Installation March 2015 digital edition

Issue 177 / March 2015

AV INTEGRATION IN A NETWORKED WORLD www.installation-international.com

ISE 2015 review

Highlights from the record-breaking show p28

AV and broadcast

In-house broadcasts bring opportunities p34

Conference venues

What’s the tech that appeals to end-users? p42

BRIGHT IDEAS The rise of wireless lighting control p46

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WELCOME 03

March 2015

Editor’s comment A

Paddy Baker, Editor pbaker@nbmedia.com

re you up to speed with developments in the availability of RF spectrum for use by wireless mics? Previously they had exclusive use of the 800MHz band (790-862MHz), but had to vacate this in 2012 after it was auctioned off off and reallocated to 4G mobile phone services. And it was announced last November that the 700MHz band (694-790MHz) will have to be similarly cleared as early as 2020. (I’m talking about the situation in the UK, but the picture is similar in many other countries.)

Now 2020 is still a few years off, but there is still a lack of knowledge of the 2012 changes in the market.

This is despite the efforts of organisations such as BEIRG that have sought to inform the industry, as well as lobbying the regulator to ensure that the

‘There is still a significant lack of knowledge of the 2012 RF spectrum changes in the market’ requirements of wireless microphone users aren’t overlooked. Couple this unawareness with a lack of knowledge about how to specify and install multichannel wireless systems and it’s no surprise that systems are being put in that simply won’t work.

If you’re involved in any capacity with wireless mics, I recommend that you visit Shure’s Losing Your Voice website (www.losingyourvoice.co.uk) which explains the issues and will be updated with further developments as they are announced. The company also runs ‘Wireless Mastered’ seminars to help users operate their systems more effectively.

This also highlights the importance of ensuring that your wireless microphone system is licensed. There are three good reasons for doing this. First, you’re breaking the law if you don’t. Second, it’s your best chance of ensuring that you get a ‘clean’ frequency to operate in. And third, it’s a way to stand up and be counted: it’s the most direct means of demonstrating to government that the spectrum really is being put to important use.

I’ve just got enough space to remind you that you still have a few days to get your entries in for this year’s InstallAwards. There’s no fee to enter, and projects from anywhere in the world are eligible. In each category we’re looking not only for the best projects but for what we call star products – the products that really make a difference to their installations. Turn to page 6 for more details, or go to www.installawards.com.

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Subscriptions to Installation are free to qualified readers. Register online at www.installation-international.com/subscribe Installation is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LR, England Editorial tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6002 Sales tel: +44 (0)20 7354 6000 Please send press material to ukpressreleases@nbmedia.com Circulation & subscription enquiries Tel: +44 (0)1580 883848 Email: installation.subscriptions@c-cms.com Editor: Paddy Baker pbaker@nbmedia.com

US sales – Executive vice president: Adam Goldstein agoldstein@nbmedia.com

Managing editor: Joanne Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com

Production manager: Jason Dowie jdowie@nbmedia.com

Staff writer: Duncan Proctor dproctor@nbmedia.com

Digital content manager: Tim Frost tfrost@nbmedia.com

Head of Design: Jat Garcha jgarcha@nbmedia.com

Publisher: Steve Connolly

Designer: Tom Carpenter tcarpenter@nbmedia.com

Contributors: David Davies, Graeme Harrison, Roland Hemming, Rob Lane, Ian McMurray, Steve Montgomery

Sales manager: Gurpreet Purewal gpurewal@nbmedia.com Account manager: Peter McCarthy pmccarthy@nbmedia.com

Special thanks: Katinka Allender, George Cole, Laura Finzi, Tanya Houston, Petra van Meeuwen, Neil Romanek, Phil Ward

© NewBay Media 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

Printed by Pensord Press, Wales

Print ISSN: 2050-6104

Online ISSN: 2052-2401

Cover image: Sheraton Doha, courtesy of Wireless Solution

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association

A sister title to SCN

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04 CONTENTS March 2015

42

News & Data 06 08 12 22 26

InstallAwards 2015 Update Appointments Industry Data Demand for large displays in education set to continue Regional Voices: Spain

People 14

20

Opinion Rob Lane on the growth of corporate collaboration and marketing suites Roland Hemming examines the current state of audio networking Graeme Harrison on Biamp’s approach to Audio Video Bridging Interview d&b audiotechnik CEO Amnon Harman talks about the company’s installation focus for 2015

20

Features 34 42 46

54

28

AV and Broadcast: How do broadcast-type projects differ from traditional AV? Conference Venues: Demand for AV technology remains strong Lighting Control: The growing popularity of wireless control across sectors

Technology 49 52

Show Review

Solutions

New Products Demo of the Month Shure QLX-D wireless microphone system Showcase Home cinema equipment

58

60 64

St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City: LED lighting system highlights Renaissance masterpiece Family Home, Surrey: Crestron Award-winning domestic install Cathedral of Verden, Lower Saxony: One of Germany’s first Gothic cathedrals upgrades audio

58

54

ISE 2015: Our review of last-month’s record-breaking Amsterdam show

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06 UPDATE March 2015

Last chance to enter The InstallAwards return on 4 June and promise to be bigger and better than ever. Find out how you can get involved Following their highly successful debut last year, the InstallAwards are back for 2015 – and there are just a few days left for you to submit your entry. To get involved visit www.installawards.com and complete the form – but you’ll have to hurry, as entries close at midnight on Friday 13 March.

We are inviting applications for projects – involving audio, video and/or lighting system integration – in six categories. Permanent or semipermanent projects anywhere in the world may be entered so long as they were handed over to the client between 1 March 2014 and 28 February 2015.

Entry to the awards is free and any company or individual can submit up to three entries – either in the same category or across multiple categories.

AWARDS CATEGORIES Audience venues This wideranging category includes concert halls, stadiums, cinemas, theatres, museums, visitor attractions, even

TICKETS

houses of worship – anywhere people have come (and usually paid) to watch and to an extent participate in a ‘show’ in the broadest possible sense, and where their experience of it is enhanced by the installation.

Education This category covers installations in schools, colleges and universities – as well as other learning environments such as conference centres and corporate training centres.

Corporate and industrial This category covers installations in boardrooms, atriums, control rooms, simulation/visualisation facilities, etc – facilities that are used by people at work, rather than by the public.

Hospitality The hospitality category is for installations in hotels, bars, clubs and restaurants: venues where design and ambience is all-important, and the installation makes a significant contribution to delivering the overall effect.

Tickets are now available for the InstallAwards on 4 June. Single seats cost £225, while tables of 10 are currently available for the early bird rate of £1,695. To find out more or to book tickets contact Jessica Farnan on +44 (0)1992 535646, jfarnan@nbmedia.com.

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Residential As well as covering installations in private houses, this category is also open to projects in multi-dwelling units.

Retail, transport and public space This category is for projects where the aim of the installation is to inform, influence or entertain people as they shop, travel or undertake other aspects of their daily lives. Unlike the audience venues category, the installation is an adjunct to people’s activity, not at the heart of it.

In each category we will be presenting a Best Project Award and a Star Product Award.

For the Best Project Award we will be looking for evidence of as many of the following as possible: Technical innovation Elegant design – technical or aesthetic Meeting or exceeding the client brief

Expansion capability/ futureproofing The Star Product Award focuses on a single part of the installation – a product that performs a key role in the overall system design. We’re especially interested in products that provide a new solution for an existing issue.

As in 2014, winners will be decided by our panel of independent judges.

We will also be presenting an award for Team of the Year, judged from the entries to the six project categories, along with two special accolades: Grand Prix and Lifetime Achievement Award, decided by the Installation team.

ON THE NIGHT For 2015, the InstallAwards will move to a new central London location – the Bloomsbury Ballroom, located in Victoria House on Bloomsbury Square.

Following the same successful format as the 2014 event, the night will include a drinks reception, threecourse dinner and after party.

SPONSORSHIP

A variety of sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information contact Gurpreet Purewal, sales manager, on +44 (0)20 7354 6000, gpurewal@nbmedia.com or Peter McCarthy, account manager, on +44 (0)20 7354 6000, pmccarthy@nbmedia.com.

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08 UPDATE March 2015

Outdoor brand’s AV reboot A 5m-high LED videowall and a bespoke audio design are engaging shoppers at the new Hunter flagship store on London’s Regent Street. The videowall, which forms an attention-grabbing focal point in the three-storey, 460sqm venue, has been optimised by Kaleidovision, and is complemented by soundscapes and a bespoke music concept created by sister company Music Concierge; the two companies have worked together on the project and taken advantage of a common control platform.

Looking to transform Hunter from a simple wellington boot company to a full-blown brand, the company’s creative director Alasdhair Willis asked Music Concierge to design music and sound concepts that reinforce the interior design and feel of different

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retail zones across the store, while curating music relevant to the different Hunter Original and Hunter’s Field audiences. References to music festival culture are interwoven into the main sound of the store, while a contemporary but pastoral playlist design reflects Hunter Field’s specialised performance wear.

The aural experience is complemented by standalone headphone channels and specially commissioned ambient field recording soundscapes for the changing rooms and lift areas that immerse the listener in both summer and rain weather sequences.

Kaleidovision produced and edited the branded video content as well as special live feed-driven ‘wet weather events’ in the form of video and audio sound effects such as heavy showers and thunderstorms.

These live web-based weather moments, which punctuate the atmosphere every 30 minutes, focus on eight specially selected locations where the rain is at its heaviest.

Kaleidovision handled all content management, converting branded content from 16:9 widescreen to fit the giant portrait screen and adding graphics and animations. Content is played out on its KL4 platform, which is also compatible with Music Concierge’s audio playlists; while KL4-M AV players address the videowall, a KL4-A plays the audio content.

Installation was by Marquee AV. www.kaleidovision.co.uk www.musicconcierge.co.uk

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10 UPDATE March 2015

You talkin’ to me?

The RoboThespian interactive robot from 360Globalnet was one of a number of technologies on show at the recent Future15 pop-up event in London. RoboThespian uses gesture recognition to mimic human movements, and was pre-programmed with speech and movement to showcase a variety of famous movie speeches.

Hosted by interactive tech specialist Engage Production at its FLUX Innovation Lounge, the twoweek festival of technology and creative content was booked out every day. Attendees experienced interactive technologies including virtual reality, projection mapping/imaging, Oculus Rift, 3D printing, gesture interaction, transparent and touch displays,

and holograms. Event partner Studio Output also hosted a schedule of talks, workshops and demoes.

The centrepiece technology at Future15 was FLUX’s permanent touchwall, made up of nine 55in backlit LG LED displays combined to create a huge interactive videowall. Each display has 3.5mm bezels and features LG’s proprietary IPS (In Plane Switching) technology as well as PQ Labs’ infrared touch overlays, powered by an Amari server. Other screens at Future15 included a huge LG UHD 84in touchscreen and three LG transflective 55in displays.

LA-based games developer Funktronic Labs showcased its Collider, which presents users with an immersive AV experience where they can travel

through a psychedelic ‘supercollider’ using 3D motion controls and gestures. The Collider combines LEAP Motion with Occulus Rift and proved to be one of the major attractions of the festival, with potential for use in events-based and more practical installations.

Other interactive technology included ProjectionArtworks’ indoor projection mapping solution, DisplayMapper; AR apps from Holition (Face makeup app), DigitalBridge and CImagine (both for home retail and decoration); and interactive paper posters from Novalia. www.engageproduction.com

New Partners TD Maverick Europe is now offering a core selection of Peerless-AV mounts and solutions to its reseller base across EMEA. Products covered by the distribution agreement include a selection of flatpanel mounts, projector mounts, digital signage and videowall solutions. www.peerless-av.com www.tdmaverick.eu

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K-array has announced the appointment of S.E.A Vertrieb & Consulting as its new exclusive distributor in Germany. The Emsbürenbased company has taken over all sales activities for K-array and will address resellers and customers via its team of specialists. www.k-array.com www.sea-vertrieb.de

Imago ScanSource has agreed a distribution deal with Ashton Bentley. Imago resellers will work with customers to help them specify the right codec engine and camera for their needs, and then supply the entire package – enabling the user to simply ‘walk in and work’. www.ashtonbentley.com www.imagoscansource.com

Vogel’s Professional and Audipack have announced a strategic alliance. Vogel’s will add four projector lift systems to its Professional product portfolio, which will be produced by Audipack and sold under the Vogel’s brand worldwide (excluding Benelux and the Middle East) . www.audipack.com www.vogels.com

Ashly Audio has appointed Sound Directions as its exclusive distributor in the UK. The company will distribute Ashly’s entire line of products, including Protea DSP-equipped amps, and customisable user interfaces, such as Ashly’s app. www.ashly.com www.sounddirections. co.uk

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12 APPOINTMENTS March 2015

RIEDEL

ANALOG WAY

Increased Asia-Pacific focus New appointments in Japan and Australia as company looks east

R

iedel Communications has promoted Cameron O’Neill (pictured) to the position of director for the Asia-Pacific region. O’Neill will be based in Tokyo, working to build the Riedel presence there into a robust East Asian hub for Riedel design, sales, support and service.

“Tokyo fills out our trio of Asian hubs, which also include Sydney and Singapore, and gives us a strong position from which to cover the Asia-Pacific region in its entirety,” said O’Neill. “I look forward to consolidating our distribution networks across Asia and to supporting new and existing customers at a much higher level.”

Prior to this O’Neill served as general

manager of Riedel Australia for three years. He has been replaced in that role

by Ian Hamilton, who most recently led his own design and technical production firm, and has designed and guided implementation of Riedel solutions in data, communications and broadcast networks for many prestigious and demanding live events and productions.

At the same time Julian (‘Jules’) Hewitt has been appointed to the role of technical operations manager for Riedel Australia.

He joins after most recently serving as technical support technician at the Sydney Opera House.

www.riedel.net

Jay Gonzalez has been named vice president of the Americas at Analog Way. In his new role he is responsible for the supervision of operations and sales activity of the US, Canada and Latin America. He brings with him more than 20 years of pro-AV industry experience.

www.analogway.com

ASHLY AUDIO Scott Leslie has taken up the newly created position of executive vice president at Ashly Audio.

The industry veteran has spent time at Altec Lansing, Tektronix, and JBL Pro before launching his own consulting firm, PD Squared.

www.ashly.com

INFOCOMM INTERNATIONAL Joe Pham has been appointed to the InfoComm International board of directors. The president and CEO of QSC has joined the panel of AV industry executives who contribute their knowledge and expertise to set strategic goals and guide the overall direction of InfoComm. In addition, Pham was also recently appointed president of the Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance.

www.infocomm.org

LECTROSONICS AUDINATE

Sales, support and training teams expanded VP of global sales joins along with new faces on the technical solutions team Audinate has appointed John Rechsteiner to the position of vice president of global sales and support. The company has also added to its technical solutions team to expand its educational programmes.

Rechsteiner brings over two decades of sales, marketing and customer support experience in the pro-audio, broadcast and post-production industries. He most recently served as vice president of sales, Asia-Pacific for Avid, based in Tokyo.

In addition, Bernie Farkus has joined Audinate as senior technical sales engineer for North America and Kieran Walsh has moved into a new role as regional manager of global support services for EMEA.

www.audinate.com

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CABLETIME

New CEO named Opportunities created by IT/AV collaboration will be key focus Shaun Oxenham has been appointed CEO at Cabletime with responsibility for operations in the UK, Europe, US and Asia.

He takes over from Nick Bradford, who, as the newly appointed founding director, will now take a more strategic role. Oxenham has been involved with Cabletime as a non-executive director since 2013 and has been responsible for helping to steer the company. In his new position, he will focus on driving Cabletime’s growth beyond AV, taking advantage of the opportunities afforded by closer collaboration between the traditional IT and AV channels and the growth of vertical market specialist integrators. He will also be charged with building stronger relationships with consultants in both IT and AV.

www.cabletime.com

Max Francis is the latest addition to the Lectrosonics team, taking up the role of sales associate.

