Pro Systems March April 2015

March / April 2015

R38.00

AV System Integration | Installations | Live Events | Studio PRO Audio

Cover Idols SA Story Season Finale ISE 2015 REPORT ETC’s Source Four LED Series 2 Review The Moruleng Cultural Precinct New Direction Grace Church Installation Mike Jones Interview

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Band of frequency: VHF 170 - 230 MHz

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Modulation: FM with Digital Code subcarriers

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Audio Inputs: 2 X MIC/LINE inputs with built in 2 ch.

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In This Issue Managing Editor Where have the last two years disappeared to? It seems like just the other day that the team was in a mad frenzy as the final preparations for our local trade show, Mediatech Africa, were underway and here we are again. We have already begun our quest to compile the ‘Mediatech’ edition of Pro-Systems.

If your company is exhibiting, please start to send through as much information as possible regarding your participation at the show, including products that you will be showcasing and profiles of any international principles that plan to attend.

Please send all info to: editor@pro-systems.co.za with the subject line ’Mediatech Africa issue’ before 23 April 2015. For advertising opportunities, contact me directly on: 011 025 3180 or email: sales@pro-systems.co.za. .

Claire Badenhorst

CONTENTS A new concept in museum culture –

NEWS Robe’s new expansion

The Moruleng Cultural Precinct................28

plans for 2015...............................................3

New Direction Grace Church..................32

Harman acquires SM Pro Audio and

Nu Metro Cinemas install

bolsters technology portfolio......................3

three-level surround sound.......................36

Sennheiser celebrates its

Live Events

New health and safety regulations for Sun International................3

Idols SA season 10 finale...........................38

70th anniversary...........................................4

ETC Source Four LED Series 2 &

Sound Harmonics acquires

Cyc Adapter – Proudly theatrical............42

Audix for SA distribution...............................4

Design your ultimate lighting show

Traffic Light Teacher gets sound

and win fantastic prizes at

engineering bursary.....................................4

Mediatech Africa 2015.............................46

Clay Paky holds convention for its

Afrikaans is Groot.......................................48

worldwide ambassadors.............................6

Dynacord PM502 – smarter than your

Adam Audio ramps up production...........6

average brick.............................................50

Acer claims projector market is

The Lumineers’ LD sheds some light .......54

3rd among competitors..............................6

Prolight + Sound Frankfurt

SACIA responds to Jack Parow shock......8

celebrates its 20th year.............................56 Spotlight on Mike Jones............................60

INTERVIEW Studio PRO AUDIO

Insider Q&A: Joe Andrulis, VP of Global Marketing, AMX.............................10

Comfort and accuracy of Pytchley Road Studios...............................64

Deputy Editor Welcome to the second issue for 2015!

ISE 2015 is over and for those who were unable to attend, we have done you a favour and provided a full post-show report in these pages, which features show statistics, new products launched, and feedback from our local visitors to the show and their overall experience of it.

The next big event is Prolight + Sound Frankfurt, taking place between 15 and 18 April 2015.

In this issue, we interview a few people responsible for making live events come alive – these include an international lighting designer, as well as local live event lighting and sound specialists for Idols SA and Afrikaans is Groot.

Mediatech Africa is once again around the corner, and this time there is a lighting designer contest to look forward to, so don’t miss our next issue as it will be jam-packed with information covering everything that the show promises to offer!

Joanne Taylor

Integration & INSTALLATION ISE 2015 post-show report.........................12

Social

ISE 2015 products ......................................13

Foundations of Crestron Programming...67

ISE 2015 local feedback............................22

Smaart Training...........................................67

InAVation Awards 2015..............................24

Avolites Ai Open Day................................67

Training days are here again...................26

ISE 2015 Survivors Breakfast.......................68 Prolyte Rigging Course..............................68

Contributors David Davies | A journalist who has been covering professional AV and broadcast technology for 14 years. He is reelance managing editor of Sports Video Group (SVG) Europe and continues to contribute to a host of trade publications, including PSNEurope, PSNLive and Installation. He has also been a part of the team for The AES Daily, The IBC Daily and, since 2005, The ISE Daily, for which he served as an executive editor in 2013 and 2014. In addition, he is active as a copywriter and sub-editor.

Jimmy Den-Ouden | An entertainment technician based in Sydney, Australia. His qualifications and experience span a broad range of subjects and technologies. He writes and reviews equipment most of the week, and works freelance on various shows and installations on a weekly basis. Jimmy can be seen on most GEARBOX video reviews, available on You Tube.

Thuli Mlambo | Thuli is a sound engineer by profession and has experience as a roadie with Gearhouse through SARA. She’s been involved in the TV production, events and music industries and has toured internationally with the likes of Phil Collins and Zucchero while living in Europe, where she learnt the ropes of the Industry. Live entertainment, music and the arts are her passions. Thuli’s publication experience includes working as an intern for UK film magazine Bfm (Black Filmmaker magazine) – as an assistant to the editor.

Editorial Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Pro-Systems Africa News or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use.

Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable.

All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher.

Publisher| Simon Robinson | simon@sun-circle.co.za Managing Editor | Claire Badenhorst | editor@pro-systems.co.za Deputy Editor | Joanne Taylor | joanne@pro-systems.co.za In-house Journalist | Thuli Mlambo | news@pro-systems.co.za Sub-Editor | Tina Heron Advertising Sales | Claire Badenhorst | sales@pro-systems.co.za Design | Trevor Ou Tim | design@sun-circle.co.za Subscriptions | Albertina Tserere | data@sun-circle.co.za Accounts | Natasha Glavovic | accounts@sun-circle.co.za Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd | Tel: +27 11 025-3180 | Epsom Downs Office Park, 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg | PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa

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www. pro-systems.co.za

Publishers & Projects

news

Robe’s new expansion plans for 2015 Robe celebrated 20 years since its foundation in 2014, which was the best year in the company’s history. It has comprehensive expansion plans for its headquarters and production operation in the Czech Republic, which is in response to high demand for Robe’s products worldwide.

This is partly related to the company’s planned medium-term expansion strategy and also in response to the huge success of the new BMFL range of moving lights – the first of which was launched in September 2014, plus the continued demand for other popular moving light fixtures like the Pointe and the LEDWash series.

Robe has recently completed the acquisition of almost 8 000 square metres of land, including four large buildings, next to its current main factory premises in Valašské Mezirící. Robe has gradually acquired other commercial premises along the street and now owns the three largest units on the block.

Work has been completed on a brand new building at the main factory site which encompasses an enlarged Technical Centre, a host of new meeting, board and conference rooms and a gleaming new contemporary designed staff canteen.

Refurbishment work of the four buildings at

New health and safety regulations for Sun International

Robe’s newly added building

the newest site has already started and Robe’s sister company, architectural and commercial LED lighting manufacturer Anolis, is scheduled to move there in the spring. Robe’s PCB manufacturing division Dioflex is taking over space in the nearby town of Roznov.

CEO and general manager Josef Valchar had this to say: “It’s a remarkable achievement to reach 20 years; we’re very proud of the company, the many creative, talented and dedicated individuals who have worked so hard to help get us to where we are today in and among the market leaders in our specialist field of lighting.”

In 2014 Robe also opened two new wholly-owned subsidiary operations in the Middle East and Singapore (Asia Pacific) and they inaugurated a branch in France in January 2015. Robe is looking forward to another action-packed year of business and innovation.

Harman acquires SM Pro Audio and bolsters technology portfolio Harman announced the acquisition of Australia-based SM Pro Audio and its incorporation, which was a privately held business in the Harman Professional division.

This is an innovation hub for a wide range of pro audio and musical instrument (MI) technologies across Harman’s professional product brands. According to Blake Augsburger, president at Harman Professional division, the depth of innovation and quality of engineering talent at SM Pro Audio provides Harman Professional with a strong internal technology partner for a wide range of products.

“I am very pleased to welcome the SM Pro Audio team to the Harman fold, we look forward to bringing a new depth of innovation to the broadest range of customers globally,” Augsburger says.

Harman has ideas and concepts that SM Pro Audio products and technologies could especially benefit Soundcraft and Studer mixers.

Harman is expected to introduce Harman products featuring SM Pro Audio technology, including previews of two ground-breaking Soundcraft mixing products at NAMM 2015.

SACIA executive director Kevan Jones says that Sun International have an updated Health and Safety requirement for contractors working at any Sun International venue across the country, and non-compliance will result in technicians being refused entry.

All contractors are now subject to criminal checks (at a cost) and the indemnity form has to be submitted 48 hours ahead of entry to allow for completion of these checks. “There also now seems to be no official procedure for short-notice work and although Sun International have said that such instances could be sorted out telephonically, it does leave our very ‘time-specific’ industry open to all sorts of issues around last minute changes, short lead time confirmations.”

Each criminal check will set you back R95 and you, as the client, will be billed by Fidelity Security Services for services rendered. The indemnity form needs to be completed by either the individual or the company can complete it on behalf of the individual. A copy of the individual’s ID must also accompany the application and full names and surname of the individual furnished on the form. The result will be available within 48 hours from receiving the request (excluding public holidays and weekends), and will be forwarded to you.

Should an individual have a criminal record, the person will not be permitted to work on the Sun International resort in question.

Comments Kevan Jones, executive director, at SACIA: “The staging and live events industry is working hard to establish professional standards and to encourage members to embrace ethical business practices. Part of this process is one that requires us to develop a career path for youngsters entering the industry.

“This security requirement needs to differentiate between industry professionals and casual labourers working on site, and we have proposed to Sun City that SACIA-certified industry professionals be exempt from this requirement. SACIA-certified industry professionals can demonstrate their skill and experience in the audio-visual industry, and have signed a code of conduct that holds them accountable to professional standards and ethics.”

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news

Traffic Light Teacher gets sound engineering bursary

Sennheiser celebrates its 70th anniversary Audio specialist Sennheiser is celebrating its 70th year in business by rewinding the clock and explaining how the company first started out.

Throughout 2015, Sennheiser’s anniversary year, the online magazine Bluestage will present exciting background stories about the audio specialist’s products and its corporate history each month.

The company was founded on 1 June 1945 as Laboratorium Wennebostel or ’Labour W‘ for short by electrical engineer Fritz Sennheiser near Hanover in Germany.

For decades, the name Sennheiser has been associated with high-quality products, excellent sound and numerous innovations that have set new standards in audio technology.

In 1947, Sennheiser launched its first microphone that was developed in-house.

The first ’shotgun‘ microphone followed in 1956 and a year later the company was already producing 100 different types of products. In early 1958, Labour W was renamed Sennheiser electronic, the inception of a brand that 10 years later would spark a worldwide boom by developing and producing the first open headphones. Cutting-edge developments across different areas of acoustics and new sales locations worldwide, followed with unusual momentum, was soon after

Prof. Dr. Jörg Sennheiser (pictured left), son of Prof. Dr. Fritz Sennheiser (pictured right)

Sennheiser‘s first change of generations.

In May 1982 when son of Fritz Sennheiser, Jörg Sennheiser, was appointed managing director he steadily modernised and internationalised the company’s structure.

In July 2013, Daniel Sennheiser and Andreas Sennheiser, the sons of Jörg, took over as the CEOs of Sennheiser electronic GmbH & Co and today, Sennheiser has more than 2 700 employees, with about half of them based in Germany.

As a modern-driven company, Sennheiser continue to play a key role in shaping the future of audio. The foundations for this have already been laid with its new Innovation Campus, built on the company site in Germany. “In the future, we will align our product development even more closely to customers’ true needs, wherever they arise on live stages, at professional studio productions, in offices, or simply listening to music and relaxing while always striving to achieve acoustic perfection,” Daniel Sennheiser explains.

With adaptable and increasingly smart products, Sennheiser will keep on developing and delivering future solutions that redefine audio technology.

Sound Harmonics acquires Audix for SA distribution One of the world’s leading microphone manufacturers since 1984 is now proudly Distributed by local sound and lighting distributor – Sound Harmonics.

Audix is known for innovative design, quality, durability and value. The company opened its doors in 1984 with a mission that remains unchanged: To design, engineer and manufacture high performing, innovative products that contribute to the advancement of the professional audio industry. Year after year Audix microphones have been recognised for their innovative design, performance, quality, durability

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and value.

Some products that will be available from Audix through Sound Harmonics include the OM Series: vocals, lead and backing great for feedback rejection – tight pattern control and tailored response enables vocals to cut through the mix.

The i5 is a multi-purpose dynamic microphone with clear accurate sound is

Veli Moses Mackenzie

The Academy of Sound Engineering has given a one-year bursary to 25-year-old Veli Moses Mackenzie, also known as the ‘traffic light teacher’, after his story went viral on social media.

Mackenzie was photographed by citizen Mbali Ndhlovu at the corner of Empire road and Owl street in Johannesburg in January, along with his sign board that reads: “Traffic Light Teacher: Zulu words R1 + Free Pronunciation, eg.

Learn – Funda.” Ndhlovu then uploaded it to Facebook and in just over a week it went viral.

Local radio station Jacaranda FM’s Complimentary Breakfast show caught wind of Mackenzie’s story and decided to interview him. During the interview, they found out that Mackenzie did not complete matric and his dream is to be a sound engineer. The breakfast show teamed up with the Academy of Sound Engineering, which offered Mackenzie a R60 000 one-year bursary for a Higher Certificate in Audio Technology, and if he does well, there will be a possibility of the bursary being extended for an additional three years.

George Hattingh Jnr, national sales and marketing manager and lecturer at the Academy of Sound Engineering, says he is excited to get on board and help change Mackenzie’s life. “The Higher Certificate in Audio Technology is an NQF5, designed to prepare the student with the necessary theoretical and practical skills, experience and expertise required for working in the professional audio field at a fundamental level. The certificate introduces the student to the four different avenues of audio technology – live sound reinforcement, music production, post production and broadcasting production – and once completed, students choose an avenue to specify their three-year Diploma.

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news

Clay Paky holds convention for its worldwide ambassadors

Clay Paky recently organised a convention for their international distributors from 53 countries around the world, which took place in Bergamo, Italy in February 2015.

The convention included an update on the future strategies of the global manufacturing giant in the field of stage lighting, which has recently become part of the OSRAM group.

The convention’s motto was ‘Tomorrow Today’, which clearly expresses Clay Paky’s strategic aim of always looking to the future and ready to accept new exciting challenges. Clay Paky CEO Pio Nahum pointed out that future development is founded on past success and their corporate mission remains permanent innovation and product quality.

Clay Paky has managed to win more than 20 international awards as its relations with lighting designers globally strengthen, which is highlighted in the great success of the Knight of Illumination Awards, the annual prize organised by Clay Paky. Hans-Joachim Schwabe, CEO and executive VP of OSRAM specialty lighting division, stressed in his speech that OSRAM has great respect for Clay Paky’s work and its team’s activity and

International distributors at the Clay Paky convention in Italy

intends to ensure its operational freedom, while providing all the technical, financial and logistical support OSRAM is capable of with its 350-million euro turnover.

The convention provided a chance to present the team behind the company’s success. The sales team, led by Alberico D’Amato, who co-ordinates the sales in different regions of the world and the competent well-staffed research and development department. Giovanni Zucchinali, a great expert in show lighting and Clay Paky product portfolio manager, gave a brief presentation of the new products that the company intends to launch in 2015.

This was also a great opportunity to give prizes to distributors for their contribution to sales in 2014. The ‘Ambassador of Light’ awards were assigned to six companies.

Elektrik Solutions was named ‘Distributor of the Year’ for its outstanding achievements in a relatively small country, Norway. The Swedish company Interlite was the ‘Most Progressive Distributor’ for recording the largest sales increase compared to the

Adam Audio ramps Acer claims projector up production market is 3rd among competitors

Adam Audio has brought the production of F, AX and SX series monitors as well as subwoofers into full swing again, following the German manufacturer’s postbankruptcy restructuring late last year.

“With the change of ownership last year we now have the necessary resources to ramp up production again. There is still much work ahead of us as our order books are full.

We are very pleased about this, because it shows us that the demand for our monitors remains persistent,” says Sven Schmöle, MD of Adam Audio.

