mondo*dr Awards Americas 2019 Supplement

M ONDO* DR AWARDS AM ERI CAS 2019

N O W O P E N FOR S PON S ORS HI P EN QUI RI ES j.dixon@mondiale.co.uk / l.iles@mondiale.co.uk

WE L C OME Part Two of this year’s the mondo*dr Awards 2019 and the inaugural event in The Americas took place on 12 June - and what a fantastic night it was. Retaining the format of the mondo*dr Awards EMEA & APAC but in a different setting, The Americas version was held at Lafayette’s, Pointe Orlando. The bar atmosphere was the perfect setting for the industry, and it certainly meant the party continued late into the night.

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved, we couldn’t have had such a successful launch event without you. Obviously, we’d also like to congratulate all our shortlisted venues and the categories winners, we hope you had a great time on the night.

We’ll be aiming to launch the awards for 2020 in September this year, so keep your eyes peeled and get your project entries ready. In the meantime if you’d like to get in touch about anything awards related, drop us a line at: drawards@mondiale.co.uk.

Team mondo*dr

THE AWA RDS IN NUMB E RS. . .

Pre-registration: 210 Attendance: 197

MANAGING EDITOR: Rachael Rogerson-Thorley: r.rogerson-thorley@mondiale.co.uk EDITOR: Sam Hughes: s.hughes@mondiale.co.uk DEPUTY EDITOR: Emma Bilardi: e.bilardi@mondiale.co.uk DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: James Robertson: j.robertson@mondiale.co.uk SALES DIRECTOR: Jamie Dixon: j.dixon@mondiale.co.uk SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGER: Laura Iles: l.iles@mondiale.co.uk EVENT COORDINATOR: Sara Walker PRODUCTION: Mel Capper CEO: Justin Gawne FINANCE DIRECTOR: Amanda Giles CREDIT CONTROL: ar@mondiale.co.uk GROUP CHAIRMAN: Damian Walsh Mondiale Publishing, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK Tel: +44 161 476 8340 mondo*dr Awards supplement is published in May by Mondiale Publishing Limited, Strawberry Studios, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK | www.mondodrawards.com

T H E J UD G E S

A N DY TAY L O R - G A S O L I N E DE S I G N “In an industry crammed with fantastically creative and artistic people, it was once again an honour to be asked to sit on the judging panel for these awards. Still only in it’s third year, the awards seem to be gathering incredible momentum, evident in the high quality of entrants in all categories. More entries this year than any other, made judging the awards even more challenging.”

CAT S TR O M - CAT S TR O M E N TE R TA I N M E N T TE CH N O L O GY P R “The quality of submissions grow every year making judging very difficult! Congratulations to all who entered, it was an incredible array of projects.”

S CO TT W I L L S A L L E N - A U DI TO R I A “Congratulations to the finalists and winners of the recent mondo*dr Awards. It’s great to see such a broad range of projects entered this year, all facing unique challenges of different scales, and all developing innovative and logical solutions to meet the needs in each case. With such agile thinking and sophisticated problem solving as seen in the entries, its fair to say that the industry is in really great shape.

The awards aren’t about the scale of the project, they’re about recognising great work in project design and implementation so I’d encourage everyone to get involved.”

TO DD H E N S L E Y - S CH U L E R SHOOK “The projects exhibited an exciting degree of coordination and sophistication. It was inspiring to see such dedication to these venues.”

S TE P H E N L I E B E R M A N - S J L I G H TI N G “This year’s mondo *dr Awards was another great example of the high level of design being produced around the world. It was an honour to be a part of the judges panel and to have the opportunity to review all of the amazing entries. Congratulations to this year’s finalists and winners.”

M I CH A E L N I S H B A L L - TH E ATR E P R O JE CTS “My judging duties were so rewarding. I felt like the world of entertainment architecture, planning and technology was hand delivered to me. To be made aware in detail of all of these projects through the mondo*dr website informed my practice as a consultant. The project profiles are available to everyone. If you review them, you can learn so much - it’s highly recommended.”

B E N M R O G E R S - A R DE N T CR E ATI V E P R O DU CTI O N “The standard of work represented this year remained top notch with a diverse range of projects showcased in each category. In the judging process I looked at both the creative design elements and the innovative applications of technology. I believe the winners delivered standout achievements in their respective categories and thank and congratulate all nominees for sharing their work.“

DAV I D G R AY - O A S I S E N TE R P R I S E S L L C “With such a diverse set of nominations over many sectors of the industry, it’s refreshing to see how companies continue to solve problems usiang technology appropriately rather than ‘because it’s there’. Another great year of entries for the mondo*dr Awards.”

OU R S PO N SO RS J E A N LA R IV IÈR E International Business Development “As a sponsor, it was great to see the mondo*dr Awards continue to develop with the inaugural Americas ceremony at InfoComm. It was wonderful to see so many of our industry colleagues turn out to acknowledge one another’s work. We value mondo*dr’s efforts to recognise outstanding projects in our industry and were honoured to be involved in several of the exciting nominations, including the HoW category winner, Redemption to the Nations Church.”

ARENA SPONSOR

B R IA N D OW D LE Marketing Director “Another great awards show from mondo*dr. It was exciting to gather in Orlando to celebrate our industry’s top talents here in The Americas.”

B A R & R E S TAU R A N T SPO N S O R M A R C BER TR A N D CEO “We’re proud to be a sponsor of the mondo*dr Awards, it was a great evening recognising many talented organisations in our industry. The creativity and execution showcased for projects globally is outstanding, a great event to be a part of, looking forward to next year.”

C O N C E RT H A L L S P O N S O R

J U S T IN K NOX Marketing Director “Great to see The Americas edition of the mondo*dr Awards kick off so strongly! Was fantastic to network with people from across the industry and acknowledge some really wonderful installations.”

H O U SE O F W O R S H I P SP O N S O R

J UA N JOSE V ILA Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) “We have had a great experience as a sponsor of the mondo*dr Awards. The Integrated Resort category perfectly represents our commitment to integrating technologies, and we thanks to mondo*dr team for giving us the opportunity to sponsor this award.”

I N T E G RAT E D R E S O R T SP O N S O R

T ONY D U CEO “A well organised party, the mondo*dr Awards offered the audio, lighting and visual industry an array of amazing projects. Everyone who attended enjoyed a great night and it was an honour to be a sponsor of the event again. Thanks to mondo*Dr and its brilliant team.”

NIGHTCLUB SPONSOR

K EITH BOHN General Sales Manager of North America “Prolyte Group enjoyed networking with our colleagues and celebrating the best in the industry at the mondo*dr Awards during InfoComm 2019. A big congratulations to all the winners and nominees!”

STA D I U M S P O N S O R

J UDY QIA N Sales Director “Thank-you to mondo*dr for offering us a very wonderful evening and to have the opportunity to meet each other. It was a great time to witness the most brilliant achievements in the industry. As a sponsor, we are honoured to see the outstanding projects in theatre, and we cheered for them!”

T H E AT R E S P O N S O R

OU R S PO N SO RS TJ SMITH President and General Manager “The mondo*dr Awards are a fun opportunity to be part of the professional audio community and to celebrate each other’s accomplishments. EAW was honoured to be part of this event.”

M A R K WA D SW OR TH Vice President of Global Marketing “The mondo*dr Awards was a great event that celebrated some of the best audiovisual installs of the year. The event was a perfect opportunity to catch up with European customers and partners at a US show, and showcased their work to the world.”

S O LV EIG BUSLER Member of Executive Board “It is amazing to see so much creativity. The projects of this year’s attendees have been outstanding. We are proud to sponsor the Mondo dr Awards and to support the recognition of the best entertainment installations.”

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project. Lighting design was by Edson Rivera of Adimsa with lighting programming by Victor Rivera.

The first challenge to overcome was delivery time - supply and installation had to happen in a short four-week period, which was a demanding requirement for an installation of this magnitude.

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S H OR TLISTE D - A RENA W E L L S FAR GO C ENTER Technical Details Location: Philadelphia, USA Manufacturers: L-Acoustics Acoustician: WJHW Installer: Diversified Project Submitted By: L-Acoustics The lightweight yet incredibly powerful K2/K1-SB system solves a major issue that all sports venues face today - the need to provide complete and consistent coverage and high SPL to each and every seat in the house while at the same time avoiding interference with sightlines to video screens.

“The L-Acoustics K2 system hit all of the main points for this project, like power and coverage, but the decision was also driven by budget, and L-Acoustics was able to provide the performance this installation needed within the project’s budget guidelines,” said Justo Gutierrez, Diversified’s Director of AV and Sound, Sports & Live Events. “But just as importantly,” he added. “L-Acoustics was also the choice of the exceptionally knowledgeable Wells Fargo Center operations staff.”

From the start, Diversified and its partners set about designing the sound system to both accommodate the current needs of the arena as well as its future requirements. For instance, plans for a new scoreboard - touted by venue owner Comcast Spectacor as 'the first-ever Kinetic 4K centre-hung entertainment system' - have recently been announced, and the K2 system design and installation would have to provide for that future addition.

That also applied to the K2 system’s deployment flexibility

when the venue is used for activities beyond sports. The K2 and K1-SB arrays are flown in the arena on motorised hoists, and individual groups of loudspeakers can now be quickly flown out to the grid or dropped back into play position to improve sightlines or support various venue configurations, unlike the arena’s previous dead-hung clusters.

The choice of the L-Acoustics K2 system furthermore reflects another key trend in the sports-venue sector - as arenas and stadiums are increasingly called on to host entertainment events as well as sports, those venues are making their audio system choices based on the same criteria that concert touring does - full-range musicality and clear intelligibility.

“The L-Acoustics K2 system is truly a concert sound system, and that’s what venue operators are looking for now,” said Justo, who noted that the K1-SB subwoofers have brought exceptionally articulate and powerful low-end performance to the Wells Fargo Center. “Sports are being increasingly regarded as entertainment, and consumers’ expectations are changing as a result. They want concert-level sound in the stadiums and arenas, and L-Acoustics is one of a very few brands that can deliver that experience.

Great sound is part of fan engagement, and L-Acoustics certainly scores big in that regard.”

S H OR TLISTE D - A RENA U M B C E VENT C ENTER TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Baltimore, Maryland, USA Manufacturers: Meyer Sound, Allen & Heath, QSC Architect: Cannon Design, USA Acoustician: Anthony James Partners Installer: Design & Integration, USA Project Submitted By: Meyer Sound The new system is anchored by five arrays of eight each LINA loudspeakers for coverage of the U-shaped main bowl. Three 1100-LFC low frequency control elements supply convincing impact for deep bass effects, while two UPQ-1P loudspeakers are flown as court fills. Two GALAXY 816 networked processors handle overall system drive and optimisation.

In many ways, the UMBC Event Center defines the recent trends toward building and equipping a 'do-it-all' venue for a university campus. Principally, the new 172,000 sq ft structure serves and the home arena for UMBC sports, but it is also called on to host a wide variety of entertainment events and educational convocations. This requires exceptional versatility in the audio system as it must supply the clarity and uniform coverage required for spoken word intelligibility as well as the power and extended bandwidth needed for music reproduction.

Also, as is normally the case with public institutions, budgetary considerations also must be taken into account.

When it came time to finalize plans for the new venue’s audio systems, the principals of Design & Integration worked closely with the university’s own experienced audio team. Working within the design specification given by the project’s acoustical consultant, they developed alternative solutions for realising the desired audio bandwidth, levels and coverage uniformity.

Fortuitously, Meyer Sound had recently introduced the LINA line array loudspeaker, the smallest of its LEO Family systems. Using acoustical modeling software, the design team discovered that a LINA system could realize the same performance objectives and the other main alternative but using fewer arrays. This not only reduced cost, but it also had greater aesthetic appeal. Also, because the alternative loudspeaker systems employed external

amplification, the self-powered LINA solution would simplify installation and further reduce bottom-line costs.

To maximise flexibility, Design & Integration specified a QSC Q-SYS network backbone to tie together the main bowl and back-of-house systems along with an Allen & Heath digital mixer with dLive control surface and MixRack engine. Design & Integration also supplied a comprehensive broadcast cabling system, distributed CATV video systems, and both wired and wireless production intercom systems.

The new $85 million UMBC Event Center is the long-anticipated new home for indoor sporting events at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and in addition it serves as a flexible venue for hosting concerts, convocations and graduations, trade shows and other events. About 4,700 fans are accommodated for UMBC Retrievers basketball and volleyball games, with uniform audio coverage and 'pump ‘em up' power supplied by a distributed system based on Meyer Sound’s new LINA ultracompact line arrays.

The new Meyer Sound LINA system is the centrepiece of a complete audiovisual package designed and installed by Baltimore-based Design & Integration. According to Project Engineer, Kevin Barrett, his company worked with university technical and managerial staff to come up with the optimum, long-term solution for a house reinforcement system.

“We decided to pursue the Meyer Sound solution and discovered it offered a number of advantages,” said Kevin. “We came up with a design that not only would meet or exceed all the performance numbers, but also would fit into a smaller footprint, reduce installation costs, and provide more configuration flexibility along with detailed system confidence monitoring.”

Frantzer LeBlanc, Director of Events and Operations at UMBC, has been extremely pleased with the system’s performance across the variety of events the centre hosts. “The sound conforms to the bowl in a way that gives a sense of intimacy despite the size. We also really appreciate how easily and effectively we can zone the system to cover only designated seating areas when we’re using part of the arena, no matter the event.”

WINN E R A R EN A

TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Oklahoma City, USA Manufacturer: Eastern Acoustic Works Installer: Ford AV, Marsh/PMK Acoustician: Ford AV, Marsh/PMK Project Submitted By: EAW

C HE S A P E AKE ENER GY AR EN A

Opened in 2002, city-owned Chesapeake Energy Arena is an 18,000-seat multi-purpose venue in downtown Oklahoma City and is best known as the home to the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder.

But when the Thunder are rolling on the road, the arena plays

host to ice hockey, wrestling, rodeo, and live concert events.

CEA features retractable seating on the main floor to accommodate a variety of seating configurations, as well as drapes to close off upper deck seating for smaller events. Arena acoustics are usually tricky, and introducing variable seating made things even tougher.

Consultants Marsh/PMK sought a sound system that could readily accommodate a spectrum of event types without burdening the operators. Fitted above the scoreboard, the system had to provide stellar performance and consistent coverage for any of the seating configurations.

Working with hometown system integrator Ford AV, Marsh/

PMK specified 40 Anya modules, deployed in four arrays of two columns each. Anya is a high-powered device with a flexible dispersion pattern, which Stevens leveraged to get coverage of the whole venue with little need for fill or delay speakers.

The system’s self-powered design was invaluable in speeding installation to meet the very aggressive schedule, as well as reducing space and cabling needs. Anya’s high output capability meant that the columns never needed to be longer than six modules to cover the entire venue. Anya’s 35Hz to 18kHz operating range is sufficient to meet the requirements.

S H OR TLISTE D - B AR & R ESTAUR ANT B ASI L ’ S BAR TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Mustique, St Vincent and the Grenadines Manufacturers: Blizzard, DTS, Chauvet Project Submitted By: Streamline Systems The bite-sized island of Mustique, measuring just 5.7 sq km, is just enough space to house the most elite clientelé, wild parties, sleepless nights and lazy days while keeping the place confidential.

The little morsel of land lays just 100 miles west of Barbados in the Caribbean chain and what is a bright light attraction for celebrities, actually doesn’t have any streetlights, a feature that grows on you quite quickly.

In 1958, Lord Glenconner, Colin Tennant, arrived on Mustique and bought the island for just £45,000, despite the fact it had no roads, no jetties and no running water. Initial ambitions were to see it thrive as a cotton plantation, but these plans didn’t prove economically viable and Colin looked for other ways to develop the island. Having gifted his good friend, Princess Margaret a plot in 1960, there was considerable media interest in Mustique as a destination and in 1968 he formed the Mustique Company to develop a private island hideaway for the rich and famous. Fastforward to 2018 and the island is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the formation of The Mustique Company.

At focal point on the island is Basil’s Bar, where for more than 40 years Basil Charles has served regulars their favourite tipple.

In commemoration of the anniversary, Basil’s Bar has been refurbished, by none other than, Philippe Starck. Part of this refurbishment included the design and installation of audio, video and lighting systems; cue the services of Streamline Systems.

