TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL
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TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL
WWW.TPiMAGAZINE.COM FEBRUARY 2014
ISSUE 174
LIVE EVENT DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY • FEBRUARY 2014 • ISSUE 174
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TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA BRINGS ITS CLASSIC-ROCK FUSION TO EUROPE
IT’S TIME TO PARTY!
LÉO MAGALHÃES • IN PROFILE: SES POWER • IN THE SPOTLIGHT: MEYER SOUND KNIFE PARTY • MEDIA SERVERS MARKET FOCUS • L-ACOUSTICS’ K2 IN BETA TESTING
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THE PERFECT MIX OF
STRENGTH & BE AU T Y Combining the performance and headroom of LEO with the beauty of a smaller package, LYON brings linear sound reinforcement to more venues. Meet LYON, the latest line array from Meyer Sound, and the newest member of the LEO Family.
A product of our ongoing pursuit of linear sound www.meyersound.com/lyon
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L Meyer Sound Laboratories Inc. • 2832 San Pablo Ave. • Berkeley, CA 94702 • 510 486.1166
PUBLISTING TPI Magazine Feb 2014 Issue Creative: LYON Intro Unit:
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PRELUDE
WWW.CHAINMASTER.DE
Visit us At The Frankfurt Fair 12th - 15th March 2014
IT’S AWARDS TIME! It’s hard to believe that it’s going to be my third TPi Awards this year. The Awards team at Mondiale HQ have been working very hard to ensure that 2014 will be the networking event of the year. It will also mark the very first TPi Awards experience for Kieren Gardens, who I’m sure many of you have met by now (he can usually be found with a glass of red wine, pulling shapes your favourite uncle would be proud of). As always, myself, Hannah and the mondo*dr team - who recently gained a new addition, the lovely Laura Iles - will be at the event and are looking forward to catching up with the latest live and touring news. We also have some exciting news at the TPi Towers; joining the editorial staff is new recruit, Patrick McCumisky. Although he speaks several languages, Patrick is also fluent in Mancunian and is local to the area. He has recently returned to the UK from a radio station in Prague and you’ll be able to get acquainted with Patrick at both ISE in Amsterdam and the TPi Awards. On behalf of everyone in the entertainment technology department “Stuart, if you’re reading of Mondiale Publishing, welcome aboard and welcome to the industry! this, I owe you a (bottle of) On a sad note, it’s also time to say goodbye to whiskey next time we’re in our intern Luca Furio, who has made himself quite Glasgow...” at home! Thanks for all your help over the last few months Luca, you’ll be missed and we wish you all the best with your journalism career. This month we delve into the history of two companies, firstly Gearhouse SA, the largest full technical production facility in the southern hemisphere, as well as power distribution specialist, SES. We also get to grips with L-Acoustics’ new K2 system, which is in the beta testing phase, take a look at the industry’s leading media servers and dissect the production behind Kinfe Party’s Haunted House tour, and the European leg of TransSiberian Orchestra. And now, last but definitely not least, I must turn my thoughts - and sincere apologies - to Stuart Thomson of CUK Audio, the exclusive UK distributor for Outline products. As you may have noticed in the last issue, an incorrect Q&A found its way onto the bottom of Stuart’s Vital Stats interview. At this point, I would like to reinforce our apologies and say that with a new production system in place, it won’t happen again. Stuart, if you’re reading this, I owe you a (bottle of) whiskey next time we’re in Glasgow, and certainly at the TPi Awards.
Kelly Murray Editor
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Wherever Whatever Whenever www.leisuretec.co.uk
Everything in one Space For 24 years we have been distributing the finest brands of Commercial & Pro Audio, Lighting, Video & Special Effects to the Trade. You can now also browse and order on-line, using your trade pricing login. So whether you are an Integrator, Installer, Re-seller, Hire or Events Company, let us become an asset to your business.
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ITINERARY
CREW
a member of
Editor Kelly Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk International Advertising & Sponsorship Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk
CONTENTS 02/2014 OBITUARY 06
Kevin Fitz-Simons A.C. Entertainment Technologies pays its respects.
EVENT FOCUS 08
Keziah Jones Nexo supports Keziah at the Paris Jazz Festival.
12
Blackpool Christmas Ball Craig Charles DJs his way into the limelight.
Advertising Sales Kieren Gardens Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7733 113284 e-mail: k.gardens@mondiale.co.uk Graphic Design & Production Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Mel Robinson: m.robinson@mondiale.co.uk
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Pivitol Piloting L-Acoustics K2 in beta testing with SSE.
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Indochine The audio combination keeping the French band at the top of their game.
20
Allen & Heath Ben Hammond talks us through his desk of choice.
General Manager Justin Gawne
24 Mondiale Group Chairman Damian Walsh www.tpimagazine.com • www.tpiawards.com
PRODUCTION PROFILE 28
Cover Photography: Trans-Siberian Orchestra by Marty Moffatt Contributors Simon Duff & Jerry Gilbert Intern Luca Furio
OTLIGHT 34
Knife Party The DJs’ Warehouse Project gig enjoys the Made Up treatment.
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Printed by Buxton Press
Issue 174 / February 2014
Trans-Siberian Orchestra Simon Duff reports from London on the hit tour’s latest production rider.
40 Annual subscriptions (including P&P): £42 (UK), £60 (Europe), £78/$125 (RoW). Subscription enquiries to: Subscriptions, Mondiale Publishing Limited, Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport SK1 3AZ, UK; Tel: +44 (0)161 476 5580; Fax: +44 (0)161 476 0456; e-mail: subscriptions@mondiale.co.uk
Léo Magalhães Robe fixtures light a live DVD shoot in Brazil.
Meyer Sound TPi gets an exclusive look at the audio titan’s ISE launch: the LYON.
COMPANY PROFILE 44
Gearhouse SA Jerry Gilbert talks to the mighty rental house.
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SES Behind the scenes with the power specialists.
PSA 62
The ILMC Production Meeting A preview of this year’s panel schedule.
TOTAL PRODUCTION INTERNATIONAL is a controlled circulation magazine, published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited under licence. ISSN 1461-3786 Copyright © 2013 Mondiale Publishing Limited. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publishers. Every effort is taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this publication but neither Mondiale Publishing Ltd, nor the Editor, can be held responsible for its contents or any consequential loss or damage resulting from information published. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Publishers or Editor. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts, photographs, illustrations, advertising materials or artwork. Total Production International USPS: (ISSN 1461 3786) is published 12 times a year by Mondiale Publishing Limited United Kingdom. The 2013 US annual subscription price is 117USD. Airfreight and mailing in the USA by Agent named Air Business, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Total Production International, Air Business Ltd, C/O WorldNet Shipping USA Inc., 155-11 146th Avenue, Jamaica, New York, NY11434. Subscription records are maintained at Mondiale Publishing Ltd. Waterloo Place, Watson Square, Stockport, SK1 3AZ, UK.
MARKET FOCUS 64
Media Servers TPi takes a look at the market place.
INTERVIEW 70
Aon Entertainment insurance tips from Aon.
MOVERS & SHAKERS 72
The latest industry appointments.
VITAL STATS 78
Gioia Molinari, Head of Marketing and PR at RCF, answers our questions. 05
OBITUARY: Kevin Fitz-Simons
AC-ET MOURNS KEVIN FITZ-SIMONS A.C. ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGIES (AC-ET) DEEPLY REGRETS TO INFORM THE INDUSTRY THAT BELOVED COLLEAGUE, KEVIN FITZ-SIMONS, PASSED AWAY PEACEFULLY AT HOME IN THE EARLY HOURS OF TUESDAY 31 DECEMBER 2013, AGED 53.
As Northern Lighting Sales Manager for AC-ET’s Leeds office, Kevin held an important senior role in the company. He was an extremely well liked and respected colleague, and a larger than life character. Kevin was also very well known in the industry, with a diverse career spanning over 30 years. During this time, he built an incredible number of customer relationships and friendships. After leaving St Francis Xavier’s College, Liverpool in 1978, it was while Kevin was studying for a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Newcastle that he caught the ‘theatre bug’. This led to his decision to leave after two years to pursue a career in his newfound passion. Kevin began his industry career in 1980, working as Assistant Electrician at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre. He was subsequently promoted to chief electrician from 1982 to 1985. This varied role saw him designing shows and liaising with incoming companies and lighting designers. For the next two years, Kevin decided to test his production skills as a freelancer, touring the world in several Assistant Lighting Designer / Production Electrician roles for various international shows, followed by a spell working 06
in the West End. From 1987 to 1989, he worked with the Tyne Wear Theatre Company (at the Newcastle Playhouse & the Tyne Theatre), the National Youth Theatre of GB, Edinburgh International Festival, and the Northern Ballet Theatre. Kevin then took up the prestigious position of Chief Electrician / Head of Lighting for the English Shakespeare Company, followed by the Opera North - touring one side of the world to the other over the next six years. From 1994 to 1999, Kevin returned to education to study for an NVQ at Edge Hill University College. He then used his considerable industry experience to become a Lecturer in Stage Management at LAMDA and teach a Theatre Studies, Lighting & Production Management degree at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. At the same time, he undertook production roles for various tours, shows and venues, including the West End and Liverpool Playhouse. Kevin then spent three years working as Operations Manager at Playlight Hire in Manchester. In October 2002 he joined A.C. Entertainment Technologies’ Leeds office as Northern Sales Executive. Kevin became Office Manager in June 2009, and was then
promoted in November 2010 to Northern Lighting Sales Manager - a role he held until his passing. Kevin played a pivotal role in the growth, development and management of the A.C. North sales office over the years, and was a true team player with those colleagues and customers who had the pleasure of working with him. A loving husband and father, in his spare time Kevin played trombone (‘very badly’, to quote the humble gent himself) for his local brass band, the St. John’s Mossley Band. Jonathan Walters, UK Sales Director of AC-ET and founder of the company’s Leeds office, commented: “On behalf of everyone at AC-ET, we would like to express our deep sorrow at the passing of our beloved colleague. We are all in a state of shock and devastated by Kevin’s passing. He was a great friend and colleague, well loved by everyone and will be sorely missed. During his long career in our industry, he made many good friends along the way. Our thoughts and deepest sympathies go out to his family at this very difficult time. On behalf of Kevin’s family, we would like to thank the many industry colleagues who have left kind messages for him. As many of you have commented, the world has lost one of the good guys.” David Leggett, Executive Chairman and CoFounder of AC-ET, commented: “I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to Kevin’s family. I had the pleasure of working with him as a colleague over the last 11 years or so. He was a true gentleman, with a lovely temperament, and a larger than life personality. Kevin was massively respected and loved by everyone at AC-ET, and assisted many of our current northern sales office staff with their career development. He will be sorely missed.” Kevin is survived by his wife, Jean and his two daughters, Shona and Kirsty. His family can be very proud of him - the incredible number of condolence messages received for him from so many of his industry colleagues and friends are a true measure of the lasting impact he made during his successful career. Kevin’s funeral service was held on Monday 20 January, at St.John’s Church in Dukinfield, Cheshire, UK.
TPi would like to offer its condolences to Kevin’s family, friends and colleagues at this difficult time. TPi
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EVENT FOCUS: Keziah Jones
KEZIAH JONES ON A TOUR THAT DOESN’T CARRY FULL PRODUCTION SOUND, ONE OF THE MOST CRITCAL SET UPS FOR THE ARTIST IS THEIR MONITORING. GET THAT WRONG AND IT’S LIKELY THAT THE REST OF THE TOUR WILL SUFFER. FOR THAT REASON, ON A RECENT EUROPEAN TOUR, KEZIAH JONES, A NIGERIAN FUNK BLUES GUITARIST INSISTED ON TAKING A FULL MONITOR SET UP, UTILISING SIX NEXO 45° N-12 MONITOR LOUDSPEAKERS. SIMON DUFF TRAVELLED TO PARIS TO FIND OUT MORE. “It’s extremely loud on stage, probably one of the loudest mixes for monitoring that I have worked with. Out of curiosity we did a measurement at the vocal mic position and it was around the 110dB mark. It was critical that the wedges we used were of the highest quality. That was the reason for using the NEXO 45°N-12’s. They can handle that volume, not feedback and I have all the headroom that I need.” So said Daniel Paine, who has been working as monitor engineer for Keziah Jones for the past four years, as well as being Uriah Heap’s first choice FOH engineer and a highly accomplished guitar technician. The tour started in November 2013 in 08
Switzerland and ended in France just before Christmas, managed by Harry Pickett from Rugged Management, with both crew and band travelling in a sleeper bus plus trailer for backline. Paine’s audio company, Spin Audio, based in Basingstoke, provided much of the audio equipment for the tour, including a Yamaha CL3 console for monitor mixes, NEXO PS15-R2 loudspeakers and subs for stage side fills, microphones, stands as well as working with the 45°N-12 monitors. Six in total were used for the tour: four for Keziah Jones and two for Otto Williams, bass player and musical director. With Nathan Allen on drums and percussion, Keziah Jones traditionally tour as a trio, playing an unusual hard-hitting melodic
funk blues African fusion. For the two dates at the Bataclan the line up was augmented by a four-piece brass section and keyboard player. With a relatively small stage and high volume levels on stage it presented plenty of challenges for Paine. “We have been experimenting on this tour and we have utilised what was recommended to us by Nexo which was the four 45°N-12 for Keziah, two each at left and right, running in stereo, in a kind of fan shape,” said Paine. For monitors Jones requires mainly vocals and guitars in his wedges with the side fills used for drums, bass and the augmented line up. “That worked as the trio dates but as the line up of the band changed with the addition of
EVENT FOCUS: Keziah Jones
Opposite: Keziah Jones and his recently extended backing group deliver a musical style he describes as ‘blufunk’, a fusion between raw blues elements and hard, edgy funk rhythms. Below: Side fill monitors were used to support drummer Nathan Allen and bassist Otto Williams; Keziah needed a lot of level as he really cranked his guitar up on stage.
brass and keyboards we have changed the 45°N-12 configurations,” contiuned Paine. Having worked with the four NEXO 45°N-12 in a normal fan shape configuration Paine wanted to squeeze more vocal and get more cut from it for Jones’ monitors. To that end he ended up using an ‘inner’ pair and an ‘outer’ pair. He added: “Still two a side, but essentially what that allows me to do is, from the centre line, walking into the mic, I can focus the microphone sound primarily on the two ‘inners’, and when he steps out I can give him the vibe of the band in the ‘outers’ and lots of guitar focus. The main thing really is the focus options that set up gives me, allowing me to focus when Keziah steps onto mic position and into the centre for it to be primarily vocals cutting through the guitar and
“The biggest difference to me is the stability the N-12’s give you when you are working at high levels.”
when he moves a foot away off mic he still has the balance he needs from the ‘outers’. Commenting on the on tonal qualities of the NEXO 45°N-12 Paine added: “Tonally they are flat enough for me to make it do whatever I need to do. For Zeziah that includes a lot of
bottom end on the guitar and for the vocal a lot of cut without it sounding too harsh.” Comparing the PS15-R2 to the N-12 he said “The biggest difference to me is the stability the N-12’s give you when you are working at high levels. It is not prone to feedback. In fact
09
EVENT FOCUS: Keziah Jones
Below: Daniel Paine, Monitor Engineer for Keziah Jones for the past four years, managed the singer’s vocal levels to create a balanced final mix.
