TPMEA #012 by Mondiale Media

FEBRUARY 2018 • ISSUE 012

KYGO’S DUBAI DEBUT THE WORLD RENOWNED DJ, MUSICIAN AND PRODUCER GRACES THE STAGE AT BURJ PARK

UAE’S NATIONAL DAY • FUNKTION-ONE & AUDIO SANS FRONTIERES BREAK WEST AFRICA • KSA OPENS UP TO LIVE EVENTS • PRODUCTION MANAGER JOEL STANLEY • FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST: EFM’S LISA RYAN

Photo: Andreas Keller

Excellent events and nothing less.

AV integrator of four levels of „The Sphere,” Expo 2017, Astana, Kazakhstan.

N&M was commissioned to do the technical implementation of the „Astana Sphere“, the German and Austrian pavilions, Energy Best Practice and Shell at the Expo 2017 Astana. Come and see our Expo Specialist at the Middle East Special Event & Exhibition Show 2018, stand C20, on the 22nd to 23rd April at the Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai.

+971 4 88 53 55 8

Winner:

Supplier of the Year 2015

Shortlisted:

Employer of the Year 2015/ 2016/ 2017

Supplier of the Year 2016

neumannmuellereventtech www.neumannmueller.ae

Best Use of Event Technology 2016

Dubai Investments Park 1

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07.02.18 15:15

TPMEA

WELCOME... TO TPMEA

Dear readers, In what seems like the blink of an eye, we are back for another issue… and what a jampacked issue it is! Our cover story sees globe-trotting EDM extraordinaire Kygo mark his Dubai debut in the shadow of the Burj Khalifa, before we head down E 11 to go behind the scenes at the 46th UAE National Day celebrations in Abu Dhabi. In Africa, we hear about the 30-year relationship that culminated in a fairly wellattended [1.7 million people!] event in Nigeria thanks to a sound package delivery from Wigwam Acoustics, and speak to Audio Sans Frontieres about their philanthropic endeavours across the continent with a Funktion-One sound system in tow. As I leave you to enjoy this bountiful anthology of live production splendour, please do remember to stay in touch with us about all of your upcoming events - it’s the best way to ensure safe passage into our next printed edition as the concert season gets into full swing! See you in April…

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CONTENTS

CONTENTS MIDDLE EAST 06 - FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

EFM’s Lisa Ryan talks about what’s in store for 2018 with the region’s latest legislation.

08 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP

26 - TECH PROFILE

30 - INTERVIEW

34 - PRODUCT FOCUS

The latest news from the Middle East.

14 - ILEA COLUMN

Vice President of Strategy, Lisa Pennington, on shaping Dubai’s future.

16 - TECH PROFILE

The Norwegian DJ, record producer, musician and songwriter played his first ever show in the region, in the shadow of the mighty Burj Khalifa.

22 - TECH PROFILE

Event Producer Done + Dusted UK created a 3-scene spectacle for the 46th National Day featuring an L-Acoustics L-ISA system.

TPMEA speaks to the team behind a temporary addition to the Dubai nightlife scene - White at Meydan Racecourse.

CEO of Squares Event Management, Mark Satchell, discusses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s burgeoning entertainment industry.

TPMEA profiles some of the innovative hardware coming to the live events market in 2018.

AFRICA

42 - TECH PROFILE

TPMEA talks to the team behind Christ for all Nations.

46 - INTERVIEW

UK-based Production Mangaer, Joel Stanley, talks about touring in the Middle East.

38 - REGIONAL ROUND-UP

The latest news stories from the region.

Federico Pirzio-Biroli and Oz Jefferies landed in Kenya with a Funktion-One system in tow, and now they plan to take West Africa to new audio heights.

EDITOR Kel Murray Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7738 154689 e-mail: k.murray@mondiale.co.uk

ASSISTANT EDITOR Ste Durham Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8385 Mobile: +44 (0)7891 679742 e-mail: s.durham@mondiale.co.uk

STAFF WRITER Stewart Hume Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7702 054344 e-mail: s.hume@mondiale.co.uk

GENERAL MANAGER Hannah Eakins Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7760 485230 e-mail: h.eakins@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES Georgia Guthrie Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8399 Mobile: +44 (0)750 1597 837 e-mail: g.guthrie@mondiale.co.uk

ADVERTISING SALES Lauren Dyson Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)741 5773 639 e-mail: l.dyson@mondiale.co.uk

GRAPHIC DESIGN & PRODUCTION Dan Seaton: d.seaton@mondiale.co.uk Zoe Willcox: z.willcox@mondiale.co.uk

DIGITAL EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Jacob Waite: j.waite@mondiale.co.uk

EDITORIAL INTERN Daniel Broadley

MONDIALE GROUP CHAIRMAN Damian Walsh

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COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Kygo at Burj Park, Waleed Shah

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32 - INTERVIEW

ACCOUNTS Lynette Levi / Sarah Miller: ar@mondiale.co.uk CHIEF EXECUTIVE Justin Gawne Tel: +44 (0)161 476 8360 Mobile: +44 (0)7768 850767 e-mail: j.gawne@mondiale.co.uk

PRINTED BY Buxton Press • www.buxpress.co.uk

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FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

EFM’S LISA RYAN

IT’S BEEN AN ENCOURAGING START TO 2018 FOR EFM, WITH A FLURRY OF GOODS ON THE MOVE FROM OUR EVENTS INDUSTRY CUSTOMERS. DESPITE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF VAT IMPACTING US ALL AND CAUSING MUCH CONCERN AMONGST OUR CUSTOMERS, WHICH THANKFULLY WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO GUIDE AND ADVISE ON, THIS LOOKS SET TO BE A GREAT YEAR! The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is a promising events and entertainment growth market. EFM has always been strong here, however the gradual relaxation of many KSA regulations, including the first ever women’s motor show in January in Jeddah, has already delivered an upturn in the events market. KSA will continue to deliver a sizeable growth opportunity throughout 2018 for us and our customers, building on a successful 2017 for us, handling many live performances, corporate events and automotive roadshows here. Orchestral performances and performing arts are increasing in the region, with an evergrowing number of visitors attracted to venues such as the popular Dubai Opera House. We also have several international orchestras planning tours in Iran, Kuwait and UAE. We’ve experienced an uplift in car shows and regional MENA tours with brand new models launching in the automotive market. We’ve just been awarded a 12 month contract by one of the leading luxury car manufacturers - touring 20 new marketing cars through Bahrain, KSA, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and South Africa. It’s FIFA World Cup year in Russia and we’re also working on the prestigious World Cup Trophy Tour, which will also visit UAE, Jordan, Sudan and Egypt; following hot on the heels of the Arabian Gulf Cup tour that we handled in December. EFM has been operating across the MENA region since it launched in 2000. This year marks the 10th anniversary of our EFM office opening in the UAE. The event industry in the region has changed hugely since then; it’s been a fascinating time to be on the ground. We’ve been involved in transporting equipment (via air, road, sea) for some of the biggest events in the region, including some of the first major international touring acts bought into Abu Dhabi by Flash Entertainment; the KAUST Opening in Jeddah (2009); Oman National Day (2010); Pan Arab Games, Arab Cup and Vangelis Concert in Doha (2011); Royal Weddings in Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar; Kuwait Constitution event (2012); car roadshows throughout MENA; National Days, Dubai Motor Shows, and the opening of the Abu Dhabi Louvre towards the end of 2017. Roll on EXPO 2020, we’re ready and waiting! www.efm.global

FIRST LOOK MIDDLE EAST

REGIONAL ROUND UP

ECLIPSE INVESTS IN NEW SHURE AND GREEN HIPPO PRODUCTS With the constantly growing demand of Shure PSM 1000, eclipse Staging Services now has the largest stock of the product in the region with 16 TX and 24 RX. John Parkhouse, Head of Audio at eclipse, commented: “We stock a large amount of both radio and wired microphone products, all of which are day-to-day use for us.” He added: “We opted to buy a large amount of Shure PSM 1000 because our market needs it. I can say that in the last 12/18 months, almost every touring rider has requested them. This is not limited to concerts. The corporate market has also now got to a point in the region that such specific products are often requested too.” The PSM 1000’s Personal Monitor System full-rack, dual-channel, networkable transmitter is ideally suited for the demands of professional touring and installation applications, and the diversity bodypack receiver delivers pristine RF signal and audio quality. Networkability over Ethernet connection enables remote control of transmitter functions and comprehensive frequency coordination via Wireless Workbench 6 software. “The build quality and reliability is second to none but equally the sound quality of this product is exceptional and paramount by the very nature of what it is,” said Parkhouse. “Add to this dual diversity and the frequency management capabilities using Shure wireless

workbench and it is simply an ideal product. We have a number of people in the department who specialise in all things RF and I can say they are ecstatic to have added this to our already comprehensive existing RF stock.” Working closely with the distributors of Shure, NMK Electronics, for several years, the eclipse team relies on NMK’s recommendation for top-tier brands and products. “NMK have always been a go-to company for all the products they represent since I have been in the UAE. They understand the needs and demands of a company like eclipse perfectly, because like us they exist in an environment where timing, response and prompt delivery is essential and they never let us down,” commented Parkhouse. eclipse Staging Services has also recently made a noticeable investment in its stock of Green Hippo media servers. Following the resounding success of the Hippotizer V4 - Taiga, eclipse is delighted to continue the collaboration with Green Hippo to capitalise on the latest in graphics technology with the Hippotizer Boreal V4+. The new purchase complements its existing line of flagship media players, projectors and other video equipment. eclipse’s Head of Video, Alex Menor, commented: “Boreal allows us to provide multidisplay outputs for our upcoming projects. As a key player in the audio-visual market, we are

the first in the region to use this powerful media server that is more accurate, flexible and quicker than traditional units. We have experienced its huge capability to carry out complex projection set-ups with exceptional image quality without fail.” The Boreal V4+ server was chosen as it is a much-needed visual solution in the live productions where quality is vital and it handles content-heavy displays with the highest resolutions, ensuring that the media is played in a synchronous fashion. “We would like to commend the Green Hippo team on the reliability and unique capabilities of their products as well as the excellent technical support they provide, which we have been witnessing for the past several years. It was no surprise that when we tried Boreal, we found it very quick and easy-to-use in any environment. Designed to meet the demands of touring and production services rental companies, it is a very effective way of managing widescreen displays of a 4K+ output. The functionality and interface is great and enables us to deliver the most demanding shows with ease,” concluded Menor. www.eclipse.ae www.shure.co.uk www.green-hippo.com

REGIONAL ROUND UP

PROTEC ACQUIRES AVENTEQ Protec has strengthened its presence in the UK with its acquisition of Birmingham-based Aventeq. With this agreement, Aventeq - which will now be known as Protec European Events - will have access to a much larger palette of event production resources, including state of the art technology, equipment and highly skilled staff. It will be in a stronger position to extend its services to a larger client base and offer a more comprehensive and creative approach to its technical productions. The joining of these 2 companies delivers on Protec’s vision of inspiring the entire events industry with extraordinary and impactful experiences through its technical expertise and deliveries. Established in 2008 by an industry experienced team led by Chris Bramwell, Aventeq has prided itself in delivering quality projects all

across the UK and Europe. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including creative and technical design, production, lighting, audio, video, staging, rigging and venue support services. It has been known for its slick productions for events of a variety of categories and sizes. Commenting on this announcement, Stephen Lakin, Protec’s Founder and CEO, said: “I have a lot of time for Chris Bramwell and the team. They have built up a strong business and I’m thrilled to welcome them into the Protec family. I am looking forward to the opportunity to introduce their customers to a wider global reach and more exciting tools & technology to create unique and memorable event experiences.” Bramwell will continue to lead the company to execute on their growth plans but with the backing of the vast resources of Protec.

