Pro systems mar april14 web

AFRICA

March / April 2014

R35.00

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

Cover Standard Bank Story AV Installation The Ultra Music Festival ISE 2014 Report Nu Metro Digital Upgrade State Funeral Anti Motion Studios Rocky HorroR Show

Be in control to make the party Mixtrack Edge “…unique in the market and does a lot for the cash. If traveling light is your thing, it’s well worth the investment.” - DJWorx.com

Mixtrack Pro II “The world’s #1 DJ controller is now even better.”

Mixtrack Quad “Mixtrack Quad is a fully interactive instrument for modern mixing. ”

All you need from one system

‘out of control’ N4 “four decks of software control plus a built-in mixer that can be used with or without a computer.”

NS6 ““This, dear reader, is about as far away from “toy” as a controller gets ... the NS6 is a beast.” - DJWorx.com

NS7 II “NS7II is the most responsive DJ console ever created. ”

viva afrika

Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd Unit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road Longmeadow Business Park West, Westfield PO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 608-4109 orders@hybrid.co.za, www.hybrid.co.za

In This Issue Managing Editor It’s been an exciting start to the year with a host of new and innovative AV products being launched at Integrated Systems Europe in February. For those of you who did not manage to make the trip to Amsterdam, Chanelle has put together a report on pages 10 – 19, where she takes you through some of the highlights of the show floor, from my trip and other South Africans who attended. In the System Integration section, you’ll also find a nice mix of installations – from corporate and worship to hospitality and entertainment.

Simon is currently over at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt and we look forward to seeing what he brings back for the May/June issue.

Thank you to our loyal advertisers and readers for your continued support. A special thank you to the following advertisers who have supported us from our very first issue in 2011 until this, our 10th issue: Audiosure, Questek, Electrosonic, Wild and Marr, DWR Distribution, Tadco and Viva Afrika.

Please remember to keep sending your news and feedback to editor@pro-systems.co.za.

Happy reading Claire Badenhorst

Deputy Editor Well 2014 is off to a rolling start and I’m sure most of you, like us here at Pro Systems, can’t believe that it’s already March. What’s more is we can’t believe that the magazine you have before you now is our tenth edition! As usual we bring you a varied mix of stories across our verticals including a comprehensive overview of the technical happenings at such international events as the Ultra Music Festival and Bastille. Rob Nevalainen, monitor engineer for Canadian rock legend Bryan Adams, spills the beans on his career and we speak to Will Dart, lighting designer for Bastille.

Kinky rock opera spectacle The Rocky Horror Show is revealed in all its technical glory; bringing some new and exciting aspects the 40 year-old show by employing some interesting projection, lighting and audio techniques. Of course, we can’t forget the studio pro audio section and there we interview Anti Motion Studios owner and operator David Grevler about his burgeoning career and we review some of the latest studio kit including the Slate Raven MTi and the Shure KSM313/NE ribbon microphone. The first three months of 2014 have obviously been busy for all of us so let’s keep the industry rolling and keep raising the proverbial bar! Salute!

Greg Bester

CONTENTS NEWS

Installations

Gearhouse and Prosound

Conquering the installation challenge...26

reach landmark deal..................................3

Historic Nu Metro project brings upgraded

JBL Professional integrates

audio to 149 digital cinemas....................28

Duran Audio products.................................3

Installing the complete solution...............30

Avid delisted from American stock

Tradition meets innovation.......................32

exchange.....................................................3

Live Events

Stage Audio Works opens southern Africa office..................................4

Nik Fairclough.............................................34

Kilowatt AV, and Sight and Sound

State Funeral not dampened

announce merger.......................................4

by adverse conditions...............................36

Surviving Survivor South Africa....................4

Ultra Music Festival.....................................38

ASE offers first for SA –

Being held captive at ‘Bastille’................42

sound engineering degree.........................6

Will Dart.......................................................46

MJ Event gear invests in d&b audiotechnik

Barry Snow on rigging safety....................48

and helps support Eminem.........................6

Rob Nevalainen –

Epson brightens up education

monitoring Bryan Adams..........................50

at St Dominic’s.............................................6

The Rocky Horror Show..............................54

Infocomm International

Painting With Light flies

& SACIA sign Friendship Agreement.........8

high with Peter Pan....................................58

Reinforcing Rwanda’s stadium .................8 DWR open in Cape Town...........................8

Studio PRO AUDIO Shure KSM313/NE review...........................60 Music in motion..........................................62 Flight of the Raven.....................................64

System Integration

Recording and mixing drums

ISE 2014........................................................10

in the modern DAW – Part 5: EQ.............66

Record number of exhibitors showcase products at ISE 2014................12

Social

An oasis in the Desert Suite.......................20

Christie BRIO open day.............................68

Standard Bank, 30 Baker Street,

Digico training............................................68

Rosebank – case study.............................22

SACIA ISE Survivors Breakfast....................68 DWR Prolyte Training..................................68

Contributors Chanelle Ellaya | A Journalism graduate from the University of Johannesburg. Chanelle has experience in both the magazine and television industry. She has a keen interest in the Media in various capacities, as well as in music and technology.

Louise Stickland | Professional journalist and photographer with huge passion and enthusiasm for technology and the production industry. Louise initially worked and toured as a lighting designer after graduating from university. She has many years experience in the music and live event sector, and works closely with leading international designers, production companies and technology manufacturers.

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.

Publisher| Simon Robinson | simon@sun-circle.co.za Managing Editor | Claire Badenhorst | editor@pro-systems.co.za Deputy Editor | Greg Bester | greg@pro-systems.co.za In-house Journalist | Chanelle Ellaya | news@pro-systems.co.za Sub-Editor | Tina Heron Advertising Sales | Simone de Beer | 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

Gearhouse and Prosound reach landmark deal Two of South Africa’s longest standing players in the South African technical services production industry came together recently to sign a landmark deal for the local event industry.

The Gearhouse and Prosound teams have a long history of working successfully together to service local and international events, each fulfilling different requirements for the same clients.

This strategic acquisition sees the Gearhouse Group taking over Prosound’s entire rental operation and establishes Gearhouse as preferred rental supplier for future Prosound event business; putting both companies in a strong position going forward. Prosound intends to develop their already very successful design, sales, distribution and integration business as their core focus, with the additional support of the Gearhouse Group for any future rental requirements.

Gearhouse’ Joint Managing Director, Ofer Lapid, sees this as a very positive arrangement which will promote growth for both companies. “Prosound’s reputation and offerings align well with our own, and with the addition of Prosound’s rental stock, Gearhouse has also acquired new product

Avid delisted from American stock exchange

Ofer Lapid

lines to improve our scope and capabilities,” says Lapid. “It means that we are both able to service our clients more effectively and it also facilitates potential expansion into Africa. The main beneficiary of the equipment deal within the group will be Gearhouse Splitbeam as this will enable them to develop into a long-term rental company specialising in audio for theatre shows as well as their current lighting offering. We look forward to a long and successful future working relationship with Prosound.”

JBL Professional integrates Duran Audio products In an announcement that merges HARMAN’s JBL Professional loudspeaker lineup with Duran Audio’s world-class array of loudspeakers for unique installed sound technology applications, JBL Professional is incorporating Duran Audio’s products into the JBL Professional brand.

The new products will be sold as the JBL Intellivox and JBL AXYS product series. “We are excited to add these wonderful, leading-edge products to the JBL lineup,” said Rick Kamlet, Senior Market Manager for Intellivox Products, JBL Professional. “Intellivox is a name that is already synonymous with

Nick Screen, Sales Director, Duran Audio BV

beam steering and speech intelligibility. The products are highly respected by consultants, installers and end-users throughout the world. What Duran Audio has developed in recent years goes way beyond beam steering and their digital directivity

Avid® (Nasdaq:AVID) received a notification letter from NASDAQ on 21 February indicating that the NASDAQ Listing Qualifications Hearings Panel had delisted the shares of the company from The NASDAQ Stock Market and, accordingly, suspended trading in the company’s shares, which became effective at the open of business on Tuesday, 25 February, 2014.

Following the suspension of trading of the company’s common stock on NASDAQ, the company’s common shares will begin trading on the OTC Markets – OTC Pink Tier under the trading symbol AVID. The company intends to complete the restatement and regain compliance with its SEC filing requirements as soon as it is practicable. The company targets mid-2014 for completion of the restatement. In connection with becoming current in its SEC filing requirements, the company intends to apply for prompt relisting on the NASDAQ Stock Market as early as possible after regaining compliance with the listing requirements.

technologies also include advanced Beam Shaping techniques — an important and extremely valuable capability that is unique in the industry.”

“The synergy of JBL Professional and Duran Audio is a thrilling development and we strongly feel that distributing our products through JBL Professional’s extensive sales and distribution organisation will open doors to many more customers around the globe utilising our products,” said Nick Screen, Sales Director, Duran Audio BV. The addition of Duran Audio to HARMAN’s portfolio of commercial audio and lighting technology companies underscores HARMAN’s strategy to complement continued growth through targeted acquisitions in adjacent technology and product areas across all geographic and vertical markets.

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news

Surviving Survivor South Africa

Stage Audio Works opens southern Africa office Stage Audio Works Technology and Engineering Group has established itself firmly, not only on the South African horizon, Joppie Maritz, Emce Smit and Will Deysel but also within the African continent.

Building on this maxim, the company has same-day dispatch.” announced the acquisition of Event This investment in local resources and Technology Namibia, a long-standing sales training will ensure that customers and partner, resulting in the opening of the partners enjoy the advantages of local southern African office based in Windhoek. technical and customer support with quick The 1 350 square metre warehouse and response times and more efficient service, office space will service customers across which will include regular training events.

Namibia, Angola, Zambia and other Gustav Barnard comments: “Our position neighbouring countries, offering quicker as a distributor of professional event and access to stock of a diverse product range, commercial technology equipment is key on support, product service, training and much the African continent. We provide customers more. with the technical support and training they Commenting on the new office, Branch need and offer real value-added solutions, Manager Joppie Maritz says: “Setting up our including Stage Plus flight cases for gig-ready new office in Namibia underpins our packages.“ commitment to the territory. The new office The office is located at 30 Edison Street, will offer demonstration and training Windhoek, Namibia. Contact: facilities and a diverse inventory ready for +264 61 424 900.

Kilowatt AV, and Sight and Sound announce merger

Kilowatt Investment Holdings Group: Justin Jacks (Group COO) Dillon Jearey (Group CEO)

Kilowatt AV, and Sight and Sound have joined forces to establish Kilowatt Investments Holdings.

According to Kilowatt AV MD, Dillon Jearey, the collaboration increases the

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companies’ market share across the small and larger events markets. “Up to now Kilowatt AV’s primary focus has been concept and production support of premium events. This move forms part of our ongoing quest to distinguish ourselves from our competitors as it allows us to expand our offering to include day-to-day technical elements for smaller events.”

Justin Jacks, MD of Sight and Sound says that after catering to smaller corporate events for the past 30 years it recognises the need to partner with a company that has a reputation within the larger event industry.

“This symbiotic relationship will enable us to cover all event bases, to refer business to each other, as well as cement our national footprint.”

Recognised for national events such as the David Guetta and Deadmau5 concerts, and the Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle tour, Kilowatt AV recently manufactured the world’s first mobile skate park for Mountain Dew. Says Jacks: “I envision Kilowatt AV’s creative ethos having a positive influence and hope it will encourage us to be more innovative in order to broaden our offering.”

China beach – the setting for Survivor South Africa

Survivor South Africa has come back with a twist that is rewriting Survivor history by having two sporting legends to lead the tribes through plotting and scheming, all in the quest to be named the ‘Ultimate Survivor’.

Said Maurtitz Neethling, the lighting director on Survivor SA, on his thoughts about the lighting used: “I chose a range of HMI & Tungsten from Filmgear because it is affordable and durable. We were working in harsh conditions of 38° with a humidity of 110% and terrestrial rain storms. I have used Filmgear’s lighting before and knew that the gear could withstand all those conditions. In all three Survivors that I have done, Filmgear has been my gear of choice. It just works.”

Gear List: Tungsten, which consisted of 2kw Fresnels, 1kw Fresnels, 650kw Fresnels, 300kw Fresnels, 6kw Cinepars, 4kw Cinepars, and other HMI lighting as well as a variation of cold lights (Flo Boxes), all supplied by Filmgear.

John Harrison from Southern Lighting Solutions facilitated the rental of all the lighting via Donny Chan (Filmgear) and through the Filmgear Rental House, Cinerent (Malaysia).

news

ASE offers first for SA – sound engineering degree Johannesburg-based audio college Academy of Sound Engineering recently announced that they now offer the first ever accredited degree in Sound Engineering Technology in South Africa.

The Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree will delve deeper than any other qualification currently on offer at the institution with greater focus on the mathematics, physical science and electronics associated with

MJ Event Gear invests in d&b audiotechnik and helps support Eminem

The stage setup for Eminem

Johannesburg-based MJ Event gear recently increased the size of their arsenal of audio systems with the addition of a d&b audiotechnik J-series line array system. Gear purchased from d&b distributors Stage Audio Works included 64 J8 mid/high cabinets, 12 J-Subs, four flying frames and 12 D80 amplifiers.

“We have always loved the product and it has done well for us over the years,” says Mike Jones, managing director of MJ Event Gear, on the motivation behind the purchase. “In 2010 we bought a full Q-series flown PA system for the World Cup to add to our existing d&b rig. There is also a full five-year warranty on all kit, which no other manufacturer offers although I don’t think we have ever had to have anything of value fixed other than handles, covers cases, etc, from travel. d&b is also very rider driven and is nearly always on the list of preferred PA Systems worldwide. It also sounds great and

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A class in session at ASE

sound engineering. Other topics covered include linear recording, synchronisation and control systems, mastering technology, broadcast infrastructure, acoustics, work surface and Ethernet controller integration and more.

The degree is a three-year NQF 7

qualification. This means that it has been designed to conform to the structure of a generic NQF Level 7 BSc degree and the guidelines for a ’BEngTech-type‘ programme as proposed in the Engineering Council of South Africa Position paper Implementing Engineering Qualifications under the HEQF. Therefore according to ASE: “The programme is designed to complement established NQF Level 8 professional engineering programmes offered by the public universities.”

The goal of the degree is to legitimise the title of ’sound engineer‘, which has become contentiously ubiquitous and obscured throughout at least the past two decades.

Epson brightens up education at St Dominic’s St Dominic’s Catholic School for Girls, an independent school in Boksburg, Gauteng, has installed 65 Epson EB-485Wi interactive short throw projectors, accompanied by as many sets of Epson ELP-SP02 Active Speakers in its classrooms, as part of a R5 million plus network and technology facilities upgrade.

“The school had installed several interactive whiteboards before the upgrading project started, but we identified the need for an effective, standard approach in all the classrooms when we planned our investment in improving the school,” says Harry Van der Burgt, ICT manager at St Dominic’s.

“Marcus Retief of Compute Corporate Technology Solutions suggested a combination of the Epson EB-485Wi interactive short throw projector and a set of Epson ELP-SP02 Active Speakers for each of the 65 classrooms and other teaching facilities. After a successful trial in a primary school classroom, we agreed to proceed

is very user-friendly to work with.”

Jones also feels that the system is a very worthwhile investment due to it being a “... very respected brand worldwide”.

The debut event for the J-series system was Eminem in Cape Town on Wednesday, 26 February, 2014. When asked about his expectations for the system at the show, Jones says: “Firstly, I would just like to thank Gearhouse for the opportunity to assist them on this exciting gig. Sound checks were great. I flew down to Cape Town for the gig there on Wednesday and it sounded awesome. We always want more boxes as stadiums are tricky for anyone or any PA. The Eminem gig was a Gearhouse event and they asked us to find all the PAs around the

An Epson EB-485Wi projector in use at St Dominic’s

with the installation,” he says.

Apart from the fact that the projectors offer outstanding value for money, Van der Burgt and his team found the Epson short throw projectors appealing because they offer high performance, are network ready and are supplied with interactive pens that integrate interactive functionality into one machine, without the constraints or expense of an interactive whiteboard.

The projectors deliver 3 100 lumens of colour brightness and 3 100 lumens of white brightness using 3LCD three chip technology for true-to-life colour and brilliant images.

country from our d&b network of companies and make it happen. Between Otto (MJ Event Gear’s sound manager), the guys from Blue Array productions, Gearhouse, 8th Day Sound in the US and Stage Audio Works we compiled a gear list and everyone was happy. All the guys came together, some of us making purchases and getting kit from all over to make up 56 x J8, 8 x J12, 26 x J-Sub, 4 x J-Infra subs, 52 x B2 subs, 56 x Vs, 32 x Q1s, 12 x Q10 and a lot of D12 and D80 amps all networked, with a bit of cabling. All monitoring was also d&b.”

Mike Jones is clearly an avid d&b supporter and plans on expanding his d&b stock in the future to further support the d&b network in South Africa.

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news

Infocomm International & SACIA sign Friendship Agreement InfoComm International, the leading trade association serving the professional audiovisual communications industry worldwide, has entered into a friendship agreement with the South African Communications Industries Association (SACIA), the trade association dedicated to promoting the adoption of professional standards and ethical business practice in the communications industry throughout southern Africa.

InfoComm and SACIA share a mission to further their respective members’ businesses and their industries. To accomplish their common goals, the groups have agreed to share best practices in areas of mutual interest, promote educational opportunities, foster implementation of industry standards and support industry certification efforts.

InfoComm and SACIA will also cross promote membership in both associations.

“InfoComm is delighted to enter into our first official friendship agreement with

DWR opens in Cape Town

Kevan Jones

SACIA,” said David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International. “We have worked jointly over the years to advance the industry, and the timing is right to work more cooperatively for the benefit of our members.”

Kevan Jones, CTS, Executive Director of SACIA is equally enthusiastic about the opportunities presented by this new agreement. “SACIA and InfoComm International have been working together for the past few years but this friendship agreement provides a structure for us to work even more closely in the future,” says Jones.

“We already deliver InfoComm training across southern Africa and while we remain a regional association, this new agreement provides our members with a global perspective on the trends and technologies shaping the future of our industry.”

Reinforcing Rwanda’s stadium Located in Eastern Kigali, the Stade Amahoro is the largest stadium in Rwanda.

The multi-purpose venue hosts major sporting events and Five-time Grammy® Award winner Jimmy Jam and noted author, journalist and concerts throughout technologist Craig Anderton the year. It also provides the country with a place to congregate for all-important football requirements – acoustic performance, a matches and public meetings. weatherproof design that would provide In 2011 the government embarked upon a longevity in a tropical climate and the ability multi-year renovation to the stadium which to meet the budget, which was limited. will expand seating from 30 000 to 50 000 by Long-time users of One Systems Direct 2016. As a part of the renovation, the stadium Weather loudspeaker systems, ProSound, required a permanent full-range audio decided to install a distributed system system for speeches, announcements and consisting of 112IM full weather loudspeakers. foreground music for all patrons.

“One Systems loudspeakers sound great Prosound, was called upon to design and – using them in this application was a install a new system that would meet specific no-brainer,” explains Terry Acres, Prosound

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Bradley Bruchhausen

DWR Distribution is pleased to announce the appointment of Bradley Bruchhausen who will provide sales and support to clients in Cape Town.

“Having a full-time representative in Cape Town is something we always hoped for,” said Duncan Riley of DWR. “It’s so much easier for our clients to make a phone call and be assisted by someone who is in the area and who can help straight away.”

Once new premises have been found, the address will be announced. For now, Bradley will be available on his mobile.

Bradley (28) has been in the industry for the past 11 years and with a lovely and easy-going nature, it has been a pleasure to welcome him to the DWR family. He went to Johannesburg for a couple of weeks at the start of the year, which gave him the opportunity to become familiar with the basic running of the company, products, service and support.

DWR met Bruchhausen when doing an installation at Trinity, a night club, where he and Gideon Naude ran all technical aspects at the club for three years. The industry will mostly know Bruchhausen for his eye catching lighting shows as he travelled around the country as a freelancer for the past 18 months.

To contact Bruchhausen call: 072 554 6147.

founder. “They have a proven track record with our organisation and we know that they would get the job done for years to come.”

In total thirty-two 112IM 12-inch two-way loudspeakers were installed throughout the stadium. The open grandstands feature 112IMs mounted at the bottom lip playing up and out, while the roofed stands had speakers placed at about 10m firing down.

www.peripheralvision.co.za sales@peripheralvision.co.za +27.11.840.0860

System Integration ISE REport

ISE 2014

By Chanelle Ellaya

More than 50 000 registered attendees visited Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) from 4 to 6 February this year. To be exact, a whopping 51 003 AV and electronic lovers walked through the Amsterdam RAI doors in the Netherlands, making history and further supporting the trade show’s reputation as the world’s most popular event for professional AV and electronic systems integration. A record 952 quality exhibitors showcasing an outstanding variety of new technologies fuelled attendee growth of 15% over last year’s figure of 44 151.

History

Smart Building Conference

As you may already know, ISE was launched in 2004 as a direct result of the emerging markets of professional AV and electronic systems integration. Needless to say, the show grew quickly to become the largest annual marketplace for these industries and an opportunity for subsequent networking, education and technological innovation to unfold.

ISE has always been owned by not-for-profit trade associations, and has been a joint venture between InfoComm International and the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) since 2007. As well as ensuring that all proceeds from ISE are reinvested in the industry, these associations act as the cornerstone of the event’s extensive education programme, which continues to grow year-on-year.