The AX series monitors are among the

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According to Acer, its worldwide projector market share has reached a historic-high of 8,3% in Q4 2014 and 7,9% for 2014, ranking third among market players. Since 2007, Acer reports that it has increased its market share each year, demonstrating strong growth momentum. The momentum of Acer’s projector business is most evident in the EMEA region, where the company registered a record 16,3% market share in Q4, according to the latest report from most successful products made by Adam Audio. Well over 100 000 models have been sold globally, with the A7X the undisputed bestseller of this series. Being one of the most balanced and versatile speakers on the market, the A7X impresses with its translucent sound image, tonal depth and stereo localisation. This explains why it is by far the

previous year. Doka Center, Clay Paky’s Russian distributor for over 20 years, received the ‘Most Loyal Distributor Award’. The US-based, ACT Lighting won the ‘Best Performance Award’ for recording the highest turnover in absolute terms. The Turkish company Asimetrik was given the award for organising the best ‘Open Day’ in 2014.

They put on a spectacular Clay Paky product demo, which was attended by more than 600 customers. Finally the Philippines-based company RMB Lights and Sounds Trading received the ‘Amazing Determination Award’ for managing to sell over 500 Sharpys, in a country in which Chinese companies also offer low-priced copies of Clay Paky’s invention.

The second day of the convention was devoted to technical workshops, concerning future technology and products, held by prestigious technical researchers from OSRAM and Philips, which despite being competitors on the market; also share a huge interest in working with Clay Paky owing to their great capacity for innovation.

PMA Research.

Acer says it performed especially well in the Full HD 1080p 3000 lumens + segment, ranking first in EMEA and China in market share in 2014. Acer claims that these achievements can be attributed to its strong portfolio, which includes projectors with high brightness, WUXGA resolution and ultra-short throw capabilities, portable form factors with long lamp lifespans, and high-durability and powerful multimedia.

Apart from the breakthrough in market share, Acer projectors have also received worldwide accolades, including South Africa’s favourite projector brand at the 2014 Channelwise Awards, the iF Product Design Award and Leser Award (Readers’ Award) 2014 in Germany. most reviewed and award-winning monitor in recent years.

A crucial signature feature of the A7X and all Adam monitors is the X-ART tweeter, with a nearly flat frequency response reaching up to 50kHz, the proprietary, handmade in Berlin tweeter sets the standard in terms of transparency and clarity.

Long-Lasting Reliability and High Picture Quality • • • •

Dynamic light control achieves high 10,000:1 contrast ratio.

System Daylight View 2 enhances color perception with no need to turn off the lights.

A laser light source and durable optical system allow approx. 20,000 hours of continuous operation.

Dust Resistant Optical Engine allows filterfree design.

Expanding Installation Flexibility

Professional System Integration

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• •

• • •

Multi-Screen Support System seamlessly connects multiple screens – Edge blending, Color matching and Multi-screen processor.

Multi-Unit Brightness Control function.

Lens-centered design.

Omnidirectional installation capability – With the PT-RZ670 Series, projection is possible in any direction vertically and horizontally, and the unit can be rotated 360 degrees for installation at any angle.

• • • •

DIGITAL LINK – the Single Cable Solution.

Art-Net compatibility simplifies system integration.

Abundant terminals, including SDI (3G/HD/SD), DVI-D and HDMI inputs.

Multi Projector Monitoring and Control Software allows multiple projectors to be managed together over a wired LAN. Web Browser Control.

Optional Early Warning Software ET-SWA100 Series compatible.

Contact: Johan Oosthuizen: (011) 313 1615 • joosthuizen@pansolutions.co.za • www.pansolutions.co.za

news

SACIA responds to Jack Parow shock Toward the end of 2014, the SACIA office received a communication from local singer Jack Parow’s manager, Wynand Myburgh, explaining that the artist received a severe electric shock whilst performing at Electric City, Johannesburg on 6 December 2014.

The event took place at the Castle of Good Hope and according to Myburgh, the singer was “knocked out... thrown to the floor.”

The staging for the event was done by Jarryd Bont, a freelance audio professional, who has explained that the shock occurred concurrent with an Eskom blackout and a switchover to generator power at the venue.

Kevan Jones, SACIA president, says he expressed his belief to Bont that the incident must have been created through a grounding problem. “Most likely, that some part of the audio system was not earthed correctly. Jarryd assures me that all the equipment was tested, both before and after the concert, and that no faults were found.”

“Incidents like this certainly cast a bad light on our industry sector. Artists rely on us to create a safe environment for their performance so it’s important for us to

understand what may have gone wrong – equally important for us to ensure that we learn from this experience and ensure it isn’t repeated,” he says.

Mark Hull, SACIA’s Jack Parrow primary course instructor, reported to Jones that the incident could be caused by several faults: power supply malfunction inside a piece of equipment; mains wiring fault inside a piece of equipment; accidental contact between mains wiring and audio cabling; or incorrect connection of mains power supply to the system. Hull also reports that regardless of the fault, the incident could have been prevented if the correct protection systems were in place, and these include an earth leakage breaker, correct earthing of the power supply – including the generator, as well as proper earthing of all equipment.

Hull identified a number of common faults in temporary power supply systems: disconnecting of the mains earth to stop a

hum defeats the earth extension protection; damaged insulation on cables have the potential for accidental connection to the power supply; a faulty or non-existent earth connection – generators must be connected to an earth spike with as short a connection as possible – a separate earth connection is then run from the generator to the distribution system; failure to check equipment for grounding – all equipment should be tested before load in.

In addition, ’guest‘ equipment should be checked for grounding faults before being connected, and finally, failure to check the electrical system. A competent electrician should check and sign off the system before equipment is allowed to be connected.

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INDUSTRY EXPERTS InTERVIEW

Insider Q&A: Joe Andrulis, VP of Global Marketing, AMX

By Tom LeBlanc Joe Andrulis talks changes since the Harman acquisition, why more integrators are doing repeatable system designs and his personal industry outlook for 2015. wide deployments of technology, and coming with that you’re seeing IT organisations bringing some of their buying priorities.

So they’re interested in network centricity, manageability from a centralised location, security of the information held within those networks. So those are some new processes or new priorities that new buyers are looking to the vendors to provide, and they often are different than what AV professionals currently may be comfortable with.

So yes, there are some people who have grown up serving the traditional AV buyer who maybe aren’t entirely equipped to handle some of the questions coming from IT, but you’re seeing people recognise that it’s going to be a requirement to succeed in the new world.

People who want to address those widespread deployments bring on the capabilities or train their people so they can comfortably handle the questions coming from the IT buyer.

So the AV industry is very fragmented; there are a lot of different dealers, so I don’t think we can say that the AV industry is slow in adjusting.

It’s just maybe a little uneven. Some people will adjust quickly. Some people will decide it’s not something they want to adjust to at all and they’ll target the type of business that matches their traditional expertise.

TL: What’s the outlook for the integration market and AMX as we enter 2015?

JA: I’m extremely excited about the prospects In order to address the needs of those spaces effectively at scale and at a price point that people will feel appropriate, you’re inevitably just going to have to go and use standardised solutions, and I hope people don’t see that as a negative.

I mean, it’s what made the PC industry reach dominance, when people standardised the hardware, the software and so on, and we’ve all been beneficiaries of that. I see that same trend happening for AV.

TL: However, AV integrators as a broad group don’t have a great reputation for adjusting to change. In which areas would you like to see more evolution?

JA: Partly what’s coming in using AV more broadly is a change in responsibility for managing those systems and we’re starting to see a shift away from the purely dedicated AV professionals who were really extraordinary at delivering these truly unique experiences to the IT organisation whose skills are at operating broad-based enterprise-

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for the industry in general and AMX within Harman more specifically, and it really goes right to the fact it’s becoming generally recognised that audio and video are just the way you do things – I think our video interview today kind of reinforces that.

This isn’t the way we would have done an interview in the past and yet it’s so natural and almost expected at this point that video and audio is the way we communicate together. So we’re going to see video and audio integrated into the daily experience across almost all vertical markets and in our personal lives as well, and that’s just a great opportunity for our industry.

We can really be a driver for new forms of communication. AMX within Harman now has the product breadth and the reach into market spaces in different geographies that really put us in a great position to help lead the expansion of AV.

Article republished courtesy Commercial Integrator

Integration & Installation REPORT

ISE 2015 post-show report Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) 2015 held its ninth show in February at the RAI in Amsterdam, and it proved to be the largest ever exhibition and will be increased to four days in 2016.

After announcing in December that ISE 2015 would be the last three-day event, attendance at this year’s show comprehensively demonstrated why ISE has made the move to expand the duration of the exhibition.

In what was Europe’s largest-ever AV and systems integration exhibition, 59 350 registered attendees (196 South Africans) went to the show, which represents an increase of 8 347 registered attendees (16.4%) on ISE 2014. 1 052 ompanies exhibited at the show.

“The volume of attendance confirmed ISE’s position as the destination of choice for anyone involved in professional AV and systems integration,” says Mike Blackman, Integrated Systems Events managing director. “In addition to the ongoing attendance success story,” he continued, “the announcement that ISE has entered into a joint venture with invidis consulting to develop its highly successful Digital Signage, conference demonstrates our commitment to growing ISE’s profile in key market sectors.”

Attendees by position in value chain were as follows; consultant 6%, product distributors 16%, equipment manufacturers 11%, content creators and end-users 18%, systems integrators and installers 25%, IT dealers and resellers 9%, construction industry professionals 7%, and meeting and live events professionals 8%. ISE 2015 attendees are responsible for purchasing and specifying a wide range of audiovisual and related technologies. The top five core technology interests of the attendees were: audio systems 58%, digital signage 49%, and video displays, video projectors and projection systems 42% each. The top five end customer visitors by market sector were education 32%, IT 30%, meetings and live events 28%, corporate 20% and theatre or large performance venue 18%.

Attendees that have the authority to authorise, recommend and influence purchasing for themselves and or their company were divided as follows: authorised purchasers 55%, purchase recommenders 28%, and purchase influencers 17%. Attendees by spending power, in Euros, were as follows: less than €10 000 (15%), €10 000 to €50 000 (12%), €50 000 to €100 000 (11%), €100 000 to €500 000 (11%), €500 000 to €1-million (14%), €1- to 5- million (18%), €5to €10-million 6%, and more than €10 million (6%).

As well as a buzzing show floor, ISE 2015 also offered visitors a wide range of personal development and training programmes provided

by ISE co-owners InfoComm International and CEDIA. These sessions attracted more than 700 people, also a record for the show. Both associations also contributed to the three vibrant Showfloor Solutions Theatres dedicated to Residential, Commercial and Unified Communications. Over 3 000 appreciative visitors attended 90 sessions presented by ISE exhibitors. On site free-to-attend conferences such as the Capital Summit and Sports Facility Integration Summit offered expert insight into securing investment for companies operating in the AV marketplace and sports venue system integration.

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David Labuskes, executive director and CEO, InfoComm International comments: “Everyone at InfoComm International is proud to be associated with another record-breaking ISE show. Our Guest Membership scheme, which made its debut at this year’s event, attracted almost 1 200 sign-ups, and we are looking forward to giving these ISE attendees a taste of InfoComm membership that extends beyond the education and hospitality they received in Amsterdam to the delivery of a range of post-show benefits.

“Our industry is on the rise globally and nothing reflects that trend more succinctly than the continued growth of ISE and of our association’s membership internationally,” he continues.

Don Gilpin, executive director and COO, CEDIA, was equally as upbeat about ISE 2015: “ISE has become the most important platform for the CEDIA channel outside of North America and the 2015 event was the best edition yet.”

ISE’s pre-show events programme kicked off on 9 February with the Smart Building Conference and AudioForum, both drawing their highest ever attendance figures. Professionals from every sector of the systems integration value chain attended the Opening Keynote, given by Future Matters business consultant and futurist Lars Thomsen.

He presented his thought-provoking opening address of 520 Weeks into the Future: Trends and Tipping Points in the Electronic Systems Industry until 2025.

Looking ahead to next year, exhibitor stand space re-bookings for the new four-day show are at an all-time high. When the exhibition doors closed on 12 February, bookings for the 2016 event stood at 41 200 square metres sold space. This represents 106% of the total sold space for the 2015 event and 94% of the total space available for 2016.

ISE 2015 saw increased exhibitor space provided by the addition of the Diamond Lounge. This expansion will continue at ISE 2016 with the opening of the Amtrium new building, which is adjacent to Hall 4.

Also, there will be four Showfloor theatres, plus additional conferences and initiatives undertaken with exhibitors, trade bodies and media partners.

The next ISE will take place at the Amsterdam RAI on from 9 to 12 February 2016. ISE 2016 – Four days: for you, for your business, for the better…

REPORT Integration & Installation

ISE 2015 products Product launches at this year’s show are too many to fit in our pages, so we’ve collated the products we think are the most relevant to the local industry…

Alcons Audio

AMX

Distributed by Matrix Sound: www.matrixsound.co.za Alcons Audio CRMS Compact – the Cinema Reference Monitor System is based on the continuing success of Alcons pro-ribbon systems in commercial cinemas across the globe. Fitted with a completely new, patented-pending pro-ribbon mid-high frequency transducer, the CRMSC is focused on post-production studios, screening rooms, residential home cinemas; basically any critical listening environment.

CRMS consists of proribbon main loudspeakers, timbre-matching pro-ribbon surround loudspeakers, ultra-shallow subwoofers and dedicated processing and amplification.

Distributed by Peripheral Vision: www.peripheralvision.co.za

AMX Alero ALR-AEC-8 is a dedicated microphone mixer, designed specifically for web conferencing applications in medium to large meeting rooms. PC-based web conferences are becoming increasingly popular because of their ease of use and low cost; relative to traditional, VTC conferencing. This popularity is driving more conferences to larger rooms that can accommodate more guests. The Alero Mixer is designed with support for up to eight boundary mics and automatic monitoring and adjustment of audio levels to deliver a great sounding conference. And with included line level inputs/outputs the Alero is scalable to support traditional VTC conferences as well. A USB audio interface is included for simple, direct output to a PC to enable a Lync, Skype or other PC-based web conference. In addition, onboard web configuration makes the Alero easy to install and configure.

Arthur Holm Distributed by Peripheral Vision: www.peripheralvision.co.za

Allen & Heath Distributed by Audiosure: www.audiosure.co.za

Allen & Heath Qu-Pac is an extension of the Qu range, and is an ultra-compact digital mixer with both a built-in touchscreen and iPad control app. Designed for live music and installed sound, Qu-Pac is a freestanding or rack mount mixer, providing a flexible solution for bands and in multi-purpose environments such as schools, hotels and bars. Qu-Pac connectivity offers 16 mono inputs, three stereo inputs and 12 mix outputs on the rear panel, but that can be expanded up to 38 in / 28 out by connecting to Allen & Heath’s family of remote AudioRacks over Cat5. The mixer offers total recall of settings and preamps, multi-track recording to USB via Qu-Drive, a choice of personal monitoring solutions, channel ducking, multi-channel USB streaming and the renowned iLive FX Library to deliver outstanding audio quality, making it one of the most fully featured digital mixer in its class.

Arthur Holm DYNAMIC1H TALK is a motorised foldable and un-foldable monitor, where the screen is always visible. It is built in milled aluminium and the screen is covered with a protective glass with black edges, which can be a multi-touch panel. Dynamic1H provides a horizontal motorised movement which can be stopped at any position from 0 to 80 degrees. A smart memory system allows an easy setup and recall of the desired tilt angle. DynamicTalk has been added to the product, making the microphone disappear within the desk surface and appear when needed. Compatible with conference systems, this solution can be customised with simultaneous interpretation and electronic voting.

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Integration & Installation REPORT Arthur Holm DYNAMICNAMETAG is a digital labelling solution for auditorium, institution and general public communication spaces. The product consists in a vertically retractable double sided stretched screen and Linux-based software which allows an easy display of a picture and name or any digital content.

Avolites Distributed by DWR Distribution: www.dwrdistribution.co.za Avolites Ai V8 software runs on Avolites’ range of Ai media servers. The new V8 software includes the new Autoblend feature, allowing blending of large projection surfaces using multiple projectors. A new Surface Modelling page for the creation of editable 3D sets, with render engine optimisation offering 50% increased video throughput. Compositing highresolution background layers with low-resolution foreground layers is also much improved. Ai V8 enables easy LED Mapping and 3D modelling and visualisation capabilities.

Beyerdynamic Quinta is the company’s fifth generation of wireless conference technology. The future-proof system uses the latest technology, such as intelligent, reliable frequency selection, an AVB interface and control via smartphone or tablet PC. In addition to the gooseneck and Revoluto microphone units which are already available, further components will be introduced: Quinta gooseneck microphone units with voting function and the Quinta handheld transmitter. Three different voting options are available with the new Quinta system: parliamentary, multiple choice and public opinion.