“Aventeq, which of course I’m thrilled to say, is now Protec European Events, has a similar passion to Protec,” commented Bramwell. “We focus on delivering fantastic experiences for our clients and audiences. We are very excited to be a part of one of the world’s most respected industry leaders and now be able to offer our clients a more creative and technological palette with a wider market reach.” Lakin added: “Technology in the events industry has seen exponential growth, creativity has become bolder and audience engagement now plays a crucial role in every event. Our clients are spending more time on developing bespoke events, creatively using content with technology to immerse and involve their audiences into their story’s environment. Technology continues to play an important role and new technologies are guiding content developers to dig deeper

REGIONAL ROUND UP

into their creative talents to make full use of the technical resources to deliver with impact and to stay current. “There is greater demand for a break from the typical sit and listen conference format to a more imaginative, dynamic, immersive and involving experience. This spurs us to continually think creatively and develop new ways of delivering our productions. So although we are one of the largest events technical and staging solutions company in

the world, in my mind, our creative approach to all our projects and the ability to consistently create extraordinary experiences through clever use of technology is what sets us apart. It’s this approach that Protec European Events will take on which I’m sure will be an important factor to ensure that their clients are thrilled with every event delivery.” Lakin claimed a key factor that contributed to the company’s success is that it treats every event (whether it is the smallest of small events

or a mega-show) with the same dedication and commitment. This approach, he added, has cemented Protec’s relationships with its clients and has also played its part in the growth of the company as well as the industry in the Middle East. “Protec European Events shares our passion and I’m looking forward to extending this commitment across the UK and Europe,” Lakin concluded. www.productiontec.com

PRG GEARHOUSE INVESTS IN DISGUISE GX 2 MEDIA SERVERS Due to an increasing demand for projection mapping and large-scale content across corporate, special events and the concert touring market, PRG has added 2 disguise gx 2 media servers to its already impressive stock in Dubai. The gx 2 is the latest flagship offering from disguise and has been developed to support real-time, generative content and includes gold support for Notch and features a Notch playback license. Dubbed as the ‘future of live show entertainment’, the GPU workstation on the

gx 2 is the most powerful yet, creating the most dynamic displays ever seen. With the ability to scale up to 2 4k outputs or 8 HD outputs. Matthew Holmes, PRG’s Head of Video for the region, commented: “There is a clear demand for faster and more dynamic media servers in the region and the gx 2 will allow us to offer the right equipment solution for our clients. Thanks to the support of disguise, we will host a 2-day training session which will be held at our local office to ensure our operators are fully trained and show ready.” Phil Smith, Director of Projects, concluded:

“We are extremely excited about the arrival of these units as we are the only provider in the Middle East to offer complete main and backup servers within this range. The system will supplement our existing investment in industry leading products such as Christie Pandoras Box and Dataton WATCHOUT, adding a further dimension to the company’s ability to deliver world class events.”

www.prg.com/ae/en www.disguise.one

REGIONAL ROUND UP

AUDIOLAB-LB INVESTS IN THE AVID VENUE S6L AudioLab-lb is a relatively new sound production and rental company in Lebanon. In just a couple of years it has grown to become one of the country’s biggest and most successful audio businesses. The company was founded by Imad Mrad, a well-known and respected live and broadcast sound engineer, not just in Lebanon but across the entire Middle East region. He was Head of Sound at the leading Middle East media production house Studiovision for nearly 14 years, working on big live TV shows including the Middle East editions of Taratata, Dancing with the Stars and The X Factor among others. Mrad is also the sound engineer for Rotana, which produces concerts across the Gulf region for well-known Arabic singers and bands including Mohamed Abdo, Rabeh Sakr, Rashed al Majid, Hussein al Jassmi, Wael Kfouri, Kazem Al Saher, Najwa Karam and Assi Al Hallani. As a user of Avid audio equipment for more than 10 years, Imad recently purchased 2 Avid VENUE S6L live mixing systems from Litewaves, Avid’s audio reseller in Lebanon.

“We only use Avid equipment at AudioLablb. We have an Avid VENUE SC48 and an Avid VENUE Profile which are still very busy, but as we continue to grow we need additional equipment - and of course we want to stay up to date with the latest technology,” commented Mrad. “The S6L is the best choice on the market. The sound quality is absolutely superb, unbeatable. It’s an easy and fast console to work with. It also has good studio plug-ins – and added to Avid’s plugins, we have a lot of choices without needing any external hardware or software for that. The dynamics and pre-amps are also very good.” Mrad finds the system intuitive and easy to use. “The whole team was already very familiar with the Avid VENUE system so it was simple to get going straight away,” he said. “The S6L communicates easily with Avid Pro Tools, which is important as we often need to record concerts on multitrack directly into Pro Tools. I also find the Spill function very handy because you can choose whatever channels you want in your bay and have them all in front of you. I like to work with several screens, and it’s easy to set this up

so you can go directly to EQ or the fader on the screen - it’s all right there.” AudioLab-lb’s S6L first console - the largest of its kind in Lebanon with 2 Stage 64 boxes giving 128 inputs and 64 outs - was installed in July 2017 and was busy from day one on a variety of broadcast and live project. It proved its worth very quickly, on a live concert with a very short set-up time and almost no rehearsal, thanks to one of S6L’s software features. “The Virtual Soundcheck function meant that we could get a head-start on the mix from our offices, then once we got to the venue we only needed around 15 minutes with the band,” Mrad explained. “Without this function - which worked perfectly and smoothly in just one click - we would have faced a lot of problems. I would certainly say that the S6L saved the day.” The success of the console led swiftly to the purchase of the second S6L in December 2017, which looks set to be kept just as busy as the first. www.audiolab-lb.com www.avid.com

REGIONAL ROUND UP

N&M RECERTIFIED ACCORDING TO INDUSTRY STANDARDS BY DPVT N&M Veranstaltungstechnik has been recertified by the DPVT, an independent German inspection organisation. A corresponding certificate was handed over to N&M Managing Director Prof. Eberhard Müller on the N&M stand at Best of Events held in Dortmund this January. The DPVT seal certifies that the company’s planning, organisation and technical services for the staging of events satisfy the industry’s quality standards. The accreditation was preceded by audits and inspections that are based on the industry’s specific needs and that enable an objective quality assessment. “We are the only AV company here in the Middle East who have this certificate,” commented Rick Wade, General Manager of N&M Dubai. “By having this certification, we show our clients that we are a competent and reliable partner by easing their concerns about engaging properly qualified contractors as well as safe and tested equipment. The certification procedure examines the firm’s own objectives and structures and assesses their implementation, thereby helping to minimise risks in the

company’s own interest.” The DPVT auditors once again examined N&M’s general business processes. These included acquisition, offer and order creation, project management, project planning and the workflows in material planning and logistics. The planning and implementation of qualification measures in the company were scrutinised as was occupational health and safety. Production audits constituted a key element in the certification process. These were conducted on site during the set-up phases of productions in Hamburg and Leipzig, and assessed both the implementation of and conformity with applicable guidelines and standards. The inspection organisation also ensured that previously audited processes continued to be executed to the required standard. A further part of the audit examined the commercial management systems employed at N&M for financial planning and controlling. The DPVT seal for service providers in the event technology sector was developed by industry specialists. N&M has been involved right from the very beginning and has made a major

contribution to the development of standards as a member of the advisory board. N&M was also one of the first companies to be certified to the new criteria. DPVT certification offers clients added protection as they have a duty to inform themselves regarding the capability and reliability of the contractors concerned before awarding an order. The client is responsible for choosing appropriate service providers and can be held legally accountable if damage or even injuries occur during events - as a result of incorrect installation, implementation, etc. By commissioning a certified company like N&M, the client can demonstrate that it acted responsibly should any claims arise. The DPVT Deutsche Prüfstelle für Veranstaltungstechnik (German Inspection Company for Entertainment Technology) GmbH is an independent certification authority, endorsed by the leading associations of the entertainment technology industry in Europe, EVVC and VPLT. www.neumannmueller.com www.dpvt.org

ILEA COLUMN

LISA PENNINGTON: SHAPING DUBAI’S FUTURE BACK IN DECEMBER 2017, ILEA PARTICIPATED IN THE DUBAI ECONOMIC DEPARTMENT (DED) 2ND BUSINESS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUM, WHERE DUBAI ECONOMY AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR DISCUSSED FUTURE-READINESS.

Above: Darshan Shetty, DED Principal Business Analyst; Lisa Pennington, ILEA VP Strategy; Kholoud Ali, ILEA Operations Manager; Alexandar Williams, DED Director, Future Economy; Dan Bolton, President of ILEA.

The Business Community Engagement (BCE) initiative was launched in 2016 to deepen Dubai Economy’s cooperation with the private sector. The aims of BCE are to share government initiatives, as well as serve as a platform for business groups and business councils, to provide feedback and ideas on how Dubai’s businesses and industry can work together with the government for a happier business future. Part of ILEA’s objectives are to work more closely with the government and ILEA’s interactions and support of government departments and initiatives are key to helping evolve the Middle East events industry

further into the future. ILEA’s strategic partnership with DED and this important interaction supporting their business community events further strengthens ILEA’s ability to fulfil this objective and will help us to enable our members to deliver the very best work to their clients through collaboration, thought-leadership and idea sharing. This year, the theme of BCE was; Enabling a FutureReady Business Environment. We believe this is very relevant and vital now, as global economic, social and especially technological changes are sweeping and altering the global economic landscape. Governments,

ILEA COLUMN

businesses and industry must always be prepared for change; better still, be in a position to shape change and create the future. A selection of government departments and business groups were invited to attend and participate in the panel discussions. I participated in a panel session titled Enabling a Future-Ready Organisation and Industry, where we shared ILEA’s initiatives in embracing and shaping change in events industry. We enlightened the business community on ILEA’s role and highlighted the talent of SMEs in the event industry, which are available here within the region. During the event, DED also launched several initiatives to sustain the engagement with the business community. The new initiatives include:

• Legal Status for Business Groups and Councils. • Future industry and foresight initiative to serve as a resource for business groups. ILEA’s collaboration with DED continues throughout 2018, where we will look to discuss topics that have significant impact on the event industry and how we can work to improve processes and influence change in important areas such as immigration and mission visas, freelancer trade licences and visas, and the associated costs. Freelancers’ contribution to the GDP is another key area, as are event permits and licensing, along with a joint workshop with different business groups, councils and associations.