ISE 2014’s pre-show events programme included the third edition of the Smart Building Conference, repeating the successful twin-track formula of the London 2013 Conference, allowing delegates to focus on either residential or commercial building, the Amsterdam event helped to make the Smart Building dream a reality by encouraging different industries to work together, integrating the various technologies that make buildings smart.

Taking place on the eve of ISE, the Smart Building Conference was the perfect opportunity for building technology manufacturers to raise brand awareness among the construction industry’s most forward-looking stakeholder groups.

Jim Sinopoli, founder of Smart Buildings, LLC comments: “This was really one of the best events I’ve been to on the topic. I have to believe such a conference will significantly grow as the market grows. Besides the outstanding speakers and panellists I had a chance to listen to, I also met several attendees that we communicated with after the conference.

[Integrated Systems Events] did a very nice job in organising the event.”

Events and training An enlarged Professional Development programme, including off-floor training sessions hosted by CEDIA and InfoComm International, further added to the show’s popularity this year. Both associations also contributed seminars to the event’s new on-floor theatres dedicated to Residential and Commercial Solutions. These sessions attracted over 2 400 people between them, with InfoComm experiencing an almost three-fold increase in its education traffic since 2013 after offering free session vouchers to every 2014 attendee.

“ISE 2014 was phenomenal in every respect,” comments Wendy Griffiths, Executive Director, CEDIA Region 1. “This year’s event demonstrated outstanding international growth and CEDIA benefited hugely from this success. More CI companies became CEDIA members at the show than ever before, every CEDIA session in the new ISE Residential Solutions Theatre was jam-packed and CEDIA training courses available off the show floor were also well attended.”

This year’s ISE events programme included the all-new Investor Showcase and AudioForum, the third annual Smart Building Conference and an opening keynote address, ‘Kick-Starting the Market for Building Automation’, by Cisco’s Dr Dirk Schlesinger.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director, Integrated Systems Events, says: “Our big theme this year was content, and we believe we have delivered on our promise to enhance our event – and attract more attendees – by offering a combination of technical training, market intelligence, real-world case studies and networking opportunities that is unmatched by any comparable event in Europe.”

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Investor Showcase Also taking place one day before ISE 2014 officially opened, 3 February, 14 companies from the consumer electronics and systems integration industry across four presentation tracks (Residential Solutions, Smart Buildings, Unified Communications and Digital Signage), presented in front of a panel of strategic and financial investors.

The investor jury panel, which included 360 Capital, Atlantic Bridge (AbVen), Beringea, Robert Bosch Venture Capital, Intel Capital, Prime Ventures, Qualcomm Ventures, Swisscom Ventures and Wellington Partners, were asked to evaluate each company presentation according to a number of criteria that were relevant to investors.

SoftKinetic was voted Most Promising Company by investors.

LoopUp and Displax were voted Best Presentation of the Day and Most Innovative Company respectively. The Most Experienced Management Team category was won jointly by Automated Control Technology Partners and enModus.

ISE REport System Integration Pro-Systems journalist Chanelle Ellaya caught up with some of the South African attendees at ISE 2014 to get their perspective on this year’s show.

Here’s what they had to say.

Phil Lord (Christie) Overall the show was very positive for Christie – The booth was extremely busy all three days of the show and we were made aware of some new interesting project opportunities in Africa. Also we met a number of potential new partners in East and West Africa. There was a strong attendance from South Africa, including a number of Christie partners and integrators.

I was so busy I did not manage to get off the Christie stand so cannot comment on new trends or products. However, Christie did officially launch these products: • BRIO • VIVE Audio solutions • Q Series DLP projectors • New 46”, 55”, 65” & 84” Flat panels • High frame rate 4K DLP projector (D4K25 & D4K35)

Jason Johnstone (Electrosonic) Every year the show seems to be busier than the last, so as you can imagine 51 000 or so people in only three days is not a bad turn out.

Every year there are buzz words or something that is almost like the theme of the show and this year was no different with the big one being 4K. All the big players were pushing their 4K products. There was nothing revolutionary at the show and a lot of companies were offering the same types of solutions. However, we did see many innovative products to simplify Pro AV solutions.

The show is always great for networking and finding new business opportunities, in that regard it never disappoints.

One of the trends that caught my eye was be the outdoor LED screen market. I was amazed to see just how many companies offered these solutions, all Asian it would seem, and just how small the LED pitch has become on some of these screens. Another technology which is growing is HDBaseT; big manufacturers like Panasonic are now adding HDBaseT inputs to their devices making integration in Pro AV even easier.

Kevin McMillan Craig (Converged Connectivity) The show is always very well organised, well advertised and publicised, and I really enjoy the benefits of attending. I doubt that any show can actually compare to the scope offered by ISE and the

opportunities to meet manufacturers and distributors at the top of the AV Technology game. The best part about ISE is its ideal location in Europe, great city to be in, transport and hotels are readily available and the overall ambiance of the expo is friendly.

The bits that caught my eye the most were the 4G revolution from Crestron and the HD IP streaming from Kramer. Biamp Launched the new Tesira product range and this is proving to be a game changer in the Audio Video Bridging market. In my market space, the convergence of IP/IT and AV are closer than ever and these three manufacturers are streets ahead. There are other companies out there, however it is these three companies that are driving the movement and establishing protocols that others follow. In addition, Kramer and Crestron offer the widest product range of complementary components, end-to-end solutions that work well together. The other companies seemed to be ‘more-of-the-same’ in my market space. Same; just newer.

Ofer Lapid (Gearhouse) ISE is not the ideal expo to attend if you are looking from a rental perspective; it is more geared towards system integrators. However, I was there and looked at various new technologies, particularly from the viewpoint of servicing convention centres like Sandton Convention Centre and Cape Town Convention Centre, where we are in-house suppliers.

I was fascinated by the advancements in interactive smart boards more than anything else. Otherwise, ISE is always a good opportunity for me to meet suppliers, rub shoulders with other industry players and visit our familiar suppliers like Panasonic, AV Stumpfl, Christie, Lighthouse and other LED suppliers. Of course the latest buzz word is K4, but to me it seems to be a little early to bring K4 to the SA market. It will take a little time for it to get here and thank God for that short respite for the pocket. Other than that I attended the InAVation Awards and in my humble opinion systems integrators still have a bit to learn about putting a proper live show together. The bottom line from me is that Europe is much more interesting in summer than in the freezing winter months.

Malcolm Finlay (Penmac) Once again this exhibition was overwhelming to say the least. If you are in any way connected or interested in the Audio Visual world, there are more suppliers and solutions exhibited than one can cope with.

The big trend this year has to be 4K video. It seemed everyone was creating it, capturing it and delivering it. While we may not immediately feel there is a need for this quality yet, it does indicate a future trend we will undoubtedly be obliged to comply with. This in turn will obviously have huge implications on delivery channels and content creators.

Dataton launched WATCHNET which integrates with WATCHOUT to allow simple personal tablet integration for show control without the need for complex programming. The functionality of WATCHPAX has also now been extended to increased capability and the possibility of two video output streams per solid-state device.

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System Integration ISE REport Eugene Coetzee (Electrosonic) This year it was clear that the show was a great success as a record number of visitors was achieved.

There were more South African companies visiting the show than in 2013. ISE has become such an important show for us and South Africa. We enjoy the opportunity to ’WOW’ our integrators showing them the product offering from Crestron, Kramer, Elite, NEC and other products. It is the one place where they can view the vast range of products and solutions on offer, and this is an eye opener.

Attending these trade shows is also an important opportunity to network with our suppliers to strengthen ties and relationships.

4K was probably the biggest new trend at ISE. 4K signage was visible on many manufacturers’ booths. You can already see LCD display manufacturers pushing 4K displays into our homes, so 4K is the next big thing and it’s here.

Gavin Olivier (Digital Fabric) As usual very good. Its gets a bit bigger each year and in so doing becomes a bit harder to navigate in just three days. The quality of product remains very high which makes it an important visit for any serious AV person. For us Saffers it’s a way better option than Infocomm for reasons of cost, time zone and travel time.

We went across with the intention of investigating the progress made in LED and Laser projection. Sadly, the LED products are lagging behind in anything much bigger than 3 000ANSI, but there are some interesting hybrid-laser products around the corner. Of course the phrase “we do 4K” was the most used this year with everything from digital signage players to transmission gear to every conceivable type of display device trying to squeeze onto the podium for attention. Having said that, there were some amazing images to be seen, most memorably Christie Digital’s 4K rearpro onto a Stewart high gloss screen and a selection of LED displays with sub 2mm pixel pitch. The age of ‘pixel-less’ displays is fast becoming a reality in Pro-AV.

Record number of exhibitors showcase products at ISE 2014 It is no secret that Integrated Systems Europe is the most popular and largest event for professional AV and electronic systems integration and with a record number of exhibitors this year, there was no shortage of products launched and showcased.

Alcons

developed as a ’building block’ to create tight-packed (horizontal or vertical) arrays for controlled sound coverage in the widest variety of audience areas.

Also on the stand was the new CRMS series; the Cinema Reference Monitor Systems offer a 1:1 natural crystal-clear response, with unprecedented low-distortion and very wide 1:17 dynamic range.

Focused on post-production studios, screening-rooms, residential home-cinemas and basically any critical reference listening environment, CRMS now consists of CRMSmkII and the CRMS compact, including pro-ribbon main loudspeakers, timbre-matching pro-ribbon surround loudspeakers, ultra-shallow subwoofers and dedicated processing and amplification.

Allen & Heath Allen & Heath showcased the 30 in / 24 out Qu-24 compact digital mixer. Qu-24 features total recall of settings (including 25 motorised faders and digitally controlled preamps), and intuitive Touchscreen,

The main focus for Alcons at ISE this year was the RR12 point-source array. The RR12 extends Alcons’ famous line-source technology into different applications. By implementing the unique features of Alcons’ pro-ribbon transducers in a modular concept, the RR12 has been

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System Integration ISE REport HARMAN’s JBL Professional

Qu-Drive integrated multi-track recorder, dSNAKE for remote I/O and personal monitoring, multi-channel USB streaming to Mac, Qu-Pad control app, and iLive’s renowned FX library to deliver class-leading audio quality.

Qu-24 features a dedicated fader per mic input channel, 24 mic/ line inputs, three stereo inputs, four FX engines with four dedicated sends and stereo returns, 20 mix outputs including two Stereo Matrix Mix Outputs and two Stereo Groups with full processing, patchable AES digital output with a further two-channel ALT output, dedicated Talkback mic input, and two-track output.

Distributed by Audiosure: www.audiosure.co.za

HARMAN’s JBL Professional introduced its new CBT 50LA-LS line array column loudspeaker that comes with full EN54-24 certification, the EU standard for loudspeakers intended for use in voice announce and fire alarm systems. The CBT 50LA-LS is an addition to the popular CBT Series (Constant Beamwidth Technology™) that has been developed exclusively for the European installation market.

The CBT 50LA-LS is a compact 50cm high column that utilises a straight line of eight two-inch drivers. It contains low-saturation transformers, so it can be used on 70V/100V distributed speaker lines or as low impedance speakers.

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

HARMAN JBL Commercial HARMAN’s JBL Commercial introduced six Commercial Series Amplifiers (CSA) and two Commercial Series Mixers (CSM) that combine outstanding value and performance.

Martin Audio The JBL Commercial series amplifiers: • CSA2120Z amplifier, two channels, 120-watt power output per channel • CSA280Z amplifier, two channels, 80-watt power output per channel • CSA240Z amplifier, two channels, 40-watt power output per channel • CSA1120Z amplifier, one channel, 120-watt power output • CSA180Z amplifier, one channel, 80-watt power output • CSA140Z amplifier, one channel, 40-watt power output The CSA amplifiers incorporate HARMAN’s proprietary DriveCore amplifier IC, which combines hundreds of conventional parts into a single chip smaller than a dime. DriveCore offers significantly reduced power consumption, size and weight while delivering outstanding sound quality. All CSA amps are just 1U-rack space high and a half-rack wide. All models can operate into 8 ohms and 4 ohms loads and can be used with 70V and 100V distributed audio systems without the need for a separate transformer. A single amp channel (or one-channel amplifier) can easily drive multiple speakers without the need for complex wiring and the amplifiers’ distributed audio capability simplifies adding volume controls to single- or multiplespeaker zones. All feature a universal power supply for international use and accept an Ethernet control cable for use with the JBL CSR-V wall-mount volume control.

The JBL Commercial series mixers • CSM-28 mixer, eight inputs, two outputs • CSM-14 mixer, four inputs, one output JBL Commercial’s CSM mixers are perfect for background music, paging, security and other uses. Like the CSA amplifiers, the CSM models are simple to set up and use, with a minimum of front panel controls and illuminated rings around the knobs for easy visibility. All the mixers provide channel, master volume and independent bass and treble controls. The rear panel offers RCA inputs and Euro-blocktype mic/line input and output connectors. All models feature priority muting, VOX ducking and mic phantom power and can be used with JBL’s CSR-V wall controller.

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Martin Audio gave an exclusive preview of the new multi-purpose DD12 at ISE this year.

DD12 will be launched later in the year, but details at ISE revealed that it will define the ultimate in performance and versatility for powered, two-way loudspeaker systems.

The DD12 combines onboard networking, DSP and Class D amplification with state-of-the-art transducers and Differential DispersionTM horn technology with the aim of achieving best-in-class performance in terms of fidelity, output capability and coverage consistency across the audience.

Differential Dispersion technology delivers more consistent audience coverage than systems with conventional X° x Y° horns — providing more throw to the rear to distribute sound evenly front-toback, while having wider close-up horizontal coverage for the front rows.

Versatility is a key attribute of the DD12. The system is designed to meet a multitude of premium stand-alone and distributed sound reinforcement requirements — from touring, theatre and portable live sound applications to concert hall and HoW installations, AV events and stage monitor use. Ideal as the main PA in small-to-medium sized rooms, it can also be used as an infill loudspeaker in large-scale systems.

Distributed by Audiosure: www.audiosure.co.za

Meyer Sound Meyer Sound debuted the self-powered LYON™ linear sound reinforcement system, the newest addition to the LEO™ Family of linear loudspeaker systems. Incorporating the technology of the LEO Family in a lighter and more compact package, LYON extends the advantages of highly linear self-powered systems to a broader range

of venues and applications.

LYON linear line array loudspeakers are available in two versions: the LYON-M main line array loudspeaker and the LYON-W wide-coverage line array loudspeaker.

Complemented by the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element and the Galileo® Callisto™ loudspeaker management system, the LYON-M can anchor a powerful system for installations in arenas and large auditoriums, as well as tours and festivals. The LYON-W can serve as down fills to augment a LYONbased system. Both LYON versions can be used to provide supplemental coverage in a LEO system.

Distributed by Prosound: www.prosound.co.za

Coda Audio Coda Audio exhibited the D12, a two-way passive system created specifically for the fixed installation market.

The cabinet contains a high power coaxial 12” woofer with a 44.4 mm voice coil. The advanced design aligns the acoustic centres of the transducers to produce a single point source with a coherent wave front without hot spots.

Precise directivity of 90° conical ensures uniform coverage with perfect time alignment.

With high power handling of 600W (AES) and a frequency response from 60Hz to 20kHz (-4 dB) the D12 has an impeccable set of credentials when married with Coda Audio’s amplifiers as an integrated solution for DSP control, amplification, network remote control and diagnostic. The integrated solution ensures optimal performance and protection.

Coda Audio also exhibited the larger D20 for instances where placement of subwoofers is impossible.

The D20 is a three-way point source cabinet designed without compromise to provide extended low frequency at high level and features a long excursion 12” ultra-low distortion cone driver covering the range 35Hz to 400Hz. The 3” voice coil is 32mm high, ensuring linear excursion of 22mm / pp. Three aluminium shorting rings reduce inter-modulation distortion and minimise induction variation, while reducing thermal compression. This reduces distortion, and improves overall sound quality, providing deep and punchy bass response.

Distributed by Tadco: www.tadco.co.za

d&b audiotechnik Three demonstrations daily at the d&b audiotechnik demo room at ISE this year introduced listeners to the passively crossed over 24C and 24C-E column loudspeakers from the new xC-Series; fixed installation products aimed squarely at speech reinforcement in demanding acoustic spaces. This series is specifically intended for the kind of

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System Integration ISE REport highly reverberant environments where conquering acoustic challenges must balance with aesthetic considerations.

The xC-Series also includes the 16C, a smaller column using four 4” low/mid drivers plus a centrally mounted constant directivity HF horn with 0.75” compression driver.

The 24C contains six 4” low/mid drivers and a HF array of six 1.1” dome tweeters. Passive filtering of the 4” drivers minimises unwanted lobes in the vertical plane and adds an approximate five degree downward tilt to the low/mid frequency dispersion. When attached to 24C, the 24C-E cardioid (cardoid?) column extension, with a further six 4” low/ mid drivers, increases the vertical directivity control by another full octave. Drawing on vast experience in passive loudspeaker design, d&b has developed column loudspeakers with effective horizontal dispersion control. This unique cardioid approach produces constant directivity in the horizontal plane with a broadband attenuation to the rear of 18dB. Effective horizontal pattern control reduces unwanted reflections and allows increased gain before feedback when working with open microphones; characteristics virtually unknown for column loudspeakers.

Distributed by Stage Audio Works: www.stageaudioworks.co.za

implementation easy and hassle-free. No system design or programming is needed and if a Lync server is already in use, no additional licences, fees or infrastructure expenses, such as MCUs or gateways, are needed.

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

Sennheiser Sennheiser TeamConnect offers exceptional simplicity for stress-free audio conferences. The audio specialist launched its all-in-one audio meeting solution for corporate and government facilities at ISE 2014.

Sennheiser TeamConnect is an end-to-end professional grade meeting solution, ensuring simplicity of installation and use, great value and brilliant sound quality. The system integrates speakers, mics, central control unit and connectivity management – everything needed to cater for standard meeting rooms of up to 16 users on site.

It is the perfect solution for businesses and public sector organisations.

TeamConnect is a complete audio solution consisting of the Central Unit CU1 – which offers both LAN and WiFi connectivity options, SpeechLine microphones and active loudspeakers. To guarantee the best possible meeting solution for customers, Sennheiser has partnered with a leading player in audio and video conferencing and developed TeamConnect in cooperation with ClearOne, one of the world’s leading DSP specialists.

Kramer Crestron Crestron showcased the HD-XSPA, a high-definition surround sound AV receiver. HD-XSPA provides a professional-grade 7.1 surround sound processor, high-efficiency eight-channel power amplifier, 4K Ultra HD video switcher, DigitalMedia™ receiver, and Crestron control interface in a compact two-space package.

The Crestron HD-XSPA makes it easy to put great surround sound in any room of the house as part of a complete home automation and entertainment system. Engineered with integration in mind, the HD-XSPA delivers pure, impactful power and performance in less space than other alternatives, and includes advanced features for sharing sources between rooms and controlling everything with a choice of touch screens, handheld remotes and mobile devices. In one compact two-space rack-mountable package.

Crestron RL was also shown; a group collaboration solution for use with Microsoft® Lync® 2013 continues to revolutionise conference room productivity, scheduling and technology resource management.

Crestron helps businesses to customise the right Crestron RL configuration for their needs. Multiple packages are available, including one, two, or no displays. Components include the Crestron UC Codec for Lync, a 10” tabletop Crestron touch screen control, as well as optional features such as a 360 degree panoramic HD camera and microphones.

Crestron RL connects over the corporate LAN, making

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As was seen at ISE 2014 the K-Touch system allows the installer to easily integrate common touch devices as user interfaces in any Kramer-based control system.

K-Touch is configured to communicate over a standard IT network, with no need to install it on a PC. Installed on the user’s iOS or Android touch device, a complete, advanced, touch-based room control system is easily designed and created.

Together with a Kramer room controller, K-Touch users can control virtually any AV room with only a few dedicated control buttons.

K-Touch allows the installer, as well as the end-user, to enjoy a simple configuration, easy to install and easy to operate room control setup.

The K-Touch admin and screen builder are online cloud-based systems. Created user interface screens can be downloaded to a mobile device with the touch of a button and modified over the internet at any given moment.

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

System Integration ISE REport AMX At ISE 2014, AMX® responded to the market’s frustrations with clumsy, retractable cable designs and messy conference room tables. The new AMX HydraPort Cable Retractor Modules were logically designed specifically to work smoothly and seamlessly, require no adjustments and ensure second to none video and audio fidelity. AMX also introduced two new HydraPort Dual USB Modules that offer the convenience of two USB modules in one HydraPort unit size for connecting to a network and/ or charging devices.

AMX HydraPort Retractor modules deliver a compact, easy-toinstall solution that organises and hides cables in virtually any type of conference table, including narrow tables and those with glass inlay.

These modules require no assembly, no adjustments or terminations and install quickly and easily with no special mounting. Each of the four new Retractor Modules support a specific AV format (HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet and RGB with Audio) and can be installed in any of the 600 900 or 1200 HydraPort base assemblies. Flat, high-speed, cables powered by RedMere® are integrated into each module to ensure the absolute best picture and audio quality in a compact design.

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

digiLED The digiLED HRi 3570 series LED module provides a high-quality solution for hi-res LED applications. Offering outstanding usability for the rental market, HRi is quick to set-up, easy to use and the complete build requires no tools to create a smooth seamless screen.