In his new role, Francis will be based out of the manufacturer’s New Mexico headquarters to offer in-house sales support for both dealers and end-users. He will also travel with area sales managers to visit and support Lectrosonics customers.

www.lectrosonics.com

NANOLUMENS Jeff Crowley has been named vice president of global channel sales at NanoLumens. Crowley brings more than 25 years of sales and marketing leadership experience to the role. He has held positions as president, COO and general manager, and been responsible for revenue of more than $1 billion.

www.nanolumens.com

SHARP EUROPE Angela Townsend has been appointed as UK sales manager, Visual Solutions, leading the business in UK and Ireland. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in AV and display sales, at global manufacturers including Sony and, most recently Epson, where she was reseller account manager. Townsend joined Sharp in August 2014 as a key account manager.

www.sharp.eu/visual-solutions

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14 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA March 2015

Rob Lane

Hitting the suite spot The growth of corporate collaboration and marketing suites

I

t seems to me that the main driving force behind the use of high-end sound and vision technology is the creation of an experience: to excite and entertain, and perhaps to inform. Think projection mapping on Buckingham Palace, augmented reality iPad apps ‘opening the bonnet’ of new cars and holographic Michael Flatleys battle-dancing at the London Palladium.

But things appear to be changing, or rather expanding, with new kinds of installation opportunities coming to the fore, many elevating the importance of the ‘inform’ aspect of the heady experiential brew.

The most obvious opportunities could be broadly described as corporate collaboration and communication, and marketing experiences – with ‘experience centres’ or ‘marketing suites’ growing in popularity, some of this growth on the back of new trends in Big Data. If you speak to some of the larger integrators/agencies, they’ll confirm there has been an acceleration in requests for this type of work – apposite considering another key term here is ‘business acceleration’!

It’s difficult to measure accurately, of course, as so many of these installations go unreported due to strict NDAs, but this is clearly a growth area. More corporations are specifying ‘brand marketing suites’ and visually based, multitouch solutions in their reception areas – ‘visitor experience centres’, if you like – to make an impact on visitors and help them to navigate their way around both building and brand.

And it’s not just demand-based. Some new and existing technologies are leaning towards a more corporate, less consumer-focused direction. MultiTouch (or MultiTaction as the

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company is referred to in the US) is targeting more corporate-based business in 2015.

And what about Oblong’s Mezzanine VC solution? The tech behind it may have come from playful beginnings (CEO John Underkoffler was Spielberg’s science and technology adviser on Minority Report), but Mezzanine is targeted squarely at corporations and the g-speak operating system has huge benefits for collaboration, with the potential to interact with other technologies, spatially, not just gesture interaction. It’s perhaps no surprise that reportedly more than 30 international companies have invested in Mezzanine in the last couple of years.

Surprisingly perhaps, even Oculus Rift could be considered as a corporate integration and marketing tool – although we’re yet to see any practical examples of it being used. As I reported a couple of issues ago, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg didn’t buy Rift for its gaming capabilities, but for its potential as a ‘communication platform’. It doesn’t take too much imagination to envision it being utilised as part of an Oblong-style conferencing set-up. The same could be said by the recently announced HoloLens from Microsoft.

And integrators are coming up with their own tools for the corporate marketing sector. The team at Imagination built their own software and hardware toolkit, the Imagination experience Platform (IXP), to help in the communication and connection of client ‘stories’, part of an ambition to use technology as a (according to Anton Christodoulou, Imagination CTO) “seamless facilitator of experiences”.

Engage Production, whose Executive Brand

Suite has been covered here previously, recently announced a partnership with brand design experts Studio Output to stage a tech event at the former’s FLUX Innovation Lounge in February.

Future15 was intended to demonstrate how the power of branded content and interactive technology is changing the way brands, consumers and businesses interact – perfectly pitched for marketers looking to build something special at their corporate HQ. (See Update, page 10, for details.)

This dynamic tension between what might be considered tech for a corporate collaboration suite and more playful tech, perhaps more suitable for a consumer-facing marketing experience centre, is intriguing. As Future15 showed, there’s plenty of overlap, and the challenge for integrators looks to be as much about distilling client requirements as delivering a final solution.

Rob Lane is founder/director of PR/marketing agency Bigger Boat PR Ltd and a technology journalist & columnist who reckons all tech is fun, whether or not it’s intended to be.

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16 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA March 2015

Roland Hemming

A new perspective on networking Why are the different audio protocols in the market position that they are in today?

A

s the audio industry increasingly uses networked audio, there is a neverending debate over the merits of the different protocols that are available.

Rather than throw more mud into the ring, RH Consulting has side-stepped these issues to look at the reasons why the different audio networking protocols are where they are today.

Based on our previous research into the number of licensees and products for each of the major protocols, we have released a white paper examining the current state of the audio networking market and trends among the various audio networking solutions. The independent report, titled ‘The Death of Analogue and The Rise of Audio Networking’, was commissioned by Audinate and takes a detailed look at the number of audio networking products available, the growth rate for various protocols, and the market forces affecting their adoption.

Our goal was to provide a deep dive from the overall market perspective. We analysed the products that are really shipping and the factors that are driving the growth, or lack thereof, of the various protocols.

When analysing the available products, some interesting trends emerge. First, the sheer number of networked products on the market has greatly accelerated in the past year, reaching over 700. Second, of the various protocols, Dante clearly has the most growth, adding 172 products in the last year. While CobraNet still has the most total number of products, it has lost momentum (we attribute the increase in CobraNet products in 2014 to more diligent counting rather than a surge of new products).

Beyond just market share data, this report

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explains the similarities between different emerging technologies both inside and outside of our industry. It explains how the adoption curve works for any new technology, how purchase decisions will differ and how standards come into play at different times as audio networking becomes more established. It also explains the difference between de jure and de facto standards and when and why each become successful.

The report notes that with most new technology, it is the end-to-end, complete solutions that tend to gain rapid adoption. The reasons for this are quite simple: there is a company that is responsible for making sure everything works, and is there to support it. We believe that this is true for audio networking as well. Over time networking has become less about specifying a protocol and more about specifying products that work together.

There is evidence that this explosive growth is starting to happen in audio networking. Based on the growing number of Dante licensees (currently over 200) and the number of available products, we were able to predict at least a 130% growth in the number of Dante-equipped products over the next two years.

Despite this growth, the paper lays out what it will take for true mass adoption of audio networking. In the raging debate about standards, it highlights that the real competition is still analogue. The biggest challenge for digital audio networking is to get people to use it over conventional analogue connections.

History has shown us that when a digital technology is no more than 20% more expensive than its analogue equivalent, the latter dies.

Number of networked audio products

Custom protocol 0 products

104

2013

2014

Ravenna 10 27 products

EtherSound products

51

26

CobraNet products

223

Dante products

124

AVB products

24 37

0

50

128

172

100 150 200 250 300 350 400

While audio networking is not to that point yet, the rapid growth we are seeing now would indicate that analogue’s days are numbered.

In a future article we will try to see where the industry is on the audio networking adoption curve and to add our readers’ insight into where the industry is going.

The complete white paper can be downloaded at www.audinate.com/rise-of-audio-networking.

Data on networked audio products can be found by downloading the RH Consulting app. www.rhconsulting.eu www.audinate.com

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18 OPINION: ON THE AGENDA March 2015

Graeme Harrison

AVB, TSN and the future of AV networking A truly open standard is essential for the industry

B

iamp Systems is in many ways ‘protocol agnostic’ as we provide interfaces to most commonly used protocols and plan to continue doing this in the future.

We do, however, use AVB as our central media networking protocol and I will attempt to clarify how we view AVB and its evolution.

In 2004, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) started an Ethernet study group for AV streaming. This became the Audio Video Bridging (AVB) Task Group to serve three main industries – pro AV, consumer electronics and automotive. More recently, a fourth major group, industrial, was added to this and the task group was renamed Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) in November 2012 to reflect the expanded scope of their work.

The task group ratified a collection of low-

‘TSN looks like becoming “the time-sensitive data protocol of the Internet of Things”’

level IEEE 802.1 standards that are applicable across all four industry segments as well as some higher-level IEEE 1722 standards with specific applications for clocking of AV media streams. The AVnu Alliance is an interoperability consortium of manufacturers (similar to, for example, the Wi-Fi Alliance), which sets standards and certifications for interoperability of AVBenabled devices.

Biamp supports AVnu Alliance and AVB as we believe in an open standard (along with an

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open, third-party interoperability certification), specified by the same body as other IT standards and applicable across industries. This gives the best possible chance of an enduring, ubiquitous protocol that our customers can easily use and which IT departments will embrace. The open nature of the standard, with no licence fee, helps us achieve our goal of pushing the network cost-effectively out towards the endpoints. The addition of the industrial sector and the increasing scope of TSN further reinforce the power of the underlying protocol. With companies such as Intel, Cisco, General Electric (GE) and National Instruments (NI), among others, actively pushing TSN forward, its future seems more assured than ever.

This is, as far as we are aware, the first time that a truly open standard has been used for media networking in our industry, although obviously the TCP/IP suite of protocols has long been used for control data. The newness of this situation is frightening to some within our industry and we totally understand this, but we believe that the advantages of AVB, and especially the underlying TSN protocols, provide a compelling path forward.

TSN looks like becoming ‘the time-sensitive data protocol of the Internet of Things’ and it’s important for our industry to be a part of this and of the related smart buildings movement.

As well as this larger picture relevance, an IT focused standard enables the use of other, highly desirable features, such as that of Energy Efficient Ethernet, another IEEE standard (802.3az). This is important in the green buildings movement, and it has been estimated

by Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory that it could

save $450 million per year in energy costs in the US alone.

One disadvantage of an open standard is that its development is public and therefore it can seem ‘half-baked’. This perception is certainly true of AVB and AVnu, but it was also true of many highly successful open standards in the past (as discussed below); it is just new to our industry.

Another much-discussed possible disadvantage of a standard where there is no company directly profiting from it is that it might not be developed quickly, or at all. The work on the 802.3 (Ethernet) and 802.11 (wireless) standards show that this need not be the case and that in fact a more sustainable, profitable ecosystem emerges from an open specification. The evolution of AVB to incorporate a broader TSN base, as well as the many active AVnu working groups, illustrates that this set of standards is already moving quickly to support the technical evolution of the industries that it supports.

In conclusion, it is important for the AV industry and for Biamp especially, to be a part of a larger, more relevant technology industry, especially as technology increasingly blurs the lines between business types. Biamp firmly believes that through AVB – especially now with the addition of TSN and the industrial arm of AVnu – this is a crucial time to participate in this conversation.

Graeme Harrison is executive vice president of marketing at Biamp Systems. www.avnu.org www.biamp.com

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20 INTERVIEW: AMNON HARMAN, D&B AUDIOTECHNIK March 2015

Making a difference with technology Six months into the role of CEO of the high-end audio manufacturer, Amnon Harman talks to Paddy Baker about his plans to increase emphasis on the installation sector What made you want to work in the professional audio industry?

It wasn’t only the audio industry that attracted me, it was also the management challenge that we have with d&b and the opportunity we have as a company.

I have a technical background as an aeronautical engineer, and I’ve always worked in technology. I believe that when you work at a company that can make a difference with technology, you have a big advantage. We can do that at d&b, and we prove it by bringing out blockbuster products every year or two.

The other thing is, there must be a market opportunity. The pro audio market is growing – so I’ve come into a company that can seize an opportunity in its market, and that attracts me.

Everything I’ve done in the past had to do with change management. I worked in the IT and operations department in Deutsche Bank, focused on software and IT infrastructure. We had a lot of acquisitions at the time, and I was responsible for post-merger integration. I saw what works and what fails when you’re working with people and trying to establish a new team, a new structure, a new business.

After that I was three years with a venture capitalist, and I invested in a software company called SUSE Linux, which was very similar to d&b.

The challenge was to find a business model using open-source software without destroying the energy that everybody puts into it. Inside SUSE there was a very interesting mixture of people who wanted to make the world better, and whose enemy was Microsoft and people who wanted to commercialise things; but on the other side we had to keep the company profitable and make it grow. And that is very similar to the attitude at d&b of wanting to get the best quality of sound before thinking about commercial ambitions.

Where do you see the growth opportunities for d&b?

We divide the market into three segments: touring, which is 70% of our business; performance installations, such as theatres, opera houses, and houses of worship, where we position ourselves with our high quality of sound; and commercial installations, which are more of a challenge for us because quality of sound doesn’t stand in the foreground, it is things like purchase

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price and total cost of ownership.

There is quite a large market opportunity that we’re not addressing yet – there’s a lot of potential in the high end. The touring market is probably half the size of the performance installation market, and the performance installation market is half the size of the commercial installation market. There is quite a lot of market opportunity that we’re not addressing yet – there’s a lot of potential in the high end.

‘2015 will be a year of installation for us’

You’ve now been in the CEO’s chair for a little over six months. What have been your priorities?

Before I try to do anything, I need to understand how it works. So first I travelled globally and met with a lot of partners and customers, I looked at installations, I looked at how our touring business worked – to understand as much as possible how our partner base ticks, and what the market requirements are. That’s not only from a product perspective, but also support – what do people need, how long are the sales cycles and so on.

In parallel, I needed to understand the organisation here. The company grew very fast; in mentality we are still a fast-growing garagebased company, but in size, and in our market footprint, we are a mid-sized player. Our functions are co-ordinated centrally from our head office, but our customers are global. This creates a stretch in a fast-growing company that needs to be managed, and I needed to understand what processes need to be established or enhanced to support the growth we are going through.

So did you have to look at cultural issues as well as business processes?

Absolutely. If you think of the pedantic approach – in a good way – of a German engineer, and contrast that with the pragmatic approach of a touring sound engineer – sometimes there can be some tension there, but we listen carefully.

We know what is good for the market, and how

to build that into our products, especially in the live performance market. We also have to foster this experience for the installation industry. I don’t want to change the culture at d&b: I want to take the strong elements of the culture that are good for the business and emphasise them to progress the company.

The other element of the cultural mix is that we are adding around 35 new people on board each year – there are 320 people in the company today – and that changes the company itself, because people come from different backgrounds and corporate cultures.

I wouldn’t say that we have a cultural issue with people not being willing to change: the challenge for the people is to know how to do the right things. So that’s a lot of hand-holding, a lot of internal discussions to come to a conclusion that everyone gets behind. I see my role as creating that environment.

Last year we interviewed [d&b global brand advisor] Simon Johnston, and asked him if d&b was market driven or research driven – and he said it was a bit of both. Would you say the balance is moving more to the market driven side?

It is a bit of both. We are research driven, but our knowledge comes from the market. Here’s an example: we have people who work in R&D, application support, education and product management who mostly come from the music industry – they worked as front of house, or as sound engineers, doing a different kind of job in an industry they love. They didn’t stop going on tour with our customers when they joined d&b. What we get – and it’s something I haven’t experienced anywhere else – is a clear view of where the market is and what its additional requirements are: how you transport equipment, install it, tune it before an event, and pack it up again. This flows into our R&D processes.

If I was a car manufacturer, I would be desperate to put in something like this where our engineers get out into the market – but at d&b we have it by nature in the touring industry.

With some exceptions, for the general installation market we have not yet established the same natural way of getting the product requirements from the market, and that is something that I would like to establish.

03/03/2015 13:03

INTERVIEW: AMNON HARMAN, D&B AUDIOTECHNIK 21

March 2015

We often find manufacturers can’t get as close to their installation end customers as they would like to, because they are shielded by intermediaries in the channel.

I appreciate that. I think in some installation markets that are driven by technical consultants who specify the audio architecture of the installation, we are probably not on their awareness list – we are not a brand that they would identify with installation. The challenge for us is to establish new networks – to position ourselves as a company that is there to serve customers and understand their requirements. The touring market has short sales cycles compared to the installation market. For example, on the ANZ Stadium in Sydney we worked for five years to win the project. Also the Sydney Opera House was an installation project over many years, and it continues. Here you have to be service-oriented over a longer period of time in the way you help audio designers with their work, without knowing if you are going to win the project in the end – and that’s how you position yourself as a company with a competency in installation markets.

So are you looking to change the perception of d&b in the market, or simply to get the company known to a wider group of people?

It’s more the latter. I would like to foster the perception that we are a highquality, high-end audio manufacturer, whether we are in touring or in installation. I would like to make sure that the market knows about what we

have done in performance installations, and also, through the products we will be announcing this year, what we can do in the future.

What can we expect from d&b in the months to come?

At Prolight + Sound, we’ll focus especially on a new software feature within ArrayCalc which makes it more convenient and more effective to manage sound over large arrays.

At InfoComm, we’ll be very focused on electronics in the installation market.