• EngageDXB, an app to connect the leadership of all business group entities; which will be key with ILEA further developing relationships which will be of benefit to our members.

Lisa Pennington, VP of Strategy

• The Dubai Quality Appreciation Award for Business Groups and Councils, which ILEA are proud to have been nominated for.

For details on ILEA membership please email: admin@ilea-me.com www.ilea-me.com

TECH PROFILE

KYGO FOR HIS FIRST PERFORMANCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST, WORLD RENOWNED DJ, MUSICIAN AND PRODUCER, KYGO, GRACED THE STAGE AT DUBAI’S BURJ PARK. TPMEA SPOKE TO A COLLECTION OF THE SHOW’S SUPPLIERS WHO MADE SURE THE TROPICAL HOUSE STAR’S PREMIER PERFORMANCE IN THE REGION WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH.

TECH PROFILE

Over the years Dubai has certainly become a hotspot for EDM, with most of the genre’s biggest names often stopping off in the city as part of their world tours. Last year Kygo added his name to long list of DJs who have brought their brand of dance music to the region, playing a sold out show in the shadow of the tallest building in the world in Burj Park. The event was presented by digital music platform, Anghami, in partnership with Emaar. To help the company out on all aspects of the concert was JK58. TPMEA sat down with JK58’s Senior Production Manager, Mike Mikaelian, to discuss this latest collaboration. “JK58 started out in the region 7 years ago and quickly launched into the regional event industry,” began Mikaelian walking TPMEA through the company’s history. “Founder Jean Carl Saliba helped launch the events industry within the UAE, taking part and leading in many AAA shows and events across the region. After opening JK58 in 2011, he found his partner Ryan Marginson and they quickly positioned themselves as key players in event production and management, supporting a variety of groups and clients.” With a wealth of experience, it made sense why Anghami chose JK58 to work on this latest venture. JK58 led up all technical

and logistical challenges as well as contracting out the various departments to a selection of suppliers from across the region. “Technical suppliers were awarded based on capabilities and working ethics. We had already worked with our key suppliers previously on other events,” commented Mikaelian. “It’s important to have good working energy on-site which we believe we had at this gig.” Suppliers for the show included; Al Laith for staging, Delta Sound for audio, SLS Production for lighting and video and Stage FX for pyrotechnics and lasers. Mikaelian commented on the collaboration with the Kygo crew: “His team were really good and easy to work with,” stated the Senior Production Manager. “There were only a few back and forths before we locked down and elements on site and faced no issues once they arrived. Stage design was as per their rider, with only minor changes made based on the available kit in the region.” Despite being well prepared for the show, both JK58 and its team of suppliers had the issue of dealing with a less the conventional venue space. “Burj Park is iconic with a view of the Burj Khalifa. But it’s a park and not a venue with very limited access points,” commented Mikaelian. “Getting everything in presented challenges but everyone worked together and we were

able to get everything in and ready for doors to open. Being an island park, access was carefully controlled to ensure smooth operations.” “The evening had a great atmosphere,” concluded Mikaelian. “You could see people from all over the downtown area making their way to the main entrance. Getting a large high school and young adult crowd always makes for a fun party, with everyone visible having a great time.” LIGHTING & VIDEO As with all EDM shows, lighting and video was an integral part of the experience. Keeping up with the fast paced music was SLS Production. Edwin Cheeran, Associate Director for Sales and Marketing talked through the company’s involvement with the show. As Kygo and the rest the crew were in the midst of a world tour, the production had a fairy solid tour rider that SLS catered for. “With our experience of working with many international acts, we were more than prepared to accommodate any last minute changes,” commented Cheeran. In fact prior to the show, Kygo’s LD, Alex Hesse, opted to move some of the positions of the lights on the day of setup. In total the lighting rig included 20 Martin by Harman MAC Viper Performances, 16 Atomic 3000 Strobes, 48 Claypaky Mythos, 40 Sharpys, 24 B-EYE K20’s and 80 Showtec LED Pixel Tracks.

TECH PROFILE

Controlling the impressive rig was a full size MA Lighting grandMA2. The company also supplied the production’s video needs with 100sqm of 3.9mm Absen LED screen for the DJ booth and side towers along with 75sqm of 6mm Absen LED screen for the back wall. Also on the rider was an IMAG package with 2 8.9mm Uniview LED screens. Finally for control SLS opted for a Dataton WATCHOUT racks. “The lighting rig itself was mainly distributed on the sub hangs with a few on the LED towers with the rest set out on the floor,” commented Cheeran. “The overall look was just great! We were very happy to see the lights and video being used in the best way. The crowd was also amazing. We were very proud to be part of the event, especially as it was a sold out show. We hope to do more shows of the same kind.” SFX Adding to the visual feast was Stage FX. The special effects specialist provided a selection of effects including Magic FX CO2 Jets, Stage Flames, Flamaniacs and Sparkulars. Control for all the effects came courtesy of a ChamSys MQ80 SFX. Arran Hopkins, General Manager for Stage FX discussed his involvement with the show: “We integrated the SFX fixtures into the DJ booth and in various up and down stage positions to give the effects some depth. All too often we see effects just placed across the downstage edge, which we wanted to get away from on this show,” explained Hopkins. “At Stage FX we try to give each show a unique look as much as we can while maintaining our firm health and safety procedures.” Stage FX also ensured that Kygo was supplied with a healthy laser package, which was integrated into the DJ booth as well as the LED screens. “The lasers were operated by one of our in-house LSO-qualified live operators, who is very experienced in EDM events using the latest Pangolin control system,” commented Hopkins. Stage Effected provided both 24W RYGB

Phaenon Lasers and 4W RGB Starbeams with a Pangolin Beyond Laser System for control. Finally, to ensure stunning laser looks, the SFX suppliers also deployed several MDG M3e Fog Machines. Hopkins continued by elaborating on Stage FX’s experience with EDM star’s production team. “Everything for the show was specified by Kygo’s touring production,” he stated. “Contrary to the misconception that Dubai does not have the local availability of the latest SFX and laser equipment, we had everything requested in stock and more. They left very happy!” Luke Hammond, Kygo’s Touring VJ, was especially pleased with the service they received, commenting to Hopkins that the, “lasers were absolutely on point!” While on the subject of lasers, Hopkins discussed some of the challenges working in Burj Park: “Prior to the show we planned a laser termination surface to be constructed across the back of the entire VIP platform. It worked perfectly as a shield to the local residential properties.” But despite a stellar show, there was one aspect that was missing for the SFX arsenal. “Sadly were not allowed to use our Xstream Streamer Cannons and XL Confetti Blasters. This due to worries of contaminating the Burj Khalifa lake and fountains, which was understandable really!” AUDIO Delta Sound provided the audio backbone for the show. Based on the venue layout, Delta used a slightly smaller set up for the event; consisting of an L-Acoustics K1 left and right hang, 12 per side along, with 12 KARA evenly distributed along the downstage edge for front fills. The Delta system also consisted of 24 SB28 ground stack subs. All cabinets were driven using L-Acoustics LA8 amplifiers together with LA Network Manager. Delta Sound’s Rob Eatock discussed some of the challenges faced by the audio supplier for the show, the first of which came down to the time

of year. “Around November we had a really high demand to supply audio for a variety of events,” stated Eatock. “This meant it was just myself representing Delta on site aided with a couple of a regular freelancers and local crew.” Eatock continued to explain the concept of the PA design. “The main system we installed was designed based on our knowledge of the venue,” began the Project Manger. Due to the near by residential buildings that surround Burj Park, Delta opted to not install side hangs or flown subs to “isolated the sound to the venue perimeter,” according to Eatock. As for on-stage audio and backline, Delta supplied a package as per Kygo’s rider received from the touring production. “Stage fills included SB18 subs, KARA and X15 wedges,” stated Eatock. “I’m glad to say there were no substitutions made on the audio!” Eatock concluded by giving his final thoughts on the show: “At Delta, maintenance of our equipment is key and by adhering to stringent testing procedures, we keep our systems in top working order at all times. The artist’s content was well produced and sounded great through the L-Acoustics K1, KARA and SB28 enclosures. “The show itself was very well received by the audience, which were in their thousands till the early hours of the morning.” From all reports, both from the crew and critics alike, it seemed that Kygo’s first time in the city was an unmitigated success. Once again proof not only of the city’s love for the EDM genre, but how prepared the UAE suppliers are for handling the ambitious show designs of the world’s greatest DJs... Photos: Waleed Shah www.kygomusic.com www.jk58.co www.anghami.com www.slspro.net www.stagefx.ae www.allaith.com www.deltalive.com

TECH PROFILE

UAE NATIONAL DAY THE UAEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S 46TH NATIONAL DAY CELEBRATIONS TOOK PLACE ON 2 DECEMBER 2017 WITH A SERIES OF EVENTS ORGANISED BY THE ABU DHABI DEPARTMENT OF CULTURE AND TOURISM. THE CENTREPIECE WAS A SPECTACULAR, HOUR-LONG EVENT, WHICH TOOK PLACE IN A CUSTOM-BUILT, TEMPORARY STADIUM AND FEATURED AN L-ACOUSTICS L-ISA IMMERSIVE AUDIO SYSTEM, PROVIDED BY DELTA SOUND DUBAI WITH ENGINEERING SERVICES SUPPLIED BY AUSTRALIAN EMMY AWARD-WINNING AUDIO VISUAL DESIGN COMPANY, AUDITORIA.

TECH PROFILE

The Here is the Future event programme developed by event producers Done + Dusted UK featured a 3-scene, 11-chapter spectacle showcasing a future that will benefit from innovations such as artificial intelligence, space sciences and renewable energy, all slated to enhance the living standards and happiness of the citizens and residents of the UAE. It was attended by the UAE royal family and leaders, senior state officials, heads of government, representatives of the armed forces and police, as well as local citizens. “With an event themed on the future and innovation, Done + Dusted logically wanted to feature the very latest technology in their proposal,” said Auditoria’s Scott Willsallen. “This was the ideal environment to deliver something really special from a sound perspective, so I briefed them on the L-ISA immersive system and how it can be used to create a perfect match between the show image and sound, enhancing the connection between the audience and the performance.” Willsallen’s proposal was accepted and, in late summer last year, he set about designing the L-ISA system for the event, collaborating with L-Acoustics’ Founder and L-ISA creator, Dr Christian Heil, along with Guillaume Le Nost, Director of R&D at L-ISA. “I spent a few weeks with the team to understand the system in detail and how it could be used in different environments,” Willsallen recalled. “I created the system using L-Acoustics 3D acoustical simulation programme Soundvision, which includes the qualification tools to certify an L-ISA