Maintenance couldn’t be simpler with magnetic LED tiles and quick-swap power and data packs meaning that any component can be changed in seconds. For the fixed installation market, HRi presents new options with the ability to mount the magnetic tiles on bespoke structures for front access, curving and creating solutions.

Distributed by AV Systems: www.avsystems.co.za

Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design showcased UltraStudio 4K, the world’s first video solution to include super fast Thunderbolt 2 technology.

The award-winning UltraStudio 4K is an attractively designed rack mount capture and playback device based on Thunderbolt 2 technology developed by Intel®. It features a machined aluminium front panel with an integrated colour LCD as well as fast-to-use video and audio input buttons. UltraStudio 4K is neat so it’s perfect for

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desktop as well as rack mount use. The rear panel includes virtually every type of video and audio connection that exists, including 6G-SDI, HDMI 4K, analog component/s-video/composite, as well as balanced analog and AES/EBU digital audio. That means customers can connect to all decks, cameras, monitors and more.

Distributed by Blackmagic Design: www.blackmagicdesign.com/sa

Christie

Christie showcased Vive Audio which leverages a unique articulated, single enclosure line array speaker design and ribbon driver technology, and combines it with the first use of efficient, highpowered Class D amplification in cinema. Christie Vive Audio’s cinema speakers and amplifiers can be easily and efficiently integrated into any existing or new theatre auditorium for the ultimate movie viewing and listening experience.

The complete Christie Vive Audio solution comprises surround and screen channel speakers, subwoofers and Class D amplifiers. It offers exhibitors the opportunity to provide audiences with the ultimate movie-viewing experience, enveloping them with dynamic, richly detailed and enhanced audio where speech, special effects, music and alternative content sound more natural and lifelike. At the core of the system is the combination of superior sounding screen channel speakers with ribbon driver technology and the proven performance of a line array speaker design, all in a single enclosure.

Christie® also brought with them Brio, which makes it effortless to meet, share information and work together across multiple sites while automatically coordinating up to five simultaneous video and audio presentations on meeting room displays. Geographic distance is no limit for Christie Brio – presentations and high-quality media are shared between sites as fast and easy as a phone call, but with a much richer participation experience.

With Brio, you don’t need third-party drivers or hardware on personal computers, phones and tablets to add your information to the discussion. Content from personal devices is mirrored on the meeting room displays using standard Ethernet protocols and wireless applications that are either already built into the device operating system or are freely available.

Christie® also debuted its new 65-inch flat panel digital display solutions at ISE this year. The affordably priced, LED edge-lit Christie FHD651-T and Christie FHD651-P have a thin profile – just 2.7-inches deep for the touch (T) and 2.1-inches deep for the non-touch (P) version – making for easy installation. Both commercial-grade LCD flat panels have the reliability and image quality needed for meeting rooms, classrooms and digital signage in corporate spaces, museums, education facilities, houses of worship, theatres, and hospitality and retail environments where conveying the message with bright, brilliant images for long time periods without interruption is essential.

Featuring up to four simultaneous touches, the Christie FHD651-T has high-accuracy infrared touch technology with superior touchscreen performance in a fully integrated package.

Distributed by Stage Audio Works: www.stageaudioworks.co.za

ISE REPORT SYSTEM INTEGRATION Vivitek Vivitek unveiled three of its next generation large venue projectors. The DX6831 has XGA resolution, whereas the DW6851 and DU6871 feature WXGA and WUXGA resolution respectively. All models come with a raft of the latest display and connectivity technology on board, including 3D capability and HDBaseT. The DX6831 as well as the DW6851 and DU6871 are designed for large spaces where a versatile, high brightness projector is required.

With 8 000 ANSI Lumens for the XGA and 7 300 and 7 000 ANSI Lumens of brightness each for the WUXGA and WXGA models, projecting vibrant images from a distance is easy. All models feature a high contrast ratio of 3 000:1 for deep blacks and rich colours.

Distributed by Audiosure: www.audiosure.co.za

Barco

On the Barco stand was the state-of-the-art Present, Collaborate and Impress projector series.

The outstanding, fresh projector portfolio for meeting rooms, boardrooms and auditoria consists of these three series:

The largest family of the three, the Present range of single-chip DLP projectors covers a wide spectrum of brightness levels, ranging from 5 000 up to 10 000 lumens.

Thanks to the large pixel space of the Collaborate projectors, multiple participants can simultaneously present their content on screen in excellent image quality, for true teamwork.

Powered by three-chip DLP technology, the Impress projector offers the pinnacle of image quality and brightness for large-screen projection in your meeting room.

Samsung Samsung unveiled a new version of the Samsung Smart Signage Platform, a digital signage platform that provides a more efficient business environment. The Smart Signage Platform debuted at ISE 2013 and has been upgraded and integrated into Samsung’s large format displays (LFDs) for 2014. This enhanced digital signage platform, with the industry’s first quadcore system-on-chip (SoC), will help Samsung to expand its market presence. Samsung aims to focus on its ‘integrated display solutions’ in the digital signage market, which is expected to grow by more than 20 percent annually up to 2017.

Mixing to the power of Ten: The DiGiCo SD Ten provides a potent new blend of features, performance and flexibility which, when coupled with the exceptional sonic clarity, redefines what’s possible with a ‘mid-price’ digital console.

It’s all here. Taking its cues from the acclaimed SD7, the SD Ten includes the power and purity of Stealth Digital Processing™, the smoothness, accuracy and dynamic range of the latest generation Super FPGA technology with floating point processing and an application-specific feature set that’s tailored to both front-ofhouse and monitor mixing.

And when you’re working with large numbers of inputs and outputs, the SD Ten will readily accommodate, offering 96 channels with full processing, 12 of which are Flexi Channels, 48 assignable busses which offer multiple configurations, plus a stereo or LCR master buss and a 16 x 16 output matrix.

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System Integration Hospitality AV

An oasis in the Desert Suite

The Palace of The Lost City

Michael Jackson. Elton John. Various Sheiks.

They’ve all stayed at the the Palace of the Lost City at the famous Sun City resort in North West Province and, if you’ve ever had the pleasure of staying there, it’s easy to see why. The place is a virtual vortex of luxury, writes Greg Bester.

The Lost City was built by hotel magnate Sol Kerzner in 1992 and is the flagship hotel of the Sun City complex. It is styled as a “fairytale African palace” that towers over a scenic valley within the ancient Pilanesberg Alkaline Ring, an extinct volcano that last erupted some 1.2 billion years ago and is now a game reserve visited by thousands each year.

With opulence comes technology and ‘the Palace’, as it is affectionately known, is no exception. Having personally visited the hotel and having viewed the most expensive suites the hotel has to offer, it boggles the mind the level of opulence that is afforded to the guests who are blessed enough to take refuge there.

Of course, flat panel TVs rise out of the hardwood cabinets in which they are stored. There are grand pianos, Jacuzzis, saunas in the main bedrooms, personal libraries, business offices, top notch sound systems and buttons to push everywhere that do one thing or another. The R35 000 per night Desert Suite, one of the more prestigious suites available for the ‘high rollers’, recently received an upgrade to its audio systems under the auspices of Converged Connectivity and directed by Kevin McMillan Craig.

Desert sounds The Desert suite was completely stripped and renovated and now offers a prive lounge, a massage and relaxation room, a karaoke system and Baccarat tables for those with deep pockets. Craig and his company Converged Connectivity were selected because of their extensive experience in designing custom Bose Professional systems for upmarket hospitality venues.

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The brief from the client was to install an invisible audio system that would meet the expectations of their discerning guests and one that utilises minimal speakers; this, while another more important requirement was to supply optimum coverage. Additionally, and according to Craig: “Audio hotspots were to be avoided at all costs and the system needed to be controlled from wall mount controllers.”

The prive lounge, the massage parlour and the corridors each received Bose DS16 flush-mount ceiling speakers; four in total. Due to their precise positioning, they offer seamless handoff between listening zones at any listening volume. The gaming floor received four Bose Freespace FS3 satellite speakers and a flush-mount subwoofer module. All cabling was completely concealed and shielded against outside interference.

Amplification came courtesy of a Cloud Electronics CXA850 multi-channel amplifier and is distributed via a Cloud C263 multi-zone mixer. Additional feeds from other sources such as DSTV and Cobranet-compliant audio sources can be interfaced at a later date should there be a need for expansion. The Cloud amplifier/mixer solution was chosen due to it being able to be stored out of sight and because it is virtually ‘set and forget’. Ease of maintenance was a key consideration.

The karaoke system of choice was a wireless Bose 135 system paired to a Sony Playstation 3 with Playstation microphones and software since it offers HD playback of various kinds of media. The fact that it is a gaming console is an added bonus.

The wrap Given Bose’s reputation among those with high tastes, it’s no wonder it is the preferred brand of both Converged Connectivity and the Palace of the Lost City. There’s something about Bose that puts minds at ease when seeking quality.

Given the stringent standards at Lost City and given Converged Connectivity’s growing reputation for supplying quality, user-friendly solutions, I’m sure the high rollers at the Palace will be as happy with the sound system as Converged Connectivity enjoyed delivering the best to their client.

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System Integration CORPORATE AV

Standard Bank, 30 Baker Street, Rosebank – case study

Our article in the January / February issue on page 18 entitled ’Corporate AV systems – central design and procurement‘ referred to a follow-on case study, which illustrates a successful deployment of the principles presented in that article. This article presents that case study, the new Standard Bank office complex in Rosebank, which is a state-of-the-art building incorporating elements of sustainability and green design both in architecture and in the technologies employed. This article includes some of the concepts presented in the original article, to show how they were achieved in the project.

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PhotoS by Greg Bester

CORPORATE AV System Integration

30 Baker Street, as the building is known, has incorporated substantial meeting room, boardroom, videoconferencing venue and public display requirements. Right from the start there were criteria to be met which governed the selection and architecture of all technologies within the building that address the business requirements detailed in the previous article. As mentioned, these benefits included sustainable development (which includes ’green‘ designs), a uniform experience for all users, a maintenance-friendly design, high availability, and lastly, enterprise-grade technologies which are based on open standards. Another important criterian was that the equipment should not compromise the aesthetics of the building itself.

These technologies were implemented by Dimension Data using backbone products from AMX, NEC, Polycom and Middle Atlantic, and were created as a reference to which other buildings within Standard Bank will be planned and upgraded.

Sustainable development Sustainable development is that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. From a business point of view, this was mandatory for all technology aspects of the building.

Power usage measurements take place constantly, so that power optimisation techniques can be planned and implemented on an on-going basis. Measurement of power consumption for all AV equipment in the building is an automated process by means of AMX’s RMS central health state monitoring system (described below).

All display devices in the building are LED backlit LCD screens, giving a substantial reduction in power consumption over plasma screens, or CCFL backlit LCD screens. NEC was the product of choice for most of the screens in the building, including the displays in all the boardrooms, videoconferencing venues and the public displays. The standby power consumption of NEC screens (even the 80” version) is less than 2W. All other equipment deployed in 30 Baker Street needed to be power efficient and was preferred over equipment that is not. The AMX DVX range of digital switching / control equipment for the first time ever has a low power state feature (a feature never before available in this type of equipment). When not in use, the digital audio

and video electronics in the system is put into a low power state, which interprets into a 70% saving in energy consumption while not in use.

The power consumption of the audio visual systems in the 30 Baker Street building has successfully been reduced as far as possible, and is constantly monitored so that further improvements can be achieved.

An open architecture, integrated approach AV for an IT world has become a reality with AMX products. Standard Bank needs to be in control of all aspects of the technology in the building and the best way to achieve that is by minimising proprietary protocols and proprietary radio signals. The benefit of this was achieved in a truly unique and effective way.

TCP/IP has made possible the convergence of business technologies. Unified communications is an outstanding example of this. In fact, unified communications now includes AV systems and this was recognised by Standard Bank. Adoption of TCP/IP in AV systems and control systems takes unified communications one step further, achieving secure, managed and available venues. This cannot be achieved through proprietary protocols.

Secondly, business network security can only be achieved by conforming to standards, and all equipment implemented needed to undergo protocol and security scrutiny. Secure, enterprise grade, open architecture systems such as AMX’s control, switching and server technologies were mandatory. This includes any radio frequency (RF) based equipment. Standard Bank’s WiFi-based RF signals are preferred over any proprietary RF signals, to once again create a secure environment. All AMX components that were implemented in Rosebank connect via wired or wireless TCP/IP. Using Standard Bank’s TCP/IP network, a new AV system architecture was facilitated, and is a first in most parts of the world. For the first time, the various parts that make up the typical control and AV switching system are placed in the building where it makes most sense, instead of all being situated in the presentation venue. So, for example, the user interface is inside the venue, but the control system that is controlling that room is not. Instead, it is situated in a central AV control room and the two connect to each other across the customer’s local area network (LAN). The same applies for other elements in the venues such as the NEC display devices, the Polycom

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PhotoS by Greg Bester

System Integration CORPORATE AV

videoconferencing systems, and so on, which are all connected to each other and controlled over the customer’s TCP/IP network. This means that most of the presentation venues in the building do not have unsightly racks.

On the subject of clean spaces, for those venues where the amount of equipment in the venue did require an equipment rack, the Middle Atlantic pull out and swivel racks were used and installed neatly inside furniture units in the presentation venues, achieving a clean, uncluttered environment. Additionally, AMX ENOVA digital switching and control equipment is highly space efficient as opposed to equivalent hardware in legacy systems that occupied huge racks.

This resulted in an uncompromised aesthetic environment.

Adoption of open architecture also enables integration between normally unrelated sub-systems. The AMX control system in each venue is connected to the building management system (BMS) and bi-directional lighting and air-conditioning controls are achieved over the customer’s LAN through the BMS. The measured temperature and current set point in the venue is displayed on the AMX touch panel in each venue. The set point temperature for each venue can be adjusted via the AMX touch panel. Occupancy is detected by the BMS and intelligent environment and AV system control can be achieved by occupancy information being updated from the BMS to the AMX controllers. The integration between AMX and the BMS system was achieved using a standards-based protocol method called Modbus over IP, a first for many in South Africa, and was only possible because of the open architecture of the sub-systems specified into the building.

location over the customer’s LAN. This design concept is planned to be deployed to all Standard Bank buildings to be able to achieve this uniform experience for all users.

This single program approach supports the concept of being ’maintenance friendly’. If an AMX controller should be replaced, it is a simple task to load the same program on the new controller, plug it in and switch on to get the room up and running in a very short time.

The same applies to the touch panels. Parameterisation of that same program in each venue is achieved through an ’advanced‘ section in the touch panel pages in the system. It is also possible for the venue to pick up its parameters from fields set up in the AMX RMS server application (elaborated on later in this article). As soon as the new controller connects to the RMS server, it picks up its parameters which have been set up on a per venue basis.

A unique approach that Standard Bank followed is the provision of connectivity for analogue (VGA) and digital (HDMI) signals in all venues with full support for copy protected material. There are few organisations locally that have taken this step properly. This supports a uniform user experience. It is possible to connect any laptop to the presentation system in any venue without complications. Doing this is no simple task for such a broad range of image types ranging from legacy analogue laptops with no digital outputs to modern digital laptops, sometimes with no analogue outputs. AMX’s digital switching equipment with digital scalers on all outputs creates an infrastructure that just works! AMX’s digital media equipment has specifically been designed from the ground up, to correct this common challenge in the modern AV system.

Uniform user experience

Central health state monitoring, maintenance friendly

Users should be able to go to any presentation venue within the 30 Baker Street building (and later any presentation venue within Standard Bank) and have the same user experience.

This was made possible by Dimension Data’s software that runs on the AMX controllers. The programme on all controllers is identical for each level of venue. When a change is made in the functionality of the program on the controllers, that change is deployed in all venues in the building by uploading that new program over the customer’s LAN to all venues in the building. All the AMX touch panels have been implemented with exactly the same user pages, which means that time could be invested in making this aspect of the design perfect.

Once again, if any further improvements are created, those pages can be sent to all AMX touch panels in the building from a central

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The theory is that any system can be made be as complex as you like, as long as you are monitoring its health state. There are probably limits to that theory, but central health state monitoring was mandatory for the systems implemented in 30 Baker Street. The idea is to have the health state monitoring system detect problems within venues when they occur, and not when you next try to use the venue. Along with health state reporting, the system needed to provide dashboard views of the audio visual systems in the building(s), allowing each user that has access to see exactly what he/she would like to see. Help requests from the venues needed to be possible as well as controls into the venue from the server end when assisting users in the venue.

The AMX Resource Management Suite (RMS) Enterprise central

CORPORATE AV System Integration health monitoring server, which is situated in a separate data centre of Standard Bank, is an Enterprise Grade server application which monitors the health state of all audio visual equipment in the building.

It will eventually be used to monitor the health state of all presentation venues in Standard Bank. The server application is scalable and provides a centralised, user customisable rich web interface for users that need access. It provides all the functionality that the bank required.

The power of the system becomes evident by the ’macro’ capability included in the AMX RMS server environment. As you can programme macros in a room controller to create a sequence of events in a venue (eg. switch the display screen on, dim the lights, close the blinds, select laptop point one), you can achieve the same from the AMX RMS server side. You can define a macro sequence of events that should take place in one or many venues and that sequence of events can be invoked manually from the server end or automatically under schedule. It is possible to create a macro that controls one venue, a floor, a building, all venues in a country or all venues in the world. While this creates huge power, it also creates a requirement for tight security and user access, which is included in RMS and is already implied by the ’Enterprise‘ grade of the software.

Besides the macro-based power described above, if a user experiences an issue in a venue, the support personnel could bring up a live view of the venue’s touch panel via the RMS server. This enables the support staff to see exactly what the user is doing (or to be able to do things on the touch panel on behalf of the user). If the touch panel is unavailable, there is an alternative, simple interface into the venue from the RMS server side which is based on a ‘virtual

keypad’ giving the support person controls into the venue to get the meeting started.

Summary Standard Bank has followed a central decision has making approach to the specifying and deployment of these systems. As a large user, it becomes essential to create an infrastructure that is functional enough, highly available, secure, easy to support and maintain, supports all signal types and supports sustainable development. Those goals were achieved successfully in this building and are representative of Standard Bank’s professional approach to the adoption of technology for real business reasons.

Dimension Data with support from Peripheral Vision and AMX has successfully implemented one of the largest AV systems implemented in South Africa. This is an excellent example of how a centralised design and procurement approach to AV systems in a large corporate has resulted in what AMX calls ’the perfect meeting room’. AV for IT has become essential because AV is now part of unified communications. Unified communications systems are designed and procured in the same manner as IT systems. So the same should apply for AV systems.

This approach will continue within Standard Bank, to achieve the same business benefits in all presentation venues.

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www.audiosure.co.za 25

Installations HOUSES OF WOrSHIP

Conquering the installation challenge

By Greg Bester

Conquering Through Prayer Ministries International in Durban

Conquering Through Prayer Ministries International in Durban is a church that has grown considerably since its inception and so has the mechanism by which the church faithfully disseminates its message to its congregation.

Founded by pastors Clive and Sandra Gopaul in 2000, the ministry now caters for three churches with a membership of over 5 000 people.

Of course, as a House of Worship (HoW) congregation grows, so do its requirements for technology. This is 2014, after all, and 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.

On a recent trip the United States, Pastor Clive noticed an installation during one of his church visits that sparked his interest: a curved screen spanning the length of the stage backdrop. Feeling this was something he would like to bring to CTPMI’s World Prayer Centre in Durban, he contacted Johannesburg-based distributors and installers Stage Audio Works for a local solution and they happily obliged.

The initial contact and sales work was done by Stage Audio Works Durban-based representative Alan Barry with design support from the Johannesburg office. Technical support specialist Nathan Ihlenfeldt was commissioned to coordinate the installation and the installation team was headed by Marius Erasmus.

The installation Instead of going the LED route, projection was the preferred method.

Three Christie HD14K-M projectors were installed, each offering 13 500 centre lumens for a total of 40 500 and a maximum resolution of 1920 x 1 080 HD. Due to the nature of the desired projection surface and the dimensions of the stage, a bespoke Da-Lite series 200 screen was installed.

“We chose Christie M-series 3 chip DLP projectors,” says Ihlenfeldt, “due to the mercury lamps – which are quite economical in the long

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term – onboard Twist geometry correction and excellent black level performance necessary for edge blending.”

For media playback a Dataton Watchout media server and DVIGear DVI extenders were supplied. The Watchout server came pre-installed with Blackmagic Decklink SDI capture cards.

Ihlenfeldt comments: “There are many media server products around on the market but none are as user-friendly as Watchout.

Along with the cost of the system, it is the most viable option for a House of Worship installation. We also have a very good supply chain in the IT sector, which makes sourcing the necessary hardware to construct Watchout servers a breeze.”

All projectors were connected via fibre optic and live inputs were ingested via HD-SDI. When asked about whether there were any bugs to work out after the system was installed, Ihlenfeldt said: “None, I guess. We have a very experienced installation team headed by Marius Erasmus and everything worked first time. In fact, we finished the commissioning a day early.”

One of the key points of a successful HoW installation is that it is user-friendly due to the fact that most, if not all, of the people who will be operating the equipment are volunteers. Ihlenfeldt comments: “A church is a challenging environment to execute this (kind of) installation because volunteers need to be trained to programme and use the system so a user-friendly interface is a must. I think our vast experience in the HoW segment allowed us to select the best products with this in mind.”