We’ll be launching something that we were showing to trusted partners at ISE, behind closed doors.

Later in the year we will focus on speaker products in large venues. We’ve addressed some gaps in our product portfolio: the ratio of our smaller speakers to our amplifiers was not always the best for the installation market. Finally, around November, we will announce something that will connect us more to the ongoing digitalisation of the industry.

Overall, from our very strong position in the touring market, we want to expand and seize our growth opportunity in the installation market.

This had been started before I came on board, but to approach the market in the right way, establish the right processes, get the teams in the company marching in the same direction – that is something I will bring in. Especially in terms of product announcements, 2015 will be a year of installation for us.

www.dbaudio.com

Amnon Harman – a brief biography Amnon Harman has degrees in aeronautical engineering and in industrial engineering and management from Munich University of Applied Sciences Prior to being appointed CEO of d&b audiotechnik he was an independent consultant; before this he spent six years as chairman of the management board of AUGUSTA Technologie, which works in optical sensor technology and digital image processing Other positions he has occupied include vice president and COO (EMEA) at SUSE Linux, an internet and network software specialist, and regional operating officer at Deutsche Bank

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03/03/2015 13:03

22 INDUSTRY DATA March 2015

Bigger is better

Despite pressure from personal devices, the demand for large displays in education is set to continue its trajectory of healthy growth, finds Steve Montgomery Interactive whiteboards and flatpanel displays in the education and corporate sectors achieved global sales of 440,000 unit sales in the third quarter of 2014, making it the secondlargest quarter for 15 years.

“The shift from interactive whiteboards to flatpanels continues to make waves in the industry, though has yet to percolate through all countries,” says Colin Messenger, senior market analyst at Futuresource Consulting.

“IFPD volumes are significant, accounting for 29% of all displays sold, with a number of new product launches likely

to spur further growth.”

China continued its ascent, generating half of all world sales. US sales decreased; a move towards one-to-one teaching diverting funds and focus away from front-of-class displays.

EMEA performed above 2013’s results, helped by the second phase of the FATIH project in Turkey, which seeks to integrate computer technology into the country’s public education system. In the UK, interactive flatpanel displays accounted for 57% of sales, taking significant market share away from whiteboards and triggering faster value growth.

1.3 million

Number of interactive whiteboard flatpanels a s, nd projecto rs forecast to be in ope ration glob ally by 201 9

EMEA sales volumes (000s)

www.futuresource-consulting.com

300

Interactive displays in the UK

Fatih project in Turkey boosts flatplanel volumes

250

150

200 Volume (000s) Value (£m)

150

100 100 50 50 0

2013

2014

2015*

2016*

Whiteboards

0

2017*

2018*

2019*

Projectors

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20

18

*

* 16 20

20

14

12 20

20

10

Flatpanels Source: Futuresource Consulting * = forecast

03/03/2015 13:15

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24 INDUSTRY DATA March 2015

One to watch

The global video surveillance industry can defy conventional market logic with high growth in 2015, discovers Steve Montgomery

Global consumer and DIY surveillance market – 2013

Worldwide sales of video surveillance technology are expected to grow by more than 12% per year, reaching a projected $23.5 billion by 2018, from $15 billion in 2014.

“2014 was one of the most interesting years in recent memory for the professional and consumer video surveillance industries,” says Jon Cropley, principal analyst for video surveillance and security services for IHS. “The industry can sustain this growth through brand recognition, subtle differences in requirements across geographical locations and continued differentiation of products.”

Shipments of high-definition closed-circuit television cameras hit 4 million units in 2014, from just 1 million units in 2013. H.265 was one of the most popular topics at the Security China show held in Beijing in October 2014, marking a shift in cutting-edge video surveillance. In 2015 China will emerge as a leading region in product development, displacing European and North American research and development centres. Chinese companies have the world’s largest video surveillance development teams.

47% 53% ($505 million) sold through professional installers

($447 million) surveillance equipment sold through in-store or online retailers to DIY market

www.ihs.com

Global revenue forecast for video surveillance equipment

$28 billion

Billions of US dollars

25 20

total worth of the global video surveillance equipment and storage market by 2018

15 10 5 0

2013

2014

24 Install177 Industry Data 2_Final.indd 1

2015*

2016*

2017*

2018*

Source: IHS * = forecast

03/03/2015 13:05

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2/18/2015 11:49:21 AM

26 DATA: REGIONAL VOICES March 2015

SPAIN Spain’s economy only emerged from recession in late 2013, and last year the country reversed its long-term unemployment trend.

But what is the picture like in the installation sector? Our survey finds out How do you think your company’s revenue will change over the next 12 months?

Reduce by more than 5%: 6%

1.7%

an

th ore ym b w Gro 38% 5%:

by uce %: d e R to 5 up %

10

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15 rate, 2n 0 h t w o r nual g mmissio

GDP aonurce: European Co S

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: wer ans

34%

y wb Gro o 5%: t up %

12

5.6%

4 cit, 20is1sion fi e d t e m Budg ean Com

Source:

What advice would you give to a manufacturer looking to enter the AV installation market in your country?

‘Pressure your future distributor to hold stock of your products! It is very common here in Spain that distributors of very well known brands don’t hold enough stock.’

Bart J. Podkowka, cismarine …and to an integrator looking to enter the market?

‘Know the technology involved. Find competitive local vendors. Find local sales agents with proven experience and contacts. Adapt to local culture (must have financial capacity).’

Javier Sensat, Video Digital Import If you could change one thing about the installation market in your country, what would it be?

‘Lack of professionalism in the big installation companies. There are almost no AV consultants, and most of the installations are done by electrical installers. Education and training is needed for this market.’

26 Install177 Regional Voices_Final.indd 1

Europ

To what extent do these challenges apply to your business?

GREATLY Getting paid on time Cost pressures Ensuring staff keep up to date with the latest technologies Recruiting/retaining employees with the right level of skills Managing complex projects The need to expand into new vertical markets Maintaining a good project pipeline without over- or under-committing people

SLIGHTLY

03/03/2015 13:08

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28

March 2015

IN INSTALLATION

Another record-breaker It’s a familiar story by now, but ISE 2015 was the biggest yet, with over 1,000 exhibitors and 59,350 attendees – a 16.4% increase on last year.

We’ll run through the highlights over the next few pages – starting with audio

AUDIO Audinate announced that it had signed up its 200th licensee – Germany’s AD Systems, which specialises in amplifiers and loudspeakers.

“Including Dante in our products was an easy decision as Dante has become the de facto standard for audio networking and opens up new markets for us,” said the company’s Sven Haferkamp.

Barix was demonstrating its SoundScape audio signage solution at ISE 2015. A number of different situations were detailed on the stand, from a fruit shop in the UK to a café in Germany. The set-up demonstrated that content providers can now manage all the Barix SoundScape audio players on their network, wherever they are in the world.

Also new was the IPAM302 OEM module, which enables system integrators to build their own IP audio products.

As well as discussing the latest development in AVB/ Time Sensitive Networking (see Opinion, page 18), Biamp Systems announced a new training programme for VoIP – a technology that is becoming increasingly important but is generally not well understood within the AV industry. The online training is available free of charge.

Bosch was showing the new CCS 1000 D digital discussion system, for small

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to medium-sized meetings. Up to eight hours’ material can be recorded on internal memory; this can be increased to 4,000 hours with the addition of a 128GB USB stick. A built-in web server provides remote access to all control settings.

User-friendly features include acoustic feedback suppression and automatic camera tracking.

Also new is the PAVIRO mid-market PA-VA system.

The basic version can control 12 zones (or six A-B zones); these can be added to in groups of 24, up to a maximum of 492. Connectivity is a hybrid between direct topology and bulk switching: PAVIRO allocates blocks of six zones, which each have two audio channels. Using the configuration wizard, the system can be set up in 30 minutes.

Bose debuted three new RoomMatch Utility loudspeaker models. These can either complement a RoomMatch full-range array installation or can be used on their own for foreground music, under-balcony, zonefill and vocal-range floor monitor applications. The company also announced an expanded range of Danteenabled ControlSpace products – endpoints, wall plates and a sound processor.

At Core Brands, we had the opportunity to meet Joe Roberts, who took over as CEO in January. He has addressed what he called an

“identity crisis” within the company, installing a single mission statement across the company and finalising the transition into a single company – some brands have been sold off in the past few months – then “reinventing that with our partners in each country”. He sees “explosive growth” in residential and commercial markets, and from Core Brands’ perspective, he sees growth coming primarily from within brands – no new brands will be added in 2015, he told us.

Dolby demoed the 7.1.4 surround sound system, where four ceiling speakers create a more immersive experience. As an alternative, the company revealed details of Dolby-enabled floor speakers, which reflect sound off the ceiling. Dolby is also working on bringing the sound format to headphones.

Hacousto Interntional debuted the 4EVAC LoopDrive system, which detects faults in voice alarm systems and evacuation loudspeaker loop circuits. After its Fault Isolator Modules (FIM) have been installed between loudspeakers on a loop circuit, any drop in DC voltage below a threshold is instantly detected, located and isolated.

FIM protects the loop integrity against any open wire-to-wire short circuits, offering peace of mind that voice evacuation audio transmission will be not be interrupted.

Meyer Sound presented

‘Countdown’, an ‘immersive multichannel sonic adventure’ designed to showcase the company’s advanced show technology. It featured Meyer’s SpaceMap multichannel dynamic panning software and the D-Mitri digital audio platform – a combination that has been used in theme parks, aquariums, and theatres.

The Open Control Architecture Alliance (OCA) – a group of 14 audio manufacturers – announced that a new open standard, AES-X210, is on track to be ratified by the Audio Engineering Society this spring. The standard will make it easier to integrate professional audio systems consisting of equipment from different manufacturers using different languages and protocols, and simplify the control of equipment such as microphones, preamps and mixing desks.

The team that invented the in-wall speaker – Jeremy Burkhardt and his two previous partners at SpeakerCraft, Ed Hasse and Ken Humphreys – have reunited to form Origin Acoustics, which made its ISE debut this year. The company launched several collections of loudspeakers for the architectural speaker market, including the ten models that comprise the Composer collection of in-wall loudspeakers. These feature a new SpringLock mechanism that requires no tools.

The PAX Pro AV Group (Penton, Atëis, Xavtel) held a press conference to announce its latest developments.

Xavtel’s Mira AV platform is designed for background music, mass notification, digital signage and CCTV on the same network. It has two independent network card slots, so it can stream via AVB (running on 420 channels with only 2ms latency between seven switches) or the proprietary Xavnet GigaNet protocol (with 600 audio channels and 5.8ms latency over 64 units).

The Ateïs Boutique PA-VA system is scalable from four zones up to 8,000. It is due to ship in the summer, following certification. It uses switching technology to page into multiple zones from a single amplifier.

Shure was highlighting its QLX-D wireless microphone system and its Losing Your Voice website – see Demo of the Month (p52) for details.

The new HX-7 Variable Dispersion Loudspeaker from TOA is designed to be a more compact high-performance speaker for auditoriums, challenging houses of worship and sports venues.

Its variable configuration (vertical angle adjustment of between 15º and 45º) allows it to be deployed in places where many fixed configuration speakers cannot. Also featured on the stand was the new Q-HA1000Y long-range slim-array speaker.

TC Group’s Stuart Archibald with Tannoy’s new QFlex 16LS and QFlex 32LS column loudspeakers, developed as a costeffective solution for critical life-safety applications. They are designed for large transportation hubs as part of a PA/VA system where speech is the main audio source, either from live announcements or pre-recorded messages

03/03/2015 15:42

BEST OF SHOW WINNERS Installation ran its Best of Show Awards competition at ISE for the first time this year. Companies showing new products at the show submitted their entries beforehand, and were visited at their stands by one of our judging team. Here are the winning entries.

Analog Way Ascender 16 The price point of this multi-screen seamless switcher opens up the technology to a whole new market. The ability to be coupled with a second unit brings top-end functionality at a similar cost to larger models in the range (Ascender 32 and 48) and reduces risk to the end user in investing.

Apantac Universal Matrix A sophisticated matrix system that can be custom designed for its specific application. What impressed us was that the company brings broadcast expertise to the audiovisual market in a simple, easy-to-deploy solution.

Apex Liviau R This cost-effective AV control unit for single-display rooms, controls audio, lighting, blinds and more in a single unit – just add speakers and a display.

Slickly designed, it also features a web interface and can store content. (See page 49.)

AptoVision BlueRiverNT This uncompressed 4K UHD COTS system caught our attention – one of the most innovative products seen in the judging process. We can see many advanced applications for this type of product and expect it to do well in the marketplace.

Barco NEXXIS NRC-2000 room compositor The NEXXIS NRC-2000 extends the philosophy, and the ease of use, of Barco’s ClickShare to sources that can’t take a ClickShare button, such as legacy equipment, video files and external streaming sources.

Clear-Com FreeSpeak II Scalable, able to operate dependably in challenging operating conditions and built to cope with harsh environments, the FreeSpeak II is a high-performing wireless intercom that is simple to operate and to manage. A notable reduction in latency is one of the secrets of the system’s performance.

Crestron DM-RMC-4K-SCALER-C In a market currently awash with ’4K innovations’, this product has genuinely groundbreaking credentials as the first 4K/60Hz scaler to be made available.

The result is a product that affords users a great deal of up/downscale flexibility.

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Green Hippo magpi solo This compact, single-output version of Green Hippo’s multi-feature media player caters to smaller venues while retaining all the power and flexibility of the company’s magpi player.

Kramer VIA Collage A powerful real-time collaboration solution that enables documents from up to 12 different devices – iOS, Windows or Android – to be displayed and worked on natively in real time, by all participants simultaneously.

Matrox C-Series The combination of AMD processing power and Matrox firmware enables these multi-display graphics cards to deliver a new level of functionality and flexibility to multi-screen installations.

Medialon Overture Software-based, web-enabled remote management of AV and IT building services brings a new level of operational functionality to installations in distant locations.

Peerless-AV Twin Pole Modular A versatile flatpanel mounting system that simplifies large-scale installations by making the installer experience as straightforward as possible – through both online configuration tools and product features to speed work on site.

SpeakerCraft AIM Series 2 Designed to deliver three-way performance from a two-way speaker, the AIM Series 2 offers wide, uniform coverage and includes a number of features that improve the quality of the generated sound – including the radical idea of an adjustable tweeter array.

SpinetiX Cockpit This remote management and control service for digital signage players offers dealers and integrators the opportunity to deliver value-added services to clients and reduce the risk and downtime of networked signage systems.

ZeeVee ZyPer4K Functional and interoperable matrix switcher that’s designed to work within any system. Great heritage in developing proprietary technology.

Knowledgable staff and excellent product material support. Integrators will enjoy fantastic product support for their installations.

03/03/2015 15:42

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March 2015

IN INSTALLATION

CONNECTIVITY AND CONTROL Distributor 3D Storm showed NewTek TalkShow VS-100, which is based on Skype TX professional software and enables video producers to incorporate live video calls into a live production or studio environment.

Also on the stand was LiveXpert’s LiveCG Broadcast, a multi-layer character generator which enables graphics such as scoreboards, tickers or social media messages to be incorporated into live productions.

AMX was showing the next generation of Enova DGX 100 matrix switchers. These have new features designed to simplify installation and provide the user with more diagnostic information. The onboard web configuration tool automatically detects the endpoints and automatically configures all the audio and video settings. Improved audio functionality includes

complete audio breakaway across the entire matrix, and built-in DSP on every output.

Additionally, the entire system can be allocated a single IP address.

Calibre added to its LEDView range of LED videowall optimised image scalers with the LEDView325DS. The latest addition to the range targets use on cost-conscious digital signage projects. Control and configuration are done via an internet browser with remote access possible when connected to a suitable network.

Control4 turned to the European market with a range of updates and new products including a video intercom, which communicates with thirdparty SIP-enabled products.

The T3 series of touchscreens drives the intercom, but can also be used for audio, video, lighting, climate and security.

The company’s climate control solutions have a redesigned interface that manages temperature and humidity levels. This also has new presets for personalised comfort settings that can be scheduled or recalled via touchscreen or Control4 App. Crestron unveiled the new 3-Series 4K DigitalMedia Presentation System (DMPS), consisting of the DMPS34K-150-C, DMPS3-200-C and DMPS3-300-C. The 150-C has an integrated 4K scaler for up- and downscaling, transmitting any resolution source to any resolution display. The DMPS, designed for classrooms of any size is built on the Crestron .AV Framework and has no programming requirements. HDBaseT certified, Crestron built the scaler chip in house, which has videowall capability up to a configuration of 8 x 8.