design.” The stage for the UAE National Day event was 40m wide, with 20m from its front edge to the front row, while the audience area was around 50m wide x 50m deep. The system designed by Willsallen and the L-ISA team comprised a Scene System consisting of 7 L-Acoustics line source arrays, spaced 5m apart across the proscenium arch and masked by a projection surface. The centre array was 9 K2 cabinets, with 3 arrays of 9 KARA either side. In addition to the Scene System, an extension system of 4 arrays of KARA, 2 per side, was deployed. Sub-bass was provided by a single block of 18 SB28’s (3 wide x 6 high) just off-centre, behind the rear LED screen. “We also added a surround system of 10 arrays of 6 KARA - 4 each on either side of the audience area, plus 2 at the rear,” Willsallen continued. “But the most impressive part of the system was the arrangement of overhead loudspeakers, which were suspended from 4 catenary lines strung across the seating, each supporting multiple X8 coaxial clusters. The overhead system was fed with 12 outputs from L-ISA and allowed us to use multiple reverb outputs to effectively add a ceiling to the outdoor venue. “The effect of these overhead loudspeakers was remarkable and easy to take for granted, ‘ said Willsallen. “But when they were switched off, it was like watching a performance ‘over there’ somewhere, but when they were on, it was like being inside the performance.” All told, 226 speakers were used to provide

unprecedented spatialised audio for an audience of 1,800 people. The preparation process for the show was straightforward, with Willsallen finding the L-ISA system easy and intuitive to use. “The software provides lots of information for fault finding and signal metering,” he said. “We found the hardware reliable and the team at L-ISA were only a phone call away if we had any questions. We worked on 1 mix for all music stems and another for all sound effects, then we recorded it all together for playback.” A DiGiCo SD5 digital mixing console was used to provide the EQ, dynamics and bussing resources needed to deliver 80 outputs to the L-ISA processor. The processor then delivered 40 outputs back to the console (1 output for each loudspeaker array, plus a few mix-downs) for monitoring and delivery to the audio nodes around the site. “The event was a huge success and the L-ISA system was outstanding,” concluded Willsallen. “Pierre Mussche, Musical Director for the event and Co-Founder of Musicom Sound Design and Music, commented that it was the best sound he’s ever heard. Nick Levitt, the event’s Production Director, said it was even better than he had imagined it would be, and the team at Done + Dusted were thrilled with the way the sound and vision worked together to deliver a truly unprecedented immersive experience.” Photos courtesy of L-Acoustics www.l-acoustics.com www.doneanddusted.com www.auditoria.systems

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TECH PROFILE

WHITE WITH A SOLID REPUTATION ACROSS THE MIDDLE EAST, ADDMIND HAS MASTERED THE ART OF DELIVERING A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE FOR ITS GUESTS IN EACH AND EVERY OUTLET IT MANAGES. FROM BEACH CLUBS AND BARS TO LOUNGES, NIGHTCLUBS AND RESTAURANTS, THE HOSPITALITY OPERATOR KNOWS HOW TO TICK ALL THE BOXES. THE LATEST VENUE TO UNDERGO A MAKEOVER TO ENSURE ADDMIND CONTINUES TO DELIVER IS WHITE IN DUBAI. ITS OLDER SIBLING IN BEIRUT SET THE STAGE BACK IN 2006 - MOVING LOCATION IN 2011 - BEFORE THE DUBAI OUTLET WAS ADDED TO THE LINE UP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

TECH PROFILE

Being an outdoor club, White, located at the Meydan Racecourse Grandstand Rooftop, is fully exposed to the elements of The Gulf humidity, sand, water, heat - none of which are ideal conditions for audio, lighting or video technology. So when it came to reinstalling the equipment earlier in 2017 - in time for the new season - Addmind turned to Procom, a supplier it had an existing relationship with through previous projects. Addmind sees a full support solution as a very important factor - ensuring design, operation and execution goes smoothly. “We have a good relationship with them because of the support we provide, it’s not just about selling the product. We provide a solution, ensure the operation is good and do after sales support. For a company, which is focussed on hospitality, not audiovisual, they obviously want all of this from a provider,” said Rami Harfouch, Business Development Manager for Procom. The nightlife industry in Dubai is based largely on novelty, with outlets constantly needing a fresh look. But White went all out and opted for not just 1 new look but 3. Each night - Thursday, Friday and Saturday - has a concept and the audiovisual design to match. Thursday is known as BIZAAAR, Friday as WHITEHOUSE and Saturday as URBN and the DJ booth is located in a different place every night, so it was no easy task

to coordinate that with the PA, the position of the subwoofers and the lighting fixtures too. At the same time the changes had to be achievable in a 12-15 hour time period - the turn around time the venue closing at night and reopening for the next - and had to be simple and straightforward enough for the in-house staff to manage. “Because the DJ changes position, we had to go for a homogeneous high SPL sound solution,” stated Harfouch. “It couldn’t be focussed on coming from one area or another. So for that experience, K-array, specifically the Firenze Series, was not only superior in our eyes but with its digital steering ability and SAT technology, was the only answer for this project.” The array elements are virtually invisible, sitting vertically on the different sides of the club. They have been digitally steered to provide a constant sound level around the venue, as have the subwoofers. A total of 16 K-array Firenze-KH7 midhi loudspeakers and 8 K-array Firenze-KS8 subwoofers have been installed at White, which together provide 360-degree coverage. The KH7’s are flown in vertical clusters - measuring 3.6m making it possible to achieve a long throw with very even coverage. The KS8 is a very powerful subwoofer that is able to reproduce very low frequencies and provides a strong punch. Some delay was applied to the subwoofers, due to the distance between the top clusters and

subwoofers, and some tuning was carried out on the clusters to ensure a pleasant sound even at really high SPLs - the average is 132dB across the venue, when playing at nominal power. The system is self-powered with each loudspeaker driven by a 4 2,000W amplifier and 4 channels of output DSP. The simulation was carried out with EASE FOCUS 3 and Firmaker (AFMG) - essential tools to create the 4 FIR filters that were uploaded in each KH7 DSP to optimise the coverage and ensure homogeneous SPL and frequency response distribution across the entire venue. Harfouch continued: “White wanted surround sound with uniform distribution that would be invisible. The Firenze Series for K-array was the perfect solution. Since we completed White, we’ve had great feedback and we’ve now got a fantastic reference. One of the DJs from opening week said it was the best sound system he’d ever played on too. Having validation from a DJ that has toured the world is a great feeling.” Alongside the new audio installation came a new lighting design too. This features a grid of 80 hoists, which holds a kinetic structure of hanging RGB bulbs comprising LED balls and tubes working homogenously together. They are in operation every night but in a different way - for BIZAAAR it is mainly used as decoration, Fridays for WHITEHOUSE makes use of the RGB balls and

TECH PROFILE

on Saturday at URBN it’s the RGB tubes. It’s all DMX controlled motors, so the balls / tubes move up and down and change colours. Over 500sqm of LED screen has also been installed at White for which MADRIX software is used for control. “The MADRIX control is used for WHITEHOUSE when the DJ booth moves to the main entrance. Above the booth is a striking triangular shape LED screen, plus some diagonal side screens. And from that structure the screens go out in a W shape, where we have installed RGB LED strips. It’s all pixel-by-pixel controlled running on MADRIX. All the shapes are generated by MADRIX, even the Art-Net connectivity is all from the MADRIX hardware and software,” said Wiam Boutine, Technical Support for Procom. The grid has been designed to be developed from an LED pixel mapping perspective. So when we start to discuss the next season, the discussion will most likely begin with the pixel mapping. Intelligent lighting fixtures are courtesy of Cyclops, and there are more than 300 moving heads in the inventory. Many were existing stock that were taken out during the summer season to be serviced - normal procedure for an outdoor club where the technology is exposed to the dust, the wind, the sun, the humidity - and then reinstalled for the new season. There are a number of wash and beam fixtures, as well as hybrids combining wash, beam and spot all in one fixture. “The signature fixture, which always goes down a storm is the Philips Showline strobe. The effect electrifies the audience, and because they are LED, they are energy efficient as well,” said Harfouch. “There’s a laser show every night too.” An MA Lighting grandMA console is currently used to control the moving lights and effects. The key aspect holding of all this technology together is the humongous truss structure, which was once again provided and installed by Procom. The truss structure from Eurotruss has been at White for the last 2 seasons but for this installation 2 towers have been added, 1 on either end of the original structure. The new Eurotruss TT truss has expanded the venue slightly, meaning audio and lighting product placement had to be carefully considered. All areas in which the audience may be seated or standing had to be within the polygon truss structure, to ensure each and every club goer has an immersive experience. The truss is 2 polygon shapes repeated so that its symmetrical and creates the W shape for White. “The original truss design was very clever, it was always destined to be changed, adapted or expanded. We worked with Eurotruss on calculations, design and precision as everything has to be perfect when it comes to truss, it can’t even be as little as 10mm out, it must be spot on,” said Boutine. With less than 2 weeks to install, programme and fine tune the entire system at White, the Procom team had quite a task on their hands, which couldn’t even be properly tested until the first night of each

separate concept took place. But thanks to their experience and expertise everything ran smoothly and they are exceptionally pleased with the outcome. Judging by the photos on White’s social media pages, which sees the venue jammed packed night after night, it would seems the clubbers agree too. www.whitedubai.com www.add-mind.com www.procom-me.com

INSIDE LOOK

KSA OPENS UP TO LIVE EVENTS CEO OF SQUARES EVENT MANAGEMENT, MARK SATCHELL, GIVES AN INSIGHT INTO HOW HIS COMPANY HAS WORKED ALONGSIDE LIVE NATION TO FACILITATE A PAIR OF SHOWS IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA’S BURGEONING ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

Can you discuss how both Squares Events Management and Live Nation Middle East became involved with the ILuminate and Barney shows? What did the productions entail? The relationship between Live Nation and Squares was first born when Live Nation was looking for a local partner in the Saudi market. Squares is one of the leading event management companies in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with several selfproduced festivals and large-scale events to its name, Magical Squares being the most famous. Squares had previously produced several projects for the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia (GEA), so the combination of Squares and Live Nation working together on these 2 projects seemed a natural match. The GEA had requested international shows for December 2017, to which Live Nation suggested Barney and ILuminate. Both of these shows are represented and managed by Live Nation in the Middle East, and the schedule was to present them in Saudi Arabia over a 4 week period. Barney was presented in Al Hasa, Dammam, Riyadh and Jeddah and ILuminate was presented in Dammam, Al Hasa, Abha and Tabuk. Squares managed the entire project from A to Z, providing the full technical rider, visas, marketing, front of house and ticketing. How much lead time did you have and what challenges did you face during that period? Did your experience in the region assist with this? The lead time was short, with only 2 weeks before the first show. Naturally, a fortnight for any international show is challenging, but with the support of the GEA the entire process was made easier. Our experience in Saudi Arabia was a huge benefit as we already had several contacts in Kingdom who were able to provide assistance. Fly Aked, which is a transportation company and one of our sister companies, was able to provide all the flights and hotels for the cast and crew, which meant our team could concentrate on the production of both shows. The most challenging element was not the lead time but that the tasks were doubled; given we had 2 international productions to deliver at the same time.

What kinds of venues are available in Saudi Arabia and which ones were chosen for the events? The Kingdom is blessed with some fantastic venues. However, trying to secure somewhere in such a short space of time reduces your options, and the introduction of GEA means venues are now being occupied with so much content on a weekly basis. Both shows were very flexible in terms of the space they required, so for Al Hasa and Dammam we used a sports hall and created a fully functional theatre. For the remaining cities we used a mixture of university theatres and purpose-built theatres, such as Riyadh School in Riyadh.