I would say it is the least volatile wedge that I have ever worked with. I have obviously worked with a variety of configurations and I have to say that it is normally reflections from things like sunglasses a singer is using, or a cap, to microphone, that causes feedback, as opposed to directly pointing a mic into the wedges. These are very stable indeed and actually I have even pointed Jones’ SM58 vocal straight at the N-12’s and they were still stable.” Mixing at FOH for the tour was Darren Connor, Emile Sande’s first choice FOH engineer. He used the in house system provided by the venue on each leg of the tour. For the two Bataclan Paris dates it was the in house Midas Heritage 3000 console and a Meyer Sound Milo PA. Working closely with Paine on the stage monitor set up he has plenty of good things to say about the NEXO 45°N-12. “I am amazed by how much air they move. That was the first thing that I noticed about them. The low end on them is amazing. I was baffled by the fact that you have a 12-inch speaker in there and yet it produces that amount of bass. Dan has got his work cut out because Keziah needs a lot of level and he really cranks his guitar up on stage. They know each other really well and 10
that relationship is critical on stage for things to go smoothly. He likes the vibe of wedges rather than IEMs and that suits the music and artistic approach entirely. From my point of view tonight, at FOH the stage is a very loud stage so I use all the low mid that is in the guitar out front, all from the stage, and nothing in the PA. The PA is almost working as a giant vocal PA with other elements added.”
and then I know I can get as much gain as they need. So what I have done for the four brass mixes that are there is that each musician has their own instrument in their wedge and only their own instrument. We did think about other things but they are only 3ft from the drummer and close to the guitar cabinets so I have pleased the brass section just by keeping things simple.”
“The low end on them is amazing. I was baffled by the fact that you have a 12-inch speaker in there and yet it produces that amount of bass.”
As to volumes on stage with an augmented brass and keyboard line up Paine had plenty to keep him busy. He explained: “The brass players were very concerned about the volume on stage. We had a look at it and really the main thing for them was to hear themselves and the suggestion was to keep it as simple as possible
It’s a tip that Paine would give to any aspiring monitor engineer. “Sometimes it is a very difficult situation with a band calling different things left right and centre. But my advice is to just stop for a second and for them to actually just use their ears. Think about what it is they are missing. I have come across artists
EVENT FOCUS: Keziah Jones
Below: Mixing at FOH for the tour was Darren Connor; For the two Bataclan Paris dates Connor used the in house Midas Heritage 3000 console and a Meyer Sound Milo PA.
who know what they like in their wedge: kick, drum, snare, and keyboards, for example. They like that and that is what they always have. But room sizes vary and stages vary. Sometimes it’s best to start and go okay what can I hear and what can’t I hear and what do I need more of and less of. And actually think of it from what can I hear already and what is missing. Keeping
it simple and don’t colour too many things. In fact that is exactly what happened today. Our music director Otto needed more cut in the vocal. It is extremely loud where he is, and the side fill is unfortunately in close proximity to him because we had to squeeze everything onto stage. He needed more vocal and yet I had reached the point where there was no more
to give. So I actually suggested we turn a few things down. We did and he was happy.” Wise words indeed. TPi http://keziahjones.biz www.nexo-sa.com www.meyersound.com www.midasconsoles.com
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EVENT FOCUS: Blackpool Christmas Ball
BLACKPOOL’S CHRISTMAS BALL RETURNING TO ITS RIGHTFUL HOME AT ONE OF THE UK’S MOST ICONIC VENUES: THE EMPRESS BALLROOM IN BLACKPOOL’S WINTER GARDEN, TPi HIT THE BEACH SIDE RESORT TO SEE THE TOWN’S CHRISTMAS BALL. The 3,500-capacity ballroom is a magnificent venue with ornate balconies, lavish plasterwork from its pre-20th Century build-period. Though not a difficult venue to light, the vast array of features makes it somewhat complex, so Manchester-based promoter, Band on The Wall sought the production expertise and local knowhow of Arranpaul, which in turn created spectacular illuminations from its Chauvet portfolio. Arranpaul is Blackpool and The Fylde’s largest sales, dry hire and full production company. The company was formed over 12 years ago when Directors Arran Culpan and Paul Rogerson merged their own respective sound companies together. Since then, Arranpaul has grown not only its client portfolio but also its product ranges. The company is a one-stop shop for lighting, sound reinforcement and video projection. Tom Beattie, Arranpaul’s Production Manager explained: “The promoter wanted the production handled locally, and as they’d previously used us for dry hire, they naturally came back on this occasion. We’ve done that room many times before and we could help them out.” It was a pleasure to work with Gavin from Band on The Wall again. Beattie continued: “We knew we could make the venue look fantastic with the Chauvet fixtures we had and we’d just bought some new units so it was an opportunity to use those to their full potential.” 12
The lighting rig comprised six Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beams, four Chauvet Professional Q-Spot 460-LED moving heads, three Chauvet Professional Q-Wash 560-LEDs, 10 Chauvet DJ COLORband PiX battens, 16 Chauvet DJ PixPar 24 wash fixtures and two Chauvet Professional COLORdash Batten-Quad 6 fixtures, with six Robe 600E Spots and six Martin Professional MAC 250 Entours. Deployed for a colourful haze injection were four Chauvet DJ Geyser RGB effect foggers. Arranpaul applaud both the build quality and service commitment delivered by Chauvet. Beattie said: “We’ve used Chauvet products for some years, certainly since we could buy direct in the UK. The Chauvet ranges represent very good value compared to the other brands on the market.” He went on to divulge: “Our business is multi-faceted, so we have to consider how we boost our hire inventory to suit all our needs. Obviously, there are companies and lighting designers who want certain brands so we stock those to look after their needs, but we also consider our budgets and needs and have been pushing the Chauvet brand in Blackpool. We demonstrate our own stock to clubs and venues in the area and they in turn choose the Chauvet products when they dry hire.” Reviewed locally too with high praise, the Christmas Ball was hosted by Craig Charles who brought his BBC Radio 6 Funk and Soul Show on the road showcasing Blackpool’s own Monster
Squad, Smoove and Terrell and The Brand New Heavies, before taking to the decks himself as headline DJ to complete the night’s festivities. Craig Charles, best known for his television acting roles as Dave Lister in British sci-fi Red Dwarf, and more recently with a regular part in Britain’s longest-running soap opera, is a rare individual who has seen real success in a wide variety of performance roles. He came to prominence though as a performance poet and now hosts his own Saturday night slot on BBC Radio 6 with The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Show, sharing his phenomenal depth of knowledge and appreciation of the musical genre. His natural affable charm as compare for the evening aligned with a high quality musical feast and a spectacular lighting set to bring about a memorable night of entertainment. Lighting Designer, Oliver Wilkinson, described the thinking behind the lighting setup, which was controlled via an Avolites Pearl Expert console with Touch Wing. “For the bands we kept things pretty simple and gave them a ‘look’ with a bit of movement. We created a colourful set to complement the style of music,” he said. “For the Craig Charles DJ set, we used the lighting to change the room a bit and create the disco feel and the Chauvet Legend 230SR Beams really contributed to that by creating shapes and a lot of movement; we used them for random strobe effects and we also used the beams to ignite the chandeliers with colour, an effect which really worked and impressed us all.”
EVENT FOCUS: Blackpool Christmas Ball
Opposite: Arranpaul’s Chauvet portfolio created bright, disco effects for Craig Charles’ DJ set. Below: Lighting Designer, Oliver Wilkinson on his Avolites Pearl Expert console with Touch Wing. Production Manager for the event, Tom Beattie.
The Chauvet Professional Legend 230SR Beams boast a powerful output of 96,000 lux at 15 metres due to their precision glass optics and tiny 2.25-degree beam angle. The units are small but mighty and very reactive. Alongside a responsive automated focus, the Legend 230SR Beams feature a zooming eight-facet prism and 17 gobos for beam shaping effects. Arranpaul positioned six beams on the stage support truss at different levels and different depths, which suited the band sets perfectly, by creating the illusion of a much larger stage. Beattie interjected: “The 230SR Beams fulfilled their function as a multipurpose unit to create an effect that has become more and more popular for live shows. The Chauvet fixture is a very popular unit: it’s a good beam for the price and so we used six for the effect that is all the rage at the minute. “Using the 230SR Beams to colour the chandeliers was an impromptu idea while we were setting up and it was sheer luck that that look happened,” Beattie confided. “We thought it might look good and actually it looked incredible so we kept that as ‘look to wow’ for the finale of Craig Charles set.” He continued: “The three Q-Washes were positioned as front washlights to wash the stage. I really like the Q-Wash: we have a large amount in our hire stock and they are never in
the warehouse, which speaks volumes.” Two Chauvet Professional COLORdash Batten-Quad 6 units were positioned to uplight the ballroom’s pillars. While to create a broad display of pixel-mapping effects, 16 Chauvet DJ PixPar 24 pixel-mapping washlights and 10 Chauvet DJ COLORband PiX battens were hung across the stage. The four Chauvet Professional Q-Spot 460-LED units were positioned amongst these. “We were particularly impressed with how the LED source on the 460-LED units performed. We thought they might get a bit lost among the more powerful lights but they were really impressive in the way they cut through all the other lights and held their own,” continued Beattie. Finally, the set also included four Chauvet DJ Geyser RGB effect foggers: two either side of the stage and a further two either side of the PA stacks. “These were really useful to transition from the band sets into the DJ set as they’re definitely more dancey! With the addition of the LEDs for colour they provide a nice little effect that you can just throw on every now and again,” Beattie said. From Wilkinson’s perspective, what impressed most - aside from the Legend 230SR Beams was, “the sharp definition of colour” when the pixel-mapped designs were overlaid
across the base backdrop colour of the two Chauvet COLORdash battens. We created the eye candy using the onboard pixel-mapping capabilities of the Avolites Pearl Expert. From fairly basic shapes we created some amazing designs and there was no blending or bleeding of colours when the designs were overlaid. They were definite and exactly as they should be: white over blue or yellow over red, for example. The effect was really impressive.” The Chauvet Professional Q-Spot 460LED fixtures also made their mark. Wilkinson continued: “They were positioned at the back but they really cut through and you could see them clearly on the floor, on the stage, with gobos. They really held up against the Robe 600E Spots.” Once the band line up was over, the lighting created the atmosphere of a nightclub to transition the room for the DJ set. The three Chauvet Professional Q-Wash 560-LED washlights that had provided stage wash were realigned across the audience to create a dancefloor and all the moving heads and effects were repositioned towards that space. Elsewhere, Robert Juliat Ivanhoe followspots were expertly manned by Arranpaul’s own CLiff Mair. Wilkinson concluded: “All the Chauvet products really held their own and maintained their presence. This was perhaps most noticeable when we really brought the 230SR Beams into play to provided that real wow factor for the DJ set finale. The other Chauvet lights weren’t overwhelmed at all, they were still there and maintained their intensity of colour throughout.” TPi www.arranpaulaudio.co.uk www.chauvetprofessional.co.uk
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EVENT FOCUS: Pivotal Piloting
PIVOTAL PILOTING K2, THE EAGERLY AWAITED LARGE FORMAT LINE ARRAY CABINET FROM L-ACOUSTICS PROVES ITSELF IN PILOT PHASE AS SSE DEPLOYS THE SYSTEM FOR BETA TESTING. In K2 L-Acoustics has designed a system that has the DNA of K1 - hugely successful since its 2008 launch - and the form factor of the legendary V-DOSC. Although K2 is not officially launched until next month, SSE Audio Group - as an L-Acoustics pilot partner, has already set out to explore its potential. The new system was deployed in the field by SSE during the summer and autumn on a number of festivals and tours including Hyde Park, the V Festival, Madness, Union J and the Arctic Monkeys - either as a main system or as a complement to K1 rigs. The pilot phase ended in November, with a significant amount of field experience accumulated. Stéphane Ecalle, L-Acoustics’ Director of Marketing reflected: “K2 has received outstanding comments from engineers and owners - we’re thrilled with this green light for market introduction.” K2 is positioned for similar applications as V-DOSC, typically productions with audiences of anything up to a headcount of 20,000, delivering exactly the same max SPL and bandwidth as V-DOSC. While K2 will be replacing V-DOSC in the product line L-Acoustics will continue to support the older system. The acoustic performance of the new system is absolutely in line with K1, with a 14
max SPL positioned 3dB below its sibling and a bandwidth equivalent to K1. Vertical coverage has been stretched to accommodate shorter throws and audiences with high tiers or balconies. UNION J The most recent outing for K2 with SSE Hire was with English four-piece boy band Union J. “They are playing venues of very different sizes from Margate Winter Gardens and Hammersmith Apollo to the Liverpool Echo Arena and the NIA,” explained SSE Project Manager, Luther Edmonds. “So the size and weight of the box was a big factor as well as truck space. With K2 we can cover the whole tour with one PA.” One of the key development criteria was to design a cabinet significantly lighter than the VDOSC one it will replace. Intricate milling of the plywood panels to reduce weight but maintain ridgidity along with lightweight aluminium in lieu of plywood means the K2 weighs in at only 56kg per box, nearly half the 108kg of a VDOSC cabinet. J COLE In November and December 2013 SSE used the K2 system for American hip hop artist J Cole on a three-night stint at London’s Hammersmith
Eventim Apollo with a 4,500 capacity and at the O2 Manchester Apollo with a 3,500 capacity crowd. “I’m very impressed with the K2 system supplied by SSE,” said Raymond Rogers, Grammy Award Winner, Live Audio Engineer and Production Manager for J Cole. “The system is light and very easy to rig. After the crew received rigging points it took them no longer than an hour to get the system rigged and in the air. From an audio perspective, Rogers was equally impressed: “The K2 system is audibly smooth and comforting. I didn’t have to do too much equalisation to achieve the sound I needed. I can’t wait for the system to reach rental companies in the United States.” ARCTIC MONKEYS For the Arctic Monkeys autumn arena tour, K2 was used to supplement the K1 main hang. “They were playing to a full 220º coverage in arenas, so we chose to use K2 as a side hang and L-Acoustics Kara for the rear hang,” noted SSE Project Manager, Dan Bennett. “Using the K Series for everything meant the sound was the same everywhere. When you have VDOSC side hangs, it’s very noticeable walking across the arena between the K1 and VDOSC coverage. The K2 really improves our inventory as K1 is
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EVENT FOCUS: Pivotal Piloting
Opposite: An L-Acoustics K1 main hang with K2 side hang provided 220º coverage at the NEC LG Arena for the Arctic Monkeys. Below: The K2 system was used as the main PA for a recent performance by Madness at Alexander Palace; 12 K2’s and four K1SBs per-side were positioned for the Madness show.