The wrap Given that the projector, screen and media server installation at Conquering Through Prayer Ministries International went off without a hitch and was delivered one day ahead of schedule, says a lot about what can be accomplished by careful planning and a knowledgeable crew. Stage Audio Works, along with the products under their umbrella, certainly seem to bring a fantastically streamlined solution to the table.

“I think this project is a prime example of our multidiscipline technical capacity,” says Ihlenfeldt, “that we can deliver world-class audio, video and lighting solutions under one roof.”

Uniting Uniting thethe audience audience

and music that stir the soul.

Speech Speech and music that stir the soul.

From the thrill of theatre to the From the thrill of theatre to the celebration of worship to the celebration of worship to the inspiration of the auditorium. inspiration of the auditorium.

It’s all about consistent audience It’s all about consistent audience coverage, front to back, whatever coverage, front to back, whatever the acoustic challenges. the acoustic challenges.

A shared experience they A shared experience they will never forget. will never forget.

That’s the Martin Audio That’s the Martin Audio Experience.

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Unite your audience at www.martin-audio.com Unite your audience at www.martin-audio.com

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sales@audiosure.co.za 29/10/2013

Installations CINEMA Solution

Historic Nu Metro project brings upgraded audio to 149 digital cinemas

In a landmark development for the spread of digital cinema in South Africa, leading chain Nu Metro recently employed Arts Alliance Media (AAM) to convert 16 sites located across the country. David Davies examines the sophisticated AV and system management involved in the roll-out.

Barco projectors, Dolby audio processors and Doremi servers were integral to a recent project that saw all screens at 16 Nu Metro sites across South Africa convert to digital. Undertaken in collaboration with London-based digital cinema company Arts Alliance Media (AAM), the initiative benefited from AAM’s Virtual Print Fee (VPF) model, whereby film distributors contribute towards the cost of installing digital equipment.

Recalling the origins of the roll-out, Darren Briggs, digital cinema field service manager at AAM, says: “Our sales team discussed with Nu Metro the digitisation of the chain using the VPF model. This led to the deal being agreed between AAM, Nu Metro and the equipment suppliers. RCC Trading was also appointed as our technical partner in South Africa for this roll-out. The whole process of negotiations took place over a 12-month period.”

Disclosing details of the deal last autumn, Luke Roberts – general manager of Nu Metro – remarked: “Having started our digital conversion already, we’re pleased to be able to join forces with AAM and benefit from their extensive digital cinema expertise, as well as the funding provided by the VPF model.”

Howard Kiedaisch, chief executive officer of AAM, added: “Nu Metro was the first company to open an all-digital cinema in South

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Africa several years ago, and we’re always delighted to help digital pioneers complete a full conversion of their estate. The Nu Metro team have always been innovators in digital cinema and we’re really pleased to be working with them.”

AAM – which also has a digital cinema roll-out agreement with South Africa’s leading chain, Ster Kinekor – provided full technical designs and schematics for the systems, as well as performing initial site visits to discuss the conversion process with Nu Metro and RCC Trading. Prior to this programme of work, RCC had already been supporting Nu Metro’s 35mm projection and sound equipment, and initial few digital screens.

Crucially, for each site AAM also supplied the central rack – which houses the network equipment and library server (LMS) – from its base in the UK. Briggs remarks: “The LMS runs our AAM Screenwriter Theatre Management software, while the network equipment used in the central rack and screens systems are D-Link. Different sites have slightly different models in the central rack dependent on the number of screens they service.”

In essence, though, the installation revolves around two networks – one for management and one for content. “The content network is used solely for transfer of the digital content from the library server to the screen servers,” says Briggs. “The Management network connects

“All of the projects we are involved in are very important…from a single screen to a full chain of multiplex cinemas,” says Darren Briggs, digital cinema field service manager, Arts Alliance Media (AAM).”

the various screen system devices to each other and the central rack.

Our Screenwriter software uses this to talk to the screen equipment, and we also use this network to manage and support all the equipment remotely.”

As Briggs observes, the overriding objective of any digital cinema installation is: “To ensure the vision of the film-makers is exhibited the way it was intended. The DCI Specification sets correct illumination levels and colour calibration of the projector.”

Providing projection at each of the sites are Barco Digital Cinema Projectors. Several models were selected but by far the most commonly specified was the DP2K-10S. A compact and fully integrated digital cinema projector designed with the needs of smaller theatres, independent cinemas and art-houses in mind, the DP2K-10S is DCI-compliant and incorporates a 0.69” DLP Cinema chip and high grade cinema lens.

“Prior to installation, all the equipment was specified per screen depending on the screen size and requirements for 3D,” says Briggs.

“3D needs a projector capable of supplying a brighter image to offset the losses of the 3D equipment.

For the first ‘trial’ site we installed our central rack and TMS system at the Emperors Palace cinema, which incorporates a total of six screens. At this time we carried out initial digital cinema training with RCC to bring all their engineers up to speed with the standardised screen systems, central rack, AAM Screenwriter software and DCI installation specifications.”

Other ‘frontline’ elements of the screen systems at each location include Doremi ShowVault and IMB servers, D-Link 3200-10 switches, INTEG Process Group Jnior automation devices and APC uninterruptible power supplies.

Simultaneously to this intense programme of work, Nu Metro opted to upgrade the audio processing capabilities of its screens as well. “At the same time as the digitisation, Nu Metro elected to upgrade systems to the Dolby CP750 cinema processor, which allows for 7.1 playback as well as the standard minimium spec 5.1. equipment is set up and calibrated as per the DCI specification,” notes Briggs.

The move to 7.1 takes place during the first quarter of 2014 and involves the specification of new amplifiers and speakers (the latter primarily drawn from JBL’s Cinema range). Sub-units are being placed behind screens, with the number of surrounds installed to be determined by the size of the auditorium.

Subsequent to the initial trial installation, Briggs returned to oversee the fit-out of the first two sites involved in the roll-out. On a longer-term basis, AAM also provides: onsite training of engineers in digital cinema technology and Nu Metro personnel on the use of the systems and Screenwriter Theatre Management system; active monitoring of all systems for faults; remote access platforms for RCC, Nu Metro and itself to assist in servicing the chain; and line support to the cinemas and RCC. Invited to consider the long-term significance of this substantial undertaking, Briggs responds that: “All projects we are involved with are very important…from a single screen to a full chain of multiplex cinemas. In South Africa we also deal with the Ster Kinekor chain, while our UK-based NOC (Network Operations Centre) offers support to cinemas directly and (the ability to) escalate calls to site to RCC in South Africa.”

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Installations Venue Solution

Installing the complete solution

Dirt, drilling, heavy machinery and bedrock.

These are most often the elements and activities associated with mines. It’s tough out there, to be sure, and mining is no game for sissies. But once in a while every mine worth its ore needs a break from the pandemonium of quarrying the Earth to stop and reflect, confer and discuss matters of import.

Of course, you can’t do any of that down in a mine shaft or a pit where a cacophony of heavy work is being done. You need a safe, quiet, air-conditioned space where you can bring issues of consequence to the table and this space needs equipment, but not of the heavy kind. It needs state-of-the-art AV and that’s exactly what was installed at the newly erected Parsons Hall at the Assmang Khumani mine near Kuthu in North West Province by the Bloemfontein branch of AV specialists Audiosure, coordinated by Martin Prinsloo (First Technology – sales manager, Northern Cape).

The primary uses for Parsons Hall are hosting labour-related issues, seminars and conferences. Measuring 30m x 15m in total it was also designed to be divided into two smaller 15m x 15m venues, each with its own conferencing, projection and audio systems. Audiosure provided a complete turnkey solution to these specifications.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

Audio The main audio system chosen for the venue was the Martin Audio OmniLine. The OmniLine is a ’micro line array‘ system aimed at commercial installations that, according to Martin Audio, offers: ...“unprecedented accuracy in a wide variety of architectural environments,” and uses only one channel of amplification per array in most scenarios. The OmniLine is optimised for the clear preproduction of speech or programme material.

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Each OmniLine enclosure consists of two 3.5” LF drivers and five 0.55” soft dome tweeters, can handle 50W AES, 200W peak and has a max SPL of 104dB continuous and 110dB peak. It has a 100 degree horizontal and 5 degree vertical dispersion (-6dB).

As far as Parsons Hall is concerned and because it was designed to be divided into two venues, two separate albeit unified (if needed) systems were spec’d.

At the front of the hall a hang of eight OmniLine enclosures per side were installed, partnered to four Martin Audio AQ210 subwoofers (two per side). For amplification of the front system a Martin Audio (Powersoft) MA2.8 was installed that delivers 1 600W to a 4Ohm load across four channels. An MC2 T2000 was provided for the AQ210 subs.

The rear system, when the hall is operating in ‘dual venue mode’, is half the size of the front system; four OmniLine enclosures per side paired to two AQ210 subwoofers (one per side). Half the system requires half the power so a dual-channel Martin Audio MA1.4 was supplied that delivers 800W across two channels. Once again, an MC2 T2000 amplifier powers the subwoofers.

An Allen & Heath ZED 14 mixer was also supplied, along with six Clock Audio radio microphones for roaming presentations.

The control and distribution system employed was an Allen & Heath IDR-8 ST system with its accompanying range of PL series controllers. The IDR-8 is a 16x16 matrix mixer that features: “...an extensive array of audio management tools designed to reduce the need for additional devices for an installation.” Two PL3 and two PL7 control panels, which plug into the IDR-8 via CAT5, were installed strategically

Venue Solution Installations throughout the hall for mode and parameter control, bringing the control of the processor to the venue.

“One of the overriding factors for us was the flexibility of the IDR system,” says Prinsloo, “with the PL controllers setup to do any one of a comprehensive list of functions as basic as volume and input select to complex matrix routings and processing. The ability to remotely control and monitor the IDR over a standard network also played a part in the selection of the unit.”

Additional audio components installed in the hall included eight Quad Industrial C8 ceiling mount speakers for the foyer and bathrooms and powered by a DSPPA MP600 on 100V lines. Three 8” Wharfdale Pro Titan 8 passive speakers powered by a Samson SX1800 were installed to cover selected outside areas.

Of course, conferencing often requires specialised conferencing equipment so to this end a comprehensive Taiden system was deployed. Two Taiden HCS 4100s – fully digital conferencing system control units – were the units of choice. The Taiden system is completely wireless and uses infrared transmission of digital audio from the delegate units (microphones) to the control unit. The delegate unit digitally encodes the microphone signal at 48 kHz (30 to 20khz bandwidth) and modulates audio and data signals for bi-directional transmission via infrared.

Audio visual When considering the audio visual requirements at Parsons Hall and being that it is situated on the site of a mine, it became evident that the installation would not be without challenges. Prinsloo explains: “With four ultra-heavy crushers turning car-sized rocks into dust less

than 500 metres away one can truly appreciate the intensity of the ground vibrations. Even with proper heavy duty brackets installed the chances of a projector vibrating off the screen over time could not be excluded.”

After some deliberation around the subject, two Vivtek D6510s were selected because of the array of features that would help combat these potential problems. The D6510s allow the user to remotely adjust the lens by moving it up, down, left or right to compensate for potential drift. Also, the D6510 allows zoom and focus to be adjusted via the remote control and the dual lamp system can be used as a redundant backup or to supply extra brightness when needed.

The projectors both utilise VGA and Audio over CAT5 systems before transmission through a Taiden TMX-00808 matrix. The TMX-0808 offers 8x8 VGA and audio matrixing.

Finally, two 240” motorised screens were installed for each portion of the split venue.

The wrap Finding a complete audio visual solution that meets the demands of an array of needs can often be a daunting task for installers. The fact of the matter is that clients need to be able to accomplish a specific amount of tasks, often across multiple venues and finding the right combination of equipment can be a challenge. However, in this instance, Audiosure executed a turnkey, one-stop solution that was flexible and powerful for Parsons Hall at the Assmang Khumani mine and robust enough to withstand the roughest of environments.

31

Installations HOUSES OF WOrSHIP

By Greg Bester

Photos by Greg Bester

Tradition meets innovation

The Old Apostolic Church

The Old Apostolic Church has a long history in South Africa and has its origins in the Cape in 1926, therefore making it an 88-year-old institution with deep rooted traditions. However, as time marches on and progress is made, institutions such as these tend to evolve concordantly to bring the message closer to the congregation through modern technology.

In South Africa it seems that houses of worship are constantly looking for newer and better ways to aid them in that endeavour. While churches have steadfast traditions and beliefs that form the core of their spirituality, I admire the way that they appreciate the value of up-to-date technology. After all, a great sounding audio system and effective AV go a long way to improve the efficiency of broadcasting the message and can certainly make the service more engaging.

The Old Apostolic Church in Christiaanville, Pretoria, recently received an upgrade to its audio, lighting and AV systems, performed by turnkey solution specialists Wild and Marr in conjunction with audio and AV specialist integrators Celestia AV, and directed by design and sales engineer Ralph Moehrke. The aim of the installation was to supply a system that could be used for church services as well as for third parties wishing to use the hall for other events so for this reason a comprehensive and user-friendly solution was desired.

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Audio “The main structure is a 2 000-seater with two overflow rooms that seat about 200 people in each”, says Moehrke. “They have their own dedicated PA in addition to the main PA or it is able to operate independently with a wireless handheld or lapel microphone as well as a video input for the display. So they’re completely self-contained.

The two rooms can work in conjunction with the main auditorium or they can work independently.”

The main audio system in the church is based around a JBL Vertec VT4886 subcompact line array. Nine elements per side were installed along with nine accompanying VT4883 single 12” high output subwoofers. Both the mid-high and subwoofer arrays were flown on a splayed arch of truss above the stage. The subwoofers particularly were configured in a 4 x 1 x 4 configuration (four a side with a centre-fill) due to the arrays having to be positioned around a central air duct and the organ speaker system, which is independent from the main system. The VT4886 and VT4883 systems are powered by seven Crown IT-12000HD amplifiers installed into the main rack.

Front of house received a Soundcraft Si Expression 32-channel digital mixing console (expandable to 64 channels) with an accompanying Soundcraft Compact stage box that offers 48 inputs and 16 outputs and a wireless access point was configured for iPad remote control of the Si Expression mixer. For onstage monitoring, four JBL PRX612M two-way self-powered loudspeakers were supplied.

The preferred microphone system was the Shure ULX-D digital wireless system. A ULX-D four-channel digital diversity receiver was installed along with two ULX-D1 beltpack transmitters and two ULX-D2 digital handheld radio microphones with SM58 capsules. For direct

HOUSES OF WORSHIP Installations injection, two BSS AR133 DI boxes were the go-to choice for acoustic guitars. Since the church engages in a lot of choir performances, six Shure SM81 condenser microphones were strategically hung around the stage area to pick up the performances.

The backbone of the audio distribution system is based around a BSS Soundweb BLU160 AES/EBU 8x 8 digital signal processor. This enables the system to be configured for multiple zones. Presets can be stored and recalled to cater for specific independent configurations where the audio systems can be split for independent use or unified as one.

Each of the overflow rooms received identical equipment. As mentioned, these rooms were designed to be used in the event of overflow from the main auditorium or as separate rooms with their own audio and visual aids. Eight JBL Control 47LC two-way, lowprofile ceiling speakers were installed, and individually powered by a Crown CT8150 eight-channel 150W amplifier. A BSS BLU8 control panel with power supply was wall-mounted for system configuration.

Two more input panels were installed for microphone or PC audio input. In terms of microphones, a Shure ULX-D dual channel digital diversity receiver was supplied along with accompanying ULX-D1 and ULX-D2 beltpack and handheld transmitters with SM58 capsules. In keeping with the flexibility of the system, two Shure UA820 ½ wave antennae were installed into the roof, which enables the microphone systems in the overflow rooms to be patched into the main system if need be.

“The microphones are all integrated into the Soundweb London BLU system”, says Moehrke, “There are inputs at the back points that link between the two rooms so everything is shared so that we can actually access the rear microphones at front of house.”

One of the more interesting aspects of the installation was the inclusion of a ‘hard of hearing loop’. This is a band of chairs marked with red backs where hearing impaired people can tap into what is called an ‘induction loop’.

Moehrke explains:“People with impaired hearing that have hearing aids can simply switch their hearing aids into induction mode and tap into the loop that is driven by an amplifier driving 80 to 100 Watts and tuned down to four Ohms. There is a single wire that runs under the chairs and that basically energises the loop.”

AV and video The AV and video system at the Old Apostolic Church, designed by Dean Holdstock of Celestia AV, is comprehensive. The main feature

The control desk

that immediately catches your eye as you step into the church is the large LED wall to the rear of the stage that is capable of displaying service material and live camera feeds. A total of 16 47”LG 6.3mm LED panels configured in a 4 x 4 array were supplied and installed along with a Kramer VM4HXL HDMI distribution amplifier and a Crestron DSP controller.

Video and vision mixing hardware was supplied which included a Panasonic HMX100E mixer with an AW-RP50 Remote Camera Controller and a Kramer VS-66H3 6 x 6 HDMI matrix. Full pan and tilt is supported. This hardware interfaces with two Panasonic HE50SN DH pan tilt indoor cameras, a Panasonic PH360L professional pan tilt head and a Panasonic AG160 HD SDI camera on a tripod for live switching between cameras and display on the LED screen. Two PCs were supplied to the front of position. One PC is used to display service material on the LED screen while the other is loaded with video recording and editing software (Adobe Premiere). A 32” LG LED display for camera previews was also supplied, as well as a Panasonic HPD24E SD recorder for video recording.

An interesting feature of the AV system was the inclusion of an Apple TV unit. This enables a person giving a presentation on stage to share audio, video or image material on the LED screen via their iOS device. Since many people own these devices in this day and age, this seems like a very pragmatic option.

Finally, for each of the overflow rooms a 2.7m Elite motorised screen, an NEC 3 000 lumen WXGA projector and wall panels with VGA, CV and audio inputs were installed.

Lighting The relatively simple lighting system at the church was also designed and installed by Dean Holdstock of Celestia AV to resolve the video lighting requirements. Moehrke comments: “The lighting system was small enough to incorporate as a turnkey solution instead of pulling in various other parties. It’s a small system meant to light up the stage but there is colour. It does, however, have the possibility to add moving heads, washes or spots at a later stage.”

To suspend the lighting from the roof structure 10 Prolyte H40V L400 and five H40V L200 trusses were hung to the right and left side of the stage. 30 LED par cans were strategically positioned to shed light on the stage. The lighting console of choice was a Phillips 200 PLUS 24/48.

The wrap One of the best ways to find out how an installation is faring is to ask the people who are commissioned to use it. Richard Hoey is the man in charge of the audio and AV at the church.

“This is something new to me as I’m used to the old analogue desks,” says Hoey. “The digital desk is a lot easier to work with and it’s getting easier the more I work with it. It’s very user-friendly once you know what’s going on and without much training on it you can actually help yourself.”

Piet Fourie, the church evangelist says: “I think that if all the sub-contractors that were involved had given us the support Wild and Marr did, it would have been an absolute pleasure. But at this stage, Wild and Marr has done extremely well.”

Wild and Marr has, by evidence of the comments of those involved at the church, clearly pulled off an effective, user-friendly and powerful turnkey system that I’m sure will serve the congregation at the Old Apostolic Church for many years to come.

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LIVE EVENTs INDUSTRY EXPERT

Nik Fairclough A true musician, lover of audio and student of sound, Nik Fairclough took a moment to share with Pro-Systems readers how it all began and what keeps it going…

Chanelle Ellaya reports…

Nik, please give us a little background of how you got into audio?

Fairclough: In a galaxy far, far away, way back in the mid 80s…. Like many others in this industry I started out playing guitar and fronting a band in my teens and fell in love with all things audio. I was blessed to meet a few older studio owners when I was 18 who took an interest in me and mentored me in a manner.

I saw these guys, how they lived, they had stable families, a nice home, making a great income and loving what they did every day.

That’s what I wanted. I wanted to spend my working hours doing something I loved.

Over time, I asked questions, watched closely, sat in on sessions, listened to advice and made some life decisions based on that.

Tell us a bit about your company Northwind, including its history.

Fairclough: Northwind started as just a studio 17 years ago and was a slow progression from a small facility growing to a mid-size setup where it is today.

During that growth period I was often asked by architects to get involved in auditorium design and I finally relented seven years ago.

The reason for my reticence was that, generally speaking, the South African audio mindset was dominated by a budget mindset. The net effect of this was inadequate sums of money being allocated to projects with clients wanting Rolls Royce results from a ’Tazz‘ budget. A lose/lose situation. The world view of “the punters won’t notice” is a serious insult to the paying public.

People might not be able to articulate why they do or do not like something but they certainly know when they have had a great time at a gig and not been agitated or frustrated by poor sound or acoustics.

I have spent 20 years in performance and recording spaces in Europe and the US either mixing, working, playing or just attending. This is ongoing and part of my continued education. I am very well aware of what it takes to produce a space worth being in and functioning to its intended purpose. Understanding the function and the culture that the space needs to serve is critical. Miss that and you are like an architect delivering a supermarket for a client who wanted a slick office complex.

My experience of SA at the time left no space for me to work in. I started by retaining my LA contacts and clients

You have been involved with auditorium design for some time now. How did you get into that?