Streamline Systems has been at the forefront of low voltage engineering and installation and maintenance since 2007 and is well-known for its work across the Caribbean. CTO of The Mustique Company, Leigh Fereday, contacted Michael Pereira, Director of Streamline Systems to take up the challenge.

Streamline was given what could be considered a simple task: ‘light the stage and a small area for the Wednesday night Jump Up party’. But lead Lighting Designer and Director, Michael wanted to ensure he got it just right. He said: “We needed to install a modern lighting system, which could be seen in any club in London or NYC but make it look at home, outdoors, on a beachfront, on an island that doesn’t even accustomed to streetlights. And we needed to achieve all this, while not stepping on Philippe Starck’s toes.

“We viewed the property from multiple angles and wanted to give it a bang, without taking the bar out of its element or removing natural beauty. We wanted to highlight both height and depth so uplighting the coconut trees was balanced with the lighting of the surrounding ocean, all with high quality RGBW fixtures which will stand up to the salt water. The DTS DIVE 6 fixtures fitted the bill

perfectly with their IP68 stainless steel and bronze body,” Michael continued.

The dancefloor in front of the stage had its own challenges, as it’s nestled between gazebos and is fully open to the elements.

A total of 16 smaller DTS fixtures, the DTS DIVE3’s wash the main dancefloor, while standing up to the salt air and Caribbean sun.

Michael added: “Every DTS fixture was installed on its own channel of the DTS DriveNet 832 to ensure complete control and to create movement and effects without the need for moving heads in the open air harsh environment.”

A second dancefloor was created within one of the gazebos, while this was still open air, Streamline had a ceiling to work with. It was within this area that Michael and his team needed to create some actual movement, but he wanted not only some beams, but also the ability to show some effects and movement without throwing a bright beam of light. The Blizzard Wink was perfect, creating a subtle colour effect, and on occasion, get a tight beam effect.

Streamline needed to find a way to incorporate the bar into some of the RGBW lighting design around it, without effecting Philippe overall design or the specific warm white lighting of hand selected artefacts. “We were able to install a pair of Blizzard TOURnado IP EXA fixtures to uplight the high ceiling above the bar. This worked perfectly as the opposing fixtures created interesting effects amongst the wooden beams and the built in RGBAW+UV LEDs really brought something new to the space,” said Michael.

The stage is well covered with an array of five Blizzard Motif Vignette RGBW fixtures and a pair of TOURnado IP EXA fixtures.

This combination allows light for illuminating performances and excellent control over colour for the background and effects.

Lighting system control is carried out either via the 23-inch touchscreen in the main control room or wirelessly via phones and tablets. This wireless feature is superb during small events and really captures the easy going vibe of the space.

Streamline installed a 10ft Draper Nocturne+ crank-operated projection screen for the viewing of the occasional presentation, documentary and naturally just in time for the World Cup 2018.

The projector of choice was the NEC PA653UL laser projector, which came with the ultimate five-year warranty and all protected in the Tempest Breeze case.

Michael concluded: “Special thanks to Jim Preston, our master of logistics, Leigh Fereday for trusting in our vision even as we arrived with thousands of feet of cable to be hidden among your gazebos, and to Operations Director, Nic Welch, who was never afraid to crawl around the sea urchins at night in order to aim our underwater lights. On our next visit we hope to stay in the Les Jolies Eaux villa, currently renting at £27,000 a week - appropriate mic drop.”

S H OR TLISTE D BA R & RE STA U RA N T C AYM U S VI NYAR D S TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Napa Valley, California, USA Manufacturers: Meyer Sound, Shure, Soundcraft, Whirlwind, Belden, Extreme Networks Installer: BugID Project Submitted By: Meyer Sound A toal of 47 outdoor loudspeakers and 12 indoor loudspeakers provide seamless coverage across 10 discrete zones, including an expansive lawn and garden with private alcoves, and two indoor tasting rooms. The outdoor system comprises 11 ultra-compact UP4XP loudspeakers and three MM-10XP miniature subwoofers on the central trellis, with 33 MM-4XP loudspeakers spaced evenly in shrubbery along the lawn perimeter, all time-aligned with digital delays to provide a seamless sound experience across the grounds.

Inside, two tasting rooms feature the first installation of Meyer Sound’s new Ashby-8C ceiling loudspeakers, supplemented with MM-10XP subwoofers.

A visit to the Caymus Vineyards in California’s Napa Valley is a total sensual experience. The taste and smell of fine wine and tempting cuisine are complemented by the elegant yet rustic architecture, lush outdoor greenery and - throughout the visitor areas - impeccable music reproduction. For this level of experience, a typical distributed sound system could not deliver the level of audible experience to match the other senses. The challenge was to essentially provide studio monitor sound quality throughout the indoor and outdoor spaces, with uniform coverage so that all could enjoy the same experience without the levels becoming either too intrusive or too faint to be enjoyed. In addition, the loudspeakers had to be so discreet as to be virtually invisible.

The overall solution was to install systems employing Meyer Sound’s IntelligentDC technology. IntelligentDC uniquely combines the advantages of self-powered systems with the installation ease of distributed low-voltage systems. Loudspeakers receive balanced audio signals and 48V DC remote powering from rack-mount power supplies over a single five-core cable that does not require conduit in most jurisdictions. This solution eliminates transformers and long speaker cable runs, and enables use of true bi-amplified two-way loudspeakers (such as the UP-4XP) for impeccable music reproduction. Also, because each loudspeaker is individually addressable, each loudspeaker can be balanced and tuned for the optimum effect.

The Caymus Winery installation comprises a total of 59 Meyer Sound loudspeakers deployed in 10 discrete zones, with all but three loudspeakers utilising IntelligentDC. The exceptions are the larger, directly AC powered systems (UPQ-1P, UPJunior and 750-LFC) in the Barrel Room informal performance space. Full range IntelligentDC Models are UP-4XP and MM-4XP surface mount, Ashby 8C ceiling mount, with bass augmented by MM10 subwoofers. Many are custom painted to blend in with

surroundings, and all outdoor loudspeakers are fully weather protected.

To feed premium sound quality into the system, the designers specified TIDAL high quality uncompressed steaming as the music source, with the MacMini computer paired with a Sound Devices USBPre2 interface for a clean, robust signal feed into the Meyer Sound GALAXY 816 network processors which are linked on an AVB network via an Extreme Networks X440-G2 switch.

Many factors contribute to the enjoyment of wine, so winemakers carefully curate everything from labels to landscaping to offer the ultimate experience. Yet surprisingly, wineries largely overlook the role of sound. Chuck Wagner - who co-founded Caymus with his parents in 1972 and still plays a hands-on role in leading the winery - thinks differently. “Every detail matters,” he said. “When you can relax in a beautiful environment, hear great music and enjoy delicious wine, you have a greater appreciation for life.”

Chuck Wagner had clear requirements for the sound experience: He wanted full-range sound with continuous coverage, indoors and out, with controllable sound zones. The system should offer both background music and live sound capabilities, and it should be easy to operate by staff. Most importantly, sound should suffuse the spaces but never be intrusive.

System integration was handled by San Francisco audiovisual integrator BugID, which specializes in creating systems that are highly technical yet easy to operate. Each speaker at Caymus is discrete, allowing the ultimate in programming and control. As a result, 20,000ft of cable was installed in a complex underground trenching system.

Everywhere, speakers disappear into their surroundings. The outdoor loudspeakers were painstakingly colour-matched to blend with landscaping features, while indoors loudspeakers blend into the ceiling, with subwoofers disguised by air conditioning vents.

At the nerve centre of the system are two Meyer Sound GALAXY 816 network based digital processors. Multiple MPS-488HP IntelligentDC power supplies distribute audio signal and DC power to the loudspeakers. A rackmount Soundcraft Ui16 digital mixer ties to microphones that can be assigned to any zone to accommodate presenters in any space. It’s all controlled via Meyer’s custom iPad interface, which makes it simple for any staff member to manage the music volume in any zone.

“The sound is more full, more robust,” said Eddie Heintz, the winery’s Director of Hospitality. “When Chuck describes his wines, especially Caymus Special Selection, he talks about a weightiness, a texture, a velvety warmth of soft tannins. For me, aurally, that’s what this sound system has done. It gives a complexity and depth to the experience.”

S H OR TLISTE D - B AR & R ESTAUR ANT DE A D R ABBI T TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: New York, USA Manufacturers: Genelec Installer: Canal Sound and Light Project Submitted By: Genelec When restaurateurs Sean Muldoon and Jack McGarry claim that theirs is 'the best bar in the world', they’re not kidding - their Dead Rabbit pub did top the North American category of the World’s 50 Best Bars list in 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 from foodandwine. com. The Village Voice also voted The Dead Rabbit the best in the New Bar, Bartender and Whiskey categories in 2013, 2014 and 2015, respectively, even as Time Out NYC cited them for the Best Cocktail Bar in 2014 and Best Bar Team in 2015. Not surprisingly, they also choose the best when it comes to sound, selecting Genelec loudspeakers for all of their pub projects, including The Dead Rabbit, as they did when they expanded the pub late last year, nearly tripling its capacity to 250 in New York’s Financial District neighborhood. As they have in the past, Canal Sound and Light helped The Dead Rabbit enhance its sound to match its bigger space, with seven new Genelec 4020B and five 4030B active loudspeakers (designed specifically for challenging commercial installations) installed on the expanded main floor, and another six 4020B speakers on the new second floor.

“Sean and Jack are incredibly particular about the sound in their restaurants,” observed Jeffrey Kwan, Owner of Canal Sound and Light, one of the major suppliers of audiovisual systems for New

York City restaurants and live-event spaces. “We had installed Genelec 8020A and 8030A loudspeakers in the original Dead Rabbit, and they sounded great. But the bar was so successful it was constantly packed, so they had to expand, breaking into the space next door and also going up. So, we had to increase the sound for the pub, as well. Naturally, Sean and Jack wanted Genelec," Jeffrey said. Genelec’s 4020B and 4030B installed versions, which share their superior design with the Genelec 8000 Series monitors, add features such as tamper-proof Phoenix connectors. Their controlled directivity allows the system to be easily installed in many types of acoustic environments, providing outstanding sound coverage. “As an active loudspeaker, it contains drivers, power amplifiers, and active crossover filters, so there’s no need for amp racks to take up space,” he explained. “That’s a critical consideration in a place like downtown Manhattan.”

But it’s the Genelec sound that attracts users and listeners alike.

Jeffrey noted that the newly expanded Dead Rabbit hosts live music - Irish bands set up near the front of the pub on Sundays, playing traditional Irish music through a pair of 4030Bs he installed there for that application, while a DJ blasts away at night in the back of the bar, spinning through three 4030Bs. But the sound level is always just right everywhere, such as the two 'cubby snug' booths that can seat up to eight patrons and that have their own Genelec 8020As to cover them. “The Genelecs can handle it all, from background music to live sound, and always sound great and never overpowering,” said Jeffrey. “They’re one of the top choices when it comes to a restaurant in Manhattan.”

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The Visionaries Choice 21/06/2019 09:19

WINN E R BA R & R E STA U RA N T GIBSO N S I TALI A TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Chicago, USA Manufacturers: Symetrix, Martin Audio, Shure, Lab.gruppen Installer: Encompass AV Project Submitted By: Symetrix Encompass AV designed and installed a building-wide audio system managed by Symetrix Prism-series DSPs for Chicago-based restaurant Gibsons Italia.

The Gibsons Italian restaurant is a four-story beauty on North Canal Street in the West Loop area of Chicago, the restaurant overlooks the convergence of the North and South branches of the Chicago River.

The high-end venue called for an equally high-end sound system and Chicago-based systems integrators Encompass AV delivered exactly that. Designing and installing a building-wide audio system managed by Symetrix Prism-series DSPs. “Steve Lombardo, the owner of Gibsons, likes really good sound,” Encompass AV owner Tim Pickett said. “He wanted it to sound clear, clean, not overwhelming but loud enough. It’s a very big thing for him. When Gibsons do a project, they do it right, they don’t mess around. Steve expects the best, and he’s not worried about the cost, he wants to know that it works, it’s reliable, and it sounds great.” For these reasons Encompass AV exclusively use Symetrix DSPs on its projects.

“About six years ago we were looking for a DSP that had great performance at a reasonable cost and was controllable over IP,” Tim recalled. “One of our vendors mentioned Symetrix, so we tried a Jupiter 8 and then a Solus DSP. We did A/B comparisons with a major competing DSP, but it was not nearly as user friendly as the Symetrix. The Symetrix sounded a lot cleaner, toothe other DSP coloured the audio, and we didn’t like that.” Tim’s team were impressed by Symetrix DSPs’ reliability. “After a year, we realised the Symetrix processors were really stable and solid in the field,” he said.

“We like bulletproof products so our systems are bulletproof and Symetrix DSPs give us that. They’re also very easy to programme; their user interface is far superior to the others we tried. We fell

in love with Symetrix processors and got into the Radius, then the Prism. And by just using Symetrix, we only have to train our staff on one line of products.” At the four-level Gibsons Italia facility, the Encompass AV team installed two Symetrix PrismSeries DSPs. “It’s a very large building, and we were delivering audio to multiple floors,” Tim explained. “We needed to stream multiple sources and feeds to two different locations over the Dante network because we had the MDF room on the fourth floor and there was an IDF breakout on the second floor. We used a Prism 8×8 on the fourth floor and a Prism 4×4 on the second floor to give us the processing power we needed and to break up the processors, since each processor manages a handful of Danteenabled Lab.gruppen D-Series amplifiers. There are no analogue outputs, just Dante streams.”

The ground floor of Gibsons Italia is essentially a small entry with a receptionist, but is served by the audio system too. Lifts transport guests to a second-floor luxury bar and lounge, a high-end dining room on the third floor, and a fourth-floor roof deck with a retractable roof, a bar, and a lounge that can be rented for private events.

Every area is served by the Symetrix network, Lab.gruppen amplifiers, and Martin Audio CDD-Series loudspeakers. The dining room also uses Martin Audio C6.8T in-ceiling loudspeakers, while the rooftop system muscles up a bit with a combination of CDD10’s and Martin Audio CSX118 subwoofers. Encompass AV

provided a variety of inputs to the Symetrix Dante network. Three Sonos connect networked audio players enable streaming of the venue’s commercial Spotify account, and there are two CD sources for video and four Shure wireless microphones.

The rooftop lounge sports an Attero Tech unD6I0-BT Dantenetworked audio wall plate, which offers stereo Bluetooth inputs and stereo analogue inputs on RCA and 3.5mm TRS jacks, plus stereo outputs. Downstairs, near the DJ booth, is a two-in, two-out Attero Tech unD3IO Dante-networked audio wall plate. “Attero Tech is a good match for our Symetrix Dante networks. It’s solid stuff, it sounds great, works great, and we haven’t had any issues.

And Symetrix DSPs work very well with third-party products such as Attero Tech interfaces and Lab.gruppen amplifiers. They all talk and play nicely,” Tim said.

“It’s another benefit of using Symetrix DSPs.” System control relies on custom software written by the Encompass AV team, while a Symetrix ARC-3 wall panel in the main fourth floor rack provides emergency backup control. “We do the sound systems for all of Gibsons’ restaurants,” Tim explained. “The sound quality at Gibsons Italia is second to none, they are very happy with the sound. And by basing the system on Symetrix DSPs and other highquality components, it’s extremely reliable and will continue to provide that quality.”

S H OR TLISTE D - C O NCER T HALL F I R ST ONTAR I O PER F OR MING A RT S CENT RE TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Ontario, Canada Manufacturers: Alcon Audio Acoustician: Jaffe Holden Installer: Westbury National Show Systems Project Submitted By: Alcons Audio Opened in 2015, First Ontario Performing Arts Centre (PAC) is a 95,000 sq ft, state-of-the-art cultural and education facility, located in the Canadian city of St Catharines. It includes the Film House Screen & Stage, a 199-seat digital movie screening room which features an Alcons Audio pro-ribbon CRMS Cinema Reference Monitor System.

As well as the Film House Screen & Stage, PAC features two large theatres and a studio theatre. Situated next to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, part of the city’s Brock University, PAC attracts 125,000 visitors every year and 500 university students daily, many of whom attend lectures in the Film House Screen & Stage.

As it is used for both public screenings and education, high audio quality in the Film House was a key requirement. The audio system was designed by Connecticut-based acoustic consultants Jaffe Holden and installed by Ontario-based Westbury National Show Systems.