sometimes too costly to have as side hangs, plus the fact it’s not always wide enough. With K2, it’s light, easy to fly, sounds like K1 and can cover a spread of 110º, increasing coverage over a standard side hang.” The adjustable horizontal directivity is a key feature of the K2. There are four settings, 70º and 110º symmetrical and 90º asymmetrical left or right. This allows system designers to sector the audience in zones in the horizontal plane. With accurate control of the horizontal directivity, the acoustic energy is focused on the audience with minimal overspill to the surrounding neighbourhood. TRAINING Choosing a large PA system like K2 has major consequences for a rental business, financially,
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commercially and technically. Five years ago, L-Acoustics created a Rental Network Charter. “If you invest in K2, you automatically enter into the logic of the Network, which maintains a set of commitments to benefit the sound companies, the clients and the engineers,” said Ecalle. Part of this commitment involves the training of staff. “Everyone agrees that the education of technicians is critical and must be carried out by high-level trainers. So yes, you need to have your techs trained by professionals to take advantage of the system,” Ecalle emphasised. Now that the pilot phase is at an end, SSE is hosting training at its Redditch HQ in association with L-Acoustics to ensure its substantial K Series inventory can be deployed to full effect. SSE’s Hire Director Yan Stile emphasised
the company’s commitment to K2. “As pilot partners with L-Acoustics, we’ve really been able to put the new system through its paces, and it has come through with flying colours. It’s predecessor, the VDOSC line array, has really served the industry well over the last 20 years, but K2 now extends the reach of the exceptional sound of the K system to audiences of all sizes.” The worldwide launch for K2 is scheduled for Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt during March 2014. TPi
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EVENT FOCUS: Indochine
INDOCHINE WITH OVER 10 MILLION RECORD SALES TO THEIR NAME, ICONIC FRENCH ROCK BAND INDOCHINE EMBARKED ON THEIR BLACK CITY TOUR EARLY LAST YEAR, AND WILL REMAIN ON THE ROAD UNTIL THIS SUMMER. TPi CAUGHT UP WITH THE TOUR ON THE BAND’S HOME TURF TO HEAR HOW THE SOUND FOR THIS COMPLEX PRODUCTION RELIES ON THE SIMPLE COMBINATION OF ADAMSON, LAB.GRUPPEN AND LAKE EQUIPMENT. Formed in the 1980s, Indochine are heroes in their home country, and were the first French band ever to play the Stade de France to a crowd of 80,000 back in 2010. They have endured for so long and had continued success in both the live and recording sectors due to the drive and vision of Nicolas Sirkis, singer and leader of the band. That vision has led to one of their most elaborate stage shows to date, one that blends sound, light and video. The Black City Tour started in February 2013 and will take Indochine across Europe and the rest of the world, culminating in two consecutive shows at the Stade de France on 27 and 28 June this year, the first of which was already sold out by the time this article was written. Watching the show, you can see some people in the crowd standing in amazement, a thrilling combination of creative lighting and state of the art 360° projection mapping, with retractable screens enveloping a section of the audience, producing an immersive and emotional spectacle that is matched by the quality of the sound. PA System Tech, Julien Poirot, has worked on countless shows and tours in France and 18
across the world, providing PA support to bands like Linkin Park, Metallica and events like Sonisphere, and having worked with the band before, was called upon to design the whole system for Black City. With his companion, Wilfried Lasbleiz, they rig the full set-up each night, building in enough power and flexibility to cope with any venue’s limitations. “This is one of the biggest bands in France, and it’s an interesting job because of all the lighting and video screens, and so we had to configure the PA around that. I’ve used many different PAs in my career, from Meyer Sound and JBL to L-Acoustics, but nowadays, I only use Adamson PA on live shows. Since we have such a good relationship with the management and tour production team for Indochine, it’s really easy to propose things.” Of the proposals put forward, Sound Engineer, Philippe Dubich, selected Adamson E15 and E12 line arrays and T-21 subs, provided by French rental company, Lagoona. The system is powered by one dedicated monster rack per side with Lab.gruppen’s PLM 20000Q and PLM 10000Q - a total of 40 amplifiers. “What I like about the E15 is that it’s a very loud, powerful box, with a nice dynamic and
crisp definition. Here, we have a main PA and delay hangs. We use a line array, but in this case we wanted to hit all of the top seats and make sure the whole audience got the same sound,” continued Poirot. “We can separate the delay hangs out and tune and adjust them seperately from the main hangs. We use the T-21 subs, ground stacked, with ten subs each side. The main system is just in front of the subs, so the phase is very good because everything is in line. And powering that, we use Lab.gruppen PLM amplifiers on all the tops, 20000 on the main PA, Adamson E15, and we use 10000 for all the front fill, down fill, side fill and delays. On subwoofers, we use only the FP 7000, with a Lake LM26 as crossover, and of course, everything is running on Dante. The DiGiCo SD7 mixing console feeds in the Dante network through a Lake LM44, meaning the whole system has full redundancy.” With his chosen PA in place, it was Lab. gruppen power that ensured Poirot, and the band themselves, got the kind of sound they wanted from it, as he testified: “I think using Lab.gruppen is just the best way to have dynamics on the lows, good attack on the subs. It’s the only amp I can use that gives me that.
EVENT FOCUS: Indochine
Opposite: The band’s complex audio set up comprises a DiGiCo SD7 desk, an Adamson PA system, Lab.gruppen amplifiers and Lake processing. Below: PA System Tech Julien Poirot; Indochine formed in the 1980s and have since become one of France’s most famous rock bands.
The Lab.gruppen just gives that strong, punchy sound that others can’t match. ” But of course, with the PLM Series, it’s not just a world-beating amplifier you are buying, as each unit comes integrated with industry standard Lake Processing, something that every serious engineer and system tech uses on shows of this scale, and Poirot was no different. “Now with the PLMs, we have all the Lake Processing inside, which is amazing, as Lake is just the most powerful processing tool on the market. Now it’s compact, powerful, and we only need two racks on either side of the side
to power the whole show. It makes it so easy to use on tour, as we just roll them off the truck, power them up, and we’re ready to go! “Lake makes it easy to tune the system to suit any venue. On other amplifiers, you might only get eight or 10 parametric EQ points, and sometimes it’s not enough as the venue might be really hard on the lows. With Lake you don’t get this problem, as there isn’t that kind of limitation. Having the PLMs means that we can do exactly what we want, when we want, and be confident that it’s going to work every time. Also, the load monitoring on the PLMs is
superb. Here, we have cable truss everywhere for audio, and you can check everything just by pressing the button on the amplifiers and comparing the impedance. You have real time access to all the information, and when you are in show, you can know when a speakON [the Neutrik loudspeaker connector] has turned, so it’s a great tool to have at your disposal on any show.” TPi www.indo.fr http://lake.labgruppen.com www.adamsonsystems.com
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EVENT FOCUS: Allen & Heath
ALLEN & HEATH FOH SOUND ENGINEER, BEN HAMMOND, HAS BEEN USING ALLEN & HEATH’S iLIVE DIGITAL SYSTEM EXCLUSIVELY FOR TWO YEARS, CITING THE INTEGRATION ACROSS THE iLIVE PLATFORM AS A BIG FACTOR IN HIS CHOICE OF DESK. “The integration means I can tailor a system to the particular tour, changing surface size for compact footprint shows, and stage racks for more input intensive shows but my show file recalls seamlessly every time, without the loss of input gains,” Hammond told TPi. “I’ve used a variety of systems recently, from my usual set up of a modular iLive-112 surface and fixed iDR-64 rack, to a GLD-80 set-up in the States with Saxon using extensive Dante networking. However, I have finished the year off with a complete modular iLive-176 surface and iDR10 rack.” In his own words, Hammond talks us through his desk set ups from his 2013 tours... SAXON & FOZZY US TOUR For this tour, space at FOH was always going to be an issue due to the wide variety of venues, from outdoor parking lots to House of Blues to bars. I opted for a GLD-80 at FOH and iLive-T112 / iDR-48 system on stage. The GLD gives me most of the processing I have been accustomed to from the iLive consoles, so dialling something in quickly in rehearsals was made easy. I used the Audinate Dante networking to control the system from FOH. The iDR-48 stage rack at monitor world 20
handled all inputs from the ‘festival’ style input list to accommodate both bands with minimum re-patching in changeovers. We then took a Dante split from this via the M-Dante card to FOH, and another duplicate split for multitrack sends. Unlike an analogue split, with Dante being a flexible bi-directional protocol, we were able to set up communications, talkbacks, intro playback from FOH and pipe that back down to monitor world, while having control for all of this from my laptop at FOH. This tour was a ‘co-headline’ with a shared crew (something that seems to be happening more and more) and with both bands being on different combinations of IEMs and wedges, we were using nearly all the outputs on the iDR rack at monitor world to avoid complicated re-patching, plus the Dante system gave me the flexibility to change anything I needed on the fly to keep up with this. DEAF HAVANA UK TOUR I made the decision to upsize to a modular iLive-176 surface from the usual iLive-112. This was due to the high channel count and ever changing show. With seven people on stage constantly changing between a vast array of instruments this makes for a very hands-on gig, so being able to look down and get an overview of my entire
EVENT FOCUS: Allen & Heath
Previous page: FOH Engineer, Ben Hammond (pictured) toured with an Allen & Heath iLive-T112/ iDR-48 system for Saxon’s production.
gig is very useful. My idea with the 176 was to have a DCA for each member of the band, and (minimum) one scene for each song. When I recalled a particular song, the instrument that each band member was playing would be un-muted and the console layout would change, so it brought all active instruments for that song to the main fader layer, making things much less cluttered. This way I knew that whatever instrument the guys had in hand, I was always on it and would never miss a cue. The scenes also handled effects patch and parameter changes, as well as creative EQ for spot effects. As with the Saxon tour, all mics on stage were Audio-Technica. I’ve been a long time user of its gear due to its very honest and uncoloured sound. For an engineer like myself who works for a few different bands at once, a flexible and flyable mic package is key. I’m a huge fan of the Artist Elite 4100 microphones on vocals, the 2500 dual element mic has been my go to mic for guitars ever since I first heard it, and depending on the drummer / drum kit ATM350 or ATM250 microphones twinned with AT4050 and ATM450 mics for all the metal bits! The Havana tour was also my first outing using the 1.9 firmware for iLive. The dynamic EQ was a welcome addition, and quickly became my go to for lead vocals. When James Veck-Gilodi is in the much quieter parts of the set, I use it to gently squeeze the low end to keeping the vocal sounding tight, bringing out the intelligibly and clarity in his vocal, but when he pushes into the much higher ranges, this backs off and the higher bands hit the more aggressive mid range frequencies, and higher sibilant elements of his voice, this works to give me a clear and full sounding vocal that stays full and sits at the front of my mix, with a pretty flat channel EQ. YOU ME AT SIX - 30 SECONDS TO MARS TOUR I was asked to cover long time friends You Me At Six for this tour, and not having much experience mixing them in the past I opted to stay with the existing setup I had used for the Deaf Havana tour. 22
Again the dynamic EQ played a big part in my vocal sound for this tour, as Josh Franceschi has such a huge dynamic range but needs to sit right on top no matter what the band are doing, so simply hacking the EQ wasn’t the answer. I always do my homework before tours and study the bands records, as the band and producers worked long and hard to come up with a sound that they believe suits the music. Obviously live is a different environment but I still think it’s very important to try and look at the music and understand it in the same way as the people playing it, so we piece the various bits we get given together and create a mix that complements the band and what they are doing. You Me At Six demanded much more of a pop mix with big kick, big snare, and the crystal clear vocal sat on top. For this I pulled out my trusty Avalon 737 preamps which just give that extra ‘air’ in a vocal, and made all the difference. I hit the snare group with an Empirical Labs EL8x Distressor on the 1:1 Brit Mode setting with a high 8:1 ratio. I never really EQ snare drums, but use compression, especially attack and release settings to shape the drum. I got used to compressing on groups at an early age working in little clubs and needing to send as much signal as possible to the monitors, but still needing control over FOH so compressing groups instead of channels made sense. I made the decision to move from the fixed format iDR racks to the modular iDR10 MixRack, which came from a redundancy requirement. I wanted a more solid redundancy solution due to the long multi-runs, which were up to 120 metres in some cases, and the iDR10 enables me to run multiple Cat5 lines, and will instantly and inaudibly switch from the main to the reserve multi. I actually tested this by pulling out the ‘A’ link in soundcheck, switching to ‘B’ and it really was inaudible! The modular rack features dual redundant PSU’s, that in tandem with the Allen & Heath IPS10 PSU at FOH and that made for a rock solid system that I had every confidence in. TPi www.allen-heath.com
EVENT FOCUS: Léo Magalhães
LÉO MAGALHÃES CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN SHOWBUSINESS, FAMOUS BRAZILIAN SERTANEJO MUSIC SINGER LÉO MAGALHÃES FILMED A NEW DVD, WHICH WAS LIT USING AROUND 200 ROBE FIXTURES BY LIGHTING DESIGNER AND DOP, CARLOS NOGUEIRA. The recording took place at the Palácio da Música venue inside the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre (designed by well-known Brazilian architect of the same name) in the city of Goiânia, Goiás state. A live audience of nearly 3,000 added their energy and helped create a dynamic environment together with the visual effects onstage, and São Paulo-based Apple Produções provided lighting equipment and services plus 600 sq metres of LED screens. Nogueira - universally known in the industry as Carlinhos - is a high profile LD in Brazil and participates in the filming of many sertanejo music DVDs all around the country. Having already used Robe’s Pointe fixture for the first time some weeks before at the massive Villa Mix Festival in the same city, and “Really liking the performance”, he didn’t hesitate to specify Pointes again. Joining the 60 Robe Pointes were 88 Robe LEDBeam 100’s, 24 Robe MMX WashBeams and 24
28 Robe LEDWash 600’s - all from Robe’s Robin series - together with other lights. Said Nogueira: “For this show my starting point was Zé Carratu’s set design which featured a large quantity of LED screens. I then started locating the lights around this, taking into account that it was a DVD shoot and therefore on camera, the lighting needed to reflect exactly what the eyes were seeing”. In his role as DoP, he commented: “Having so many LED screens all around the auditorium can be a challenge. Sometimes you can lose the lights or the screens due to their intensity, but here we achieved a very good balance thanks to the use of high colour temperatures - typically 5,600K - in the lighting.” The LED screens at the back made up a zig zag shape with a hole in the middle where some Robe Pointes were rigged. There were also six Pointes positioned on both the downstage left and right sides of the stage. The LEDBeam 100’s followed the shape of
the screens, while the LEDWash 600’s were located around all the perimeter of the stage - including the proscenium and the FOH accentuating the shape of the ceiling. The rest of the Pointes and the MMXs were rigged on different overhead and side-stage trusses. “I like the Pointe,” declared Nogueira. “I could achieve all the effects I could think of thanks to this unit. All Robe’s products have a great colour palette and their fast movement, lightweight and high brightness are amazing.” The lighting programming was undertaken by Nogueira together with MA Lighting’s specialist Paulo Lebrão, using two grandMA2 Light consoles plus a Command Wing with two MA VPUs running the video content. Arthur Carratu created the video content, and he, his father Zé Carratu and Nogueira all worked closely with Director Anselmo Trancoso from AT+G and Artist Manager Luciano Bonfim from producers LB Produções. Apple’s LD and Technical Manager Gabriel
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EVENT FOCUS: Léo Magalhães
Previous page: Apple Produções provided Magalhães with 600 sq metres of LED screen to the Palácio da Música venue inside the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre. Below: Robe LEDBeam 100’s followed the shape of the stage screens, while Robe LEDWash 600’s were located around the perimeter; Paulo Lebrao, Lighting Designer Carlos and Pincel from Apple.
