guests were given a thorough introduction to the product via a presentation, a demo and a hands-on session with members of the development team.

Then later in the evening, Milky Chance took to the stage and fully demonstrated MAILA’s capability in a small setting.

“Even though we live in times of high volatility and uncertainty, looking to the future, digitalisation offers great opportunities.

Organising and producing live experiences will become more challenging, but you will come back stronger than ever, because nothing beats being together in real life. So let’s get on with it!” said Kati Eismann, Global Marketing Director Adam Hall Group.

With the patented EasySplay mechanism, MAILA takes ease-of-use in the line array sector to a new level. This revolutionary mechanism allows users to adjust the tilt of each satellite almost infinitely between 0° and 8°. Even under load, the angle can be adjusted with just one hand via a rotary handle. With this, every MAILA system offers an innovative and uniquely flexible concept for adapting the sound coverage to any situation at any time.

The result is a large, scalable sound for almost any application. www.adamhall.com www.ld-systems.com

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Prolight + Sound is held annually in the central European city of Frankfurt and presents a comprehensive overview of products and services in the event sector. Everybody from sound experts, lighting designers, set designers, studio technicians and event service providers are well catered for.

This year’s Prolight + Sound saw over 19,000 visitors from 93 different nations attending and marked the first major multi-sector AV trade show held in mainland Europe in 2022. Exhibitors representing 32 nations erected a total of 391 stands across halls 11 and 12 at Messe Frankfurt.

“By all pulling together, we have achieved something that, at the beginning of the year, many people thought would be impossible: the companies and associations of the event and media technology sector joined forces with us to show once again how much life and positive energy is to be found in this industry,” said Wolfgang Marzin, President and Chief Executive Officer of Messe Frankfurt. www.pls.messefrankfurt.com

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1 Members of the Movecat team 2 The J&C Joel team on their stand 3 The Vari Lite stand 4 Robe showcase their products with a performance of Beauty and the Beast on their stand 5 Opasna Randev, Marketing Communications Specialist, and Cat Shepherd, Marketing Communications Coordinator, ETC 6 Julian Bülhoff, Communications Manager, Riedel 7 The Starway stand 8 Eddie Short, Global PR and Communications Manager, and Sebastian Mobers, Europe Sales Director, ADJ 9 The Claypaky stand 10 Members of the Vectorworks team

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The Visionaries’ Choice Mondo-Full-Page-ISe-2022.indd 1

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The first full ISE show since February 2020 took place in the event’s new home of Barcelona in May and saw 834 exhibitors pack out 48,000 sq m of floor across six technology zones.

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EX P O - I S E 20 22 | W W W .M O ND O D R .C O M

ISE said farewell to its previous home in Amsterdam after many years and there was trepidation among some exhibitors as to how the event would work in a new space after so long in The Netherlands. However, with a total 43,691 unique attendees from 151 countries, making 90,372 visits to the show floor, exhibitors reported busier than expected booths and many worthwhile business connections.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of ISE, said that ISE 2022 was an event that everyone who was involved could be proud of. “We are so pleased to have provided a successful platform for our exhibitors and partners to showcase their innovation and technology solutions,” said Blackman. “As we all recover from the impact of the pandemic, it was wonderful to be in Barcelona with what feels like a ‘normal’ ISE in its new home. We look forward to building on this success and return on 31 January 2023 for another, energising, exciting and inspiring ISE at the Gran Vía.”

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Sebastian Bückle, Sales & Marketing Director, Astera LED-Technology The Wharfedale Pro team The APEX stand The Blaze Audio team Members of the ROE Visual team on their stand Amandine Teyssier, Marketing & Communications Manager, Modulo Pi The d&b audiotechnik stand Benjamin Bauwens, of content creators Dirty Monitor, on the Barco stand Régis Cazin, CEO, Arbane Groupe Raul Vandenberg, Sales Director, VIOSO Luc Haubursin, Business Development Manager, AudioFocus Steve Samson, Vice President, Lightware Sebastian Wissmann, Head of R&D, Madrix

EX PO - ISE 2 02 2 | WWW. M O NDO DR. C O M

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PR OD UCT GUID E : MO VI NG HEADS Sponsored by Elation Professional

Elation Professional Fuze MAX Available in Spot and Profile framing versions, the Fuze MAX has been designed for precision lighting applications such as theatre, broadcast, and houses of worship where a wider chromatic spectrum (including dynamic whites), a full feature set and outstanding quality is required – a specification that rivals 1000W/1200W class discharge fixtures.