“The initial design was for a different system, but this was changed to an Alcons pro-ribbon solution for a number of reasons, a key one being that the sound quality of the CRMS is fantastic,” said Ben Bausher, Associate Principal, Audio/Video at Jaffe Holden. “Our aim is to deliver systems where every component is as good and as well-suited to the environment as it can possibly be. We felt that this is a space which really played to the strengths of the CRMS technology.”

The system comprises three Alcons CRMS mkII Cinema Reference Monitor Systems and a pair of CB362 high-output full-size subwoofer systems mounted behind the screen. A pair of CB181sl shallow subwoofer systems and eight CRMS-SR reference surrounds are mounted on the ceiling, firing down. The system is powered and controlled by three Alcons Sentinel3 and one Sentinel10 amplified loudspeaker controllers.

The system proved very straightforward to tune and has helped to make the space one of the city’s favourite movie theatres.

“The client has been extremely happy with the system from day one,” said Ben. “There have been no requests for any changes since it was set up and it has immediately become one of St Catharines most popular movie houses.”

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S H OR TLISTE D - C O NCER T HALL M U S I C BOX Technical Details Location: San Diego, USA Manufacturers: VUE Audiotechnik Project Submitted By: VUE Audiotechnik In the heart of San Diego’s Little Italy sits an upscale music venue that has quickly become a popular stop for a growing roster of national performing acts and A-list corporate clientele. Opened in 2015, Music Box has hosted such notable talent as Snoop Dogg, Halsey, Luis Fonsi, Rufus Du Sol, Jidenna, and Switchfoot, as well as private events for Lamborghini, Qualcomm, Sony, JP Morgan Chase, the US Navy, and Marriott, to name a few.

With its reputation on the rise and an increasingly packed calendar, General Manager, Joe Rinaldi along with the venue’s owners, recently decided that a full audio upgrade was in order. After looking closely at several options, Joe selected an all-VUE solution based around the al-8 line array system and hs-221 ACM subwoofers.

“We definitely wanted a more versatile and robust system that would appeal to a higher caliber of talent,” explained Joe. “After hearing the VUE line arrays I was instantly impressed. I also liked the idea of having a collaborative relationship with a local company.

Our previous system was from Europe, but VUE is practically in our backyard, which makes technical support and service aspects very easy.”

At 13,000 sq ft and a capacity of 705, Music Box offers just enough space to attract national acts, while maintaining an intimate vibe that allows guests to feel connected and fully immersed in the musical experience. Visually, Music Box features a modern industrialchic decor comprised of concrete, steel, glass, and wood. The main floor leads to a 30ft tall open space with a unique and somewhat acoustically challenging three level listening area.

“With the split room and all the reflective surfaces, we knew that coverage was going to be tricky,” said VUE’s Technical Sales Manager, Greg Kirkland. “To make it even more challenging, a weight restriction limited the number of elements we could fly above the stage. We eventually came up with a creative way to split the arrays between flown and stage-stacked components. We used

an EASE model to verify and tweak our design before proceeding to installation.”

The system’s unique split configuration has three al-8 elements flown from either side of the stage covering the top third level listening area. An additional four elements are installed atop a pair of custom shelves placed five feet above stage level directly beneath the flown arrays. The stacked elements deliver ideal coverage for both the main and mid-level listening areas. Low frequency comes courtesy of four hs-221 ACM subwoofers that are positioned across the front of the stage for maximum impact with minimal visual disruption. “The end result is very even coverage not only in the horizontal but vertical plane, which is quite challenging in a club with three floors of audience areas,” said Greg.

Ancillary support is provided by a selection of VUE h-Class high definition models. VUE h-5 dual five-inch systems are deployed as front and balcony fill, while a single h-208 dual eight inch low profile system is ceiling mounted for delay fill at the entrance lobby and bar area.

Power and processing for the al-8 line array come by way of four rack-mount VUEDrive V6D Series Systems Engines. The h-5 fill speaker and the h-208 were ordered without the standard onboard VUEDrive electronics to ease weight and infrastructure concerns.

Instead, a fully optimised rack-mount V4D Systems Engines provide all power and DSP for the two-ancillary h-Class systems. All five rack-mount VUEDrive Systems Engines and the onboard VUEDrive electronics in the subwoofers can be fully networked, with complete system control and monitoring available via SystemVUE software.

The system came online in December 2018, and after just two months of operation, Joe and his team couldn’t be more pleased with their decision. “Coverage is perfect, and the sound quality is absolutely amazing,” concluded Joe. “We have had a lot of great successes over the years with different name brand systems at many different clubs. So, when we say we love our new VUE system, it really comes from the perspective of having heard it all. Even visiting engineers have commented on the overall impact and versatility. I’m not easily surprised, but this system surprises me night after night in all the best ways.”

S H OR TLISTE D - C O NCER T HALL S M I T H CENTER F OR THE PERFO RMING A RT S TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Las Vegas, USA Manufacturer: Meyer Sound Architect: David M. Schwarz Acoustician: Paul Scarbrough, Akustiks Installer: Smith Center Technical Staff Project Submitted By: Meyer Sound The main reinforcement system was recently upgraded with new Meyer Sound LEO family components, including LEOPARD line array loudspeakers and 900-LFC low frequency control elements.

The new LEO Family main system comprises left and right arrays of 19-each LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers with deep bass augmented by three per side ground-stacked 900-LFC low frequency control elements plus three 900-LFC elements in a flown cardioid center array.

Most fill and delay systems were carried over from the original Meyer Sound installation, with some modifications to conform to the new array coverage. Front infills are UPQ-1P loudspeakers, with nine UPM-1P loudspeakers for the full power front-fill configuration or 17 MM-4 for the pit rail in the Broadway configuration. UPJunior and UPJ-1P loudspeakers are mounted as house fills and delays, with four Galileo GALAXY network processors assigned to system drive and optimisation. Two 700-HP subwoofers can be added for heavier rock acts, and an assortment of six different UltraSeries loudspeakers are available for flexible deployment as needed.

The main performance hall of the Smith Center for the Performing Arts presents a challenge familiar to all 21st Century acousticians and sound systems designers: How does one design an acoustical space and a complementary sound system that will support both acoustical performances, whether symphonic or operatic, as well as a wide range of amplified contemporary performances? And if you want to accommodate a large audience, how do you maintain a feeling of intimacy, of connection between audience and the performance on stage. And finally, in a city stocked with countless performance venues of all sizes and types, how can you distinguish your hall as exceptional?

As the principal home for the Las Vegas

Philharmonic, the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall tilted in favor of a vertical, multi-tiered architecture patterned after storied European concert halls and opera houses. The acoustic signature for the space was similarly designed, resulting in an extended reverberation time appropriate for classical concerts.

This, of course, was less than ideal for the wide range of amplified performances in the hall, which range from Broadway shows (School of Rock, The Book of Mormon) to pop and rock performances by major artists such as Jackson Browne and Bernadette Peters.

In order to work successfully in the hall, the sound reinforcement system had to cover an extremely vertical range with uniform levels while also precisely tailoring coverage to avoid overly exciting the hall’s physical acoustics.

Although the hall’s original system had worked quite well in the space, Smith Center Head of Audio John Trace was determined to advance the hall’s audio capabilities to the leading edge. After hearing a demonstration of Meyer Sound’s LEOPARD compact linear line array loudspeakers, he determined it could be the cornerstone of a system that could provide more precise and uniform coverage in the problematic space.

The new system comprises left and right arrays of 19-each LEOPARD loudspeakers for full-range reproduction. Deep bass is augmented by nine 900-LFC low frequency control elements: three per side on the ground plus three elements flown in a cardioid array.

Because the arrays had to be very long to accommodate the required vertical coverage, the system was subject to the inherent low-mid buildup that is acoustically inherent in all line arrays. Fortunately, the Smith Center was one of the first venues to implement Meyer Sound’s new Low-Mid Beam Control (LMBC), a software tool that effectively spreads the low-mid beam uniformly across the coverage area.

Las Vegas is a city of innumerable venues, yet the 2,050-seat Reynolds Hall in Las Vegas’ Smith Center for the Performing Arts stands out as a consummate showcase for entertainment and culture.

Tucked between the I-15 freeway and downtown Las Vegas, Smith Center for the Performing Arts is the centerpiece of a new cultural district. In addition to hosting the Las Vegas Symphony, the Nevada Ballet Theatre and other regional fine arts ensembles, Reynolds Hall is also the city’s leading roadhouse for touring Broadway productions and a preferred site for prestigious pop, rock and jazz concerts. To serve up this varied fare with impeccable sonic quality, the hall’s main reinforcement system was recently upgraded with new Meyer Sound LEO family components, including LEOPARD line array loudspeakers and 900-LFC low frequency control elements.

“When we first listened to the LEOPARDs I was immediately struck by the clarity and detail,” recalled Head of Audio, John Trace. “I was hearing things I’d never heard through a PA loudspeaker before.”

The Smith Center was also among the first venues to implement Meyer Sound’s new Low-Mid Beam Control (LMBC), a new software-based tool for spreading low-mid acoustic output for achieving uniform front-to-back response across the entire system bandwidth. Trace reports that some visiting FOH engineers have found the effect of LMBC somewhat befuddling. “Usually with long arrays they feel they have to make it right, to find out what you have to fix. But here, they found they didn’t have to fix anything,” he concluded.

WINN ER C O N CE R T H A LL PIER 17 TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: New York, USA Manufacturer: Mountain Productions Project Submitted By: Mountain Productions

Mountain Productions was sought out by the Howard Hughes Corporation and Live Nation to provide a one of a kind stage for their rooftop concert venue in the heart of New York City.

The design parameters were that the stage have an appearance that’s different than any other stage in the world. Pier 17 features unmatched views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and the city skyline. Mountain was responsible for the fabrication and design of this one-off piece. There were a number of factors that had to be considered due to the location of the rooftop venue.

The award-winning open top venue is positioned on the East River in Lower Manhattan overlooking the Brooklyn Bridge making it highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions. Mountain were tasked with developing a new stage installation able to withstand and accommodate the unpredictable weather conditions and high winds associated with the location of the building.

The stage is designed to withstand 110 mph winds while using

minimal guy wiring and no ballast weights. Ultimately, the roof attaches to structural davits that the roof already had in place.

To compensate for the high winds, the roof truss was built with thicker roof cords than would be seen in any traditional truss and has a 60ft high profile. All of the stage wind protection was constructed of an incredibly high tensile strength, clear material that offered a one of a kind, see-through stage that allowed the fans to see the Brooklyn Bridge behind the performers no matter what the weather had to offer.

The most challenging part of the entire project was the 8 week timeline Mountain Productions was assigned to design, engineer, fabricate, deliver and install the entire project. The Mountain Productions team addressed this project with speed and expertise fulfilling the brief set out by the Howard Hughes Corporation and Live Nation to provide a one of a kind stage for their rooftop concert venue in the heart of New York City.

The stage build delivered on user experience giving the audience a unique visual opportunity in the centre of New York City. The stage wind protection was constructed of an incredibly high tensile strength, made of clear material that offered a seethrough stage that allowed the fans to see the Brooklyn Bridge behind the performers regardless of the weather conditions.

Given the unique design parameters and compressed timeline Mountain Productions was able to deliver a one of a kind stage.

S H OR TLISTE D H OU SE O F WO RSH IP C H R I S T FELLOW SHI P PO RT S T. L U CIE Technical Details Location: Florida, USA Manufacturers: L-Acoustics Installer: Mankin Media Project Submitted By: L-Acoustics The Port St. Lucie install features 20 K2 and four ARCS II arrays supported by 10 K1-SB and four KS28 subwoofers. Designing the system and the room as two parts of one audio 'whole' meant that considerably fewer fill loudspeakers were needed - just one X15, two X12 and seven X8 coaxial enclosures provide the perfect complement to the main K2 system. A total of 13 LA12X and a pair of LA4X amplified controllers power the entire system.

“Audio of the highest quality is the most important value to live production at Christ Fellowship,” said Mankin Media’s, Tim Corder. “The church goes to great lengths to create a detailed musical mix and it only made sense to prioritise the loudspeaker system in the overall project budget to ensure the highest quality of presentation to the room. There is a certain ‘x-factor’ with K2 that has made it one of the most popular loudspeakers in the world, and this room confirms the magic that this PA brings to live presentations!

“Anyone who designs and installs audio systems for enclosed spaces knows that there are always going to be acoustic challenges that go along with the room; it’s just the nature of live audio,” said Christ Fellowship Audio Director, Danny Dagher. “Mankin helped us turn the typical house of worship audio installation on its head in a lot of ways. Where we would normally be moving PA elements around to make up for pre-existing acoustical issues within the room, in this case, we were able to make revisions to seating layout and even wall placement during the building design phase so that the room would best support the PA.” Key to that was the collaborative use of L-Acoustics’ Soundvision 3D acoustic modeling software by the church, construction team and Mankin engineers during the room design process. “The ability for Soundvision to interface into that process makes it much faster

to marry loudspeaker coverage to architectural details as they are developed and adjusted, as well as being critical to ensuring there are no surprises when it comes to coordination with theatrical lighting and very large LED video canvases,” noted Tim. Danny confirmed that Christ Fellowship Church has been using L-Acoustics products exclusively in all of its spaces on all of its campuses since 2010. “So it was just a question of finding the best fit for what we were trying to achieve at the Port St. Lucie campus,” he said. Although smaller systems like Kara, Kiva II, ARCS WiFo and ARCS II have been utilised on prior CFC projects, Port St. Lucie was the first site to specify a larger K2 rig for its 1,900seat worship space, an ideal solution that Dagher notes “became obvious fairly quickly” in Soundvision.

Tim explained: “The range of L-Acoustics products and the consistent sonic signature across that range have allowed us to deliver a high-level audio experience for Christ Fellowship and others. The power and coverage potential paired with the software tools that L-Acoustics offers, plus a client that was willing to take a different approach, allowed us to start with the PA and kind of work backwards to get an audio experience that is just more alive and dynamic than we could ever achieve with other, more traditional, approaches. This all comes back to the support of Christ Fellowship’s senior leadership. They value great audio and were willing to take this road less traveled along with Mankin and L-Acoustics to create what is really an ideal worship environment.”

Danny added: “This was our first project with Mankin Media, and they were able to really understand and act on our desire for an audio experience that is best described as ‘engaging.’ No room is perfect, but the combination of the room design and the K2 is a great balance where the PA is supporting the room and the room is supporting the PA.” “This all comes back to the support of Christ Fellowship’s senior leadership,” Tim furthered. “They value great audio and were willing to take this road less traveled along with Mankin and L-Acoustics to create what is really an ideal worship environment.”

S H OR TLISTE D - H O USE OF W OR SHIP F I R ST B A PTI ST CHUR C H PENS A CO L A Technical Details Location: Florida, USA Manufacturers: Chauvet Professional Lighting / Visual Designer: Craig Rutherford Installer: Greg Klimetz, Relevant AV Solutions Project Submitted By: Chauvet Professional Founded in 1847, First Baptist Church Pensacola stays young, vibrant and relevant by seeking new ways to engage worshippers.

In addition to its Sunday services, the church offers a host of events, from women’s conferences and mid-week learning sessions to sports activities for people of all ages. Last year, the AVL system in their contemporary worship space, Chipley Hall, was starting to become outdated, so the church’s leadership asked Greg Klimetz of Relevant AV Solutions to come up with an upgrade plan.

Greg did just that, handling all of the rigging and audio himself, but for the lighting part of the project, he turned to his friend Craig Rutherford. No stranger to worship lighting, Rutherford has designed church systems around the US. To add depth and colour to the church’s stage, he developed a design that featured 60 Chauvet Professional fixtures, supplied by Relevant AV Solutions.

“The church’s lighting system didn’t reflect the diverse range of events that were being held in its sanctuary, nor did it have the colour capacity to keep up with its vibrant services,” said Craig.

“Bringing both colour and movement to the stage were my primary goals. Also, the stage itself has a very nice look - it’s kind of oval shaped with a peaked roof and a curved backdrop. It really draws you in and is conducive to creating a sense of engagement.

I wanted lighting that could accentuate the stage’s excellent features with warm rich colours and attractive patterns.”

Key to accenting the stage’s contours was Rutherford’s positioning of 18 COLORado 72 Batten Tour fixtures along the upstage edge and on the stage left and right curves. Used primarily as cyc lights, the COLORado units were pointed upward toward the wall, bathing it in colour.