The software allows results to be displayed in many different ways.

Additionally, there is an archive function, as well as the possibility to export the results. The Quinta handheld transmitter can be integrated into the conference system as a delegate microphone unit, offering the same functionality. The two-colour, back-lit microphone button is made of noticeably tactile silicone and features Braille lettering. The handheld transmitter is optimally suited particularly for use in panel discussions, for whispered interpreting, or as an audience microphone, where the users benefit from its flexibility.

Bose Distributed by Energywise: www.energywise.co.za

Avolites Quartz lighting console running Titan V8, made its Continental European debut.

Measuring only 42,5 cm wide and weighing 8kg, the compact console comes complete with on-board processing and a bright, vibrant 12,1-inch screen and is aimed at the touring market.

Beyerdynamic Distributed by: www.tidistribution.co.za Beyerdynamic Orbis is a new digital, wired conference system that consists of several components: table top microphone units, different intelligent solutions for a discreet and individual integration, a central control unit with an innovative operation – optionally mountable or free standing and a lot of accessories.

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Bose ControlSpace – Bose expands its range of Dante- enabled ControlSpace offerings with several new Dante endpoints and a new fixed-I/O DSP providing integrators more options for creating cost-effective installed audio solutions using Dante. The new ControlSpace products: ESP-1600 engineered sound processor; EP22-D and EP40-D endpoints; WP22B-D and WP22BU-D wall plates, were designed for a wide range of installations that benefit from Dante connectivity including worship facilities, education, conference centres, hotel meeting and ballrooms, sporting and live performance venues and others.

Bose RoomMatch – three new RoomMatch Utility (RMU) loudspeaker models: the RMU206, RMU108 and RMU105, joining the RMU208 small-format sound-reinforcement

Integration & Installation REPORT loudspeaker in the series. Featuring RoomMatch array modules mid/ high sonic character, these RMU models are designed either to complement a RoomMatch full-range array installation or to be used on their own for high-quality foreground music, under-balcony, zone-fill and vocal-range floor monitor applications. The RMU series ranges in size from double 8-inch woofers to single 5-inch woofer designs, allowing optimal, consistent coverage for almost any venue size.

Calibre Distributed by Prosound: www.prosound.co.za Calibre virtual-ASIC – video processor capable of scaling, switching, enhancing, correcting and converting UHD formats including 4K and WQXGA at compelling price points through efficient implementation.

The virtual-ASIC technology is based on Altera field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) and will be offered as Calibre Pro-AV products as well as OEM own-label, board-level and full custom options for OEMs. This will enable rapid creation of new video products for the professional audio-visual industry as the new UHD video formats become widely adopted. Calibre’s virtual-ASIC is an innovative solution that addresses the Pro-AV industry’s needs for a cost-effective UHD video processor, originally created and supported by Calibre for a high quality, easy-to-use design experience.

Christie Distributed by Stage Audio Works: www.stageaudioworks.com

Christie Boxer 4K30 projector – a combination of the most lumens, the highest number of pixels, and 3DLP quality, combined with the smallest, lightest, yet most rugged design available. It has six 450W mercury lamps delivering 30 000 centre lumens. Weighing less than 68kg, the Boxer 4K30 can be carried by two individuals and offers 4K native resolution and awarding winning Christie Tru-Life image processing. Housed in two three-lamp cartridges, the six long-life mercury lamp modules are easy to handle, maintain and change and stock, which means a better return on investment and less consumables. Users can monitor the lamp hours and serial numbers through Near Field Communication (NFC) with each lamp – simplifying the effort required to track lamp-life and the ability to make fast changeovers. Users can even monitor lamp life levels using a smartphone.

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Christie H Series projectors feature 12 000 lumens and are the lightest, brightest and smallest projectors available in the 10 000-plus lumen 1DLP category. Weighing only 23,8kg each, the dual-lamp Christie D12HD-H and Christie D12WU-H are suitable for both mid-to-large rental staging and fixed applications including concert halls, auditoriums, hotels, boardrooms, education, government, conference rooms and houses of worship. The H Series continues Christie’s commitment to the 1DLP market with a line-up that already includes Christie G Series, GS Series and Q Series – along with the new Christie H Series offers users a broad range of performance and value with nineteen 1DLP solutions.

Crestron Distributed by Electrosonic SA: www.crestron.co.za

Crestron DM-RMC-4K-SCALER-C provides an advanced one-box interface solution for a single display device as part of a complete Crestron DigitalMedia system. It functions as a DM 8G+ receiver, 4K video scaler and control interface, providing a single HDMI output along with an analogue audio output, plus Ethernet, RS-232, IR, and relay control ports. In addition to DM 8G+, it is also compatible with HDBaseT, allowing it to be connected directly to an HDBaseT-certified source. Built-in scaling enables the connected display to handle virtually any video signal — including 4K and Ultra HD. Its compact, low-profile design allows the DM-RMC-4K-SCALER-C to be installed discreetly behind a flat panel display or above a ceiling mounted projector. It connects to the head end or source location using a single CAT type twisted pair cable.

Crestron RL 2 System Codec – the CCS-UC-CODEC-200 is a compact codec designed to serve as the core of a complete Crestron RL 2 Group Collaboration System for Lync. Crestron RL 2 is a comprehensive group collaboration solution that combines Crestron hardware with Microsoft Lync software. The CCS-UC-CODEC-200 is designed to be used along with the Crestron TS-1051-C Tabletop Touch Screen, and is available only as part of a Crestron RL 2 system package containing the codec, touch screen and other components. Crestron RL 2 is based on Microsoft Lync 2013, the server-based application that many companies already use on a daily basis. The full-featured system enables real-time group collaboration on conference room displays, rather than on personal laptops. It incorporates video, voice, interactive content sharing, presence and chat from one touch screen interface.

Dataton Distributed by Penmac Audiovisual: www.penmac.co.za

Dataton WATCHOUT 6 – a major upgrade of their flagship multidisplay software, WATCHOUT. This new version is the most significant upgrade in the 15-year history of Dataton’s highly acclaimed multi-display production and presentation system. WATCHOUT version 6 adds a feature-set for advanced projection mapping, multiple-source video playback, 3D media and modelling, previsualisation – all fronted by a radically revamped user interface. The combination of new features in WATCHOUT 6 puts producers on a fast track to outstanding projection mapping: import a 3D model of a real-world object, map it with content, then use the new 3D Projector and marker-based calibration features to get pixel-accurate image mapping.

DPA Distributed by Prosound: www.prosound.co.za

DPA d:fine In-Ear Broadcast Headset Microphone is targeted at broadcast hosts and guests who use in-ear monitors to communicate with their producers backstage or to hear foldback from people interviewed outside the studio; this versatile new addition to the award-winning d:fine range combines the sound quality of a DPA microphone with a state of the art in-ear monitoring solution. With this model, ear-pads in two different sizes are included and great care has been taken to ensure that there is no audio leakage between the in-ear drivers and the microphone capsule, which can be either omnidirectional or directional. The unit incorporates two cables – microphone and in-ear – that run parallel to give a neat and tidy look. A spring steel construction at the ear-hook offers quick mounting around virtually any ear, while the cable to the integrated in-ear plug(s) can be lengthened or shortened to suit the user. Any excess cable can be wound up around the plug or placed behind the outer ear, while a cable steer at the headset mount controls the cable run down the neck. It is easy to adjust headset mount size and by choosing between left and right ear orientation, it is even possible to give the broadcast host a ‘camera blind’ side. DPA has incorporated a miniature MicroDot connector for the microphone and a mini-jack for in the ear. Adapters are available to fit most professional wireless belt packs.

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Integration & Installation REPORT ETC

Kramer Electronics

Distributed by Prosound: www.prosound.co.za ETC ColorSource PAR benefits from ETC’s extensive experience in LED colour-mixing, by using the proportionate recipe of red, green, blue, a twist of lime and an extra dash of red. The lime and double-red emitters expand the ColorSource PAR’s colour range, allowing users to get a richness only possible from ETC LED luminaires. The unique blend also adds depth, making a more natural, flattering light.

And, when ColorSource PAR fixtures are used at any intensity, they maintain their colour quality.

Distributed by Electrosonic SA: www.electrosonic.co.za

Harman JBL Distributed by Wild and Marr: www.wildandmarr.co.za Harman JBL Control 10C-VA Series features three new models that are EN54-certified versions of the JBL Control 10 Series, while the CSS-15C-VA is ideal for voice announce applications. These ceiling loudspeakers are ideal for applications requiring EN54 and/or BS5839/8 certified ceiling loudspeakers.

All three models feature wide bandwidth, wide coverage and combined 100V and 8ohm operation. The Control 12C-VA features a 75mm driver, 20 Watts at 8ohms, and a 15-Watt multi-tap 100V transformer. The Control 14C-VA features a 100 mm woofer, 19 mm tweeter, 30 Watts at 8ohms and a 25W multi-tap transformer. Lastly, the Control 16C-VA features a 165mm woofer, 19 mm tweeter, 50 Watts at 8ohms, and a 30-Watt multi-tap transformer. They also contain a ceramic terminal block and in-line thermal fuse, making them compliant to BS5839, part 8. They also feature a new sealed metal terminal cover with sealed gland-nut entrance. All three models offer superior sound quality, making them ideal for highfidelity music as well as speech.

Harman JBL CSS-15C-VA ceiling loudspeaker features a 130mm full-range dual-cone driver for voice announce applications requiring EN54-24 certification. It offers a 6-Watt, 100V transformer for distributed systems and has a frequency response of 180Hz to 20kHz. It also contains a metal fire dome that can be installed from below the ceiling surface and attaches with two metal clips. All the wiring is done from below in the metal fire dome. The driver and main baffle then get easily torsion-loaded (via spring) into the fire dome, where the speaker is pulled into place. The CSS-15C-VA contains a ceramic terminal block and in-line thermal fuse, making it also compliant to standard BS5839, part 8.

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Kramer Electronics VIA Collage features iOS mirroring and has an integrated Airplay receiver. It is a wireless presentation and collaboration solution that allows users show content from any iOS device on a main display. Everything done on an Apple iOS device is wirelessly mirrored on the main display. VIA Collage meeting participants can collaborate on and finalise projects in real time. Up to six user screens can be shown on a single main display and up to 12 on two displays. Users can also view the main display on their device.

With any laptop, tablet or smartphone, users can view, edit and comment on documents simultaneously, share files instantly and chat with other meeting participants. VIA Collage uses proprietary technology to stream full-resolution uninterrupted HD video to the main display. VIA Collage also supports third-party conferencing and office apps, such as Microsoft Office, Skype, GotoMeeting, Lync, and WebEx, allowing users to connect remotely to meetings.

Kramer Electronics’ TP-590RXR and TP-590TXR range extenders are among the first range extenders to incorporate Valens’s Colligo chipsets. These products let you connect any device in the room over a single twisted pair cable without compromising on quality or performance. The TP-590RXR and TP-590TXR range extenders implement the entire set of features supported by HDBaseT 2.0, including USB 2.0.

Lab.gruppen Distributed by Technology Innovated Distribution: www.tidistribution.co.za

Lab.gruppen D Series platform is a new install amplifier range that was based on the TEC Award winning PLM 20000Q. The D Series gives complete control and monitoring of the whole platform ecosystem – including networking, audio I/O, signal processing, amplifiers, power supply and connected mains supply – delivering unique operational benefits and improved system control, with the added flexibility of both Lake and Biamp Tesira variants offering a new level of integration possibilities.

www.energywise.co.za

www.energywise.co.za

+27 (0)87 941 0012 bose@energywise.co.za

+27 (0)87 941 0012 bose@energywise.co.za

Looking Audio?

Looking for for Quality Quality Audio?

Integration & Installation REPORT Meyer Sound Distributed by Prosound: www.prosound.co.za Meyer Sound CAL column array loudspeaker showed off the control and sonic fidelity of the steerable loudspeaker, the industry’s first AVnu-certified AVB loudspeaker. The Meyer Sound SpaceMap is multi-channel dynamic panning software with the D-Mitri digital audio platform. CAL provides seamless interoperability with certified AVB devices from other manufacturers, while offering numerous advantages of the open IEEE AVB standards.

NEC Distributed by Electrosonic SA: www.electrosonic.co.za

NEC 4K SSL projector and 98-inch UHD display launch included industry-customised demonstrations including Digital Live Painting using ShadowSense touch technology, and On the Move, a highly complex simulation of a train station with digital information system that combines context-aware advertising with passenger information, powered by NEC’s leafengine sensor technology and Smartsign software.

appeal to rental and staging professionals.” In addition to these features the PT-RQ13K offers a 20 000-hour light source life and a laser light-source engine which allows for 24/7 operation.

Sennheiser Distributed by Stage Audio Works: www.stageaudioworks.com Sennheiser SpeechLine Digital Wireless is the first wireless digital microphone, exclusively designed for speech applications. The microphones are modified for speech, particularly for business applications, are easy to install with automatic frequency and interference management. A lightweight handheld model with batteries rechargeable via Micro USB; a body pack transmitter that comes with a Lavalier microphone, very sleek, all metal head set and only weighs 7g. The bidirectional receiver recognises if the frequency has any problems and automatically and coherently changes to a cleaner frequency. Optimum intelligibility is enhanced by selectable sound profiles and sound processing algorithms, including presets for bass-intensive male voices or high female voices. It also has an automatic frequency management feature that automatically searches for free frequencies on-site, therefore eliminating the need for time-consuming frequency planning in advance.

Shure Distributed by Wild and Marr: www.wildandmarr.co.za

Panasonic Distributed by Pansolutions: www.pansolutions.co.za

Panasonic PT-RQ13K laser projector is a 10 000 lumens 4K model that has four times more pixels than its predecessors and delivers extremely detailed, film-like, image quality. At the same time it’s the most compact and lightweight projector of its kind in the world.

Hartmut Kulessa, Marketing Manager Projector Products, Panasonic Visual System Solutions, says: “The RQ13K and RZ12K series eclipse the competition with a contrast ratio of 20 000:1 that, together with high-resolution performance, makes them ideal for large exhibition venues, virtual reality theatres and corporate applications.

The cabinet for the PT-RQ13K is about half the size of some competitor 4K resolution products which, alongside 3600 orientation, is sure to

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Shure CP 7890 adds automated video-follow-audio to a Shure discussion or conference system. Included hardware and software integrates with the DDS 5900 Digital Discussion System or DCS 6000 Digital Conference System to automatically display a video image of the speaker for recording, streaming, or broadcasting applications. A free setup application for Apple iPad and most Android tablets makes saving camera presets quick and easy. With the ability to handle up to four cameras and 400 presets, the CP 7890 is ready for a variety of meeting sizes and room layouts.

REPORT Integration & Installation

Tannoy

Vivitek

Distributed by Technology Innovated Distribution: www.tidistribution.co.za Tannoy QFlex LS are a cost effective solution for critical, life safety applications, a solution that balances complex power consumption needs with the high performance and intelligibility that is the core of the QFlex range. The new models have an optimised driver placement and improved current draw, making them perfect for applications where emergency voice alarms or communications may be required. The new QFlex 16LS and QFlex 32LS column loudspeakers are designed primarily for large transportation hubs as part of a PA/VA system where speech is the main audio source, either from live announcements or via pre-recorded message. These new QFlex life safety models are specifically intended to optimise voice reinforcement, and as a result make them more affordable, and therefore applicable, to a wider range of projects. The beam steering technology gives the system designer a unique set of tools for controlling sound in large, acoustically challenging, highly reverberant spaces – which typically might involve large expanses of reflective surfaces such as glass, metal, concrete or stone – by directing audio from the loudspeakers to a specific location in the listening area using sophisticated DSP combined with onboard digital amplification.

Distributed by Audiosure: www.audiosure.co.za

Tannoy VX 8M, a brand new full range Dual Concentric loudspeaker that provides a compact, yet punchy and sonically vibrant solution for small-to-medium scale performance sound reinforcement. With a tightly controlled 90 degree dispersion for optimum coverage and forward gain, the VX 8M has a peak output of 119dB and a recommended amplifier power of 260w, meaning this model is a powerful and versatile performer for a wide range of applications, with the new cabinet design including 40 and 60 degree angles, making the VX 8M ideal for use as a dedicated floor monitor.

