Pro-Systems 1st Quarter 2013

South africa

Jan / Feb 2013

R35.00

AV System Integration | Installations | Live Events | Studio & Broadcast Audio

VIP Room INSTALLATION RED HOT EXCLUSIVE CHILLI PEPPERS INTERVIEW SOUND ENGINEER

STUDIO PLUGINS FEATURE

Product News ISE Show Report Pro Light + Sound Preview Channel O MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS DAS Product Review Lighting Future Feature

Game Changed Game Changed

32-Channel, 16-Bus Total-Recall Digital Mixing Console for Live and Recording Applications 32-Channel, 16-Bus Total-Recall Digital Mixing Console for Live and Recording Applications

A Quantum Leap Forward Generation Q Mixers with KLARK TEKNIK E ects

- Series

www.proaudio.co.za For a dealer in your area contact Proaudio

Tel: 011-8221430

New tel from January 011-608-2099

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Publisher & Editor

CONTENTS

We have kicked off 2013 with great enthusiasm and have been treated to two international trade shows where many new products were launched. ISE (Integrated Systems Europe) was attended by Geny and Paul and is featured in depth on pages 12 to 20. NAMM show (National Association of Music Merchants), hosted in California was attended by a number of our local distributors. There are many more shows coming up, including Prolight + Sound, which we will attend next month, as well as our local trade show – Mediatech Africa in July, so watch this space.

We came off a tough year for business last year with a number of companies forced to streamline their operations to accommodate market conditions. From chatting to the industry, it seems that things are looking up for 2013, the rental market has been particularly busy and there seems to be a positive attitude towards the year ahead.

Let me know if you will be attending Prolight+Sound so we can catch up there!

Wishing you all a successful year ahead.

System Integration

Live Events

ISE Report

International Industry Expert

Checking out ISE.....................................12 – 13

Dave Rat interview – A red hot mix ......34 –37

The ISE journey.................................................13 Paul Watson’s ISE product highlights ....14 –15

Prolight + Sound

AV networking congress 2013.......................16

Prolight + Sound preview.....................38 – 39

Audio – an Olympic task................................17

Product Review

AV systems commissioning best practices...18

D.A.S. – Making waves

ISE 2013 products....................................18 – 20

in the array market.................................40 – 41

Industry Expert

Show Report

Bruce Genricks – Working his way up...........21

Channel O Music Video Awards

Technology Trends

continue to evolve in Soweto...............42 – 45

Demise of the BNC?...............................22 – 23

Partying it up in Slovenia........................46 – 47

Industry Expert Gerda Kruger...................................................48

Stage Lighting

Installations

The future of lighting...............................50 – 52

Venue Solutions Great audio is no myth..................................24 Just wild about new VIP club upgrade.....................................26 –27 Freedom Park is on a roll

NAMM Expo Music trade show rocks California........54 – 56

Studio & Broadcast

with giant screen............................................28

Industry Expert

Heavenly install is perfecto ....................30 –31

Simon Ratcliffe interview...............................57

Creating charismatic

Plug Ins

lighting & audio for churches........................32

Plugging into a digital future.................58 – 63

Studio Insulation The glue that holds it all together.........64 – 66

Simon Robinson

Social ...............................................67 – 68

Contributors 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.

Claire Badenhorst | Industry expert with eight years experience in event management, PR, marketing and advertising within the professional audio, video, lighting and staging sector. Claire has played an integral role in the development of the concept and content creation of Pro Systems and works closely with our advertisers and readers.

Greg Bester | Musician and audio engineer – proficient in both the analogue and digital domains and has extensive experience mixing live music, setting up and configuring loudspeaker systems, monitoring and general stage management. He has mixed hundreds of events and is comfortable on large and small-format mixing consoles.

Geny Caloisi | An accomplished technology journalist, who has been travelling the world to cover events, speak to industry pundits and see the latest technology products since 2001. She started working in the broadcasting technology sector, as Editor of online publication advanced-television.com and continued with the audiovisual industry.

Geny was Assistant Editor at the UK’s leading trade publication, AV Magazine for five years.

Simba Nyamukachi | A graduate in journalism and has an honours degree in Media & Culture Studies. He grabbed the opportunity to join Sun Circle Publishers in his first position as a journalist for Pro-Systems News.

He has an immense passion for the AV and live entertainment industry and is furthering his AV integration knowledge by completing an online accredited AV training program.

Paul Watson | After touring professionally with several bands in the UK and then the US, Paul went on to open his own commercial recording and rehearsal facility, where he was resident producer/engineer for six years.

For the last five years, he has been a regular contributor for a number of UK titles, covering live sound, studio sound, lighting, video, broadcast and post-production. He is also European Editor for one of the major US trade music publications.