The Fuze MAX Spot and Fuze MAX Profile, both automated LED moving heads, offer full-spectrum performance from a 92 CRI engine that utilises an 800W five-colour homogenised LED array of Red, Green, Blue, Mint, and Amber sources. The RGBMA LED engine produces fully blended colours across a wide breadth of the colour spectrum like rich saturates and vibrant primary colours, along with pure dynamic whites that are tuneable from 2400-8500K. Colours blend quickly yet smoothly with natural colour transitions and no fringing.

The carefully tuned LEDs ensure accurate colour reproduction and dynamic whites while delivering a powerful output of over 21,000 total fixture lumens.

Precision control over green/magenta allows for detailed colour accuracy, allowing the user to perfectly match light sources and create visual balance.

Virtual colour temperature plus CMY emulation provides the designer with immediate access to the impressive LED colour array while a virtual gel library allows for easy recall of a variety of premixed shades.

The Fuze MAX uses high-quality optics that are razor sharp for crisp projections, and dimming of the LED engine is smooth and stepless with variable 16-bit dimming curve modes. Both fixtures house a motorised zoom that can adjust the beam angle from 7° to 53° and ship with an included snoot attachment. The Fuze MAX Profile houses a full blackout framing system with four rotating blades and +/- 60° indexing.

A comprehensive FX package includes 19 gobos across three gobo wheels in the Fuze MAX Spot and 13 gobos across two gobo wheels in the Fuze MAX Profile. Both fixtures offer rotating and fixed glass gobos, ideal for aerials, textures or breakups, and an animation wheel can also be engaged to bring graphics to life. Effects can be multiplied via dual prisms (four-facet round and linear) and a dual variable frost filter (Medium/Wash) can be employed when designers wish to diffuse the light for softer gobo or wash effects. A motorised iris and high-speed electronic shutter and strobe can be engaged for further impression.

The Fuze MAX will be welcome in noise sensitive environments thanks to its quiet operation and Mute mode option, and LED refresh rate frequency can adjust remotely to avoid any flickering. www.elationlighting.com

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ADJ Focus Profile The brightest and most feature-rich Focus Series fixture to date, the Focus Profile is a professionalcalibre automated profile luminaire designed for theatrical, concert touring and event production applications. It features a potent 400W LED engine, with a native colour temperature of 6,700K and a CRI of more than 70, coupled with an exhaustive collection of beam-shaping tools, including four independently controllable, rotating framing shutter blades, which can be used to precisely shape the light output.

The unit offers full CMY colour mixing with variable CTO colour temperature control (2700K to 6700K) and an additional colour wheel loaded with six dichroic filters comprised of four primaries together with CTB and CRI filters. www.adj.com

Ayrton Cobra Cobra is the first factory standard Ayrton phosphor laser source luminaire based on the concept of Dreamspot 18K. Several years of development have gone into designing and finalising this luminaire, which offers a nextgeneration speckle-free laser source, designed for rendering a D65 white point that allows perfect colour reproduction. The fixture features a beam angle of 0.6° and an extreme range of focus, which permits the beam shape to be adjusted according to the operating distance XT-Focus.