Pincel worked alongside 16 technicians to complete the set-up over three days, with filming taking place on the fourth. “It all worked out great and the Robe lighting fixtures were rock-solid as always,” said Pincel. Léo Magalhães was joined onstage by 18 musicians, eight dancers and several special guests including Eduardo Costa, sertanejo duo Bruno e Marrone, solo singer Leonardo, Aviões
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do Forró vocalist Alexandre, Lucas Locco and singer Gabriel Gava. Gava’s most recent DVD was also lit utilising Robe fixtures. Carlos Nogueira started his industry career about 18 years ago, initially through Sao Paolo based rental company Spectrun: “Where I learnt all I know via the owner, Marcos,” he revealed. Today, most of his projects involve lighting design and photography direction for DVD
shoots. Born in Minas Gerais, Léo Magalhães has been involved in music since he was a child… and today is one of the most popular sertanejo music singers in Brazil. TPi www.leomagalhaes.com.br www.robe.cz
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA SINCE TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA’S (TSO)- THE THEATRICAL PROGRESSIVE ROCK AND CLASSICAL MUSIC FUSION - INCEPTION, A CORE CREW HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE OF THE PROJECT LEAD BY PRODUCER, COMPOSER AND LYRICIST PAUL 0’NEIL. TSO’s $20M PLUS PRODUCTION HAS SOLD OVER SEVEN MILLION CONCERT TICKETS IN OVER 80 COUNTRIES AND GENERATED 10 MILLION ALBUM SALES TO DATE. SIMON DUFF WENT TO THE EVENT AT THE APOLLO IN LONDON AT THE START OF THE BAND’S 2014 EUROPEAN WINTER TOUR. Theatrical storytelling, spectacular visuals, lasers, moving trusses, awe-inspiring musicianship with sound to match are just some of the key elements that relate to the huge success of TSO. Hard work and a dedicated crew are the key drivers and the 2013 New Years Eve schedule was a good example. On December 30 the band played two concerts in Buffalo, New York, before band and key personnel headed off on a private jet to play in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate New Years Eve concert, where an estimated million strong audience welcomed in 2014. All that coming at the end of an American tour; quite a start the year. Jeff Boguski has been Production Manager for TSO since 2001. He commented on the nature of the show: “Paul 0’Neil loves technology and this is a very high tech show. But he admires the old school way of doing 28
things as well. We are always trying to integrate something new with staging and moving staging components. Paul likes big looks that really get your attention and we fill the stage with fire and lights. We always bring lots to the party every day.” The approachable Canadian started his professional life on New York’s Broadway for various shows, and working for Kiss and Iron Maiden prior to becoming PM on the British theatrical touring show Spirit of the Dance which he did for three years before joining TSO full time. Boguski is keen to stress that the European Winter 2014 tour is a different production size as to what TSO do in the USA. In the States, for example, Showrig (SGPS) provided automation elements for the huge production, which saw several vertical lift points moving the performers throughout the show. In Europe, it provided custom fabrication truss and staging. All Access also provided staging for both tours.
The PM elabortaed: “Often during our winter season in America we run two separate arena tours, one covering the East Coast and one the West Coast, each carrying seventeen trucks. In Europe for this tour we are doing it with five from Redburn trucking. For us, it’s similar to 10 years ago when we were starting out with TSO with one truck, the next year it would be two, the next year four trucks and then it just grew to what it is in the States today.” Also on the European run, Clemens provided buses, and rigging and motion systems were supplied by Ampco Flashlight. Boguski added: “The four main moving trusses have ChainMaster control that we have brought out from Ampco Flashlight. Those elements move in the show.” Bryan Hartley, TSO’s Show Designer is also the Lighting Designer and operator. A hugely respected industry figure, his other clients include Kiss, Motley Crew, Deep Purple,
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Opposite: Rental company VER supplied over 36 Robe Pointe fixtures to the Apollo in London. Below: The Orchestra’s leader Paul O’Neill loves heavy metal, so the design had to have an evil tone; An LED wall was supplied by Chaos Visual Productions, it comprised Element Labs Versa Tubes and Galaxia Winvision Tiles.
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Megadeath, Nine Inch Nails and Lenny Kravitz. For the TSO 2014 European winter tour he chose to include more than 36 Robe Pointe fixtures, supplied by VER in Los Angeles. Hartley commented: “They give me a big beam and the real rotating gobo that I need. I am using them as a traditional spot moving light and then a beam and wash when needed. VER showed me a demo of various Robe fixtures and I liked those specific ones the best. This tour is designed around video projection, so I didn’t need huge, heavy moving lights and went with the Pointes.” Video projection, the set, and the rigors of the road all influenced Hartley’s lighting design. He needed fixtures bright enough to hold up against an LED wall backdrop, surviving the ambient lighting from the video but also not drowning it out. He required fixtures to cut through the layers of special effects including lasers, and pyrotechnics designed by Pyrotek and enabled in Europe by Le Maitre. The crowds were treated
to a multitude of special effects including red flames, green flame projectors, yellow tracer comets, gold glitter comets with tails, red and green comets with tails and low lying fog. He also wanted the fixtures to produce some very specific colours. “Paul O’Neill loves heavy metal, so the design had to have an ‘evil’ tone,” said Hartley. “He loves red. If it was up to him, the whole show would be red throughout. I like those deep saturated colours anyway. The Robe colour system is awesome. I got the colours I needed for my show and the units are completely reliable.” The LED wall for the video supplied by Chaos Visual Productions comprised 60 Element Labs Versa Tubes HD and 60 Galaxia Winvision .9375mm HD Tiles. Content, based around a central narration on themes around each set of songs was created and programmed by Hartley and colleague Nick Miletello and driven off Catalyst media severs. Other fixtures for lighting
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Below: Drummer Jeff Plate supplied the show with hard rock rhythms; The Robe Pointe beam cut through a mix of smoke and special effects.
included 88 Martin Professional Rush PAR 2 LED PAR cans, eight Martin Professional Stagebar 54 LED battens, five Martin Professional Jem smoke machines, four Robert Juliat Lancelot followspots and four DF50 hazers. Hartley cuts around 300 lighting cues on a High End Systems Hog 4 console. Mixing and tempo tapping is done manually with a couple of songs triggered by time code, mostly to sync the video and laser content of the show. He has been using a Hog 3 for about six years but purchased a Hog 4 on its release. He said: “I love the format and the feel of it and the way it works. You know it is kind of like a guitar, everybody has their preferences on what they like to use. It’s what I know best and I find the software very intuitive, well laid out, fast, and above all creative.” SOUND WORLD FOH Engineer, Dave Wittman has been working with TSO since its inception and even before the engineering studio recordings for O’Neil’s many other projects. He also records all of TSO’s studio albums. Starting out as studio engineer at Electric Lady, Jimi Hendrix’s studio in New
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York and going on to work for Kiss, Foreigner, Billy Idol, Eric Clapton and many others. He started out mixing live for TS0 in 1999. So how does he approach recreating his studio TSO work to live? He said: “TSO have a recording studio in Florida and I do all their recording and mixing there using Digital Performer so I know how everything sounds and sits on the albums. All the show is run live with no sequencers or playback except for a few sound effects. So I have an advantage in that I know what we ended up with on the record. When we go out live I try to recreate the dynamics we achieved in the studio.” Wittman’s console of choice at FOH is a DiGiCo SD7 supplied by Clair Global as is all the audio equipment for the tour. PA wise a Clair i3 system line array is used, 12 cabinets per side for the London show plus four Clair BT-218 subwoofers groundstacked per side. Hartley said: “The i3 system gives me the hi-fidelity, quality and natural sound that I admire so much about Clair. The sweetness of the audio really helps define what I need. This is a family show and we don’t operate at huge volume and aim
to keep everybody happy. The i3 is Clair’s mid size line array that allows us to cater for both theatres and arenas. It gives us greater flexibility in set up configuration being easily ground stackable as well as flown. We carry four Clair FF2 low profile speakers for frontfills.” The PA is driven by amp racks designed by AudioRent Clair in Switzerland. They contain nine Lab.gruppen PLM 20000Q amplifiers. One rack a side is enough for the entire PA in theatres, which helps to keep the amplifier footprint small. However, the tour carries one stack rack amplifier per side for arena shows and the last four boxes are made up when there is room to fly all the i3 carried. All racks are controlled using Lake software from FOH. The musical line up on stage consists of drums, two guitarists, bass, two keyboard players, a seven-piece string section and an assortment of lead vocal, BVs and choir. Wittman picks up around 70 music inputs for the DiGiCo SD7 as well as an assortment of other feeds including audience mics used for the band IEM and click tracks. He added: “The SD7 has a small foot print but huge power and
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Below: Brian Hartley took on the role of both Show and Lighting Designer; Dave Whitman was FOH Engineer; Chris Caffery supplied the performance’s awe-inspiring guitar skils.
I never seem to run out of inputs. I have up to 128 if I need. I keep effects down to a minimum and use on board reverbs and dynamics and I don’t carry any outboard effects.” When it comes to mixing Wittman’s approaches each song manually with no recalls but at the end of each show saves the desk and can use that as a starting point for the next gig if required. Output wise from the DiGiCo SD7 running at 48,000 it is a left right feed to the Lab.gruppen PLM amplifiers. At monitor world Scott Fraser also mixes on a DiGiCo SD7, working to create 24 stereo mixes for band and
technicians. Monitors are a combination of four Sennheiser 2050 wireless microphone systems and 16 Sennheiser G3 IEM packs as well as eight Clair CM22 floor wedges and four ML18 subwoofers again driven by the Lab.gruppen PLMs. The in ears rack also contains three Shure GX4-D professional wireless dual combiners. RF is completed with Shure UHF-R receivers for vocals and guitars. Audio Tech for the tour is Trystan Forbes with Matt Moser on monitors and RF Tech duties, alongside Michihiro Tanikawa as System Engineer. Wittman concluded with his thoughts as to
why he enjoys working so much with TSO. “Part of it is to do with the satisfaction once you see the look on the audiences faces and their smiles at the end of a show. It’s like bringing the songs we have done in the recording studio to life.” TPi Photos: Simon Duff, Marty Moffatt, Bob Carey and Mark Weiss www.trans-siberian.com www.ampco-flashlight.com www.allaccessinc.com, www.chaosvisual.com www.clairglobal.com, www.pyrotekfx.com www.lemaitreltd.com, www.redburn.co.uk, www.sgps.net, www.verrents.com
KINGS OF LEON
BEYONCE ROBBIE WILLIAMS
MUSE LORD OF THE DANCE
ELTON JOHN ED SHEERAN
RUSH
CHEMICAL BROTHERS
BEADY EYE
MILOW
ALICIA KEYS
All filmed with Bradley Engineering equipment
+44 (0)1590 622 440 www.bradeng.com Picture courtesy of Blackcamsystems
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Knife Party
KNIFE PARTY AT THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT AS ANOTHER WAREHOUSE PROJECT SEASON DREW TO A CLOSE, TPi’S KELLY MURRAY SPOKE TO MADE UP LTD - A LIVE PRODUCTION EVENT COMPANY, WITH A BACKGROUND IN DRIVING THE CLUB SCENE TO NEW LIVE PRODUCTION HEIGHTS - ABOUT KNIFE PARTY’S HAUNTED HOUSE PERFORMANCE AT MANCHESTER, UK’S, WORLD RENOWNED DANCE MUSIC EVENT. Made Up is a bespoke event design, production and tour management company, which specialises in developing innovative branding solutions for live events. Said Made Up’s Director, Cy Kelly: “We began back in the ‘90s by helping turn dance music brand Hed Kandi into a legend, and since then, we’ve blazed a trail that’s led us from Ibiza to the furthest corners of the globe, working for the biggest clients and with the hottest DJs around. Yet, we remain small enough to approach ideas in a tailor-made fashion to suit the needs of your event.” The DJs in question when TPi met up with Cy Kelly at the Warehouse Project (WHP), are Knife Party, which comprises Australian electronic duo Rob Swire and Gareth McGrillen and also members of Pendulum. Currently sitting pretty at number 25 on DJ Magazine’s Top 100 DJs poll, the artists are certainly making international waves, and last year released their third EP, 34
entitled Haunted House, which was to form the inspiration for the look of their live tour. “The secret is, we live it,” enthused Kelly. “We love the music, we love making events into unforgettable experiences; that’s the secret to staying fresh and cutting edge and staying at the top.” Kelly continued: “This is the stuff we love, making an event succeed live. Delivering the experience live is where Made Up excels. At festivals, concerts, DJ sets, club nights, outdoors or indoors, our team supply comprehensive event production. With a wealth of knowledge and skills in a range of areas from set design and production, to video content and special effects, we create total visual impact.” THE WAREHOUSE PHENOMENON Made Up has worked on everything from the very first WHP FAC 51 Haciaenda parties, Annie Mac tours across the project’s various venues,
Andy C’s Alive tour, and of course most recently, Knife Party’s Haunted House tour in the latest venue, Victoria Warehouse in Manchester Old Trafford. Said Kelly: “We’ve known Warehouse Project’s Production Manager, Ryan Esson [of Ground Control], from before his time at the WHP. Ryan and his team ensured everything was made possible for the show; he’s very professional and employs a smooth approach to the operations there. “The Warehouse Project has built up over the past few years as a ‘must play’ dance venue during the UK winter time. It has become a ‘destination’ and it is run and presented very fluently. It’s a very slick operation, from the booking of top class artists for the enticing event calendar to the show days and all the logistics that go with it,” he added. For the operation of the show, Kelly was the brains behind the design and concept of the
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Knife Party
Opposite: Knife Party’s Haunted House, created by Cy Kelly and the Made Up team. Below: The house is not only a set piece, but is a platform from which Knife Party can DJ, giving the live crowd an exciting production experience.