Vivitek DH758USTiR and DH758UST education projectors, fourfingertouch technology. DH758USTiR takes interactive creativity in the classroom to the next level. The DH758USTiR and new, non-interactive DH758UST version are fitted with a short-throw lens designed for installation against the wall with just a short space to the screen, making them ideal for installation in any type of classroom or education environment. The DH758USTiR and DH758UST HD projectors are capable of projecting a 100-inch image from an ultra-short distance, which avoids having shadow on the screen from presenters or writers on the whiteboard. With the complimentary Interactive Whiteboard software, multiple students can work simultaneously on an assignment on the whiteboard and screenshots can be captured and retrieved again.

Yamaha Distributed by Stage Audio Works: www.stageaudioworks.com

Yamaha VXC-F loudspeakers feature a newly designed speaker unit and resin enclosure tuned for music playback; the shallow, lightweight construction of the VXC3F and VXC5F enables them to conform to the strictest installation limitations. The VXC3F features a 3,5-inch full-range bass reflex driver rated at 20 W, while the VXC5F features a 4,5-inch driver rated at 40W. The speaker unit and back box volume have been matched to achieve balanced reproduction of all frequencies, even at low output levels to deliver refined, natural music reproduction at any volume level without mid-range distortion.

VXC-F speakers are designed to be fast and flexible to install. Facilities include both high and low-impedance connections, Euroblock terminals, a carrying band, anti-drop tab, magnetically secured grilles (with anti-drop wire) and double-threaded screws for speedy installation.

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Integration & Installation REPORT

ISE 2015 local feedback What the South African visitors thought of the show, in terms of new products launched, information, innovation, accessibility and atmosphere, as well as how the show compared to previous ISE shows and what our local visitors hoped to gain from attending.

Bruce Genricks, Electrosonic SA My overall impression of the show was that it was big, busy and had more attendees than ever before.

It was a bit of an information overload as there was so much to see in such a short time. Trying to distil the information you need and record what you can so that it’s useful when you return was challenging.

In the line of innovation, there weren’t many ‘brand new’ concepts but the products were certainly quicker, smaller and had higher resolutions. The development of the 3D projection mapping was impressive and a lot easier to implement than before. As always, it was definitely worth the time especially with the opportunities to talk directly to our suppliers and even our dealers – we love to be able to give them first-hand information.

We attend ISE to see and learn about the latest products, network with our suppliers and take the opportunity to show Electrosonics’ dealers that we are dedicated to what we do. The 3D projection mapping technology most certainly caught my eye. However, it was nice to see the 4K products now becoming available as products as opposed to just concepts. I was also impressed that 4K is happening at 60hz instead of 30hz.

And lastly, I was happy to see the ever-increasing resolution in LED displays. Although I did not attend last year, I did attend 2013 – from previous shows, I found this year much better in terms of size, attendance, numbers and quality of exhibition stands.

Nicholas Scott, Dimension Data The show was insanely busy and overwhelming at times, but still definitely worth it. It was an overload of information due to trying to get everything in in three days. Hopefully next year’s four-day show will allow us to spend more time at the various stands, and attend a few more InfoComm sessions.

Amsterdam is always nicely accessible being in Europe and a great vibe with all the AV nerds! I went to get first-hand information of

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new releases and see what the new global trends are. I noticed that less than 2mm LED, 4k, laser projectors, image warping and cloud are very popular. I attended the show in 2012 and this time there was a larger focus on unified communications.

Phil Lord, Christie Digital I got a very positive impression of the show – we had a very busy stand with many visitors from Africa (existing customers and new opportunities). There was a particularly strong turn out from South Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria.

In terms of information, innovation, accessibility and the atmosphere, it was definitely worth my time attending – I thought the show in general was very well organised. Christie are a major exhibitor and long-time supporter of ISE – I was manning our stand for the three show days and – aside from numerous customer meetings – we also connected with some end users and consultants, which provided us with a huge amount of leads for the EMEA region.

In terms of impressive new products (I did not manage to leave the stand) however, Christie launched the new Boxer 3 Chip DLP projector as well as the new ‘H’ series range of high brightness 1 Chip DLP projectors. I have attended all 12 ISE exhibitions and this year’s was certainly one of the busiest – I am looking forward to the show being an extra day next year so I can hopefully have a look around myself!

Michael van Rensburg, TiD I found ISE 2015 to be very well organised and remarkably quick to gain entrance to the show on the first day where you still have to get your entrance ticket printed and scanned – it took less than five minutes!

We normally don’t get too much time to ‘experience’ the show as a whole as our schedules for seeing suppliers is quite full. But it was easy to get around, everything is well marked out and indicated through various signage and printed media. It is always worth our time to have a face-to-face catch up with our suppliers and discuss the year ahead and get first hand info on new products and things in the pipeline.

Our main purpose for attending the show is to see suppliers and

REPORT Integration & Installation

attend distributor meetings by our suppliers for the agencies we hold.

We were hoping to sign up a few new agencies and expand on current relationships and everything is in line to closing those deals.

A few products that caught my eye included some new products from one of our main suppliers, Beyerdynamic, featuring a new wired conference system named Orbis with a variety of delegate and chairman microphone units available from desktop, flush and under table units. The wireless conference system from Beyerdynamic, Quinta, is now featuring voting as well as a new feature to the solution.

A new Revoluto vertical array microphone was also revealed at ISE 2015, for official release towards April 2015 at the next big trade show.

This new vertical array microphone will work in stand-alone applications as well as in integrated audio solutions and conference systems. From Lab.Gruppen the new PLM+ series touring amplifiers that was released Q4 of 2014 was also on display and features upgraded Lake DSP and rational power management whereby you can allocate the available total power of the amplifier as you require over the four output channels. From Biamp systems, the key focus is on integrated audio over IP solutions with Tesira, and the key defining feature of the TesiraFORTE product line of fixed IO dsp’s is the standard eight-channel USB Audio port for use in soft codec video and audio conferencing.

I have only visited the show once before last year for the first day to see key suppliers, so I can’t give an accurate perception, but it is an overall well-organised show and is one of the key expos on our yearly calendar.

Tiaan Hoogstad, TiD ISE is the quintessential show for any AV professional in Africa. As it should be, it is bigger every year and we tend to see an increase of the amount of partners (integrators) that attend every year. The show was absolutely worth my time as it is very informative and brings us up to date with the latest products, technology and inspiration for the local market.

We attend every ISE to meet with suppliers as well as meeting with local partners to introduce them to our suppliers directly and show them new advances and products. We always focus on building our relationships with suppliers and partners alike at ISE and it was a very successful show for TID as a company. Two of the brands that TID distribute won InAVation awards at the show; the Tannoy CMS 3 loudspeakers and the Biamp Tesira Forte DSP. Cloud electronics launched a loudspeaker range, Beyerdynamic launched a host of new conferencing products which includes quinta conferencing to include voting. Biamp is always an exciting stand to visit with a focus on Tesira Forte as well as the best Barista in all of Amsterdam making the coffee! This year’s show was bigger and better with a definitive focus on Dante, and I noticed many more attendees coming from Africa and that is a very good sign.

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Integration & Installation REPORT

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InAVation Awards 2015

REPORT Integration & Installation

Some of the biggest names across the AV integration and manufacturing industries came together on 10 February in Amsterdam to celebrate talent, engineering skill and creativity across all aspects of the AV industry in the 9th annual InAVation Awards ceremony. Read on for a full list of all 2015 winners.

This year’s InAVation Awards ceremony, held at the Gashouder in Amsterdam, has been hailed a resounding success by organisers and attendees.

The event kicked off with the Technology Awards that recognise the best products, software and tools launched in the last year. This year’s InAVation Awards judges had to select finalists from nearly two hundred entries. Shortlisted companies then went up for a public vote which was weighted in an effort to select the best products (not simply those from the largest companies!). Using a points-based system, votes from technical managers, consultants, end users and integrators scored higher than those from manufacturers or distributors.

A whopping 24 452 legitimate votes were cast and the recently introduced points system created close competition. Right to the final day of voting there was everything to play for in five categories with four companies serious contenders for the Large Format Display Award.

In the Project Awards, strong entries were received from all corners of the EMEA region. The Awards also saw projects entered from beyond EMEA as, for the second year running, an international project was rewarded.

Project Awards Winners: Most InAVative Retail Installation (sponsored by B-Tech International) BMW Showroom integrated by MCS (UK) Most InAVative Education Facility (sponsored by Kramer) Leicester Schools Project integrated by CDEC (UK) Most InAVative Corporate Facility (sponsored by Unicol) Sandvik Coromant Centre integrated by Visuell Design (Sweden) Most InAVative Visitor Attraction (sponsored by Christie) Bletchley Park integrated by DJ Willrich (UK) Most InAVative Government Project (sponsored by Bosch) Nuclear Security Summit 2014 integrated by Jacot Audiovisueel (the Netherlands) Most InAVative Leisure & Entertainment Facility (sponsored by InAVate APAC) Sochi 2014 Olympic Games Main Press Centre integrated by Polymedia (Russia)

Most InAVative Live Event (sponsored by ElectroVoice) Olympic Park Sochi – Letna 2014 integrated AV Media (Czech Republic) Most InAVative Healthcare Project (sponsored by AMX) Kunnskapsportalen integrated by Jones AV (Norway) Most InAVative International Project (sponsored by InfoComm) Singapore Sports Hub integrated by Electronics & Engineering (Singapore) Most InAVative Display Technology Application (sponsored by InAVate EMEA) Manchester City Etihad Stadium integrated by Pioneer (UK) Project Manager of the Year (sponsored by AMX) Sami Nazzal, INTE

Technology Awards Winners: Most InAVative AV Mounting Product or Accessory Chief Manufacturing – LVS1U Video Wall Mount Most InAVative Audio Product Biamp Systems – TesiraForté

Most InAVative Collaboration Product Kramer – Via Collage Most InAVative Video Processing and Distribution Product Crestron – 4K Digital Media Solutions Most InAVative Projector Christie – GS Series Most InAVative Display Product Green Hippo – Par4Keet video player Most InAVative Control Product Crestron – DMPS3-4K-150-C Most InAVative Loudspeaker Tannoy – CMS 3.0 Most InAVative Conferencing Product Extron – SMP 351 Most InAVative Integration Tool Stardraw – Stardraw Design 7.1 Most InAVative Large Format Display SiliconCore Technology – Magnolia 1.5mm LED Most InAVative Video Processing and Distribution Product (Switchers) Extron – DTP CrossPoint 84 Distributor of the Year Publitec

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Integration & Installation REPORT

Training days are here again

The Auditor-General South Africa’s new building in Century City

A trio of training spaces that can be used separately and combined effortlessly is the hallmark of an installation at the Auditor-General South Africa’s new building based in Century City, Cape Town. Francois du Plessis, managing director of Cape Town-based systems integrator InchBrook Audio Visual, explains all to David Davies.

“InchBrook Audio Visual has been involved in some landmark projects over the past 12 years, and that trend continues with our most recent work at the new building in Century City, Cape Town, occupied by the Auditor-General of South Africa. For anyone not in the know, the Auditor-General is the supreme audit institution of South Africa and was established to strengthen the country’s democracy by enabling oversight, accountability and governance in the public sector.

“As one might expect from a facility of this type of role and prominence, there was an expectation that the AV installation in the building’s new training venue would be of the highest possible quality.

Those requirements called for a very exacting process of design and specification.

“The primary aspect of the project as far as specified in the client’s requirement specification was to equip three training rooms with a capacity of about 80 to 100 in each case – two of which could be fused into one when required for larger gatherings. In particular, we needed to be able to combine the projectors in these spaces – not an easy task when there are support pillars on a grid pattern

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throughout the rooms that created an issue with regard to visibility and, by default, the angle of projection. We addressed this by using a total of three different screens – two in one of the rooms and one in the other.”

Clarity and reliability Cobus Badenhorst, project manager at InchBrook Audio Visual, adds: “With an installation of this nature, it was evident that we needed projectors that we knew would be reliable and easy to operate. For these and other reasons, we selected Dell 4220 HD DLP Digital Projectors. With 4100 ANSI lumens brightness and high resolution capabilities, you can project ultra-bright, high-quality images in a wide range of lighting conditions. In addition, 4:3 ratio Cyber Series motorised, ceiling-recessed projection screens from Grandview were installed. With a three-metre wide horizontal viewing area the screens are quite large, but they do offer great visibility, which is obviously at a premium given the need to separate and recombine the rooms.

“As a company, InchBrook had used the Dell 4220s on a number of previous projects, with considerable success. In the case of the Auditor General installation, the IT department was familiar with Dell, too, and knew that they offered excellent after-sales service including a three-year next business day swap-out warranty, so it was a pretty straightforward decision.

“For connectivity and content sharing, we opted to use Barco ClickShare. It’s an increasingly popular wireless presentation and collaboration system, and one that we have deployed in a host of recent projects to allow meeting participants to share content on a central meeting room screen. Using ClickShare allows the display of

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“The result is a very straightforward installation in terms of usability.

Even a novice can operate these venues without instructions. Picture driven buttons clearly divine on/off, combine/separate venues and numbered Barco ClickShare unit to project. It’s also fundamental to our system design ethos – keep them as simple as possible in order to avoid ‘operator error’! The skill-sets of staff in a venue may vary considerably, and in some cases there may be no background knowledge at all. In addition to making the installations easy to use, we always provide proper user training sessions… we don’t just install and walk away. Plus, we are on quick-response if a problem occurs, so can be on-site within a matter of minutes.”

Clean, concise audio

content from laptops, tablets and smartphones at the click of a button.

“From our experience across a wide variety of corporate and public sector installations, we know that there is still demand for legacy VGA connectivity but also a desire to ‘futureproof’ with HDMI. Therefore, there is a need to make provision for both types of equipment, and in that context ClickShare provides a welcome alternative given that it based around USB-type connectivity. It really blows the whole VGA/HDMI issue out of the water! Add to that the ability to wirelessly connect to the base station with a smart phone or android device and you have all your presentation connectivity angles covered.

“From previous installations – such as the offices of leading wine and spirits producer Distell and Business Connexion Group, a South African based information and communications technology company – we were aware that ClickShare was reliable and would not require us to keep returning to the site for maintenance. So once again, it was a system that essentially selected itself.

“Kramer switching and room control equipment has also found its way onto many of our projects. For the Auditor-General building, we used their VS-44HN fixed and modular 4x4 HDMI matrix switch and PT-571/572 HDMI-over-CAT6 extenders to run signals from the Kramer HDMI matrix switch via aVM-4Hxl HDMI distribution amplifier to the projectors. Room control is via multiple Kramer RC-78R 8 button room controllers, eliminating the need for multiple remote controls to operate the installation.

Francois du Plessis continues: “With speech being the principal requirement here, the onus was on specifying a solution able to deliver concise, highly intelligible audio. To run auxiliary audio via the Barco ClickShare units as well as the wireless microphones, we opted for TOA’s A-2240CE mixer amplifiers; they are simple, robust and do the job.

“Minimising aesthetic impact is always a consideration, and that was one of the factors that led us to select TOA’s F-2352C ceiling speakers. Ceilings in the rooms are relatively low, so there was a definite and real possibility of audio feedback when using the wireless microphones. The TOAs, however, offer a very wide dispersion resulting in extremely wide area coverage and in this instance were used in a 100V line application. Well-balanced sound can be heard uniformly at any location throughout the venues, with no feedback at all. Crucially, by design the TOA F-2352C ceiling speakers are also very effective at preventing ceiling void bleed into adjacent training venues.

“For presenters and contributors, we opted for industry standard Shure PGX 24/58 wireless handheld microphones and Shure BL14T / E/ MX53 wireless headset microphones. Again, Shure technology has been an integral part of our projects for years.

“The completed rooms are primarily used for a wide variety of training programmes, including internship training for new and candidate chartered accounts. In addition, the venues will also double up as function venues, especially for occasions such as the television broadcast of the Auditor-General’s report in Parliament.

“The response from the client has been overwhelmingly positive, and I am glad to report that we are already discussing further installations to take place within the same building in Century City.

Projects are likely to encompass video-conferencing facilities, digital signage and a principal boardroom set-up as well.”

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Integration & Installation REPORT

A new concept in museum culture – The Moruleng Cultural Precinct

James Sey

The first room of the Mphebatho Museum showing the variety of materials used to illustrate the narrative themes.

