IN DETAIL

HORTUS AUDIO

MI18.1

Hortus Audio is actively expanding its innovative range of wood-made speaker systems of which the versatile MI18.1 is the biggest. As part of the Hortus Audio Mirage Series, the MI18.1 was rolled out in Q1 2021. The sound system has 1 x 8’ mid-frequency bass reflex speaker and a 1’ high-frequency neodymium tweeter. The speaker performs at 8 ohms as either an active mono version with integrated digital signal processing or as a two-channel passive version. At 200W AES, the ovelshaped double-layered speaker’s sensitivity is 1W/1m: 97 dB. The MI18.1, which Hortus Audio manufactures and assembles exclusively in Montpellier, France, is composed of high calibre components sourced within Europe with precise and highly protected circuitry. Its amplifier has a power rating of 250W + 150W RMS at 8 ohms and 500W + 75W RMS at 4 ohms. The frequency response is 20Hz – 20kHz in reference to +0/-0.25 dB with an 8-ohm load, and 3 dB below the rated power level. The MI18.1 has several prominent features, such as its 5 x integrated presets, volume control, and peak + signal LEDs. The DSP is controlled on ethernet via an RJ45 input. The speaker is connected through an AC IN 85-265V powercon connector, an audio IN on XRL 3F, an audio link on an XLR 3M output, and an audio OUT on Speakon. The MI18.1’s wooden frame derives from Finnish birch plywood, and the speaker is frequently delivered to customers after having been varnished. It can also be painted black or white using multiple coats of polyurethane paint, which is both resistant and durable. Upon request, the MI18.1 is also available in an amber coloured design drawn from the transparent resin of a 3D printer. By using a specifically designed mounting bracket with an integrated ball joint, the 20 kg MI18.1 is most often placed on the ceiling as a permanent indoor installation. From top to bottom, its height is 43 cm with a length of 32 cm and a width of 29 cm. The 8’ Mirage speaker produces stellar sound for a variety of venues including restaurants, cafes, hotels, and people’s private homes. Besides the M18.1, the Mirage Series also consists of multiple versions of the 5” ovel-shaped MI15, the MIB08 subwoofer and its corresponding oval-shaped 2” and 3” satellite speakers. The wood-based product line also includes the square-shaped Q5 and Q2 as well as the 2-way rectangular-shaped studio monitor Galya passive speaker. As Hortus Audio continues to install the MI18.1 in and around its home region of Montpellier and in other corners of Europe, as well as overseas such as in Hong Kong, the sound system is reinforcing the French manufacturer’s cutting-edge range of amplifiers, processors, speakers and subwoofers. The uniquely developed MI18.1 sound system is here to stay and promises to bring about new high quality Hortus Audio sound environments for professionals and end users alike around the world.

www.hortusaudio.eu

VECTORWORKS 2023

VECTORWORKS PRODUCT MARKETING MANAGER, ENTERTAINMENT BRANDON ECKSTORM EXPLAINS WHAT VECTORWORKS SPOTLIGHT IS, AND WHAT THE NEWLY UPDATED VERSION IN VECTORWORKS 2023 MEANS FOR ITS USERS.

Vectorworks Spotlight allows entertainment and lighting design professionals to design, document and produce events. With extensive drawing, modeling, database, documentation and collaboration tools, Spotlight helps designers and design teams go from concept to fully created model within a single workflow. The user experience is a significant update that designers will notice in Vectorworks 2023. These performance improvements are structured to speed up tasks, get them started quicker and automate their processes so they have more time to design. First, the new home screen is now a single source for getting started, learning, training and other growth opportunities for everyone using the software. The new offset edge tool provides a fast, straightforward way to manipulate 3D objects with both planar and non-planar surfaces. Additionally, the shaded render mode has been updated to support a large number of light sources, environmental lighting and reflections and object reflections provide designers with a powerful and realistic working rendering mode to help make more informed design decisions and ensure a better-quality rendering. In Vectorworks Spotlight 2023, we continued our focus on improving tools entertainment and lighting designers can trust so they are more efficient and successful in their workflows. Designers will experience faster cable planning and configurations where they will be able to define the entry and exit of cables in a cable run. The new property view tab in the power planning palette allows users to easily select and edit power objects in their model. Plus, cable path updates allow for reporting of all associated cables to a data tag for easier documentation. The amount of time it will take for users to get used to the new tools will vary a bit depending on how they utilise the software. For example, if someone is mainly focused on lighting design, a solid weekend should be enough time to explore everything and feel comfortable. Someone who uses the product a bit more, say for set design, will likely need more than two days. Users can also visit Vectorworks University, where they can expand their skills, perfect workflows, and make the most of the software.

www.vectorworks.net

KÖNIG & MEYER

NEW MAINTENANCEFREE WIND-UP STANDS SERIES

At this year’s Prolight+Sound, König & Meyer presented their new, durable and user-friendly Wind Up series, which incorporates the 24730 and 24740 Wind Up stands. Their goal was to create lightweight, compact and maintenance-free stands that are easy to operate and have a high load-bearing capacity which conforms to the German safety standard DIN 56950-3. Both stands differ only in the height to which they extend. Klaus Werner, Project Manager Research and Development at König & Meyer, said: “We analysed the strengths and weaknesses of existing stands on the market and checked all components potential for improvement. The results were incorporated into the modified foot constructions, a new locking system and modified internal guides. “Due to the design of the drive units for the height adjustment, the stands are almost maintenance-free, and the high maintenance costs which often come about due to sourcing replacement steel cables are no longer necessary.” The 24730 Wind Up stand extends to 3000mm while the 24740 extends to 4000mm. “The stands have been extensively tested with much higher loads and no noteworthy signs of defects occurred, so in principle, the stands are nearly indestructible,” said Werner. With musicians often using König & Meyer equipment on a daily basis, Werner and his team considered many factors when it came to making them as user-friendly as possible. “The segments in the mast are made of steel, to carry the heavy loads, and the base tubes are made of an aluminium alloy,” he said. “Other components are made of die-cast steel and the guides are made of plastic. Even with simple components such as the rivets, our long experience using high quality material pays off.” The 1ft diameter base, which is required for stability, is guaranteed by the pre-set position when the feet are extended, while the new, patented, AutoLock system offers more convenience for the user’s comfort and security when raising heavy loads, and there is an option adjustable adapter for the stand foot, allowing to compensate for uneven floors, steps or slopes, up to a height of 200mm. “Among our customers we know musicians and technicians who transport their stands daily in their cars, vans or lorry,” said Werner. “We get a lot of encouraging feedback from them, saying that they benefit from their light weight, and they say that the stands are much easier to handle.” The new König & Meyer Wind Up stands are suitable for solo entertainers as well as for larger concerts, and they are as likely to be found in use at a street festival or on stage at a concert or theatre production.

www.k-m.de