“The limited time we had to present these 2 productions meant that we had to ensure we used a supplier that we could trust to deliver in the time required.” Mark Satchell, CEO, Squares Events Management

Who were the technical suppliers for each job and how were they selected? Were logistics ever an issue for them? The limited time we had to present these 2 productions meant that we had to ensure we used a supplier that we could trust to deliver in the time required. We selected eclipse as they had recently set up an operation in Saudi Arabia and had a solid reputation for technically producing some of the best shows in the Middle East. They also have a wide range of experience with live theatre shows, so for us they were the obvious choice. For front of house staff we contracted a local company called Our Mission. It’s Squares’ policy to try and engage with as many local companies as possible, ensuring we

support the Saudi Vision 2030 plan to the fullest. Our Mission was new to the market and we saw this as an opportunity to support local Saudi businesses. How significant are these events in terms of breaking new ground in Saudi Arabia? Do you see this as an area for potential growth? This is a very exciting time for Saudi Arabia, and the Vision 2030 lead by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has had such a positive impact on the country; not just in terms of entertainment but all areas. The entertainment industry is still very new and will, like any new industry, take time to mature. However, I believe we are certainly on the right track and with the support of GEA this will only continue to grow. All of the comments I received on ground while attending both shows were extremely positive. The public are so proud and happy that now they can see international shows such as ILuminate and Barney in the Kingdom, rather than having to travel to another country in the region. What are your final impressions of both of the shows and what feedback did you have from clients and suppliers? Both productions were very different and engaged with different audiences. Barney was very much aimed at a young audience from 2-6 year olds, whereas ILuminate was very much a younger adult audience (14+). We produced a fun, entertaining but most importantly a safe environment where our audience were able to spend time as a family or with friends and be entertained. We don’t see the suppliers as just ‘suppliers’ at Squares; what is really important to us is that we are one team. That way, we are all working towards the same goal and that makes it easier to achieve. As for our ‘client’ we would say that, apart from the GEA whose feedback was positive and supportive, our clients are the people who bought the tickets and their feedback and reaction to both shows were more than we could have ever asked for. Photos courtacy of Squares Events Management www.squaresevent.com www.livenation.ae

INTERVIEW

PRODUCTION MANAGER JOEL STANLEY

JOEL STANLEY

PRODUCTION MANAGER JOEL STANLEY, OF PRODUCTION VALUE, HAS WORKED WITH THE LIKES OF GORILLAZ, BASTILLE, KANYE WEST & RECENTLY, NORWEGIAN DJ, KYGO. HE TALKS TO TPMEA ABOUT INTERNATIONAL ACTS VISITING THE MIDDLE EAST AND REVEALS WHY HE ENJOYS WORKING IN THE REGION’S BLOSSOMING LIVE EVENTS COMMUNITY...

When did you first start touring the Middle East for work, and had you visitied the region beforehand? After going on holiday to Dubai in 2007 I first worked in the UAE in 2010, with the Brand New Heavies’ tour. After that initial show, I think I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve returned in the last 7 or 8 years; let’s just say it’s a lot! Mainly I’ll be with an act who is part of a festival bill, or an event like the F1 shows in Abu Dhabi. The recent Kygo show you came to Dubai for [see cover story!] didn’t take place in a typical gig venue… did that create any challenges for you? As with any show, having technical equipment provided locally will always bring challenges. Add to that the fact that it’s typically almost 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, you can have some issues during long hours. I’m always so impressed with the local crew working in that heat night and day! The sand and dust is another factor. As far international touring goes, Dubai is a relatively new territory and whenever that’s the case, it sometimes causes minor nerves. Luckily, everything worked out fine with Kygo’s performance and the local festival package was as per the rider requests. How did Kygo’s UAE performance & production differ to the rest of the tour, if at all? We currently have 3 types of show: a festival DJ set, our full touring production, and a touring festival production. As this was an on-the-fly show, it was the first type; a locally supplied festival date. The design is different, in that we simplified it due to the lack of crew with us. This restriction meant we couldn’t add any set pieces to our show, but at each festival we are able to build an upstage high-res LED video

wall, with an 8ft high DJ riser featuring an LED facade and 4 ground-stacked LED fingers to represent the keys of a piano. As much as Kygo is branded as a DJ, he also incorporates piano, keyboards, electronic drum pads and other instruments in his setup, which I personally feel separates him from other EDM style acts. The set is designed to be turnkey, and using common products, fixtures and special effects helps as I only have 2 crew in my party on that type of fly festival show. You travelled to Beirut following the UAE show. How did playing here with Kygo differ from your experience in Dubai? Beirut was amazing! It was first time for me, so I had absolutely no expectations. As Lebanon is slightly less versed than some other countries in the Middle East when it comes to putting on big live productions for international acts, you have to re-work your standard advancing. In general, I’m used to huge volumes of freight waiting for me, but in this case I didn’t have the luxury. If a promoter or local production rep is willing to help despite limited resources, that’s all you can really ask for and I’m grateful for the help we recieved. A challenge outside of the UK can be H&S. Kygo is a very pyrotechnics and special effectsheavy show, so coming from the UK myself (which our industry affectionately calls Safety Island!) I am used to a certain protocol. Next time I’ll consider taking additional crew for this aspect. Did you have pre-existing relationships with any of the vendors you used in the Middle East? From doing multiple shows in the UAE, I certainly did. I have done shows with ex-pat colleagues such as Malcolm Giles of 117 Live. He even worked with me when I was a Stage Manager at

[British festival] Secret Garden Party, where he was working as an audio technician. In Dubai, Delta Sound have always been great to me for my audio needs. From supplying my local radios (when mine have been stuck at customs!) to a local audio control packages, I always opt for their services. Were there any logistical hurdles? On a recent trip to Dubai with Gorillaz, I had 20 tonnes of cargo stuck in customs due to travelling from the US using carnets instead of the traditional manifest route that Dubai is used to. Eventually it cleared and the show went on, but there was a little bit of stress on my part as, although we had the whole night to set up prior to our show day, our load-in ate into valuable programming time and any potential issues with the gear would be found out much later on. If the act is due to sound check the following morning, obviously that makes me nervous! Luckily it all arrived safe and sound… if just a little bit late. What are your thoughts on the future of concerts in the region? It’s certainly is well on its way to becoming a destination on the international touring map; there’s venues popping up all over the place & I’m looking forward to the continued improvement in H&S, especially on festival sites. It’s always very rewarding putting on shows there, from working with the locals, and the regional suppliers, to adapting to the customs & cultures, especially during prayer time. I think experiencing so many different countries as part of your touring job is what often makes it so interesting. Photos: Waleed Shah www.productionvalue.co

PRODUCT FOCUS

TPMEA TAKES A LOOK AT SOME OF THE LATEST PRODUCTS TO HIT THE ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY MARKET.

CLAYPAKY: AXCOR PROFILE 900 FACT FILE: • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

High wattage moving head LED spotlight 880W white LED engine with custom lens solution: - Lumen: 46,000 (24,000 lumen output) - Colour temperature: 6500 K - CRI >70 Optional 880W white LED engine: - Lumen: 34,000 (17,500 lumen output) - Colour temperature: 5600 K - CRI > 90 7°- 40° linear zoom Focus tracking system Color system: 16-bit CMY + linear CTO + 6-color wheel 6 HD interchangeable gobos Animation wheel 4-facet rotating prism Variable soft edge and flood frost Iris with multiple macros (random, pulsing…) Electronic linear dimmer, 16 bit + electronic strobe Framing System, 4 focal planes and 90° rotation Protocols/Functions: RDM, Web Server and ArtNet

The Claypaky Axcor Profile 900 LED profile spot utilises the very finest components throughout, from its colour system to its pin-sharp optics and the high precision micro-mechanics of its beam-shaping system. Its powerful and highly efficient 880W white LED light engine achieves 46,000 lumen (24,000 lumen output) with a 6,500 K color temperature, while an optional high-CRI (>90) light engine produces 34,000 lumen (17,500 lumen output) and a 5,600 K color temperature. Claypaky has been able to produce a high performance LED fixture with a light emission comparable to a previous generation 1500W fixture but with a power consumption of around 1kW. The beam produced by the Axcor Profile 900 is dense and evenly distributed for the entire length of the beam, at any beam angle in its

zoom range of 7-40 degrees, and its CMY color mixing system uses gradual-insertion dichroic wheels, supported by a linear CTO correction device, to produce perfectly smooth transitions between colours. In addition, a separate colour wheel carries 6 carefully selected professional colour filters, including a custom-designed CRI enhancement filter. The spot profile device produces a perfect projection and achieves the highest quality light beam currently obtainable. The patented framing system works on 4 different focal planes and can generate sharp shapes of different sizes and proportions. The system is not affected by any shaping distortions even at wide beam angles, where significant distortions normally occur. The Axcor Profile 900 also provides lighting designers with a perfect projection and an extremely versatile effects package. Features

include 6 interchangeable high-definition rotating gobos, an animation wheel, a 4-facet rotating prism, 2 variable frost options and an iris with multiple built-in macros. The 16-bit electronic dimmer enables smooth transitions, while its completely flicker-free performance and low-noise cooling system makes it ideal for television use, as well as for the highest level of live events and concert touring productions. Claypaky CEO, Pio Nahum, said: “As our very first LED spot fixture the Axcor Profile 900 sets a new course for Claypaky, and we are proud to say it is the finest LED spot fixture on the market. This is an achievement that underlines our absolute commitment to enhancing the art of lighting and we look forward to seeing what our friends in the lighting design world can achieve with it!” www.claypaky.it

PRODUCT FOCUS

AUDIO-TECHNICA: 5000 SERIES

COMPONENTS: • • • •

ATW-R5220 dual receiver ATW-R5220DAN dual receiver with Dante output ATW-T5201 body-pack transmitter ATW-T5202 handheld transmitter (handle only, capsule sold separately)

Audio-Technica is to launch the third generation of its 5000 Series frequencyagile true diversity UHF wireless systems set to be available by summer 2018. Designed for use on professional tours, in stadiums, concert halls, festivals, houses of worship and other demanding audio environments, the Audio-Technica 5000 Series continues to provide incredible audio quality and proven, critically acclaimed performance for artists, broadcasters and presenters worldwide. The new 5000 Series dual receiver offers the highest-quality wireless live sound, with Audio-Technica’s dual-compander circuitry that processes high and low frequencies separately and True Diversity operation. The receiver has been updated with a tuning bandwidth of 230 MHz: 470–700 MHz and users now have the option of selecting a standard receiver with two balanced XLR outputs (ATW-R5220) or a receiver that also includes a Dante output (ATWR5220DAN). The full-rack receiver chassis holds two independent receivers and offers antenna power, frequency scan, IR sync functionality, a