Dataton debuted a new version of its Watchout software for multi-display

LiveCG Broadcast enables social media messages to be incorporated into live broadcasts – such as this one from Installation

applications, from staging to digital signage and fixed installations. Watchout 6 has a comprehensive new feature set with advanced projection mapping, pre-visualisation and uncompressed video playback. The upgrade also includes 3D media and modelling and a revamped user interface.

Also showcased was Watchmax, a four-unit, 19in rack computer compatible with Watchout 6. Watchmax has a six-core Intel i7 processor, quad outputs and an industrial-grade workstation motherboard.

Kramer Electronics debuted the VP−772 8− input 4K dual scaler with seamless video switching and special effect transitions.

It is designed for projection and display systems at live events, churches, auditoriums, conference rooms, boardrooms, hotels, and production studios.

The VP−772 scales and processes video and audio inputs and outputs to independent preview and program DVI−I outputs (VGA, DVI−D and HDMI) and two balanced stereo audio outputs.

UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS / COLLABORATION The theme for Barco at ISE 2015 was ‘connecting worlds’, because of the need for data from different sources to be transferred across the borders of meeting rooms, buildings and countries.

Barco’s content management platform aims to process, distribute and manage all kinds of data through interactive channels, from any source to any device. In addition,

Barco has a wide range of high-quality, flexible and easy-to-use visualisation and collaboration solutions, all specially designed to help connect to data at all locations.

While we’re on the subject of Barco, we would like to take this opportunity to thank the company for the loan of a 2 x 2 LCD videowall, which formed a very attractive focal point on the Installation stand.

One very big name making its ISE debut was Microsoft, which chose the show for the first public showing of its new Surface Hub collaboration device. This is designed for cross-platform connectivity with mobile devices, using either wireless or wired connections depending on the device, and Simen Teigre, Pexip CEO and co-founder, and Hede is touch and ink Nonaka, corporate senior VP, VC Business Group, bidirectional.

Ricoh, announcing the collaboration between the When used as two companies

30 Install177 ISE Review_Final.indd 1

a remote collaboration surface, various digital content sources, including PowerPoint and Skype for Business, can be viewed side by side, annotated and shared. It can also be used more informally as a digital whiteboard.

ISE 2015 saw the European debut of Oblong’s Mezzanine conferencing and collaboration system.

Mezzanine delivers ‘infopresence’ to bring the content and data from multiple meeting participants into a multisurface, large-format, shared digital workspace.

It can be accessed by those inside a Mezzanine conference room, connected from another Mezzanine room, or working remotely from a variety of devices.

Pexip was showing version 7 of its Infinity scalable meeting platform, offering improved accessibility, enhanced Lync functionality and adding Infinity Connect client software. “Users can now collaborate on shared content and see participants at the same time, drag-and-

drop contacts during calls, and include more users due to our firewall-friendly technology,” said Simen Teigre, Pexip CEO. Infinity 7 also provides a preview of the industry’s first bidirectional simultaneous multiparty RDP HD video and screen sharing – allowing virtual collaborators to share content and see participants at the same time. This should significantly improve the experience for Lync users in mixed Lync and standards-based sessions.

Polycom’s EagleEye Producer can automatically find and track people as they move around a room so users don’t have to alter their position and work style because of a fixed camera.

Using facial recognition technology, the system continually views the room and seamlessly commands the EagleEye Camera (sold separately) to frame the users appropriately using subtle PTZ technology.

According to Patricia Finlayson, solution product marketing manager, Polycom is concerned about ease of

use not only for the end user but also the IT administrator, with products that deploy faster, require less support, and interoperate with a broader ecosystem.

Ricoh was showing its Unified Communication System: this integrates video, audio, text and interactive media, with a range of hardware endpoints and software apps that can be connected through the Ricoh Cloud platform, which offers a secure connection.

Its scalable video codec ensures connection, even when the bandwidth drops.

The P3500 UCS conferencing system does not require a dedicated videoconference room because it is highly portable and can utilise a WiFi network connection.

When used in combination with the portable ultrashort-throw projector, any space can be transformed into a huddle room.

Ricoh also announced a tie-up with fellow exhibitor Pexip at the show: it is to use Pexip’s Infinity to power the P3500 (and other UCS products) for videoconferencing.

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IN INSTALLATION

DISPLAYS AND PROJECTORS On the Canon stand, the focus – if you’ll forgive the pun – was on lenses. Three of the new XEED WUX6000 models were projecting alongside each other, but were positioned at 2.5m, 4m and 7m from the screen.

Thanks to the different lenses used, there was very little difference in brightness between the three images.

Casio launched its new lamp-free Core projector, designed to make its laser and LED hybrid light source technology accessible for projects of any scale.

Featuring brightness of 2,700 lumens, the projector can turn on and off in under eight seconds without a warming-up or cooling-down period.

Making its worldwide debut at ISE 2015 was the Christie Boxer 4K30 projector. Featuring 3-chip DLP technology, it uses six 450W mercury lamps to deliver 30,000 lumens of brightness at 4K native resolution. Fixed installation applications include concerts, amusement parks, projection mapping projects, museums, planetariums and more.

ISE 2015 saw the debut of the world’s first full 4K 3-chip DLP LED projector, the Insight 4K LED from Digital Projection. Designed for simulation, visualisation, entertainment and other large-screen applications, it delivers 2,000 lumens of brightness and is said to offer a typical 60,000+

hours of stable solid-state illumination. The unit has full 4K 3D capability and utilises Display Port 1.2 to deliver up to 60fps 4K sequential input via single cable, or Dual Pipe input capability with two Display Port 1.2 cables.

Also on display was the 12,000-lumen Insight 4K Laser, which starts production this month.

Draper showcased the TecVision range, which consists of a total of eight screens – five white and three grey. They all meet the new InfoComm Projected Image System Contrast Ratio standard and present a variety of options for different install needs and budgets. The screen material reduces the need for additional or brighter projectors, so lowering the cost of ownership.

Epson was highlighting Colour Light Output from its 3LCD projectors, combining colour gamut with brightnes to produce 3D models of ‘colour volume’ for its own projectors and those of its competitors. In terms of new products, the company was showing updates to its range of corporate and higher education installation projectors, which feature HDBaseT connectivity. Also new was the the company’s first-ever home cinema laser projector, the EH-LS10000, featuring 4K enhancement.

Among the technologies on display on the LG stand was the Transparent Display

Cooler Door, which integrates advertising content on the door with real products inside. Featuring LG’s M+ technology, the solution works by having two clear sheets of glass that are surrounded by edge-lit LEDs. Long-term ISE exhibitor and show sponsor Mitsubishi Electric was showing two new control-room cube products – something it had never done before at the same show, said EMEA business manager Peter van Dijk. The Slim Cube has a depth nearly 40% less than other models, opening up markets in smaller control rooms; while the 120 Series of LED-lit displays is a budget-conscious solution offering a saving of 15-20%.

Education, broadcast and retail were all in focus on the NEC stand. On display were new 84in and 98in UHD displays, a high-brightness 47in large-format display for outdoor use and fine-pitch LED for indoor applications.

One installation showcased technology and content in a complex simulation of a train station with a digital information system combining context-aware advertising with passenger information. Elsewhere, an artist demonstrated the intricacies of NEC’s ShadowSense by creating caricatures of visitors using the touch technology.

Following Panasonic’s move from plasma to LCD displays, high-resolution 4K large-format displays continue to be the company’s focus in 2015. Highlights

Mark Wadsworth, international marketing manager at Digital Projection, with the 12,00-lumen Insight 4K Laser projector

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Epson’s first-ever home cinema laser projector, the EH-LS10000, features 4K enhancement

on the stand in this area included 98in and 84in LED LCD 4K displays.

The biggest draw, however, was 3D projection mapping onto a Tesla supercar.

Created by Ross Ashton and made possible using the new quad-lamp three-chip DLP DZ21K Evo series, the threeminute sequence constantly drew the crowds.

Innovation in the field of lighting was also on show, with the PTJW130 ‘Space Player’: this is a projector based on solid-state illumination which connects into a standard lighting rig, allowing integrators to add projection technology and video content into their lighting infrastructure.

The new U-line of Ultra HD displays from Philips Signage Solutions is the company’s largest-ever signage display, in 84in and 98in models. It can be used in portrait format to show people life-size. The FailOver feature ensures that the display will continue to show content in the event of a source failure.

The company’s Ambilight feature, which has been available in Philips’ consumer and hospitality ranges for 10 years, will be an option on the upcoming Q-line 43, 48 and 55in displays (there are also 32 and 65in models).

Users can tune the colours it projects onto the wall behind the display.

Sharp unveiled a slim new 70in Ultra HD monitor and a 55in display for videowalls with sophisticated colour.

“We’re expanding our 4K portfolio and just released a 70in 4K monitor. It’s a different concept from 4K we see on other stands. It’s designed for elegant lifestyle,

and is equally at home in a graphic design studio or reception area,” said Michael Bailly, product planning and marketing director. The PNH701 has a UV2A Sharp panel offering “very strong contrast and very vivid colours”.

Silicon Core was showing off its anti-moiré display system, which features a micro-adjustment mechanism for each element of the display, and a diffuser.

(Moiré interference patterns are caused by a mismatch between the CCD array in video cameras and the array of LEDs in the display.) It took about a year to develop in response to a tender request; and while the obvious application is in TV studios, European vice president Steve Scorse pointed out that it will reach a wider audience in TV-like environments, for example in corporate broadcasting.

One highlight on the Stewart Filmscreen stand was the LuminEsse ‘edgeless’ fixed frame wall screen. With a 3/8in bezel, LuminEsse fits modern expectations for more screen size and a less visible framing system, while providing a sleek appearance, even when not being viewed.

“This is an exciting and enhanced product offering.

LuminEsse is demonstrative of the new Stewart Filmscreen,” said Grant Stewart, president and CEO. “With this product and the others coming to market later this year, we are responding to the needs of technology professionals working on the front lines of the AV industry.”

The world’s first 4K ultrashort-throw laser projector was a highlight on the Sony stand. The VPL-GTZ1’s imaging technology combines

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Sony’s 4K SXRD with a laser phosphor light source. The result is 2,000 lumens colour brightness and high picture quality. The projector can throw high-resolution images up to approximately 147in (diagonal) and zoom down to 66in, achieved by respective 6.7in and zero distance from the screen, onto any white plane surface.

The manufacturer also launched its next-generation presentation solution, Vision Presenter 2.0. A major update for version 2.0 is content mirroring with mobile, which enables source material to be mirrored between Vision Presenter and mobile devices.

Toshiba showcased its new digital signage software, Business Vision.

“Business Vision is available in a variety of configurations – standlone, networked and cloud-based – to allow us to address the widest possible range of customer needs,” said Tim Matthews, product manager, B2B and soundbar Europe. It can flexibly control, schedule and deliver content in a variety of configurations and manage device information.

The software is initially available on an Open Pluggable Specification unit, allowing installation on the majority of Toshiba’s professional signage range.

The content management system

supports a comprehensive range of formats to remove the need for an external device. Video, images and text can all be arranged to create completely customised signage, as well as other content types including social media widgets, internet sources and RSS feeds.

Userful’s new solution for the videowall market aims to limit the cost and complexity of running a videowall. It requires one Intel core i7 server, which drives up to 25 displays, supports 4K content and is delivered over a standard Ethernet network. The latest feature is the ability to deploy displays at any angle, making artistic configurations possible.

Collaboration was one focus on Vivitek’s stand, where an upgrade to the NovoConnect wireless presentation system was a highlight.

Version 1.5 now features attendance management, enhanced whiteboard interactivity and a ‘polling’ option to provide instant feedback from participants. The NovoConnect can be extended with a Quick Launcher USB dongle; this eliminates the need to install NovoConnect software beforehand, making it even easier to instantly connect and project when joining a meeting. Further updates to NovoConnect are expected to be released later this year.

Sharp’s Michael Bailly with the new PN-H701 LCD monitor

Produced by Installation, the ISE Daily is the official newspaper of Integrated Systems Europe. Run from an office just off the showfloor, it is printed overnight and distributed at key Amsterdam hotels, on shuttle buses and at the show.

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34 BUSINESS FEATURE: AV AND BROADCAST March 2015

Sony’s PWA-VP100 Vision Presenter brings together a wide range of multimedia sources to create a presentation solution that connects up to 10 input sources simultaneously

Benefitting from broadcast Delivering content to screens is what large parts of the AV industry does on a daily basis. In theory, that should make the rapidly growing in-house broadcast market an attractive one. Ian McMurray finds out where the similarities and differences lie

W

hat do the bicycle, penicillin, the telephone, the pneumatic tyre and tarmac all have in common? The answer, of course, is that they were all invented by Scotsmen. But those inventions – from a country that even now has a population of little more than 5 million – all but pale into insignificance beside John Logie Baird’s invention of the television.

There is an argument for television being the most influential medium across the globe – so it’s not surprising that, worldwide, businesses, educational organisations, sports facilities and many others are embracing its charms.

And, given that – to grossly

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oversimplify – it’s all about putting screens on the end of signals, it’s inevitable that, increasingly, it’s a market that’s of interest to the AV community.

Flowing both ways “In fact, the trend is flowing both ways,” notes Andy Fliss, director of marketing at tvONE. “Not only are non-broadcast venues creating broadcasttype environments, but broadcast venues are employing an increasing amount of traditional AV equipment. Companies like tvONE produce a wide range of hybrid products that enable the bridging of the technologies.”

Anyone who was at IBC will confirm the truth of that observation –

and also the increasing pervasiveness of IT technologies in both worlds.

“Products are using increasingly similar transmission technologies such as taking advantage of IT networks,” points out Christian Diehl, who is product manager at Riedel.

“In this way, there is more interoperability between them. PC-based workflows, generic and inexpensive devices, and the availability of more and more professional equipment are all contributors to driving good-quality video to organisations that might not have been able to afford it previously.”

Jamie Shepperd, group marketing manager at Adder Technology, warms to the theme.

“Essentially, pro AV has enabled businesses, universities and other organisations to create and maintain broadcast capabilities and channels for internal use,” he says. “The commonality between pro AV and broadcast can be found in IT and the use of this technology throughout both sectors. And, as technology has advanced, this idea of internal broadcasting has become simpler – enabling almost anyone to become a broadcaster.”

“There is a definite trend for organisations to create their own internal broadcasts,” adds Sean Brown, senior VP at Sonic Foundry.

“Cameras, mixers, wireless microphones and the entire traditional audiovisual

Key Points n The in-house broadcast market is seeing rapid growth across the board, but most notably in higher education n The technologies used in the AV and broadcast markets are increasingly converging, delivering significant flexibility and lower costs n An AV integrator brings many of the requisite skills to the broadcast market – but understanding content creation and network management are key n As with any relatively new market, choosing the right companies to work with is a vital first step

presentation environment is being combined with videoconferencing and presentation recorder/ encoders like Mediasite to transform traditional presentation environments into internet broadcast studios.”

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Who’s doing it?

But who are these “organisations”?

“Broadly, businesses across a wide range of industries – including the corporate, education, leisure, sports and education markets – are making content creation and distribution a priority, or at least looking to,” believes Olivier Bovis, head of AV media marketing at Sony Europe.

Fliss sees an equally all-embracing opportunity.

“The burgeoning of the in-house studio is crossing all lines from education to retail,” he says. “There is no specific market leading the way. It’s progressing at a feverish rate – and it’s actually very exciting.”

Brown, on the other hand, sees a clear leader.

“Higher education has adopted this technology by far the fastest of all markets,” he claims. “The opportunity to turn every single lecture hall into a real-time broadcast studio has been a significant source of audiovisual investment in that community. Large multi-site corporations closely follow in their use of these new technology combinations.”

“I see the most activity in higher education,” echoes John Spiro-Colwell, product manager at Crestron.

“The universities want to enable remote and online learning and these types of broadcasts help them do this. In corporations, I see these kinds of things being used for training.”