“The COLORados are providing a very immersive wash around the stage,” said Craig. “However, we also intended for them to be moved (around and be reconfigured as the church wishes. They add a great deal of versatility to the rig, making it easier to light the different events that are held at the church.”

Craig’s design called for moving fixtures to be positioned upstage

so they could provide dramatic backlighting, aerials, textured looks and specials. “The movers contribute so much to the looks during services,” he said. “Also, because they are movers, they can be used in so many different ways, from traditional stage lighting to concert-style effects, so they add to the versatility.”

The most prevalent moving fixture on the backstage truss is the Rogue R1 Wash. Craig hung 12 of these units along the truss structure, from where they are used for aerials and backlighting, in addition to painting the stage with colour. “The R1 Washes really pull the people on stage out of the background, when they’re used to light shoulders and heads,” he said. “Maybe it’s because their output is so good, but whatever the reason, they really make things pop.”

Joining the washes on the upstage truss are eight Rogue R2X Spot fixtures. The church draws on the gobo morphing capabilities of these 300W LED spot units to create textured looks that add depth to the stage.

Craig specified 14 Ovation E-910FC ellipsoidal fixtures for the downstage truss. These units serve as the primary key light on stage. Aside from creating a flat and even field of light, the Ovation fixtures add an important element of colour. “I wanted an ellipsoidal with full colour-mixing ability for special events and pageants,” he said. “The advantages of an LED source are wellknown - power consumption and longevity, but the 910 also uses an RGBA-Lime colour mixing system. This met my requirement that the church has a high-quality white LED key light that matched the other tungsten sources in the room, but also have excellent colour mixing ability.”

Completing the downstage arrangement of fixtures are six COLORado 1-Quad Zoom VW fixtures. These units help fill in the far downstage edges to eliminate shadows.

Looking at the lighting at First Baptist Church Pensacola today, no one would imagine the compressed timeline that the design team worked under when creating it. “I did all of the Vectorworks and Renderworks stuff at my office in Minnesota, then flew to Florida, and entered most of the console programming over the course of two days. My good friend Greg Klimetz, together with Jake Rosa, Greg Klimetz Sr., Van Klimetz and Patrick Seager, who also worked on the install with us, really made everything go smoothly. This is a very dynamic, forward-looking church, and I think the way that we all moved quickly on this project reflected that spirit.”

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Foto: © Ledbox Company

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S H OR TLISTE D - H O USE OF W OR SHIP H O LY S PI R I T C ATHOLI C CHU RCH TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Las Vegas, USA Manufacturers: Meyer Sound, Yamaha Commercial Audio, Shure Architect: JVC Architects Acoustician: Coherent Design Installer: Ford Audio Visual Project Submitted By: Meyer Sound The Meyer Sound split central cluster comprises three arrays of six-each LINA loudspeakers plus three 750-LFC low frequency control elements for deep bass. Two GALAXY network platforms - one 816 and one 408 - supply drive and optimization while an RMServer accesses comprehensive system monitoring.

Unlike many contemporary churches with interior architecture largely resembling a performance space which is largely darkened during worship services, Holy Spirit Catholic Church was designed to be filled with light, either natural sunlight during daytime or from lighting designed to mimic natural light at night, all reflecting off light-colored walls. This meant that loudspeaker arrays could not be suspended up in a darkened ceiling space.

Even if colour-matched they would be in plain view and distract from the effect intended by the architect, interior designer and contributing artists.

Further complicating matters was the circular design of the worship space, with parishioners seated around a ring that required nearly 300º of coverage.

Working closely with the architects, the design-build team worked out a solution wherein three compact loudspeaker arrays would be concealed in a cylindrical soffit surrounding the central skylight. However, both space and weight allowances were severely restricted. The system also would have to incorporate subwoofers to enable full-bandwidth music reproduction, the architecture allowed no other placement options. In addition, lack of suitable space for amplifier racks dictated a self-powered solution.

After evaluating available options, Coherent Designs Principal, David Starck drafted a system configuration based on three arrays of six-each Meyer Sound LINA line array loudspeakers bolstered by three 750-LFC low frequency control elements (subwoofers) for bass extension. This design provided ample power for the church’s contemporary music ensembles while ensuring precise clarity for the spoken word.

Mounting of the loudspeakers for proper orientation within the restricted space required careful fabrication of custom supports, with

installation expertly accomplished by Ford AV under the supervision of Project Manager Randy Robbins.

By blending contemporary Southwestern architecture with a striking variety of modern and traditional inspirational art, Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Las Vegas immerses up to 1600 worshippers in an extraordinary visual experience. “The building design by JVC architects was truly extraordinary,” said Audiovisual Systems Designer, David Starck, a principal of Las Vegas-based consulting firm, Coherent Design. “It is visually stunning, with the feel of a traditional Catholic church, yet it’s also very contemporary.”

For an equally captivating aural experience, a concealed Meyer Sound reinforcement system - based on LINA very compact line array loudspeakers - supplies crisp speech intelligibility along with the power reserves and linear response needed to support a diverse music program “Our worship music includes gospel, choir and worship songs,” said Ivan Diaz, the church’s IT and Media Director. "But our system must also accommodate anything from our baby grand piano to flutes, violins, saxophone and cajón along with other percussion instruments. At the end of the day, our purpose here is to worship and spread the Word of God. Having high quality sound that is intelligible, and can be loud when needed, is imperative.

Our parishioners count on us to provide that. Everybody in the building needs to feel like they have ‘the best seat’.”

According to Ivan, after more than a decade of worshipping in temporary quarters in an adjacent high school, the sound quality in the church is a revelation. “People are blown away,” he related.

“Some tell me that they have been listening to the same singers for 10 years and only now can they hear everyone’s voices.”

To complement the quality of the loudspeaker systems, David specified premium quality front-end audio components, including a Yamaha TF-5 digital mixing console and 12 channels of Shure ULX-D wireless microphones.

WINN E R H O U SE O F WO RSH IP RE D E M P T I O N TO THE N AT I O NS C H UR C H TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Tennessee, USA Manufacturers: Elation Professional, DiGiCo, QSC, Lab.gruppen, OCD Labs, OCD Cases, Middle Atlantic, Resolume, Novastar, SquareV, MA Lighting, Hazebase, SewWhat?, Leprecon, TMB, Lanshack, Westpenn Wire, CBI, Motion Labs, Lyntec, Stagemaker, Tyler Truss, Fehr, The Light Sour Distributor: Intyde Architect: Mona Lantzourakis AIX Lighting / Visual Designer: Intyde Installer: Intyde Project Submitted By: Elation Professional

Redemption to the Nations Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, one of the fastest growing churches in the country, recently renovated its 2000-seat sanctuary and outfitted the space with a new Elation intelligent lighting system speced and installed by intyde.

The growing ministry sits on the site of the former Highland Park Baptist Church, a once iconic megachurch, as well as the campus of defunct Tennessee Temple University. With a vision to gather the entire ministry onto one campus, church leaders took the opportunity to acquire the 55-acre site in 2014 and transformed it into the Redemption to the Nations campus.

As many of the campus buildings were outdated with antiquated lighting and audio systems, Redemption to the Nations began to renovate a number of buildings, including the 2000-seat worship auditorium. intyde, a creative systems integration company that specialises in designing scalable audio, video and lighting systems, is Redemption to the Nations’ vendor of choice for many of the campus renovations and completed an in-house design build for the sanctuary - new audio, video and lighting systems, including the infrastructure needed to support them.

Planning of the sanctuary renovation began in April of 2017 with the intyde team also handling the full system design. The sanctuary building, which hadn’t been updated since sometime in the ‘80s, was completely gutted and rebuilt. “There was no cohesive lighting concept before, just a mix of static and older automated lights and other discharge fixtures,” stated intyde Integration Sales Manager, Nathan Tomberlin. “Most of the previous lighting was discharge

fixtures and the power draw was huge. That was something we wanted to address. It also made for a very warm platform.”

Although the client didn’t specifically request LED lighting, according to Tomberlin, their desire to lessen the power draw, eliminate a large circuit count and save on the power bill naturally led intyde to an all LED lighting solution. “They also save on maintenance costs, upkeep is down and they saved by not having to invest in dimmers and additional transformers,” Nathan continued. “We wanted to give them tools to create great moments and with the Elation lighting system. I think we’ve done that.”

The all LED lighting system, a remarkably fast install, is impressive and includes a variety of Elation LED moving heads - Satura Profile, Platinum SEVEN, Platinum Spot III and ACL 360i, along with Colour 5 Profile ellipsoidals and SixBar 500 battens.

The worship auditorium, a large space that measures 124ft deep and is extremely wide at 253ft, required an even front wash of light across a roomy stage. The previous system did that poorly by using 50ft of a single truss layer to attempt a 120ft wide wash. Nathan described the intyde solution: “Instead of filling up a front truss with ellipsoidals, we started the design by identifying each position on stage and on the house floor, and designed a tri truss layered (upstage, downstage, altar) three-point focus on front wash with Colour 5 Profiles supplemented with Satura Profiles with their 20,000 lumens of power and framing shutters.”

The design merges church lighting with theatrical lighting. Each fixture group, when used alone, demonstrates a unique but complete

look in the design while allowing ample room for creativity. “There should always be a balance between design and function, and each fixture should serve a purpose,” Nathan stated. “We needed to provide a powerful back-lighting solution and decided the Platinum Seven with its multi-zones and dynamic zoom range was the best choice for cost/function. The Platinum Spot LED III was the obvious pairing to the Platinum Seven for the rear spot position with its zoom-able spot with frost and changeable gobos.”

The powerful ACL 360i single-beam moving effects are used to complement the vertical LED display columns by creating stacked beams with a full range of motion. intyde added the SixBar 500’s and its individual LED control to supplement the LED wall for a minimal static colour look. Lumen output of all the LED luminaires had to be sufficient enough to power through the 1200nit LED wall and as much of the lighting is on motors, full design changes and reconfiguration of the LED wall and lighting are uncomplicated.

To underline the system’s adaptability, Nathan said that any of the lighting equipment can be motored down and moved elsewhere on campus if required.

With an all new infrastructure and state-of-the-art entertainment technology systems, the Redemption to the Nations sanctuary operates as a full functioning theatre or touring house that effectively serves the wide variety of applications the sanctuary space is used for - conferences, plays, concerts, live broadcasting and special events, as well as the ministry’s many weekly services. It’s no wonder that Nathan calls it ‘the best venue in Chattanooga’.

S H OR TLISTE D - IN TEGR AT ED R ESOR T N AT I O NAL GEOGR APHI C E NCO U NT ER: O CEA N O DY S S EY Technical Details Location: New York, USA Manufacturers: Chauvet Professional Distributor & Installer: 4Wall Entertainment Lighting / Visual Designer: Howard Werner of Lightswitch Project Submitted By: Chauvet Professional Anyone in the Big Apple can now experience this underwater treasure and a host of other nautical wonders by visiting National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey. Located in Times Square, this 60,000-square foot multi-media experience digitally takes visitors on an entertaining, immersive adventure across the ocean, from the South Pacific to the coast of California, where guests can get up close with dozens of species, including mischievous sea lions, sharks, a 50ft Humpback whale, a battle between two ferocious Humboldt squids, and much more.

Adding to the immersive environment in the multi-room experience is an elaborate lighting design by Lightswitch. Used throughout Encounter, the CHAUVET Professional fixtures add colour and texture to its key scenic elements. “Video is a major storytelling element in Encounter, but the reason it works is that all of the design elements, including the lighting design, work as a whole,” said Howard Werner of Lightswitch. “The lighting not only sets the scene for a movie to play, but also is in sync with the video and the audio elements of Encounter. This synchronisation is what creates a cohesive design and fully immersive experience.”

“We used the E-910FCs in several different areas,” continued Howard. “In one space, we had to create ‘simulated’ shadows of kelp on a wall. There is a scenic kelp forest in the space but lighting the kelp and creating real shadows wasn’t possible

because of the limited hanging positions. Therefore, we created custom templates that had false kelp shadows in them, and then projected them onto the walls using Ovation E-910FC fixtures.

Colour and intensity were then balanced to create a seamless look.”

For visitors, their experience begins before they even enter the actual venue, which is located below ground. The street level lobby has a 'watery texture' on the floor, created in part with six Ovation E-260WW ellipsoidals. Howard said: "The high-output Ovation units were selected because we wanted some punch in a space that gets plenty of daylight through large windows.”

CHAUVET Professional proves yet again to be the best value option, as our products complement each other and are able to fulfil the needs of a large project with a varied range of fixtures.

Over 150 COLORado 1 Solo RGBW fixtures are positioned at various points throughout Encounter to wash areas with deep blues and greens, to enhance its realistic effect. “The COLORados are great lights for projects like this,” said Howard. “They are small, versatile and relatively inexpensive with short lead times.”

A memorable moment at National Geographic Encounter is the 'Bait Ball' scene, which features a massive 40ft dome with 3D video that depicts dolphins, birds and Humpback whales feeding on large groups of tightly packed fish. Lightswitch used COLORdash Batten-Quad 12 fixtures in the Bait Ball scene in order to create a realistic moment in nature.

In combination with the other CHAUVET Professional products, Lightswitch was able to incorporate a large number of fixtures, keep the installation balanced between lighting, audio and video, and create an experience that surrounds and transports visitors from beginning to end.

S H OR TLISTE D - IN TEGR AT ED R ESOR T S P YSC APE TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: New York, USA Manufacturer: L-Acoustics Distributor: Firehouse Productions Acousticians: Ross Phillips, Nick Ryan, Davey Williamson, Adjaye Associates, Installer: Atlas AV Project Submitted By: L-Acoustics SPYSCAPE, the contemporary and interactive museum dedicated to espionage in Manhattan, shows the many facets of the spyvs-spy game. In doing so, it also reveals how L-Acoustics’ L-ISA Immersive Hyperreal Sound technology makes the fantastic believable. Deployed across two main rooms of the 60,000 sq ft Midtown venue, the museum’s permanently installed L-ISA technology comprises five dozen L-Acoustics enclosures of various models into two multi-channel setups - 38.1 in one of them - that completely immerse large groups of visitors in an experiential espionage adventure, maximising storytelling and engagement.

Working closely with SPYSCAPE Creative Director Ross Phillips, London-based Audio Director, Nick Ryan and Technical Sound Designer/Immersive Mixing Engineer, Davey Williamson were responsible for the sound design experience the museum would present to its audience.

“We wanted to create a complex, captivating custom speaker deployment that enhanced the space and had almost limitless potential for immersive audio delivery to the audience,” Davey explained. “We designed the system from the ground up, working closely with Adjaye Associates, to ensure both of our concepts for audio and architecture complimented each other and worked in unison.”

Davey said L-ISA’s ability to let them precisely position each speaker and then apply object-based mixing over 300 channels of audio across this complex

soundscape creates an astounding level of immersiveness. “We used a mixture of static placement and dynamic movement in our mixing palette, which came to great effect with the film’s immersive three-sided screen layout,” he explained.

“We used Pyramix’s automation workflow with the L-ISA VST plug-in on 64 tracks to control the L-ISA Processor,” continued Davey. “We sent MIDI clock to both Pyramix and L-ISA Controller from Logic so snapshots in the controller session were available and to keep Pyramix in sync. With so much of the visual content represented with sound design, we had a huge task to spatialise the environment with the audio soundtrack. Pyramix worked perfectly in tandem with the L-ISA controller, as the detailed yet efficient automation workflow was able to modify the locations of the sources in the L-ISA Controller as required.

Upon entering SPYSCAPE, guests step into one of the world’s largest elevators and view a 270º sound-and-video 'briefing' with audio in full surround as well as overhead. A narrator speaks, the voice cosseted by three-dimensional atmospheric pads and music beds, accented with computer sounds and textures that complement the visuals.

The 19.1 L-ISA Hyperreal Immersive Sound configuration is comprised of three coaxial X12 loudspeakers and three smaller 5XT on each side; left and right rear channels each use a pair of 5XT; the overhead 'elevated' audio uses six 5XT loudspeakers; and the system is anchored by a single SB18 subwoofer. Each of the 20 channels has its own amplifier channel through five LA4X amplified controllers. The systems were integrated by Swansea, Wales-based Atlas AV with local support from Certified Provider Firehouse Productions. The museum is located only a few blocks away from L-Acoustics’ NYC office, a convenient location for Application Engineer, Jesse Stevens to provide additional on-site system support.