Ian Dormer | A regular technology news contributor to Screen Africa.

Born in Zimbabwe, Ian received his training in the television industry at the SABC in the 1980’s. After a long stint with M-Net in it’s early years, Ian left to pursue his interests in the technical field of broadcasting and has been a consultant to the industry since 1998.

Publisher & Editor | Simon Robinson | editor@pro-systems.co.za

Sub-Editor | Tina Heron

In-house JournalistS | Greg Bester | greg@pro-systems.co.za and Simba Nyamukachi | news@pro-systems.co.za

Advertising Sales | Claire Badenhorst | claire@pro-systems.co.za Design | Trevor Ou Tim | design@sun-circle.co.za Subscriptions | Albertina Tserere | data@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

www. pro-systems.co.za 2

news

news

Rigging course – a sellout success

DWR Distribution kicked off the year in busy fashion by hosting fully booked Prolyte Rigging Training Courses in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town in January and early February. The five day courses, held in association with Prolyte and Rhino Rigs, were

aimed at exposing the Prolyte brand to the entire South African market.

The rigging course, which included certification, was presented by Rinus Bakker from Rhino Rigs, a renowned entertainment rigging expert. Speaking about the training courses, Robert Izzett – Prolyte brand manager at DWR Distribution, stated: “This is something we have wanted to do for a long time. The South African market has cried out for it, and it’s a privilege to have someone of Rinus’ calibre and experience, heading up the training.”

Izzett also extended gratitude to Nick Britz and his team from DWR, who were instrumental in handling the logistics.

CES takes on D.A.S. Audio agency Complete Event Solutions have announced that they have officially taken over the D.A.S. Audio agency for South Africa. The company released a statement expressing their excitement about this new venture late last year.

“We look forward to supplying our current and new customers with the new product lines that will be available. We are confident that the DAS brand can cater and service all the high end audio system requirements for the industry,” said Dylan Bridle Managing Director of Complete Event Solutions. “CES is aligning itself with this philosophy of

Leslie Wahl and Dylan Bridle

continuous improvement and look forward to providing exceptional products and service to the market.”

D.A.S. Audio is a leading manufacturer of sound reinforcement systems, loudspeaker components, amplifiers and digital signal processors.

Questek and VidiGo announce partnership Leading systems integration intuitive software products running company, Questek Advanced on standard IT-hardware that Technologies, has revealed an liberate the use of professional exciting partnership with VidiGo video and make the production of that will allow Questek customers AV content accessible and to access VidiGo’s revolutionary affordable for everyone.

George van Gils range of broadcast software Among the many software solutions products. in the VidiGo range are VidiGo Live, a The new deal will enable Questek to multi-camera live production solution that expand its world leading capabilities in the incorporates audio and video effects; broadcast solutions market and offer an VidiGo Toolbox, a software solution that even greater range of technology, solutions allows broadcasters to easily incorporate and services to its burgeoning client base in Skype, Google Maps and YouTube into their southern Africa. Launched in 2006, VidiGo programming; VidiGo Graphics, that allows has developed a range of high-quality, broadcasters to interact with social media,

Wild and Marr welcomes Studer’s top man

Mark Hosking, Marius Marais, Gustav Teitge and Darren Durbach

Studer’s African and Middle East sales director, Mark Hosking visited Wild and Marr in December last year.

Hosking, who joined Studer a few months ago, is passionate about his new job and intends to get a Studer solution into the hands of every broadcast and professional audio company in Africa.

The aim of Hosking’s visit was to ignite a renewed passion for Studer, its clientele, products, vision, mission and support services. His visit went a long way in assisting Wild and Marr in their ongoing quest to publicise the Studer brand in South Africa.

Commenting on his trip Hosking remarked: “There is great potential in South Africa. I am here to forge relationships – it’s all about relationships and meeting our clients’ expectations. The current Studer portfolio exceeds all expectations and this has generated a great deal of excitement for the Studer brand in the South African market place, and that is great to see.”

VidiGo Works, a software for creating, editing and distributing processional video content; VidiGo Playout, for incorporating Adobe Flash graphics into a playout schedule; and VidiGo Visual Radio, giving radio broadcasters access to online, mobile and TV platforms.

George van Gils, CEO of Questek stated: “Questek has a proven track record in identifying the very latest broadcast technologies and we are constantly investigating new ways in which we can bring value-added solutions and services to our clients.

“Our new partnership with VidiGo is very exciting as it expands our ability to deliver innovative workflows that truly benefit customer specific requirements.”

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news

DWR roadshow wows SA DWR Distribution organised a hugely successful 2012 roadshow event, which was attended by over 200 people in three major cities – Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town late last year.