“There is an inherent need for broadcasting within the sports market where clubs need to record and archive game footage, deliver this to analysts, players and coaches as well as deliver entertainment to

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Case Study

Swedish hockey fans enjoy magical experience Sweden is one of ice hockey’s Big Seven, alongside the likes of the US, Canada and Russia. Top-flight national team Luleå HF plays to 6,300 ice hockey fans at the Coop Norrbotten Arena, where the audiovisual facilities, including a full stadium studio built around a Blackmagic Design live event workflow, are critical for keeping fans in the stadium, and those following online, entertained before, during and after the game.

The stadium has an 800m optical fibre network for maximum flexibility and minimum latency. Blackmagic’s ATEM Studio Converters convert the fibre signals back to SDI. Game footage is mixed with presenter-led commentary and analysis from the stadium’s studio using an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K production switcher to produce the live programme, which is shown on more than 100 monitors and LCD screens throughout the stadium complex via a playout system. The programme output from the switcher is recorded to a HyperDeck Shuttle SSD recorder, and streamed live via Luleå HF’s website. supporters on match days.

We’ve seen this sector grow significantly in the last three to four years,” says James Keen of Tripleplay Services. “Schools, colleges and universities are also huge users of video, broadcasting lectures, experiments, performances, sports events and much more. Education has often been at the ‘bleeding edge’ for technologies, and I think the same can be said of this one.”

“Certainly, there’s growth in all market areas,” confirms Adder’s Shepperd. “As a supplier of IP-based high-performance KVM solutions for use in broadcast, we’ve seen increased interest and appetite for internal broadcast capabilities.

Overall, the ability to create, manage and distribute content is becoming easier and ever more part of our daily lives. And as technology becomes cheaper and

easier to use, the main barriers to entry of cost and availability have been removed.”

The market for pro-AVdriven broadcasts seems, then, to be one that is growing rapidly across a number of market sectors – although the applications most commonly referred to are training and education.

What is it, though, that’s enabling this market growth?

Affordable, multifunctional, easy “There’s a greater breadth of affordable, multifunctional, easy-to-operate production tools that allow users with minimal production experience to deliver impactful content to both the external network and internally via traditional displays or more dynamic content collaboration solutions such as Vision Presenter,” according to Sony’s Bovis. “Affordable, compact cameras, such

as Sony’s X70, mean that capturing high-quality footage is an accessible option, and the range of accessories and software upgrades mean that a company’s investment will be future-proofed. Allin-one production units, like Sony’s portable live content producer Anycast Touch, and cloud-based media platforms, ensure that workflow is easier to manage than ever before on a smaller scale.”

For Riedel’s Diehl, it’s all about the network.

“New standards for network transport technologies such as AES67, AVB and SMPTE2022 are the big drivers,” he says. “Then, there are products like Riedel’s MediorNet real-time signal distribution network, with which we serve customers from the broadcast as well as the AV/installation market.”

“Encoders like Mediasite are creating the

opportunity to transform traditional audiovisual environments into real-time studios,” claims Brown.

“Enterprise video systems, such as our end-to-end system, create a workflow where a traditional standand-deliver presentation from existing rooms becomes a live broadcast session via the web to any device within reach of the internet.”

“The main drivers behind the adoption of video for communication have been the increased quality and availability of bandwidth, recording facilities and the improvement of digital asset management systems,” adds Tripleplay’s Keen. “These factors make delivery, production and management much simpler, more efficient and more achievable for any business.”

Upskilling For sure, many commentators fear a future

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where production values are eroded as broadcasting becomes democratised.

Sony’s Bovis is, however, hopeful.

“In-house content production and bespoke internal broadcast will only become more widespread as audiences are used to personalised content and businesses are aware of this, meaning investment will increase,” he says.

“Ultimately, adoption will increase as the capabilities of the technology rise, prices fall, and internal teams upskill to produce content. This means that the quality of content produced which can be broadcast internally and distributed across their networks will also improve.”

As with any engagement, it’s vital that the customer, rather than the integrator, sets the required standard – with the integrator guiding the customer as to the implications of various choices. Budget, of course, is among those implications – a point made by Tim Brooksbank, chairman of Calibre, who sees frame rate conversion challenges for organisations looking to broadcast to, or include material from, multiple countries.

“High-quality MEMC [Motion Estimation/Motion Compilation] broadcast frame rate converters such as Snell Alchemist and For-A FRC-8000 are excellent but outside the budget of most users in the crossover market,” he says. “Calibre’s MEMC Fovea-F1 frame rate converter provides comparable image quality at a fraction of the cost through its highly efficient implementation which permits a lower cost of technology. Without products like Fovea-F1,

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the crossover market has to make do with software-based frame rate conversion, or linear converters, neither of which produce good results on fast-moving complex content.”

There is plenty of other value that integrators can bring – and challenges they

management solutions and video streaming portals that traditional AV integrators may not be familiar with, but with a good broad AV knowledge it wouldn’t be too much for them to extend their portfolio and knowledge base to support such deployments.”

‘We are in the nascent stages of enterprise broadcasting’ Sean Brown, Sonic Foundry

may face.

“Much of the knowledge needed in in-house broadcasting is very similar to that needed in other AV applications,” says Keen, “from the hanging of screens to the network configuration – although there is some specialist software used that may be a little out of the ordinary.

This includes digital asset

Redundancy If there are similarities in the knowledge required, there are also some differences, according to Riedel’s Diehl “In traditional AV, there is not so much emphasis placed on redundancy concepts,” he notes. “In live sports events, for example, a failure could result in loss of audio and/or video

to a live global audience.

But even if the devices are getting cheaper and more common, it is still about signal transmission technology and you need a specific skill-set to be able to deal with it. With more and more going to IP, those skills are far more common and easier to come by than the skills needed for broadcast.”

“The integrator needs to understand how to capture and distribute video,” believes SpiroColwell. “They have to integrate capture and content management systems which might be quite difficult. While the concept of interconnecting disparate sources and sinks has been around for a long time – such as compositeto-component or S-videoto-HDMI – it becomes difficult to visualise in a virtual world. In addition, there are many layers to the systems, so a system that takes in H.264 may be not compatible with another system that also takes H.264 because they

use different containers.”

Shepperd too sees the importance of integrators bringing with them, and developing, their video skills and understanding.

“Installers need an understanding of video when there’s a requirement for a certain level of quality in terms of output – that is, producing something of broadcast quality,” he says. “An integrator’s IT skills come into play where you have to string together multiple disparate systems to create your AV production workflow.

“The lines are blurred between the two,” he continues. “While broadcast is about creating the content, AV skills are focused more on delivering it to the right place. In broadcasting, there is a strong adherence to common standards and as a result there are many stages in a typical workflow.

In AV, there is more flexibility and agility because technology moves quicker.

This enables users to create and deliver content more

Riedel’s fibre-based MediorNet combines signal transport, routing, and signal processing and conversion

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speedily. However, where we will see a change is, as IT converges more with broadcast and AV, it brings with it more of those standards that must be applied.”

Fliss too emphasises the importance of understanding video. “Integrators need to understand how to generate high-quality video that can be distributed over unstable internet connections,” he points out. “True broadcast studios do not face this challenge, nor do projects in traditional in-house systems.”

“Yes, there are issues around bandwidth management in a live environment,” agrees SpiroColwell. “The integrator has to make sure the network can handle the kinds of traffic associated with a live broadcast. While a download can compensate for a one- or two-second interruption in the data flow, a live stream cannot. Users are very aware of stutters, glitches and other anomalies in live video.”

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Paramount concern Brown adds a third voice to the discussion of networks and bandwidth.

“Any live or on-demand video broadcast system that relies on the internet brings with it the inherent problems of network congestion,” he says.

“These problems are of minor concern in a higher education environment, but are of paramount concern in a global corporation. Also, delivery to various operating systems and platforms as well as mobile devices is critical for these applications at the reach that clients demand. However, these issues are increasingly under the auspices of the video content distribution manufacturers.

Choosing to partner with an enterprise video manufacturer who has comprehensive solutions for the delivery of content is the best way to ensure that an integrator’s expertise is properly

It’s not just about video

There is, of course, a danger that all this talk of ‘easy’ and ‘anyone can do it’ and ‘it’s just like YouTube’ could lead in a potentially dangerous direction. For optimum results there is, as Lars-Olof Janflod, marketing and PR director at Genelec implies, no substitute for either professionalism or expertise if a quality broadcast is to be achieved.

“In the modern broadcast environment, video set-up can tend to dominate the system design,” he believes. “But it’s worth remembering: if we think the video engineer needs an expensive monitor with exact colour reproduction, so the audio engineer needs a wellcalibrated monitor with a perfectly balanced audio signal.

For a loudspeaker to be a monitor, it must be possible to acoustically align it with the room it is being used in. Sound travel in a room is a very complex and difficult subject.

“It is not uncommon to find broadcast production being done in a normal office space which has been created by an interior designer with no knowledge of audio or acoustics. Glass walls are a corporate favourite but don’t fit well with acoustic treatments. In this situation, our AutoCal-equipped monitors can be a great help.”

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leveraged into a successful and happy customer.”

Keen also makes the point about the importance of integrators selecting the right companies to work with.

where the content will be deployed,” he notes. “We also see that, often, the technologies used are standalone and require complex integration work to achieve the results the

‘The burgeoning of the in-house studio is crossing all lines from education to retail’ Andy Fliss, tvONE

“The main challenges we see with organisations trying to use AV as a broadcast technology are fairly typical of the industry – ensuring the network is reliable enough to deliver the content and determining how and

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business wants. You need to be able to capture, stream, record, deliver, archive and share the content being broadcast, and ensure it is secure, safe and simple to access for the end user. Choosing the correct technology

partners is vital – which means ensuring the same company can provide all of the above. If they can also manage your network, that’s great; if not, they need to understand that network to ensure they get the best result for the enterprise.”

“We are in the nascent stages of enterprise broadcasting,” claims Brown. “Right now, the average enterprise is satisfied if their lecture halls, auditoriums, training rooms and boardrooms are equipped to broadcast.

In the future, they will demand that any desktop, laptop or mobile device be added for live and on-demand global presentations. Furthermore, they will expect all of these videos to be indexed, safely archived and

instantly retrievable from anywhere. Comprehensive capabilities to support the creation, collection, indexing, management, broadcast and retrieval of videos will see specialised video content management systems that will be a part of the core IT infrastructure of all institutions.

Partnership with one or more of these providers will be critical for integrators to take advantage of this bright future.”

“This market exists now, and it’s getting bigger all the time,” says Diehl. “It will be important to offer products that are flexible enough to be used in broadcast as well as pro AV. No one can truly say who is converging with who – is broadcasting merging with AV, or is AV merging with broadcasting? What

is for certain, though, is that video is getting to be everywhere and people, companies, networks, teams – all will need to have the tools to be able to work with it.”

We have much to thank the Scots for – but who would have thought that one of those things would be a burgeoning AV market that holds distinct potential for many of the industry’s participants?

www.adder.com www.blackmagicdesign.com www.calibreuk.com www.crestron.com www.genelec.com www.riedel.net www.sonicfoundry.com www.sony-europe.com www.tripleplay-services.com www.tvone.com

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42 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: CONFERENCE VENUES March 2015

Something to talk about The conference venue market continues to be swelled by new-builds and refurbishments, spelling a healthy level of demand for AV providers. As David Davies discovers, it is flexibility and ease of use that perhaps play the greatest role in endearing systems to customers – and end-users

R

emote conferencing technology that allows businesses to communicate efficiently and with a minimum of disruption might be gaining ground, but demand for the services of the more traditional conference venue provider remains strong. That fact alone can be discerned from a steady stream of new and revamped conference facilities coming onstream.

In the last few months alone, GTG Training has unveiled a futuristiclooking, purpose-built

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8,600sqm conference and training centre in Edinburgh, while Hensol Castle in South Wales is in the midst of a £10 million refurbishment to become a 200-320-delegate conference space, augmented by five smaller meeting rooms. Further afield, the newly opened Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley Conference and Events Centre is billed as being the ‘largest and most comprehensive exhibition facility north of Sydney’.

And that is only to scratch the surface of the projects

currently in progress.

As these examples illustrate, the conference venue market is being swelled both by newbuilds and the repurposing of existing facilities. For those premises new to conferencing, it can provide an additional and welcome revenue stream – particularly during quieter, out-of-season periods – although the initial outlay in terms of both equipment and personnel may reasonably give cause for pause.

Long-term presence in

the market and a reputation for smooth organisation and logistics are likely to be the most crucial factors in determining whether a conference facility sinks or swims. But to a greater or lesser extent, the provision of audio (and visual) systems that are intelligible, robust, reliable and highend – although somehow still distinctly ‘invisible’ – constitutes another important aspect of the mix.

Medicinal purposes But first, a specific example that neatly connects

Key Points n The move to digital, and often wireless, audio in conferencing facilities continues apace n The ability for conference audio systems to dovetail neatly with existing IT infrastructures is widely regarded as a bonus n An increasing number of manufacturers are now looking to add non-audio features, such as document management, to their systems n The Middle East and Africa expect to see rapid growth in demand from the conference venues market

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Conference systems should be as easy to integrate as possible into what may be decidedly complex configurations

many of the emerging strands. Situated in the heart of London, the Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) has a two-century-andcounting history as a leading provider of medical education, running 400-plus academic meetings and conferences per year. But while its credentials as an organisation on the cutting edge of medicine can be taken for granted, it has also cultivated a reputation for the technologically advanced nature of its conferencing capabilities.

Facilities are available for RSM members and

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external companies to hire, and span two sites: 1 Wimpole Street, with four large conference rooms and nine meeting rooms, among other spaces (one of these was covered in Installation in July 2013, page 50); and Chandos House, sporting six multipurpose function rooms. Overseeing technical requirements at both venues is Kevin McLoughlin, RSM’s AV manager.

McLoughlin indicates that sound system upgrades tend to be driven both by market requirements and operator expectations: “We are always looking at ways we can improve our audio systems both from a service delivery viewpoint and from the perspective of the AV technicians who have to set up and operate these systems on a daily basis.”

Perhaps inevitably, efforts in recent times have tended to focus on the migration from analogue to digital. In the RSM’s case, this has centred upon the deployment of Biamp’s Tesira DSP platform to enable the creation of a future-proof digital audio network “linking our main meeting rooms together via single Cat6 cables and AVB-compliant network switches to complement our recently upgraded digital video systems.

Although Tesira does have its own customisable PC control interface, we added Soundcraft Si audio mixing desks (via Dante and analogue connectivity) for technicians to live-mix meetings and conferences.

With the addition of an iPad app for the desk, in-house technicians can live mix in the room or back in the control room according to what fits the event.”

At time of writing, it is still very much an ongoing

project; additional Tesira products are being added to the network, including some TesiraFORTÉ units in the smaller meeting rooms, and McLoughlin is steadily switching from conventional mics (sporting analogue connections to the Tesira servers) to Revolabs Executive Elite wireless gooseneck mics on the stage desks in the lecture theatres.

Connection via an AVBcompliant network switch allows eight channels of audio to be streamed from the stage mics, with additional return channels.

“This system gives advantages to the in-house team, including more control and monitoring over the mics such as remotely monitoring battery power

participating in a meeting through Q&A and so on has increased” in line with the growth of video production and live streaming. One way in which McLoughlin has addressed this has been through the specification of the Lumi/IML Connector solution in the Naim Dangoor Auditorium at 1 Wimpole Street.

“This multipurpose device not only has a ‘push to talk’ microphone but a return audio channel for the hard of hearing or simultaneous translation, and negates the need for supplying staff to deliver the usual roving radio mics to the audience. The fact that this device is also used for interactive voting and texting feedback is an added bonus,” says

‘As technology becomes more complex, it’s important for manufacturers to work to preserve usability for conference delegates’ Tom Harrold, Audio-Technica

or enabling the push-to-talk button, and also reduces the de-rig time when the stage furniture has to be removed,” says McLoughlin.

He adds that Sennheiser radio microphones and Ampetronic induction loop amplifiers are among the other integral elements of the audio specification.

The RSM’s AV manager readily admits that maintaining a competitive technological infrastructure is beneficial in securing external projects. In this regard, he has discerned that the importance of “getting microphones to audience members

McLoughlin, who thinks the solution has had a definite commercial advantage: “The Lumi Connector has proven popular with internal academic meetings as well as external or corporate clients – often tipping the balance between when they are deciding between similar venues for hosting their events.”