• ATW-C510 (ATM510 equivalent) and ATW-C4100 (AE4100 equivalent) cardioid dynamic microphone capsule • ATW-C710 (ATM710 equivalent), ATW-C3300 (AE3300 equivalent), ATW-C5400 (AE5400 equivalent) cardioid condenser microphone capsule • ATW-C6100 hypercardioid dynamic microphone capsule (AE6100 equivalent)

ground-lift switch and a front-panel headphone jack. Other new features include an antenna cascade output that connects up to 8 receivers so a single pair of antennas can feed up to 16 channels of wireless (these connectors also provide an RF cable check feature to aid in RF troubleshooting), an auto squelch feature that automatically adjusts the squelch setting to maximise operating range while minimising potential interference, and a backup frequency that can be quickly swapped by pressing the transmitter’s multifunction button in the event of unexpected interference. Software enables remote monitoring and control of the wireless system. Two transmitters are available for use with the 5000 Series; the ATW-T5201 body-pack transmitter and the ATW-T5202 handheld transmitter. Both transmitters feature rugged, ergonomic metal bodies, highly visible dualmode OLED screens (switchable between standard or performance views to highlight key metering), programmable features, soft-touch

controls, and switchable RF power (2 mW/10 mW/50 mW). They are available in 2 different frequency ranges - DE1 (470–590 MHz) and EG1 (580–700 MHz) - to provide complete coverage of the receiver’s bandwidth. The compact ATW-T5201 is equipped with Audio-Technica’s new cH-style screw-down 4-pin connector for secure connection to A-T’s cH-style lavalier and headworn microphones, or cables. The ATW-T5202 offers extremely low handling noise and includes a high-pass filter. Its industrystandard thread mount allows for the use of six interchangeable A-T microphone capsules, as well as other compatible capsules. The advanced digital Tone Lock squelch effectively blocks stray RF; the digitally encoded tone also communicates transmitter data for receiver display. 5000 Series components and compatible accessories are offered as individual, à la carte products to give users the greatest possible flexibility in constructing a system that fits their needs. www.audio-technica.com

PRODUCT FOCUS

DIGITAL PROJECTION: DLP LASER 8K PROJECTOR

COMPONENTS: • • •

8K Resolution - 7680 X 4320 25,000 Lumens / 3 CHIP DLP 20,000 hours illumination

Set to be the world’s first commercially available DLP laser 8K projector, the INSIGHT Dual Laser 8K sits in a class of its own when it comes to performance. Providing an ultra-high 8K resolution (7680 x 4320) of 33 million pixels through 25,000 ANSI lumens of solid-state laser-phosphor illumination, the new flagship projector is the ultimate solution for the most elaborate medical, scientific and immersive visualisation and large-venue applications. In addition to the resolution and lumen performance, it uses proven DLP technology incorporating 3 1.38 inch DarkChip DMD chips and Digital Projection’s ColorMax technology to ensure superb colour accuracy and black levels. These are especially vital imaging

characteristics when matching projectors in tiled or blended applications. From simulation and visualisation projects requiring unmatched details, to elite entertainment venues that demand the most immersive experience through large-scale imagery, the INSIGHT Dual Laser 8K provides a new performance benchmark in the industry. Lamp replacements are never required due to the solid-state laser illumination system. By eliminating regular lamp replacement cycles, system operation is never interrupted, making long-term maintenance costs virtually nonexistent. This means dramatically lower cost of ownership over the lifespan of the projector. Other key benefits of laser illumination

include the simplification of blending multiple projectors, as laser projectors are closely matched ‘out of the box’ for colour and brightness, with predictable and stable brightness providing close tracking in matched systems over the long-term. Featuring MultiAxis orientation capability of portrait or landscape use and every angle in between, the INSIGHT Dual Laser 8K also boasts a multitude of optional high-performance lenses, ensuring it serves as a powerful and flexible imaging tool for venues requiring the most incredible projection solution, regardless of the installation footprint. www.digitalprojection.com

PRODUCT FOCUS

ELATION PROFESSIONAL: SMARTY HYBRID FACT FILE: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

3-in-1 Smart Hybrid Beam, Spot, Wash Luminaire 9,000 Total Fixture Lumens New Philips Platinum Flex 200 240W 7,800K Lamp 14,000 Lamp Lumens and 10,000 Average Lamp Hours* FLEX Lamp Technology and Lamp Hibernation Mode 2° to 20° Beam and 3° to 25° Spot Motorized Zoom Full CMY Colour Mixing System Frost Filter for Wash Effects 13 Colours including CTB, CTO, and UV 8 Rotating Interchangeable Glass Gobos 12 Static-Stamped Metal Gobos 16 and 8 Facet Linear Independent Rotating Prisms Multiple CMY Colour, Gobo, and Prism Macros Motorised Focus and Auto-Focus DMX, RDM, Art-NET, and sACN Support Elation’s E-FLY Internal Wireless DMX Transceiver

Making its debut in Amsterdam at ISE, Elation Professional’s Smarty Hybrid is a full featured Spot, Beam and Wash fixture and the most compact CMY colour mixing hybrid the company has released to date. At the heart of the fixture is the new Philips Platinum Flex 200 lamp with “FLEX” technology, which uses a smartly designed discharge lamp/ballast

package to produce high output and compact performance at an efficient, long life solution of up to 10,000 hours. Features include motorised zoom ranges of 2° to 20° in beam mode and 3° to 25° in spot mode, a full CMY colour mixing system, and a frost filter for wash effects. www.elationlighting.com

REGIONAL ROUND UP

GEARHOUSE GROUP GOES TO AFROPUNK FESTIVAL IN JOBURG Since its inaugural event in New York in 2004, the AFROPUNK Festival has become a global phenomenon, associated not only with alternative punk music but also with its audience’s eclectic ‘African-born’ styling and eye-catching fashion statements in Atlanta, Paris and London. Its South African debut, at Johannesburg’s historically significant Constitution Hill on 30 - 31 December, was welcomed by many as a homecoming to the continent. Technical solutions provider, Gearhouse Group, provided staging, lighting, audio visual, LED screens, power and rigging to the festival with Show Sync’s Clinton Seery taking on Production Direction for the South African iteration. The event featured South African musicians as well as a spread of local poets, artists and activists performing alongside international stars such as Laura Mvula and Anderson .Paak. Gearhouse’s Audio Engineer, Jako de Wit, estimated that around 40 acts were featured, with artists performing in relays over both days. “The stage was divided into 3 performance areas - each with its own audio setup and each manned independently by its allocated technical team,” he commented. The arrangement dictated an LCR setup with Meyer Sound MILO for the main hangs and MICA for front-fills and delays to provide a continuous music experience for the audience, as well as excellent sound coverage across the space. The central Gold stage featured more than a dozen

DJs each day using a Yamaha LS9-32, while the Red and Green stages each deployed an Avid Profile and a Yamaha PM5DRH at monitors. All inputs were controlled by Lake LM44’s and a couple of Meyer Sound Galileo units handled the signal out on the stage side for PA distribution. The lighting configurations were also distinct from one another, with every stage working with a dozen each of Robe ColorWash 700E AT, ColorSpot 700E AT and Martin by Harman MAC 101’s. There were also 6 Martin by Harman Atomic 3000 Strobes and 4 lamp bars for key light and additional punch during the evening sessions. The rigs were individually controlled through MA Lighting grandMA2 desks. LEDVision provided a cohesive LED screen set up that drew the 2 outer stages together visually. The 2 outer and single rear delay screens ran mostly camera content with a centre screen in between the 2 stages running content, as well as camera-work and artists information. A design comprised of ROE LED strips enhanced the stage wings and provided colour indication as to which stage would go live next. Onstage LED screens (Lighthouse R16 and DuoLED 18) were used to augment the lighting and enhance the daytime performances. A complex control setup was installed to run graphics playback using Resolume servers as well switching a 4 camera mix. “For us, clear and continuous communication between stage and FOH show call was absolutely key to the event’s success and it was testimony to our tight teamwork that it ran so smoothly,”

explained Gearhouse Project Manager, Nickolas Chapman. While Production Director Clinton Seery and technical supplier Gearhouse are long accustomed to working together, delivering for the AFROPUNK organisers was a first for both. “Technically speaking, it’s always more interesting to work between 3 stages, bringing them alive individually but while we enjoyed the fresh approach, it was obviously much more demanding on the technical team,” commented Seery. “Lighting, LED screens, audio and cameras took on the challenge with open arms and we managed to paint what we believe to be an ‘inaugural-perfect’ picture! Of course when you haven’t a second to waste, you need to be able to trust your supplier’s understanding of the client’s vision and the Gearhouse team was there with me every step of the way. Even through those inevitable last-minute problem-solving moments. These guys go above and beyond to keep their client happy.” While the event was smooth sailing on a technical level, the weather was not. One of the notorious Highveld thunderstorms hit the festival on the Saturday. But even that failed to dampen the spirits of everyone involved. “The weather came, shook us, shook the sound, shook the screens, shook the lights, shook the cameras, even shook the crew, but nothing stopped the show technically!” concluded Seery. www.afropunkfest.com/johannesburg www.gearhouse.co.za

REGIONAL ROUND UP

SOUND STYLISTS PURCHASES SOUTH AFRICA’S FIRST DIGICO SD7 South Africa is now able to give international audio engineers what they ask for with the very first DiGiCo SD7 in the country. The exciting investment was made by Kevin Glover, owner of Sound Stylists, and the SD7 will complement his existing DiGiCo inventory, which is the largest in Africa. Training on this console will also be offered to all interested parties in the near future. Sound Stylists was the first in South Africa to bring DiGiCo to the country in around 2006 with the purchase of a DiGiCo D5 and they have subsequently added to this, its stock now comprising of 2 D5’s, 2 SD8’s, an SD10 and 2 S21’s, not to mention the racks and accessories. “The South African market is maturing and is getting bigger,” said Glover, explaining the thought process behind this latest investment. “There were a number of international artists that we serviced with our SD10 last year, however a number of them were looking for SD7’s. Essentially we are answering that call. In addition to that we also needed the additional SD Racks and having the 32-bit input cards also increases the desirability.” Kyle Robson of DWR Distribution, DiGiCo’s distributor in Africa, elaborated: “To meet requirements of international acts, the DiGiCo SD7 was previously hired in for a show, often from Dubai. The SD7 platform is 11 years old,

yet is still one of the most popular consoles on the market; the main contributing factor being the dual engines. It’s like having 2 consoles in 1, which offers the redundancy that engineers prefer. They have the assurance that should one, for some reason, break down, the other will kick in, giving peace of mind. Other benefits include having high channel counts, more faders and screens with a bucketload of outputs.” The sale was an emotional one for Robson. His introduction to DiGiCo was when he worked for Sound Stylists and he was one of the first users to mix on the D5. “I’ve been trying to sell a SD7 for years,” he said, clearly chuffed. “It has been one of my biggest dreams to get one in the country. I have not mixed a show on an SD7, but have had the privilege to stand behind the console and play, as well as receive training from DiGiCo in the UK on all the SD consoles.” Going back to the legacy of Sound Stylists and DiGiCo, Glover said he may initially have entered the DiGiCo platform a little late in the game with the D5, but desirability by users was always the main selling point. “Going forward, I have to say that out of all the console manufacturers that we’ve had, DiGiCo has been the most supportive, for want of a better word. We receive the support, back-up and education from both DiGiCo and DWR Distribution. I know that should DWR fall off the planet tomorrow, I

could pick up the phone and anyone at DiGiCo would assist.” Ian Staddon from DiGiCo commented: “I am delighted that Kevin and Sound Stylists have chosen to not only continue their investment in DiGiCo, but to go for our flagship SD7. I and many of my colleagues at DiGiCo have known Kevin and several of his team for a long time and it personally gives me great satisfaction to know that Sound Stylists appreciate DiGiCo, our products and what we stand for as a manufacturer. Our beliefs are mirrored by DWR and this sale is testament to that; a great team effort by all involved.” Glover sees the future of the new SD7 working for everyone. He aims to make the console readily available so that audio engineers in the South African industry are comfortable and familiar behind the console. He will be first in line to receive the training from DWR. “I’m an old dog and it’s going to take time, but I’m excited. I want to stay current and I want to know what my team are talking about,” he laughed. “One thing I will say, and this is a sentiment from my team, when they have a choice of desk to run a show, they always choose DiGiCo.” www.soundstylists.co.za www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.digico.biz