The roadshow aimed at highlighting Robe, Avolites and Lumen’s latest technologies and the newest products the three companies have launched.

Overseas representatives showing off their latest equipment were Robe’s Josef Valchar and Harry von den Stemmen, Phil Blue from Avolites and Peter Kirkup from LumenRadio.

At the roadshow Robe focused on the Robin DLX, DLS and DLF, which are versatile and of equal interest to television studios, clubs and just about any application. The company also flaunted the Actor 3, 6 and 12

Projectiondesign Fredrikstad offices in Norway

series, the MMX Spot and LED series.

While for Avolites the emphasis was on presenting the new Saphire Touch, showed off the ability to make a wireless DMX link and how to use RDM to manage fixtures from Supernova Software.

For Duncan Riley of DWR it was great to meet up with the industry across the country.

He stated: “It was an honour to have Josef, Harry, Phil and Peter with us and I appreciate them coming out all this way. It has been great to see the products and to spend time with our lovely clients.”

Questek hosts Bright Ideas On 28 and 29 November last year, Questek Advanced Technologies welcomed rental and staging experts to discover BRIGHT IDEAS during the Questek Open Days. In a two-hour session, the AV solution provider demonstrated how Barco’s high-brightness projectors – including the new HDX-W18, image processors, switchers as well as LED solutions can add a ‘wow’ factor to any event.

A long-time Barco partner, Questek

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Barco obtains 61% of Projectiondesign

Advanced Technologies supplies a whole host of solutions ranging from Barco projectors, image processors and LED solutions to High End Systems’ lighting, media servers as well as routers, scalers, interfaces and screens.

Quite recently, it added the HDX-W18 projectors, characterised by the winning combination of brightness and compact design, to its rental stock. For every project, the company combines this cutting-edge technology with professional know-how and expertise, to create the ultimate visual experience.

The recent open days were an ideal opportunity to showcase both the technology and the in-house expertise and to network with the participants in a convivial atmosphere.

Norway-based Barco, a global leader in digital visualisation, has announced that it has acquired 61% of the shares of Projectiondesign®, a front-runner in projection technology, from private equity fund Herkules Capital. The remaining shares of Projectiondesign®, which is based in Norway, are held by minority shareholders.

The combination of Barco and Projectiondesign® creates a market leader in projection solutions for both large- and mid-venue markets. The transaction advances Barco’s strategy to expand into the mid-segment of its target markets and to strengthen its number one position in high-performance projection technology.

Projectiondesign® develops and manufactures compact projectors for a variety of professional markets including training and simulation, visitor attractions (museums, theme parks), scientific visualisation, collaboration rooms (corporate AV) and control rooms.

The compact projectors are equipped with high-quality optics, high resolution and LED illumination, and feature quiet operation. The company custom designs and develops all optics, hardware, software and industrial design for each projector model in-house. The company employs about 200 people and achieved sales of about €57 million in 2011.

“Projectiondesign® is a very well respected leader for projectors in the below 10k lumens range for professional markets.

The company enjoys an enviable reputation for combining innovative technology with leading design,” comments Eric Van Zele, Barco’s CEO and president. “This investment clearly underscores our determination to pursue global growth in all mid-segment markets. With Projectiondesign®, we will expand our portfolio to offer state-of-the-art solutions for the simulation, virtual reality and corporate AV markets as we continue to leverage our global sales coverage and our channels in Asia and Latin America in particular.”

55-inch

TH-55LFV50W

Introducing the

Ultra-Narrow Bezel LCD Display from Panasonic

A 55 inch screen with narrow bezel design, ideal for large signage use and gentle on the environment

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Narrow Bezel

Bezel-to-Bezel: 5.3 mm A super narrow bezel design reduces the width of screen-joining borders to only 5.3 mm in wall videos. The borders are hardly visible even in very large-screen configurations, so images are more dynamic and natural.

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High Visibility

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Low Power Consumption

High 800 cd/m2 brightness and a wide viewing angle

Highly efficient LED LCD panel provides high-level energy savings

LCD panels with a full 800 cd/m2 of brightness ensure high visibility even in large public spaces.

The IPS system also provides a wide viewing angle.

In addition to producing crisp, clear images, they also offer highly uniform brightness when used as a video wall.

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

news

Class now in session at Extron Extron Electronics officially opened its African facility in Rosebank, Johannesburg by conducting a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 23 January.