The film and music/sound design for the Briefing Lift were created

by Territory Studio and synced via both Logic Pro X and Avid ProTools to gain the 300-plus discrete tracks that were required.

A DiGiGrid MGB was to transport 64 channels of MADI as sources into a Pyramix system with a Merging Technologies HAPI audio interface.

SPYSCAPE’s second L-ISA room continues this effect on an even larger scale. The Surveillance Challenge 360º room is arguably the show piece of the museum: a large, cylindrical space, around 50ft diameter and 26ft in height, and the gallery tells the story of surveillance. Here, 38 loudspeakers and a pair of subwoofers create a 38.1 system. The system comprises three rings of 10 5XT loudspeakers each: one at floor level, one at the mid-wall height, and one at ceiling level. Eight more 5XT are deployed in a smaller ring on the ceiling pointed at visitor head height. Two SB18 subwoofers placed in the centre of the ceiling facing down provide low frequency coverage throughout the room. A total of 10 LA4X amplified controllers power all elements across 40 discrete amplification channels.

“Sherif El Barbari at L-ISA Labs, as well as the rest of the L-Acoustics team - including Guillaume, Florent, Cédric and Sylvain - were such a huge help in being able to pull this whole project off. The sound may be ‘undercover’ as far as the general public is aware, but it’s a mission-critical component to SPYSCAPE’s complete success,” explained Davey.

S H OR TLISTE D - IN TEGR AT ED R ESOR T SY M P HONY OF THE SEAS Technical Details Location: Florida, USA Manufacturers: Elation Professional, ADJ Owner / Builder: Royal Caribbean International / Chantiers de l’Atlantique Lighting / Visual Designer: Christopher Vlassopulos, Royal Caribbean International; Benjamin Couling, Project Manager New Build SLVR at Royal Caribbean International Project Submitted By: Elation Professional Royal Caribbean has again built the largest and most advanced cruise ship in the world, a state-of-the-art Oasis-class ship named Symphony of the Seas that features all new experiences while continuing to minimise the energy footprint with energy-efficient infrastructure like Elation Professional LED lighting systems. With Symphony of the Seas, Royal Caribbean has set new standards in terms of energy-efficient onboard entertainment lighting systems.

Built at the Chantiers de l’Atlantique shipyard in Saint-Nazaire, France, Symphony of the Seas can host around 6,600 passengers plus 2,200 crew. The ship is packed with all of the perks you would expect of a big mega-cruiser along with new thrills to enhance the guest experience.

Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Royal Caribbean aimed to improve the ship’s energy efficiency performance and reduce its environmental impact and the large number of Elation LED lighting products fit that energy saving ethos perfectly with significant savings in power and dollars. Chantiers de l’Atlantique worked with Benjamin Couling, Project Manager - New Build SLVR at Royal Caribbean International, who specified the equipment for all entertainment lighting onboard and commissioned the lighting systems ship wide. He also project-managed the install in the Royal Theater and Studio B. With Symphony, as with Harmony of the Seas, the savings is marked. “The directive of no incandescent lamps onboard and no lamp changes means we realise millions of dollars in savings over the lifetime of Royal Caribbean ships,” said Christopher Vlassopulos, Manager Sound & Light for Royal Caribbean International, who coordinated the design and specification for all the entertainment equipment in Symphony of the Seas’ public spaces, including the ship’s entertainment lighting systems.

“By switching from incandescent to LED we benefit from less maintenance and less power used, and with less heat generated there is a lower burden on the air conditioning system which translates into power and fuel savings. The dollar savings over the lifetime of a ship is quite significant.” The savings extends to other areas as well - less cabling, fewer connections, and no dimmers.

From an entertainment lighting perspective, many of the Elation LED lighting systems in the ship’s entertainment and relaxation areas mirror those found on sister-ship Harmony of the Seas albeit with updated fixture choices. “Nearly every aspect is the same as that found on Harmony,” stated Christopher. “One key exception is in Studio B, where the conventional fixtures were all taken out and replaced with all DMX-controllable automated lighting, which is a significant difference.”

One of many Royal Caribbean innovations, Studio B is a favourite among guests. It is a theatre-in-the-round ice rink where world class figure skaters perform a high-tech ice-skating show called ‘1977’ that brings guests to London where the crown jewels are stolen in the heist of the century.

The time-travel adventure pairs state-of-the-art projection and lighting technology with highly skilled entertainers to bring the performance to life.

Keeping up with the high-paced ice skating show and adding an enhancing visual dimension to the show is a dynamic lighting rig made up of nearly all Elation LED luminaires: Platinum Seven LED moving heads, Artiste DaVinci CMY and graphics luminaires, Proton 3K LED strobes and Colour Chorus 72 LED battens. “The Elation lighting in Studio B is the best constellation for performance, energy saving and maintenance,” Christopher added.

In the evening, most guests head to the two-deck Royal Theatre, where a production of the Tony award-winning Broadway hit ‘Hairspray’ is featured, as well as an original production titled ‘Flight: Dare to Dream.’ Both shows thrill audiences using a bevy of Elation lights including Artiste DaVinci and Platinum Seven moving heads, Colour Chorus 72 LED battens, Fuze Wash Z350 LED moving head wash lights, ZCL 360i beam effects, Platinum Beam 5R Extreme and Proton 3K LED strobes. Meanwhile, adding colour and effect to two shows at the AquaTheater, an impressive openair stage and high-diving acrobatic performance space at the back of the ship, are SixPar 300 IP colour changers and Proton 3K LED strobe lights.

Other entertainment technology upgrades onboard Symphony include new fixtures on the pool deck where Elation ELAR 108 Par lights - staples on previous Royal Caribbean ships - have been replaced with Elation’s SixPar 200 IP, a weatherproof LED Par light that gives a bigger and better overall colour wash, according to Vlassopulos. The SixPars house a high-power six-colour LED multi-chip and are used to light up the bandstand and pool deck in vibrant colour. In fact, the versatile colour wash lights are employed across Symphony from the Royal Promenade and AquaTheater, to the pool deck and FlowRider surf area, as well as in club and lounge areas.

When strolling down the Royal Promenade, a popular meeting area running the length of the ship where guests come to shop, dine and be entertained, Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro 3 LED moving heads, Fuze Wash Z350 and SixPar 100's are used as atmospheric and show enhancement throughout the day and night, including for a popular parade spectacle complete with performers and floats called ‘Anchors Aweigh.’

Symphony of the Seas keeps guests entertained well into the evening and when the hour gets late a host of venues keep the good vibes going late into the night. Elation LED lighting is used to add colour and excitement to a host of onboard clubs, bars and lounges including Royal Caribbean’s signature Latin club Boleros, Dazzles nightclub, The Attic comedy club, On Air Club, and Jazz on 4, as well as teen areas.

WINN E R I N T E GR ATE D RE SO RT MIR AG E DETR OI T TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Detroit, USA Manufacturers: GLP, MA Lighting Architect: Behnisch & Partner, Stuttgart, Germany Project Submitted By: GLP Renowned Production Lighting Designer, Andi Watson, recently undertook one of his most challenging projects ever - this time, in the art world, thanks to a collaboration with LA-based mixedmedia artist Doug Aitken. Conceived by Doug Aitken Workshop, the mirrored art installation, Mirage Detroit, has transformed the 100-year-old Savings Bank in Detroit into a mesmerising, mindaltering adventure for visitors, due in part to the judicious use of customised GLP fixtures, which are used exclusively to light the space.

Detroit is an American city that captures the imagination, with a history rooted in both industry and culture. Walking through the streets of downtown, the venue for Mirage Detroit greets its viewer with a grand stone facade, where a set of stairs leads to an entryway. Inside, a vast interior space that spans nearly a full city block is lined with classical columns. Anchored in the centre of the space is an antiquated bank vault, frozen in time, along with the awe-inspiring architectural details waiting to be reawakened.

Passing through the space and walking further into the darkened room, slowly choreographed light illuminates Mirage Detroit.

River rocks and earth displace under foot as the lights reflect off the structure and beckon the viewer to enter the artwork.

Andi explained that the collaboration came about largely by chance. “I had been working on another project in Detroit with the Library Street Collective team who were in the early stages of putting together Mirage Detroit with Doug. Several things fell into place and Anthony and JJ from LSC suggested to Doug that he and I should talk about the lighting component of the piece.”

The concept, in which the 70,000 sq ft Silvers Building was transformed into a kaleidoscopic world of reflective mirrors, fomented over several months and via a myriad of conference calls. “Doug sent me detailed drawings and renders of how the piece was going to look in the space and we discussed how the lighting would be used to bring both buildings to life,” added Andi.

His first site visit proved inspirational as he became immersed among the white marble walled interior and arched Roman colonnades. Describing the building as “incredible”, he noticed that this internal architecture gave an impression of “strength, confidence, safety and security.” But he also observed that, over the decades, it had been damaged and become vulnerable.

Both collaborators agreed that only white light would be used in the installation. Andi said: “To me, light is the medium and the language with which the Silvers Building and Mirage communicate. I wanted that communication to be as pure as possible and not affected by a subjective colour choice.”

However, this presented a conundrum as there was nothing on the market that would satisfy the colour requirement and deliver the combination of power and control. With time running out, GLP stepped in. Andi continued: “At the time I was putting the design together for Mirage Detroit, I was on tour with Radiohead. I had quite a lot of GLP X4L (large LED moving heads] and X4 Bars in the rig and I had completely fallen in love with them. The combination of rich, saturated colours a clean white, really good optics and pixel level control enabled me to create both beautifully lit scenes and gorgeous modulated effects. Everything was perfect about the fixture for Mirage Detroit, except the colours. I explained this

Photo: Doug Aitken

to Mark [Ravenhill] and he amazingly said that GLP could fabricate custom cold white/warm white versions of the X4 Bar, X4 L and X4 XL” Mirage Detroit is a suburban house, built using mirrored panels which sits on a bed of stones sourced from a local river. The interior is empty and for the visitor, the shape and structure of the piece is revealed by the multiple reflections of the building, the pebbles, the wooden floor and, of course, the visitors themselves.

The installation is in essence how light plays with all the surfaces in this illusory world reflecting from the Silvers Building to Mirage and back again in a constant conversation.

One of the key building blocks of the lighting installation was the creation of a custom dimmer curve that matched ‘normal, resting’ human breathing. Andi explained: “I wanted the buildings to breathe and be alive and for people to perceive that on an almost unconscious level. My programmer, Rob Gawler, researched and created a scientifically accurate and sublimely beautiful dimmer curve that became the basis for nearly everything we did.

“Because the fixtures only ever move in blackout, the only parameters we had to play with were the very limited colour range - warm white to cold white - and the individual cell intensities. Rob and I spent many nights programming the various intensity modulations and delicate colour shifts. There is always a reason why the lighting is changing in the way it does. Often this is a result of my ideas about the conversation between the buildings and how the emotions, memories, dreams and hopes could be represented by the movement and the temperature of the light.

“Because the lighting is constantly changing, even if almost imperceptibly so, it creates an ever changing environment that enables this dialogue between the Silvers Building and Mirage.

The number of unique perceived environments is limited only by the time spent in the space. A visit could last minutes or even hours and always feel unique.”

The visitors themselves become a modulating factor in the end result. “When the lights are directed across the stones, shadows of people are created which affects the overall look and feel,” added

Andi. “Inside Mirage, the experience is very much about the distorted and fragmented reflections that repeat almost endlessly and so when the visitors themselves form part of those reflections, and are lit or are in shadow, they themselves become a part of the visual experience. Since Mirage is made of highly polished mirrors, you only see it by what is reflected in it.”

Everything is controlled from a MA Lighting grandMA2 and the lighting installation is built from variable sets of cues that segue together. “We are using the functionality of the console to switch everything on and off and run various cue sequences depending upon the time and exact date.”

The sources needed to be as discreet as possible, and the fixtures, other than the X4 XL’s, that backlit the arched windows on the second floor of the building, were sensitively made to blend into the fabric of the building.

In terms of deployment and functionality, the X4 Bars were used to uplight the marble columns, light Mirage directly or act as down/cross lighting for the pebble floor. The X4 L fixtures were used to backlight the second floor arched windows and were also used in the corners of the room where there are ‘L’ shaped columns. The giant pan-head X4 XLs were used with to downlight from the ceiling of the Silvers Building, either with a narrow beam directly through Mirage’s chimney or with a wider beam to reflect light and colour from the pitched roof of Mirage back up onto the ceiling.

Finally, the tiny X4 atoms were used for an improvisational performance by Jónsi of Sigur Ros on the opening night and subsequently to discreetly light the inside of the bank safe.

For the live performance, Andi, in his more familiar metier, had wanted to keep the lighting holistic with the rest of the treatment for the space. “So, when [Jónsi’s] team informed us that they wanted him lit with Birdies, I immediately contacted Mark [Ravenhill] to see if he could provide some atoms, which he graciously did. In that way, we could keep everything LED-based and maintain consistency between the colours used everywhere in the space.”

SH O R TLISTE D - N IGHT CLUB ANAL O G BKNY Technical Details Location: New York, USA Manufacturers: SBS Designs, SBS Slammer, Crown, Urei, White Instruments, Ashly, Lavry, Schiit, SBS Thrive Audio, Pioneer, Bryston, RCF, Faital Distributor: SBS Designs, SBS Slammer Installer: SBS Slammer Craig Bernabeu, Engineer & Designer Project Submitted By: CMB Productions Inc. Craig Bernabeu The main challenges during the install, was to be able to counter act the cinderblock walls, cement floor and live aspect of this space and get the SBS Slammer to perform like it is in a treated room with wood floors.

I had to design my own processing and amplifiers with loudspeakers that had perfect synergy, this took a lot of time and engineering to get right. I would design processing and amplifiers then make changes to them if they were not performing to my standards. I had try drivers with certain Thiele small parameters and materials used from the under hung coils, to formers and cone materials in these components, to see how they would work for months. Then, change all of them until I found exactly what I needed, every driver until I got the sound I needed out of the Series I v3 SBS Slammer, as I wanted to sweeten up the texture and voicing of the SBS Slammer.

I would search the internet for new old stock vacuum tubes from the '60s for the SBS Designs SP-1 & SP-1Pro valve expanders that I designed and manufacturer. I didn't like the way the output

stages sounded or the way any of the mixers sounded, so I designed my own SBS Designs Membrane pre amplifiers to bypass the output stages to get the widest frequency response and sound quality. I needed with proper gain - pricey and time consuming but a worthy approach.

The SBS Slammer should win because it is the most advanced and finest sounding system built to date, which is what awards are really for, the best performance, the ultimate test bed for technology or studio mix downs with the finest Class AB amplifiers and finest solid state and tube processors by SBS Designs. The DJ mixer and other components are all modified for the best performance.

Major manufacturers and producers have tested their products to see how they really sound on the SBS Slammer at Analog BKNY. It is all custom with an unorthodox approach for the finest playback that is not available by any manufacturer. It is 100% pure engineering that is not ordered from catalogue or any over the counter loudspeakers, this is a 100% handmade to order system that is one-of-a-kind that is designed around the space, to have the finest fidelity with processing that is not available anywhere.

The DJs can perform here, like nowhere else and hear music and details that are missing on any other system in any other room.

Built off Hi-Fi principles that is not one dimensional that can play any style of music back in a flawless and musical manor so you don’t leave with your ears ringing for days. It is simply the finest playback sound system with the finest hand components that no major made or other system can match that.

S H OR TLISTE D - N IGHT CLUB C L U B 88 TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Campinas, Brazil Manufacturers: Star Lighting, MADRIX Project Submitted By: Star Lighting The ethos of Club 88 is to support the vision of freedom and the will to promote, what they believe, to be interesting, challenging, innovative and creative.

The name Club 88 originated from the year 1988, the year that marked the beginning of the second ‘Summer of Love’, an iconic movement for the electronic music scene, in not just America, but all over the world.

The fast-paced nature of the nightclub meant that users didn’t have a quieter space to socialise and recharge, so Club 88 decided to expand, creating the lounge bar, which customers could utilise.

The operators of the venue invited Architect, Whillyan Barros, to help design the space. “I was responsible for defining the types of lighting that would be best for the design - indirect light, decorative light and effect light. I also created the decorative elements to the doors of the dancefloor,” Whillyan explained.

“We aimed to enhance the architectural elements of the historic building, using LED lighting to create atmosphere and effects for the set up.”