REGIONAL ROUND UP

PHILIPS LIGHTING AT EGYPT’S NEW CONFERENCE VENUE Philips Lighting has announced that the prestigious new National Army Conference Centre in Cairo has chosen a state of the art lighting system and data infrastructure from Philips Entertainment Lighting for its 1,700-capacity main auditorium. Requiring a top quality, professional lighting system suitable for a modern, multi-purpose venue, the specifiers needed a trusted brand - one with a product catalogue capable of encompassing a complete system solution. State of the art LED technology, where possible, was a key requirement, as was first class technical support throughout the project. Working closely with local specialist installer Egyptian Engineering Projects, known as Quality Egypt, the team from Philips Lighting helped to make these demands a reality. Philips Lighting’s sales and technical teams from both EMEA and USA provided comprehensive on-site support throughout the project, helping to ensure the efficient completion of the installation. Chosen by the venue owner, the Armed Forces Engineering Authority (Egypt), in close collaboration with Quality Egypt and consultant DMG Technologies, the stage lighting system includes more than 240 Philips Lighting luminaires. LED technology dominates, including Philips Selecon PLfresnel1 MkII, PLprofile1

MkII and PLcyc1 MkII luminaires, plus more than 80 LED-based Philips SL Punchlite 220 fixtures. “Philips Lighting’s light quality is excellent,” said Adel Attia, CEO of Quality Egypt. “It enables the theatre to be suitable for any kind of application, whether concert, theatre or conference. In addition to its low energy consumption, it is a solution with a very effective performance.” For tasks where conventional lighting was preferred, Philips Vari-Lite VL4000 Spot and VL4000 BeamWash were specified as the venue’s main moving lights. Attia commented: “The VL4000’s offer great quality and complete dependability, with all the features we could need. To have so many functions available in one luminaire is also very convenient and cost-effective. What’s more, the Philips Vari-Lite products have an outstanding legacy and the support from the manufacturer and its technical team is first-class.” The lighting control infrastructure employs a Philips Strand Ethernet data distribution system, with Philips Strand EC21 dimming for the conventional element of the lighting rig. Attia said: “We have installed Philips Strand dimming and data network systems in a number of other projects, so we are very familiar with them. They’re stable, modular systems, flexible and

dependable.” The finished system has exceeded every requirement, from power consumption to output and performance. “We estimate that the power usage is 60% lower than it would have been without the LED lighting,” said Attia. “It has all performed very well and the client is extremely happy with the installation. “We would like to thank our Projects Director, Gamal Elmorsy, who led the project for Quality Egypt, and all our team who worked hard to achieve this outstanding project. Our thanks also to the sales and technical teams from Philips Lighting, whose experts have provided so much invaluable support on-site and throughout the project, from an early stage.” Grant Bales-Smith, General Manager EMEA, Philips Entertainment Lighting, said: “Our broad catalogue of professional stage lighting technologies offers a unique choice of solutions for top-end installations of this kind. We are delighted to be the brand of choice for this important and prestigious new venue, in which we have proved that our products are the right choice for similar projects of any scale.”

www.lighting.philips.com/main/products/ entertainment-lighting

REGIONAL ROUND UP

GREEN HIPPO HELPS HP DISRUPT ITS PARTNER AWARDS Disruption was the theme of the 2017 HP Partner Awards Evening and this was continuously highlighted by HP Africa Managing Director David Rozzio. He emphasised this is what the company aims to do to the marketplace in 2018 through its strategies and new products. With this in mind, the team at Keystone Productions brought an idea to disrupt the generic awards evening format. The herd of Green Hippos running the show included 3 Boreals and 1 Karst all feeding 13 Christie LHD 700 7K Projectors. These projectors were used to map the 12 rectangular dinner tables from above with custom content. The last projector was used for the presentations and video content for the awards evening. Christopher Bolton from Keystone Productions knew he would have to call on others to gather its Hippos together to complete the herd. Staal van der Berg from Visual Audio Productions supplied 1 Boreal and 1 Newly

purchased Karst, while Wilhelm Disbergen of Yellow Bunny Productions and Bolton brought 1 Boreal each to the party. “It was amazing to see the Green Hippo users in South Africa coming together to make this event possible,” said Dylan Jones of DWR Distribution. Bolton explained how he came up with the idea for the event: “The concept to do multiple tables is something that we at Keystone Productions came up with a while ago. Finally, we had a client that wanted to do something special. Warren Liss was the Video Director and really created some spectacular content.” The intro to the evening involved animated plates and tablecloths followed by bursts of colour exploding onto the table surfaces. Each award category had a different content theme on the tables and a random draw occurred every so often with a bouncing ball across the different tables eventually stopping at a chosen winner. “Green Hippo just works, on this job in

particular the system never let me down,” enthused Bolton. “The combination of the MA Lighting grandMA2 and the V4 hippotizer software rocks. It handled 39 active layers over 13 outputs with no problem.” Bolton continued by outlining the challenges of the event: “As with most venues, things at times do not work out as planned and one is faced with challenges. The venue’s ceiling height was only just high enough to fit the image on the tables. Having a tolerance of 15mm in getting the structure up high enough to fill the tables proved challenging but we got there in the end.” Bolton ended by stating: “There was a great response from the people who attended the awards evening and most importantly, at the end of it all, a very happy client.”

Photos: DWR Distribution www.green-hippo.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

TECH PROFILE

WIGWAM ENSURES SMOOTH AUDIO DELIVERY FOR CFAN AS PART OF HIS RETIREMENT CAMPAIGN, FOUNDING MEMBER OF CHRIST FOR ALL NATIONS, REINHARD BONNKE, PREACHED DURING A 5-DAY EVENT IN NIGERIA, ATTRACTING CROWDS OF AROUND 1.7 MILLION. TPMEA SPOKE TO THOSE INVOLVED IN THE GARGANTUAN TASK.

Dating back to 1974, Christ for all Nations (CfaN) was created by German Missionary, Reinhard Bonnke. Since then, the organisation has attracted millions of worshipers to its large-scale events. With the founder close to retirement, the organisation opted to set up a 5-day extravaganza in Lagos, Nigeria in November 2017. The event was set to be Bonnke’s final African Gospel campaign before officially passing the torch to evangelist Daniel Kolenda. For the past 30 years CfaN has collaborated with Wigwam Acoustics since the audio specialist first supplied CfaN with a sound system and has provided its services ever since.

The November event was no different, with Wigwam adding to the CfaN system with a new radio microphone package and monitor control. TPMEA spoke to Technical Director, Derek Murray, about some of the challenges of putting on an event of this scale. “Initial pre-production started a year ahead of the event when the idea was first conceived, but the main work started 3 months later,” began Murray. “Site location was the biggest problem we had to face. So much of the work was based around an idealised layout. Handling production managment was Paul ‘Boyo’ Manuel, who has a long-time CfaN and Wigwam connection.”

The CfaN gigs in Africa can always be challenging due to the conditions, as Murray explained: “The event site was situated on a swamp. The trying weather meant that creative measures had to be taken to ensure the safety of the people and gear involved. After truckloads of sand, large rocks and pebbles were laid; the whole stage and sound structure was still sinking 6 inches into the ground. With weight adjustments and jacks to lift the front of the stage, the setup was finally stabilised.” He continued by describing how Wigwam aided the preparation process. “Assisted by David Hopkinson from Wigwam, we visited the site a

TECH PROFILE

“The general mandate is that the sound should cover all the available space. For the shows we don’t have fixed boundaries around the field and people are free to wander, stand or sit wherever they prefer. In general this could be 200m or beyond!” Technical Director, Derek Murray

month before the event to see what the layout would be and how we needed to modify the technical concept to fit,” he said. “In general, our local administrator and organiser would feed us information about the location and we would get more details when our transport team would arrive on site. We have a list of parameters which we would use to layout the site, based on access for the local population and vehicle access. Sun and wind directions would all be considered and whether there are any obstructions around the site that would hamper the sound.” The audio team consisted of 9 crewmembers, 4 of which were either employed through Wigwam or trained by Wigwam. Additional sound crew were also brought in from CfaN’s pool of regular freelancers. “We mostly use experienced trained crew, but we do use a large number of

local crew, who we take time to encourage and get them involved,” said Murray. “There’s often lots of laughter and fun with the local crew but we are always strict about health and safety and risk assessments to protect the locals, who sometimes place themselves at risk - not understanding the potential dangers involved.” The PA system that was deployed was Meyer Sound across the board. The PA was an amalgamation of kit provided by Wigwam and boxes that were owned by CfaN. Collectively the array consisted of 24 Meyer Sound M3Ds, 18 LEO, 16 LYON and 20 MICA. Also present were 16 MSL-4’s, 8 UPA-1Ps and 16 1100-LFC. For onstage sound the monitor system consisted of 10 Martin Audio LE400 wedges, 4 Meyer Sound MJF-210 Wedges and 2 Meyer UM-100Ps. Finally, helping fly the system were 28 CM-ET Lodestar Motors,

8 of which were supplied new by Wigwam for this gig along with 4 new 8-way Remote motor controllers. Also present were 6 Stagemakers. “For most of our events the sound design is a collaboration between David Hopkinson and myself,” commented Murray. “Having worked together for so long, we know what is needed and what the system can achieve. No 2 sites are ever the same, so the design, while being fairly standard from event to event, had to be tweaked and adjusted to suit the conditions such as the topography and ground conditions. The general mandate is that the sound should cover all the available space. For the event we don’t have fixed boundaries around the field and people are free to wander, stand or sit wherever they prefer. In general this could be 200m or beyond!” Murray went on to express the importance of flexibility with the sound system too, in case