Fairclough: I have always been involved to some degree but formally accepting appointments for the past eight years. My

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background in working with architectural/contracting teams really has helped me forge a clear bridge of understanding between architect and the client as far as design goals are concerned.

Did you study acoustical science?

Fairclough: My education never ends. After completing college I have continued to attend further courses in the US, UK and Scandinavia. This is a critical and, for me, a vital and on-going requirement allowing me to stay in tune with current design trends and new solutions to age-old problems.

What has been your favourite and most challenging installation that you’ve done so far and why?

Fairclough: I was involved in the design of a 4 000-seat auditorium in Trianon, Mauritius. The required functionality of that space required a high design spec and a realistic budget to achieve the stated goals.

The location and engineering logistics were challenging and rewarding. Working with a team from Paris and Mauritius was great and called for very clear guidelines, goals and objectives with good communication skills.

What do you consider to be the greatest audio innovation of the past 10 years?

Fairclough: ProTools Mix systems. It’s like the box of a thousand paint colours you got as a kid. The possibilities!

But it has also been a curse, enabling many to access and enter an industry having little or no musical skill/gifting or engineering chops.

A great tool in the right hands has become a cut-and-paste sausage machine to many a bedroom artist. It has made guys mix without using their ears, relying on plug-in presets to get a sound with little or no understanding. I am not certain this has been helpful in the long term.

What does the future hold for Niklas Fairclough and Northwind?

Fairclough: For me, it is to continue to work on albums and projects from all over, to keep growing and learning. I will continue to take projects that allow one to reach high standards that the client demands. In the end, all involved parties will be happy. Average or ’that will do‘ does not work for me.

I hope to continue to respect and learn from the pioneers of the recording industry and to uphold the standards and skills that have stood the test of time. In a nutshell, to be forward thinking without losing the roots of audio or what is real and tactile in music.

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LIVE EVENTs STATE FUNERAL

State Funeral not dampened by adverse conditions

By Greg Bester

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other – not in pity or patronsingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”

State Funeral set

A courageous and selfless man said that; a man who lived and breathed the interests of his people and his country. The closing of 2013 was a seminal and deeply sad time for South Africa and its impact transcended race, creed or colour. While our rocky and troubled past still ached in the hearts of many, one man gave us hope and broke the reins of oppression so that we could all walk together arm in arm towards a horizon of freedom and prosperity. On 5 December 2013 the Father of the Nation passed into the great beyond and left a spirit that touched the souls of millions. For it is by his spirit that the universal hope for our country is promulgated.

On 15 December, after South Africa and the world celebrated his life and mourned his death at the Official Memorial Service at FNB Stadium on 10 The 36m SUPA Dome December and viewed his body at the Union Buildings until 13 December, the State Funeral took place on a hillside near Qunu, Eastern Cape; the small village which the iconic anti-apartheid figure called his childhood home.

The funeral service featured tributes from such dignitaries as President Jacob Zuma, Malawian President Joyce Banda and former Zambian leader Kenneth Kaunda. Four thousand five hundred people in total were expected to attend, including senior South African government officials, ANC veterans and international figures such as Oprah Winfrey, Jesse Jackson and Richard Branson. However, not all attendees were permitted at his final resting place resulting in only 450 dignitaries being granted access to the burial site; mostly family members.

Gearhouse Group was contracted by the Department of Public Works to supply the technical requirements for the main ceremony, which was held under a massive domed structure about the size of a football field. Gearhouse Group worked in conjunction with MMA Architects and family members to develop the aesthetic look and feel of the event. In keeping with the spirit of the tribute and the setting, the design evolved into a simple but beautiful environment where an extraordinary beaded curtain rendition of the official

36

portrait (commissioned from Usha Seejaarim) took centre stage flanked by rows of lit candles.

However, before the actual ceremonies transpired in relatively idyllic weather on the day of the service, there were a whole slew of challenges experienced by Gearhouse and its team in orchestrating the logistics that had been preagreed upon many months beforehand.

One of the issues was the challenge of gaining access to the gigantic venue at such short notice due to the very nature of the event. This posed logistical problems because if the structure was out at another event it would take a minimum of three days to dismantle it and get it down to Qunu. An agreement was then reached based on the most secure option whereby the South African government would purchase the venue and have it stored close to the Qunu hillside venue. This eliminated the wildcard of potential unavailability of the structure, put a large amount of the infrastructure for the event near the venue and negated the need for trucking it to the venue. Additionally, to save time, anchors for the structure were pre-installed.

The next challenge faced was the issue of the venue being located in a rural area that lacked substantial hotels or accommodation. The sparse accommodation in the area had already been pre-booked by international media so an alternative solution was required for Gearhouse and its crew. With little choice, Gearhouse rented a piece of land based on a year-long lease near the venue. Bedding, tents, communal showers and all other necessary amenities were then installed at what was dubbed ‘the road camp’, including electrical upgrades. A total of around 90 crew and personnel utilised the road camp.

Most likely the biggest challenge during the days leading up to the ceremony and getting the dome venue constructed was the weather. While the first two days of construction were relatively drizzle free, the following four days were fraught with relentless precipitation and wind bursts of up to 50km/h. This, of course, had a devastating effect on working conditions. The solution was to start off with the frame structure and install the decking as the skin was progressively applied so as to get the working area under cover. As the floor was being laid, lighting, staging, trussing and audio were also progressively installed until the structure was completely erected, equipped and carpeted. The finished venue was handed over six days and 23 hours after crew and personnel had arrived on site – over a week less than it would have normally taken under normal conditions.

Audio for the ceremony consisted of a combination of L’Acoustics Kara, dV-DOSC and HI Q 115XT loudspeakers while lighting consisted of a combination of Robe, Varilight and Martin fixtures. Christie 20K projectors were used for AV duties.

The Wrap The State Funeral in Qunu was an event that all who attended and were involved in will remember for their lifetimes. The challenges faced by the technical crew, I’m sure, will not be forgotten as well because in the spirit of the man who they were there to pay tribute to and bid farewell, they triumphed over adversity.

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LIVE EVENTs FESTIVAL REPORT

Ultra Music Festival Photos courtesy Showtime Management

By Greg Bester

Ultra Music Festival in Cape Town

Ultra’ is a pretty serious adjective second only, I presume, to ‘mega ultra’. For something to be ultra it means that it needs to traverse far beyond that which is considered merely ‘good’ or even ‘great’, and blow the mind with such devastating force that all other superlatives pale miserably in comparison.

Alesso, Afrojack and Nicky Romero rock the house.

So how do you deliver a show to a crowd of 40,000-strong and how do you do it without involving a multitude of rental companies?

Apparently, you call Gearhouse Group.

Gearhouse provided all technical requirements for the event under one roof, including audio, lighting, rigging, staging and LED with the exception of pyrotechnics, which were handled by Fireworks for Africa.

A bit of background…

This is why the international EDM (electronic dance music) festival – the Ultra Music Festival – is not blithely called the Good Music Festival.

Nor is it called the Great Music Festival. Its goal, as its name suggests, is to shock the senses and be, in every sense of the word, ‘ultra’. From the looks of things, it was exactly that, and thousands of hip-gyrating, foot-stomping, hand gesture throwing, wide-eyed EDM fans that attended the event will certainly agree.

The Ultra Music Festival started in Miami, Florida, in 1999 and its popularity has grown so fast that 15 years later it is one of the largest international EDM touring festival brands around. Ultra Music Festivals have been organised in places like Ibiza, Spain; Buenos Aires, Argentina; São Paulo, Brazil; Santiago, Chile; Seoul, South Korea; Split and Hvar, Croatia with the latest being held right here in Cape Town and Johannesburg on 14 and 15 February 2014 respectively.

Held over two weekends, the mother festival takes place at Bayfront Park in Miami with an aggregate attendance of over 330,000. South Africa fared pretty well with an attendance of 40,000 over two days; eager fans came out in droves to see headliners Tiesto,

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Gearhouse was first approached by Showtime Management in the middle of 2013 to start preliminary layouts in conjunction with Mark Daubeney of Mushroom productions, who was acting as Showtime’s production manager. In November, a meeting with Ray Steinman, Ultra Music Festival’s international production manager, was set up where the technical requirements for the main stage were discussed.

Between Ray Steinman and Johan Kristensson, project manager at Gearhouse, the look and feel of the event was developed. One of the main motivating factors behind the design of the show and its resulting focus on visual elements was the fact that there were no bands or moving acts on stage to fill it with a moving presence.

“At the end of the day, there are just one or two guys or girls standing on stage playing music. There’s not too much they can do from a stage presence point of view,” says Kristensson. “So it’s all about how the effects, the video and pyrotechnics are incorporated into the music to create that visual effect.”

Another concern was not to reveal too much of the set and effects all at once, seeing they were such a large part of the show. The goal

FESTIVAL REPORT LIVE EVENTs

was to gradually add more effect elements as the show progressed and climaxed with the headline act.

“It’s important when you’re doing an event that is 12 or 14 hours long that you don’t reveal everything at the beginning,” says John McDermott, business development manager at Gearhouse. “So it’s one of those things that has to build-up slowly as the evening climaxes. You start off with something that’s basic and relatively centralised, and then you add to that. You simply don’t switch on all of the lights to start with so you don’t see them. Obviously, the pyros happen later as well. You might start with the central ring of lights and reveal the layers as you go.”

Concerning the design of the stage, while Ultra International had the final say on the overall layout, they worked closely with Gearhouse to come to a solution that both parties could feel good about. However, because the Johannesburg and Cape Town shows were back to back, there were logistical issues to work out.

McDermott explains: “We put a few proposals forward to Ultra, which included the half-dome structure as the potential roof structure, which they liked. They also liked that we could do a ‘U’-shaped trussing configuration to emulate their logo. Their lighting and visual show designers then worked an LED and lighting spec into that ‘wish list’, so to speak. Then there was a bit of ‘to and fro-ing’ because there was no time to move gear between the Johannesburg and Cape Town shows. So we had to do a complete duplicate rig in both cities. I don’t think we toured anything except Tiesto’s lighting desk and media server.”

Because Gearhouse had to duplicate the rig in both cities due to said logistical problems, some concessions had to be made and this

had a big effect on the final layout and gear lists for the show.

“Duplicating the rig brought its own challenges and it played a large part in the way we went about the spec and how we arrived at the mirror image for each city.”

Once a final layout of the stage, lighting, LED and effects had been agreed on, Gearhouse supplied the international teams with the relevant plots they required to program their show. In terms of the media server content for the LED screens, the same procedure was followed. However, despite a strong working relationship between Gearhouse and Ultra International in this event, it was of paramount importance to Ultra that Ultra Music Festival South Africa had its own design, spirit and vibe.

“What they (Ultra International) are doing is building their brand in South Africa so they wanted it to look different to any other EDM event that happens here,” says McDermott. “That’s why they worked on a very specific design and the result was that it did indeed look different to anything else they had done before.”

In order to keep with the chosen streamlined logistics of Ultra Music Festival South Africa, the stage layout, lighting, AV and audio systems were duplicated for each event in Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Stage structure The stage structure at The Ultra Music Festival (from hereon referred to as ‘Ultrafest’) was a half-dome structure that was actually the cap-end of a 28m MAXI Dome (supplied by Gearhouse Group subsidiary In2Structures) set on a Layher 30m x 19m x 1.5m stage.

On either side of the stage, six scaffold towers (Layher ‘screen

39

LIVE EVENTs FESTIVAL REPORT

Photo courtesy Showtime Management

monitor console was a Yamaha LS9-32. An Avalon VT737 was used on the FOH master output, employing the EQ section for sweetening while a Waves Maxx BCL was used for limiting.

Since there were no bands on stage requiring microphones, a comprehensive list of DJ equipment was supplied. Six industry standard Pioneer CDJ-2000 and six CDJ-2000NXS were the playback decks of choice. A Pioneer DVJ-1000 DVD video player deck was also available if needed. Three DJM900 Nexus mixers were supplied. This made three complete systems with all system components updated with the latest firmware to ensure utmost compatibility.

For in-ear monitoring, four Sennheiser 300 series IEM systems were supplied and seven Shure UR2 Beta58 handheld wireless mics were supplied for the DJs with their respective Shure UR4D UHF dual channel receivers. walls’) were erected in a ‘stepped’ configuration; starting with the highest at 12m and descending to 6m in 1m increments. The main audio arrays were hung from the towers closest to the stage while the following towers were where LED panels were placed and lighting fixtures were secured.

On the top-centre of the half-dome, the ‘U’-shaped logo of the Ultra Music Festival brand was attached and was surrounded by trussing to which additional lighting fixtures were secured. Inside the half-dome and hung above the DJs, a ring of truss was hung along with two arches of truss that followed the curvature of the dome and encircled the truss ring. Many of the stage lighting fixtures were hung there.

All in all, the structure measured 13m high, 59m wide and 20m deep.

Audio The audio for Ultrafest was centred on a comprehensive and somewhat massive L’Acoustics system, combining K1, Kara and DV-Dosc elements. Remember Chaitezvi, senior sound touring engineer at Gearhouse, oversaw the system setup, optimisation and time alignment. Time alignment was achieved via Smaart 7 software and a Lake LM44 handled signal routing and system optimisation, which was controlled wirelessly on a tablet PC via the Lake Controller software application. Opticalcon fibre optic cable was used to interconnect system components.

Twelve K1 elements were rigged for both the left and right main hangs while three Kara boxes per side were configured as down-fills.

For left, centre and right-fills, DV-Dosc elements were arranged in a 3-4-3 configuration, respectively. A further four K1 elements were placed as out-fills on the far ends of the stage structure. In terms of subwoofers for the main system, a total of 24 L’Acoustics SB28s were placed in two stacks of 12 in a left and right configuration.

The only loudspeakers not L’Acoustics were the delay stacks, which consisted of four Turbosound TMS3s and two Turbosound TSW-718 subwoofers per side (left and right).

For stage monitoring, four Kara elements and two SB18s were paired per side. Considering a system of this size is usually used for crowds approaching 2,000, the sheer sound level on stage can be appreciated.

Power amplifiers used at Ultrafest were exclusively L’Acoustics L8 ‘amplified controllers’. A total of 26 units were deployed and were controlled via LA Network Manager to achieve real-time control and monitoring of system gain, EQ and configuration from FOH. The FOH console deployed was a Yamaha PM5D-RH V2 and the

40

Lighting As mentioned, the visual aspect of Ultrafest was of utmost importance; therefore lighting was a large part of the event and was scaled up as the event reached its climax with Tiesto.

For FOH, two Grand MA full-size lighting consoles were supplied, paired with two Grand MA NSPs (Network Signal Processors); one system being handled by the festival lighting designer, Steve Lieberman, and the other by Afrojack’s lighting designer. Tiesto brought their own lighting console, which was a Chamsys MagicQ 70 with four playback rings. The fact that there were three different lighting systems brought logistical challenges.

Gearhouse’s lighting designer on the ground was Robert Grobler.

“In terms of lighting it was pretty straight forward overall”, says Grobler. “However, the greatest challenge was that we had three different consoles that we had to integrate seamlessly into one lighting group without anything going wrong. We used this problem as motivation to find a solution in the form of DMX switches that enabled us to seamlessly switch between the different platforms and double up with redundancy. Because of this, we are now the only company in the country that can supply full 16 universe redundancy.”

The unit Grobler is talking about is Rock Solid Technologies’ RockSwitch; a passive RDM compatible DMX A/B switch that is Art-Net compatible.

The following lighting fixtures were supplied to Ultrafest: • 32 x Philips SL Nitro 510 • 20 x Philips SL Nitro 510 LED strobe luminaires • 4 x Philips SL Nitro 510 LED strobes • 20 x Robe Robin 600 LED • 42 x Robe LED Force 18 RGBW • 16 x Martin Mac 2000e Profile • 20 x Martin Mac 2000e Wash • 8 x Robe ColorSpot 700e • 6 x Robe ColorWash 700e • 26 x Molefay Frames • 4 x Bar of six Par 64 (black) • 4 x Spazio 150W metal halide flood • 4 x Philips 400W metal halide flood • 38 x Robe Pointe To supply haze and fog, MDG was the preferred brand. An MDG Max3000 APS fog generator and an MDG Atmosphere haze generator were supplied.

LED The LED system for Ultrafest was arguably the most striking feature of the event. As mentioned, the stepped towers (Layher screen walls) that flanked either side of the stage were the structures to which a number of LED panels were affixed. A total of 70 Lighthouse R16 panels (35 per side) were hung on each tower – starting from the inside of the stage and moving outwards – in a 9-8-6-5-4-3 configuration. This created the effect of LED columns that followed the stepped nature of the scaffold towers. A further 26 Lighthouse R16s were arranged in a 2 x 13 configuration to form a cohesive convex wall in front of the DJs. However, the largest LED drawcard was the wall behind the DJs, which followed the inside curvature of the dome. A total of 150 Lighthouse DuoLED 18 panels were arranged in this curved configuration.

To run the system, a variety of AV equipment was supplied. This included a Vista Spyder X20-1608 video processing and video matrix switching system, a Black Magic analogue to SDI converter, a Folsom ImagePRO-HD multi-format video processor, a Roland V1600HD multi-format live video switcher, and a 21.5” Apple iMac to run the content. The entire system was distributed via fibre optic cable.

Pyrotechnics Something we have never spoken about in Pro Systems are pyrotechnics, which were a large part of Ultrafest and are beginning to show up at a growing number of major events in South Africa. One company that has been popping up almost exclusively where pyrotechnics are concerned is the award-winning Fireworks for Africa. Personnel from Fireworks for Africa who were involved at Ultrafest include Nick Mitri, explosive pyrotechnics operator; Travis Yeatman, special effects operator; and system management technicians Brent Joseph and Dominic Vermaak.

Since we’re all a bit green when it comes to the ins and outs of pyrotechnics, special effects operator Travis Yeatman explains how the system works: “All the pyrotechnics are triggered via the Galaxis Pyrotechnic system. There were four stage positions and six roof positions located on the PA and LED towers either side of the stage. In addition to this, there were two separate waterfall cascades rigged off a 12m truss flown downstage. The entire system is wireless on a locked frequency and the configuration is customisable for every venue and event.”

He goes on: “The loading and wiring of these products is timeconsuming and tedious work that requires high attention to detail.

There are no second chances when it comes to pyrotechnics so they need to function correctly every time, the first time. An Avolites Tiger Touch is used to control a DMX system, which operates a dimmer rack for programmable hot power channels that trigger the CO2 jets and stadium shots. The Flamaniac units have integrated DMX. The confetti blowers are operated manually for easy adjustment of speed and flow of confetti.”

The wrap What can be said? The Ultra Music Festival South Africa was indeed ‘ultra’. It was not just good. It was not just great. It totally exceeded expectations on all fronts and showed the world once again that South Africa can stand up with the best when it comes to hosting an event of this size. From staging, to audio, to lighting, to video to even pyrotechnics, the benchmark has once again been raised. Knowing South Africa, I’m sure the next ‘mega ultra’ event is coming soon.

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LIVE EVENTs CONCERT REPORT

Being held captive at ‘Bastille’

UK band Bastille rocking the crowd at Emmarentia Dam

I keep saying this, but rock concerts in South Africa are getting bigger and better as time goes on. Looking back even 10 years ago, I am astounded at the strides we have made not just in technology but in promotion and production value, writes Greg Bester.

So standing among the crowd at any of the sold out shows that have transpired over the past year or so I had to constantly remind myself that I was in South Africa. I could have been anywhere; Redding, Glastonbury, Coachella; anywhere. We’ve become that good and it makes you proud to see our industry deliver in such a professional and often highly scrutinised arena.

A notable mention of late is the Bastille concert at Emmarentia Dam on 11 January 2014, brought to us by Nokia and 5FM, and supported by local acts Matthew Mole, Beatenburg and Bed on Bricks. 15 000 strong, the crowd was a virtual sea of people that washed from the dam front to about 200m up the grassy field perpendicular to the embankment. As usual, a host of South African technical companies were involved to help bring the event to fruition and, as one would expect and despite the welcome (unwelcome for some) afternoon downpour, the show was a resounding success and put another positive mark against our name when it comes to putting on a show of international calibre.

It seems these days a show is not a show unless we have a full complement of high-tech kit. Massive full-size line array? Check. Huge LED screens flanking the stage? Check. State-of-the-art lighting?

Check. Gargantuan stage? Check. 3D video recording? Check. The show was clearly chock full of tech so let’s take a look at who did what and the gear that was supplied.

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Audio Audio services were supplied by Pretoria-based rental company Blue Array. Blue Array has been popping up all over the place lately and it seems their services are highly sought after because of their professional and knowledgeable crew and, of course, their outstanding gear. However, all the gear in the world does not mean there won’t be any challenges.

Marinus Visser, FOH engineer and technical director at Blue Array, comments on those faced at the Bastille gig: “We had a tremendous challenge firstly because of the sheer size of the audience that was expected for the show; around 15 000. Our sound coverage area was about 200m from front of the stage to the rear of the coverage area, 60m wide in front and funnelling out towards the back to about 120m.

The inclination angle of the floor from front to back was about 11 to 14 degrees, which meant a floor height of over 12m at the very back of the audience. My delays were flown at about 96m in front and in line with the main PA system at about 9m bumper height from floor. Main PA bumper height was 11m bumper height from the floor.”

He explains further: “Our laser inclinometer/rangefinder and the d&b audiotechnik ArrayCalc software is crucial to the actual PA system design and luckily the d&b software is logical and easy to use.