Fitted with a 170 mm frontal lens, the proprietary optical system uses 13 lenses, producing a 38x zoom ratio and a zoom range of 0.6° to 23°. Cobra adopts a minimalist style, extremely well-balanced due to the luminaire’s simplified waterproofing EasyProtect-65, and the continuous rotation of the pan and tilt movement, multiplying the possibilities for creating complex effects and making this luminaire a universal tool capable of meeting any challenge in all conditions. www.ayrton.eu

Cameo OTOS H5 The OTOS H5 is a flexible beam spot wash hybrid moving head for outdoor use in accordance with its IP65 rating. Its moving head is capable of many jobs, from a beam to a spotlight or wash light, and its 480W discharge-lamp moving light has a powerful output of 19,000 lm, while OTOS H5’s flat field filter enhances the uniform distribution of brightness at the same time.

A beam angle from tightly focused 2° to wide-area illumination at 42° is possible with the OTOS H5 due to the high-quality optics and motorised zoom. Four selectable curves and 16-bit resolution also enable smooth, uniform dimming. Due to the brilliant colour reproduction with a high CRI filter (>80), the device is also ideally suited for use in TV and film footage. www.cameolight.com

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Claypaky Xtylos The Xtylos is a compact beam moving light. Its unique RGB laser source offers bright primary colours, right across the spectrum. Available as IP66/ marinegrade C5-M protection and IP20 rated, Xtylos can deliver outstanding effects, both inside and out.

Each of the RGB Laser sources require less than 100W, giving a massive output while consuming very little power. A patent-pending design optical system collimates the individual laser sources into a solid, dense, saturated light beam. The beam aperture ranges from 1° to 7° and it can be decreased further to 0.5° using the beam diameter reducers provided on the gobo wheel.

The resulting full-colour pencil beams are of exceptional intensity and unique to Xtylos. www.claypaky.it

CHAUVET Professional Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash The Rogue Outcast 1 BeamWash from is a lightweight, IP65-rated, LED beam and wash fixture enhanced with a pixel-mappable LED ring around its face. A unique lens design developed for tight beam effects allows for a wide zoom range of 3.9° to 55.3° and the seven 45W RGBW LEDs combine excellent colour mixing with a punchy output, featuring 16-bit dimming and six distinct dimming modes for advanced control.

The outer ring comprises 12 pixel-mappable RGB LED zones underneath a smoked stealth filter and prebuilt programs for the ring control dimming, rate, foreground and background colours. The selectable PWM settings for camera operation make this unit ideal for all types of applications from festivals and rental houses to broadcast and concerts. This compact fixture weighs 9.16kg and features an IP65 casing. www.chauvetprofessional.com

CLF Poseidon Wash XL The Poseidon Wash XL is a powerful and versatile IP65 rated wash fixture, offering smooth projections, intense beams, and unique eye-candy effects. Powered by 19 individually controllable RGBW LEDs, the fixture comes with a wide zoom, ranging from 4.5° to 60°.

Protected against moisture and dirt, Poseidon Wash XL packs some innovative features to complement its already outstanding wash characteristics. The rotatable front lens provides kaleidoscopic effects and an extra RGB LED ring can be used for stunning visual effects. All LEDs can be controlled manually, but the onboard macro engine can also be used to create complex effects easily. Use the beam mode for razor-sharp, pixelated beam effects.

The elegantly shaped housing is equipped with special motors that enable fast and precise pan and tilt movements.

Additionally, the sophisticated body eliminates dust in the optical path and is easy to service. A bright LCD display provides easy access to onboard settings, even in sunny environments. www.fairlight.nl

Dream Lighting L1400P Flag Dream Lighting’s flagship model, DREAM L1400P FLAG, 4-in-1 moving head, features high brightness output, infinite framing system and continuous rotating. It’s not only a beam unit but also spot, profile, and wash light, which creates unlimited aerial effects.

Key features include the 1400W white LED light source, 5°-50° zoom range, infinite colour mixing system (CMY+CTO), two rotating gobo wheels, animation wheel, high-speed motorised iris (5-100% linear adjustment), dual prisms, dual frosts, and 0-100% smooth dimming. www.dlwlighting.com

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eLumen8 Evora CMY300 Zoom Spot The Evora CMY300 Zoom Spot moving head boasts an immensely bright 300W LED with crystal clear optics, and with adjustable beam angle from 4.5° to 38°, it can achieve tight beams through to wide washes. This feature-packed head offers both static and rotating gobo wheels, linear and circular prisms, variable frost filter, high CRI filter along with motorised zoom, focus and iris.