The nightclub is part of a historic building built in 1925, it was important for the owners to maintain as much of the history as possible, while also rescuing elements that were disintegrating.

“The lounge bar had indirect lighting that served both for the calmer and intense moments in the venue, which is a necessity for creating effects to transform the space on the second dancefloor. In fact, the quality emphasises the factors of the historic building, therefore creating countless options of scenes and effects,”

Whillyan explained.

The dancefloor is an exact replica of the design on the doors backlit acrylic with RGB LED strips. To complete the ceiling, six 200W beam moving heads with 5R lamps were used, accompanied

by DMFE Dance 240 console and MADRIX software.

Club 88 turned to local supplier, Star Lighting, to provide the equipment needed to create the expansion and to allow Whillyan to turn his ideas into reality. The team were met with the brief that the set up was to merge the characteristics of a classic building, with LED technology and futurism, using colourful lights with dynamism.

“We offered several product options, for the doors and windows with vaults, we suggested the LED Wash Bar. We recommended this product due to the light power and the opening angle of the beam. We also opted for that because of the possibility to use various colour shades of RGB,” said Rosani from Star Lighting.

“For the ceiling of Club 88, we suggested the moving head beam 200, we took into account the power of the lamp 5R. We suggested MADRIX for running the Pixel LED strips with 32 LEDs per metre, in order to create the best possible dynamic of the lights running through the nightclub.”

To create the various colour effects in the Lounge Bar, LED wash bar with 216 RGB 10mm power leads, opening angle of 35°, were used in the balcony doors of the façade. They have the ideal intensity to draw attention to the façade without overshadowing anyone inside the nightclub. RGB LED strips were used on the walls of the club, making the outline of the decorative elements in plaster; all controlled via DMX console Dance 240.

To control the Pixel LED strips on the ceiling, MADRIX 16 DMX universes were fitted. 200W beam moving heads with 5R lamp, have been installed due to the power and concentration of the light beam, which had a great effect on the dancefloor. Along with some LED RGB Spots, which is controlled by the Smart Control DMX console.

“We were briefed by the owners and Whillyan, who came directly to our showroom to familiarise themselves with the products and possibilities we offered for their project,” commented Rosani. “We tailored the products according to each specific need, and kept up with the project providing technical advice from the beginning of the creative process, through installation, until the training for the technician was completed, who would then control the lighting.

Due to this consulting, we were able to understand the architect’s design and indicate the products with the ideal characteristics to reach the excellent final result.”

As Club 88 is a historic building, the venue wanted to pay homage to its heritage, the 88 number also represents the 88 keys of the grand piano.

“The biggest challenge was to install in such a historic building, where some types of interventions were not possible, and the alternative was to use out wireless DMX transmitter to transmit the signal,” Whillyan concluded.

With its brand new expansion, Club 88 show no signs of slowing down with their 2018 calendar already filling up - I have no doubt party-goers will, without a doubt, be utilising the Lounge Bar to fulfil their clubbing needs.

S H OR TLISTE D - N IGHT CLUB S A L O N D AOM É Technical Details Location: Montréal, Canada Manufacturers: L-Acoustics Installer: Solotech Project Submitted By: L-Acoustics Patrice Lavoie, Audio Technical Advisor at Solotech said: “It’s a relatively simple setup driven by three LA8 amplified controllers, including four ARCS WiFo deployed as two Focus and two Wide per side with a centre line of three SB28 subwoofers. There is also a pair of X12 coaxials and an SB15 subwoofer for the DJ booth, plus a couple of X8 deployed as delays. The room is pretty small and most club owners would have passed on the delays. But they help extend the same quality of sound that is found up near the DJ booth all the way to the back of the room and the Daomé team was very focussed on having the best sound of any club of this type in the city.” Solotech installed the new system in just a day.

Since reopening in a new location with an all-new L-Acoustics sound system designed and deployed by Solotech, Le Salon Daomé in Montréal has been getting rave reviews from both patrons and visiting artists alike for the quality of its sound. But the story goes deeper than just a hip dance club with a new system. At its root, the narrative of the new location draws upon factors far older than the electronic music that pulses through the club: the tradeoffs of gentrification and the power of relationships.

Le Salon Daomé opened in 2001 in Montréal’s Le Plateau MontRoyal area in a space that was previously a loft that hosted dance classes. Over time, the club gained the neighbourhood’s reputation as the place for house and techno, and its reputation grew along with the emerging status of Le Plateau Mont-Royal itself. Daomé has been called everything from 'infamous' to 'pivotal' for its role in both supporting the local underground dance music community and as a host for an ever-expanding array of international artists.

However, as the neighbourhood became increasingly prized for its dynamic, edgy vibe, the artists, musicians and other creative types who initially gave the area its dynamic aura eventually moved to other parts of the city. “It’s happened everywhere,” said Daomé co-owner and DJ, Nathan Burns. “Austin, Atlanta and parts of Los Angeles. Brooklyn is perhaps the best example. In all of those places, the people who made the area cool to start with can no longer afford to live there.”

For Nathan and his partners, it reached the point where complaints from newer residents about volume and traffic meant that their best choice was to move. With only five days between closing at one location and the soft opening of the new one, the Solotech team, led by Audio Technical Advisor, Patrice Lavoie, designed and deployed an L-Acoustics system that had just one aim - the best possible sound.

“I’ve known Nathan since we were both in

secondary school,” said Patrice. “There is a large reservoir of trust that we’ve built up, which probably made it easier for them to buck the conventional wisdom about traditional dance club sound systems.”

Montréal has a healthy dance music scene and lots of clubs. But most are using speaker brands that are common because they hit like a truck in the low end without truly delivering in terms of either fidelity or full range. Meanwhile, many of the international artists booked by the club were asking specifically for L-Acoustics - especially for monitors - after experiencing the natural, accurate sound of the French brand’s systems in in gigs on the continent.

When the Salon Daomé team organized a much larger New Year’s Eve warehouse event called Vision, Burns turned to his childhood friend to deploy the audio system and L-Acoustics was the choice.

“The sound at that event was so great,” said Nathan. “When Pat told us that L-Acoustics made a system that would work in the intimate space of our new location, we agreed immediately.”

Reliability is acrucial factor for the club, which is open six nights a week,” Nathan said. “With this L-Acoustics system, we just run on the amplifiers and everything works every night.”

“Reliability is a big consideration for dance clubs,” Patrice agreed.

“This is not a system that is used for a few hours at a time. It has to be able to take a bit of a pounding pushing out that kind of music from the time the club opens until it closes. The fact that we can get the dynamic beat of the genres Daomé specialises in and still have the fidelity that L-Acoustics is known for made this a great combination.”

“Things have been crazy here since we’ve reopened in our new location,” Nathan concluded. “And a big part of the ‘buzz’ comes from the sound quality in the club, thanks to both L-Acoustics and Patrice’s magic touch.”

WINN E R NI G H TC L U B R AV I N E TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Atlanta, USA Manufacturers: Funktion-One, FFA Distributor: Sound Investment Architect: Built Inc Lighting / Visual Designer: In house with support from Atlanta Rigging Systems Acoustician: Sound Investment Installer: Sound Investment Project Submitted By: Funktion-One / Sound Investment

Ravine is a 16,000 sq ft state-of-the-art, multi-platform production studio in the heart of Atlanta Midtown, which features production and recording studios, concert stages and exclusive special event studios. To maximise the venue’s flexibility in catering for a range of productions - across music, film and other arts - it has been designed with modularity at its core.

The main space has been created to fill a void in the US market, and specifically in the south-eastern region, for an intimate high production environment that allows for small capacity viewings without sacrificing concert and festival-grade production.

Designer, John Sofio, of Built Inc., took this desire into overdrive by treating the space almost entirely in cedar. This, coupled with over 2,500 sq ft of sound tiles covering most of the ceiling, allows the Funktion-One system to really shine. The entire room has been designed for phenomenal sound.

The Funktion-One system - designed, supplied and installed by Sound Investment – is configured in main left and right hangs of two Funktion-One Evo 7TH mid-high loudspeakers and one Funktion-One Evo 7TL-215 mid-bass loudspeaker, together with four F124 bass enclosures. Left and right delays, each comprising one Funktion-One Evo 7T flown with an Evo 7TH and a grounded F124, have been deployed in response to the long and narrow

dimensions of the space.

Two PSM318’s deliver high performance DJ monitoring onstage.

Upstairs, looking over the dancefloor, the mezzanine VIP area has 28 F101 loudspeakers, two F88’s and eight BR118 bass reflex loudspeakers. The system has been tuned to deliver even coverage throughout.

Amplification comes from four FFA 10000, four FFA 6000, four FFA 6004 and six FFA 4004, while processing is BSS London.

Ravine is a truly multidisciplinary venue which has been created by forward-thinking design, market-leading audio innovations and technicians, and a host of premium visual entertainment technologies.

On working with Sound Investment, owner Eric Anderson said: “They are awesome! It is refreshing to work with a group that can move at light speed with us. They consistently hit very tight deadlines during our project build out and have continued to be available as needs arise. We are very happy to have a partnership with them.

Discussing the ‘world class audio’, he added: “We couldn’t be more pleased with the quality of the sound. It is crystal clear, responsive and timed perfectly. It’s also more than capable of handling anything we throw at it. The music is important to us.

We intend to create memorable performances every time our doors are opened, and world class audio is fundamental to the experience.”

The venue is also home to a contingent of high-calibre lighting, SFX and video technologies - including over 100 Robe fixtures, SL Nitro strobes, Kvant lasers, over 200-metres of Imaginex SandStrip LED tape, Barco projection, as well as control from MA Lighting grandMA, Crescent Sun, ArKaos, Resolume, MadMapper, and Pangolin.

Despite already hitting the highest standards, there’s more to come from Ravine, including a 6,000 sq ft gallery expansion to complement the exterior artscapes on the building which will ‘take full advantage of Funktion-One sound and Robe lighting’.

The main space is set to host more than 30 big ‘Beware Presents’ shows over the next six months.

S H OR TLISTE D - STADIUM A Z T E C A STAD I UM TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Mexico City, Mexico Manufacturers: Meyer Sound, Extreme Networks Architect: Pedro Ramírez Vázquez and Rafael Mijares Alcérreca Installer: Meyer Sound Mexico Project Submitted By: Meyer Sound For the lower ring, the system deploys 24 CAL 64 loudspeakers along with 10 600-HP subwoofers for low frequency extension.

The upper ring is covered by 26 CAL 96 and eight CAL 64 loudspeakers, with one additional CAL 96 covering the playing surface. Two GALAXY 816 network processors are placed at the head of the system for overall optimisation, and two RMServers are inserted in the network for comprehensive status monitoring and troubleshooting of the 4,660 discrete amplifier and driver combinations.

The GALAXY 816 master processors are connected to the control room master switch via AVB/TSN, with bi-directional signals routed over a fibre optic network to the ten local switches distributed around the stadium. Each local switch connects to its assigned group of CAL loudspeakers via Cat-5e cable. All switches are Extreme Networks X440-G2 series.

One of the biggest challenges in audio for stadium systems in recent years has been driven by video. In the past, with traditional scoreboards and smaller video screens, a single powerful system could be mounted at the scoreboard/screen location to cover the entire stadium bowl. However, as screen became larger, audio would lag noticeably behind the video at more distant seats. The best way to solve this is to have loudspeakers a shorter, more uniform distance from the listener, but this requires a distributed system with many more loudspeakers locations. Such systems were common in the past, but they were generally low-quality, 'PA horn' based systems not suitable for either natural voice quality or music reproduction. Using multiple large line arrays is one solution, but this requires suitable hang points and can block sight lines for fans and TV cameras.

The solution for Azteca Stadium was a distributed system of Meyer Sound CAL digital beam steering column array loudspeakers. The slender profile of the CAL Series loudspeakers - all models are a uniform 7.75-inch wide - assured that there would be minimal intrusion into sight lines. The lower ring system comprises 24 CAL 64 loudspeakers plus 10 600-HP subwoofers for low frequency extension. The upper ring is covered by 26 CAL 96 and eight CAL 64 loudspeakers, with a single CAL 96 covering the playing surface. The CAL 96 is capable of producing 106dB peak output at 90-metres with an operating frequency range of 100Hz to 16kHz,

enabling high power reproduction of music content and speech with natural voice quality.

Connecting and monitoring the loudspeakers was another challenge, in this case overcome by applying AVB/TSN networking over a fibre optic ring. Two GALAXY 816 network processors are at the head of the system for overall optimisation, and two RMServers are inserted for comprehensive status monitoring and troubleshooting of every loudspeaker. The master processors are routed via the control room switch over fiber to the ten local switches for each loudspeaker group, with the individual loudspeakers connected via Cat-5e cable. All switches are Extreme Networks X-440G2 series.

Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca (Azteca Stadium) claims an impressive number of 'firsts', including the first stadium to host two FIFA World Cup Final matches (1970 and 1986) and serving as principal venue for the first Olympic Games held in Latin America (1966).

In addition, the official capacity of 87,000 ranks it first among stadiums in Latin America, while a breathtaking elevation of 2,195 meters makes it the highest among the world’s elite association football stadiums.

Earlier this year, Azteca Stadium added to its list of notable distinctions when it completed what is not only the largest installation to date of Meyer Sound CAL digital beam steering column array loudspeakers, but it’s also the first Meyer Sound stadium system to deploy the latest in AVB/TSN networking technology.

The distributed system of 69 loudspeakers projects highly intelligible, full-bandwidth voice announcements, incidental music, and soundtracks for videos on the Panasonic screens throughout the vast stadium bowl. The advanced beam steering technology built into CAL allowed Meyer Sound engineers to precisely adjust the beam spread and tilt for uniform coverage, while the slender profile of CAL loudspeakers keeps sight lines open.

“We approached Meyer Sound for this new system simply because they offered us the best solution,” summarised Azteca Stadium Audio Manager, Alejandro Aguirre. “We needed the latest in technology, and the CAL system with AVB fulfilled all our requirements.”

“The stadium hosts a variety of events, not just association football,” noted Alejandro. “We also have concerts, religious events and the annual NFL games. It was essential that we have intelligible audio in every seat, and with the power and clarity needed to deliver a complete watching and listening experience alongside the HD screens. All of this has been fully accomplished with the new Meyer Sound system.”

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S H OR TLISTE D - STADIUM M U M F O R D STAD I UM Technical Details Location: Louisiana, USA Manufacturers: Danley Sound Labs Installer: All Pro Integrated Systems Project Submitted By: Danley Sound Labs Although the 6,500-plus students at Southern University are big supporters of their SWAC NCAA Division I Jaguars football team, the much larger 28,500-seat capacity of A.W. Mumford Stadium reveals the team’s huge fan base of alumni and residents in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Indeed, since it was first constructed in 1928, the stadium’s capacity has grown steadily and has always outpaced growth in enrollment. A.W. Mumford Stadium also hosts home games for the Southern University women’s soccer team and the Laboratory School Kittens football teams.

After water and lightning damage crippled its relatively new sound system, area representatives Anderson Sales and Marketing conducted a Danley demonstration at a home game. After that, Southern was committed to getting a Danley sound system.

Recently, Pensacola, Florida-based All Pro Integrated Systems designed and installed a permanent Danley sound reinforcement system at A.W. Mumford Stadium.

“We decided to go with a Danley system after a visit to LSU to check out the Danley system installed in Tiger Stadium,” explained Henry Thurman, Assistant Director of Facility Services at Southern University. “We were totally impressed with the performance of the Danley boxes, from the clarity of spoken word to its deep bass response to popular hip-hop music. The most important aspect actually came from the construction of each cabinet. Although it was only a few years old, our previous system was totally destroyed by moisture coming in contact with the cabinets and severely reducing performance. The Danley cabinets are solidly constructed and will definitely withstand the test of time in this southern Louisiana climate.”

Kim Comeaux of Anderson Sales and Marketing brought a pair of Danley Jericho Horns for home games after the premature demise of the previously-installed sound system. “The system we designed and installed is really just a larger version of the system Kim was bringing in on a temporary basis,” said Michael Walden, Systems Designer with All Pro Integrated Systems. “Henry and everyone else at the school was pleased with the Danley system, and we’ve always had great outcomes with Danley installs at All Pro. The fact that we can design a system to cover a nearly 30,000-seat stadium with just seven boxes makes the installation more efficient and cost effective.”