You can really get a good idea of what the PA would respond like on the prediction software, and adjust the angles, height and processing accordingly. Time alignment is also done in Smaart V7 just to be extra precise.”

The audio system for Bastille was quite elaborate but we’ll get to specifics later. The main PA was a d&b audiotechnik J-series line array with 14 boxes per side. In fact, the entire system was d&b. The top 12 boxes in each hang of the main array were 80 degree horizontal dispersion J8s while the bottom two were 120 degree J12s for downfills. This makes sense since the crowd at the front of the stage might be missed by the J8s and the wider dispersion at the bottom of the splay will cover this area nicely. A further six Q7s were

CONCERT REPORT LIVE EVENTs placed for front fills.

A total of 12 JSUBS were deployed and flown six a side right behind the main arrays in hypercardioid mode while a further 14 B2 subs were ground stacked in stacks of three and four in front of the stage, also in cardioid configuration.

The delay system, situated about 20m behind FOH, comprised of 20 (10 a side) Q1 boxes hoisted up on ballasted truss frames.

A whopping 53 d&b D12 amplifiers were employed to power the entire system, distributed via AES/EBU at 96kHz from mic pre through to speaker. This results in an ultra-high quality, recording studio grade digital audio transmission from point to point, lowering the noise floor, extending bandwidth to about 40kHz and maximising dynamic range.

On-stage monitoring comprised of a combination of d&b audiotechnik M- and Q-series loudspeakers. Eight M2 and six M4 paired to eight QSUBS were supplied, powered by a further 14 D12 amplifiers. For sidefills, six JBL VRX 932 LA and four SRX 728 subwoofers were supplied, powered by four Crown IT8000 amplifiers.

FOH received two consoles; a Soundcraft Vi6 with a 64 input, 32-output stage box running on SC Multimode MADI optical fibre cable; and an Avid VENUE D-Show Main console with five mix cards running Waves V9, Cranesong Phoenix, Sony Oxford Sonnox, McDSP and Slate plugins. The VENUE console was paired to a 48-input, 24-output stage box via BNC coax cabling. The VENUE was spec’d for Bastille.

For plugin support on the Vi6, a Waves Multirack system was employed. To make things as simple as possible, a 194-input, 192-output RME MADI FX PCI-e interface housed in a Sonnet Thunderbolt chassis was connected to the console via optical fibre and paired to a MacBook Pro, where the plugins here hosted. The Waves Mercury bundle along with many more plugins were available, essentially – like the VENUE – bringing the power of the studio to a live scenario.

Similar to FOH, two monitor consoles were supplied to monitor world: a Soundcraft Vi1 paired to a 64-input, 32-output stage box via SC Mulitmode MADI optical fibre; and an Avid VENUE D-Show Main with side-car and five mix cards running Waves v9, Eventide and Rane plugins. Five Senneheiser G3 and four Shure PSM900 in-ear monitoring receivers and body pack transmitters were supplied while the artists supplied their own moulds.

As mentioned, the audio system was quite elaborate due to the fact that there were four consoles to accommodate and rolling risers which rotate seamlessly between bands.

“All audio for Bastille was split between the two Avids,” says Visser,

Front of stage with d&b audiotechnik line arrays and Eurotruss extended roof structure

“and all audio for the local bands were split between the two Soundcraft Vi6 stage racks respectively. We also implemented two separated stage mult-box patching systems. In other words, Bastille had its own 48-channel splitter with looms and stage boxes that interconnected using Harting plugs. The exact same system was doubled for each local band. We had a set of 4 x 12-way mult-boxes on stage for Bastille and another 10 x 8-way mult-boxes for the local bands. This enabled us to deploy very exact patching procedures and mic placement on rolling risers which could simply be plugged in and out using one connector and without moving any microphones, cables or stands. It also enabled Bastille to start checking lines while the local band was playing. It just makes everything easier, quicker and, most importantly, more precise!”

Staging The Eurotruss PR-10 extended roof structure was supplied by SS Stage Structures & Equipment, a local staging company headed by Mike Niksch and Attie van Staden. According to local Eutrotruss distributor Prosound (Pty) Ltd, it’s: “...the largest aluminium pitch roof structure of

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LIVE EVENTs CONCERT REPORT its kind sold to date in Africa.”

As this was the first build for the new roof construction, SS Stage Structures were assisted by Eurotruss build engineer Henk Tiekstra and Prosound’s Donovan Calvert. The PR-10 Extended is the second special order of its kind from Eurotruss, and sees South Africa again pushing the boundaries for what is available locally.

The stage measured 35m wide x 15m deep x 16m high with load bearing capacity of 38 000kg. The roof boasts a 14-tower system for higher loading capacity over the standard 12-tower system and the fact that it boasts self-climbing capacity gives it a tremendous speed of build. Of course, all international structural safety regulations were adhered to during the structure’s erection.

“With a performance area of 20m x 16m and with two off stage areas each 6.9m x 15m the PR-10 roof offers massive advantages for show requirements,” says Mike Niksch owner or SS Stage Structures & Equipment.

Lighting Lighting for the event was handled by local lighting suppliers Stage Effects, directed by Theo Papenfus. Since it was a daytime event the lighting was a bit of a challenge due to the direct sunlight.

“Because it was a day show and the stage faced the setting sun,” says Papenfus, “we concentrated more on eye-candy and staggering the rig more than usual to get visual effects easier from the source of the fixtures. We also decided to utilise the ZR-44s with fans, so that we could get enough smoke on-stage in order for beam-work to register in the direct sunlight. Our luck turned when a rainstorm came over and receded about 20 minutes later, leaving some cloud cover behind but not for long.”

The following fixtures were supplied: • 16 x Martin MAC600 • 12 x Martin MAC Viper Spot • 12 x Martin MAC401 • 9 x Martin Atomic 3 000W Strobe • 12 x Robe REDWash 3.192 • 6 x 4-cell Molefay • 2 x JEM ZR-44 smoke machine • 1 x Avolites Sapphire Touch DMX console

The delay towers at Bastille with d&b audiotechnik line arrays

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Guiding the rig’s design was the spec from Will Dart, Bastille’s lighting designer and by a stroke of good luck the fixtures available in Papenfus’ arsenal were very close to his requests.

“Will uses the Avolites line of consoles almost exclusively. We had a patch list exported from our show file printed and ready for him when the company arrived on-site Saturday morning. With the Bastille show-file loaded and about two hours later, all components were updated and their show kicked off at four that afternoon without a hitch.”

LED and video As is becoming a standard affair at most large concerts in South Africa these days, massive LED screens flanked either side of the stage, supplied by local LED experts PLED and coordinated by PLED LED engineer Buks Nieuwoudt.

“From a personal side, I have done a lot of AV for the big names such as Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, Awolnation and many more,” says Nieuwoudt. “Bastille was by far the one I enjoyed the most.

Everything from staging, sound, AV and 3D recording was done extremely professionally and up to international standards.”

The chosen orientation of the screens was portrait-style and each screen measured 5.12m wide x 6.72m high and came in at 2 800kg.

The screens had a pixel pitch of P20mm with a virtual pitch of 10mm and totalled 86 016 pixels per screen. In order to supply the ability to record and distribute signal in 3D, the screens were run in HD. The control system for the LED screens consisted of a bespoke HD Linsn sender card with the latest ROHS 4K HD controller (Super HD).

The software used was LEDStudio to achieve the portrait orientation.

“A lot of camera tweaking was put in by Mushroom (Broadcast) to prevent stretched pictures on the 16:9 portrait screens,” says Nieuwoudt.

Video production services for the event were handled by Mushroom Broadcast, under direction from Eban Olivier, who supplied the cameras and broadcast crew for the event.

The wrap The Bastille concert at Emmarentia Dam was a shining beacon of South African professionalism. Every facet and participant of the show was as on point as one could expect and really goes to show that we can put on an event as good as any other around the globe. Given the march of technology and its ever increasing availability it is clear that the relevant players in today’s local industry are staying abreast of the latest trends and techniques that are championed worldwide. So after standing in the sun and rain among the most beautiful surroundings that Jo’burg has to offer and enjoying a concert comparable to any worldwide, it’s easy to feel like a champion here at home.

Will Dart

Photo by Louise Stickland

LIVE EVENTs INDUSTRY EXPERT

Will Dart, one of the UK’s brightest up-and-coming young lighting designers, recently visited SA with Bastille, a band he’s been working with since 2012, together with Jamie Thompson, another innovative UK new-wave lighting and visual designer.

Dart lives in north London, although he’s seen little of his home for the past 18 months as he’s been constantly on the road with Bastille and other projects.

His industry career spawned when he studied Music Industry Management with Live Production at Buckinghamshire New University in High Wycombe, about 40 miles west of London.

During this time he volunteered to help out in running the Student Union’s club venue with a lighting rig that was in need of some serious care and attention … and this first fired his interest in exactly how much impact you could make to an environment with the medium.

While studying, he had also made contact with locally based lighting rental company Siyan, which has a penchant for nurturing emerging young designer talent as well as supplying lighting production to a host of new and trending bands.

Will completed his three-year BA Honours course and was by this time thoroughly bitten by the lighting bug, so he decided to pursue the technical production route as a career.

In 2009 he started working full time in Siyan’s warehouse. In addition to the work he’d done there while at college, he saw it as an ideal opportunity to learn more about the equipment as well as from those actively involved in touring and to generally gain an invaluable grounding and understanding of how the lighting production process works.

“I realised that it was essential to learn the basics first and then have a hands-on approach to designing practical and tourable rigs that would fit into the truck and the venues on the itinerary!” he explains. “There is little point in designing something that is completely unworkable, and now whenever I am designing a show, I can always refer back to that fundamental knowledge.”

He adds that the warehouse experience has also helped gain respect from others. “Now when students ask me the best place to start a potential career, I will always say that they should be grounded about the industry and working on the road rather than be romantic about it … or imagine that they can just walk straight into a situation as an LD.” While that scenario does sometimes occur for various reasons, it’s rare.

His first actual tour was with Essex rockers We Are the Ocean in 2009 – their LD Ben Inskip asked if he could do it as he was committed to other work at the time.

This was a complete eye-opener, but he took the many challenges in his stride.

The tour was on a very tight budget so all the kit had to fit into the back of a van. Apart from that, it took imagination and ingenuity each day, changing lights around, fitting them into tiny venues and using them in inventive ways to produce a show!

Despite all that Will relished every gig and by the end of the run of

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Will Dart in action

shows was completely bitten by the touring and lighting design bug!

That year he also started working at Siyan full time, leaving at the start of 2012 and going straight on tour around Europe as a technician with Thriller Live, a Michael Jackson tribute show.

He started working with Bastille mid-2012, as Jamie Thompson wanted a lighting director / operator to tour with the show as he was busy with The Script at the time.

The Bastille era started with small clubs utilising basic house lighting rigs and grew steadily, culminating with a Festival Republic stage appearance at the 2012 Reading / Leeds Festival.

Their phenomenal debut album Bad Blood was released in March 2013 and shot straight to the top of the UK charts, and in 2013 their career path followed a truly supersonic trajectory, including rocking the Radio 1/ NME Stage at Reading / Leeds, receiving four 2014 Brit Award nominations, amassed a loyal and devoted fan base and a star-spangled future.

Will takes creative inspiration from a wide variety of sources. He’s a big David Lynch fan and enjoys ‘art house’ movies and experimental theatre productions.

He also really admires the work of Paul ‘Pablo’ Beckett of Bryte Design, video designer for Bastille and numerous other cool projects.

For Bastille they worked closely together to achieve a cinematic stage aesthetic with a distinctive, edgy, off-beat Twin Peaks style surrealism.

They wanted a big WOW factor without having a massive back wall of video – which is refreshing in these days of LED overkill!

For a career that’s progressed apace, Will is extremely modest and hardly a person who readily likes ‘blowing his own trumpet’. It’s clear that he’s where he is now through plenty of hard work, foresight and a

INDUSTRY EXPERT LIVE EVENTs

careful balance of design and programming talents with diplomacy and good communication skills … and a likeable personality.

“I’m very lucky,” he says with a smile.

Apart from actually doing the job, he loves travelling and experiencing new places and cultures. If he has time off while on the road he makes a real effort to get out and visit and take in some of the local ambience.

His favourite places so far have included Tokyo. “It’s like being on another planet!” he declares adding: “It’s fantastic, people are really friendly, the level of detail in almost every aspect of life in Japan is awesome and the absolute dedication and professionalism in staging a show or a festival is incredible.”

His first impressions of South Africa were equality enthusiastic.

They played two shows at the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens in Cape Town, where Dart was blown away by the breathtaking views behind the stage overlooking Table Mountain, followed by a show in front of 15 000 enthusiastic fans at Emmarentia Dam in Johannesburg – all three were completely sold out.

Lighting for the gigs was supplied by A E Technical in Cape Town and Stage Effects in Johannesburg.

They also managed to squeeze in two days on safari during their whistle-stop week in SA. “It’s a beautiful country, everyone was fabulous, the productions were well organised and brilliant and we all had a great time! It’s definitely somewhere that I and everyone else involved want to return to – hopefully soon,” he concludes.

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LIVE EVENTs SAFETY

Barry Snow on rigging safety Barry Snow started working in the events industry in the 1960s as a stage hand at the Brooke Theatre in Johannesburg and has been a very vigorous participant in the South African theatre and events industry ever since. He has been active in the promotion of safety all his working career and has been the convener of the Working Group for SANS (South African National Standards) 10366, launched in April 2006 and is currently convening the editing committee to upgrade the standard via corroboration with the SABS. He is also a past chairman of the TPSA (Technical Production Services Association) and has served on the TPSA committee before being re-elected in 2008. Given his expertise and passion around event safety, Pro Systems caught up with him recently.

Is there a safety standard for the events industry in South Africa?

There is a safety document is South Africa called SANS 10366, Health and Safety at Events. It is a document drawn up by the Technical Production Services Association (TPSA) in collaboration with the SA Bureau of Standards. SANS 10366 is based on a document that was adapted by TPSA from the British Standard ‘The Event Safety Guide’ a guide to health and safety aimed primarily at music and similar events. The TPSA took this guide and adapted it for South African conditions, titled the Event Safety Guide in 2000. Soon it became apparent that the document needed teeth and the TPSA approached the SABS to initiate drawing up a SA standard. This resulted in the first edition of SANS 10366 being published in 2006. This immediately underwent a number of editorial changes and a number of elements were added and the document was rearranged and re-launched in 2009.

What is the regulating body in South Africa?

Currently, the industry is regulated through the building regulations and by the Department of Labour. The TPSA does try to oversee its members are compliant with government regulations and comply with SANS 10366. We hope that we will be able, in the not too distant future, to have the standard turned into regulation. However, as it is a national standard it is incumbent on people to be compliant with SANS 10366.

Are they in line with international regulations?

As many of our members do work in overseas countries from time to time we are made aware of changes that occur with safety rules and regulations. We also (through SABS) keep up with changing standards as the bureau has reciprocity with all the standards institutions all over the world.

Would you like to see any new health and safety regulations brought in?

No, I think we have all the standards we need but, as I said earlier, we need to get the SANS standard made law that would cover much that we are discussing!

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What vital elements should an event Barry Snow organiser be aware of in terms of safety compliance when appointing a rigging company for an event?

They should be able to provide proof of prior work and references from previous clients. They should also have all their paperwork up to date – Workman’s Compensation, tax clearance, and so on.

Is there accredited training available in South Africa specifically for event riggers?

Unfortunately, there are no government recognised rigging courses other than the courses that are orientated around rigging for the mines! A number of companies do offer rigging courses by bringing out European or American rigging trainers and they award the attendees certificates of attendance.

These courses do have good value as they are very much orientated around event rigging.

Following various recent stage collapses, what do you believe is lacking from the formula to ensure structures are as safe as possible?

This is a very difficult question to give a comprehensive answer to. One of the elements I know we have in South Africa is clients continually trying to cut financial corners – they still want and expect the same standard they received previously but for a lot less. Consequently suppliers, to get the business, have to cut corners themselves and stringent safety standards may suffer.

Are there any innovations in rigging and safety technology emerging overseas that are not currently available in South Africa?

No, I don’t think so – with our international contacts within the industry and many of the South African industry members being members of UK, US and European associations there are not many innovations we do not hear of and, if applicable, incorporate into our local operations. I must also add that there are many companies here that import trussing, staging and other equipment that requires up to date rigging practises and are therefore kept up-to-date with the rigging requirements in these countries of origin.

What, in your opinion, are the top rules that riggers should follow as part of their mantra?

1) Pre-plan everything down to the last detail – pre-planning saves hours when on site.

2) Ensure that you are fully aware of what is required to be rigged and ensure that it is to the client’s requirements.

3) Ensure that all your riggers are fully aware of the job at hand.

4) Ensure that all areas where rigging is taking place are correctly signposted and there is no possibility of anyone wandering onto site that should not be there.

5) Ensure all riggers are fully equipped with the required safety gear for the job they are doing – hard hats, harnesses, gloves, etc.

LIVE EVENTs INDUSTRY EXPERT

Rob Nevalainen – monitoring Bryan Adams

Rob Nevalainen at the audio mixing desk

Bryan Adams recently visited our shores again and played a series of unplugged concerts throughout the country as part of his Bare Bones World Tour. Of course, along with his long-time FOH engineer Jody Perpick, he also brought his trusty monitor engineer, Rob Nevalainen.

Besides handling monitor duties for Mr Adams, Nevalainen is also the owner of Coquitlam, British Columbia-based rental house Gearforce and has a long history spanning 25 years in the audio business. Always interested, Pro Systems caught up with him at Carnival City just prior to Bryan Adams’ gig there.

Tell me a bit about yourself and how you got into audio.

I started in this industry playing drums in a band. A friend of mine owned a sound system and I used to help him set it up for us. When my band broke up, he asked me to fill in for him mixing a different band, and I enjoyed myself so much I continued to pursue that career.

Tell me a bit about your company Gearforce. When was it founded? Why did it come about?

I started Gearforce in 2000. The premise of the company was to provide high-end components that were difficult to find at other audio companies, like wireless, in ear monitor systems and large format consoles. We also had a very large inventory of tube compression and preamps. My idea was that I could fill in all of the high-end holes in other companies’ inventories to provide a great experience for the mixer. The company has really evolved over the past 14 years. We now specialise in digital consoles, deployment of large wireless systems and universal touring kits.

How do you balance touring with running Gearforce?

It’s a difficult balance, but I sent up the company from day one to be paperless, so as technologies have emerged we’ve jumped on them to keep everyone in the loop. We have been cloud based since 2004.

We have used various types of instant messaging and VoIP systems to stay in touch immediately, no matter where we are in the world. There are five of us who take care of everything from booking the shows to prepping the gear to maintenance to bookkeeping. We also set up and mix the shows, and have a great stable of touring freelancers. I have included everyone in purchasing decisions, because I believe the people I have around me understand exactly where we are heading as a company. The synergy we have is quite something.

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LIVE EVENTs INDUSTRY EXPERT You have been with Bryan Adams for a number of years. How did you get involved with that gig?

Have you ever worked in the studio? If so, do you bring any studio sensibility to your live work?

I got a call from Jody, the FOH engineer, years ago to fill in for their old guy who went off to mix some American acts. I’ve been there since!

I had a small studio for a few years early in my career. When I mixed live I always wanted to make sure that the sound ’lived’ as opposed to capturing it perfectly as you would in a studio. The new digital consoles give you many more studio tools to create with, and I’ve been able to experiment more than I would have back in the analogue days.

What is most rewarding about working with Bryan Adams?

There are a couple of things. Bryan can be challenging to work with, because he always expects your ’A‘ game, no matter what situation we are thrown into, and that challenge really helps you grow and stay on top of your craft. As he is popular in over 100 countries we do some really interesting, weird shows that you normally would not do

Your career spans back 25 years. Do you miss the days of analogue consoles? Has it been easy for you to adapt to emerging technologies?

I can’t say I really miss the days of analogue consoles. I do miss how musical some of them sounded, but most of the manufacturers these days are doing a good job of modelling that sound. It’s definitely different, where before you would choose a console for the colouring it had, now most of them are colourless. That allows you to create in a different way. I have always been an early adopter (of digital), and I’m really not worried about the technologies failing you. I think if you do your research and have a good backup plan you can live on the front edge. These are interesting times!

You are a big Avid console supporter. What is it about Avid that draws you to their company and products?

Avid got in touch with me about a year before they produced their first live console. They really wanted to get it right, and wanted you to think outside the box. Some of the key people have changed from that point but they still believe their console should be about great sound and easy accessibility. I think that’s why a company with no previous experience in live sound has become one of the most rider friendly products in the world. And I really cannot say enough about their product support. Once again, they realise it’s about the people.

Rob Nevalainen demonstrating the Avid S3L at Carnival City

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You also work for Michael Bublé. What are the main differences between working for him and Bryan Adams?

Do they require totally different approaches?

These days my involvement with Michael is more one offs or TV. The approach with him is actually pretty similar, because he also believes in the spontaneity of a live show. It’s really not contrived, and he believes it’s about the music more so than the production.

Where is your favourite place that you have travelled on your tours and why?

I really love India. I’ve been there four times now and the energy there is incredible. It’s very raw.

What do you do for fun when you’re not working?

I have two active young children, and I am very involved in their lives. Touring with Bryan part time allows me to be at home a lot and I can participate in all of their activities. My wife is very supportive of my career and holds down the fort while I’m gone.