Endless colours can be achieved with CMY colour mixing, along with its colour wheel and CTO filter. Suited to rental, stage and touring the LED is flicker-free with an adjustable refresh rate. Control is via DMX, RDM, Kling-Net, Art-NET and sACN protocols, and for further convenience wireless DMX is on-board via W-DMX. www.prolight.co.uk

DTS Alchemy 7 Introducing a new framing system and combining superior light quality, outstanding colour and white management, Alchemy 7 is a new-generation LED wash light. It boasts greater lighting performance through a 250mm Fresnel lens and six-colour LED chip by emulating any type of lamp, reproducing how they behave when filtered by various kinds of dichroic filters. As an example, the user can choose to seamlessly crossfade between an 8000K discharge lamp filtered with a Mauve gel to a 3000K halogen source filtered with a Just Blue gel without any bumps on the curve. Green/Magenta-point control and high CRI and TLCI values are the cherry on top of this system.

A more powerful source has been implemented in Alchemy 7 as well, reaching 800W and delivering up to 22,000 lumens. This extra-bright light beam is projected through a 15° to 50° zoom range, evenly diffused. www.dts-lighting.it

ETC Cyberlight LED ETC’s Cyberlight LED brings the unique benefits of classic moving mirror technology into a modern design. Cyberlight LED surpasses moving head luminaires in a variety of uses including high-speed pan/tilt movement and the ability to hide lighting fixtures in permanent installations. Customers with existing mirror fixtures in the themed entertainment market and elsewhere can retrofit those products with Cyberlight LED for more energy efficient operation and service. The 470W Bright White LED engine and the high-quality optical system delivers 12,750 field lumens with 90+ CRI for superior colour rendering capabilities.

A full complement of features are included on Cyberlight LED for creative design possibilities, including colour mixing plus colour wheel, dual rotating pattern wheels, zoom, focus, iris, prism, and diffusion. www.etcconnect.com

GLP impression X5 The impression X5 is a ‘next-generation LED wash light’ – a new workhorse that brings all the benefits of the iconic X4 series with cuttingedge technology and new features. The fixture weighs 13.3kg and is equipped with 19 powerful 40W RGBL LEDs. GLP’s new iQ.Gamut colour algorithm ensures that the impression X5 produces a clean white point at 6,500 K with high colour rendering (CRI 90 / TLCI 90) as standard, plus the option to switch to other fixed and precisely calibrated white points. Boasting a new super-fast zoom mechanism, the impression X5 offers a 16:1 zoom from 3.5° to 60° with homogeneous light distribution across the entire range.

The new round shaped design gives this LED wash light a fresh, modern look, allowing for a variety of geometric patterns for great pixel mapping effects. The impression X5 also features a comprehensive effects package, including a virtual colour wheel with 64 colours from the LEE filter palette, tungsten emulations, magenta/green correction, a new colour quality control and effects channel, and double layer effects. GLP’s advanced technology enables near-silent operation as well as breakneck speeds at over 540° pan and 200° tilt. www.glp.de

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Highlite Infinity Furion B401 Beam The Infinity Furion B401 Beam is a versatile moving head with a powerful Osram Sirius HRI 230 W 7R as light source. Like the rest of the family, the B401 has been equipped with extremely precise and fast motors which deliver the 4° beam every time.

The Furion B401 is equipped with 17 metal gobos which create awesome effects by using the two prisms.

