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BackstageAcademy,PRGUKand ProductionFuturesONTOUR.
CORE PRO SHOW 2022
Midlands-based Core Pro Audio welcomes manufacturers and members of the community for a day of training and networking – offering an alternative to the traditional tradeshow format.
Words: Stew Hume Photos: TPi Magazine
As we move into Q2 of 2022, we’ve seen a welcome return for tradeshows. From Prolight + Sound and Integrated Systems Europe in Europe to NAMM and InfoComm in the US, these staples of the live events community are sure to be appreciated by both exhibitors and attendees. That said, throughout the twoyear lockdown, we’ve seen many companies take it upon themselves to offer a different type of networking opportunity to the community at large.
Taking place last year at its warehouse, Core Pro Audio welcomed the UK audio industry to meet face-to-face with some of the manufacturers it stocks. Due to the success of that event, the Core team wanted to take the concept to the next level, moving out of their warehouse into plush surroundings of the Mount Hotel, Wolverhampton, with an L-Acoustics K3 demo out on the green as well as demo spaces for DiGiCo, Yamaha, DPA, Shure, Allen & Heath, XTA, Sony and representatives from Medialease and Vista Insurance.
Speaking about the event was Core Pro Audio Director, Joe Jackson. “The main disadvantage with many of the major trade shows is that there is a wide audience, whereas here we’ve gathered a group of people who are passionate about audio,” he began. “We wanted to create something for the UK community where they could come and learn about the new features for the key brands we work with.”
One point the team at Core Pro Audio were keen to push was that this event was not so much about selling products as it was giving people a chance to network and learn. “There is no secret that stock issues are hitting all corners of the industry,” stated Jackson. “We made orders in September that were only being received at the beginning of April. This event gives manufacturers the chance to have direct access with customers to explain the situation and make more people aware of the issues.”
Despite the hard times created by stock issues, Jackson was pleased to report that all the manufacturer partners were very receptive to the idea of the latest open day. “Everyone was keen on the training and network side of the show last year and happy to sign up for this bigger event,” he stated. “We’re here for awareness and to create great networking opportunities. We estimate that there are nearly 200 firms in the UK alone that deal solely with audio rental. Our hope is to become a onestop shop for this community moving forward.”
One return supporter to the open house was Tim Shaxson from DiGiCo. “We really enjoyed the event last year and wanted to be part of it this time round,” reported Shaxson. “The people who are coming here want to talk about audio and it’s great to have a captive audience to walk them through the kit.”
During the day, visitors were divided into groups no bigger than 10 and then made their way round the exhibitors in a circuit for 25-minute sessions. “As well as having a captive audience for each session, what came out of the first event was the social side of this project,” stated Shaxson, who commented on the importance of face-to-face interaction with the community, especially after two years of not getting to meet potential customers.
This event was hosted at the opportune time as the events industry looks set to shift into high gear with touring in full swing and, of course, the summer festival season just around the corner. “I think this year is going to set a benchmark in terms of how people prepare for the busy season,” stated Jackson, commenting on the level of pre-planning that must be put in place due to global shortage of kit. He also commented that Core Pro Audio’s secondhand offering has recently become more prominent. “Part exchanging of equipment is something we are really promoting to customers at the moment as a way in which customers can reinvigorate their stock.” www.coreproaudio.co.uk
CAMEO LIGHTING OTOS H5 BY ADAM HALL GROUP
Daniel Wrase, Product Manager of Light Technology, previews the company’s new beam spot.
Photos: Adam Hall Group
What benefits does the IP65-rated OTOS H5 bring to the live events market? “OTOS H5 is the first member of our new OTOS series. We wanted to create a real workhorse for professional show and effect lighting that impresses with its flexibility and power both indoors and outdoors. For this reason, it was obvious from the very beginning that we would have to develop a particularly bright hybrid moving light comprising beam, spot and wash which is also IP65 rated. If I had to break down our objective into one sentence, I would say that with the OTOS H5 we have developed a fully road- and rider-ready outdoor moving light that is currently the lightest product in its class.”
What features will end users in the live events sector benefit from and why? “The 480W discharge-lamp has an output of 19,000 lumens, high-quality optics with 135mm front lens and wide zoom range of 2° to 42°. From tightly focused effects to wide-area illumination, anything is possible. In addition, the output can be reduced to 380W to be used in acoustically demanding environments with reduced noise and heat generation.”
Why is it important to develop a robust fixture with a range of application options? “The expectations of lighting designers, and production and rental companies are becoming more complex and multifaceted. The traditional categories like indoor or outdoor, touring or installation, etc. no longer apply. In addition, sustainability aspects are playing an increasingly important role. Professional users are looking for lighting solutions that are able to handle as many tasks as possible, take up little space and weight in the warehouse, during transport as well as in the rig, and still deliver top performance. Our answer is: OTOS H5.”
What has the response been like since the release of the product? “We already expected a high demand on the market. However, the actual orders to date have exceeded our expectations by far. We are proud to tell you that the first batch of the OTOS H5 has already been completely sold and will soon celebrate its live debut at several large-scale events. The world premiere will be the ceremonial launch of the new cruise ship AIDAcosma in Hamburg, which will be accompanied by concerts and a spectacular drone show. Around 150 OTOS will be deployed here in one fell swoop. In addition, the OTOS will surely be seen on many large festival stages, in TV shows and at corporate events as well.” www.cameolight.com www.adamhall.com
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LUXIBEL PAR SERIES
Luxibel previews its latest series of pars at AED Customer Nights 2022 and Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt.