Flexibility and functionality In line with these observations, facilitating fast and hassle-free audience participation is a common theme among the audio manufacturer

community when discussing the innovations that are helping them to maintain market presence.

Running parallel with this is an acknowledgement that conference systems should be as easy to integrate as possible into what may be decidedly complex configurations.

Sennheiser has been a key player in the conference audio market since 1976. For Jans Werner – who is portfolio manager business communication and responsible for product management for all of Sennheiser’s conference solutions, including SDC, ADN and TeamConnect – there are presently “trends in different directions: one is to integrate multimedia functionality into these kind of systems; another is to offer reduced-tothe-minimum entry-level systems which don’t distract the end-user with unnecessary features”.

Looking forward, Werner expects a greater requirement to support attendees bringing their “own devices into conference venues and using them for local information as well as audio content. We have followed this trend with our MobileConnect system.”

One of Sennheiser’s latest introductions for the conference market, MobileConnect delivers live audio streaming in real time on a smartphone via an app. This means that it can be used “as an assistive listening or language distribution system in conferences, while being a cost-effective solution for the host (no need to rent and clean devices), and an easyto-use and comfortable solution for the end-user who can deploy his/her

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44 FEATURE: CONFERENCE VENUES March 2015

own smartphone and headphones.”

A Dante-supporting network audio microphone range is among the newest introductions to the market from Audio-Technica.

Mirroring Audio-Technica European marketing manager pro-audio Tom Harrold’s assertion that “the merging of AV and IT are likely to be key trends in the coming years”, the company last year unveiled ATND971 – described as being the world’s first Dante-enabled wired microphone.

“A simple Ethernet connection allows the network mic to communicate across an existing network of Dante-enabled devices and, with the microphone’s programmable user switch, control any of those

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Facilities at the RMS’s 1 Wimpole Street venue include four large conference rooms and nine meeting rooms

s

devices at the push of a button,” he says.

With different types of new functionality coming onstream, the onus is simultaneously on manufacturers to reduce stress levels for integrators, customers – and perhaps especially, conference attendees. “As technology becomes more complex and offers increasing functionality, it’s

equally important for manufacturers to work to preserve usability for conference delegates,” says Harrold. Accordingly, “products such as the ATND971 are designed to offer real flexibility without

sacrificing ease of use for untrained users. This allows venues to offer systems with high levels of control without burdening delegates with daunting technology.”

Accommodating variable levels of end-user knowledge is one overriding theme. The same goes for flexibility – and in particular, the apparent need to configure and reconfigure meeting spaces for a host of different gatherings. In this regard, digital wireless audio systems can prove

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FEATURE: CONFERENCE VENUES 45

March 2015

to be a significant asset, implies Shure Distribution head of Systems Group Duncan Savage.

“The requirement for multipurpose divisible spaces has increased the demand for robust wireless audio conferencing solutions such as [Shure’s] Microflex Wireless and ULX-D [Digital Wireless] systems – these are both digital platforms operating in the DECT and UHF bands, respectively,” explains Savage.

Ease of monitoring is another important consideration; for example, with Microflex Wireless, there is the ability to benefit from “networked monitoring and control of large systems up to 64 channels, [while] frequencies are co-ordinated automatically by the access point,

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avoiding sources of interference.”

Non-audio features?

Opinions vary on the desirability of primarily audio-based systems to accommodate nonaudio features. Certainly, Sennheiser doesn’t seem too keen, with Werner stating that “we don’t believe that this kind of feature combination is really helpful for the end-user.

It distracts from the main audio functionality”.

Others feel differently – and document sharing, in particular, is destined to be a focus of extra feature development. For example, document management is already a component of Shure’s DCS6000 and SW6000 delegate system.

“Delegates attending a conference using DCS6000

conferencing hardware and the supplementary SW6000 package are able to view documents, open hyperlinks and browse the internet when using the Conference User Application,” says Savage. “The demand for content sharing in conference systems is definitely going to increase as users request the ability to share information from their own devices using the same infrastructure as the conferencing hardware.”

The recent auction of RF frequencies across Europe – and the prospect of more reallocation to follow over the next few years as regulators struggle to satisfy mobile service providers’ seemingly unquenchable appetite for spectrum – means that wireless conference systems manufacturers

The RMS’S Naim Dangoor control room features Biamp Tesira servers and a Soundcraft Compact audio console

may well have their work cut out just ensuring basic operating reliability without heaping on too many additional features.

But whatever the technical challenges, a consistently robust European market as well as emerging economies promise to keep order books healthy for wired and wireless solution providers alike.

Pointing to two regions in particular, Harrold concludes: “The Middle East and African markets show rapid growth in

conferencing. As their economies continue to develop and infrastructures expand, so does the demand for conferencing solutions.”

www.1wimpolestreet.co.uk www.ampetronic.com www.audio-technica.com www.biamp.com www.chandoshouse.co.uk www.lumiinsight.com www.revolabs.com www.sennheiser.com www.shure.eu

03/03/2015 11:29

46 TECHNOLOGY FEATURE: LIGHTING CONTROL March 2015

Wireless DMX in use at the Canadian Football League’s Grey Cup halftime show

Key Points n Wireless communication is proving to be robust and reliable for lighting control in most applications n The lighting market is evolving rapidly as LED lamps become more common

Switched on Wireless lighting control is becoming more popular in professional AV installations, from domestic and commercial building installations to large rental and staging events. Steve Montgomery investigates

T

he phenomenal rise in the use of mobile devices to interface and interact with almost every intelligent device in consumer and commercial applications has delivered major benefits and lifestyle enhancements. Lighting control technology is typical – today all manufacturers of lighting equipment have some form of wireless control capability within their portfolio. It is not a new trend, as Sam Woodward, customer education leader, Europe and Africa at Lutron Electronics, points out: “Well-designed wireless lighting control has been proven to be effective and reliable for over 15 years now, with millions of wireless devices already deployed and operating around the world.”

The take-up and installation of this technology has been greatly aided recently by two coincident trends: the desire of owners and building operators

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to integrate and control complete buildings through management systems that provide energy efficiencies, operational savings and localised convenience and comfort; and the introduction of LED-based luminaires

health are expected to grow from $59.3 billion annually in 2013 to $86.7 billion in 2023. Worldwide shipments of residential lighting controls are expected to total nearly 1.1 billion over that same period.

‘Wireless control is ideal in retrofits of historic buildings where it is not possible to add new conduit and wiring’ Bryan Palmer, ETC

that are inherently more controllable and able to deliver attractive visual effects. Both are affected by legislation that forces users to manage energy more efficiently or simply makes old lamps obsolete.

Navigant Research estimates that commercial building automation systems that improve energy efficiency and optimisation and enhance occupant comfort and

Wireless strength Wireless control offers a variety of advantages that makes it ideal for lighting installations.

Many light bulbs, such as the Philips Hue and Osram Lightify ranges, have integral wireless receivers and control electronics that allow the brightness and colour to be directly controlled by an application hosted on a smart device. Designed for

retrofit and replacement of traditional bulbs, they provide consumers with instant remote control of their lighting environment without the need for expensive and inconvenient rewiring and control units.

Groups of bulbs can be controlled together to create scenes and instant configuration at the touch of a virtual or physical switch.

Wireless lighting is being incorporated into residential control systems to form part of the overall home management strategy. As David Ribbons, director of sales northern, central and eastern Europe for Lutron, explains: “Clear Connect RF technology provides a simple alternative for adding light control into locations where it may previously have been too difficult, such as older homes with complex architecture, without having to install new wiring. It operates on a quiet frequency band that is essentially free of interference,

n Building owners and occupants demand greater lighting control; this can be achieved simply by adding locally controlled wireless lighting systems n Building management systems commonly feature lighting and daylight harvesting in integrated systems to save energy and improve the comfort of occupants n Wireless DMX lighting control systems with adaptive frequency hopping and multifrequency transmission are suitable for heavily congested RF networks at large live events so is unaffected by neighbouring networks.

Lighting can be controlled wirelessly through any third-party controller, including touchpanels, remote controls and smart devices.”

Commercial installations of integrated building management systems can also take advantage of wireless lighting systems.

They too benefit greatly from simplified installation without the need to rewire whole buildings and can easily and quickly be incorporated into the building management and control system. With individual adjustability

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FEATURE: LIGHTING CONTROL 47

March 2015

of each fitting, greater levels of local control can be provided to increase the comfort of employees and provide automatic adjustment in response to local conditions.

CREE’s Smartcast light fittings have integral motion and ambient light sensors to automatically adjust its brightness or shut down completely, depending on the amount of daylight and presence of people. Their integral wireless interfaces radically reduce design and installation time. Lutron’s Quantum Vue facility management tool extends lighting control with wireless controllers and keypads within a buildingwide system that can be operated from a smart device or cloud-based building management facility and works with automatic shading for daylight harvesting and better overall energy management.

With the inherent ability for each light fitting, controller and sensor to communicate wirelessly, combined with the vast quantity of devices likely to be installed, it is unsurprising that this technology has not escaped the notice of major manufacturers and service providers.

Adata, better known as the second-largest global computer memory device manufacturer, with an annual turnover in excess of $1 billion, has now moved into the connected LED lamp and controller market. Established building management systems manufacturers, including Schneider Electric and Honeywell, and Internet of Things (IoT) and wireless and cloud network providers

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such as Synapse and Daintree Networks, have expanded their attention to the provision of buildingwide control systems that take advantage of wireless lighting devices and controllers. In addition many start-ups and crowd-funded companies are being formed to provide new applications and capabilities that take advantage of this technology.

Wireless control has also found application in the architectural and live event sectors. “Wireless control is ideal for temporary shows or installations and in retrofits of historic buildings where it is not possible to add new conduit and wiring,” says Bryan Palmer, ETC architectural market manager. “With advancements in technology over the past few years, wireless has become a reliable means of communication when the systems are designed correctly and proper care is taken to determine what frequencies and channels are least likely to encounter interference. However, they need to be very robust in reliability, security, configuration and coverage as they transmit live data where every data packet matters.”

Mark Ravenhill, president of GLP, agrees but sounds a note of caution: “It can certainly help in situations where running cables is difficult, such as in public access areas. But if the signal is lost or corrupted there may be loss of control, which could lead to fixtures locking up or behaving erratically, so it is not suited to installations where there is the potential for RF interference. For example at the Super Bowl halftime show we couldn’t

Case Study

Cost-saving Cree LED lighting for North Carolina State University North Carolina State University ushered in a new era of student housing with the installation of 4,182 Cree LED fittings at its Wolf Ridge campus.

Different luminaires were installed to provide general apartment, stairway and hall lighting, with automatic dimming and shutdown to minimise energy consumption. According to Dr Barry Olson, director of business administration: “Our students are green-minded so a product like this makes them happy. Some lamps are on all the time as we want students to feel safe in those areas. We’ve seen a very consistent quality of lighting – the students definitely appreciate the quality of the light and they say it makes them feel safer.”

Designed for extended life, LED luminaires last much longer than conventional lighting, which equates to fewer replacements over time. “Maintenance cost saving is one of the major benefits when making the switch to Cree LED lighting,” says Dr Olson. use it; the RF situation there was a challenge, with police, medical and secret service communication networks, teams’ on-field radios, artists’ wireless mics and production and TV crews’ wireless radios and camera feeds all using limited bandwidth.”

Woodward adds: “Transmission problems must be designed out of the system by the manufacturer. Avoiding congested parts of the RF spectrum is a first-step towards this. Ensuring that the underlying firmware uses good error-checking to ensure that there is no ‘strange behaviour’ is also fundamental.”

Despite these potential problems, wireless DMX is a successful method of controlling event lighting.

“Our wireless W-DMX system protects data from corruption and ensures transmission integrity by using adaptive frequency hopping (AFH) that automatically avoids frequencies that are

already in use, together with dual-band 2.4GHz and 5GHz simultaneous transmission and errorcorrection techniques,” explains Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution.

Wireless lighting control has clearly come of age in the residential and commercial building industries and in live event management. It is bound to expand further, finding new applications, greater scope and becoming more deeply integrated into larger control systems.

Woodward believes: “We’re at an exciting time as LED light sources become increasingly efficient and are now a mainstream light-source, as networking technologies offer new ways of communicating with our systems

and as user-interface design combines both the functional and the aesthetic to deliver systems that are easy to use and visually attractive.

Gone are the days of an ugly light-switch on the wall with a single function, and in its place are systems that are convenient and stylish.”

www.adata.com www.amx.com www.cree.com www.etcconnect.com www.germanlightproducts.com www.lutron.com www.osram.com www.philips.com www.pr-lighting.com www.wirelessdmx.com

A Lightify starter kit from Osram

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03/03/2015 16:46

TECHNOLOGY Kit you need to know about

Apex

New Products p49

Demo of the Month: Shure Q-LXD

Liviau R

p52

Showcase:

It’s… An all-in-one conference room control system housed in a 10in touchpanel.

What’s different? Liviau R offers instant access to content, full control over a presentation, and complete room control including lighting, video, audio and other automated services – all fully integrated and managed from the same platform.

Details: The 10.1in touch interface is purposely limited to the information required during meetings and presentations for as uncluttered a look as possible. It can also be remotely mirrored to an external device, allowing control from anywhere in the room.

Liviau R enables presentations to be shared wirelessly from a laptop, tablet or smartphone. No extra hardware or apps are required – it all happens via WiFi and the device’s built-in AirPlay, Chromecast or Miracast technology. All that is necessary is to connect the room’s display or projector to the Liviau R for instant presentation of material. It is also equipped with HDMI input and output, a Gigabit Ethernet and a USB port.

Content that is regularly used, such as company presentations, may be stored in Liviau R’s internal memory for instant access.

A built-in web browser allows access to information stored on other servers, or for quick searches and sharing of information.

Meetings can also be recorded and archived.

Liviau R also incorporates a 6 x 6 audio mixer with a powerful DSP processor and multiple EQ and limiting facilities, and an integrated two-channel 50W amplifier. For clear vocal and music reproduction, connect the system to loudspeakers and an external source such as CD or microphone – there are two mic and four line inputs, and six line outputs.

In terms of control, Liviau R offers simple control of audio and lighting levels at all times via faders situated at the left and right of the touchscreen. Extensive automation features allow for events such as closing blinds and retracting screens to be triggered on demand, using GPIOs. It can interface with any DMX 512-based lighting controller. Conventional room lights are easily controlled and it is even possible to select the colour of LED lighting.

Liviau R is priced at under €3,000, making it a fraction of the price of competitor offerings.

Available: April

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This Month

Home cinema equipment

f o t c u Prod nth o the m

p54

www.apex-liviau.com

03/03/2015 15:00

50 TECHNOLOGY: NEW PRODUCTS March 2015

RGB Spectrum MediaWall V

It’s… The world’s first true UHD videowall processor.

What’s different?

The MediaWall V display processor features an architecture that combines the real-time processing and reliability of a hardware-based processor with the flexibility of a separate, dedicated processor to run applications. Add in integrated IP capabilities, extensive user-friendly features, enhanced security and an intuitive, easy-to-operate control interface, and the result is a versatile and powerful 4K wall processing system.

Details: With a MediaWall V processor, users can display ultra-high-resolution 4K video and graphics together with HD sources on a wall array of 4K UHD display devices. It supports up to 36 video/graphic direct inputs and up to 28 outputs/display devices, and processes a full range of input and output resolutions, including 4K UHD (3840 x 2160), 2K (2048 x 1152/1080) and HD (1920 x 1080). Inputs are fully scalable, whether for output to a UHD videowall or for display on standard videowalls. The processor supports IP decoding and display via an optional Application Processor (AP), which can decode IP camera and other H.264 streams.

The MediaWall V processor offers a range of control options. The built-in set-up and configuration GUI supports both local and remote access, drag-and-drop window positioning and scaling, wall layout presets and input selection. In addition, RGB’s new VIEWT Controller adds a graphically enhanced user interface with live thumbnails to enhance system operation. The processor can also be controlled by a variety of third-party devices.