house. It was built in sections so it was able to easily roll on and off any stage quickly, within changeover times, as it was designed for touring and festival headline sets. Knife Party’s Tour Manager, Mattie Evans, of Nocturnal Touring was also heavily involved with the development of the show and its set. Evans told TPi: “I’ve worked with many artists of varying genres over the years, and have been involved with numerous types of production, but I have to say that this project was probably my most enjoyable! “Knife Party is a force of their own in the DJ scene, so it’s really important to reflect this with an impact in their show production, so to create something incredible to complement their performance is an absolute must. They wanted something different from the usual video screen design, something to really make a lasting impression and create more of a show for the audience. The haunted house was a very specific vision that they wanted to create, and the reaction has been phenomenal,” added the TM. “When first looking into this project, we enlisted Made Up to come up with a haunted house set design and they surpassed every expectation. I worked closely with the team from the ground up and all through brainstorming the initial concept of how the structure was going to work as a touring production. It was tough but Made Up soon had a design ready to go into manufacture. “The crew knew the production inside out, and along with the professionalism of the Warehouse Project team, the night couldn’t have been more perfect,” concluded Evans. CLEAR, THEATRICAL THEMES The Haunted House was first a concept for the Knife Party Ibiza parties in Amnesia club’s Together night every Tuesday. We did four
Haunted House shows in Ibiza across the summer. A second house was built for touring which was to feature in the Headline Festivals Leeds and Reading, it then continued to tour across Europe until the end of 2013. The house is made to scale in many ways; the house scales up and down. Likewise the number of effects and lights will change depending on the venue size and overall capacity. The structure needs to be able to adapt for venues such as the WHP, touring the EU and festivals. It packs down into four custom-made dollies that fit into Fly By Nite’s Artic lorry. Continued Kelly: “We had a clear theme, that typical old style haunted house was the inspiration, but it was also about moving back to the theatrical side of the music, rather than video and lighting being the main focus, as most DJ shows are nowadays. However, Knife Party wanted to actually feature inside a house, a real house, and thus that’s what we needed to build! “The artists knew what they wanted, and as their vision was clear, we delivered it and much more. The house has grown into a total encompassing party - the haunted house party so Halloween was a particularly special time for the show, and the atmosphere was electric.” HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES Made Up’s house design was so detailed that it required the expertise of a structural engineer who worked with Kelly and his team on the build. Stated Kelly: “As we had both artists and staff working at height - the Knife Party DJs are on a first floor balcony during their performance - we had a number of health and safety factors at the forefront of the build. We make sure that anything that tours is built specifically for the touring environment. Aspects like this are always considered in the design and planning
GLP impression X4S
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PRODUCTION PROFILE: Knife Party
Below: The Made Up crew built the stage in six stages, as it was designed to de-rig and tour easily.
to ensure that touring is made as simple and effective from the start.” The effects side of the show also needed health and safety measures due to the flames, live pyrotechnics and CO² cannons. The CO² synced with the LED visuals on the balcony and the surrounding LED walls. “The house gets a huge reaction wherever it goes. The response from the audience is the reward for all the hard work that is put in by everyone at every level. The stand out crowd on the tour so far has to be Manchester; they went berserk for the entire night!” Kelly added. A SLICK OPERATION Within Knife Party’s production, some first class operators and engineers were part of the core crew. The team included Production Manager Nathan Owen, Jack James on Special Effects and Rob Zlotnicki as Lighting Designer and Programmer. Made Up not only designs and builds stage sets for its clients, it also has its own stock of technical equipment,and it supplied
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various components for the show. The special effects comprised Laserworld 20W RGB lasers, numerous Magic FX Flamianic units (which are able to simultaneously produce coloured flames in five different directions at a height of up to six metres), low smoke effects, confetti cannons and live pyrotechnics, all of which were controlled via a PyroSure Digital Wireless Firing System. Furthermore, Made Up stocks and specified a Martin Professional lighting rig for the tour. More than 75 fixtures utilised in the design include Martin Professional MAC 101 LED moving heads, Martin Professional MAC 301 Washes, Martin Professional Viper Profiles and Martin Professional Rush Beams were used. Mark Buss, a Key Account Manager at Martin Professional supported the touring project, with technical support. Knife Party chose to tour with Pioneer DJ equipment and for the Warehouse Project, two CDJ-2000 nEXUS digital DJ decks, a DJM900 nEXUS four channel digital mixer and an RMX 1000 - a Pioneer remix station / effects
box - were set up. Rob Anderson, Pioneer’s Product Training and Demonstration Executive, was on hand throughout the majority of Knife Party’s tour to support the duo on the UK and European gigs. Anderson delivered tech support, helped with the equipment set up, ensured all the software was up to date. Much to Anderson’s surprise, he even put his own DJ skills to the test on one tour date as he stepped in at the last minute to replace the absent support act Knife Party’s monitors were supplied direct from Funktion One, its equipment is a popular choice with the DJs. The monitor system consisted of PSM318’s, along with BR218 bass enclosures. The PSM318 DJ monitor is made up of two-parts, the double 18-inch bass reflex enclosure (PSM318L) on the bottom and a separate triple concentric enclosure (PSM318H) on the top. The two enclosures are joined by an innovative quick-latch system, which also allows simple angle adjustment for different monitor positions and DJ heights. While the PSM318L provides very strong near-field sub-bass, the
PRODUCTION PROFILE: Knife Party Below: Made Up supplied over 75 lighting fixtures from its Martin Professional stock, alongside Laserworld’s 20W lasers.
PSM318H supplies the rest of the frequency spectrum. The combination offers full frequency output, accuracy and immediacy. Knife Party’s set up comprised a flown PSM318H for mid and high frequencies and utilised the grounded BR218’s for bass frequencies. Funktion One’s Tony Andrews was on site to personally deal with any necessary tweaks, enabling a complete monitor package was delivered to the artists’ preferences.
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As a result of the bespoke elements of the Haunted House tour, the support of some top notch audio and lighting manufacturers and the driving force of Kelly’s desire to create a memorable live experience, Knife Party, and especially the Warehouse Project gig made an impact on the DJ circuit. “It was Halloween, so everyone was dressed up, having fun, with loads of energy,” concluded Kelly. “The show ran smoother than ever, so all in all, it was a
great night - the event had a huge response on twitter; it was trending within the UK!” TPi Photos: Courtesy of Made Up Ltd http://knifeparty.com www.madeupltd.com www.thewarehouseproject.com www.eartotheground.org www.pioneer.eu
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meyer Sound
MEYER SOUND MEYER SOUND HAS UNVEILED LYON, A NEW SELF-POWERED LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM THAT FOLLOWS THE THE SMASHING SUCCESS OF LEO... TPi HEARS FROM LUKE JENKS, MEYER SOUND’S PRODUCT MANAGER, LOUDSPEAKER PRODUCTS ABOUT WHY THE LYON IS SET TO BE A TRAILBLAZER. Set for its debut at ISE in Amsterdam this month, LYON is built on the road-proven technology of LEO, a large-scale sound reinforcement system that has made a strong impression in the industry with its headroom, throw, and control. LYON pairs these advantages with a compact enclosure to bring Meyer Sound to a much wider range of applications. To get a grasp of what the newly expanded LEO family is bringing to live sound marketplace, it’s important to first understand the philosophy of system linearity. A linear system means what goes in is exactly what comes out; the sonic tonality and balance of the system does not change with variations in level. A linear system is designed to faithfully reproduce the input signal, and translate a mix to the audience with a much higher level of precision than non-linear systems. This linearity also promises to change the way the FOH engineer mixes the show, how people hear the artist on stage, and how system techs approach their work. 40
“With linear systems, engineers do not have to compensate for the system response changing with level, so they can focus on the details of delivering the performance to the audience,” said Luke Jenks, Meyer Sound’s Product Manager of Loudspeaker Products. ANSWERING THE DEMAND FOR LEO QUALITIES Starting with its launch two years ago, LEO has been making big waves on the large-scale festival and touring circuit around the world. Positive testimonial for LEO has been shared by mixers of various music genres, from heavy metal to electronic dance music. Brendan Hoffman, who mixes Bassnectar on a LEO system, described his experience: “The LEO has given me the opportunity to bring a genuine ‘hi-fi factor’ to Bassnectar shows that I don’t believe anybody else in EDM has offered to this point. Its transparency allows me to make extremely fine changes at high volumes. If I’m delicately adjusting the attack of a frequency on a compressor, I can actually hear the subtleties
of that change.” To date, more than 18 rental companies are deploying their LEO systems for their most important shows. The success of LEO has created a demand for a more versatile option for uses in wider applications. “With the LEO system, we have shown how a system that stays linear across all frequencies and at very high sound levels can provide a whole new listening experience for everything from the New York Philharmonic to Bassnectar,” said John Meyer, Meyer Sound’s CEO and co-founder. “By combining this high level of linearity with a more flexible package, LYON will open up many more opportunities for listeners to experience the performance advantages of a linear system.” MEET LYON LYON comes in two guises, both of which, like LEO, have been designed to work seamlessly with Meyer Sound’s 1100-LFC subwoofer and Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management tool. LYON-M is the main loudspeaker - the heart of the system - and is equally suited to fixed
IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meyer Sound
Opposite: Pablo Espinosa, Chief Loudspeaker Designer and Vice President of R&D, John Meyer, CEO and co-founder and Luke Jenks, Product Manager of Loudspeaker Products. Below: System testing by the Meyer Sound engineering team; The new Galileo Callisto 616 AES primary array processor provides system drive and alignment; LYON comes in two guises, both of which have been designed to work seamlessly with Meyer Sound’s 1100-LFC subwoofer and Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management tool.
installation applications as it is to festivals and tours. Then there’s LYON-W, which works perfectly as either a down-fill box for a system centred around LYON-M; a down-fill loudspeaker for LYON-M under a LEO-M array; or on the top of an out-fill array for upper-side coverage demands in arenas. LYON is a two-way element, with fewer crossovers, interactions between drivers are minimised, resulting in a flatter, consistent frequency response right across the range. It benefits from several Meyer Sound advanced
technologies: the efficient driver configuration of MINA line array loudspeaker; the horn behaviour of the Acheron screen channel loudspeaker; and the low-frequency capabilities of the JM-1P arrayable loudspeaker. Also, LEOMs REM manifold (a Meyer Sound patented technology), cone and compression drivers, and the precise phase and magnitude alignment, have all been specifically engineered to enable extremely accurate vertical and horizontal coverage control even at continuously high output levels.
THE PURSUIT FOR LINEARITY THROUGH SELF-POWERING John Meyer had a vision for linearity before he even started the company in 1979; his research on horn loudspeaker distortion led to a patent on the method for producing low-distortion sound. He understood then that it was much easier to create a system that would behave in a predictable and linear fashion by building a self-contained system with elements designed to work together. In 1989, the company launched its first self-powered system, the HD-1.
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IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Meyer Sound
Below: LYON was demonstrated at the Rose Theater, Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York.
In 1994, following its first self-powered concert loudspeaker, the MSL-4, the company made a bold decision to go against the industry and convert all its loudspeakers into self-powered units, and today it remains the industry’s leader with the most extensive self-powered product line to date. As LYON is a self-powered product without the complications of separate amplifiers and long cable lines, Meyer Sound can give users a high level of confidence that they will hear superior audio performance in every system. It also gives users the ability to address individual loudspeakers separately. Additionally, because there is no need for amp racks, set up is much easier, and saves space in the touring trucks and on stage. “Most importantly, a linear self-powered system provides a blank canvas for artists to get the colours and intensity they want consistently and accurately,” said Jenks. THE COMPLETE PACKAGE Combining the LYON-M main loudspeaker and LYON-W wide-coverage loudspeaker, LYON can generate serious volume and exceptional throw. This means fewer delay towers are required at shows, which again means more space in the trucks and less of a dent in the 42
wallet. LYON is complemented by the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element and the Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system in a complete system. It also integrates with other Meyer Sound loudspeakers such as MICA, MILO, JM-1P, UPA; and 700-HP for delays, side fill, and front fill. For stage monitoring, the MJF-210 and MJF-212A are available. LYON long list of strengths also include ease of use. Its patent-pending rigging features allow for a far more efficient set up, including prepinning on the ground and angle splaying by gravity or an optional pull-up motor.
AES primary array processor, provides system drive and alignment, with versatile tools like U-Shaping equalisation and delay integration. SERIOUSLY SCALABLE AND FLEXIBLE LYON is a scalable system that has been optimised for the digital age. It can faithfully reproduce every nuance from the plentitude of plugins and processing available in digital consoles. Whether the mix is created at the show or in the studio, LYON’s linearity will deliver a studio-quality output, even at extreme SPLs.
“LYON will open up many more opportunities for listeners to experience the performance advantages of a linear system.”
A number of enhancements have also been made to the overall system integration. The recent inclusion of RMS (remote monitoring system) into the Compass control software has significantly simplified the real-time monitoring of performance parameters. The Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system, featuring the newly introduced Galileo Callisto 616
Due to a significant power-to-size ratio, the overall weight of a system can be heavily reduced, which, with today’s ‘smaller is better’ environment, will satisfy many a rigger, venue, and indeed, rental company. TPi www.meyersound.com
IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
GEARHOUSE SA GEARHOUSE SA HAS MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE LIGHTING, AUDIO AND VISUAL INDUSTRIES IN THE SOUTH AFRICAN MARKET AND BEYOND. JERRY GILBERT SPOKE TO FOUNDER AND CO-DIRECTOR, OFER LAPID TO FIND OUT WHAT LIES BENEATH THE HUGE MACHINE. Of all the people TPi has interviewed over the years there can be few as charismatic, or with such a colourful background as Ofer Lapid, who heads the mighty Gearhouse South Africa. The Israeli-born entrepreneur, who arrived in South Africa during apartheid on the back of a tour, has played a pivotal role in raising the production values in subSaharan Africa, with constant reinvestment in cutting edge staging infrastructure and training. And on the installation stage the company was perfectly placed to take advantage of South Africa’s hosting of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Yet the twists and turns of his career could have taken Lapid on an entirely different journey, both professionally and geographically. Born into Tel Aviv’s middle class to parents from educated good stock, their attempts to persuade their son to follow their example were doomed to fail. “I guess I was born to be a black sheep, with a rebellious streak,” he reflected. 44
Lapid was aged just seven when in June 1967 the Arab-Israel War - known as The Six-Day War - took place and it was while holed up in a shelter with others that he was first exposed to the kind of music that would shape his life. “I remember hearing Rolling Stones’ Let It Bleed on cassette, that was what inspired me to listen to music and find my way into music as part of my career.” Later, while living in North Tel Aviv, across the road from a live performance venue, he watched trucks pulling up, loading and unloading kit with a growing fascination for life on the road as a crew technician. He had already demonstrated his talent as an entrepreneur after being expelled from school for growing cannabis, although since it was an agricultural boarding school he might have felt hard done by. “In fact I was extremely proud of how well this enterprise took off,” he said with a grin. But any aspirations Lapid had of fulfilling
his dreams as a lighting technician in Tel Aviv were limited. “Living in a small country like Israel, where English is a second language, we tended to think that this was the extent of the world, breeding a culture of local rather than international interest. My first exposure to the wider world came from travelling with Israeli bands performing for various Jewish communities around the world as lighting designer / operator.” It wasn’t long before he made contact with Bryan Grant at Britannia Row in London, through an unlikely circumstance. “A friend of mine, Avi Bueno went to work for Britannia Row at the end of the ‘70s and brought back stories of action across the Mediterranean. Just before the Lebanon War, Miron Rechtman of Betty Bam [one of Israel’s leading sound and lighting companies] forged a deal with Bryan to bring second-hand equipment to Israel. “This looked like an interesting collaboration between the two companies, until the Lebanon
IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Opposite: Gearhouse supplied equipment and provided technical expertise for South Africa’s Film and Television Awards. Below: Gearhouse was involved with the Bidvest Annual Chairman’s Awards.