It’s an incredible thing to re-experience the world through your children’s eyes

What is your favourite food and why?

I’ve had the opportunity of visiting many countries with my work, and trying many foods, and I’ve developed a real taste for spicy food. Nothing beats a great curry!

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Specialising in Audio Visual Equipment Rental & Services

011 805 6353

LIVE EVENTs THEATRE PRODUCTION

Photos by Jesse Kramer

The Rocky Horror Show

Everybody, of course, remembers the titillating (no pun intended) Rocky Horror Picture Show that premiered in 1975 starring Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Meat Loaf that brought the iconic stage piece to the silver screen. And who could forget the infectious soundtrack that peaked at 49 on the Billboard 200, one of the most prestigious charts you’d be lucky enough to be found on. The boisterously indulgent music and the gothic, extra-terrestrial sexiness of the show has always put a campy twist on the rock opera scene because, as one critic put it: “...it plays like a combination of rock opera, The Honeymooners, Frankenstein and a gay cruise.”

No need to be sensitive or politically correct here. The film certainly isn’t and in any case, he’s absolutely right!

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In July last year the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town, produced by Eric Abraham, brought the stage version – The Rocky Horror Show (those adding ‘Picture’ in there when referring to the show will be outcast as heathen) – to our shores with a completely sold out run of 27 consecutive weeks. All good things come to an end, however, but that does not mean they can’t move on to another locale. Finding new audiences up north, the show moved to Pieter Toerien’s Montecasino Theatre in Johannesburg and has been experiencing similar success with all available weekend tickets selling out.

The highlight of this particular incarnation is a new take on how technology is implemented into a 40-year-old show. Needless to say, it’s a far cry from traditional theatre in almost every sense of the word and that includes the tech.

So, without further ado, let’s do the time warp again!

Modern retro The Rocky Horror Show, according to Director Matthew Wild (fitting name, don’t you think?), aimed to balance: “...a 50s sci-fi feel with high-tech production values.” This involved metamorphosing the kitschy gothic laboratory come medieval castle set with synchronised lighting, sound effects and interactive projection bringing the risqué show to a completely new level; one that acknowledges the past with an appropriate nod and combines a modern aesthetic that thrusts it straight forward into the future.

Johannesburg-based Electronic SA, long time technical collaborators with the Fugard Theatre and their preferred supplier,

LIVE EVENTs THEATRE PRODUCTION stepped in to offer lighting and special effects support. Eastern Acoustics supplied the TiMax 2 Soundhub system employed to manage and synchronise the sound effects and spatialisation in conjunction with the video playback.

Lighting

Audio and video Audio and video were somewhat interlinked as a TiMax 2 Soundhub system was employed along with QLab3 software run on a Mac, which aided in managing and syncing the sound effects and audio spatialisation in tandem with video playback. The QLab3 workstation was operated by the stage manager at front-of-house.

Because many of the audio cues were score-related such as doorbell noises, wedding bells or video-related such as tyre bursting noises and thunder, they were played back via the QLab Mac, which also fed the video clips out to the projector. The projector of choice was an InFocus 10 000 ANSI lumen projector. This allowed the cues to be cooperatively adjusted

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Photos by Jesse Kramer

The lighting for The Rocky Horror Show was supplied by Electrosonic and bought by the Fugard specifically for the show. Electrosonic has been the Fugard’s preferred supplier for many years and, according to Daniel Galloway, executive director the Fugard and lighting designer for the show: “The Rocky Horror Show would not have happened if it was not for the involvement of Electrosonic.”

However, as the show was transplanted across provinces, it was not without challenges. Galloway explains: “Moving the show from the Fugard Theatre to Montecasino was a challenge. The Fugard offers far greater height so our set had to be adapted in order to fit into the traditional proscenium arch theatre in Johannesburg. As a result the re-mapping of the video work took some time, as did the re-lighting in the space.”

All lighting was programmed and controlled with a Compulite Vector Violet controller running all four on-board DMX universes. For wash lighting, 14 Martin Mac401 LED fixtures were installed. Four Martin Mac Aura Wash fixtures were deployed to fill in the gaps in the form of top lighting. Six Martin Mac700 profiles handled key lighting and special effects while an Atomic Strobe was engaged for the illustrious Dr Frank-N-Furter’s reveal.

Other lights included various generic fixtures such as ADB F101 1kW and ADB F201 2kW Fresnels. Numerous amounts of Par 16 Birdies, flood lights and generic 1kW par cans and profiles were also deployed. The generic lights were run from ADB Eurorack 50 dimmers along with Electron 12 x 3kW dimmer packs.

For general hazing, a JEM Compact Hazer was installed. However, to supply the creepy mediaeval castle, low-lying fog effects a JEM Glaciator Extreme was the preferred choice.

Departing from more common wired setups, a wireless Versalight LED strip lighting configuration was custom designed and installed by Electrosonic using a battery power source and wireless DMX. Complete wireless control of the LED strip was employed for the reveal of Dr Frank-N-Furter’s lab project, also called the ‘Rocky Box’.

during rehearsals with the input of music supervisor Charl-Johan Lingenfelder. The graphic design for the video was handled by James Cooke while video mapping and animation was crafted by Anwar McWhite.

As mentioned, the cues sent out by QLab can also govern panorama and spatialisation. The way this is done is via MIDI notes being sent out directly to the TiMax Soundhub, which assigns sounds across any of the six outputs in the TiMax output matrix: upstage left and right, main left and right, wide surround left and right localisations or dynamic timeline pans.

Another use for the QLab cue triggers was to fade the upstage band fill anchors up and down corresponding to scenography movements as when mid-stage scenery flats were closed in front of the band. This put the microphones capturing the band in an enclosed space with the loud upstage bandfill anchors and muddied the band mix. The cue triggers from QLab remedied this situation.

Various atmospheric sounds were in need of more complex spatialisation and these effects too were created on the TiMax SoundHub timeline environment using Image Definition pan objects.

These were played back directly off the internal hard drive housed in the TiMax unit. This resulted in such effects as, in the case of the space ship launch in the finale, samples spinning around the room; slowly at first and then speeding up progressively. The internal hard drive was also the source of the spine-chilling pre-show and interval atmospheric effects such as distant organ music, clanking chains, footsteps and spooky weather phenomena. These were all built on separate tracks and included dynamic panning and level automation on the timeline.

The goal of sound designer Aki Khan, assisted by Dave Haydon from Out Board (TiMax developers), was to create as much impact as possible for band and vocals while keeping the localisation for the performers as precise as possible. The audio system employed at The Rocky Horror Show was a Turbosound TCS612 system with four M1D front-fills, hung three TCS612s a side with a further delay pair hung in the mid-centre of the room to cover the balcony. The system was installed and configured by Dave Claasen from Eastern Acoustics and the show was mixed by Melissa George, who mixed the Cape Town shows as well.

The delay processors employed were a pair of XTA DP448s which

were fed with separate stereo band and vocal mixes from the TiMax SoundHub. The two balcony delays and the four M1D front-fills were fed directly as alternative LR pairs from the TiMax SoundHub. Two further stacks of three M1Ds were built into the set under the band’s platform to help gel the band to the main system and front fills and were fed directly from independent TiMax outputs to provide anchors for the band mix, to play back upstage sound effects and to provide a level of foldback for the cast in time-critical sound effects that required dialogue to cease.

Microphones employed for the show were a combination of DPA and Countryman headsets for the performers in order to give a ’mic-free‘ look. The narrator received a Sanken. These were mixed on a DiGiCo SD9 onto separate stereo vocal and band groups for TiMax. These also contained separate reverb mixes from the on-board effects in the SD9. The inputs from the band were assigned in TiMax to left and right Image Definitions resulting in the composite main system being pushed 45m upstage. This anchored the live drummer to the band riser with all direct inject inputs localised using the upstage band fills. For the vocals, TiMax left and right Image Definitions were localised 17ms from the front of the stage, which eliminated phasing or echo thresholds. A Bricasti M7reverb was also used in conjunction with the separate band and vocal console reverbs. The Bricasti M7 was used on lead and backing vocals and occasionally saxophone.

The wrap “I have never experienced anything quite like this in my theatre career in Cape Town,” remarks Daniel Galloway on the production of The Rocky Horror Show. After attending the show myself and being blown away by the fantastic acting, impactful and atmospheric sound, moody lighting and masterful blend of tradition and tech, I would have to say that a milestone has been reached in South African theatre and other productions may find it difficult to follow suit!

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LIVE EVENTs THEATRE PRODUCTION

Painting With Light flies high with Peter Pan Photos by Louise Stickland

By Louise Stickland

Luc Peumans from Belgian creative lighting design practice Painting With Light sprinkled his own distinctive variety of fairy dust on Peter Pan produced by Music Hall Events, in the process crafting a provocative, emotive and high impact lighting design.

Peter Pan – which is just opening in Dubai after an initial run in Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK – is characterised by an all-action narrative that includes free flying (wireless – courtesy of a massive sub-stage wind turbine), dramatic visual effects, pyro and stunning fully 3D mapped digital scenery.

Peumans has worked on many projects for the producers, and once again he imagineered a careful mix of spectacle and visual style to match the vibe, energy and magic of the show.

The concept for this version of Peter Pan was developed by Creative Director Luc Petit and Music Hall’s Geert Allaert. Peumans’ brief was to provide ‘epic arena style lighting’ to suit and highlight the action within the fast flowing video montages, slick choreography and contemporary staging.

With this starting point Peumans adopted several special techniques including that of ‘sharp focusing’ to complement and work harmoniously with all the other visual elements.

One challenge was the sheer scale and size of the set – the main piece on which most of the forestage action takes place is 25 metres in diameter – and because the set shifts so rapidly and there is a lot of simultaneous movement, correct lighting is absolutely fundamental in bringing the audience’s attention to where it needs to be focused.

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“I basically try and sculpt the light onto the actors without interfering with the impact of the video or the flying,” explains Peumans.

While the set projections will dictate the mood and colouration of the scenes, from there action and detail had to be pinpointed very precisely.

With 140 moving fixtures – a mix of several major brands – the lighting rig is an expedient for the size and complexity of the show, but Peumans is a master of making every instrument work and be properly ‘multi-functional’.

For the UK and Europe, 38 x Clay Paky Alpha Profile 1500s provide the main key-lighting, which Peumans comments are ideal for tight framing and those powerful ‘sharp focuses’ that are one of his trademarks on this production.

Forty Five Vari*Lite VL3000 Spots were utilised for gobo projections, texturing the floor and other semi-scenic tasks, while 20 x Robe ROBIN LEDWash 1200s and 36 x Robe ROBIN LEDWash 600s were used generally to wash the floor and other performance areas, extending the colours and hues of the video projections across the performance space as well as providing dynamic lighting for the actors.

He used the top-hat attachment on both sets of LEDWashes to reduce the glare and diffuse the lightsource further.

TourLED 42 LED PARs were strategically positioned for up-lighting below the various floor traps together with two ADB ALC4-2 LED floods.

Four specially modified Clay Paky Alpha Spot 1500s were utilised as follow spots – a special invention by Peumans that he finds ideal for controlling the intensity in conjunction with the beam size for maximum accuracy.

Another production challenge was making the lighting rig fully tourable, practical, quick and straightforward to rig, so that most

THEATRE PRODUCTION LIVE EVENTs

lighting units were fitted into pre-rigged trussing sections in which they also travelled for the European dates.

Painting With Light’s Paco Mispelters worked with Peumans on programming the show onto the GrandMA2 full size console, initially during production rehearsals at the Forest National in Brussels and also during pre-production at the NEC Arena in Birmingham prior to the show opening in the UK. Lighting is operated on the tour by Cedric Estermans.

Lighting and sound equipment for the European and UK leg was supplied by Phlippo Showlights from Lier in Belgium.

The video, including 18 Barco 22K projectors, was supplied by Line from Germany with content created by Dirty Monitor, and the 2D and 3D flying systems and automation were engineered by TAIT. For the short run in Dubai – where it is billed as “The biggest and most glamorous production yet to be seen in the region”, lighting equipment is supplied by locally based Protec and AED Rent from Belgium.

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Studio Pro Audio Product Review

Shure KSM313/NE review

By Greg Bester

Shure KSM313/NE ribbon mic

There have been many ribbon microphones making their way into the market of late. It seems that every manufacturer has their version of either a classic or revised modern design and people are lapping them up like hot cakes. Why? Well, ribbons are great on a lot of sources such as guitars, overheads and vocals and supply a texture you just can’t get with a condenser or dynamic mic.

Superlatives include, ‘warm’, ‘vintage’ and ‘smooth’. Indeed, they were the capture device of choice for the BBC for well over 40 years and they have been used on countless hit records.

The resurgence of ribbons has, in no small part, to do with the prevalence of cheap but otherwise decent Chinese variants flooding the marketplace. In turn that fuelled a ’mod‘ culture where boutique companies found they could modify these mics by replacing the output transformers with more expensive specimens by Cinemag or Lundahl, and by replacing the mechanical resonant filter screens with custom acoustical dampening to improve the frequency response.

Companies like Shinybox and Oktavamod come to mind.

The reason for this is ribbon mics are relatively simple devices with very little electronics involved. A ribbon motor, which is basically a very thin corrugated aluminium ribbon suspended between two magnets, some wires and an output transformer is really all you need.

The problem that most ribbons face, is a low output signal necessitating the need for a very quiet and high gain preamp. So now we see a lot of ribbon mics coming out that employ active electronics that run on 48V phantom power

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to boost the output.

Traditional ribbon mics cannot tolerate phantom power, however, which is why if you plugged in your vintage RCA 77D you would religiously have to check that phantom power was turned off or deal with a burnt up ribbon. A typical ribbon is but microns thick in the single figures and basically becomes a low-tolerance fuse when voltage is sent through it. Another pitfall to traditional ribbons is that they are very fragile and prone to what is called ‘sagging’, which is when the ribbon stretches and ends up scraping the magnets. They are also very sensitive to wind blasts or being dropped. Either of these can cause damage to the ribbon itself so even handling one can be a stressful affair.

There have been modern advancements, though, so there are companies pushing the envelope to bring the sound of ribbon mics to the masses with the reliability and robustness of their dynamic counterparts.

Enter the Shure KSM313/NE. Shure hasn’t been in the ribbon game since models 300, 315, 330 and 333 from the fifties and the last model 300 was manufactured in 1982. That’s a good 30 years of dedicated service. However, Shure didn’t step into manufacturing ribbon mics again until 2009 with its purchase of Crowley and Tripp, a US microphone manufacturer with some interesting innovations that push the boundaries of the craft.

I received a Shure KSM313/NE from SA Shure distributors Wild and Marr for a test run so let’s take a look.

Features As mentioned, Shure purchased US microphone manufacturer Crowley and Tripp and rebranded their existing models el Diablo and Naked Eye to the KSM353 and the KSM313/NE, respectively. Hand assembled from machined steel, silver, gold and aluminium materials, both mics are heavy and feel extremely well made.

The KSM313/NE, the subject of this review, features a matte black

Product Review Studio Pro Audio body and red blast filter with the retro-modern Shure logo emblazoned on the address side of the mic. It’s a very attractive yet understated looking microphone. Of course, like all ribbons, the KSM313/NE is bi-directional (figure-of-eight) but is dual-voiced, which means that it offers two different tonal responses depending on which side of the mic you’re addressing. Addressing the front will supply a warm, rolled off sound while addressing the back will produce a brighter sound more suited to vocals. While this is nice feature for mono capture, it might cause problems when attempting to use the mic in an M/S stereo configuration; a common practice with ribbon mics due to their bi-directionality.

Probably the most interesting aspect of this mic is that it features a new ribbon material which – as far as I know – is only currently available in Shure ribbons and previously in Crowley and Tripp mics.

This material is called Roswellite.

Roswellite is the trademark name of the ’acoustic nanofilm‘ developed by a company called Soundwave Research Laboratories and adopted by Crowley and Tripp for use in their ribbon microphones. According to Soundwave Research, it is an “extremely strong, low mass, super-elastic, paramagnetic composite with high inherent conductivity and shape memory properties.” So as you can see, this material has many advantages over traditional aluminium foil ribbons. In fact, some of its properties are almost the exact inverse to that of aluminium foil ribbons of similar thickness.

The result? A transducer that can withstand major windblasts and plosives, is virtually immune to phantom power, and can withstand high sound pressure levels, particularly at low frequencies. In short, a ribbon microphone fitted with a Roswellite element is more robust, taking the worrisome fragility of ribbons out of the equation. This material can produce elements that are capable of withstanding 146dB and more!

Speaking of specifications, the KSM313/NE has a frequency response that we typically see in ribbon mics of 30Hz to 15 000Hz. The output impedance is 330Ohms and it has a sensitivity of -54.5dBV/Pa (1.88mV).

Road test Testing and comparing microphones is always a joy. It’s like an artist trying out new colours and even if it’s not immediately clear what the colour might be good for, you know that you will find a use for it through experimentation.

So I took the mic along to Pan Music in northern Johannesburg, a new studio I began working at this year, and decided to put it up against a sE Voodoo VR1 active ribbon we had in the locker. I realise the KSM313/NE is almost double the price of the Voodoo VR1 but nevertheless, I felt it was a chance to see if it supplied a sound that justified the price tag versus something more affordable.

The subject of the test was a drum kit. I like to use drums to audition microphones as they tend to cover the entire useable spectrum. So, after walking around the room listening to the drums being played, I selected a spot around ear height and about eight feet in front of the kit. This is where I felt the low end was the most balanced in relation to the cymbals and snare. I set up the KSM313/NE first being addressed from the front with the Voodoo VR1 set up horizontally above it and as coincidentally as I could get it.

First thing I noticed when going back into the control room was the KSM313/NE needed a lot more gain to match the Voodoo VR1. This makes sense, since the Voodoo VR1 is active and the KSM313/NE is not. However, I had to boost it to around 50dB of gain to get it to peak at around -12dBfs. The Voodoo VR1 in comparison only needed around half that.

In any case, once I had the gains matched, I could now make an objective call when switching between them. First I listened to the KSM313/NE. It sounded typically ‘ribbon-like’ with the characteristic top end roll off with a warm midrange and full low end. It wasn’t muffled by any means; it was just exactly how I expected it to sound.

It was natural and warm and kick drum came through nicely.

Switching to the Voodoo VR1, there was actually a lot of similarity between the two. The Voodoo VR1 had a tad more top end due, I assume, to its phantom powered internal preamp. There were little more bottoms as well and I found that the mid-range was just as smooth as the KSM313/NE. Turning the KSM313/NE so that the rear of the mic faced forward, I was interested to hear its other voicing. Sure enough, it was brighter and the bottoms were rolled off too as if a high-pass filter had been engaged. In this configuration it brought the cymbals up and the snare cut through nicely. I could see how this would benefit vocals or bowed stringed instruments. I actually have never heard a ribbon mic portray the top end with such sheen.

The wrap The KSM313/NE offers many advantages over many traditional ribbons on the market in that it can take obscene amounts of SPL; the Roswellite ribbon can withstand as much abuse as you can dish out and it is immune from phantom power damage. It sounds great, too, and the fact that it has dual voicings makes it akin to having two mics in one. The only downside to the mic is that it requires a hefty amount of gain but most modern, quiet preamps can handle it. Also, it’s a bit pricey considering you can get other mics that sound just as good, such as the Voodoo VR1, for half the price. I guess that whatever shortcomings it may have are made up for by the fact that you have a mic that is likely to last you a lifetime and offer you two different flavours to boot.

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LIVE EVENTs STUDIO VISIT

Music in motion

How do I put this? Older guys who have been resting on their laurels should probably up their game because times, they are a changin’.

For a long while now we’ve been hearing lots of grumbling, generally from the ‘older and more established’ strata of the audio professional community, about the massive job market influx of young audio engineers and producers due to a lower barrier to entry and the relatively widespread availability of affordable digital recording equipment.

It somewhat goes alongside the software piracy issue because while many working professionals have to fork out a small fortune for legit commercial plugins, young corner cutters (there are millions of them) simply buck the system and download cracks. These guys then go out and tout themselves as audio engineers and start charging to make records. The going complaint here is that these practices undercut the industry and devalue the work of real, trench-working professionals. To a large extent, the home studio is killing their commercial counterparts and hurting established pros the world over.

However, I am here to say that those aren’t the guys we need to worry about. Let them have their cracked Waves plugins they have no idea what to do with. Let them make terrible recordings. The guys that should be making us nervous are switched-on, young professionals like David Grevler of Anti Motion Studios in Highlands North, Johannesburg. From the first time I saw him and his band, Wrestlerish, perform at the old Bohemian in Richmond through to today he has grown from strength to strength and is now one of the most sought after producer/engineers that Johannesburg has to offer.

This young chap (he’s just 24) has produced records that have won SAMAs and MK Awards and is so busy just getting him to find the time to do this interview was quite a task. So, without further delay, let’s see what he has to tell us.

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By Greg Bester

David Grevler in his studio – Anti Motion Studio in Highlands North, Johannesburg

Tell me a bit of history about yourself and how you got into audio.

As a kid growing up I was always fascinated with music; how artists I loved got audio onto cassettes, vinyl or CDs was a mind-blowing process for me to grasp. At the age of about 13 my first band recorded a demo. I instantly fell in love with audio as I walked in to the small home studio setup we were using. The way audio could be manipulated to work together through outboard gear as well and on a computer was a lot for me to understand at the time but I knew I had to learn how it all worked. I pursued studies in sound engineering and graduated in 2009. It’s been a crazy ride ever since.