The design and creation of a museum is no ordinary undertaking. It demands a huge variety and range of skills and talents. These go from conceptual and strategic thinking, to an understanding of the cultural, artistic as well as the other social, historical and heritage needs that will be addressed by the museum -through to the entertainment, educational and other value that it offers to the widest possible audience.

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REPORT Integration & Installation

The real innovation lies in designing an installation and exhibits that will have the power to change perceptions about rural communities, and excite and inform both locals and visitors through the presentation and delivery of vibrant Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela stories and histories – all in a cutting-edge set of designs that use state-of-the art materials and techniques.

Totem Media is a unique collective which comes together to conceptualise, design and implement exactly these kind of museum projects and related installations. Bringing together leading local and international talents in the fields of museum and heritage design, architecture, research, writing and graphic design, as well as filmmakers, curators and historians, Totem has most recently completed a revolutionary museum installation project in the Pilanesberg.

The Moruleng Cultural Precinct is a shining example of what creative South African heritage institutions can be. The origins of the project go back to 2009, when Totem was approached by Kgosi Pilane of the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela Traditional Administration. The Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela have lived and worked in the Pilanesberg for centuries and wished to build a suitable place in their traditional lands

to share their history, culture and future vision with visitors from South Africa and around the world.

This vision became the newly launched Moruleng Cultural Precinct, on the slopes of the Mmammitlwa Mountain. One of the key intentions of the Moruleng Cultural Precinct is to allow visitors to explore the way in which the traditions of the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela helped them see the world before colonialism and Christianity arrived. The project seeks to inspire conversations and debates about cultural values, beliefs, knowledge systems and practices, as they inform identity and possible futures for the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela.

The Precinct comprises many different elements. It includes the restoration of the Mphebatho Museum building and the conservation of the old Dutch Reformed Church, which turned 150 years old in 2014. It also incorporates the creation of an Iron Age settlement

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Integration & Installation REPORT

A render from the 3D engineering model of the wall constructed as a backdrop to the 7 screen film. With over 2000 parts the wall mimics ancient stone walling and Lekgapo patterning.

pattern, a lekgotla that can seat up to 200 people and way-finding and external information panels at selected places of interest.

Totem Media has developed a unique interactive museum experience in both the Mphebatho Museum and the old Dutch Reformed Church, experiences that are more akin to moving through an art installation than a conventional static and passive museum offering. The real innovation lies in designing an installation and exhibits that will have the power to change perceptions about rural communities, and excite and inform both locals and visitors through the presentation and delivery of vibrant Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela stories and histories – all in a cutting-edge set of designs that use state-of-the art materials and techniques.

The highlights of the new Moruleng Cultural Precinct are undoubtedly the Mphebato Museum and the Dutch Reformed Mission Church, both of which have been extensively redesigned and reconceptualised by the Totem team to reflect a contemporary take on traditional Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela values.

The Mphebatho Museum, originally built as a school in 1937, allows visitors to experience Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela culture and traditions as they have evolved through the centuries. The exhibition is split between two key areas. The first considers culture and belief from the inside out, using highly visual and tactile installations that are introduced by a multi-screen video installation, explaining how creation stories, traditional beliefs, healing systems, the use of cattle and clay, as well as an understanding of the key life stages that have helped the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela navigate their lives over centuries, and are still relevant today. The second space looks at Bakgatla culture from the outside in, using the lens of traditional museum views, with a selection of images from the notable 1930s anthropologist Isaac Schapera. This area employs clean lines and contemporary display techniques.

The renovated Dutch Reformed Mission Church houses an exhibition and films on the impact of missionary and colonial influence – both negative and positive – on the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela showing how, over the years, they have found ways for Christianity and tradition to live alongside each other in mutual respect. The building is also equipped with audio-visual equipment to allow the venue to be used for community gatherings and conferences.

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Next level museum design The conventional focus of heritage installations like that of the Moruleng Precinct is on the traditional museum aspects of the exhibition and on the objects that might stand in for or represent a culture and its values and way of life. But the Moruleng project goes way beyond this, offering an immersive art installation type environment organised spatially around the main Mphebatho Museum and the Dutch Reformed Church. Between these two lies the amazing reconstruction of an Iron Age landscape, which is a detail of the first Kgosi Pilane’s settlement that can still be visited in the Pilanesberg National Park.

Totem project manager Samantha Horowitz points out: ”For Totem it was vital that the spaces be tactile and immersive and representative of the key narrative themes. This led into the design and execution of the physical exhibition concepts, buildings and curation.”

The production aspects of this execution phase were managed by Totem team member and Digital Fabric MD, Gavin Olivier. The exhibition production and implementation was handled by long time Totem collaborators Image K Digital.

The first step in the process of getting the highly complex designs off paper and into the exhibition space lay in the decision to model the entire exhibition in 3D CAD. Totem had decided to work with the raw materials which were used by the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela traditionally, including wood, copper, rawhide and clay. The resulting exhibitions and exhibition spaces, according to Gavin Olivier: ”Required a highly capable drawing team for the levels of complexity required. The entire exhibition has in excess of eight thousand individually produced parts. Each part was designed, drawn and modelled, with working production models.”

Central to the exhibition is a curved wall that mimics ancient stone walling, while acting as a backdrop for the multi-screen installation.

This installation alone has over 2 000 unique parts, all of which had to fit together with very little tolerance. ”Without 3D modelling,” continues Olivier, ”this would have been an impossible job.” Olivier says that this is partly because it’s not only a question of material design. The design process has many input requirements that include:

Structural – the components need to physically fit together and safely. For example, that same wall required several tons of wood, which in turn needed internal steel reinforcing and invisible wiring channels in which to run AV cables through the exhibit. That amount of material has an obvious safety requirement which has to be meticulously observed.

Feasibility – the sheer volume and quality of material required by these unique installations has to be carefully tracked and kept within budget, especially allied with a time-consuming and potentially expensive design process.

Aesthetic – the design ultimately has to fit with the original concept and purpose of the exhibition and its space – in this case to dramatise and foreground the fascinating culture and history of the Bakgatlaba-Kgafela. The other components are in the service of this goal.

The final production of the exhibition required sophisticated laser cutting and CNC machining to realise the designs. Olivier continues: ”A project of this size and complexity simply cannot be produced without CNC technology. To manufacture that many parts accurately is simply no longer possible using traditional build methods. Having said that, the team you need on a job like this needs to be multi-skilled, because all of those CNC and laser parts have to be finished, assembled and installed. For example, we needed to chemically etch exhibition text into steel plate and engrave text into materials as varied as granite, timber and Perspex.

We had to use various paint techniques, different types of printwork, laser etching into wood, romark, cowhide; working with hand-beaten copper…the team needed not only to have these skills, but to have a sense of the craft-making traditions they were working within.”

Of course, no contemporary exhibition is complete without a media component and the Moruleng Precinct is no different. Says Olivier: ‘The initial walk-in display in the Museum comprises seven monitors ranging in size from 22-inch to 55-inch, displaying a unity image. The content for this array was shot on a single 6K camera, allowing sufficient resolution for each of the display windows to still be at the required HD resolution. The seven channels of video are run frame accurately from an Alcorn McBride HD Binloop with five channels of audio from concealed speakers. The entire museum audio component is routed via a BSS Soundweb platform to facilitate preset levels and overall museum control is managed by Crestron.

While it is by no means a large system, it carries all of the sophistication and automation that a large museum system would feature, with an emphasis on ease of use”.

In addition to the rich historical and heritage tapestries contained within the Precinct and so beautifully expressed by its exhibitions, the Pilanesberg location contains many other sites of historical interest in the immediate area. Today the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela Traditional Authority, led by Kgosi Nyalala Pilane, constantly seeks innovative ways to combine the values of their traditional culture with the challenges and opportunities of contemporary development. The Moruleng Cultural Precinct is a site teeming with such innovation, but one which does so by educating and informing people about its valuable cultural heritage and rich history. Samantha Horowitz concludes:” Totem Media are extremely proud to have walked this journey with the Bakgatla-ba-Kgafela, it’s not every client that is prepared to embark on such a creative and personal adventure and we look forward to the next challenge.”

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Integration & Installation REPORT

New Direction Grace Church Photos by Anton Crone

By Joanne Taylor

At a place ‘where everybody is somebody’, the Grace Performing Arts Centre in Cape Town, home to the New Direction Grace Church, is a 1 500-capacity facility that bellows out its sermons and songs of praise with a new au courant audio and visual installation completed and supplied by Stage Audio Works.

The New Direction Grace Church moved into a converted warehouse in December 2014 and of course, as a House of Worship (HoW) congregation grows, so do its requirements for technology. Unless you’re an unabashedly austere organisation that relies purely on voice and air to broadcast the message, you’re going to need all manner of AV and public address equipment.

“The primary challenge with this particular installation was that the church only acquired the new building towards the end of November 2014 and wanted to have its first service on 14 December 2014. So this meant that we had to work among other contractors on site that were revamping the warehouse into a church venue – including electricians, tilers, painters, carpenters and air conditioner guys. We also only had about two weeks to source stock and only started installing equipment on the 8th December 2014,” explains Nathan Ihlenfeldt, technical manager at Stage Audio Works.

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The installation Apart from manufacturing all of the trussing in its Johannesburg factory, Stage Audio Works supplied and setup 42 x stage decks, while most equipment on stage was supplied by SAW – including Sennheiser microphones, Livemix personal monitoring system, Radial DI boxes, K&M stands and all of the cabling.

The Livemix personal monitoring systems by Digital Audio Labs are designed to be simple enough for volunteer and non-professional users to quickly understand and start using. “Dante onboard makes integration easy,” explains Ihlenfeldt.

Three Christie HD14K-M projectors were installed. Due to the nature of the desired projection surface and the dimensions of the stage, a 17-metre wide x 3-metre long projection curved screen was installed.

“We chose the Christie M series projectors because we needed the colour and brightness uniformity which 3 chip DLP technology offers, in addition to the Twist funictionality required for the geometry correction on the curved surface,” says Ihlenfeldt. The signal is fed to the projectors via HDBaseT extenders from DVI Gear and the media playback is done on a Pro Video Player 2 with Apple Mac Pro. The sound is mixed on a Yamaha QL5 with Rio 3224 stagebox, which was selected for its ease of use, cost effectiveness and Dante networking.“The built-in Dante audio networking provides broad connectivity with exceptionally low latency and jitter,” adds Ihlenfeldt.

The PA system is a d&b audiotechnik Y series system, d&b’s newest

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Integration & Installation REPORT

line array offering which comprises of three D80 amplifiers, four Y8s and two Y12s a side, with eight Y Subs beneath the stage and four 8S as delays. “This PA system offers a smooth and natural sound and is capable of ridiculous volume, which will be perfect for when the church has local and international Christian artists performing in the venue. The excellent broadband directivity of the Y-Series line array and distributed sub-bass array meant that we were able to achieve excellent STI and sound quality in what is essentially an untreated warehouse,” he explains.

Regarding lighting, Stage Audio Works installed a host of moving lights and generic fixtures from their own product portfolio. Acme XP16R Spot and CM200Z moving lights were installed, along with a selection of LED blinders, LDR generic fixtures and a Smoke Factory Hazer. Control is from a High End Systems HedgeHog 4 controller. The signal is distributed via Artnet. “Acme is actually one of the largest stage lighting manufacterers in the world, with a massive staff compliment and factory space in China. Many well known lighting manufacterers have OEM agreements with Acme, who have been established as a leading company in the local Chinese market for many years. Only recently has the Acme brand been established in the export market. There are many exciting products in their portfolio, and with over 100 staff in their R&D team, I’m sure that Acme will be established as a global leader soon.”

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The wrap Given that the projector, screen, media server, lights, PA system, trussing, stage and cabling installation at the New Direction Grace Church went off without a hitch and was delivered on time, shows that it is possible to deliver under immense pressure and insane timelines as well as producing sound and lighting of a high standard. Artists such as Heinz Winckler, Ernie Smith, Zoe Zana and the angelic Charlyn Davids have already graced the stage, with South African star Lira set to perform at the venue in March. Stage Audio Works, along with the products under their umbrella, certainly seem to bring a fantastically streamlined, turnkey solution to the table under tight deadlines. “We pride ourselves on being the only supplier in Africa who can deliver this level of technical equipment from our own product portfolio, with fantastic support,” concludes Ihlenfeldt.

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Integration & Installation REPORT

Nu Metro Cinemas install three-level surround sound

Nu Metro Cinemas is taking ’going to the movies‘ to new heights with the unveiling of a new cinema complex at The Glen in Johannesburg in November 2014. The ’Xtreme‘ attraction at The Glen, along with Nu Metro Menlyn in Pretoria, are the first cinemas in Africa to launch the first phase in Nu Metro’s SceneXtreme digital 3D offering.

The SceneXtreme cinemas at Nu Metro The Glen and Menlyn showcase RealD’s groundbreaking Precision White Screen format, the new DP4K-23B projector that delivers 4K Ultra High Definition visuals, coupled with the new immersive Auro 11.1 sound system from Barco.

SceneXtreme at Nu Metro Cinemas is boosting the movie experience beyond the boundaries of reality – delivering larger-thanlife visuals coupled with booming 3D sound from all perspectives.

Apart from the superb next generation audio-visual technology installed to create a fully immersive cinema-going experience at Nu Metro The Glen and Menlyn, the cinemas also boast the ultimate in luxury seats – designed to recline for first class comfort.

Nu Metro Cinemas are the first in Africa to install the ‘open source’ Barco Auro 11.1 system, which has been praised as the future standard for high-end cinema audio by all the major film studios globally, including acclaim from Skywalker Sound / Lucasfilm and respected producers such as Jeffrey Katzenberg (DreamWorks SKG).

Developed by Auro Technologies and powered by Barco, the Auro 11.1 sound format is designed along three layers of sound – surround, height and overhead, rather than the single layer used in the conventional 5.1 sound format or two layers in other ‘object-based’ formats. Thanks to its 11.1 configuration, the technology not only enables sound mixers to move objects around in space but it also allows them to reproduce the immersive aspects of a film soundtrack in a way that is more compatible with their current workflow.

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The screens The revolutionary screen technology being premiered for SceneXtreme at Nu Metro The Glen and Menlyn, stretch from floor to ceiling about three stories high; and is the first of its kind in Africa. The world’s most widely used digital 3D cinema technology – with about 22 200 screens equipped with RealD 3D by around 1 000 exhibitors in 68 countries around the world – is behind the new Precision White Screen (PWS) installed exclusively at selected Nu Metro Cinemas.

PWS is designed to deliver enhanced 2D and 3D presentations with wide viewing angles similar to white screens of equivalent gain; making the debate of silver versus white screens a thing of the past.

PWS technology features edges four to five times brighter than a standard silver screen. The new screens also feature a smooth, white surface which generates better image contrast for improved image quality in 2D and 3D. “People like white screens because the light is bright and even, and white is neutral. In the past a lot of producers and directors have said that they don›t want their product in 2D shown on anything other than a white screen, as opposed to the current silver screens for 3D technology. PWS combines the best of both worlds. It looks white visually and has the reflection characteristics of a white screen, but it also does the amazing job of maintaining the polarisation of the white light so we can show 3D on it as well. That means the organisers don’t have to keep changing the screen, and the creators are happy to show 3D or 2D movies on the same screen,” explains RealD’s managing director Bob Mayson.

Surround sound This first in Africa required collaboration with leaders in the professional audio industry so Nu Metro called upon Wild & Marr to assist with the system design, calibration and setup of the Auro 3D system to integrate it with JBL Screen Array loudspeakers. Wild & Marr’s technical team met with the international team from Barco and went through training to become certified Auro 3D engineers.

Because of the Auro 3D 11.1’s format required three layers of sound – surround layer, height and top – a total of 42 x JBL cinema range loudspeakers, powered by Crown amplifiers were used to complete the installation at the two cinema complexes.

Each system consists of six JBL Screen Array 3730 loudspeakers for the front channel. Surround channels were covered using 34 JBL 8320 Compact Cinema Surround Speakers while a pair of JBL 4642A dual 18-inch cinema subwoofers took care of the low frequencies.