War broke in 1982 and the project collapsed. But it left me with a taste of UK production standards in my mouth and an idea of the benchmark I wanted to achieve in my life.” Growing up in Israel, of course, also brought with it mandatory conscription, usually three years in the case of men. “I grew up with Zionist thinking, as in it’s good to die for your country, so the foundation of going into the army was already laid,” said Lapid. “However, due to one thing or another, plus a somewhat shady past, the army initially rejected me. Through stories that I cannot mention here, I applied and was accepted into the Navy instead. The Navy taught me discipline and I learnt to listen to others whether I wanted to or not. Here I got recognition for my achievements too, unlike my school career experience.” Nevertheless, Lapid’s moral code was shaped by his father, who was a powerful figure in the municipal districts of Tel Aviv and this would stand him in good stead for later. Maybe it was his naval experiences that gave Lapid the wanderlust or perhaps a desire to leave the country after the Lebanon War. Either way, he was soon heading out of the country, and in 1985 landed in South Africa as the last station of a music tour with Israeli band, Hakol Ovir Habibi. “I decided to stay because I was curious about what the country was about, I
have always been attracted to the unknown. I arrived in February, was ready to leave again by March but by April was approached to do a large-scale event in Lesotho and was bitten by the African continent bug. “It was a show with very little sound and limited lighting, no security or crowd barrier, but I had found a fantastic band Juluka and a community of 50,000 black people with loads of soul.”
which was divided like a chess board into black and white. I worked there for 12 months and it taught me a lot about apartheid and the everyday impact of it on the lives of South Africans.” At that time, the most common language spoken at the theatre was Afrikaans and the black staff sat on one side of the canteen,” he remembered. “The State Theatre was a very sophisticated theatre by world standards
“My first exposure to the wider world came from travelling with Israeli bands performing for various Jewish communities around the world as lighting designer / operator.” What set Juluka apart was that long before apartheid was abolished, here was a mixed band showing off with pride the heritage of one of the biggest cultures in the land, Zulu. The band’s singers were the popular Johnny Clegg before forming Savuka - and Sipho Mchunu. Having arrived in South Africa, the second step for Lapid was to remain there. Six months into his stay he risked his tourist visa and started working. He then had to join a Government institution in order to acquire a work permit. “I started work at the State Theatre in Pretoria,
and certainly exceeded any Israeli standards. One could not say the same about the events happening in the townships and even in the city during that time and that’s when I discovered a gap I could fill.” The longer he stayed in the country the more confident Lapid became that the minority could not control the majority and in the early ‘90s the regime would change. Back in ‘87, a black band named Stimela had been part of a band that played with Paul Simon on his Graceland American / European style tour, which paved 45
IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Below: Gearhouse SA’s founder and co-Director, Ofer Lapid.
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the way. “By ‘89 / ‘90, I was working with Johnny Clegg - now fronting Savuka - who not only sang about Mandela Asimbonanga but also ‘one man, one vote’ as being the ‘only way’. So with very few tools, we were striving to uplift the South African standard by a few notches.” After working at State Theatre and Sun City - and then freelancing for three years in the music and movie industries - Lapid knew he needed to act. By the time he had finished the Savuka Cruel, Crazy, Beautiful World tour he said he had had enough of working with local suppliers “taking the piss.” He found an investor and shipped in his first container of secondhand equipment from the then preeminent Light and Sound Design from Birmingham. This enabled him to start
Lighting Unlimited in 1991. But he also saw a need for staging and opened Stage Design in 1992/93. And of course event staging also required temporary power, and so he started Woza Power with four generators bought from Aggreko in Germany and used them to supply the 1995 Rugby World Cup. By the following year he had set up Gearhouse South Africa with Steve Lakin and Dubai-based large event designer, Simon Ransom, with brother Mark providing the introduction. “We liked each other immediately,” Lapid recalled. “My partner wanted to cash in on her investment anyway and I wanted to develop, so it was a sweet deal for everyone. “Steve Lakin is a lunatic, just like me. At times we got on like a house on fire - although who was the house and who was the fire, I
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IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Below: Vehicles lined up at Gearhouse SA headquarters.
really cannot say. By the way, we are still friends, or will be until he reads this article!” Using Lapid’s local and industry knowledge and Gearhouse’s plc money - the company having floated on the London Stock Exchange the year before - expansion took place on all fronts - lighting, trussing and rigging. “We then bought an existing audio company and amalgamated the whole lot into Lighting Unlimited at first, before renaming it Gearhouse SA.” The demise of Gearhouse plc in the UK has been well documented. Steve Lakin departed to Dubai, but despite the financial setbacks, Lapid
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retained the ‘Gearhouse’ name. “I decided to pay off the creditors rather than change a brand which already had a good name locally,” he said. “We were not influenced by the UK turmoil and focused on preserving the good brand we had here.” With an almost evangelistic and missionarylike zeal, he set out to educate the local market. “It was an ongoing process from day one, introducing new standards,” he remembered. “We always followed UK trends and Gearhouse SA was lucky to have the most exposure to international artists over the years. There was a huge contribution from different international
production managers and demands from promoters that encouraged me to continue investing to meet their needs.” Those standards were soon seen as the benchmark. “The equipment was not the only issue: the know-how and personnel that we brought from abroad created a huge skills transfer into the local industry at the same time.” Lapid had absorbed much along the way from industry mentors of the late ‘90s such as Brian Croft of VLPS, the aforementioned Bryan Grant and Miron Rechtman, Israeli Lighting Designer, Bueno Avi-Yona (Bambi) and many
Beam: light can be touched
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IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Below: DWR’s Duncan Riley and Gearhouse SA’s Stuart Andrews. Gearhouse SA recently invested in 150 of Robe’s latest moving lights including 54 Pointes, 36 LEDWash 600’s, 24 DLX Spots, 24 DLF Washes and 12 DLS Profiles, which were supplied by Robe distributor DWR. The fixtures were straight out of the warehouse for TV programme ‘So You Think You Can Dance’, which was recorded at the Renaissance Centre in downtown Johannesburg.
Channel 4, SU2C Live. Photo Courtesy of Immersive Ltd
Channel 4, SU2C Live. Photo Courtesy of Immersive Ltd
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more. “I liked to do things properly and in the early days, the UK was where it was all happening and I really looked up to it. At a later stage, Patrick Woodroffe, Hedwig de Meyer [of StageCo] and the ‘four musketeers’ from Light and Sound Design - Steve, Nick, Simon and Terry - were hugely influential. “As a rental company, we have always associated ourselves with the leading brands around the world. Today we work closely with companies like StageCo - not only purchasing equipment but also becoming involved in exchange programmes - Britannia Row, XL Video and in the earlier days with Light and Sound Design.” In terms of equipment brands, for audiovisuals Gearhouse stock Christie, Panasonic and Barco, lighting is Martin Professional, Robe, and via Splitbeam - a separate Gearhouse company Vari-Lite as well. In audio it now principally runs L-Acoustics and in LED it has an affiliation with Lighthouse Technologies. “Nowadays, we are also proud members of global networks like The AV Alliance and Martin Global Alliance Program as well as other networks and associations around the world.” After initially getting product
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training from the suppliers, and onsite operating nous from visiting touring personnel, Gearhouse SA has now grasped the nettle and introduced its own technical skills programme and live event technical production courses within the townships. “One of the Gearhouse passions carried forward by late Company Director, Kentse Mpahlwa, and joint Managing Director, Nasser Abbas, is the focus on upliftment and upskilling of the underprivileged youth,” Lapid recounted. “These two were key contributors to the establishment of the Kentse Mpahlwa Gearhouse Training Academy, which runs an annual learnership programme in all Gearhouse branches. “With the buy-in of our heads of department, all course material / manuals have been generated by our own field experts and practical training in the workshops is conducted in each discipline. Learners have the potential to be selected for a second year of specialisation and all graduates are released back into the industry as work-ready junior technicians. Some of each year’s graduates are employed by Gearhouse.” Gearhouse’s start-up, System Solutions was registered in January
FX: light can take your breath away
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IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Below: Lighting for the 2013 Crown Gospel Awards - staged at the Durban International Conference Centre in South Africa - was designed by Gearhouse SA’s Ryan Dunbar. It was his first time lighting the event for which he was also the set designer, and in another first, he decided to use 80% LED sources for the lighting rig, his fixtures of choice included 18 Robe DLF Washes, six Robe DLS Profiles, 30 Robe LEDWash 600’s and 70 Robe LEDForces.
2001 on the back of a large retail integration project. “We were approached by a property developer with its architect and design team who were looking to do something that hadn’t been done previously in a retail space in South Africa and they wanted to work with a single company that had the necessary showbiz technical skill-set and theatre experience,” recorded Lapid. “Although we had existing relationships with manufacturers through the rental and staging part of our business, in the beginning we did not intend on going into product distribution and probably would not have done so, except that many of the product distributors were competing with us in the integration business. “So, unfortunately we had no choice but to adopt a similar attitude. Today, we have pretty much come full circle and our focus remains very much on the project work and integration part of the business.” If early installation opportunities were driven by the House of Worship (HoW) market then the FIFA World Cup showed that by 2010 operations like System Solutions were comfortably able to handle large-scale projects, such as new stadia, while its parent company delivered a stupendous closing ceremony. Today, high premium networking AV / IT technology has eddied pretty much into every corporate crevice, while this year’s Mediatech exhibition showed just how far the local industry has progressed. So talk us through it Lapid... starting with the 52
Moses Mabhida and Soccer City, which are now FNB stadiums, the latter recently voted among the world’s top six stadiums. “Both those installations were incredibly good for System Solutions,” he reflected. “And we are immensely proud of these achievements as we are with any of the jobs that reflect innovation and attention to detail. Often it is the show control work we have done that we find is the most demanding and ultimately rewarding. However, the seeds were planted long ago and we did not need to wait for the World Cup to prove ourselves as Gearhouse, or as an industry on par with world standards.
of the market, although also concerned with this to some degree, knows the true value of show business. The equipment specified for some HoW venues is similar to that found on an international artist’s technical rider in concert touring and consequently it is why we keep updating our rental and staging company’s inventory.” Much as Lapid will insist that his company never set out to reinvent the wheel, he has unquestionably helped pioneer new technologies. For example, Gearhouse bought 50% of In2Structures, a light and sound company which had developed into set
“By ‘89 / ‘90, I was working with Johnny Clegg - now fronting Savuka - who not only sang about Mandela Asimbonanga but also ‘one man, one vote’ as being the ‘only way’. So with very few tools, we were striving to uplift the South African standard by a few notches.” “The installation market remains very competitive, especially in the current economic climate,” he admitted. “But there are still some niche markets to be explored if one has the courage and the appetite to do so. “As for the HoW segment, this falls into two clearly defined categories. One is the clients that are primarily concerned with speech reproduction within an airspace and will look to steerable array technology and acoustic treatment to improve it. The other segment
construction. It was then commissioned to build a temporary venue which proved highly successful. “From then on my partners Otto and Linda Wijnberger have developed a fantastic range of sexy looking, extremely safe temporary structures with a huge range of uses.” And the empirical evolution looks set to continue territorially as well as technologically. Lapid explained the strategy: “We have begun the process of opening a branch in Accra, Ghana to service the West African region, led by
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IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Below: Gearhouse SA stocks plenty of trussing to be able to cater for different sized events; L-Acoustics’ V-Dosc cabinets lined up in the rental stock warehouse.
Bill and Nicky Lawford. Of course, our eyes are also looking towards the East. As always, the focus is on recruiting and training up a crew of local people to run the branch. “Again, it is important for us to plough back into the industry in terms of providing jobs and training. It is to our own advantage to grow the industry across the continent.” And so having chronicled the achievements of this visionary entrepreneur the conversation takes on a more whimsical tone. Asked about
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his greatest achievements along the trail, his instant response is: “Being alive!” And after due consideration: “I am proud to say that Gearhouse has made significant contribution to putting the South African market on the international map. Starting a company is one thing but maintaining the brand and continuously trying to improve it, is where the real challenge lies. Single achievements belong to the past.” But of course the job remains far from
complete and the skills deficit continues to be a major concern. “There are not enough young and enthusiastic technicians in the industry to keep it strong and growing,” he admitted, the mood turning serious again. “Another issue is opportunistic clients who put money ahead of health and safety, cutting load-in times and discounting production standards for the sake of profit.” He backed this up by stating: “Clients are not sufficiently informed to make educated
IN PROFILE: Gearhouse SA
Below: Gearhouse SA not only purchases equipment for its rental stock, it also works closely with a number of companies in exchange programmes.
decisions on crew and equipment requirements and as a result, as the years go by there is less of a barrier to entry. This, together with Chinese manufacturers, makes it easier for smaller companies to enter the market and bring down the standards.” Today there are no fewer than 10 different companies operating under the Gearhouse banner, each structured to operate under their own managers and heads of department. At the top of the pyramid are Lapid and his CoDirector, Nasser Abbas. “The majority of the time, it is a democratic process, but from time to time Nasser and I show the ugly face of the dictator.” But first and foremost he remains a humanitarian, constantly striving to maintain a work / life balance. Domiciled in Cape Town, he said: “Family is extremely important to me and I try to spend as much time as the job will allow, but I cannot honestly say I am a family man because my wife would beg to differ.
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“I do embark on some selfish ventures like a Cape to Cairo trip alone on my motorbike and summiting Kilimanjaro with my 18-year-old daughter. I try to create a balance between the two demanding institutions of my family and my company.”