The most interesting feature that truly defines the Furion B401 is the colour bump-wheel. The colour bump-wheel brings the total of dichroic filters up to 14 + white. With this quantity switching between different single colours or creating a vast number of split colours or bump colours is easy, quick, and accurate. The 14 dichroic colours in the Furion B401 have no fixed positions, which make them very flexible in generating the required colour in no time. Besides having the choice to be able to bump between colours, the amount of white visible in the beam can also be determined. www.highlite.com

JB Lighting P10 Profile With 330W of LED power, the P10 is the perfect size to feel at home on any stage. It‘s extremely handy, luminous and always keeps its cool. The P10 Profile always works as precisely and quietly as possible. It doesn‘t matter whether the framing module is used or in which zoom range, from 4° to 60°, its presence is required.

Thanks to its low weight of only 18kg and its compact dimensions, it can be easily carried and installed in the rig by one person.

The additional carrying handles on the arms of the P10 are an advantage in this case. The P10 Profile also feels right at home in a permanent installation like a theatre or TV studio. www.jb-lighting.de

KVANT BeamBrush BeamBrush is a revolutionary device that allows the user to control the size and width of a laser beam in real time. With BeamBrush, you can instantly switch between razor-sharp beam effects to something as thick as a wash light. In addition, audience scanning is now safer, cleaner and even more incredible than before, as the laser’s beam can be widened based on content positioning.

The BeamBrush is available in 3W, 6.8W, 10W, and 35W versions. The operator can control the BeamBrush lighting fixture from Pangolin BEYOND 5.0 software via Ethernet from a PC or via Artnet or DMX directly from a lighting console. www.kvant.sk

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Martin by Harman MAC Ultra Performance The MAC Ultra Performance features benchmark output across the zoom range, a next-generation framing system, higher definition optics and low noise levels. Built to support the biggest live events, this powerful workhorse is based on the company’s all-new 1150W, 6000K proprietary LED light engine and the fixture pushes 46,500 lumens in projection. The 50,000+ hour light engine also provides high resolution dimming, strobing and Martin’s unique Animotion effect.

A 1:7 zoom-range and precision focus-control is provided from the refined optical system. The extensive feature package includes uniform colour mixing, variable CTO, additional colour and spectral correction filters, Martin’s innovative Extended Framing system, two layers of rotating gobos, full function animation wheel, iris, frost and prism effects, and truly responsive and accurate pan and tilt. And these features are all packed into a compact, sturdy, and legendary Martin design. www.martin.com

PROLIGHTS Jet Wash The Jet Wash range is a family of compact and fast LED moving wash lights with motorised zoom control. The Jet Wash7 has seven 20W OSRAM RGBW LEDs, while the Jet Wash19 has 19 20W LEDs. They provide a punchy output, with a highly efficient optical system. Their colour mixing system features precise and advanced control with incredible white and saturated tones, and a clean and intuitive user interface like the other series. The Jet Wash range doesn’t sacrifice performance for cost, and it’s the perfect series for customers looking for a reliable LED moving-wash. www.prolights.it

Robe PAINTE PAINTE delivers a compact, quiet, quality profile solution for short to medium throw scenarios in theatrical, television, installation, live or corporate settings.

It features an advanced CMY colour mixing system and boasts a 9,500-lumen fixture output of sparkling, clear, white light. Designed for noise-sensitive environments, PAINTE features the TE 310W HP White LED engine from the company’s TRANSFERABLE ENGINE technology. The motorised zoom gives a range of 10°-45°, while precise beam control is via the patented Plano4, four individual plane shutter system, with 120° module rotation and full individual blade, curtain effect capability.

The fixture is packed with Robe innovation including CPulse flicker-free management system for HD and UHD cameras; L3 Low Light Linearity dimming software for imperceptible fades to black; airLOC (Less Optical Cleaning) technology keeping the optical elements in pristine condition for far longer; EMS Electronic Motion Stabiliser technology for enhanced fixture stability. www.robe.cz

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| W W W .M O N D O D R .C O M

Lighting Control and DMX Solutions

TOUCH 512 / 1024

Easy Tactile Glass Panel Lighting Controller Ultra Thin wall mounted DMX interface Available in 2 versions: 512 or 1024 channels Multiple Zone: Controls up to 2 universes across 5 zones RGB / W / A AND CTO: Intuitive colour controls, including CTO, brightness, and cool/warm white selection UNIVERSAL FORM FACTOR: Rear plate design compatible with European, American, and Asian wall attachment configurations

Web: www.chromateq.com Email: info@chromateq.com Phone: +33 952210755 Wechat: Chromateq WhatsApp: +8613422062209 QQ: 2908265661

Free software and APP download - no additional fees www.chromateq.com - Contact Support Download

Advanced DMX software and interfaces. Serving the needs of lighting professionals since 2010.