The loudspeakers are powered by 10 Crown amplifiers, which include Crown XLS 1500 and 2500 as well as XTi 6002. “The dynamic range of the JBL Cinema Array front end speakers and surrounds, in combination with the Crown amplifiers are fully capable of handling the digital AES sound signals of the new Barco Auro 11.1. It is a system that can be trusted to stay in use for a long period of time with minimal maintenance,” says Nu Metro’s head of technical, Johan van Staden. “From the start of the project, including the design and presentations, to product training, to the installation and final setup were all done with a positive attitude and professionalism.”

“The immersive capabilities of the Auro 3D system are amazing,” adds Andrew Sorrill, sales and marketing manager at Wild & Marr.

“Gustav Teitge, Anton van Wyk and our team in conjunction with Johan’s team produced a well-planned system design. The JBL Screen Array has a really warm sound from the centre channel while the surround channels are remarkably accurate – if you haven’t been to the movies in a while, I would highly recommend the immersive experience.”

The wrap The Glen cinema complex also includes SceneVIP, where cinemagoers can relax in an upmarket lounge before enjoying their favourite movie. This premium option includes the best in designer seats with foot-rests, plush leather cushioning and a recliner-setting to stretch out and relax while enjoying the on screen entertainment. SceneVIP also offers discerning movie fans a quality dining menu to indulge in, upgrading the Nu Metro experience in true superior style. Other selected cinemas are in the pipeline for similar expansions in the near future, along with various refurbishments and renovations scheduled for Nu Metro Cinemas all over SA in 2015.

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Idols SA season 10 finale

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By Thuli Mlambo

REPORT LIVE EVENTs

Idols SA season 10 saw a spectacular lighting design and powerful audio quality, making it a delightful live show for the audience.

Previous Idols SA shows during season 10 were held at the State Theatre in Pretoria, but the finale, which took place on Sunday 23 November 2014, called for a bigger audience and was moved to the 3 000 seated capacity of Carnival City’s theatre in the east of Johannesburg. Carnival City’s theatre is designed for ease of use for contestants and technical teams alike, as there aren’t many limitations.

This season’s set was monumental with Gavin Wratten as show director and the entire set, lighting and AV elements handled by Dreamsets. The lighting project-managed by Eben Peltz, whose other role entailed managing all the elements from site layout to power infrastructure and all general challenges that cropped up during all the stages of the production. Audiologic was sub-contracted by [SIC] Entertainment to handle audio, which was managed by Marius Marais for the tenth season.

“Having done 10 seasons of Idols SA, I can easily say it’s never the same every year, interesting challenges, also it’s good for my CV and any company that has a gig running for more than 10 years in a row, I can easily say it means they are doing something right,” expresses Marais.

The set Season 10’s set was very exciting to watch as there were few new technical changes as compared to previous seasons. The set was packed up at the State Theatre and setup at Carnival City in the space of a few days and rehearsals began just two days before the finale.

22 x Martin LC panels were incorporated as part of the set lighting. Samsung LCD 46-inch Seamless panels were used for the tracking back wall and there were numerous Samsung LED panels integrated in the set. The set design was done expertly by lighting designer Josh Cutts, Peltz and Wratten.

Lighting

The stage setup for season 10 of Idols SA

Idols SA is a show which requires lighting that is both exciting and functional at the same time, as each song needs to have its own look and feel so the fixtures need to be multi-purpose and offer variety. There were different lighting fixtures used on the show, all working together to excite the audience with a different light parade for each performance. Cutts says Carnival City was a pleasure to light because the arena is designed for this type of show. This year they went for a cleaner look with curved LED light boxes suspended from the grid. These light boxes were also used as light fixtures internally, which gave very vibrant and dynamic objects in the air.

“I wanted to create a dynamic space that had good design lines and layers of effects.

The space needed to be full and vibrant. All camera angles needed to have their own background with great effects and depth,” he explains.

The lighting console used by Cutts, was the GrandMA2 full size with an OnPC command wing as backup. These were connected to an eight-port node and two four-port nodes allowing him access to a full 16 universe of DMX control. The MA network allowed a full backup system in place for the live broadcast which allows for peace of mind when operating the show.

Cutts made use of the Robe Robin 800 LED as the main backwash on the stage due to the rich colours available from the LED range. The Robe Colorwash 2500 was used on the front truss for main front light for its brightness and for its colour temperature which is tremendous for camera.

Cutts had the privilege of trying out the new Robe Robin BMFL, which he used to texture the audience, and for presenter links in the audience, for which they did the job brilliantly, says Cutts. The Clay Paky Sharpy was used for the effect lighting and, as always, they were spectacular. To add sparkle around the band and on the floor, Cutts made use of the Elation Cuepix panels in front of the band on the floor with the Robin Parfect as the band and audience wash, which were super punchy and offered great colour options on the audience.

He explains: “With the show being live it doesn’t really affect my choice of lights, it just adds a ton of pressure, which I can handle and with that in mind we make sure that all

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Joshua Cutts

Marius Marais

major control gear has a back-up and is on UPS so that the system is strong and stable.” His best moments were while watching his design come to life and work better than anticipated.

All the video was controlled by Cutts himself using four Coolux players controlled by the grandMA2 lighting desk, these players run all the different screen elements, which allowed him full control over what was played on the screens and he could choose different textured video to assist the lighting look that he created.

To add spark to the show, a little pyrotechnics were added sporadically for a few performances. These were handled by a pyrotechnic technician, but controlled by Cutts: “I run the flames and CO2 jets from my lighting desk so that I have more control over when they fire.”

good, clean audio platform for everyone, for the musicians and singers on stage and to feed to broadcast for the viewers at home.

Fortunately there were technicians responsible for each different audio function.

“The challenge with such a large audience venue is combatting house noise. For this I used a massive PA. The 12–a-side new JBL VTX V25s, with sub-complements worked very well for this,” explains Marais.

Another pleasant and unique change for the finale was the elimination of on-stage monitors to the introduction of in-ear pieces, which are specifically designed and moulded according to musicians’ ear shape and these were supplied by Noiseclipper. The choice for in-ear pieces was to cut the loud crowd sound out for the musicians and singers. From the broadcast point of view, this made the stage completely quiet and gave a clean sound signal for broadcast purposes. The outside broadcast side was handled by Cristo Hatting from Sound GP. The in-house sound technical team who made Idols SA Season 10 a success comprised of Johan Griesel, who controlled the sound during the first five weeks of the show at the State Theatre in Pretoria. Dreyer was on monitors, Kenson Makhekhe as senior stage deck, and Gert Watson and Sims Jacob on stage deck.

Audio A couple of things had changed for the better this year, including an upgrade to a new sound mixing console. The show’s FOH was operated using a Vista 1 with a built-in DSP fixed rank console. Audio was operated by Marais, who is very experienced with Idols SA. The show’s FOH was operated on a Vista 1 which can be easily configured, and channels could be moved around the console, making it easier to switch between the different audio needs of the show, especially with Idols SA’s random, different music genres, with different bands, and talking presenter and judges, so this vital equipment made Marais’ work a pleasure.

Julius Dreyer handled the monitoring, using a Vi6 sound card fitted with a new Dante sound card that was launched in 2013 and it allowed communication with any equipment that uses Dante. The Allen & Heath ME1 system was also used as it is a Dante-based personal monitoring system. This allowed every musician control using their own control pad, where they could mix and build their own mix into their own preference without having to constantly communicate their changes with a monitor engineer.

For the backbone they used the 64-channel Klark Technique square 1 active splitters, which splits signal between FOH, monitor and broadcast sound. The big trick, according to Marais, was to provide a

Kit list: Control 1 x Grand MA 2 Full Size 1 x MA 2 Command Wing 1 x Grand MA 2 4-port node 1 x Grand MA 2 8-port node 1 x GrandMA2 on PC 16 x Universes of DMX on the show

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The wrap Idols SA has become the longest running interactive reality television show this country has ever seen, where the viewers at home can vote for their favourite artist, driving the ratings higher each season. South Africa’s undying love for a show that excites and brings new musical talent to the market will surely keep the show going for many more seasons. The technical teams are already working on season 11 with pre-production having begun at the end of January 2015 and auditions in February. With lighting and audio technical expertise in the likes of Marais and Cutts, the show is certain to become more spectacular.

Lighting 1 x GrandMA2 on PC4 x Robe BMFL 48 x Robe Robin Parfect RGBW 8 x Robe Robin MMX profile 4 x Robe Robin 600 LED wash 16 x Robe Robin 800 LED wash 30 x Robe Robin LedBeam 100 16 x Robe Colorwash 2500 EAT 12 x Robe Colorspot 700 EAT 36 x Clay Paky Sharpy

6 x Robe Robin Pointe 12 x Beam lights 12 x Philips Nitro LED strobe 24 x Elation Cue Pix panels 22 x Martin LC panels Seamless LCD wall 4 x Pandora Box Coolux players

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LIVE EVENTs REVIEW

ETC Source Four LED Series 2 & Cyc Adapter – Proudly theatrical

By Jimmy Den-Ouden

ETC really is all about theatre lighting – just think about what the name stands for…

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The Source Four LED was introduced a couple of years ago and held appeal because it allowed users to simply attach a new light source to their existing lens tubes. First generation Source Four LED was good, and now they’ve added version 2 to the range and it’s even better. All the great existing features like the friendly user interface, red shift and 3 200K white point setting still apply, so I’m going to focus on what’s new.

Source Four LED uses the x7 Colour System to mix colours. Rather than use only RGB or RGBW, there are seven sets of differently coloured LEDs within the engine.

“What’s the point, a colour’s a colour right?” you might wonder – I know I did. The x7 system gives you different ways to make the colours, which in turn allow you to highlight differently coloured set or costume elements within them. It didn’t make sense to me until I saw it, but trust me it’s pretty damn cool.

The Source Four LED 2 uses 60 Luxeon Rebel emitters in a different combination of colours to the original Source Four LED. A higher concentration of red LEDs is balanced with the addition of lime green to the array. There are no white LEDs in the new engine at all, which again initially seems weird but actually isn’t.

The change in the colour mixing system has allowed about a 70% increase in white light output over the series 1 fixture – this seems weird when you consider the white chips are gone. I think it’s a case that the lime green now allows better balancing of more output from all the other colours when making white light. There’s still a slightly opaque filter which you need to sit in the lens tube to properly homogenize the colours, but that’s no big deal really. It’s still not quite up to the same output as a tungsten fixture in open white, but it’s pretty damn close.

In saturated colours the difference is even smaller, with the LED fixture brighter in some cases.

Control over the fixture is much the same as the first generation unit, with the addition of a range of ’quick colour’ presets you can dial up directly from the back panel. PowerCon and 5 pin XLR provide in and loop facilities for power and DMX. Control modes include HIS, HSIC, RGB, Studio and direct. You can input HSI to the fixture and it will figure out which LEDs to turn on at what intensity to generate the required result. The back panel is otherwise the same as the first gen, so it’s an easy migration. A safety wire attachment point is cast into the fixture chassis, and the whole thing just smacks of quality.

Hardly a surprise, given the price.

There’s no hiding from the fact that Source Four LED has a higher initial cost than other alternatives.

Considering the price it’s pretty important that the fixture be as versatile as possible, since ROI tends to be a big influence when purchasing. Maybe in recognition of this, ETC has released a Cyclorama adapter specifically to match this unit (don’t put it on a tungsten Source Four because it will melt). The cyc adapter fits onto the fixture in place of the lens tube and turns the fixture into a cyc

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LIVE EVENTs REVIEW

light. It also allows you to re-purpose your cyc lights to other duties when they’re not being used, so they stay busy and billable all the time.

A clever addition to this is a free iPhone app called ’Cyc Tool’, into which you punch the required throw distance from fixture to cyc. The app figures out the appropriate tilt angle, and marks it on a rotary scale. Then the clever bit happens – sit the phone on the fixture then tilt it back and forth until the scale turns green to show the angle is correct. Nifty!

ETC makes a big point about the quality of light from the fixture being good enough to light up people in addition to set elements, and really I think they’re understating it a bit – while it’s a viable tungsten replacement it’s also versatile in ways a fixed colour source can’t be. I like it.

If you’re investing in a LED engine, it probably makes sense to get an accompanying EDLT lens tube to squeeze every Lumen out of the source, as well as yielding sharper gobo projection. The engine is available with optional integrated shutters, so if you’re using EDLT fixed angle tubes that’s the option you want. If you plan to use zoom tubes with their own shutters or the cyc adapter, go for a plain engine instead. One thing is for sure though, LED just got even better.

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Brand: ETC Model: Source Four LED Series 2 & Cyc Adapter RRP excl Vat: Source Four LED Series 2 Lustr+ Engine – R 42 629.00 excl VAT or R 44 411.00 excl VAT with shutter barrel. LED Cyc Adapter – R 6785.00 excl VAT. 26 degree EDLT Lens Tube – R 4875.00 excl VAT. Price correct at time of print and subject to change

Product Info: www.etcconnect.com Distributor: www.prosound.co.za

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Design your ultimate lighting show and win fantastic prizes at Mediatech Africa 2015 Electrosonic SA and Martin Professional will hold a Lighting Designer Contest at Mediatech Africa in July.

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Electrosonic SA, Martin Professional Denmark, Lighthouse Holland are pleased to announce a Lighting Designer Contest to be held prior to Mediatech 2015, which will culminate in a final event on Thursday 16 July at the Mediatech Africa exhibition.

With less and less time available to actually program shows in venues these days, 3D Visualisation software has made the preprogramming of larger shows almost a necessity. Similarly pre-visualisation of sets and show ideas are also increasingly used to pitch design ideas to clients without actually having to build anything and deal with the associated costs.

Martin Showdesigner (MSD 6) 3D Visualisation software The Martin Showdesigner (MSD 6) is a great software tool to do this. MSD has been around for A judging panel consisting of independent lighting designers Denis many years and has grown from strength to strength, and in South Hutch, Joshua Cutts, Christopher Bolton, Mediatech organiser Simon Africa has a loyal and increasing following of this platform.

Robinson, as well as Peter Dahlin from Martin Professional Denmark, There are many budding lighting designers stretched across South will judge the entries from 15 June. From the submissions, five finalists Africa who do not have access to all the lighting fixtures in order to will be chosen and will be required to be present at the Mediatech create what they conceptualise in their minds. As part of an initiative 2015 exhibition for the finals of the competition. to promote up-and-coming, as well as established designers, Contestants’ M-Series show files will be loaded on to an M6 Lighting Electrosonic SA will present what they believe is a first in the history of Control Desk and contestants’ soundtracks will be played.

South African entertainment lighting.

Participants will have an opportunity to run their show file on the “This is a great industry initiative and with prizes worth R70 000 on exact same structure and lighting rig (from the visualisation software) offer, we are sure this will be a big draw card to the exhibition,” adds live in front of an audience to their music track. The judges will be Mediatech Africa director Simon Robinson. present to judge entries using pre-determined criteria.

The Lighting Designer Contest will take the format of two stages, A winner will be announced along with two runners-up. First prize is Stage 1 will be a competition pack (CD/Download) of all the needed a Martin M2PC Console and a one-year Martin Showdesigner software and information and will be made available at no cost to License, all worth R50 000. Second prize is a Martin M-Touch Console people who want to enter. and a one-year subscription of a Martin Showdesigner Pro License, A pre-designed lighting rig, designed in the Martin Showdesigner 6 all worth R14 000, and third prize is a Martin M-Touch console software with 26 x Martin fixtures in a roof structure will be included. worth R6 000.

This exact rig will be setup at Mediatech 2015. Contestants will then Full information and rules will be posted on Facebook prior to the install a demo version of the MSD 6 software on their own computers. opening of the competition on 15 March. Prizes are not transferable An internet connection is needed to access the show file. and cannot be exchanged for cash.

A Martin M-Series Control Product (M-PC, M2PC, M2Go, M1ts or M6) Costs for getting to Mediatech 2015 are for the finalists’ account. By is required to visualise your show. Those who don’t own a desk may entering this contest you give consent to Electrosonic SA and use the free M-PC software provided with competition packs. A song Mediatech Africa 2015 to use your show file and images of yourself in or compilation of music of the contestants’ choice (maximum four the media prior to – and subsequently after – the Mediatech show. minutes) will be played and their M-Series show file must be run to this The Mediatech Africa 2015 trade show will take place at the Dome track. (No time coding, etc, will be allowed.) at Northgate from 15 to 17 July 2015. Register for free at www.