Aten VM6404H Unveiled at ISE 2015, the VM6404H is the AV industry’s first 4K seamless matrix switch. Supporting 4K@60Hz, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2, the VM6404H, the device features fast (almost zero seconds) video switching and playback of 4K content in real time with no latency. It also features a built-in scaler function to unify different video source formats and render the best output resolutions on designated displays with uncompromised precision. Available May 2015. www.aten.co.uk

Martin Professional RUSH Gobo Projector 1 The RUSH Gobo Projector 1 from Harman’s Martin Professional uses E30-sized gobos with a maximum image diameter of 30mm and thickness of 4mm. Its light source is a 20W LED array and projects a 17º beam angle with an estimated minimum LED lifetime of 30,000 hours. The unit is cased in silver and possesses an IP20 protection rating for indoor mounting with an included adjustable bracket. It is said to be ideal for permanent installation in club, bar, restaurant and shopping mall applications. Available now. www.martin.com

Available: Q2 2015 www.rgb.com

Televic CONFIDEA F

It’s… A range of Plixus Powered flushmount panels for traditional conference applications.

What’s different? New wear-resistant metal panels replace the TCS5500 range and All-inOne panels, which over the years, says Televic, have become the industry standard for high-end applications such as international institutions, parliaments and councils. With Plixus compatibility, Confidea F presents a significant upgrade, allowing traditional audio conferencing set-ups to fully benefit from the advanced conference network technology.

Details: The Confidea F range consists of 11 models with options suitable for basic discussion, for applications that include electronic voting and for high-end applications that include simultaneous interpretation. It has been designed for flush integration in furniture – the rounded corners make clean integration easier when sunk flush into milled desktops. The dimensions of each of the Confidea F variants have been shrunk to take up a minimum amount of space.

The panels have been designed on a modular architecture that offers a multitude of possibilities for combining and arranging functionality. The manufacturing process also allows for custom finishing and screening.

Available: Now www.televic.com

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Yamaha Pro Audio VXC-F The latest addition to Yamaha’s expanding Commercial Installation Solutions range, the VXC-F loudspeakers feature a newly designed speaker unit and resin enclosure, optimally tuned for music playback. Consisting of two units, the VXC3F (pictured) features a 3.5in full-range bass reflex driver rated at 20W, while the VXC5F has a 4.5in driver rated at 40W. The speakers are also said to be exceptionally fast and flexible to install, with both high- and low-impedance connections (with speaker wattage easily switched either before or after installation), Euroblock terminals, a carrying band, anti-drop tab, magnetically secured grilles (with anti-drop wire) and double-threaded screws. Available now. www.yamahaproaudio.com

JBL/Duran Audio Intellivox 380 Sitting between the 380 and 430 series, the 380 delivers an array with an acoustic length of approximately 3m. The unit can be ordered with DDC beam steering technology in the form of the DC380, with DDS beam shaping technology (the DS380) or as a DSX version, the DSX380, which has extended HF response and DDS technology.

Available now. www.jblpro.com

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52 TECHNOLOGY: DEMO OF THE MONTH March 2015

Spectral efficiency

Shure’s Duncan Savage with the QLX-D system

Paddy Baker recently visited the offices of Shure Distribution to be shown the company’s QLX-D mid-tier wireless microphone system, which has been designed with today’s RF spectrum conditions in mind

T

he UHF spectrum works well for transmitting and receiving wireless microphone signals. However, as you move up into the gigahertz range of the spectrum, the wavelength drops and signal transmission becomes much less efficient.

However, it’s not only wireless mics that find UHF useful. When terrestrial TV broadcasting was switched off a few years, national governments sold off the relevant parts of the spectrum to the highest bidder. Predominantly it went to mobile phone companies, which use it for 3G and 4G data transmission.

Wireless microphone usage is constantly increasing – particularly, says Shure Distribution UK sales and project engineer Stuart Stephens, in schools, churches and in corporate applications – but with an ever-narrowing band of frequencies in which to operate.

This inevitably means that the likelihood of interference from other sources increases, and so wireless microphone users need to be able to switch quickly to other frequencies when issues arise. Additionally, as spectrum becomes a diminishing resource, wireless microphones need to make efficient use of it.

These two considerations were at the fore in the development of Shure’s QLX-D, which the company launched at PLASA last year and showed at ISE 2015 last month. This is a midtier product, developed from the higher-level ULX-D wireless system. “Traditionally, analogue systems could operate between eight and 12 microphones in a single 8MHz TV band. With QLX-D, we can fit up to 22,” explains Duncan Savage, head of the systems group at SDUK. “Additionally, with a tuning band of 72MHz, the user can cover nine TV bands in a single SKU.” This means that QLX-D can operate more

channels than any other system in its class.

Shure ceased its nonwireless research and development activity in 2006, concentrating on wireless development in the near-decade since. A major development was the Axient wireless microphone system – and many of the features created for that product have found their way into others, including QLX-D. An example of this is interference detection. QLX-D is compatible with Shure’s Axient AXT600 Spectrum Manager software, which can maintain a backup list of compatible frequencies. If any interference is detected, the user is prompted to switch to a clean frequency, which can be done at the touch of a button.

Transmitters are either handhelds – which can take any Shure microphone capsule – and beltpacks. These are sturdily built, with an anodised metal casing. Pairing them with a receiver is straightforward: the receiver performs a complete channel scan and allocates a frequency, and this is synchronised to the transmitter over IR at the press of a button.

Audio quality is 24-bit, with a ‘virtually flat’ frequency response. AES-256 encryption can be easily enabled for environments where secure transmission is important.

A major strength of QLX-D is its network capability. Shure’s Wireless Workbench software – available for Windows and Mac – enables control and monitoring of the whole system.

Users can monitor RF levels and audio levels throughout an installation, or just in a single room.

Savage adds: “You can also use Wireless

A number of parameters are displayed on the receiver, including frequency, TV band, RF signal strength, audio gain and remaining battery life

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Wireless Workbench software enables the entire system to be controlled and monitored over a network

Workbench to deploy co-ordinated frequencies to every microphone on network at push of button. It’s also a one-second operation to desynchronise a receiver from transmitter.”

One feature of particular interest to the installation community is that networkability also extends to the system being compatible with other control systems, such as Crestron, AMX and Q-Sys. The transmitters use rechargeable lithium-ion batteries, which have a 10-hour life. Remaining battery life, accurate to 15 minutes, is displayed on the transmitters and receivers. Wireless Workbench can also display audio and RF meters, battery life, and volume control for each channel of the system.

Savage believes that, despite efforts of industry bodies such as BEIRG to publicise the issues around spectrum sell-off, there is still a lack of understanding in some parts of the market. For example, he says: “Some people are still specifying systems that run on channel 70; we stopped making them 18 months ago.”

Personal experience of RF difficulties tends to drive knowledge, he continues: “The converts tend to be the people who’ve been bitten by spectrum issues.”

Shure recently launched the Losing Your Voice website to highlight the issues around loss of spectrum for wireless microphones, and to provide information about the latest spectrum developments in the UK.

www.shure.eu www.losingyourvoice.co.uk

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54 TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE March 2015

Home cinema equipment The wide range of solutions on offer in the home cinema market aim to give the end-user greater control and flexibility, whether it be for physical placement or the ability to adjust device settings to different home environments, writes Duncan Proctor

Epson balances 4K enhancement with laser longevity

Epson’s EH-LS10000 laser projector is aimed at home cinema enthusiasts and is its first projector to feature 4K enhancement technology. The 3LCD Reflective technology and dual light source deliver Epson’s widest colour gamut and Absolute Black. By using the cinema filter, it’s possible to achieve DCI and Adobe RGB colour gamuts.

In addition to creating high-quality images, the laser technology also means this 3D model has a light-source life of 30,000 hours in Eco mode, eliminating maintenance. For this model there is also a short power-on time, with projection starting in 20 seconds.

The EH-LS10000 has a 1,500 lumens picture and a high White and Colour Light Output. The 3D mode provided by the 480Hz

drive ensures bright 3D images, with the use of laser preventing any crosstalk. Added features for image enhancement include ISF calibration, detail enhancement technology, frame interpolation, and 2D to 3D conversion and depth control. High-speed motion response projects crisp images in fast-moving scenes and the high aperture ratio reduces the screen door effect and maintains a smooth texture. www.epson-europe.com

Optoma brings placement flexibility with short-range solution

The HD90 LED projector is based on the HD91 but the short-throw lens allows people with less space to enjoy a dedicated home cinema: the HD90 can throw a 100in picture onto a screen less than 3m away.

Because LED technology produces less heat, the HD90 requires less cooling and so runs more quietly. The short-throw lens combined with full lens shift (±60% vertical, ±10% horizontal) and 1.9x zoom provide a wide range of placement possibilities. Its weight of only 7kg expands installation options further; it can be installed at any angle on its vertical axis.

Installers can calibrate the picture quality to the physical setting of the room. The projector is equipped with PureColour technology, which works in conjunction with the Colour Management System that offers a choice of five pre-set colour gamuts (Native, Adobe, DLP-C, HDTV and SMPTE-C) and six colour temperatures. It can be connected to an anamorphic lens to play

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Cinemascope 2.35:1 movies using 1080p resolution.

The HD90 also has consistent brightness and colour reproduction, with minimal degradation over time. The LED and DLP technologies also reduce running costs using 33% less power than conventional light sources, and with no lamp replacements needed. PureMotion4 frame insertion technology gives advanced motion control processing, eliminating motion blur – even during high-speed sequences and in 3D modes.

Angled speaker calibration from Yamaha The RXA3040 AV receiver is part of the Yamaha AVENTAGE line-up, prioritising the highest possible sound quality and supporting Dolby Atmos.

The receiver can run up to nine separate channels and with the use of a power amp can utilise 11 channels of audio, allowing for a 7.2.4 Dolby Atmos configuration. The YPAO-RSC 3D auto speaker calibration allows speakers to be calibrated on both distance from the microphone and angle, so the 3D measurement is accurate.

A feature of the RXA3040 is the advanced web set-up, which allows basic changes to be made through different devices.

Users wanting more control can navigate to the advanced setup, where every parameter of every setting can be changed. http://europe.yamaha.com

Draper’s TecVision options boost picture quality TecVision surfaces from Draper have the advantage of being designed specifically for projection, in contrast to those from other companies that manufacture textiles for a number of uses.

As well as targeted manufacturing, TecVision screens offer wider viewing cones for better off-axis viewing, and have lower and more consistent gloss levels for less picture distortion. They also feature carefully formulated light-absorbing dark backing to prevent picture degradation from light behind the screen. There are currently eight TecVision formulations, all certified by the Imaging Science Foundation for colour accuracy, and all 4K ready.

For specific projector needs, custom options are available: these can be designed with adjustments made to viewing cones, contrast and ambient light properties. These adjustments can provide picture quality that would ordinarily only be achieved with additional or brighter projectors.

www.optoma.co.uk www.draperinc.com

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56 TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE March 2015

Tannoy delivers superior audio performance The DC12i high-performance loudspeaker is the flagship product from Tannoy’s Definition Install range. The cabinet is installable into walls, ceilings, behind screens or placed on traditional speaker stands and wall brackets.

The DC12i is based on a 300mm version of the Definition Install Dual Concentric Driver. The 97dB/W efficiency, 400W programme material power handling and 800W peak power handling allow the speaker to run consistently at 120dB, with short-term peaks over 126dB SPL if required.

The DC12i driver is a full-range unit (50Hz-38kHz) with low distortion and coloration. The Wideband tweeter delivers improved projection and spatial information due to its Tannoy waveguide, and the large mid-bass cone helps communicate nuance and effect.

It has a heavily built and extensively braced cabinet, 255mm deep, with the enclosure and front ports tuned for back-to-wall placement. The textured black paint finish is hardwearing and the cabinet is fitted with four keyhole fittings for landscape or portrait wall mounting.

Pioneer adds speakers to Dolby Atmos range The new Pioneer Dolby Atmos ‘Enabled’ speaker range has been designed specifically for Atmos playback in the home, making Pioneer one of the first manufacturers to offer AV receivers, amplication and a matching speaker package for Atmos. The package includes the S-BS73A-LR (bookshelf model), S-C73A (centre channel), and S-FS73A (floor-standing model) as well as the S-71W subwoofer.

In addition to the traditional front-firing array, the speakers feature an upward-firing drive unit which reflects sound off the ceiling – providing the height information that would otherwise only be obtained by mounting

The Vivitek H1185HD singlechip DLP projector has 1080p native resolution and WUXGA (1920 x 1200 @60Hz) maximum resolution. It delivers 2,500 ANSI lumens of brightness with a contrast ratio of 10,000:1. The lamp lifetime is up to 5,000 hours in eco mode and its top-sided lamp cover facilitates convenient lamp replacement. On the audio front, it includes SRS WOW technology, which is said to deliver a cinematic experience with deep, rich bass.

The projector also includes features such as DLP DarkChip3 and BrilliantColor from Texas Instruments, as well as ISF mode for day and night calibration. Connectivity options include HDMI v1.4b, VGA-in, S-video, component and composite. The H1185HD is 3D-ready and can project a diagonal image of 26.2in-329in at distances between 1.2m and 10m, with a 1.5x zoom ratio. www.vivitek.eu

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www.pioneer.eu

Denon combines 4K upscaling with surround sound capability

www.tannoy.com/residential

Vivitek opts for connectivity focus

speakers overhead or in the ceiling. The Atmos ‘Enabled’ speakers occupy a footprint similar to that of a typical 5.1 system so can utilise existing cabling. They are also suitable for rented and period properties, or those with vaulted ceilings where ceiling speakers are not an option.

The Denon AVR-X4100W receiver features an advanced video section with eight HDMI inputs, including one located on the front panel, and three HDMI outputs. It also has 4K Ultra HD 60Hz video passthrough and upscaling, and is compatible with Pure Color 4:4:4 colour sub-sampling. The video section also features ISFccc advanced video calibration controls.

The audio section features Dolby Atmos

surround decoding as well as Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. There’s also DTS Neo:X advanced multichannel decoding, and Dolby Pro Logic IIz. The AVR-X4100W is equipped with Audyssey’s Platinum suite of advanced DSP audio algorithms, including the MultEQ XT32 automatic room acoustic measurement and correction system, which can measure at up to eight different locations in the room. Also featured is Audyssey LFC, which uses psychoacoustic algorithms that are designed to maintain bass performance in the listening room while preventing bass from passing through the walls and disturbing the neighbours. www.denon.com

Marantz targets ‘sweet spot’ uniformity The new SR7009 AV receiver builds on Marantz’s SR7008 model and includes nine 200W amplifier channels. It can handle up to 11.2 channels and fully supports Audyssey DSX, DTS Neo:X 11.1 and Dolby Atmos. Audio quality is achieved by the use of current feedback technology and HDAM preamplification.

Through the use of Audyssey MultEQ XT32/LFC Pro, the SR7009 can offer more accurate speaker calibration to ensure every seat in the room is a ‘sweet spot’ for audio.

The receiver also has WiFi and Bluetooth built

in, and supports Apple lossless, Gapless, FLAC HD 192/24 and even DSD and AIFF network streaming.

The receiver’s eight HDMI inputs and three HDMI outputs handle most Ultra HD formats. www.marantz.com

03/03/2015 15:19

From the publisher of Installation, AV Technology and SCN, a new launch for the UK education sector.

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11/11/2014 15:08

58 SOLUTIONS: ST PETER’S BASILICA March 2015

Picture: Giulia Agnello

Some 340 fixtures were used to highlight the dome

of the Month

Installed Lighting All Diamante Lighting n Jilspot7 Compact Wide n Jilspot7 Compact Flood n Elle 20, 40, 60 and 80 Compact n Elle 60 Compact Asymmetric n SylverLine 600 Boxed n SylverLine 900 Boxed

VATICAN CITY

See the light

A new LED lighting system highlights the architectural, artistic and spiritual splendour of this Renaissance masterpiece, writes Mike Clark

F

ourteen years after an upgrade to its architectural lighting for the Jubilee, a special year of remission of sins and universal pardon, St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican has taken delivery of a new LED lighting system.

The executive design was

by ACEA’s public lighting department, represented by Bruno Lalli. The 340 fixtures (all IP67 Class I rated) are a combination of various versions of Jilspot, Elle and SylverLine instruments manufactured by Diamante Lighting of Alessandria and they highlight some of the basilica’s best-known features.