The new system is end-fired and consists of one Danley J6-42 Jericho Horn to cover the opposite end zone seating, two Danley J3-64 Jericho Horns to cover either side of the stadium, two Danley OS80 loudspeakers to fill in the areas close to the array that get missed by the Jerichos, and a pair of Danley BC218 subwoofers to round out the system’s deep, deep low end. Linea Research amplifiers power the system, with modest loudspeaker conditioning from onboard DSP. A new QSC Q-Sys DSP system provides input conditioning, routing, and all other signal processing functions. “When we were commissioning the system leading up to game day, we got favorable comments from across campus,” Michael said. “Faculty and staff noted the clarity of what they were hearing. They could hear and understand everything that was said.”

“All Pro Integrated Systems completed installation of the Danley system mid-season, and it debuted at one of our most-attended games of the year,” said Henry. “With almost 30,000 fans in attendance, we found that there was not a single dead zone in the stadium; we had excellent coverage. Because of this, we definitely saw an increase in fan participation, which made the game a more enjoyable experience for everyone. We will definitely be using Danley in the future for our other sports venue needs.”

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPONSORS & SUPPOR TERS

S H OR TLISTE D - STADIUM TA R G E T F I ELD Technical Details Location: Minnesota, USA Manufacturers: Audinate, JBL Installer: Parsons Electric Project Submitted By: Audinate Sitting in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, Target Field represents Minnesota’s dynamic blend of urban sophistication and outdoor vitality. Built in 2010, the Major League Baseball stadium is home to the Minnesota Twins, with a capacity of over 39,000. The venue was designed specifically for baseball, though, in the past, it has also hosted football, soccer, a wide range of concerts and various corporate events, making it an adaptable, go-to stadium for the area.

Jeff Pedersen, Lead Audio Technician, Minnesota Twins Baseball, manages and operates the sound systems and audio equipment for all games and special events. To ensure that high-quality sound was felt right across the stadium, Jeff worked closely with Tim Habedank, AV Technical Manager at Parsons Electric, to manage and upgrade the stadium’s audio system.

Jeff takes up the story: “Our stadium opened in 2010 and I was looking for more connectivity throughout the venue, so I started to look at Dante - and it really did start to evolve.

“My first attempt was a failure - I didn’t realise that I wasn’t going to be able to cross some of the groups or get support. There happened to be a class in Minnesota that I attended, so it went from there.

“There are a lot of different event spaces at Target Field and the activity has been growing and growing, which meant I had difficulty running XLR audio cable out the door. It’s always been very limited to maybe two pairs of audio, so I’ve had to make a lot of compromises.”

Target Field is certainly a large venue with multiple areas around the whole facility that require audio support. This includes distributing audio out to various areas or pulling signals back to the control room for mixing and processing. For example, live bands perform before games and during breaks. So, this has to be taken into consideration by Jeff, who must ensure that the audio is heard throughout the stadium.

There are many different subnets in the facility and all audio transport was previously occurring over the network using CobraNet. While the CobraNet system is still in place to transport DSP audio data over fibre to and from fixed locations, such as amplifier rooms, clubs and press areas, the system reached its maximum capability and a new solution was needed. Additionally, demand for a better fan experience required adding audio in areas that were not originally planned for audio support. To add audio to these sections, the stadium expanded with Dante and Dante Domain Manager.

Jeff required a way to easily and inexpensively expand the number of inputs and outputs to his main console to provide a better fan experience, a better mix, and manage and control the total system.

His search led him to Dante. The natural next step was to install Dante-enabled equipment, immediately upgrading the system by expanding channel counts, expanding audio infrastructure and reducing latency.

Dante also allows Target Field to tap into the existing networking structure of the field, without having to install extra infrastructure to get audio where it needs to go. Jeff added wireless microphone receivers, mixers and input/output racks as a base for his Dante system. Prior to Dante, Jeff was limited by its CobraNet system - it was simply maxed out. With a Dante system in place, Target Field now has more than enough audio channels available.

“We would have a band performing on the other side of the stadium, and there was very limited connectivity, so I could only get two audio lines to use - one for an intercom connection so we could communicate with our technician located with the band, who would then send me a sub-mixed signal back on the other audio line,” said Jeff. “We were able to get the job done, but it was a difficult process to say the least. My dream was to have control of all of this in front of me on my console, with separate channels for mixing. I finally got to do this by adding Dante connectivity into the system.”

The stadium’s audio system consists of a control room tied to multiple locations. There are three amplifier rooms supporting the stadium loudspeaker system, as well as 18 other locations that receive audio feeds from the control room.

“We started by using Dante to connect the control room to the band stage, and this step alone brought 16 channels from the band to my main console - a huge improvement for us,” said Jeff. “Our plan now is to get Dante into all of our remote locations and bring all the control and mixing to our main control room.”

A portable sound system, a small rack with a digital mixer, amplifiers and wireless connectivity is often used at Target Field, too.

“If we need more remote support, I can easily plug in a network cable and jump on the Dante network to my console,” said Jeff.

“There’s a lot of flexibility now in being able to share inputs and outputs with different mixers in different areas.”

A Dante system allows endless audio possibilities for the stadium, as hundreds of Dante-enabled products are available and interoperable. Jeff can now mix any Dante-enabled loudspeaker, amplifier, microphone, mixer, receiver, converter and more. And, with the addition of Dante AVIO adapters, the stadium can integrate older, legacy gear into Dante systems, adding to Dante’s interoperability and flexibility.

With a Dante system in place, Dante Domain Manager proved to be a natural next step to the network, as it added the control and security features the stadium desired. Dante Domain Manager is network management software that enables user authentication, role-based security and audit capabilities for Dante networks, while allowing seamless expansion of Dante systems over any network infrastructure. Dante Domain Manager allowed the stadium to integrate the many separate subnets into a single, manageable and secure audio network.

Whether it is a concert, football game, soccer game or Major League Baseball showdown, Dante and Dante Domain Manager deliver near-perfect, near-zero latency audio to the more than 39,000 spectators. Target Field administrators can rest easy knowing its network is secure and efficient while delivering the live sound, recorded and broadcast audio performances required to take fans out to the ballgame.

SHANGHAI INT. CIRCUIT

OGN SUPER ARENA

JIM SMITH

SEATING FOCUS

Dynacord and Electro-Voice provide a state-of-the-art audio system for the Formula 1 race track.

California’s new eSports venue has opened, with Astro Spatial Audio providing immersive, 3D sound.

AECOM’s Associate Director gives us an insight into his career and the impressive stadiums he’s worked on.

We take a closer look at venues and products from the world of seating, including some upcoming projects.

ISSUE 06 - JUNE | JULY 2019

FRANKFURT 2020

LAS VEGAS 2020

THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLICATION FOR TECHNOLOGY IN SPORTING VENUES

AMSTERDAM 2020

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WINN E R S TA D IUM S UN T R U S T PAR K TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Atlanta, USA Manufacturers: Visionary Solutions Inc, QSC, Extron Installer: Pro Media/UltraSound Project Submitted By: Visionary Solutions Inc A gem of a baseball stadium, with all of the amenities, SunTrust Park became the new home of the Atlanta Braves starting with the 2017 season. Located ten miles northwest of downtown Atlanta, the new park boasts many special features, including a Monument Garden with audio, light, and water elements and a statue of Hank Aaron hitting home run number 715 to break Babe Ruth’s career home run record. After all, one cannot build a Braves ballpark without the Hammer.

Among the many attractions at SunTrust Park are the Hank Aaron Terrace, where you can see the bat and the ball used for Aaron’s 715th home run. Two elegant clubs with restaurant and bar, are located behind home plate. The 400-seat (1,000 total capacity) INFINITI Club, which graces the Terrace Level, is the ballpark’s largest indoor event space, capable of hosting a wide variety of events. The Delta SKY360° Club, which includes the Home Plate Pub, and the exclusive SunTrust Club provide our fans with the ultimate luxury sports experience. All of these club spaces are equipped with multiple video displays fed by an ultra-low-latency

video network based on Visionary Solutions Duet 4K UHD over IP, cinema-quality encoders and decoders with Dante audio.

“The Visionary Solutions network serves about 200 screens in the three spaces, including TVs and video walls,” offered Atlanta Braves Senior Manager, AV Technical Systems, Chip Graham. “The impetus behind having the Visionary Solutions network is its ultra-low latency. If you’re just watching our digital media player, ordinary cable TV, or the current game on the field, latency isn’t a big deal. But when we have a live production, such as a press conference or a presentation with a speaker, you’re also watching the speaker on the video screens, so the video and audio have to be perfectly synched. Otherwise, you notice the lip-sync error.”

Most audiovisual distribution systems require around 300ms or more to compress and decompress the content and deliver it to the displays. “That might not sound like a lot if you just hear the word ‘millisecond,’” Chip said. “But there are 300 of them, so it’s almost a third of a second. When the presenter is live in front of you, and there’s more than a tenth of a second of latency, people will notice the lip sync error on the video screens, and the content is unwatchable. You could delay the room audio to match the video, but the presenters hear their audio in real time through the overhead loudspeakers in the room. If you delay that room audio to compensate for video latency, your presenter will become disoriented to the point that they can’t continue. It’s sort of like when you occasionally hear your own voice slightly delayed in the background of a cell call. That echo drives you crazy. So you do the only thing you can do. You hang up and dial again, hoping for no echo, which usually happens. Obviously, the presenter can’t hang up in these situations, so we are forced to live with the delay, while everyone in the room watching the content on the displays feels like they are watching a poorly dubbed foreign film. But with Visionary Solutions Duet encoders and decoders, we experience only 19ms of latency, which is comfortably sub-frame, and that completely eliminates the issue.”

The Braves often rent the two main clubs and the Hank Aaron Terrace to groups, some of which have computer-based

presentations. “That’s another beauty of the Visionary Solutions network,” Chip noted. “We have an Extron control system with custom software that uses a map of the club space, and the Duet encoders are numerically assigned. All a presenter has to do is walk up to the Extron Touch Panel, select an encoder, and whatever they have plugged into that HDMI port will show on whichever displays they choose on the map. At 19ms, the latency is so low that if you move the mouse, it tracks exactly in time on the displays. The presenter doesn’t overshoot and have to wait for the displays to catch up, which is what you get with other solutions.”

For some events, clients bring their own video cameras or even a small production switcher and plug them directly into the HDMI ports. “We have people coming in a couple of times a week who use the Visionary Solutions system,” repored Chip. “They love it.

It’s a real bonus to let them plug in their own equipment without supervision, knowing they can’t mess anything up. And when we host our own events, such as a conference or team meeting for advertisers, or a special press conference, using the low-latency Visionary Solutions system allows us to send to multiple displays, each of which shows real-time live content. That’s pretty slick!”

The Visionary Solutions systems in the two clubs and the Hank Aaron Terrace are networked together so content can be generated and distributed across all three spaces. “We have multiple encoders in each club space, and we have four more that allow us to distribute low-latency signals originating in our control room,” Chip revealed.

Cisco 3850 switches with gigabit PoE ports and a 40 gigabit backplane support the video network. Dante audio, which is built in to the Visionary Solutions encoders, runs through QSC amplifiers and speakers, managed with a Q-SYS Core 3100 processor. Pro Media/UltraSound did the audiovisual systems integration, and we learned a lot from their expertise. “This was an exciting project, and we had a very good team,” Chip enthused.

Chip did his homework before choosing Visionary Solutions. “I tested a lot of equipment, and Visionary Solutions was the one we liked the most,” he declared. “Their products are great, and they

operate flawlessly. They have been bug free and reliable. We also like the relationship we have with the company.”

While he finds much to like about Visionary Solutions and its products, Chip stated, it’s really all about low-latency performance.

“I mentioned our Visionary Solutions video network to fellow colleagues at a recent MLB IT event this past year, and there were quite a few people with other teams who asked me about it, wanting to know who to talk to. It’s interesting that we all have the same challenge: How to get content to the displays with the lowest latency possible. We may expand our use of Visionary Solutions in the future as well. It’s a great solution.”

With over 200 AV over IP endpoints this project demonstrates the viability of AV over IP in large scale deployments. The interoperability provided by IP distribution technology is demonstrated by the use of Audinate’s Dante protocol, Visionary’s video over IP, QSC’s IP based DSP processing, and Extron IP control.

The stadium had a more traditional video distribution system when they opened in 2017 and the latency was unacceptable they replaced it with Visionary Solutions endpoints.

Baseball Stadiums, when there is no game day, are an expensive facility to operate… so during off days/season they need to accommodate a wide variety of other events to maintain economic viability. This project demonstrates not only cutting edge low latency video and audio distribution throughout the high visibility / glamorous game day concession areas, club areas, and other parts of the venue - but it also features the important day to day revenue generating capabilities of a stadium wide audiovisual distribution system; with little or no onsite audiovisual management required.

S H OR TLISTE D - TH EAT R E C E L E B R ITY THEATR E TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Phoenix, USA Manufacturers: Bose Professional Installer: Summit Electric & Data, Inc., Rhino Staging Project Submitted By: Bose Professional The historic Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, a 2650-seat theatre-inthe-round constructed in 1963, has recently received a 48-module ShowMatch DeltaQ line array loudspeaker system from Bose Professional.

The system integrator was Valencia, California-based Summit Electric & Data, Inc., with installation assistance from Rhino Staging, based in Tempe. Flown above the circular stage, the main system, consisting of eight three-box arrays, is essentially four outward-facing stereo systems with a similarly-configured delay ring. Additional Bose speakers have been installed throughout the venue to extend coverage to the VIP seating area, the Celebrity Club and the artists’ green room. The system’s capabilities were on full display during its inaugural performance, as legendary vocalist Tony Bennett took the stage at the venue in August, with veteran sound mixer Tom Young at the console.

The 196ft diameter building, where no seat is more than 75ft from the stage, required a sound system solution that could deliver

even dispersion across the entire audience, with a consistent SPL from front to back, while also avoiding reflections from the domed ceiling and the venue’s circular rear wall. The Celebrity Theatre selected the Bose ShowMatch line array system, which directs more sound to the audience and less to walls, floors and ceilings through its versatile coverage pattern options.

A total of 24 ShowMatch SMS118 DeltaQ single 18-inch subwoofers arrayed in four groups of six, configured in a cardioid array to minimise low-frequency build-up, are flown between each of the four stereo L-R main hangs. In addition, six Bose RoomMatch Utility RMU208 loudspeakers provide coverage for the VIP area above the main seating. A total of 32 Bose PowerMatch PM8500N amplifiers, networked via proprietary AmpLink cards, drive the entire system, which is managed by a Bose ControlSpace EX-1280C Series engineered sound processor.

“The system was perfectly designed for that room,” said FOH Tom Young of the ShowMatch array. “I’ve done all the theaters in the round, and sound spill from behind the cabinets was minimal, which is usually problematic.” In regard to the qualitative performance of the system, Tom was pleased, he stated: “I especially noted when mixing, the response of the system in the low end - when my bass player was using his bow – was impressive and tonally responsive.”

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S H OR TLISTE D - TH EAT R E F U LT O N THEATR E Technical Details Location: Pennsylvania, USA Manufacturers: ETC Lighting / Visual Designer: Bill Simmons, Clair Solutions Installer: Clair Solutions Project Submitted By: Clair Solutions The Fulton Theatre’s long history began with its first production in 1852, launching decades of dramatic productions that cut across genres and that reflect the nation’s journey from before the Civil War to the present. Shortly after its 100-year anniversary, the Fulton Theatre earned designation as a National Historic Landmark. Despite its age, the building has only undergone a handful of major renovations, the last one occurring between 1994 and 1995 and the one previous to that occurring in 1908.

Constrained by outdated stage rigging and lighting, the Fulton Theatre worked with AVL integration firm Clair Solutions on a US$1.3 million upgrade that literally sets the stage for decades of critically-acclaimed theatre to come.

With a masters degree in design, lighting credit on over 225 shows, and employment with Clair Solutions for 27 years, Bill Simmons is Clair Solutions’ Senior Lighting Designer and the person who led the project at the Fulton Theatre. It was also far from the first time he worked for the historic theatre. “I first worked at the Fulton Theatre in 1979, when I was a freshman at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster,” Bill explained. “I started full-time work there in the summer after I graduated and stayed on as the resident lighting designer for the next 15 years.

The 1994-1995 renovation reduced its seating capacity to 680 and made a clean transition to support dramatic productions over its previous vaudeville setup. In recent years, executive artistic producer Marc Robin has made musicals a speciality of the Fulton Theatre.”