Contestants have from 15 March 2015 until 15 June 2015 to create a mediatech.co.za using this unique code: PR00001, before 10 July and show file. This show file and a MSD 6 Video Rendering of the show to avoid paying R100 at the door. the music must be submitted to a shared dropbox account or sent to Electrosonic SA in Johannesburg (full details are provided in For more information regarding the lighting competition contact: Contest Packs). bruces@electrosonic.co.za. For more information on Mediatech Africa, visit www.mediatech.co.za

LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Afrikaans is Groot

By Joanne Taylor

The stage setup for Afrikaans is Groot

A local Afrikaans cultural music show held 12 sold-out shows in two cities, offering fans exciting lighting displays and quality acoustics.

Only three years old, Afrikaans is Groot has become an increasingly popular Afrikaans cultural music show with the likes of Juanita Du Plessis, Theuns Jordaan, Steve Hofmeyr, Bobby van Jaarsveld, Bok van Blerk, Robbie Wessels, Lianie May, Karlien van Jaarsveld, Jay, Riana Nel, Jannie Moolman, Arno Jordaan, Jak de Priester, Eden, Corlea Botha and Dewald Wasserfall – all playing their latest singles at the show.

All of the artists that feature at the shows are Coleske Artists only, which is a record company specialising in the Afrikaans pop and adult contemporary market, run by the Coleske brothers – Arnold and Ewald – who sang the famous Take Me Where the Sun is Shining in 1996 and My Only in 1998.

The 2014 concerts were held in November, in Pretoria and Cape Town at the 7 000-seater Moreleta Park Church auditorium and the 5 500-seater Grand West Casino and Entertainment World, respectively. Pretoria’s 10 shows sold out in six hours and Cape Town’s two shows sold out by the end of the first day of ticket sales.

To keep the fans returning to the shows year after year, the artists perform only the songs they released in the preceding year, and the organisers shake up the show by changing the lighting design, adding pyrotechnics and new stage props to complement the performances. Each individual show is made up of two-and-a-half hours of music with no intervals. A total of 37 songs are performed altogether by 21 vocalists and a band of eight.

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“The show is created by the Coleskes and managed by Ian Vos who knows exactly what they want, which makes our job smooth sailing,” says Denzil, general manager at MGG Productions, who worked as the technical and project manager for the 2014 shows.

MGG Productions had a crew of 14 that rigged and de-rigged the show and BMH Haulers trucked the set to Cape Town in 16 hours.

The organisers of the show used generators to supply enough power in the Pretoria venue because the church’s power supply wasn’t sufficient, and to be prepared for any power outages due to load shedding. The generators were two synced 350 CVAs and the cabling consisted of 600 metres to the 11-metre-high roof and in total there were two kilometres running throughout the venue, powering all the lights and equipment.

Acoustics Shure radio mics and in-ear monitors were used on the performers and mixed with a Soundcraft Vi3000 and the band was mixed on a Soundcraft Vi6. The Soundcraft Vi3000 digital mixing desk features an efficiently designed control surface, 36 faders, 24 mono / stereo busses and a sweeping black screen panel with four Vistonics II touchscreen interfaces with sleek, updated 3D graphics. Because the Vi3000 has four touchscreens, it’s the only console in its class that can be used by two engineers at the same time. The Soundcraft Vi6 offers superb audio quality thanks to the integration of a proven DSP engine and algorithms from Studer.

FOH was mixed by Arnold Coleske, Murray Lubbe and Fanie Pieterse using a DiGiCo SD10, which offers stealth digital processing and floating-point Super FPGA technology, and provides a fully-

REPORT LIVE EVENTs loaded feature set that caters to any FOH engineer’s needs.

The PA system consisted of three clusters of JBL VTX V20s on the left, centre and right. The JBL VTX V20 features the advanced technology and extraordinary performance of the VTX V25 in a smaller format, high power density three-way system complemented by a new suspension system that provides efficient transport, fast setup and precise configuration. All VTX V20 components have been specifically engineered to provide stable 110 degree horizontal coverage and effective line source array coupling in the vertical plane while delivering linear, transparent sound up to surprisingly high output levels for its diminutive size.

Lighting MGG Productions’ only external contractor for the event was lighting designer, Mauritz Jacobs of DreamSets. Jacobs did an exceptional job at lighting the shows and pre-programmed the entire show using the MA3D programme before the shows took place. “I was fortunate to have the exact show programme in order to do all of the hard work beforehand. I then sent the lighting design plan to MGG and they did all the hard work of rigging and de-rigging – this made the actual shows easy to manage and everything went off seamlessly,” he says.

A total of 236 lights were used in the shows, which were controlled by a GrandMA2 full size, a GrandMA2 light, a GrandMA2 on PC and an MA server. Jacobs says his favourite lights to work with on these shows were the Clay Paky B-EYEs: “They are versatile and bright as hell.”

A big ground support had to be built to support the rigging as nothing could be rigged over the stage due to weight issues. The church lights were removed and some of the show’s lights had to be precisely weight-balanced along the existing church beams.

The Stage MGG took care of the power supply, trussing, video, audio and all other technical aspects. The stage had five large LED walls that Jacobs had to compete with in his lighting design, as well as the challenge of lighting for the cameras. Afrikaans is Groot was filmed for DVD using six Blackmagic 4K cameras, by Mushroom Productions at the Pretoria show.

Live video was streamed to two 8m x 4,5m projector screens and the stage LEDs consisted of 168 panels of 6mm and 12mm ViewPix. The upright columns were lit with 200 x 12mm LED panels and all of the LED screens were controlled by Watchout and Barco FSN was used for switching.

The stage was designed by Michael Gill and the stage floor, risers, LED strips and full RGB strips were built by Gearhouse SDS. The steps on the stage were lit by Gearhouse SDS using Longman battens.

Denzil Smith, project manager of the shows from MGG Productions, said that the Pretoria venue posed a challenge as there are no hanging points, limited backstage space and only two doors to bring all of the equipment through. The Cape Town venue on the other hand is a ‘beautiful venue with lots of access and offered easy rigging’.

Kit list: Lighting 24 x Clay Paky Sharpys 24 x Clay Paky Alpha Spots 12 x Clay Paky B-EYE K10s 12 x Clay Paky B-EYE K20s 12 x Martin RUSH Strobes 12 x Philips Nitros

44 x Cityscape 48s 24 x Robe Robin 100 Beams 24 x Robe Robin 1200 Washes 24 x Robe Robin 600 Washes 24 x Robe Robin Pointes 4 x Filler Spots 1 x GrandMA2 Full Size 1 x GrandMA2 Light 1 x GrandMA2 on PC 1 x MA Server

Sound Shure Radio Mics Shure in-ear Monitors 1 x Soundcraft Vi3000 1 x Soundcraft Vi6 1 x DiGiCo SD10 3 x Clusters JBL VTX V20s

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LIVE EVENTs REVIEW

Dynacord PM502 – smarter than your average brick

By Jimmy Den-Ouden

So many products I review see me reminiscing about my formative days in the industry and thinking about the products I used to use. I am often given cause to think about how far things have since advanced, and the powering up the PM502 yielded one such moment. What a wonderful little thing it is.

Back when I was a kid, we used to call portable mixer amplifiers ’bricks‘. The concept is simple, and in some way the reverse of the powered speaker. Put the amp in the mixer and use un-powered speakers for a pretty compact, lightweight mobile PA system. Add in some powered speakers and you can have foldback too. Usually there would be some kind of on-board effect processor too.

The PM502 is the powered mixer for the modern age. There are five mic inputs (complete with global phantom power), and three stereo line inputs. The mic inputs have variable gain pots and combo connectors which accept XLR or TRS plugs. Line input is via TRS or RCA, and each input can be switched between two sensitivity options (lo and hi). All inputs have a peak LED and three-band EQ, and each of them has a Master, Aux, and FX bus send level. Inputs done!

No, inputs not done. Because there are global mic compressor and talk over functions (each independently switchable), as well as a button to mute all the mic inputs. The mute button is the only red button on the panel, so it’s nice and obvious. On the line input side, there’s an internal USB file player with a port on the front panel. Its

50

output appears at line input three.

On the output side of things, the dual class D 450W RMS amplifier channels appear on NL4 connectors at the back panel. An adjacent phoenix connector is used to drive 100V line systems – just choose between this and low impedance output in the setup menu. There’s an aux output on TRS and even a type B USB port allowing basic recording direct to computer. The front panel has a headphone output with volume control, though with no solo buttons you’re limited to just hearing whatever is routed to the master output.

The internal effect processor has 32 editable presets, and can be returned to main and aux mixes independently. A pedal input allows external effect on/off control. The seven-band physical EQ can be tied to the master A or master B or AUX DSP EQ. Did I mention the master output count? It’s two, with independent level control for each, as well as variable routing and delay for output B. You can also mono each bus independently, the default is stereo.

All this is controlled via the backlit screen and adjacent rotary encoder button. The menu is dead simple to operate and also gets you access to other functions like speaker processing and controls for

ColorSource PAR

Quality now comes with a small price tag In a sea of cheap LED luminaires, it’s easy to see why the ColorSource PAR wash luminaire stands out. After years of research and testing, ETC has developed a state of the art, budget friendly LED PAR fixture that doesn’t sacrifice quality for price. And because it’s made by ETC, you get the industry leading quality and support that worldwide customers have come to know and love over the years.

Control your ColorSource PAR rig with the Element lighting control console, based on ETC’s award-winning Eos® control system but with a simplified feature set, it is designed for modest rigs and maximum hands-on fader control. Affordable and easy to use, Element packs in the fundamentals of lighting control.

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LIVE EVENTs REVIEW

the USB player. Even little things like the order – in which function pages appear on the display – has clearly been well thought out – the most commonly accessed pages are the ones that appear earliest. Rack ears are optional, but for light duty travelling or dry hire I’d probably just case it in a rigid soft case to take advantage of the minimal 4.9kg weight.

On top of all the wonderful functionality, the PM502 also looks really cool. Dynacord stuff has always worked well but I’ve never yet seen it look this nice. Perhaps the core of the attraction is the simplicity of operation – anyone with half a clue about sound would have a pretty easy time getting results from the PM502, while anyone with a whole clue will delve into the menu and get the absolute best from it. It’s just a beautiful thing and perfect for a huge number of applications – anything from council events to gymnasiums, schools, bistros,

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churches and community groups.

What Dynacord has done with the PM502 is taken the basic brick and made into something much smarter and cooler, and I reckon they’ve done it really well.

Brand: Dynacord Model: PM502 RRP: R17 500 ex-VAT Product Info: www.dynacord.com Distributor: www.matrixsound.co.za

REVIEW LIVE EVENTs

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LIVE EVENTs INTERVIEW

The Lumineers’ LD sheds some light American five-member folk rock band, The Lumineers, gave an astounding performance in South Africa in early December 2014, when they played at the Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town and The Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg.

Pro-Systems took some time out to chat to Jason Rothberg, the bands’ lighting director, about his work and doing what he loves for The Lumineers.

Jason Rothberg

PS: Tell us a bit about yourself, how you got into the lighting industry? And what got you interested in lighting as a career?

well I’ve decided to stick with it.

JR: I am 30-years-old and originally from Vancouver, British Columbia

PS: Are there any new lighting products that you feel are

in Canada. I’m a lighting director, designer and programmer. As far as I can remember, I have always been obsessed with lights, when I was a kid my parents took me to a Broadway show. I think that sealed the deal.

game changers? If so, what makes them special?

PS: So how long have you been in the industry?

JR: I have been at it since I was 16-years-old, when I started building

JR: I am so out of that loop.

PS: Where do you get your ideas and inspiration from for a show?

JR: I get my ideas listening to the music before I start to programme. I play out in my head what I think the songs should look like.

stages, working at local theatres and lighting companies.

PS: Where do you currently live?

JR: I currently live in San Diego, California, USA. PS: Can you describe your first big break in the lighting industry?

JR: I would say when I moved to San Diego back in 2005, I got a job as a lighting director at House of Blues, which is a chain of venues across the US.

PS: Who was the first act/gig you designed and how was it?

JR: The first show I designed outside of high school was a corporate event, which was a long while back, but I am sure it went all right!

PS: On the subject of starting out, who were the influential

call for the house lights to go out and you hear the crowd get excited and start to scream.

PS: On your recent tour to South Africa with The Lumineers, which lighting fixture brand dominated your lighting design and why?

JR: We actually had to piece together our rig with various different fixtures. None of them were what I would have liked to have, but I was able to make good use of them. We had limited options and the venues were very limited on what we could do. We typically carry Mac Vipers and Auras.

people in your career?

PS: Was this your first time in South Africa? If so, was your experience how you’d imagined it?

JR: My theatre teacher in High School, David Gauither, played a role

JR: It was my first time. I would say it was better than I had imagined it

in me being here, he always encouraged me to keep at it and I was the first student he ever allowed to design a show.

to be. We went on a three day safari, which was an amazing experience. I also got to spend a day at the beach with penguins!

PS: Have you got any lighting awards under your belt?

JR: Not yet, but maybe some are in the pipeline.

PS: Besides The Lumineers, have you worked with any other big acts?

PS: What is your lighting console of choice and why?

JR: I am a big fan of the GrandMA series 1 and 2, I know my way

acts, such as Weird Al Yankovic, Passion Pit, Miranda Cosgrove, Enrique Iglasias, plus American Idols Live and a few others including some theatre tours.

around it and I am always able to accomplish what I want using those consoles and honestly I find it very versatile and easy to work with.

PS: What software do you use for design?

JR: I use WYSIWYG Design. I remember when I was in high school, I would play around with the demo version and because I know it so

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PS: What is most rewarding about your job?

JR: It’s such a rewarding feeling right before the show begins, when I

JR: I have toured as the lighting director for quite a number of big

PS: Do you have a favourite show or tour and why?

JR: The Lumineers has been one of my favourite tours. The band is fantastic to work for. They are such sweethearts. The crew we have is also the best.

INTERVIEW LIVE EVENTs the sand dunes, to camel riding in Dubai, to getting stuck in a snowstorm in Tokyo, causing us to go on a 10-hour whirlwind adventure in an attempt to find the airport. Those are the most memorable moments on the road, doing what I love.

PS: If you hadn’t gone into the lighting game, where do you think you would be?

JR: That’s a good question. I have no idea! I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.

I can honestly say I love what I do.

PS: What do you do with your spare time?

JR: When I am home, I spend my time at the gym, cooking and flying helicopters… real helicopters, not remote controlled ones.

The Lumineers in action

PS: What are your most memorable experiences or moments on the road?

JR: There have been so many memorable moments, from driving on

PS: Where is your favourite destination that you’ve travelled to?

JR: I am very lucky to have been able to travel to six continents; one of my favourite places is Italy.

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Prolight + Sound Frankfurt celebrates its 20th year

By Joanne Taylor

The next Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt will be held for the 20th time from 15 to 18 April 2015.

The anniversary edition of this important international trade fair for events, installation and production will be distinguished by a multifarious spectrum of products and technologies, an extensive complementary programme of events and presentation ceremonies for many renowned awards. The large number of registrations already received, the many returnees and the numerous first-time exhibitors taking part in 2015 underscore the great significance of Prolight + Sound for the sector.

What’s new ‘Stagery’ brings together an expanded product spectrum, new events and an exclusive programme of benefits and highlights. With a set of new offerings, the trade fair will also be of particular interest to companies and trade visitors from the theatre and theatretechnology sectors. An extensive seminar programme for this target group, a special ‘Quickfinder’ guide to relevant exhibitors and a

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special VIP programme for theatre planners – that’s the new ‘Stagery’ segment at Prolight + Sound.

Numerous manufacturers and service providers from the fields of stage lighting, trusses, rigging, lifting technology, curtain systems, show textiles and seating have already signed up to exhibit at Prolight + Sound. They include Alfa System sas, American Dancewear, Bühnenbau Schnakenberg, Bütec, ChainMaster Bühnentechnik, Chemtrol División Teatro, Enforcer Pülz, ETC, Gerriets, Jelmez-art, Maquinas Iberica and Quinette Gallay.

“We noted the desire of the theatre sector to make presentations and get together at the same time and place as other parts of the event industry,” says Prolight + Sound director Michael Biwer. “Now we are taking account of this with the establishment of the Stagery product segment, which will give companies, retailers and professional users a good reason to take part in Prolight + Sound.”