T H E S M A RT WAY T O C O N N E C T

ROBUST COMPREHENSIVE RELIABLE

CONNECTORS FOR LED PANELS REAN delivers a comprehensive range of connectors featuring ultra-robust, high-reliability designs that promise unrivalled cost-performance ratios.

www.rean-connectors.com

Starway Baracca With its exceptional opening angle of 0.8° and its 260W laser source, Baracca reinvents the automatic Beam. Equipped with a 222mm lens and capable of delivering 462,000 lux at 20m, it produces a beam that is extremely present in space at equally extreme distances.

The fixture integrates, in an IP aluminium housing, a CYM + CTO trichromy colour system, a 17-colour wheel, a 19 fixed gobo wheel and four prisms (eight, 16, six linear, double linear) as well as six colours and a frost. www.star-way.com

Steinigke EUROLITE TMH BSW-380 The BSW in the moving head’s name stands for Beam, Spot and Washlight – and the combination of all these features makes the device a true all-rounder. The -380 indicates the power class; an extremely bright Osram Sirius 371W discharge lamp is installed. The fixture features three gobo wheels – the first offers 11 static gobos, the second seven rotating gobos, and the third four static gobos and an area that enables animations.

The TMH BSW-380 also offers two rotating prisms – the first splits the image into eight images, the second into 16. In addition, the moving head is equipped with a motorised zoom that ranges from 4° to 35°.

In beam mode, a hard, concentrated beam with a deliberate hotspot is achieved. For further shaping of the light beam, the static gobo wheel is available, for dynamics, one can use the rotating prisms. As soon as the second or third gobo wheel is used, the device automatically switches to spot mode. In this mode, the images are then even and clean, ideal for projections. With the frost filter, the BSW-380 becomes a wash light. Even in this mode, the light output remains surprisingly bright. The projection can be resized via the zoom function and coloured via the colour wheel. A total of 13 colours are available. www.steinigke.de

Vari-Lite VL1600 PROFILE The VL1600 PROFILE is an advanced moving head profile luminaire designed for theatrical key lighting applications. With high output and excellent colour rendering, the VL1600 brings precision lighting and creative effects to theatrical applications and is a perfect companion to the workhorse VL2600 Series of fixtures. The tunable white engine ensures designers can achieve both warm and cool light from a single luminaire without sacrificing output or CRI, along with a wide range of colours from subtle pastel tones to strong saturated colours.

The VL1600 PROFILE also includes the innovative Vari*frost system that provides designers with a seamless graduated frost that diffuses the entire aperture at one time. www.vari-lite.com

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| W W W .M O N D O D R . COM

1. Tasker Cables EVAC and Fire Safety Cable

The new EVAC and fire detection cables meet CPR approval in the medium risk class without compromising the flexibility of the products. The cables are resistant to direct flames for up to two hours at a temperature of 850°C, and when they burn the release a small amount of clear smoke and no dripping. The approval covers the unshielded cables with purple sheath – advised for voice evacuation and PA systems (EVAC) - and the shielded cables with red sheath for fire detection alarm systems. Following the very strict regulations concerning the installations sector, all of these cables can also be used as audio, video or data cables in any fixed installation, even if not directly linked to fire security. www.tasker.it

2. ADJ Encore LB15IP

Offering the enhanced colour mixing and high CRI advantages of LEDs integrating lime chips, the new Encore LB15IP from ADJ Lighting is a professional linear wash fixture that is powerful, robust, and versatile. Its IP-rated exterior casing means that it is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, while individual pixel control and a large gamut of colours – including tunable white – mean that it can be used to generate both static washes and animated ‘eye candy’ effects. www.adj.com