Because of his intimate knowledge of the Fulton’s inner workings, Bill started working with Robin and his staff to prepare for the major renovation that would allow Robin to stage stateof-the-art musicals. With sufficient preparation, Clair Solutions helped manage the massive undertaking, which included complete gutting of the old systems and the installation of new infrastructure to support a new rigging system, the new rigging system itself, new lighting, and new control. Moreover, the team managed the job in just six weeks, allowing almost no interruption in the Fulton’s season. The biggest challenges arose from the building’s ‘vintage’ wooden grid and the sheer age of the lighting infrastructure.

“Almost no theatres have wooden grids these days,” Bill observed.

“We wanted to replace their 32 hemp line sets - the old-fashioned kind with sandbags and everything - with 40 ETC Prodigy P75 variable-speed hoists. Instead of five people moving sets with

sandbags, one person at a console can just push ‘go’. One reason we went with the P75s is that ETC’s compression tube system would eliminate any lateral force on the wooden grid. The grid could take the weight of the scenery, but not the weight of the hoists themselves. For that we needed to install new steel.” Clair Solutions worked with the Fulton, the general contractor, and the speciality trades to orchestrate an ambitious installation: as part of the larger project, the theatre was removing the penthouse cupola to give it modern smoke hatches.

The team seized the opportunity to crane in all of the steel and hoists over a four-day period. They succeeded despite four days of especially terrible eastern Pennsylvania weather.

The old lighting system that was installed during the massive renovation in 1994-1995 had served the theatre well, but it was on its last legs. “Toward the end, everyone involved with the theatre breathed a collective sigh of relief whenever they finished a show without any hiccups from the lighting,” Bill said. “The difficulty for the Clair Solutions technicians was tracking down the various house light, working light, and constant circuits. A lot of work had been done on them over the years, and most of it was undocumented. It’s a credit to our crew that we sorted it all out and still kept to our timeline.” The team replaced four 96-channel dimming racks with four new ETC Sensor Dimming racks - three for the theatrical lighting and one for the working lights. 24 ETC ThruPower modules allow the Fulton staff to freely mix dimming, switching, and manual bypass. An ETC Sensor IQ Intelligent Breaker System supports all the new circuitry.

“I’m proud of our ability to work with the Fulton Theatre over nearly a year and to track adjustments in the project scope and budget while maximising the power and flexibility of their new rigging and lighting,” Bill said. “I spent countless hours working with the original structural engineer from the 1994-1995 renovation to figure out how to place the additional steel needed for the rigging system. A conventional approach would have cost twice as much and would have put the theatre out of commission for three or four months. Our solution was intense - those were six hellacious weeks – but we succeeded in all of our objectives and at a total cost that allowed it to happen and to happen with tremendous flexibility for Marc and the rest of the creative staff.”

The Fulton Theatre leveraged that flexibility with its recent run of Treasure Island.

S H OR TLISTE D - TH EAT R E S I G H T & SOUND THEATR ES Technical Details Location: Pennsylvania & Missouri Manufacturers: Out Board, Clair Brothers, QSC,EAW, Studer, Audinate Installer: 1602Group LLC Project Submitted By: Out Board For over 40 years, Sight & Sound Theatres have been bringing the bible to life for the American public through their live and epicscale biblical productions. Founded by Glenn and Shirley Eshelman in 1976, what started off as fairly simple storytelling has evolved into state-of-the art multimedia immersive theatre that sees more than a million people through the doors each year and is now billed as 'the largest faith-based live theatre in America”' Sight and Sound’s productions are developed on a huge scale.

Getting from initial concept to opening day on the two-anda-half-hour shows takes 42 months, with almost everything done in-house, from story development to costume design and choreography. Every production that premieres at the Lancaster venue, which involve sizeable and busy casts, including live animals, is also designed to travel to its sister theatre in Branson, Missouri to run the following season.

As with previous shows, their latest production, Jesus, spreads across a 92-metre wraparound stage of the company’s 2,000-seater Lancaster County, Pennsylvania venue. With stage sets either side of the audience as well as in front, this requires strategic localisation of performers mics to maintain intelligibility and audience engagement, plus 3D moving surround effects including physical objects flying above the audience to further ensure their total immersion in the storylines. Sight and Sound therefore specified TiMax for spatial reinforcement and im-mersive audio, in the form of a 64×64 TiMax SoundHub-S64 object-based spatial audio platform and TiMax Tracker performer-tracking showcontrol.

Gary Parke, audio integrator for Sight & Sound, explains that the TiMax TimeLine workflow and accessibility to editing the image definition objects for the spatialisation are major benefits which provide much considerable flexibility in controlling the actors’ mics in relation to their stage zones. As well as the performertracking automation, some cues are timecode triggered to move different mic groups or channels between zones as the actors move around the stage.

Due to the size of the venue, creating a uniform stage panorama soundscape for the entire audience had always been problematic, but Parke asserts, “TiMax has given us greater control and flexibility in setting up the image definition spatialisation especially for our many fill speakers. This allows for better vocal imaging for more patrons instead of just those in the main array coverage. Without TiMax, we wouldn’t have the detailed control necessary to get the vocals to image as well on the fill systems, with the proper delays.”

To cater for the essential dual-site production compatibility, the spatial audio and showcontrol system at the Missouri venue is as far as possible a duplicated version of the first venue. This ensures show

audio content and programming files can be sent on ready to mount the new production to ensure the simplest show transfer.

For this reason, Sight and Sound invested in a second TiMax SoundHub-S64 for the Branson venue and a further TiMax Tracker system is scheduled for when the Jesus production makes its move to Branson.

The audio system at the Missouri venue is also as far as possible a duplicated version of the first venue. Seventy channels of wireless microphones worn by the actors are fed via Dante from a Studer Vista console to the 64-channel TiMax SoundHub, either direct or as groups. Ti-Max Cues or TiMax Tracker dynamically morph them between level/delay spatial image defini-tion objects via the distributed house sound system, comprised of four hangs of QSC Wideline 10 with four Clair Brothers C8-i line arrays for the side surrounds and a further 27 full range loudspeakers for overheads. Subwoofer support is provided by a central cardioid array centre-house of eight Clair CS218's, with four EAW SB1000's positioned out front amongst the audience. Fill for the front and side stages is delivered via 26 EAW JF80's with six EAW full range loudspeakers managing the rear surround on the main floor and a further four full range surrounds covering the raised seating area.

Such seamless vocal imaging and movement ensures all Jesus audience members remain fully immersed and engaged - despite the stage surrounding them on three sides and sets that can reach up to four storeys in height. Extra credibility and enhancement are injected into the show’s shifting mise-en-scene with fully enveloping 3D ambience effects, with playback from both QLab and TiMax dynamically spatialised by TiMax with cues triggered from timecode.

Speaking about the overall integration of TiMax and its ability to meet the unique scale and configuration challenges of Sight & Sound’s production audio, Parke emphasises the ease of programming and flexibility of TiMax as significant factors, with the highly visual TimeLine approach to object-based mixing and timecode integration making it straightforward to program and manage these complex shows.

WINN E R T H EATE R AMERICAN REPERTORY THEATER TECHNICAL DETAILS Location: Massachusetts, USA Project Submitted By: Meyer Sound, Avid, Shure At the heart of A.R.T.’s immersive setup is a D-Mitri digital audio platform equipped with seven modules for core processing, digital and analogue I/O, GPIO control and WildTracks recording and playback. When controlled via Spacemap software, the system provides ultimate flexibility for dynamic 3D panning of sounds anywhere in the auditorium.

In addition to the eight-each LINA arrays, the complete Meyer Sound roster includes six 750-LFC and two 900-LFC low frequency

control elements; two UPA-1P, four UPJ-1P and two UPQ-2P loudspeakers; eight UPJunior-XP, eight UPM-1XP, 10 UP-4XP, six UPJ-1XP and 22 HMS-5 surround loudspeakers with IntelligentDC; four Galileo GALAXY 816 networked processors; and two RMServers for remote monitoring of all loudspeakers.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) has an extraordinary track record as the incubator and proving ground for theatrical productions - both drama and musicals - that go on to become major Broadway hits. The winner of 19 Tony Awards, A.R.T. is widely recognised as one of the leading regional theaters in term of both artistic and technical innovation.

One of the main challenges for A.R.T. as the ‘last stop’ before Broadway is keeping up with the spiraling level of audio technology applied to top-level Broadway productions, musicals in particular. Sound has progressed from mono through stereo proscenium and surround to full immersive. Sound designers for such productions will specify extensive, custom-configured rental systems for Broadway, but expect the same capabilities at A.R.T. in a smaller house (about 550-seats) with a far more limited budget.

Renting in a complete system in these circumstances is too costly and time consuming.

To meet this challenge, A.R.T.Sound Manager Sam Lerner worked with Meyer Sound to design a flexible system - proscenium and immersive - that could be quickly reconfigured to meet the demands of any production. The system relies on two proprietary technologies: the D-Mitri digital audio platform with SpaceMap software and IntelligentDC remotely self-powered loudspeakers.

The D-Mitri digital audio engine offers extraordinary flexibility as the core processing modules can be augmented with analog and digital input and output modules, matrixing modules and GPIO modules as needed. With all matrixing and routing under software control, the entire system can be reconfigured offline and transferred almost immediately into the system at the beginning of a new production.

Also unique to Meyer Sound is IntelligentDC technology, which combines the inherent sonic superiority of self-powered systems with the installation ease of distributed systems. Balanced audio signals and 48V DC power can be sent to each loudspeaker over a single five-core cable that does not require conduit. More importantly in this application, every loudspeaker is separately addressable from a discrete output of the D-Mitri system, which enables the sound designer to assign and - using SpaceMap - dynamically move sounds to and from any loudspeaker or combination of loudspeakers. No rewiring or manual re-patching of amplifier inputs or outputs is ever required. While some of the loudspeakers at A.R.T. are permanently mounted, many are on yoke mounts that allow quick repositioning on the lighting grids as needed.

The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) in Cambridge, Massachusetts is widely recognised as a focal point for artistic and technological innovation. As stated on its website, A.R.T. seeks ‘to expand the boundaries of theatre by programming events that immerse audiences in transformative theatrical experiences’, a commitment bolstered under the leadership of Executive

Producer Diane Borger and Diane Paulus, who holds the endowed position of A.R.T.’s Terrie and Bradley Bloom Artistic Director.

To support this ambitious endeavor, A.R.T. recently acquired an extensive Meyer Sound system consisting of a D-Mitri digital audio platform and a complement of 88 self-powered loudspeakers, including new LINA line arrays and an immersive surround setup incorporating proprietary IntelligentDC technology.

“With a mission statement like ours, it’s critical that we can follow through on the promise with what we can do in sound,” said A.R.T. Sound Manager, Sam Lerner. “Thanks to this new set of tools, we can do just this with every production. With such an adaptive setup, our sound team can fulfill the imaginations of our creative teams and respond to whatever need may arise.”

At the heart of A.R.T.’s immersive setup is a D-Mitri digital audio platform equipped with seven modules for core processing, digital and analogue I/O, GPIO control and WildTracks recording and playback. When controlled via Spacemap software, the system provides ultimate flexibility for dynamic 3D panning of sounds anywhere in the auditorium.

A.R.T. is also among the first theatres to deploy the LINA very compact linear line array loudspeaker. “I’d heard the MINAs before, and the change to LINA comes with a big increase in efficiency,” said Sam. “The fact that you need so little electrical power to produce such quality at high levels is incredibly impressive. The same applies to the 750-LFC (low frequency control element). You look at it and wonder how something so small can be so powerful.”

OUR WIN N ERS

TA SMITH, EAW - WINNER OF ARENA

MARK GRAHAM, SYMETRIX - WINNER OF BAR & RESTAURANT

RICK ROSE, MOUNTAIN PRODUCTIONS - WINNER OF CONCERT HALL

NATHAN TOMBERLIN, INTYDE - WINNER OF HOUSE OF WORSHIP

“It is always great being part of the mondo*dr Awards. Being recognised for the Chesapeake Energy Arena project made it even better. Thanks to everyone at mondo*dr and our exceptional partners for making this possible.”

“We are pleased to have Encompass AV receive much deserved recognition for their excellent work. Thank you to Tim Picket and the Encompass AV team for choosing to partner with Symetrix on such a prestigious project.”

“Receiving the award for Pier 17 rooftop installation in the Concert Hall category and the winner of winners award was an incredibly proud moment for Mountain Productions. To be recognised by a publication like mondo*dr is an honour, and validates our quality and the commitment we have to our customers. The award is a recognition of the broad capabilities Mountain Productions possesses, much more than a staging company.

We encompass engineering, design, manufacturing, product development, rigging, and permanent installations, all of which differentiate our business. None of this would be possible without the hard work and dedication made by the MTN team.”

“We are thankful for our relationship with John Dunn and Elation Professional, as well as Freed Sales for nominating us for the opportunity, and are humbled to receive this award from mondo*dr. We love Pastors Kevin and Deven Wallace and always enjoy our time with them and their staff. They are great leaders and have huge hearts for their community and the world outreach that they do. We are grateful to share a role in the growth of RTTN. We also had a great night at the awards and are excited about what the future holds!

We hope to be back in the nominations next year.”

MARK RAVENHILL, GLP WINNER OF INTEGRATED RESORT

TONY ANDREWS, FUNKTION-ONE - WINNER OF NIGHTCLUB

SCOTT FRESHMAN, VISIONARY SOLUTIONS WINNER OF STADIUM

JOHN MONITTO, MEYER SOUND - WINNER OF THEATRE

“It was a tremendous surprise, and a massive honour to receive this award from mondo*dr and everyone who voted. Mirage Detroit was a very special project in a unique environment that had a number of challenges to make it the success that it was. Receiving the award is a testament to the hard work that was put in by so many people in order to realise it.”

“Ravine’s owners have shown great vision in establishing a venue that caters for such a broad spread of creative possibilities. We’re proud to have supported Sound Investment on this project and very pleased that it is FunktionOne sound that’s helping Ravine to stand out from the crowd. Winning the Nightclub category for The Americas, where competition is strong, is a fantastic achievement.”

“We’re truly proud and honoured to be recognised with this prestigious award.

Our thanks to mondo*dr and to all our industry peers and colleagues.”

“Meyer Sound is thrilled to have received the mondo*dr Award for Theatre for the American Repertory Theater.

A.R.T does amazing work, pushing the boundaries of performance with their artistic and technological innovation - we are pleased to have been included in this collaboration.”

JACK KEL LY GR OUP O N E

“It was great to see the mondo*dr team in the US connecting with the American market. This will surely help guide the team as they look to replicate their success in the rest of the world markets, here in North America.�

JAMES LIN G

T HE INS ID E STO RY The team at mondo understand how to put on a great event, and the mondo*dr Awards – The Americas was no exception to this rule. While highlighting some fantastic success stories from around the region, it also provided the perfect place to catch up with old friends and make new contacts. The opportunity to have a chat over a few drinks with some very highlevel people in a relaxed setting made this an extremely valuable addition to InfoComm.

M ARTIN BENN E T T A UDI O TO N I X

“Great events like the mondo*dr Awards really helps manufacturers, partners and their clients showcase how they work together on very cool projects - long may it continue!�

JAY EIG ENM ANN

LE PO I S S ON R OUGE Was a pleasure to be at the first mondo*dr Awards in the US. It was a great event bringing together like minded folks in the industry, and was great to see deserving folks honoured. I hope to see this event grow in future years and expand to a wider audience and number of categories.Â

BR IA N G AL ANTE D I M E N S I O N PR

“mondo*dr staged a professional event with a fun atmosphere, compelling presenters and a broad array of award categories with stunning projects. The work and thought they put into this event was obvious from start to finish.�

JU DY WA N G

W O RLDW I D E F O C U S M E D I A “As the exclusively media rep agency for mondo*dr in the Greater China market, representing Chinese LED screen brands, it was my pleasure to attend the first award ceremony of mondo*dr Awards during InfoComm.

It is such a helpful and exciting event that brings together the industry elites in a cheerful and relaxed atmosphere.

In the North America market, during InfoComm, I do feel we need an event like this. Congratulations for all the winners, and thanks to all the sponsors.�

Mirage Detroit Design: Doug Aitken Workshop Lighting: Andi Watson

GLP, supporting custom projects with innovative lighting solutions Germanlightproducts.com info@germanlightproducts.com /GLP.German.Light.Products /GLPimpression

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