As part of the Stagery segment, Prolight + Sound is organising the Theatre and Film Colloquium, a special programme of lectures for the

target group at which experienced speakers will offer valuable insights into theatre technology, stage settings, costume design, legal issues and safety aspects. The Theatre and Film Colloquium is one of the main lecture blocks of the Prolight + Sound Conference and is supported by important organisations from the sector including the Society of Theatre Costume Makers and the Federation of Film Makers.

Prolight + Sound has always aimed to bring companies from the sector together with specialist retailers and professional users. To ensure that visitors from the theatre sector can find relevant exhibitors quickly and easily, Messe Frankfurt is publishing a special Stagery Quickfinder brochure clearly listing important exhibition stands in the five exhibition halls. Additionally, all exhibitors from the theatre sector can be found without difficulty thanks to a special-interest filter in the online search engine.

Another aspect of the new Stagery segment is a VIP programme for theatre planners on the Thursday of the fair – 16 April 2015. Besides the broad spectrum of products and the multi-faceted lecture programme, registered visitors profit from a variety of benefits and special highlights. For example, they will get free entry, receive an exclusive Welcome Package and are invited for a business breakfast.

They will also have the opportunity to take part at the gala evening event that includes the presentation of the renowned ‘Opus – German Stage Award’. All theatre planners interested in the Stagery VIP programme can register by simply sending an email to stagery@ messefrankfurt.com. The number of participants is limited.

The expansion of the target groups to include the theatre sector is also reflected by the alliance with Showtech, which will be incorporated into Prolight + Sound in 2015.

The other trade associations supporting Prolight + Sound are the German Theatre Technology Association, the European Association of Event Centres and the Professional Lighting & Sound Association of Germany.

The companies that have registered for the trade fair include Adam Hall, Avid, B&K Braun, Clay Paky, d&b Audiotechnik, DiGiCo, DTS, L-Acoustics, Lawo AG, MA Lighting, Martin Professional, Meyer Sound, Riedel, Robe and SGM. In 2015, Prolight + Sound will have a special thematic focal point for the theatre world and welcome numerous new companies from this field. Among the companies representing the theatre and stage technology sector at Prolight + Sound 2015 will be Alfa System sas, Bühnenbau Schnakenberg, Bütec, ChainMaster Bühnentechnik, Chemtrol División Teatro, ETC, Gerriets, Maquinas Iberica and Quinette Gallay.

The exhibition halls occupied remain unchanged in comparison to 2014. Exhibitors from the audio and sound-systems sector make their presentations in Hall 8.0 while visitors will find everything relating to lighting and stage technology, as well as trusses, display and video systems, in Hall 9.0. Exhibitors from Asia are represented by a broad portfolio of products, stretching from lighting and sound systems to stages, trusses and network systems, in Hall 9.1. New products and innovations from the world of lasers and effects, show and stage lighting, as well as contract installations and trusses, can be seen in action in Hall 11.0.

The Event Plaza Conference will be held in the Portalhaus building while associations and publishers make their presentations in Galleria 0 and Galleria 1. Prolight + Sound Conference Information, training, specialist qualifications: Prolight + Sound Conference bundles the numerous lectures and presentations held within the framework of the fair. The conference speakers pass on expert knowledge, as well as give practical advice, offer insights into the sector and explain the latest technological trends.

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

The conference is split into four main sections: Media Systems puts the spotlight on systems integration and AV-media technology. The Prolight + Sound Forum looks at new developments and areas of application in the field of event technology and promotes an interdisciplinary exchange of ideas and information. The VDT Academy is an information event organised by the Association of German Sound Engineers (Verband Deutscher Tonmeister – VDT) for the professional audio sector. Additionally, the Theatre and Film Colloquium will form a separate section of the Prolight + Sound Conference for the theatre, stage and film technology sector in 2015.

Another part of the comprehensive educational programme held at the fair is the three-day Eventplaza Conference, at which renowned speakers with great practical experience discuss the latest trends and strategies, as well as new ideas and impulses for the event sector. The programme is aimed primarily at event and incentive managers, marketing, communication and human-resources executives, as well as congress and conference organisers. For the first time, each of the three days will have its own focal point.

Therefore Wednesday 15 April 2015 will be devoted to event safety when the International Event Safety Conference (I-ESC) tackles the subject of ‘Assuming and transferring responsibility’. The focus on Thursday (16 April 2015) is on products and events. The speakers on the third day of the conference – 17 April 2015 – concentrates on personnel developments in the event sector.

The new Networking Lounge represents a great opportunity not only to exchange ideas and information but also to make new

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business contacts. The Eventplaza Conference will be held in the ‘Portalhaus’, located to the south of Hall 11.0. Naturally, visitors from the event sector will also find everything they need for successful events in the exhibition halls – an overview of this product segment can be found in the ‘Eventplaza Quickfinder’ brochure and via a special-interest filter in the online exhibitor search engine. For more information visit: www.eventplaza-conference.com

Awards Important awards for the sector are presented at Prolight + Sound.

The Opus – German Stage Award – is the foremost distinction for stage productions and honours particularly innovative and successful productions in the fields of theatre and stage production, live events and open-air festivals.

The Prolight + Sound International Press Award (PIPA) was given for the first time in 2014. Under the auspices of MM-Musik-Media-Verlag publishing company, a jury of international trade visitors will meet in Frankfurt and give the PIPA awards which will be presented to the winners for outstanding products in the recording, pro-audio and lights / video categories at a grand evening event with over 300 representatives of international manufacturers and distributors.

The Sinus – Systems Integration Award 2014 – is given for the creative use of audio-visual media technology and systems integration. The Sinus is firmly anchored in the media technology and systems integration sections of the fair, and the Media Systems section of the Prolight + Sound Conference.

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LIVE EVENTs INTERVIEW

Spotlight on Mike Jones

Pro Systems caught up with MJ Event Gear’s Mike Jones and asked him about how he got started in the events industry…

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PS: I read somewhere that you worked as a bouncer in a club, how did this lead you into the industry?

MJ: I was a policeman for my four years of compulsory national service, so I decided to work as a bouncer in a nightclub for extra cash (R50 a night). I always went in early and assisted the guys with setting up lighting and sound equipment and I enjoyed it. Following that, I then worked in a different nightclub as well as for a local event gear supplier in Margate after I left the police force. This is when I then met Kurt Du Preez, who now owns Pan Tilt, and he showed me the ropes of the Lighting industry. He took me under his wing and convinced me to come to Johannesburg and work on a few rigs.

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PS: What attracted you to this industry?

MJ: I loved the end product; the guys we worked with were great, like Kurt, JR and Elkie van Zyl. It was a lot of hard work, lots of jolling and awesome job satisfaction. We were being paid R50 a day, so it wasn’t the money that got me hooked.

PS: Did you study after school? Where and what did you study?

MJ: No I didn’t study. I joined the police force for my national service and attended the university of life and work experience – I’m pretty street wise!

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PS: Who has been instrumental in your career and why?

MJ: I would say my most thanks goes to Kurt who not only helped me get into this industry but also always looked out for me and truly taught me my trade. JR and Kurt were both gurus at what they did and passed a lot of their knowledge down to myself and Elkie van Zyl. Elkie and I were both ex-cops and we both sold all of our worldly possessions and came to Joburg to work with Kurt and JR.

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PS: Tell me a bit about Light Rig, when did you and Neil Russell start it and what business did you do?

MJ: I worked with Neil Russell at Seraph Promotions where we did the ‘Beyond the Pyramid of Light’ shows, the Moscow State Circus, the Russian Ice Ballet and Laugh America amongst others.

PS: How did Light Rig lead to MJ Lighting?

MJ: We did a lot of dry hiring of the concert rig at the Light Rig because we were doing lots of concerts from 1992 with Sound Corp and Centre Stage lx. Also my son Dylan was born in 1992 and this encouraged me to do what I needed to and began touring on my own for a couple of years, while I still predominantly worked with the same kit. I later found out that Light Rig was up for sale and approached my previous boss and friend Glen Broomberg to help me buy it. He then got his brother Ryan Broomberg involved and MJ Lighting was born, with the three of us as equal shareholders.

PS: How did your trip to Hong Kong in 1995 shape your business?

MJ: That trip really did shape my business. It taught me the importance of good service so I decided to base my business on service, offer the best clean working kit out there with a ‘yes sir, no sir’ attitude – no one else was doing it then.

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LIVE EVENTs INTERVIEW

Robe BMFLs being demonstrated at MJ Event Gear

PS: Please tell us how MJ Lighting evolved to MJ Event Gear?

MJ: We purely did lighting and a little bit of sound for our corporate clients as MJ Lighting, but we were always ‘sucking hind tit’ on budgets because lighting was always the last concern while AV, audio and set were the top priority for clients, unless it was TV. My mate Billy Clarkson (owner of AV Works), passed away and I took over that company, which led to the need to incorporate AV into the business and changed the name to MJ Event Gear because now we supplied more than lighting to the events industry. At that stage we had more sound, staging, trussing, motors, some AV, design, and of course lighting to offer our clients.

PS: What is your favourite part of your job?

MJ: I still say that what I enjoy most is seeing the end product and having a happy client. I also enjoy the challenge of getting to what the client actually wants and servicing them. I have a great team of people working with me and everyone knows what they need to do to get the end result. Our pay off line is ‘the supplier of choice to the events industry’.

PS: Please tell me more about MJ Event Gear and the services you provide and your project highlights?

MJ: We supply lighting, sound, AV, staging, structure, rigging and power to the events industry. Some of our recent events include Transnet Results, Eminem’s Audio for the Rapture tour to SA, the 94.7 Cycle Challenge’s audio, the Neon Fun Walk at Wanderers Stadium, lighting supply to Dreamsets for the 14th annual Metro Awards with the brand new BMFLs. PS: How do South African rental companies shape up against international service providers?

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MJ: Look, we all have the same kit and we do have many skilled and talented guys in this country, I just don’t think we have the budgets to do the GREAT shows that they get to do and with less foreign investment in SA, it will only get more difficult, as corporates are spending less and less each year.

PS: How can our industry players contribute to the growth of the industry?

MJ: By playing by the rules and doing it safely. Safety is and has always been my top concern and I think more companies should invest in training and having their kit certified and employing skilled labour, as well as invest in them to get the needed skills.

PS: What is your take on the technical production services industry now and where do you feel it is headed?

MJ: Not prepared to comment as I have resigned from the board as head of safety.

PS: What are the issues and how do we improve upon the current state of affairs?

MJ: The biggest issues I see is everyone in the industry undercutting each other – yes I know business is business, but we are going backwards – I’m not talking about price fixing but anywhere in England and Europe you will pay a very similar price for a piece of kit anywhere you rent it. Remember when they buy a piece of kit that costs, say R100 000, for us to get it here and pay duties, that same piece of kit becomes about R120 000, about 20% more. There is an economic crisis, but we all need bread on the table and the only one winning here is the client, if it’s direct, or the middle man – it’s about time we stood together and stopped fighting each other.

Studio Pro Audio REPORT

Comfort and accuracy of Pytchley Road Studios

By Thuli Mlambo

Building a studio pretty much from scratch is a daunting task but now the doors of Pytchley Road Studios are open, and movies, commercials, documentaries and television series for both local and international clients are being mixed there.

Benjamin Willem in studio 1 at Pytchley Road Studios

We thought now was a good time to catch up with Benjamin Willem, a music composer of film scores and owner of the studios in Bryanston, Johannesburg. Pytchley Road Studios specialises in all audio and post production for visual media and radio, focusing on international and local projects in commercials, radio, documentaries, feature films, animated projects, trailers, songs television spots and international and local television series such as the popular SABC 1 TV series, Soul City and Skeem Saam which is sound designed and mixed there.

Willem decided to embark on building his sound studios in the comfort of his home, as an annex to his home. “My main reason is for a way of life, I find it’s a much better creative space to have a door that opens up onto a garden and a pool rather than being stuck in an office block. It’s also an investment rather than renting space out,” says Willem.

The studio has three studios within it; Studio One is where the music magic happens, where the writing, recording of songs and scores for the major films, commercials and TV shows are composed. Studio Two is the vocal/ musician recording booth and Studio Three is where all the sound design magic and final mixing of all the productions takes place.

Room design and acoustics definitely play a part of what makes the material sound better in a studio and the studio rooms are built in a way that one doesn’t really feel the presence of the other. The set-up is simple but organic as is their work flow delivering very high

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and professional standards and often having to meet international quality controls.

Walking into Studio One the first thing you notice are the compact Genelec speakers and these fantastic speakers bringing new tools and quality to help with working in almost any Semi treated acoustic environment.

“Genelec stood out for me, we listened to a whole range of different speakers, but with Genelec we could hear everything clearly. This allows me to work faster on my arrangements and mixes,” Willem asserts. “Choosing studio equipment for me is very personal; I love the Genelec speaker brand because they’ve set a new standard for me, one builds a trust relationship with ones monitors. I guess you should always choose equipment that’s going to imporve and speed up your work flow allowing you to spend more itme in the creative space.”

He beIieves that choosing the right tools helps to facilitate his musical creative process. With regards to the Genelecs product Pytchley road studios opted for bigger and newer versions. The studio is fully kitted with Genelec 8240s and the 8250s. The main difference between the 82 range and the 80 range is that the 80s range runs only in analogue and the 82s can be run in analog or digitally. The 8240s can operate in ‘standalone’ mode via the analogue or digital XLR inputs. The 8240s are the most advanced monitoring speakers for recording studios, post-production houses and digital edit suites.

“Having the studio run digitally is an advantage, the speakers are

REPOrt Studio Pro Audio phenomenal and we’ve also got the calibration software and microphone that allows tuning of speaker according to your room,” comments Willem. The other amazing and impressive aspect of the 8240s is the volume level, it is of a considerably bigger enclosure and the bass from the speakers is well above its weight.

The studio is mostly digital but the recording is always done via analogue which is converted via the AD converter (RME) into the studio.

Anything that is on the machine is run digitally via an AES/EBU system, helping the monitoring not to have conversion interference with what one is hearing. Running the combination of the RME cards with the Genelec speakers in AES with calibration is proving to be a very powerful combination giving very clear representation and amazing results.

The pleasing aspect of the 8240s is the resolution in the mid-range.

It was found that making decisions on tone and fine EQ adjustment very easy on critical elements such as the vocals, guitars, snare drums and so on, and the overall feeling is that these Genelecs make

tracking and mixing faster and easier. The speakers also feature a small LED which indicates power quality and flashes green during calibration and red when peaking is fast approaching.

The wrap I guess for any studio, it does matter what it looks like but ultimately the most important thing is what sound it produces. Pytchley Road Studios is now open for business, they’ve just finished off Ballade vir n Enkeling, a South African feature film to be released 20 March 2015. They have a line-up of both local and international projects, several more feature films, documentaries and commercials lined up for 2015. This goes to show the excellence of the work produced and the quality of the recordings emerging from the studio has been superb.

Kit list: Studio 1 Logic pro Rme HSDPE card Rme 8 channel Mic Pre Genelec monitors 8250s Genelec Subwoofer 7271A Au instruments – NI, East WEST, Spectrasonics, Vienna and many more UAD duo card Mac computer 8 core with 16 gig RAM

Studio 3 Digi 003 desk RME HDSPE card Genelec monitors 8240s – surround 5.1 Nuendo 6.5 Protools 9 Event tr8 xl monitors stereo Mac 4 core with 10 gb ram

Studio 2 recording studio Rhode NT2a microphones Rhode NT1 Studio project C Shure SM 58 Shure Drum mics Leem over heads MKII mic tube mic pre

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RMS Power: 1000W Impedance: 8 ohms Average Sensitivity (1W/1m): 97dB Maximum SPL: 127 dB RMS / 133dB Peak Frequency Response (-6dB): 38~18000Hz Connectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 605 x 580 x 690 Weight: 42kg net / 46kg gross Cabinet Material: Heavily brassed Birch Plywood Cabinet Finish: UltraTex (USA) Texture coating Low VOC waterborne paint

FT218S Subwoofer RMS Power: 2000W Impedance: 4 ohms Average Sensitivity (1W/1m): 100dB Maximum SPL: 133dB RMS / 139dB Peak Frequency Response (-6dB): 38~18000Hz Connectors: Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 1140 x 580 x 690 Weight: 72kg net / 77kg gross Cabinet Material: Heavily brassed Birch Plywood Cabinet Finish: UltraTex (USA) Texture coating Low VOC waterborne paint

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