Outside, they are positioned at the main dome (designed by Michelangelo), tambour, lantern, cusp, smaller

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domes, façade, belfry, clock chamber, coronation statues and top corridor.

Inside the splendid church, the new LED lighting illuminates the Gloria at the main altar and the baldachin (canopy) of the confession altar (both designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini).

Remo Guerrini, head of new projects with ACEA Reti’s Public Illumination Unit, states: “The new lighting at St Peter’s is the first stage of a large ACEA project for the illumination of 47 religious domes, bell towers and other tall buildings visible from the city’s vantage points.”

On the ropes For complex installations such as the Vatican, with installation points that are not accessible by

conventional means, ACEA calls in teams of rope access specialists. The company responsible for this work at St Peter’s – indoors and outside – as well as the second in this series of installations, at the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, was A&G of Rome.

Regarding the difficulties involved in mounting equipment in a building of such great architectural and artistic importance, Guerrini continues: “For installation work inside the basilica we had the metal structures and power sockets used for the previous fixtures at our disposal, so there was no need to drill holes in the masonry or mount new brackets or supports for the LED units.”

Six A&G staff worked

About the main contractor n Founded in 1909, ACEA Group (majority shareholder Rome City Council) is one of Italy’s most important public utilities n It deals with the management of energy, environmental and water services: energy production, sale and distribution, the development of renewable sources, waste disposal and the creation of energy from waste, public and artistic lighting, and integrated water services n In 2001 ACEA Group purchased metropolitan Rome’s electricity distribution division from Enel and ACEA Distribution thus becoming the second-biggest electricity distributor n Foreign interests include fully-owned subsidiary ACEA Dominican, providing water treatment services in the Dominican Republic, and shares in Aguazul Bogota Colombia and Peru’s Consorcio Agua Azul

on this project either as a single team or two three-men groups, in which one was particularly

expert in progression on rope and suspension equipment installation and positioning and another

03/03/2015 15:25

provided rope support. The third organised material handling, before passing on to positioning cable runs, brass support bars and mounting the fixtures by means of stainless steel nuts and bolts.

Once the fixtures were installed, at dusk they were precisely aimed, following instructions received from an ACEA technician on the ground.

A&G owner Gennaro Agnello explains: “Some installation points were reached following passageways and stairs only the Fabric of St Peter’s staff could guide us along.

Originally a committee of 60 experts appointed in 1523 by Pope Clement VII, with the responsibility for building and administering the basilica, the Fabric now manages all aspects of the church, ‘with respect to the preservation and decoration of the building and behaviour among employees and pilgrims who come into the church’.

“It’s hard to realise the sheer scale of St Peter’s from the ground – the goldplated bronze sphere atop the dome is at a height of over 400ft – where it can be very windy!

“One of the main problems was that we were dealing with works of art, so we had to respect the travertine masonry and lead sheeting used. No holes could be drilled in the masonry and lead… so on the entire basilica we took great care with the support bars, as everything had to be absolutely reliable and avoid the visible areas of the building.”

Avoiding crowds A&G co-owner Fabrizio Giampà continues: “Inside, as well as total respect for the building and keeping

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The 400ft dome provided numerous challenges during installation

Picture: A&G

noise to a minimum, we had to take care with the countless tourists, as the basilica was always open during working hours. At Christmas, in particular, we sometimes had to stop to avoid curious crowds forming. The areas immediately below us were cordoned off and above the entrance we had to take even greater care when working outside with strong winds, extending our ‘security perimeter’.”

Of the Diamante fixtures installed by A&G, the sevenLED Jilspot7 Compact units at St Peter’s are deployed with flood optics and wide beam configuration, whereas the rectangular Elle Compact models are fielded in three versions (with 24, 48 and 72 LEDs), and the SylverLine Boxed linear LED bars in 18- and 27-LED formats.

Guerrini adds: “This new system will ensure lower maintenance costs, since the expected operating life of each LED instrument is approximately seven to 10 years, whereas discharge lamps’ life is around 40 months. LED technology also gives better light quality, as the light sources – which in this case have a colour temperature of

either 2,800 or 3,800º Kelvin, according to where they are installed. It also has a more intense emission and gives brighter colours, which is also important, as the dome and façade are among the most photographed symbols of the Eternal City.

“Power involved will be considerably reduced – for example, the fixtures previously used to light the lantern absorbed 40W each, whereas the new ones don’t exceed 9W. This ratio can be applied to almost all other fixtures and should allow an estimated 75% energy saving.”

The new system is switched on directly with a timer under the control of the Fabric of St Peter’s and is connected with the Vatican City’s public illumination and, with this ambitious ongoing project, ACEA will eventually enable the millions of tourists who visit Rome every year to see dozens of monument under a new light.

www.acea.it www.diamantelighting.com www.lavorisufune.org

03/03/2015 15:25

60 SOLUTIONS: FAMILY HOME, SURREY March 2015

The various entertainment sources in the house – two Kaleidescape movie players and disk vaults, two Sky Boxes, a Blu-ray player and two Apple TVs – are routed to the cinema room and the six TVs in the house by a DigitalMedia 8x8 matrix switcher

Installed CONTROL/NETWORKING UNITED KINGDOM

Second time around

It’s always good to get repeat business. For one custom installer, the second project from the client was bigger and wider-ranging – and also went on to win a Crestron Integration Award. Tom Bradbury reports

T

ucked away beyond the Surrey woodlands is a beautiful home that demonstrates how technology and interior design can complement each other to create the perfect living environment.

Crestron systems seamlessly tie the home technology together, while interior designer Louise Bradley was tasked with transforming the space.

Bradley worked in tandem with custom installation company ClearSphere.

This was the second project that the Londonbased integrator had worked on for this client family, but it was a much bigger and more complicated undertaking this time around.

In some ways, the brief was simple: ‘everything was to be integrated – both

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inside and out’. This short but all-encompassing description included designing and installing a total home lifestyle technology solution to cover control and operation of all the AV systems, a home cinema, internal and external lighting, curtains and blinds, underfloor heating, air-conditioning, extract and ventilation, the temperature and operation of the swimming pool, water features, intercom facilities, CCTV, door-entry and intruder alarm systems.

On top of this, the clients themselves are tech-savvy and wanted to be able to control and monitor everything – and so intuitive user-friendly controls were to be installed too.

To provide this, ClearSphere designed a system that makes use of Crestron’s ‘Smart

Graphics’ interface, on a combination of Crestron TSW touchscreens and iPads. Control is available on a room-by-room basis or by using the floorplan overview feature. The overview allows AV, heating and lighting to be monitored and controlled across the entire property from a single page.

The home also features a state-of-the-art multi-room audio system integrated to allow 16 zones around the home. Playing from a range of sources, the system includes Apple AirPorts for playing music direct from Apple devices, a media server and FM/ DAB radio.

Amplification in the house is via two Sonnex amps, paired with in-wall and in-ceiling speakers from Bowers & Wilkins.

An additional feature in the home is the state-

n Crestron TSW-1050 10in and TSW-750 7in touchscreens n Crestron MLX-3 handheld remotes n Crestron CNX-BX keypads n Crestron CP3 control processors n Cisco SF50024P managed network switch with PoE n Crestron CEN-RFGW-EX wireless access points n Crestron DM room controller n Crestron DIN-AP2 processor n Crestron DIN-8SW8 8-way relay control modules n Crestron DIN-8SW8-I 8 way I/O relay modules n Crestron DIN-HUB Cresnet distribution hub

VIDEO n Crestron DM 8x8 matrix n Crestron DM 4-way output card n Crestron DM HDMI input cards n Wyrestorm EX-1UTP-IR HDBaseT TX/RX pair n Crestron CEN-NVS2000 network video streamer n Crestron DM CCTV input card n Mobotix MX-T24M-Sec-D11 camera module of-the-art cinema room.

The entire home cinema system is controlled by a Crestron MLX-3 remote.

The hidden DigitalMedia

n Mobotix MX-Keypad1-EXT SV T24 keypad module

AUDIO n Crestron Sonnex 8-zone amplifier and audio matrix n Crestron Sonnex 8-zone audio extender n Onkyo TXNR-626 home cinema receivers n B&W CCM664 6in and CCM682 8in ceiling speakers n B&W CWM7.4, CWM7.3 in-wall speakers n B&W AM-1 outdoor pod speakers n B&W CM5 shelf mount speakers n B&W CM Center 2 centre speaker n B&W ASW610XP 500W active subwoofer n B&W ISW-4 subwoofer n B&W SA250 MKII subwoofer amplifiers

LIGHTING AND BLINDS n Crestron 4-channel universal dimmer modules n Crestron 4-channel 0-10V dimmer modules n Lutron Sivoia blinds and curtain track n Lutron QSE-CI-NWK-E Ethernet interface 8x8 matrix switcher in the cinema room supplies video to six televisions throughout the property as well as the cinema system,

03/03/2015 15:27

The Global Broadcast, AV and Pro Audio Resource Library

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09/10/14 17:03

62 SOLUTIONS: FAMILY HOME, SURREY March 2015

allowing for connection to two Kaleidescape movie players and disk vaults, two Sky Boxes, a Blu-ray player and two Apple TVs. A DigitalMedia feed is also sent to the Crestron system, allowing video sources to play on the touchscreens. This allows the homeowner to browse and preview channels via the touchscreens before deciding which channel to send to any of the TV screens.

The Crestron centralised lighting control operates the lighting for the entire property with 132 light circuits and 45 CNX keypads, all connected to the one system. The lights can be controlled from the keypads or remotely using the Crestron app

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About the integrator n ClearSphere specialises in home automation and entertainment systems for high-end residences in London and south-east England n Its core expertise is in the installation of Crestron control systems and Lutron lighting systems n The company has won seven Crestron Integration Awards in the past five years, including this project, which took the Best Integrated Home honours in the 2015 awards installed on the customer’s smartphone and tablet.

Crestron low-energy LED light fixtures provide energy efficiencies across the property.

The home also features a full Crestron Building Management System. This features 24 floor heating and radiator zones, which are controlled via the

Crestron system, allowing for personal preference settings to be set for each room and space. The air conditioning similarly integrates with the Crestron system for full control of 12 zones; the bathroom fans can also be switched on and off via the system. The heating and air conditioning systems work together to

ensure the home is kept at the optimal temperature for comfortable living, while minimising energy consumption.

“We first used ClearSphere to install a Crestron system in our London home in 2008,” comments the property’s owner. “We loved the system and found ClearSphere easy to work with, so using them for the new house was the logical decision. We couldn’t be more pleased with the system, it works really well and does everything ClearSphere said it would and more. The look and feel of the remotes and touchscreens is a big improvement on the old house and we really feel we’ve got the system we wanted. ClearSphere did

a first-rate job and stood head-and shoulders above all our other contractors. I would happily recommend ClearSphere and Crestron to others.”

This project won the Best Integrated Home category in the recent Crestron Integration Awards. The judges’ comments included “a jaw-dropping project on every level”, “custom install as it should be!” and “stunning installation”.

www.bowers-wilkins.co.uk www.clearsphere.co.uk www.crestron.eu www.kaleidescape.com www.lutron.com www.mobotix.com www.onkyo.com www.wyrestorm.com

03/03/2015 15:27

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64 SOLUTIONS: CATHEDRAL OF VERDEN, LOWER SAXONY March 2015

The new sound system had to improve sound quality and reduce the reverberation time

GERMANY

Medieval modernisation Replacing an obsolete sound system while preserving the structure’s heritage was the challenge at this important Gothic cathedral, writes Duncan Proctor

B

uilt from the 13th century onwards, the Cathedral of Verden is the first Gothic cathedral of Lower Saxony. After the Reformation it was used as a Lutheran bishops’ see, and today boasts the oldest hall-surrounding choir in Germany.

The cathedral’s sound equipment had become outdated following 40 years of use, and so the parish turned to local integrator Axel Hartig and his company Musikhaus Hartig to install a new sound reinforcement system.

Due to the 38m height of the building, the new system not only had to improve the sound quality

but also reduce the sixsecond reverberation time.

Hartig opted for a Dynacord system: “We wanted to let everyone really experience the advantages of a professional audio system,” explains Hartig.

“That is why we did an on-site comparison with a Vertical Array System from Dynacord, an ideal system for challenging venues.”

The Dynacord solution received positive feedback and Hartig and his team were commissioned to install the system in a week.

The cathedral, which was divided into eight zones, now features a variety of Dynacord Vertical Array Systems. Left and right of the nave, Hartig

About the installer n Musikhaus Hartig was founded in 2006 and primarily sells musical instruments n The company is also an expert in fixed installations, specialising in churches and working mainly across northern Germany

64 Install177 Solutions 3_Final.indd 1

and his team positioned a total of 10 speakers, consisting of TS 200s and TS 100s. Each speaker is equipped with a delay appropriate to its position.

At the bottom of the altar, at the cathedral’s crossing, two TS 400 speakers ensure optimal sound.

For the transept and the choir area eight TS 200s were used, and the aisles are covered by six TS 100s.

In the galleries, where the organs as well as the cathedral and trombone choirs are occasionally positioned, four additional pairs of Electro-Voice EVID 4.2W dual-4in speakers were installed.

“No matter what size, the loudspeakers of the Vertical Array Series are fantastic,” comments Hartig. “They provide a very high level of intelligibility and homogenous sound throughout the cathedral.”

Interior design An important facet of the Dynacord system was its design and colour: “There was no way we were going

to install a system with massive black boxes”, recalls Hartig. “With their aesthetic, slim design and white coating, the TS speakers blend wonderfully into the cathedral’s interior.”

Driving the speakers are seven Electro-Voice PA2450L and one Dynacord DSA 8204 amp, and a Dynacord P64 digital audio matrix manager provides control and monitoring of the system.

Hartig adds: “In the cathedral, we worked with normal power sockets.

Here, we plugged together eight sockets, which creates a high inrush current, something not especially good for the power fuse. We therefore built a power delay, which runs on a 10V signal. It’s great that the P64 can give a signal to such an analogue 10V output.”

In order to easily adjust system settings or for adding and removing zones remotely, Hartig provided the operators with a tablet, which shows the cathedral’s ground plan and individual

Installed Audio n Dynacord TS 400W, 200W and 100W Vertical Array Speakers n Dynacord DSA 8204 power amplifier n Dynacord WMK-25W and WMK-10W wall mounts n Electro-Voice EVID 4.2W surface mount speakers n Electro-Voice PA2450L power amplifiers

Control n Dynacord P64 controller n Dynacord MI-1 controller n Dynacord AO-1 output modules buttons. “This way, anyone can operate the system without mistuning it or changing the settings – a feature especially welcomed by the parish clerk.” And it is she, along with the congregation, who was the first to praise the new sound reinforcement system. “Even if you move along the cathedral, you don’t notice any transitions between zones. The sound seems to come from one single source.”

www.dynacord.com www.electrovoice.com www.musikhaushartig.de

03/03/2015 15:29

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20/02/2015 11:50

R PLANYOUR MONTH AHEAD

Our pick of what to see, do and discover in the weeks ahead, including the return of the annual Frankfurt Fair, CEDIA training and getting the best from Big Data

f Pick o th on the m

NAB

11-16 April Attendees representing every sector of the content industry will be heading to Las Vegas in mid-April.

The broadcast, digital media, entertainment, education, security, sports sectors and more will be represented on the showfloor and in the networking and learning opportunities.

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from across the installation, events and production sectors, providing the opportunity to experience innovation in the fields of audio, lighting, stage and effects, and the

READ

VISIT

Prolight + Sound will return to Messe Frankfurt for four days next month to celebrate its 20th edition. Running from 15 to 18 April, the event will welcome professionals

Big Data

By Nathan Marz and James Warren Big data systems use many machines working in parallel to store and process data, which introduces fundamental challenges. Big Data shows how to build these systems and describes a scalable, easyto-understand approach to big data systems that can be built and run by a small team.

integration of all disciplines. As ever, Installation will be reporting live from the showfloor. To request a meeting with one of the team, email ukpressreleases@nbmedia.com.

LEARN

Prolight + Sound

Home Cinema for Designers

21 April – Epsom, Surrey Students will learn to use the CEDIA/CEA recommended practices for audio and video.

Example calculations will be worked through with real scenarios. Typical set-ups and design compromises, and advanced set-up and calibration, will be discussed. Visit www.cedia.co.uk for details.

03/03/2015 15:31

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