Extron’s training facility includes a state-of-the-art training room fully Extron’s Gary Atkins conducting the training session equipped to showcase and demonstrate the latest in Extron technologies African customers the opportunity to and solutions. It also offers meeting space, a participate in training classes in a local demo area and workspace for an facility where they can learn about the expanding support team. newest technologies and see “Our new office in Johannesburg is demonstrations of products and another example of our commitment to applications. This gives them a level of expand training and make it easier to reach support that can only come directly from a our customers,” said Jérôme Guéras, vice manufacturer.” president of sales for EMEA. “We aim to give The ribbon cutting ceremony was followed

by the first Extron Institute entitled School of AV Technologies for System Designers, which took place on 23 and 24 January. The training, which was attended by key industry players from South Africa and Kenya, covered topics like digital video signals, video signal transmission and system design.

The office in South Africa is staffed by Extron S3 Institute experts and features a familiar variety of Extron training choices, including hands-on training using real-world scenarios and courses to pursue various Extron certifications.

Prosound partners with De Sisti Lighting

Sharp launches largest single panel LED display

Sharp Middle East pronounced its new local distribution partnership for its visual solutions business with Stage Audio Works, at the launch of its new 90-inch professional LED display in Randburg on 20 November.

The partnership enables Stage Audio Works to distribute Sharp professional displays throughout the commercial and technology markets across sub-Saharan Africa. Stage Audio Works will offer a complete demonstration and service facility to promote Sharp’s visual solutions business.

“There is a growing demand for versatile LED displays in the region and Sharp is dedicated to meeting the needs of customers by offering the latest products

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with our newest technologies, which are a result of 100 years of Sharp innovation and development,” said Tomoo Shimizu, director of Business Solutions Division at Sharp Middle East.

“Stage Audio Works is the ideal partner to give South Africa a first look at our upcoming products within our visual business portfolio and how these can add value while being easily integrated into a company’s existing set up.”

While celebrating its 100 years milestone of innovation, a key highlight for the audiovisual professionals was the first look at the new ultra large size screens, which slot into the company’s existing line up of LED displays, topped by the flagship 90-inch LED screen. With the advent of Sharp’s new 90-inch display, the company’s product line-up is now complete, allowing customers to experience the full range of large-size LED LCD screens which range from the 60-inch up to the gigantic 108-inch display.

Prosound, a pro-audio, lighting design, supply and installation company in sub-Saharan Africa, recently announced that the company is now the exclusive South African distributor for De Sisti Lighting products.

Prosound’s GM of Lighting, Ian Blair recently, visited the De Sisti headquarters in Italy where he spent time familiarising himself with the company and their products.

Speaking about their newly acquired agency, Blair stated: “Prosound will soon embark on an extensive marketing campaign for the De Sisti products. The full range of LED studio fixtures will also be on display at the MediaTech Exhibition later this year.”

De Sisti is an Italian lighting manufacturer of television studio tungsten and LED lighting fixtures, retrofit LED kits and location lighting for film sets. In addition they manufacture rigging for television studios, architectural applications, school stages and offer television studio packages and are to introduce revolutionary new pantograph rigging solutions.

17 - 19 July 2013, Coca-Cola Dome, Johannesburg, South Africa

www.mediatech.co.za

advanced technology trade show

AV System Integration Broadcast & Film Manufacturers

Industry Networking Hub

Lighting, Staging & Rigging

130 Exhibitors

Production & Post Production

Technology Workshops & Conferences

Pro Audio & Video

800 Brands

International

Outdoor Sound Demo’s International Speakers

SCREENAFRICA technology + production ConferenCe

Brought to you by Thebe Exhibitions and Sun Circle Publishers

news

Parking off at 702’s concert

August 2012 saw some of South Africa’s highest profile musicians come together in Johannesburg’s Botanical Gardens to play at Talk Radio 702’s Concert in the Park.

A Coda Audio PA system and DiGiCo mixing consoles ensured that the large audience enjoyed a day to remember.

The concert drew on the heritage of the original Concert in the Park, which saw 125 000 South Africans pack out the city’s Ellis Park Stadium in 1985. This year’s event drew a more modest crowd, but all enjoyed a bill

including Sipho Hotstix Mabuse, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Steve Kekana, PJ Powers and Hotline, Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels, Mango Groove and Clint & Co. The show’s technical infrastructure was supplied by Sound Stylists, one of South Africa’s leading production companies, which is this year celebrating its landmark 25th birthday.

The main audio system comprised 12 flown Coda AIRLINE LA12s with four AIRLINE LA8s per side. Six ground stacked SC8 subs per side and four Alpha E high packs for front fills completed the system, all powered by Camco V8 amplifiers. The mixing consoles comprised a DiGiCo D5 and SD8 at front of house, with another D5 on monitors. All three were connected via fibre optic with two RME MADI bridges converting the MADI signal for the SD8.

iLED secures Powersoft and Traction Sound deals iLED, a full service commercial and residential custom installation distributor, recently announced their appointment as Powersoft’s new exclusive South African distributors.