3. Audac VIRO5

The VIRO5 is a 2-way coaxial loudspeaker that comes in both 8 Ohm and 16 Ohm variants and with optional toroidal transformer modules. Available both in black and white this loudspeaker delivers a powerful punch in a compact package with its combination of a soft, silk-domed tweeter for smooth tonality and a 5-inch 2-way coaxial speaker driver achieving an impressive coverage range and high excursion. This unique acoustical composition delivers an uncompromised clarity and surprisingly low frequency response. With the VIRO5 you can achieve a 120W program power in any application. www.audac.eu

4. Astera HydraPanel

Astera have launched HydraPanel, a wireless LED lighting product which features the company’s award-winning Titan LED engine. The six-pixel product weighs 600g and has an in-built battery and wireless DMX module, making it ultimately flexible and useable anywhere. It can also be run fully wired and is IP65 rated in both wired and wireless scenarios, so it can be used outdoors or in damp and otherwise challenging atmospheric conditions. Each HydraPanel emits 1300 lumens of high-quality light, giving 515 Lux at 1m (without filter) and a high CRI and TLCI. www.astera-led.com

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DI R EC T O RY | W W W .M O N D O D R .C O M

4 0 YEARS OF SPECTACL E

est. 1981

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PHAROS ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS PHAROS ARCHITECTURAL CONTROLS MANUFACTURES DYNAMIC LIGHTING CONTROL SOLUTIONS THAT ARE USED IN ICONIC INSTALLATIONS AROUND THE WORLD. SIMON HICKS, DIRECTOR OF PRODUCT & MARKETING AT PHAROS, PROVIDES AN INSIGHT INTO HOW THE COMPANY’S HERITAGE SET THE STAGE FOR ITS SUCCESS AND THE POSSIBILITIES FOR THE FUTURE. Pharos was created in 2004 by the founders of Flying Pig Systems. How has this heritage shaped the company?

Flying Pig Systems was established in the early 1990s and they created a ground-breaking control system for live entertainment lighting.

This very much set the stage for what Pharos is today and the way we work. Before a live show, you don’t have days, or even hours, to solve problems, and bringing that ethos of very responsive support to architectural lighting is what has set Pharos apart. Our customers consistently rate us for the highquality support we provide.

The first product launched by Pharos was the LPC and it was the first of its kind. How did the idea for that come about?

The idea for the LPC (Lighting Playback Controller) was actually born inside a theme park! The founders of Pharos had come across too many installations cobbled together at theme parks where consoles designed for live entertainment were being used to operate the lighting for theme park rides. These consoles provided the ability to control multi-parameter lights, which is why they were being used, but they didn’t integrate well with the ride systems and required a hands-on operator. What the ride designers really needed was a system for the ride lighting that could be switched on in the morning and switched off again at night, without any other intervention. That’s what Pharos did in 2005; the company developed a playback engine suitable for a lighting console, added interactive show control and hardware interfaces, and packed it all into a compact box with a DIN rail mounting enclosure, which became the LPC. At the time Pharos launched the LPC in 2005, there was also a widespread switch to LED. Was the LPC adapted to meet this booming trend?

The Pharos system already had scaling built in. So, when suddenly all these new sectors of industry began needing a controller that could control their LED fixtures, the LPC was geared for that. From restaurants and retailers to museums and airports, even the lighting façades of entire buildings could be controlled with the LPC. Today, there are

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entire cities that have their skyline under synchronised Pharos control.

After the LPC, what came next?