Tell me about your studio, Anti-Motion Studios. How has it grown into what it is today?

I started while I was still studying. It was more of an idea than a working studio at the time. I had a decent space with two rooms attached and basic recording gear. I ran it as a rehearsal space for two or so years and saved up money to expand, renovate and purchase more gear. I never imagined it would turn into what it is today. I’m really lucky to finally be at a stage where I have built what I think is an amazing working environment that sounds and looks better than I could have ever imagined.

You are relatively young compared to other engineers in the industry who are garnering similar levels of success. What has been your secret?

I’ve just turned 24, so I am definitely a lot younger than most of my peers out there. I think artists these days are looking for a fresh approach when choosing the right engineer to work with. Someone that’s in the industry, who is a musician themselves and who can

STUDIO VISIT LIVE EVENTs

Have you ever done any live engineering? If so, how has this played into your studio approach?

I’ve dabbled in live engineering on the rare occasion. Although it’s fun, it’s not as rewarding as hearing something you have worked on, on the radio.

Who is your biggest influence from a producing/engineering point of view and why? Whose records do you listen to and say: “I want to be able to achieve that level of production”?

There are a few of the ‘greats’ I look up to. Manny Marroquin and Dave Pensado I admire a lot. Michael Brauer is a genius. His approach to audio and compression is something I wish to understand as well as he does one day.

What has been your favourite and most rewarding project so far and why?

Being a musician in the band Wresterish, do you feel this brings an edge to your work?

I have been extremely lucky to have worked with some amazing artists. Some of the stand out projects include 2011 Idols winner David van Vuuren, Justin Serrao, Evolver One, The December Streets, Mandoza (collaboration album) and Dance, You’re on Fire. To be able to work with musicians of this calibre is truly an amazing experience and makes my job really easy.

I definitely think it helps to understand the level of quality that is needed to write, record and sell records. If I understand how important it is to my own projects, that same level will be given to the clients and artists I work with.

What is your opinion of the recording industry in South Africa at the moment? What advice do you have for a young aspiring producer/engineer to reach success?

relate to them technically regarding the project on hand is a big factor. Keeping the artist’s vision in tact is something I really strive for.

What are some of your favourite studio tools, be they plugins, mics, hardware, etc? Why? Plugin-wise, I love the Steven Slate products. Virtual Tape Machine (VTM) and Virtual Buss Compressor (VBC) are most definitely game changers. Hardware-wise, I recently bought a pair of Adam S3X V monitors and they are amazing! I never knew midrange until I tried these babies. Another favourite is my addiction to the Neve Portico series units. Loving my 5012 preamps so much!

What do you believe is the secret to a great sounding recording?

Although the quality of the industry is on the rise, it’s very saturated with cheaper lower quality alternatives that don’t always deliver. My advice to aspiring engineers would be always trust your ears, keep the artists’ vision in mind, take the time to learn the tools and technical aspects and apply them to the project at hand. And the number one rule is, never stop learning!

What do you do on your off time?

I try balance having a girlfriend, eating food and playing online PC games.

Where is your favourite holiday destination?

What I’ve been learning (and still am learning) is that mixing and recording is psychosomatic. Half of the job is portraying emotion and getting it across through a song so the listener feels something. The other half is the technical aspect. It’s our job as engineers to take this strange mixture of things and make them all work together somehow.

If anyone figures out the perfect recipe, please let me know.

Did I miss the memo? Do sound engineers get time off?

Outline your production workflow. How do you get the performances on to ’tape’?

David Grevler preparing to record a bass track

What is your favourite food?

Nandos chicken strips and spicy rice, regular peri-peri wedges with a Perinaise please!

Firstly, we make coffee. Then I’ll start with drums. Getting the tuning and mic placement right is very important. I have a variety of different mics I use on the kit. My favourites being my Neumann u87s as overheads or room mics. For guitars, I still love a good old sm57 on the cab. Bass I usually record DI and re-amp later if I need to. I have been getting some great results with some amp simulators lately. Vocal microphones are very vocalist specific. I’m lucky enough to know the great people from Music Connection and they’re always happy to lend me microphones if I’m struggling to get results with my current gear. Everything is run into my Rupert Neve Designs (RND) preamps.

I’m Pro Tools trained but my main DAW is Steinberg Cubase 7.5. In my opinion it’s the cleanest looking, stable and easy to use DAW out there. Even with the stock tools it comes with you will be able to get some unbelievable results in the box.

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Studio Pro Audio Product Review

Flight of the Raven

Raven-MTi digital audio workstation

As much as audio professionals from the analogue era might hate to admit it, there are newer ways of doing things and that includes how we interact with our digital audio workstations.

In the past, when digital recording was just a pipe dream, everything was tactile. You had a physical multi-track tape machine into which you loaded physical tape that was fed to and from a large format analogue console with real faders. If you were lucky and had deep pockets, that console might have had an automation system that allowed you to write fader moves to an archaic computer that followed timecode. That was the state-of-the-art 25 years ago.

Then the computer recording revolution came along. Suddenly we found ourselves producing and navigating vast projects – sometimes containing hundreds of tracks – with little all but a mouse. As many as the advantages of non-linear editing, unlimited tracks, as much plugins as your system could handle and virtual mixers tickled our fancy, for many there was still something missing. We needed to somehow meld the old with the new to bring that tactile response back to an otherwise sterile and disconnected world of computer recording.

For a while many simply got either purpose-built hardware controllers or used combination digital mixers/controllers. That worked well for most – and continues to – but others couldn’t help but feel, particularly after the touch revolution of the iPad and other such devices, that in the 21st century things could improve. One of those ’others‘ is Steven Slate of Slate Digital and his answer is the Slate Raven.

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Overview The Slate Raven group of products comprises two specimens: the Slate Raven MTX; the larger, more advanced of the two, and the Slate Raven MTi. They are both dubbed as ’Multitouch Audio Production Consoles‘ and are exactly that. Well, technically, yes, but these devices do not pass audio in a strict console-type sense although the MTX has monitoring and talkback facilities. They are basically large touch screens that are, with the aid of Integrated-Direct-Touch DAW controller software, multitouch DAW and software controllers that feature the Raven Mixer. The Raven Mixer can control all parameters of all major DAWs along with the help of the user-customisable, multifunction Toolbar.

Features Currently, the only Slate Raven product in South Africa is the Raven MTi; the smaller of the two, but the larger MTX is still obtainable through special order. It is a 27” 1920 x 1080 touch screen with a custom enclosure that tilts at an angle when rested on a surface, sort of like a traditional console. It connects to your computer via a standard DVI cable and a USB 2.0 connection which it uses as transport for the Raven Protocol. This connects your DAW to the

Product Review Studio Pro Audio

industry standard NeyFi protocol utilised by the popular V-Control iPad DAW controller app.

The result is a touch screen that gives you hands-on access to all of the parameters within your DAW and a powerful multitouch software mixer. It’s ’multitouch” because it allows for multiple gestures on such things as fader control. Even plugins and editing in the session window can be controlled from the Raven MTi. Note: currently, only Pro Tools 10 and 11 are supported. Logic, Cubase/Nuendo and Live are to follow.

The Raven Mixer has a couple of modes. You can choose to either use the stock Pro Tools mixer or the Raven Mixer, which has two flavours. The first flavour looks very similar to the Pro Tools mixer but has longer throw faders and a more legible labelling scheme that includes pictures. The second flavour is a custom skin that emulates the look of a physical hardware mixer. This can be toggled from the Toolbar by pressing the button labelled ’Raven Mixer’. The mixer gives you access to faders, pans, mutes, solos, sends, automation and plugin inserts. Plugin parameters can also be adjusted via the touch interface.

The Raven Toolbar is docked at the bottom of the screen. Here you’ll find all the relevant DAW controls such as transport, edit/mix window selector, locators, record looping, click, group management and undo. The Raven NAVPAD, a movable multifunction tool, can be used to scrub/shuttle, waveform and track zoom as well as track banking. There are also six user-definable hotkeys on the Toolbar that can be programmed to perform frequently used commands. Finally, the Raven Toolbar is user-customisable as well in that you can place the controls anywhere you wish.

In flight I went to the offices of the South African distributors of Slate Pro Audio, SEGMA, to check out the MTi for myself after hearing and seeing so much about it on the web. Upon arrival I noted that they had removed some of the features I had seen on the prototype at Musikmesse 2013 such as the monitor control section and the VU meters. I assume this was a cost-saving exercise as the original projected price for the MTi at that time was $3 500. Now it comes in around $1 000 less.

As I sat down I was happy to hear the live recording Eddie Caipo

had made of the Kings of Chaos at the Sun City super bowl prior to my interview with him. This made me eager to give the unit a whirl as I felt I was reliving the awesome experience of being there. The first thing I noticed was the multitouch function works pretty well, particularly with the faders. I found them responsive and accurate. The general navigation of the MTi is pretty intuitive and I had no problem getting around it after a short crash course from Maldwyn Greenwood, SEGMA application specialist.

I preferred the Pro Tools flavour of the Raven Mixer opposed to the custom skin. It just felt more comfortable and a bit easier to navigate due to my familiarity with it.

However, I assume that after some time the custom skin might grow on me. Of course, not being used to a touch panel mixer I was constantly reaching for the mouse, but I assume that will pass with more practice. One feature I liked was applying mutes or solos to multiple tracks or selecting multiple channels by merely touching the first desired function and swiping across however many tracks you want to duplicate. This is a very handy feature when grouping channels.

Suspending the group is as easy as pushing a button on the toolbar.

Switching over to the session window I was particularly enthused by the ability to write automation with my finger and the pencil tool. This gives a whole new meaning to interactability as far as a DAW is concerned. There is nothing that I hate more than writing automation with a mouse, which is why I have been coveting a DAW controller for a while now. All editing modes were available with a touch of a button and while I thought moving audio regions around with my finger may feel cumbersome, it was actually quite intuitive, particularly when snapping to grid.

One thing I will say that I didn’t like was dealing with small, finicky things like pan knobs and insert assignment. It was difficult for me to deal with them so someone with bigger fingers might battle. Also, horizontal scrolling on the mixer felt a bit clunky and getting hold of the window scroller at the far right of the screen was a bit difficult. I am assured that because of Slate’s dedication to listening to its clients these issues and more updated features are likely to be addressed in the next revision. In the meantime, the NAVPAD can sidestep the clunky scrolling issue by using two-finger touch gestures.

The wrap For those who think nothing can replace a real fader, you might have a point and without actually giving the Raven MTi a go it’s easy to understand why you feel that way. However, the MTi is so much more than a fader pack. It gives the user a tactile connection to not just the faders, but all aspects of the DAW and eliminates the process of executing the brain – finger – mouse relay.

Now your fingers can interact directly with the DAW and all its parameters in real time, which gives it a competitive edge over almost all the other options out there. No other controller gives the user such intuitive access to almost every DAW function and parameter, including plugins and this, my dear friends, is what sets the Slate Raven MTi apart.

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Studio Pro Audio STUDIO TIPS

Photos courtesy Anti Motion Studios

Recording and mixing drums in the modern DAW Part 5 – EQ

By Greg Bester

The main goal when mixing drums in pop/rock is usually to create a larger than life drum sound that is clear and defined while retaining warmth and punch. True, much of the end result is dependent on the performance of the drummer but there are many techniques you can employ on the individual tracks, the sub-groups, and finally the master group to sculpt and glue the sounds together into one powerful unit. Two of these techniques are EQ and compression and this issue’s column discusses the former.

Equalization is most definitely the first tool engineers reach for when attempting to correct inconsistencies in the spectrum of a recording, and it is the oldest form of signal processing we have. For this reason its methods of use are varied, opening the concept up to extreme speculation and misinterpretation.

The main purpose of EQ is to even out (equalize) any spectral inconsistencies that may have made their way into a recording as a result of any number of factors, including a troublesome room, a bad instrument, mic response, frequency build up, and so on. It is also used as a tone shaping tool to gently boost or cut certain frequency

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ranges to achieve an overall “sound”. I have two words that I use to describe these two processes, the former being “surgical”, and the latter “topical”. I generally apply surgical EQ at the track level and topical, tone-shaping EQ at the group and master bus level, although there are exceptions, such as mono tracks that are bussed straight to the master bus and are not grouped.

In an ideal world every recording would be perfect and require no EQ. Indeed, this is what we should be striving for when recording and why the idea of getting the best possible sound you can at the source is the golden rule.

STUDIO TIPS Studio Pro Audio If you think about it, microphones, their position, the room, and even the instrument itself are forms of EQ. Each microphone has its own specific frequency response. Where you place it affects that response. How you play and setup the drums (drum heads, beater material, dampening, etc) affects the resulting tone as does the kind of wood they’re made from. Furthermore, each room sounds different and has a unique response, further affecting the recorded sound.

Being aware of these factors during the recording process and using them to your advantage will achieve better sounding results, naturally, than even the best EQ. That being said, it is still common, especially in modern pop/rock, to hear quite extreme EQ to tailor the sound. I am certainly not against it if that’s what it takes to achieve your desired results and genres like heavy metal would not be the same without it. However, I would still always stress to not EQ unnecessarily and to aim to achieve the desired sound from the onset. Am I sounding like a broken record yet?

When it comes to drums, I always start as a reference for EQ with the overheads. Many times EQ is not required so I do not use any because I use my best mics for the job in a well thought out position. If EQ is required I will generally reach for a UAD Pultec EQP1a, inserted into the overheads group bus. I will then pay attention to the frequency balance between the kick drum and the rest of the kit with particular attention to any low end issues that might be a nuisance. I will also pay attention to the upper midrange to make sure that it’s not strident. The Pultec EQP1a is great for this because you can make quite heavy-handed adjustments without affecting the sound negatively. It also has a few tricks to it whereby you can smooth out these areas by cutting and boosting within the same band. With the absence of an EQ plot graph, you’ll have to use your ears!

Once I’ve got the overheads sounding how I want them to, I’ll add the kick and blend it to taste. In modern pop/rock the kick drum is generally quite loud, punchy and present. This may be how your original recording already sounds when you bring up the fader so leaving it alone in that circumstance might be the best option.

However, typically a generous helping of EQ is often employed to achieve the desired tone. In that course, attention is given to the attack portion of the spectrum from 2.5 kHz up to about 8 kHz, the lower mid-rage boxy zones from approx. 200 Hz to 600 Hz, and the low end from 150 Hz and below. These figures are always approximates because all processing decisions are subjective to the source and

your ears. I generally find myself boosting the attack quite considerably (+6 dBs or more) and cutting the lower midrange to “scoop” out troublesome and boxy sounding mids. Some mics have a naturally ‘tailored’ response to supply that sound so sometimes a cut in the midrange is not always necessary. I generally leave the low end how it is at this point because later on it will have to be auditioned in relation to the bass guitar for the obvious reason that they occupy similar frequency ranges.

Next I’ll add the snare drum to the mix and balance it with the rest of the kit until it blends the way I want it to. I, personally, like a really upfront kick and snare relationship. It really bothers me if I can’t hear the snare drum at any point in the song so I take great pains to make sure the snare is tight, punchy and crisp with a well-tailored attack.

Generally, I’ll add some air at about 10kHz and attenuate any troublesome resonances and inconsistencies in the lower mid-range.

In the past I would also boost the attack in the 2.5kHz region but these days I’d rather employ a plugin by Steinberg called the Envelope Shaper (originally created by SPL as the transient designer) to boost the attack portion of the waveform. I find its effects much smoother and more natural than excessive EQ and it keeps the transient from being buried when applying compression.

Next I’ll bring up the toms and examine each track for bleed because any change in EQ you make will affect the bleed as well. If there is excessive low end rumble, which is common on tom tracks, I will trim it out with a gradually sloped HPF4 in the sub regions of the 1st and 2nd toms. The floor tom usually benefits from a full low end so I’ll make a decision as to whether it will be detrimental to the sound to trim the rumble out and whether I can live with it. Tom mics often benefit from gentle mid-range attenuation to filter out the ringing frequencies and to emphasize their fullness and attack. Once again, it is quite possible to achieve this in the recording phase using the console EQ so this is a decision you must take based on the material at hand.

Generally I am happy to use the track EQs within my DAW for individual track EQ but there are a number of plugins, commercial and free, that I employ to get the job done as well. These include the Waves Renaissance series, Bootsy’s Nasty series (freeware), UAD Cambridge, UAD Neve bundle and the Antress Modern series (freeware). There are a million other options from companies such as PSP, McDSP, Stillwell, DDMF, and so on, but when it comes to plugins, it is generally best practice to use a few good specimens you know well rather than plaster plugins all over every track indiscriminately.

To recap, here are a few general frequency ranges related to drums: • Kick – HPF, 30 – 80Hz; fullness, 60Hz – 120Hz; boxiness, 300 – 600 Hz; attack, 2.5 – 5kHz; air, 8kHz +.

• Snare – HPFLS, 75 – 100Hz (24dB/Oct or more if possible), fullness, 100 – 240 Hz; boxiness, 400 – 1000Hz; attack, 2.5 – 5kHz; air, 10kHz + • Hi hat – HPF, 200 – 600 Hz, harshness/nasal 1.6 – 2.4 kHz; sheen 6kHz+ • Toms – HPF, 60 – 100 Hz; fullness 80 – 120 Hz; boxiness, 300 – 600 Hz; attack 5 – 8kHz • Overheads – HPF 30 – 75Hz; nasalness, 1.2 – 2.2kHz; sheen, 6kHz +; air, 12kHz +

Join us next issue where we will cover the various kinds of compressors typically used for drums and subsequent compression techniques.

67

Social

Christie BRIO open day – Christie Offices, Montecasino

DWR Prolyte Training

– DWR Offices, Laser Park

Nick Wheeler

Tyron Ackerman and Phil Lord

Nick Wheeler and Chris Granden

Digico training – Laser Park, Honeydew

Kyle Robson and Ian Stadden

Rinus Bakker and Sherryn Riley

Ian Stadden

Tshepang Rafout, Zwelami Tshabalala, Oupa Mathe and Lucky Mahlangu

Josh Oates, Simon Oates, Ian Stadden and Nigel Booysen

Auther Wagner and Kagiso Moima

The Prolyte training group

Mel Pellissier and Huyter Van Graan

HippoSchool – Electrosonic Offices, Northcliff

Johnny Scholtz and Kevin Rieck

Johan Louw and Renier Smit

Nik fairclough and Rudy Schutte

Renier Smit, Staal van der Bergh and Christopher Bolton

Tumi Sebogo, Renier Smit and GP Durandt

Simon Harris, Jesse Dullabh, Robbi Nassi, Staal van der Bergh and Christopher Bolton

Simon Harris, Renier Smit and Jay Van Boordt

Robbi Nassi, Marcel Wijnberger and Simon Harris

Cobus Venter and Chris Pugh

SACIA ISE Survivors Breakfast – Blandford Manor, Northriding

ISE survivors

Sobi Mokholo and Tom Crosswell

68

Bruce Genricks and Warren Tree

Wynand Langenhoven and Jason Johnstone, Abrie du Izak de Villiers Plooy and Paul Lowther

Phil Lord, Dries Nel and Tyrone Ackerman

Willie Reyneke, Dewald Burger, Gerhard Etsebeth, Kevan Jones, Kevin McDonald

Tshepang Rafout and Jonathan Fenske

Chris Hall and Johann Liebenberg

WM Series

Technical stats:

Stage Monitors

WM15

WM10

WM12

Coaxial Wedge Monitor

Coaxial Wedge Monitor

Coaxial Wedge Monitor

RMS Power: 300W

RMS Power: 400W

RMS Power: 400W

Impedance: 8 ohms

Impedance: 8 ohms

Impedance: 8 ohms

Average Sensitivity (1W/1m): 96dB

Average Sensitivity (1W/1m): 98dB

Average Sensitivity (1W/1m): 99dB

Continuous SPL/1m: 121dB

Continuous SPL/1m: 124dB

Continuous SPL/1m: 125dB

Frequency Response (-6dB): 68~20000Hz

Frequency Response (-6dB): 65~19000Hz

Frequency Response (-6dB): 58~19000Hz

Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 261 x 444 x 390

Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 297 x 504 x 437

Cabinet Size (H x W x D) mm: 352 x 580 x 502

Net Weight: 15kg

Net Weight: 19kg

Net Weight: 25kg

Connectors:

Connectors:

Connectors:

Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP with link through

Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP with link through

Two NEUTRIK Speakon NL4MP with link through

Cabinet Material: Hard Plywood

Cabinet Material: Hard Plywood

Cabinet Material: Hard Plywood

Cabinet Finish:

Cabinet Finish:

Cabinet Finish:

Textured Touring Grade Waterproof Coating

Textured Touring Grade Waterproof Coating

Textured Touring Grade Waterproof Coating

viva afrika

Viva Afrika Sound and Light (Pty) Ltd Unit 2, 2 Drakensburg Road Longmeadow Business Estate West, Westfield PO Box 4709, Rivonia, 2128, South Africa Tel: 011 250-3280, Fax: 011 608-4109 orders@hybrid.co.za, www.hybrid.co.za

Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170 Tel: +27 11 794 5023 Fax: + 27 11 794 5702 sales@dwrdistribution.co.za www.dwrdistribution.co.za