Powersoft is the world leader in light-weight, high power, single rack Sebastian Maritz, Justin Mamulis and Steve Smith space, energy efficient amplifiers for the professional audio market.

“We are very happy to welcome iLED to our “We are extremely excited about this new growing team of international partners. partnership – Powersoft’s commitment to While the Pro-Audio market is new for iLED as making the world’s best amplifiers even a company, they have an experienced better is but just one of the reasons we chose team with an abundance of drive, passion, the Italian company as our premium focus and vision and I can see a lot of amplifier partner,” says Justin Mamulis, sales potential.” director at iLED. The partnership with Powersoft comes Powersoft’s EMEA sales manager Steve after iLED landed distribution contract with Smith concurred with Mamulis and is excited Traction Sound last year. Traction Sound, a about the new business venture, he said: small British manufacturer of pro-audio

TechRig gets gig in Italy

Grant Reyes and Adriaan van der Walt at the Trevi Fountain

South African technical solutions agency, TechRig, was recently appointed as the main contractor for the Boehringer Ingelheim Annual Sales Conference MENA 2013 held in Rome, Italy in February.

The conference, hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim, a global pharmaceutical company, was held under the theme ‘Bold and Ignite’ was attended by 450 delegates.

TechRig’s Grant Reyes, account manager: AV and Adriaan van der Walt, operations manager, travelled to Italy to oversee the entire project. They, along with the Italian crew, were involved in a five-day set up that included a total of 15 rooms where gala dinners and a fashion show took place.

“We are thrilled and honoured to have been brought on board to deliver a world class conference for Boehringer Ingelheim,” commented TechRig’s director, Michael Collyer. “This project was organised in line with our values of providing our clients with the highest level of expertise and professional technical equipment in the global arena.”

loudspeakers, is passionate about sound systems and how they deliver an emotional connection to a performance.

Mamulis first met Traction Sound during September’s PLASA trade show in London where the company co-presented one of the show’s seminars. “After initial meetings the team from iLED and I took the train to Traction Sound’s seaside home in Brighton to have a listen to their offering. It didn’t take me long to understand the benefits of Traction Sound’s SDS Horn,” concluded Mamulis.

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Tune up your tech knowledge at Mediatech Africa

Photo by Kobus Loubser

news

With leading suppliers and experts from the world of media and entertainment and an assortment of engaging activities, workshops and presentations on display, Africa’s biggest and most successful advanced technology trade show is back this year, with even more to offer.

The biennial Mediatech Africa trade show is in its seventh run and has grown exponentially over the past 12 years. 2011 saw 6 395 feet eagerly walk through the door as industry professionals and enthusiasts flocked to The Coca-Cola Dome for a piece of the action.

With over 800 brands on display represented by 125 companies, visitors were spoilt for choice.

An astounding variety of products and services in AV system integration, film and broadcast, production and post-production, as well as live event and studio technology ensures that Mediatech Africa caters to a dynamic visitor experience. Once again, international speakers will take to the stage delivering the latest in technological trends and cutting edge industry development and the renowned Screen Africa Technology and Production Conference will hold its place as a highlight and a must-see on everyone’s itinerary.

It’s no wonder that the advanced technology exhibition is creating international appeal to global leaders and manufacturing executives, who have become regular attendees. Mediatech Director Simon Robinson says there are high hopes that this year’s trade show will attract more African delegates than ever before. Says Robinson: “Mediatech provides a great opportunity for product suppliers and customers to engage with the local market. It’s a valuable platform for distributers and industry professionals to experience the latest trends in cutting edge technology.”

When visitors aren’t being captivated by live outdoor sound demos or exploring ample opportunities to network and rub shoulders with key players in the industry, they are invited to join in on a spread of training presentations and technology workshops.

Driving an initiative to raise the bar of professional standards in the

South African industry, SACIA will deliver an Internet Protocol & Network Essentials for Broadcast Engineers course focused on the broadcast market and run in association with the International Association of Broadcast Manufacturers (IABM). They will also be running an InfoComm accredited GEN111 Essentials of AV Technology course that provides in-depth explanations of the science and technology for basic audio-visual system integration. The Screen

Here’s what exhibitors had to say about Mediatech Africa: Trevor Peters – Matrix Sound “Our participation in Mediatech has in the past led to us closing deals with clients who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to see and hear our product. We choose very carefully where to spend our money when it comes to exposure and let’s face it, with Mediatech most of the work is done for you with regards to reach in the market.

The sheer number of people attending the show makes exhibiting worthwhile; companies who do not necessarily wish to spend money on large spectacular stands are afforded the opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the heavyweights in the industry and show what they have on offer. In my opinion, this is what makes Mediatech successful.”