I am aware. Add to that managing a blackout with a broomstick on an 18-channel rheostat dimmer in Sinai in the late ‘70s and you get an even better idea.” Would he do it all over again? You bet he would. “I’d probably advise myself to go and
“The equipment specified for some HoW venues is similar to that found on an international artist’s technical rider in concert touring and consequently it is why we keep updating our rental and staging company’s inventory.” But what is most interesting is comparing this with earlier industry daredevil exploits. Ask him his favourite memories and he will tell you it was exporting sealed beam Par 64s - wired in pairs since they were 110V - in tea boxes for Julio Iglesias in Cairo. “It was lighting and sound exported from Israel for the first time, as far as
study accountancy or become a lawyer or a plumber,” he chuckled. “Seriously though, unless you are born with the passion and the drive it demands, then go find another job.” TPi Photos: Clive Morris Productions & Pieter Joubert www.gearhouse.co.za
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IN PROFILE: SES
SES ‘WORKING FIRST TIME, EVERY TIME’ IS THE KEY MANTRA AT POWER DISTRIBUTION SPECIALIST SES ENTERTAINMENT SERVICES. THE COMPANY HAS GAINED AN ENVIABLE REPUTATION IN BOTH THE EVENTS AND FILM AND TV INDUSTRIES. 2014 SEES SES CELEBRATING ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND THERE IS PLENTY TO LOOK BACK ON AND MUCH TO LOOK FORWARD TO. SIMON DUFF WENT TO THE COMPANY HQ IN DATCHET, BERKSHIRE TO TALK TO MARK COOPER, MD AND BEN STEARN, NATIONAL SALES MANAGER. In 1988, brothers Mark and Gordon Cooper formed a company to manufacture and sell electrical equipment to the construction industry. It wasn’t until 1994 that SES Film & TV was formed as a trading division and a limited company. Since then it has become a leading manufacturer of power distribution products for the entertainment industry. The company is a member of Plasa and is a BS EN ISO 9001 : 2008 accredited organisation. The Cooper brothers, a third director Kim Brant and 15 full time staff are rightly proud of what they have achieved. The company’s clients rank among the most prestigious names in both the event and film industries. Warner Bros, PRG, HSL, Major Tom, White Light, Skan PA and Autograph Sound are just a few of the names which regularly call on SES’ services. The key to its success is always reliability 58
explained Mark Cooper MD. “Most of the components we use are premium European brand circuit breakers. We don’t use Chinese components. The main reason we don’t do that is for reasons of pure reliability. Some of the components are designed by us and manufactured elsewhere under our control. We are not the cheapest product out there but if you want power to work first time every time we believe that we are the best and that is worth paying for. Our kit has to work every time. You cannot have a band come on and then the lights don’t come on. It has to work. If one or two lights don’t come on it’s not the end of the world but if no lights come on or half the stage is in darkness it is a catastrophe. That is why all of our stuff goes through a very rigorous design, production and testing process. Every product that leaves this building goes with it’s own test certificate. It is absolutely critical to the
nature of our product.” Highlights for SES in 2013 included a lot of film work for Warner Bros, TV productions including Dr Who, Sherlock, Upstairs Downstairs, the new studios for Coronation Street and work on EastEnders. Notable music production highlights included design work for Skan PA for Muse’s world tour, Major Tom on the Rod Stewart world tour in the form of a sound rack power distribution unit. Business highlights included the appointment of a distributor in Russia and significant growth in the Middle East and in particular Dubai. Ben Stearn, Sales Manager, who joined the company in 1996, explained that expansion in Dubai and the Middle East is high on the agenda for 2014. “That region is proving to be a fantastic opportunity for us. We are on the approved suppliers list for Dubai World Trade Centre and we do the Palme exhibition every
IN PROFILE: SES
Opposite: The SES HQ. Below: Mark Cooper, MD; SES cable drums; Work in progress on a power distribution box.
year. At the moment we are just about to go to the next level and have our own presence there and open up a Dubai office. That looks set to happen this year. We are doing that in two stages. The first will be to have a large stock presence out there, which will be shipped out in March and stored, at one of our customer’s premises. We will then have a database of stock available and all our customers in the Middle East will have access to that via a website portal. After that we will then move to the next level and open our own office. The work will be aimed at both the permanent and temporary sectors but also with the Dubai Expo 2020 very much in mind. Dubai is perfect for us. They like quality there and the thing about SES is that we are all about quality and reliability.” A measure of just how highly regarded SES is can be found in the amount of power distribution products they supplied to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The order for SES was worth in excess of £1.4 million. It supplied 1,600 units to the power generation company Aggreko alone. It also did a lot of work for the broadcast centre, the BBC and for various individual venues. Stearn added: “We started the whole process about 15 months before the Olympics opened. We bought in a separate portacabin, took on more staff and appointed team leaders from our senior staff. We designed
and manufactured about six or seven different box designs with all testing and final inspection done here by us.” Both Cooper and Stearn agree that one of the biggest challenges in the touring and events sector is timescale and turn around. Cooper explained: “Quite often a touring company will not know they have got the gig until three or four weeks before it’s due to go out on the road.” That said SES is constantly dealing with production companies and acts at the very top of their game. For the U2 360º tour SES supplied a large amount of power distribution products to both PRG and XL Video. Cooper commented: “It was a function of the tour that all the kit had to be brand new. None of the companies involved were allowed to supply anything from somebody else’s tour or event. Everything had to be new. The lead-time for that was four to six weeks. Everything had to work first time every time. If it is a world tour timescales tend to be a bit longer as production managers know the need for power reliability in different territories has to be rock solid and that standards are not the same. That needs care and attention to ensure the supply works. That is the by word by which we live. Everything is built for reliability and it does not make any difference who it is. It’s critical that everything has to work. That is why every component that we select is the best. 59
IN PROFILE: SES
Below: SES has established itself as an entertainment power specialist within the industry, using key products; The core SES team.
We tend to work with the rental houses but occasionally the production people direct. That was the case with a Flaming Lips tour where there was unusual power requirements and we were in on the planning of how that would work. They have canons and foam machines and all sorts of weird and wonderful things and that needed a lot of planning.” DESIGN AND PRODUCTS At the heart of SES’s lighting power range are a number of products including custom built 19-inch rack units for the touring industry. These complete enclosures are designed in house and are fabricated from powder coated zintec steel. The CAD design layout can be supplied to the customer before fabrication so that the layout is approved. The components are selected for their reliability, as the constant transportation of the units could induce faults in lesser quality components. The units are also constructed so that it is easy for technicians to swap out components should they become damaged. They can also engrave or silk screen idents on the units as well as supplying a flight case or building the unit into one issued by the customer. Products manufactured for lighting include the 54 Way rack 400A input developed for PRG, 60
and in particular the demands and challenges presented by video walls. The Type 6 rack 400A input unit was developed for White Light, and is typically used for outdoor event work to cover both stage work and concession outlets. The 63A/Distro rack is used for single phase supply and used extensively at exhibitions. The Type 23 and Type 12 racks get used on smaller scale events. David Isherwood, White Light’s Hire and Technical Director has used SES’s products for many years. He is full of praise for the company. He said: “We have always enjoyed an excellent relationship with SES, working in partnership to achieve the best solutions for our ever growing and evolving requirements.” When it comes to power distribution products for sound equipment Cooper is keen to note the differences in attitude from sound production companies compared to lighting. “For sound people they are much more specific about their power requirements and metering is much more critical for them. They tend to know exactly what they want and they are very specific about what they want. They are very driven by the amplifier manufacturers because they are at the leading edge of audio power and that reflects on what we need to supply them.” The World Tour Rack developed for a Skan PA world tour is a unit that operates both
in European 400V/3 and US 208V/3 systems. Autograph Sound is another long term SES customer. Jim Douglas, Senior Hire Production Engineer commented: “SES gives me small company service and attention, and bigcompany reliability and support. My outrageous demands and deadlines are met with good humor where possible, and with honesty where not.” Looking to the next five years Cooper has plenty of reasons to be optimistic. He said: “We own the business. It’s not a public limited company. We make the decisions; we decide where we want to go and what we want to do.” Looking forward he believes distribution will form a further key part of success. “The Middle East is going to be a very exciting area for us. We are investigating other market places. We have a distributor in Spain and we have representation in France and Scandinavia is a big area for us. Brazil will be another interesting area. We are also moving into the training arena with courses specifically designed for BS7909. Concluding he said: “We are a very busy outfit and we do work tirelessly to make sure our customers get what they want, more importantly, when they want it.” TPi www.site-electrics.co.uk
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
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THE BIGGER PICTURE IPM 2014 The ILMC Production Meeting (IPM) returns in March and this focused summit of the international production community is bigger than ever. With an increased number of delegates, networking opportunities in abundance, and a schedule of panel discussions informed by a new industry-led agenda advisory group, it’s a diary date you won’t want to miss. such as Chrissy Uerlings (CU Productions), Keith Wood (AEG Live UK), Andy Lenthall (PSA), Okan Tombulca (eps) and Jasper Barendregt (FKP Scorpio), in addition to the agenda team headed up by Carl A.H. Martin (cahm.uk), and it met twice in deciding the final panel schedule as detailed below…
Now in its seventh year, IPM takes place on Thursday March 6 at the Royal Garden Hotel in London. Last year it sold out, with over 150 delegates. This year the day starts with registration, a cup of coffee, a welcome address and then the first panel. Between panels there will be coffee breaks, a tasty buffet lunch and sufficient lengths of time to allow for business calls and, most importantly, plenty of networking. After a full day of panels and discussion, the day ends with the IPM Closing Drinks, which is a great way to ‘meet and greet’ with IPM delegates. There are complimentary drinks and nibbles, courtesy of the sponsors eps, Allgaier and Megaforce. The make up of the delegates at IPM is truly international - last year alone saw 33 countries represented. And in planning the day, everything possible is done to reflect this, with the chairs and panel members being invited from around the world. As usual there is a varied and thought provoking set of panels. Since last year’s event there has been continuous dialogue among past and present delegates and with the formation of the IPM Agenda Advisory Group, there is also a focused group of professionals adding their expertise. The advisory group includes figures 62
1. Back to the Future: Education across the Globe. With many of the industry’s founding figures now retiring, successfully training the ‘next generation’ is of paramount importance. This session looks at the opportunities for industry training and what education is available throughout the world and how it is being offered. Is the education that is out there suitable for the local, regional and international market and, most importantly, the industry? Some countries are seeing a return to paid apprenticeships, while elsewhere, more colleges and universities than ever are offering formal qualifications. But are students being trained for available jobs or simply to fill spaces on courses, and what is the true value of these certifications? What success stories are there? What should the industry be looking out for and demanding? As a new graduating workforce hits the market every year, the session will be asking what the experience is of employers, and what shortages and roles there are to fill in the first place. Ultimately, is there a new generation ready to take over, or like the thorny issue of education, does it sometimes sound better in theory than in practice? 2. Lost in Guidance Given the amount of rules, regulations and recommendations that now affect daily working life, is it becoming near impossible to see the
wood for the trees? CDM, the Purple Guide, ESA’s version of the same, the NAA guide and more will be in the spotlight, with the key question being whether there is too much guidance being put in front of us nowadays. How much impact do the international construction regulations currently have on the industry and what do we expect will be the effect on the UK and European event industry coming under them in 2014? And outside of Europe, how are territories such as Australia coping with the level of regulation they face? Can the ESA guide be applied outside of the USA, for instance? Can there every really be a ‘one-size-fits-all’ set of regulations? Specialists will be invited from inside and outside the events market to share their experiences on how they adapt to international regulations. Perhaps the only way to counter the growing mountain of guidance is to get discussing and learning who follows what guidance and how they best apply it, we can make headway through a sea of wellintentioned (but sometimes unrealistic) guidance. 3. Is Anybody Listening? Money, time and liability: three issues that often drive a wedge between production and the rest of the food chain such as agents, promoters and managers. We all care about the possible consequences when things go wrong, and understand the underlying causes, so how can we all work better together? Communication is a starting point, but how is concrete action brought about? As a starting point, this session will take the conclusions from last years’ session on fatigue, which presented shocking research results with regards to fatigue and accidents. How has this impacted the industry and has any change
www.psa.org.uk
been initiated? Our sources have informed us unfortunately the answer is no. The production industry needs to work together with all other sectors of the business on a solution that will reduce unreasonable stress on personnel but at the same time will not impact on budget and deadlines. In the quest for solutions we will look at other industries. Social life on the road is an issue that contributes to fatigue and accident risk levels. How is this being managed in, for instance the aviation industry and on oil platforms? Meanwhile, closer to home we can bring in some examples from the talent side of the entertainment industry, where support networks for touring recovering alcoholics / addicts have been set up. 4. Future-proof Your Business. The final IPM session will be an exchange of knowledge and experiences on how best practice and new technology affects the basics of an event: power, water, waste and wireless etc; a session about the necessities of improving
the way we perform. While some sectors of the business seem streets ahead, other areas are lagging sorely behind. Studies from across the business will enlighten us on the best way forward, including an example of a European venue that is acting responsibly while saving money at the same time. With technology playing an ever important role in our daily lives, we will also aim to identify some of the most important developments as well as ideas that can help us all prepare the show and our business for the longterm. We will want to hear from anyone and everyone to listen and learn. This session is designed to kick-start the future for us and our children; let’s enjoy learning about the way forward. Attending IPM costs £40 for ILMC delegates and £90 for non-ILMC delegates including complimentary lunch, coffee and tea and drinks reception hosted by the sponsors. To register please visit: 26.ilmc.com/ipm TPi 63
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Catalyst, a Mac-based media server was the first DMX controlled media server on the market. Catalyst offers a hugely flexible media playback and show control system, making it an ideal creative solution for almost any size live event. New Apple MacPro hardware offers greater performance than ever before. Coupled with powerful new innovative features, Catalyst continues to offer unparalleled ways to creatively work with digital video. SNP Productions is the leading UK dealer for Catalyst media server specialising in hire and sales of high quality custom complete video control solutions for clients around the world.
COOLUX
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Pandoras Box servers unite cutting edge real-time rendering technology with intuitive media and show control. The coolux servers offer real-time compositing in a true 3D space and allow for projections onto any shape and any surface. Pandoras Box synchronises all video and audio sources. On-site 3D rendering, compositing and editing make Pandoras Box the perfect choice for any live event or multi-media show. All coolux server systems offer a playback resolution of up to 4K. They also feature fluidframe, a groundbreaking signal processing algorithm, that offers a smooth cross-conversion and can take any input and output frame rate. Fluidframe supports both interlaced and progressive sources and clips.
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The Axon HD Media Server is a single output media server capable of four layers of simultaneous HD playback and up to 10 layers of content and masks. Its features include collage generator and curved surface support. The Axon HD Pro Media Server is a four output high definition media server with 40 layers of graphic playback, audio playback, a full warp engine and a full HD graphics engine. Collage generator and curved surface support are also included. The stock content has been enhanced on both servers, allowing users to create stunning visual environments without necessarily relying on expensive custom content.
MA LIGHTING
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With the MA VPU light (video processing unit), MA Lighting has developed a smart and compact video control offering nearly the same performance as the successful MA VPU plus and MA VPU basic. The MA VPU light features sophisticated hardware and proven MA software. Furthermore the in-built screen displays all essential information. Additionally, the MA VPU plus and MA VPU basic have been updated. All MA VPU will now offer full HD. MA VPU plus MK2 and MA VPU basic MK2 are now equipped with three DVI-outs instead of two as with the prior version, while the MA VPU light offers two DVI-outs and one VGA-out.
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INTERVIEW: Aon
INSURANCE IS GREAT! RIGHT? AS THE SEEMINGLY LONG MONTH OF JANUARY IS BEHIND US, THE REST OF 2014 AND ALL ITS WANTS AND NEEDS ARE STILL TO COME. IF YOU FIND THE CONCEPT OF EXACTLY HOW AND WHEN TO PROTECT YOUR TRADE DAUNTING, READ ON FOR SOME ENTERTAINMENT INSURANCE GUIDANCE FROM IAN ROGERS, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT AON ENTERPRISE. Working within the production and events industry can be fun and fast paced, but it requires hard work, talented people and sophisticated technology to keep the cameras rolling. Whether you’re part of the technical crew, or the sound and lighting team, or you’re working on the BAFTAs, or flying out to Brazil to film the football making sure you are protecting the tools of your trade is a must. We know that insurance and making sure you’re covered can sometimes be the last thing on your mind when you’re putting on a show - but making sure you’re protected doesn’t have to take a long time or be one of the jobs you let slip down the to-do list. Unfortunately sometimes it takes the worst to happen before you realise you’re not covered, which can have major implications on getting future jobs, or even completing the one you’re working on at the time. We’ve known cameras to be stolen off sun-loungers, equipment dropped into water on shoots in Iceland and the theft of entire stage costumes on set. As a busy profession, we wanted to make things more straightforward and remind you of the key things to think about when taking out insurance. It’s not just having insurance that matters; it’s having the right type of cover. Take a look at our top tips to help ensure you’ve got the cover you need and to help make you aware of any conditions you may not have known about: 1. Be prepared: Make sure that equipment 70
is working properly before starting a job - be it ensuring that cameras are functioning or that technology passes safety tests. When it doesn’t work at an event, you won’t just waste time fixing the issue, you may also be in breach of regulations. 2. Insurance for all: When running a busy set it’s vital you ensure everyone involved in a project is insured. If you’re a freelance professional that will be working with a team of others under you, you’ll need to make sure that extra pairs of hands are covered before they offer their help. 3. Don’t cut corners on costs: We all hope that the worst never happens, but unfortunately sometimes it does. Make sure you’re taking out the right policy to fully protect yourself - so while finding the cheapest option might save you money, there is no point having cheap cover if it’s not going to offer sound protection. It might cost you more in the long run if you don’t. 4. Prepare for sunnier climates: Not all events happen in the UK and not all policies protect against claims relating to work abroad. It’s important that if you regularly work internationally that you have global cover. 5. Keep policies updated. Not just in terms of ensuring it doesn’t expire mid project, but being aware that additional equipment you hire for a project needs to be included in your cover. Claims can have a nasty sting if you find out that new lens or make up kit isn’t insured because you forgot to include it in your policy.