TECH PROFILE

“In total we had 4 separate video productions running as well as visiting TV stations on site with a large amount of feeds going around the site.” Technical Director, Derek Murray

the crowd sizes were to grow throughout the performance: “While these events are free for those who attend, all our Gospel and music events we endeavor to produce as best a speech response as possible over the whole area available. It would be counter-productive as a Preaching Ministry to fail to convey the message we wish to share. Using high quality sound systems such as the Meyer Sound Line arrays we achieve good vocal reproduction over a very large area, and the music quality is also very good.” For Lagos, the production was faced with a site that was predicted to be 1km wide and 1km deep. Knowing this ahead of time, they knew the challenge ahead of them. This prompted the need to bring in CfaN’s East Africa System. “Additionally, to supplement the existing

loudspeakers, we added a new LYON Line array to replace out our older MSL4 speakers which were then used as infill boxes around the stage, as well as being available to make delay clusters if needed,” commented Murray. “As we had limitations on weight loading on the ground support systems, we knew we would need 4 towers to effectively carry all the weight and give the coverage angles needed, and given the ground conditions it was a necessity!” In the end, while the site wasn’t filled to capacity, the production had sufficient coverage over the area, without the need to set up delays. For control, CfaN and Wigwam opted for a package consisting of 5 DiGiCo SD9’s on Optocore with 2 DiGiCo SD-Racks. For the performance, Wigwam also upgraded to the Stealth Core2. “Africa can be very tough on

equipment. Dust and dirt, high humidity and heat can have detrimental effects on equipment especially where used in the open,” stated Murray while discussing the consoles used for the show. “Over the years we have used various mixing consoles, amplifiers and control equipment. It used to be that average consoles and electronics would survive for about 4 years before needing to be changed out, and that’s with scrupulous daily cleaning. However, now that we are using digital desks, wear and tear isn’t so intense. We still need to keep the desks clean and kept out of the elements just the same. Initially the concern was the heat would be a problem with digital equipment but having run our DiGiCo SD9’s now for many years, the only failures we have seen are power supplies - and some of the SD9‘s are now 7 years old with no faults!”

Platforms & Stages

For microphones, Murray relied on the “the good old” Shure SM58, a mainstay on the CfaN show. However, for the 5-day show, CfaN opted to utilise the new Shure Axient Digital Radio Microphone System. Due to the scale of the event it was not just the audio for the live audience but feeds for the video production that were also present throughout the 5 days. “In total we had 4 separate video productions running as well as visiting TV stations on site with a large amount of feeds going around the site,” commented Murray. “In addition of having 2 monitor setups as well as the FOH we also had a SD9 handling video related mixes and feeds as well as running a ProTools recording system in the video control container. We also had another SD9 and ProTools system running over MADI as a back-up in the audio control container.” Also onsite throughout the show in Lagos was GOD TV. The network ran a live broadcast from on site. Additionally, CfaN, using an uplink that fed directly to the headquarters in Orlando, Live Streamed online so viewers from around the world could be involved with the event. Murray discussed one of the other major undertakings for the show - the visual department. “New for this event was the use of large LED screens and lighting along with new additions to the field lights,” commented Murray. “We had a new team for the LED screens, which were supplied by PRG XL Video out of the UK, with Percy Vermeulen as the LED technician and instructor. Steve Shaw from Levitating

Productions handled Stage Lighting duties. The largest team was the video crew as we had 4 separate productions going on around the event. The video teams were led by Carlos Flores from our US office, with Kai-Uwe Bonnke from our Frankfurt Office directing.” Besides its African events, CfaN hold regional events in Europe and America, where it has held arena and stadium events. “As we had previously worked with most of the crew either in the US or Europe we had a good working relationship already in place,” added Murray. Finally, Murray wanted to give a special mention to the ground team of truck drivers led by Winfried Wentland. “The team also handle a large part of the initial site layout and heavy construction, such as stage building, installing field lighting, prepping the electrical systems with the generators as well as organising the unloading of the various containers,” enthused Murray. “For Lagos, the initial site work started a month earlier, with preparation of the technical area starting 2.5 weeks before of the event. “Overall, given the difficulties we faced with a ‘less than perfect’ field and bringing equipment in from various countries and continents, and manning the event with a crew from all over the world, the event was a success,” concluded Murray. “All the objectives we set for the technical production were fulfilled.” Photos: Olek Volyk and CfaN www.cfan.org.uk www.sseaudiogroup.com/wigwam

Towers & Archways

Health & Safety

Fruition Events is a creative and innovative event delivery partner, specialising in the design, delivery, and management of site and infrastructure solutions to the event industry. Focussed on offering a professional and full service, through continuous investment into a world class team and equipment. • Custom Structures for any Event Space • Venue & Event Management / Consultancy • Scaffolding, Archways, and Towers • Strategic International Event Partnerships Did you know? Fruition Events offer turnkey Health and Safety consultancy to events and venue owners +971 (0) 4 243 8711 info@fruitionevents.ae www.fruitionevents.ae

INSIDE LOOK

AUDIO SANS FRONTIERES: THE COMPANY BRINGING FUNKTION-ONE TO EAST AFRICA

INSIDE LOOK

IN DECEMBER 2016, FEDERICO PIRZIO-BIROLI AND OZ JEFFERIES LANDED IN KENYA FOR THE KILIFI NEW YEAR’S EVE FESTIVAL ARMED WITH A FUNKTION-ONE SOUND SYSTEM AND A PASSION FOR SHARING HIGH-QUALITY AUDIO WITH OTHERS. THROUGH PIRZIO-BIROLI’S PHILANTHROPY AND JEFFERIES’ TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, AUDIO SANS FRONTIERES WAS BORN, AND CONTINUES TO BLOSSOM, AS TPMEA DISCOVERS…

“The goal is to take sound systems to places that don’t have access to it,” Oz Jefferies [of UK-based Audio Feed] told TPMEA while talking through the business plan for his new project, Audio Sans Frontieres. The new venture, set up with partner Federico Pirzio-Biroli, has already enjoyed quite the journey into Africa’s live events industry. The duo’s goal? To take world class sound systems to places that potentially don’t have easy access to them.

According to Pirzio-Biroli the incentive was born after he attended the Kilifi New Year’s festival in 2015. He reminisced: “I remember thinking that everything was just right at that event... well, almost,” he laughed. “The location is beautiful, it had good DJs and a great crowd; it would have been the perfect festival if it wasn’t for the awful sound. We found out it was using a 30 year-old system! Naturally, this was something I thought I could probably

help with!” Pirzio-Biroli and Jefferies’ have a longstanding relationship with British manufacturer Funktion-One, all of which started at Burning Man. He continued: “We actually purchased a system several years ago for Burning Man festival in the US, which we then kept and maintained in the UK.” It was with this same system that PirzioBiroli thought the pair could make a valuable difference to Kilifi New Year’s festival - and show

INSIDE LOOK

people what they’d been missing. “Personally, I was getting quite tired of the business side of things in the UK,” admitted Jefferies. “This is by far the greatest reaction I’ve ever seen at a festival. We provided the system and have never been met with so much excitement, appreciation and happiness in anything we’ve ever done before - I’ve got pictures of the musicians playing their live instruments and hearing them back like never before. The overriding response was clarity and clearness, with people hearing new sounds and their instruments in a new way.” After providing the sound system for this event, Pirzio-Biroli and Jefferies decided to keep it in Kenya, and set up Audio Sans Frontieres to manage the system and its African projects. “We arrived with this sound system, but our intentions of leaving Kenya to return to festival season elsewhere relied upon us finding the right team to look after it,” he confirmed, noting that they cannot simply be left in the hands of people using guess work. “Luckily, we’ve landed on our feet with the sound engineers,” commented

Pirzio-Biroli. “They were all in their mid-20’s and all very humble.” Jefferies agreed: “We picked a manager and 3 technicians and then started a training period to make sure they used the system to the correct standard. This then meant that we could continue to provide the system to other charitable events in Kenya and the neighbouring countries when we weren’t there.” The Audio Sans Frontieres inventory currently comprises of 6 F121 bass enclosures; 4 Resolution 4T mid-high 3-way loudspeakers; 2 compact F101 loudspeakers, ultra-high fidelity E100 and E25 amplifiers (by MC2 Audio) and an XTA Electronics’ DP448 processing platform. Jefferies commented on their relationships with manufacturers: “We have long standing relationships with Funktion-One, XTA and the MC2 family, which makes my job as a sound designer & installer take shape easily; I know I can rely on them should we ever need international support.” The year 2017 saw the system donated to the Lamu Arts Festival on Lamu Island, one of

the oldest inhabited towns in Africa. It has also been seen at Soysambu in the Wild, a festival on a wildlife conservation area and NYEGY NYEGY festival in Uganda. However, when commercial events began to enquire about the new system in town, Jefferies explained their next steps: “As a charity, we didn’t want to donate systems to moneymaking enterprises. It was decided that we’d start a commercial wing of the charity that would charge for hire. Any profits could then be used to further fund the charity.” In November 2017, this new commercial arm installed a new system into legendary bar, 40 Thieves. It comprised 2 compact F101’s, 4 F81’s, BR118 Bass Reflex bass enclosures and MC2 Audio’s Delta 80 amplifiers [along with lighting and truss elements]. January 2018 saw yet another install, this time for The Alchemist, one of Nairobi’s biggest outdoor live music venues. Audio Sans Frontiers is proud to have trained the engineers, and invited other local engineers to learn how to use Funktion-One systems to their

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INSIDE LOOK

full potential. Pirzio-Biroli explained how things differed in his neck of the global woods when it came to what audiences expect. He said: “In the UK, for example, people are so used to good quality sound that they feel cheated by anything less at an event, free or not. Here, the systems are typically decades old and don’t represent sound the way the events deserve to be heard. From the perspective of the musicians here, they’ve never heard themselves through anything of notable quality.” He also talked about how, due to a lack of quality sound systems & production expertise in some areas, East African music has been at a disadvantage - but that’s about to change. “East African music doesn’t really have a voice in Europe or the West, whereas West African music has been established for at least 20 years. East African artists don’t reap the same rewards,

even though they’re on the same continent. “The number of times you see a really talented artist do an amazing live performance and then listen to it on the CD afterwards, you can barley recognise it.” He continued. “It’s shocking. The production value is just so low or the equipment just isn’t sufficiently high quality as it is in West Africa. But now, with the high quality sound, the local artists are really appreciating the importance of good production for high end mastering. We’ll be able to help develop these artists to a point where we can finally bring them to Europe.” In 2018, Audio Sans Frontieres have been tasked with providing the system to the highest DJ set world record attempt atop Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. Jefferies elaborated: “The charity Last Night A DJ Saved My Life asked us to help to raise money and equipment to support

local artists and children from local war torn countries.” Obviously an offer he couldn’t refuse. Speaking of their other goals for 2018, PirzioBiroli added: “From a business perspective, I’d like to do 4 or 5 more installs, but personally, my main goals will be with the non-profit side of the business, pushing the boat out and seeing how far we can take this rig. No matter what your education or economic position, appreciation of good sound is universal.” The team certainly seem to have a lot on their to-do list for the coming months. In fact, when TPMEA spoke to the duo, they were organising a prison tour with local artists to entertain the inmates. TPMEA HQ can’t wait to see what’s next! www.audiosansfrontieres.com www.funktion-one.com www.mc2-audio.co.uk www.audiocore.co.uk

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