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Bruce Genricks – Managing Member of Electrosonic South Africa “Initially Mediatech felt a lot more broadcast orientated, but as it’s developed over the past few years it’s fantastic to see that it’s become a lot more AV representative than it was before. There are now much bigger platforms in the AV and entertainment lighting sectors, allowing for good networking opportunities and a renewal of acquaintances and associates. With Johannesburg being the economic hub of our industry, it offers a chance for local and out of town integrators to keep up with industry trends and products. We are looking forward to seeing more visitors from Africa and creating new business leads this year.”

news

Africa Technology and Production Conference is another essential Mediatech activity for anyone looking to gain insight into the latest technological trends in the broadcast and film sector. Brought together and presented by industry professionals, the conference will teach people to get optimal use of technology, allowing them to inject even more creative content into their productions.

Confirmed exhibitors for this year include: Viva Africa, Extron,

Steve Alves – Concilium Technologies “We found the Mediatech 2011 show to be one of the best yet, and we were able to engage productively with all of the broadcasters and production facilities during the three days, while cementing new relationships as well.

The resources committed by our overseas partners were testament to the fact that they view Mediatech as a significant event on their calendars, that was evidenced in the large contingent of overseas experts who assisted with demonstration of the award winning products from Harris, Ross, Hightech and DK technologies, among many others.”

Technology Innovated Distribution, DWR Distribution, AV Systems, Concilium Technologies, Inala, Audiosure, Sound Harmonics, Matrix Sound, Macro Video and Telemedia.

Visit Mediatech Africa at The Coca-Cola Dome, Northgate, Johannesburg from 17 to 19 July. Register for free online at www. mediatech.co.za before 7 July and avoid paying R50 entrance at the door.

Duncan Riley – DWR Distribution “Mediatech is a wonderful networking experience as well as a platform to showcase your products. For visitors, it’s the opportunity to meet the faces behind the brands, to meet up with international representatives and to see the latest equipment available, which is on par with the world. The groundwork that goes into Mediatech behind the scenes is phenomenal. This includes extensive advertising and an awareness campaign, making sure stands are full and ensuring feet walk through the door. The exhibition has grown in leaps and bounds, and there is a buzz with a new-found interest from international guests.

It is a privilege to be part of Mediatech. The marketing is good, there is a fantastic atmosphere and it’s an opportunity to show off products.”

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Photo courtesy ISE

System Integration ISE REPORT

Checking out ISE 2013 This year, ISE welcomed a large number of South African companies that flew to Amsterdam to network with partners and suppliers, to be trained and find out what’s new in the AV world. The show had a record 44 151 attendees, an eight % rise on last year’s numbers and there were over 1 000 product launches. Out of almost 900 exhibitors more than 200 were new exhibitors joining ISE for the first time. Geny Caloisi met with key SA players to find out what their show highlights were.

We met with Malcom Finlay from Penmac Audio Visual, Watchout Premium Partner, at ISE and he says that this is a must go show for both Pro AV suppliers and manufacturers. “This show is very important for us to stay abreast of the new technologies. While new technologies in niche markets are a large portion of our interest at this show, our prime purpose of the visit was to support Dataton Sweden on their stand with the exciting new products launched. As preferred partners for Dataton in South Africa, at this show we have the opportunity to interact with similar distribution networks from all over the world, where at times this covered in excess of 16 countries.”

Currently in South Africa there are more than 15 companies using Watchout software on a daily basis. Penmac dedicates a great amount of its time on supporting and training its partners and clients.

“Every event you do, you have to improve upon it the following year.

We have the expertise and knowledge to provide our partners and their clients with training and onsite support to make sure they use Watchout to the best of its capacities,” said Finlay, who added: “Closely integrated with the feature list of the Dataton Watchout system, Penamac will be looking to support the Infitec range of high gain stereoscopic filter systems in South Africa. This light spectrum filtration system delivers one of the highest and most accurate 3D projection filtration currently available.”

Electrosonic SA sent three of its staff to ISE. Eugene Coetzee, Electrosonic SA’s Manager of AV systems, commented: “ISE is a great show, with a new record number of attendees for 2013. It made me feel proud to be associated with brands like Crestron, Kramer, Elite and NEC. Electrosonic imports and distributes these brands throughout southern Africa. It is evident by the sheer size of their booths at ISE that they are

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among the leading international brands in the AV industry.”

Located in Hall 2, the Crestron booth was one of the first exhibition stands you could see when you entered ISE 2013. The company created very sleek AV ecosystems that explained how its products fit into different vertical markets, from boardrooms and residential, to control rooms. Rupert Denoon, Electrosonic SA’s Crestron product manager, demonstrated the different solutions available.