Photos: Luxibel
Luxibel has launched a new series of pars at AED Customer Nights 2022 and Prolight + Sound exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany.
All new pars come with a humidity extractor, which is already widely used in the car industry.
This humidity extractor uses electrolysis which turns water into gas, so there won’t be any moisture left in the fixture. Ensuring that there is no more trouble with temperature changes and condensation.
In addition, all units will come with top hats attached to them. This helps control the light spill and reduce the viewing angle to the lens. Luxibel’s new top hat accessory is also compatible with the previous Luxibel B Par generation and models. The largest fixture of the new par series is B PAR360Z – a compact, yet powerful lighting fixture with a seven 60W zoom LED par to create vibrant colours and has a zoom range of four to 45°.
This makes the B PAR360Z a creative unit that can be used for events, exhibitions, theatre and much more. Meanwhile, the smaller B PAR105RGBW V2 is a compact yet very powerful par with a seven 15W LED engine at a 15° angle. It features high saturated colours, an extensive colour mix, dimming capabilities and fits into a NX34/30V truss. B PAR180RGBW V2, however, is a more powerful par with a 1215W LED engine at a 25° angle. These models can be used outdoors and can take a couple of rain showers.
For long term and heavy-duty outdoor use, Luxibel created the IP66 version of the B PAR180RGBW V2. This par has heavy-duty wired waterproof connectors. With its unique power to size ratio, the B pars are a class of their own. www.luxibel.com
BRADLEY NICHOLSON
Backstage Academy Live Events Production student operates the lighting on the British Music Embassy (BME) Stage at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2022, powered by the Production Park team, covering over 70 sets in eight days.
Words: Jacob Waite Photo: TyneSight Photographic Services
“It was definitely a daunting but equally exciting prospect,” Backstage Academy Live Events Production student, Bradley Nicholson modestly recalled, referring to his time operating the lights for 70 performances in eight days on the British Music Embassy (BME) Stage at South by Southwest (SXSW) 2022 in Austin, Texas, some 4,798 miles away from home.
“I didn’t feel like I had a lack of knowledge when I was out there, every challenge that was thrown at me was backed up by the skills taught to me at Backstage Academy,” he reminisced. “To overcome everything relatively unscathed was an unbelievable experience, especially having the added experience of being in another country without the home comforts of Backstage Academy – like being able to walk into the warehouse and pick up a cable that you’ve forgotten – was key in preparing me for SXSW.”
However, it was far from a walk in the park for Nicholson. “There were points where I questioned my abilities, but thankfully, I managed to get everything looking the way I wanted, and even if that meant doing it in a different order, it was a nice way for me to learn to adapt to the situation and come up with solutions,” he added.
“Seeing everyone come together to achieve a collective goal of showcasing the next-generation of talent was amazing to see. Experiences like SXSW definitely help when it comes to career progression.”
As the dust settled on the whirlwind eight day tirade of fader riding on an Avolites Tiger Touch II, Nicholson reflected on his journey thus far, particularly the quiet moments spent in lockdown amid the grounding of live events and remote learning.
“I used Avolites Titan simulator and four universes of WYSIWYG to make four full timecoded shows in lockdown. Having the time to sit and experiment with software, watch YouTube tutorials, and speaking to lecturers online, wasn’t exactly the university experience I was expecting but I was definitely able to use all of the resources available at that time to make the best out of a bad situation.” At SXSW, Nicholson relished the opportunity to do something creative and ‘out of his comfort zone’, as opposed to sticking some lights on a truss. “I was limited with my DMX outputs on an Avolites Tiger Touch II, so figuring out how to control 70m of LED pixel strip on 10 universes of data, took me the best part of a day but I managed to get it working and it looked really cool. I even had to read through my Avolites training books to fix an issue we had with recreating the colour red on the LED pixel tape, which was a testament to everything I’ve learned at Backstage Academy.”
Production Manager, Ant Forbes added: “Bradley’s confidence levels changed throughout the week when it came to problem solving and overcoming any challenge or task required… nobody would have thought for a second that he was a Backstage Academy student, you’d have thought he was just a veteran road dog who had aged really well!”
Nicholson concluded: “This experience has given me an insight into a future in live touring, which isn’t something which I necessarily considered prior to SXSW. “However, having jumped in at the deep end, it was pretty fun and ticked every single box – it’s given me a lot to think about when I consider my next steps. My advice to those looking to break into the sector is to jump at any experience offered and give it your all.” www.sxsw.com www.productionpark.co.uk www.backstageacademy.co.uk
PRG UK: WHY APPRENTICESHIPS MATTER
Leigh Yeomans, Head of People Services at PRG, details what opportunities are available for those looking to make their first steps in the live events sector.
PRG UK Event Rigging Specialist, Max Reynolds; Head of People Services, Leigh Yeomans.
With a greater focus on introducing new talent to the sector than ever before, PRG UK has revealed two apprenticeships available for application: Live Event Technician (Level 3) and Live Event Rigger (Level 3).
Both schemes last for three years and are specifically designed to provide applicants with an introduction into the technical delivery of live events.Over the three years, apprentices build a solid foundation of knowledge in the services PRG provides, from familiarising themselves with the basics and functions of technical production equipment in its warehouse, through to learning how PRG events are delivered and receiving hands-on experience with the PRG team. As apprentices’ skills and abilities progress, suitable key projects are identified for apprentices to join PRG crews so that they can start to build up a portfolio of events for their CVs. At the end of their three years, PRG apprentices will have a qualification as either Live Event Technicians or Riggers. As they look to their next steps, PRG will work with them to consider different avenues to help apprentices find work with the company either in-house or in the wider industry
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