The LPC is now part of a wider range called Pharos Designer that includes our commissioning software. Second in line after the LPC came the LPC X, followed by the TPC (Touch Panel Controller), and the innovative VLC (Video Lighting Controller) and finally the VLC+, which launched in 2019. This range is supported by our extensive fixture library, which affords users a lot of flexibility. Our powerful triggering engine has also become quite legendary; it not only lets users interact with whatever other systems are on a project, it also allows them to extend the triggering engine with our library of free IO Modules, which provide native integrations with thirdparty systems such as Casambi, Xicato and Smart Monkeys. We’re adding to this library all the time, and so are our users, actually – they’re coding their own.

Pharos Cloud, which has just won a BrightStar Award, is another recent launch. Was this technology developed in response to any particular challenges amongst your users?

Yes, it was. We noticed many people struggling to get secure remote access because the controllers were never designed to be directly connected to the internet. We’ve always been very responsive to the demands and challenges of our customers’ projects, so we knew we needed a solution that worked out-of-the-box.

Pharos Cloud was designed with that in mind – it requires no other hardware and uses standard internet security and encryption, so the only thing our customers have to do is sign up to our Cloud service. Since then, we’ve introduced a scheduling system within Cloud and an activity logging feature.

Portals and Multi-Sites are our most recent Cloud innovations. Customers can now have their own portal – their own branded version of Pharos Cloud – where they have full control over the sites, the users and their permissions. They can also combine multiple, separate sites and installations into one multi-site, which allows customers to manage related projects in one place.

C O M PA N Y P RO F I LE - PH A R O S AR C H I TE C TU RAL CONTROL S

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The London Eye. Lincoln Cathedral.

The Pharos LPC (Lighting Playback Controller).

The Pharos TPC (Touch Panel Controller).

Niagara Falls.

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Have the effects of the past two years introduced new challenges that you’ve had to deal with?

We were already a company with people working remotely, with staff spread around the UK and in other parts of the world, including the USA, Asia and the Netherlands, so we were able to weather the COVID-19 storm fairly well. We were also fortunate in that we were holding lots of inventory prelockdown. We’d stocked up to make sure we could ride out Brexit, so we’ve been able to ship pretty much without interruption over the past two years. We’re only seeing the effects in the supply chain now as we try to bring new products to market.

So, will we be seeing something new in the near future?

There will be some new products once we’ve dealt with the supply chain issues that have arisen as a result of COVID-19, but we’re getting ready in anticipation of that – we’re moving offices this summer and scaling up manufacturing. We’ll still be in West London, but in our own, bigger premises with a lot more space for manufacturing and R&D, and room to accommodate our growing product and marketing team.

the world’s biggest picture frame and stands 150m tall, the Niagara Falls collaboration with Pathway Connectivity that illuminates the waterfalls in a rainbow of colour, and the aweinspiring Guangzhou Pearl River cityscape which encompasses multiple buildings.

I’d also include Caesars Forum, which stands apart from all the other projects we’ve done.

It’s one the largest installations featuring dynamic control of DMX tuneable white lights and we did a lot of the programming work ourselves. We were able to integrate with the building management system and adjust to the variable space configurations of the ballroom so that you could have zone control as well as overall control. Finally, Lincoln Cathedral is one of our most recent projects and a wonderful example of our work with heritage buildings. www.pharoscontrols.com

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As a global company, Pharos has been involved in hundreds of projects around the world, which ones would you put on your highlights reel?

That’s always a tough one, but I’d start with the London Eye because it was our very first project and it’s still running today. For wow factor, I’d include Dubai Frame, which is called

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C O M PA N Y P RO F I LE - PH A R O S AR C H I TE C TU RAL CONTROL S

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The Guangzhou Pearl River.

The Dubai Frame.

Simple and secure remote lighting control

Pharos Cloud makes secure remote management of your Pharos projects easy. With no additional skills or costly hardware required, it’s an efficient and cost-effective solution. Pharos controllers connect to the Internet securely using industry-standard encryption. With our new Portals feature, you can now control multiple Sites from a unified Control Panel and Schedule, add company branding, and more.

+44 (0)20 7471 9449 sales@pharoscontrols.com pharoscontrols.com/cloud

Project: Golden Jubilee Bridge | Lighting Control System: Pharos LPC

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