Crestron launched its TSW surface mount touch screen collection at the show, which featured a clean, contemporary appearance with edge-to-edge glass and Core 3 UI graphics. Available in 5-inch, 7-inch and 10-inch models, the ultra-thin TSW collection provides the same high performance control as larger touch screens. It has a consistent elegant look throughout any commercial or residential installation. Utilising Rava SIP intercom technology, it provides the added convenience of full duplex intercom, VoIP telephone and group paging functionality. The 7-inch TSW-750 is now available, with the 5-inch TSW-550 and 10-inch TSW-1050 scheduled for release soon.

“The TSW family of touch screens feature the gorgeous design elements of today’s popular mobile devices, advanced high resolution graphics and animations. They feature a highly responsive performance to deliver an incredible user experience,” says Robin van Meeuwen, VP of sales and marketing at Crestron International.“Our available screen sizes and pricing is comparable to the latest consumer tablets but also have the added power and reliability of Crestron control.”

This year Crestron had new training programmes in place. A total of 28 courses were held at the show, which were aimed at installers and integrators.

“It was fantastic that one of Electrosonic’s South African system integrators, HFX Systems, also received a ‘Highly Commended’ award in the ’Best Digital Media Install’ category at the Crestron Integration Awards,” says Coetzee.

ISE REPORT System Integration “Crestron and Kramer offered manufacturer training sessions at ISE, and it’s our aim to get our integrators to attend these courses. The great advantage is that they can receive InfoComm certification renewal points.”

Coetzee adds: “Our main reason for attending the show is to be there for our systems integrators in South Africa. We are part of the Crestron and Kramer family, which is why Rupert Denoon, Jason Johnston (Electrosonic’s Kramer product manager), and I worked on the respective booths. We set up appointments to show off the great product offering to them. It was also an opportunity to catch up with our suppliers, build relationships and discuss plans and strategies for the year ahead.”

Wynand Langenhoven, CEO at Peripheral Vision, a South African distributor of NEC and AMX had similar plans at ISE. The company specialises in residential and corporate projects and is on a green energy mission. “All AMX products have low current options and NEC’s LED screens also offer an environmentally friendly alternative,” points out Langenhoven.

From the launches at ISE, Langenhoven was excited about AMX’s Enova DGX 8 Digital Media Switcher Enclosure. The Enova DGX8 has been designed for smaller installations with just eight local and remote AV sources are more than sufficient for the application.

Visual technologies giant Christie had an impressive stand.

Phil Lord, sales consultant at Christie SA told us that the company is not just growing strong with its new products but he said it has plans to expand in the whole of the African territory.

“We opened our office in SA last year and my aim this year is to expand into mainland Africa. The rental and staging market is rapidly expanding beyond SA and there is need for training and education in the sector, which we can provide. Digital cinema is also strong. Botswana is premiering its first all digital multiplex, which includes 3D cinema. We are also focusing on control rooms and Christie’s new Entero HB video wall display cubes, which is a very strong product for this market. ” Entero HB is based on LED technology with over 1 000 lumens capability in illumination and wireless networking capabilities – the first in the world to do so, according to the company. The system also includes proprietary third generation ArraySync auto-colour and brightness LED video wall management, and improved tiling and scaling capabilities for the perfect video wall display in every application. The modular display systems cubes, feature screen sizes from 50 inches to 80 inches.

ISE was a great success and in view of its growing number of visitors and exhibitors, the organisers have agreed to extend their contract with conference centre Amsterdam RAI Until 2019. Over 500 companies have already reserved their space for next year, totaling over 30 000sqm of floor space.

The ISE journey Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. We spoke to Dan Goldstein, ISE Director of Marketing and Communications, to find out what it takes to put on one of the biggest and increasingly successful shows in the AV industry.

It seems a long time since the ISE exhibition had its humble start in 2004 in Geneva. The event is a joint venture of the Custom Electronic Design and Installation Association (CEDIA) and InfoComm International.

Mike Blackman, Managing Director of ISE explained that the show was born from a call from one of his former bosses, exhibition organiser Cherif Moujabber, who was consulting for InfoComm. “He explained the concept and the associations behind it (InfoComm, CEDIA and NSCA), and after a bit of research, the whole idea excited me. I’m a technology fan so this was subject matter that really interested me.”

Overall the show has grown year after year. In 2009 it boasted 536 exhibitors from 41 countries and 24 912 attendees. This was despite being the same year the show saw notable pull-outs from the likes of Sony and Barco. This year, Extron, who had exhibited since the beginning, decided not to participate at ISE or Infocomm in the USA. Still the show, which has found its home in Amsterdam and will remain there until 2019, has faithful exhibitors that return year after year.