6. Know what is and isn’t covered: As far as possible, know what you’re covered for. For example, a cameraman might need two types of cover, one to protect the loss of digital content and another to protect against the loss of a physical camera. Professionals are also often surprised as to what they can make a claim for. Speaking with specialist insurers will help you understand what is and isn’t insured. 7. Common sense: In an industry that often requires some expensive and steal-able kit, professionals need to look after their equipment with extra care, ensuring it is safely secured. Leaving it unattended on a busy film set is asking for trouble - where goods are stolen, your opportunity to work on that project and future projects is put at risk. 8. Cover come rain or shine: Where people in production will often make sure they have cover for times when they have a project under way, they might not realise that they require insurance all year round to protect their equipment when they aren’t working. Remember, personal contents insurance doesn’t cover your professional assets when they are taken from your home. And finally, if you’ve got a new job starting on Monday, don’t leave taking out your protection to last thing on a Friday. Just in case there are any snags or difficulties processing your insurance. Being prepared means you’ll never have to turn a job down. TPi www.aon.com
MOVERS & SHAKERS Sponsored by
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Avid has announced key leadership for the Avid Customer Association, a comprehensive initiative designed to provide essential strategic leadership to the media industry. David Mash, Senior Vice President for Innovation, Strategy, and Technology at Berklee College of Music, has been named Chairman of the Executive Board of Directors; while Richard Friedel, Executive Vice President and General Manager at Fox Networks and Dr Andreas Bereczky, Executive Vice President of Technology and Production at ZDF German Television, will serve as Vice Chairmen. “Over the past few months, the initial response and momentum to the launch of the Avid Customer Association has been overwhelming,” said Louis Hernandez, President and CEO of Avid. “The ACA has grown to include many of these leaders from around the globe. By working together to navigate the evolving media landscape, we can address the most pressing issues that media professionals are facing today.” The Avid Customer Association is overseen and directed by an Executive Board of Directors, and includes Advisory Councils that address specific industry issues including corporate strategy, products and solutions, industry standards and practices, customer success, customer communities, and partners. Elation has hired Karl Lager as its new Sales Representative for Austria. Lager, who started the new position on January 1 2014, is tasked with using his extensive industry knowledge and customer network to build a strong Elation dealership structure in Austria. Lager comes to Elation from industry trading company Licht-Lager, which he founded along 72
with two partners in 2003. Marc Librecht, Sales and Marketing Manager, Elation Europe, said: “We are very happy to have Karl join the Elation team in Europe. Having a highly competent representative on site in Austria to carry out product demos and shootouts locally will help us move the Elation brand forward in the market.” The Gallowglass Group has welcomed back a familiar face, with the appointment of Jarrod Bischoff as Head of Training. He will be responsible for the group’s stand-alone events industry training company. “I’ve been willingly seduced back to the events industry, and my year’s sabbatical has shown me just how far the bar has been raised in expectations of gold-standard event delivery,” he said. “Many companies are taking speed, efficiency and safety really seriously nowadays, while others simply want to operate within the law. Either way, training has become an essential, not a luxury.” John Garbutt has been appointed to the newly created position of National Sales Manager for Pivitec in Pennsylvania, US. In his new position Garbutt will be responsible for managing and expanding Pivitec’s growing network of dealers and sales reps in the US and Canada. Tom Knesel, Pivitec’s President, said: “Adding Garbutt to our team is a big step forward for Pivitec. His hiring allows us to increase our focus and commitment to our contractor and systems integrator partners. John’s hands on experience in these markets will allow us to better support our customers and grow our business.” Garbutt joins Pivitec with over 20 years of industry experience at companies including Rane, Community Professional Loudspeakers
and Inter-M Americas as well as a prominent design-build contracting firm and a consulting firm in the Pacific Northwest West. Showsec has started 2014 with a new-look London operation after making significant changes in response to the sustained growth of the company. A major restructure has been implemented to divide the London office into three areas with managerial posts created as part of those changes. The three specific areas are: East, West and Greater London. Paul Legge, who had operated as Area Manager for London over the past five years, will now take charge of the East section, while Dayo Adelugba (West) and Louise Stockden (Greater) have been promoted to managerial roles respectively. “This is an exciting development which reflects the continued growth of the company and the important part which increased level of activity in London in particular has played in that success,” commented Steve Reynolds, Regional Manager. Prase Engineering, located in Venice, Italy, has been appointed as the exclusive Shure / DIS distributor in the country. A long-time distributor of DIS conferencing products in Italy, Prase Engineering is one of the leading audio distributors in Southern Europe. Ennio Prase, CEO of Prase Engineering, said: “We are tremendously excited about representing Shure in Italy. The addition of Shure’s broad product portfolio complements and significantly strengthens our current audio portfolio allowing us to offer an even wider range of innovative, value-added audio solutions.” Former European Sales Manager at City Theatrical, Alex Cowan, has taken up a new
www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Opposite: Louis Hernandez Jr, President and CEO of Avid, welcomes new strategic leadership; Karl Lager has been appointed Elation’s Sales Representative for Austria; Jarrod Bischoff rejoins Gallowglass Group as Head of Training. Below: John Garbutt has been appointed to the newly created position of National Sales Manager for Pivitec; Alex Cowan has joined LSLive; Mikko Palomaki of msonic with the SSL Live console; James Davies has joined TSL Lighting as Assistant Project Manager; Emily Walker has also joined LS-Live; XL Video has chosen Amsterdam as the new location for its operation in The Netherlands.
post in the sales department at staging equipment, set construction and studio hire company LS-Live, in Wakefield, UK. Cowan said: “I visited LS-Live to discuss business and couldn’t believe this top of the range facility. There is nothing else like this out there.” Emily Walker has also joined LSLive as Studio Sales Coordinator to focus on promoting the production rehearsal arena to concert touring, television, film and event planning clients, while assisting with the day-to-day running of the studio. Solid State Logic has appointed pro audio sales and support company msonic Light and Sound as its live console distributor in Finland. msonic specialises in high-end audio and video sales and engineering, and is the latest addition to SSL’s Live console partner network. “We are very proud that we have the opportunity to represent
the SSL Live console for the Finnish market,” said Tero Hölttä, Pro Audio Sales Manager, msonic. James Davies has joined the team at TSL Lighting, as Assistant Project Manager. Davies will be working closely with Frankie Du Toit and TSL’s project management and production teams. Davies joins TSL from White Light, where he was a Hire Coordinator. TSL’s Managing Director, Sam Tamplin, said: “We are very glad to have James on board, as we enter a period of growth and diversification for our business. His previous experience and skills are a great addition to our team.” XL Video, leading supplier in video equipment and services for the events industry, has chosen Amsterdam as the new location for its operation in the Netherlands. The brand new Amsterdam sales office benefits from its central location in Europe and is within the dynamic and creative environment
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www.interfacio.com • +44 208 986 5002
MOVERS & SHAKERS
Below: Source Distribution has appointed Tim Gray as Commercial Audio Sales Manager; Telecom Engineer, Andrea Ippolito, has joined Outline’s technical staff; Anastasia Klinushkina has been appointed as Outline’s Business Developer, supporting the sales office; Viladco has been appointed as Coda Audio distributor for the Benelux region in France.
of Houthavens. Source Distribution has appointed Tim Gray as Commercial Audio Sales Manager. In this newly created position, Gray will develop Source’s network of live sound dealers, rental companies and AV installers. Coda Audio has announced the appointment of Viladco as its new distributor for the Benelux region in France. Headed by Hans Engelen, the appointment of Viladco ensures seamless continuity of service for Coda customers. Engelen is very familiar to Coda users throughout Europe, having been a specialist for the company’s audio systems for several years. An audio engineer for over 20 years, he formed Viladco with his business partner Peter van Meensel and is very excited about the company being awarded the Coda distributorship. “Coda is always seeking new challenges, looking to make new advances and works tirelessly to deliver the best sound reinforcement products,” he said. “The company and its users 74
are also like a real family, which is a great thing to be a part of. “When the opportunity to become a Coda distributor arose, Peter and I saw it as a challenge - but one we were both looking forward to,” Engelen continued. “There is a lot of interest in Coda products throughout Europe, ViRay is proving very popular and we believe there will be a lot more opportunities opening up over the coming months and years.” Outline has expanded its technical staff, Andrea Ippolito joins the team as Telecom Engineer, and Anastasia Klinushkina has been appointed as Business Developer supporting the sales office. The pair joined the team to enable Outline to ensure clients even better service and further boost its dynamic R&D department’s work. Ippolito said: “Joining Outline’s R&D team has meant having the opportunity of being involved in highly ambitious projects, using state of the art technology and working alongside some of the best engineers in the pro audio industry.”
Klinushkina said: “I consider my role as being transversal and multi-faceted, as it involves the sales, marketing, R&D, logistics and administration departments. My previous work experience has enabled me to build up the abilities I currently have.” John McArthur, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, PAG Canada, has announced that industry veteran Jennifer Carr will be joining the sales team. “We chose Jennifer, in part, for her long and established track record. We are very thrilled to welcome her to our team,” said McArthur. “I’m looking forward to establishing new successes in the years ahead with these products,” said Carr. “With PAG I now have the opportunity to fully service the entire customer base in Western Canada. The wide range of products will allow me to provide a solution at every level.” TPi www.tpimagazine.com/jobs
The TPi Production Guide
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Acorn Events 33 Arkaos 64 Audio Technica 57 Avolites Ltd 50 B+K Braun GmbH GLP 35 Bob Kelly & Co 76 Bradley Engineering 32 Buy-in-Out 76 Central Presentations Ltd 76 ChainMaster 3 Chauvet Europe Ltd 80 Clay Paky SPA 47,49,51,53 Coda Audio 54 Coolux Gmbh 16 Creative Technology Ltd 76 d&b Audiotechnik 7 DiGiCo 15 Doughty Engineering 63 Eigen-Arts (Sommer Cable) 29 Elation 5 Entec Sound and Light 76 ER productions 11,76 FFP Special effects 13 Full Fat Audio 56 Green Hippo 26 Hawthorn Theatrical 46 High End 31 ILMC/Suspicious Marketing 71 Interfacio Ltd 72 Knight Rigging Services 76 Le Maitre Ltd 76 Leisuretec Distribution Ltd 4 LMP Pyrotechniks 23 MA Lighting 21 Martin by Harman 39, 43 Meyer Sound 2 Mike Moulds Band Services Ltd. 41 Miltec 57 MTFX Ltd 9 Philips 17 PRG Lighting 79 Renkus Heinz Inc 22 Riedel Communications 61 Rigging Services 76 ROBE Lighting 25 Rubber Box Co 73 Rud 76 ScreenLight Design 55 Sensorcom Ltd 76 Silver Stage Event Structures 30,76 Snakatak 48 SNP Productions Ltd 66,76 Solid State Logic 27 Source Distribution / PreSonus 65 Tannoy Ltd 19 Tempower ltd 76 The Event Production Show 75 Total Solutions 38 Travel 4 Tours 76 Universal Effects 76 Video Illusions 69 W. E. Audio Ltd 76 WI Creations 59 Wicked Technical Services 36,76 XL Video 76
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VITAL STATS
VITAL STATS 155 Gioia Molinari Profession: Head of Marketing and PR, RCF Group Date & place of birth: 6 August 1974 , Cento, Italy
How did you find your way into the pro audio industry? By chance! I was working in a completely different environment - banking in London - nearly eight years ago, when I decided to move back to Italy. It was here that I met Mr Vicari [Arturo, CEO] who was looking for a Marketing Manager for RCF. That’s how it all began...
“I can tell you that in 2014 we will have some very interesting new products...”
Did you have a mentor of sorts? I have met many important people during my career and some of them have certainly been mentors. As far as my RCF experience is concerned, there are three people that have helped me a lot; Fausto Incerti, General Director of RCF, Alessandro Manini, Head of R&D and David Neale. How would you describe the learning curve of coming into a technological environment from a banking one? The audio industry is a very interesting place to work and the developments in this sector are always quite fast. My skills have increased pretty quickly in a matter of just a few years, thanks to the fact that products have become more and more technological. I would say that learning has not come to an end as of yet, as I have many new experiences to come! What would you say is a key ingredient to marketing a brand in this industry? This industry might be niche, but it is extremely demanding, so I think that respectability, quality and development are the key ingredients to success. You also need passion; passion will help you to achieve a good position among competitors. Where R&D is concerned, what is RCF’s continual aim? To continuously improve the products, provide new and innovative technology and search for the optimum sound in every event and situation. You put a lot of emphasis on training, why is it so important to the company? Training is important because it is difficult to find experienced people are willing to dedicate time, energy, and money to training. We think sharing our knowledge and helping people do better in their job is a great thing. It’s vital for the new generation who want to work in the audio industry. What has been your proudest moment in the industry so far? To be honest, there have been several proud moments: the first Prolight + Sound (PL+S) in Frankfurt which I arranged in 2006, RCF Group being listed on the Milan stock exchange, Vasco Rossi’s tour, Ligabue at the RAH and entering the Borussia Dortmund stadium to see our speakers! 78
What can we expect from RCF in 2014? RCF is constantly working on new projects and is always investing in R&D, so I can tell you that in 2014 we will have some very interesting new products. We will also be investing in developing technology, and of course furthering our training activities. What live event has RCF been a apart of that still resonates with you? The first live dates of Vasco Rossi’s tour in Milan, was one of the most intense and satisfactory experiences that I’ve had together with the rest of my colleagues; they all worked so hard to make everything run wonderfully on that production. We are a big family here at RCF, and it is a privilege to work for the company. What trends do you think will take shape this year for pro audio? This year is gong to be a bit slow, but technology will have a predominant part, there are many projects in the pipeline and I am sure that audio companies will be investing in new products and ideas. There has been an increase within the US market and at the moment, it’s the best market for us. RCF has proved to be an important player amongst some major US companies. Why do you feel that NAMM - in California - is an ideal launch platform for RCF, over other tradeshows in the calendar? NAMM is the ideal show for RCF because is at the beginning of the year. The US has an interesting market and NAMM is always helpful when predicting what will take shape in the year. Furthermore, it’s an interesting location that brings together customers and musicians from totally different parts of the world. What is your desert Island disc? There are too many to choose from! I think I’d take a mix CD with different artists. It would have to include Madonna, U2, Bruce Springsteen, Dido and of course, Ligabue.
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