But to achieve its 900 exhibitors and 44 000 plus visitors, its marketing department has to work creatively – and hard – always pushing the bar to exceed the previous year’s results. The organisers aren’t just selling square metres at the RAI conference centre. Their product is more intangible. It’s about selling the opportunity to do business and make money.

On Monday 28 January, ISE celebrated its 10th edition with the special keynote address by cyber-illusionist Marco Tempest, followed by its birthday party.

For many of us that have visited the show year after year, the time

seems to pass faster each time, and one is left with the feeling that there was quite a bit that we didn’t get to see, a few conferences that could not fit in the diary and some appointments we couldn’t keep.

Should we have one more day, I asked Goldstein.“We are not thinking about extending the show one more day.” Goldstein said, “This year we had 208 new exhibitors. Some of them are small start-ups and extending the show will mean more expenditure. You can’t compromise the show. We also draw experience from other shows such as CEDIA in the USA. They too thought adding a day to their three days show would be a good idea. On a three-day event you will have two strong and very busy days and one that is quieter. What CEDIA found on extending its show was that they ended up with two quiet days.”

This year ISE tickled its visitor’s brains with new conferences, such as Megapixel and Smart Buildings, both very well attended.

The profile of the show, points out Goldstein, is changing to differentiate itself from Infocomm. “The tendency is to have more application driven exhibits; less engineering and more solutions,” he says.

The whole set up of the show is aimed at showing visitors what can be done in an event of this calibre. From the LED and projection screens to the path finding touch screen displays that welcome visitors, it is all designed to provide a best in class experience.

On the wish list for next year Goldstein has a more accessible smart phone app, better digital signage to make people aware of all that is available and the extension of the show’s reach into emerging communities that work closely with the AV industry.

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System Integration ISE REPORT

Paul Watson’s ISE product highlights Dataton introduced Watchpax, its first dedicated media server, which integrates its Watchout multi-display software. Boasting a lightweight and compact design, the product is said to be energy-efficient and very simple to use.

On the Harman stand, Soundcraft released the latest model in its Si range of digital consoles, the Si Expression. Designed to suit a number of audio applications, from small school and theatre installs to much larger rooms, the manufacturer has released three models, each boasting 16-, 24-, and 32-faders and mic inputs respectively.

With affordability and flexibility in mind, Soundcraft insists that these mixers will significantly widen its user base. They all boast powerful DSP – approximately 200 rack units’ worth of processing – as well as four Lexicon effects engines, BSS graphic EQs, and BSS Blue Link connectivity to dbx’s personal monitor controller, the PMC 16.

When connected to any Soundcraft stage box, each model in the range is able to generate a maximum of 66 inputs to mix; two new Soundcraft stageboxes have also been released: the Mini Stagebox 16 and 32 (16x8 and 32x16 respectively), each of which will connect to the Si Expression via MADI. www.wildandmarr.co.za

DiGiCo announced an interesting new partnership with its sister company, Soundtracs, and plugin manufacturer, Waves Audio, and launched DiGiGrid: a range of hardware and software processing solutions which are said to address the needs of both studio and live productions.

DiGiGrid enables users of Native DAWs, Pro Tools and MADIenabled live and broadcast mixing consoles access to Waves SoundGrid audio networking and real-time processing via its full line of SoundGrid I/Os, Pro Tools-to-SoundGrid I/Os and MADI-toSoundGrid I/Os. Studio-based DiGiGrid systems are expandable and designed for users of all levels; they use Intel-based SoundGrid DSP Servers to perform audio processing.

For live applications, the DiGiGrid MADI-toSoundGrid interfaces provide users of any MADI-enabled console with low-latency networking and processing options.

Distributed by www.tadco.co.za

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The manufacturer claims that Watchpax was designed to reduce the amount of overall cabling in distributed systems and multi-room installs. It can run on any standard network and is controllable remotely. It can handle everything from stills, 3D, animation, interactive elements, graphics, video and sound across multiple displays, all of which is controlled through the Watchout interface.

Dataton believes it is the perfect solution for any creative producer that wants the functionality of Watchout in applications where space is limited or that require dedicated distribution of content.

Distributed by www.penmac.co.za

Audinate announced Ultimo, the latest member of the Dante family.

Ultimo is a fully-featured, ready-to-use Dante interface for networked audio products, integrated into a single 13x13mm chip. It is claimed to be the ultimate cost-effective, integrated networked audio solution over a 100Mbps Ethernet interface, and extends Dante networking to a wide new range of AV devices, using low-jitter clocks without sacrificing audio quality and without the need for any specialised switches.

Potential Ultimo applications include powered speakers, microphones, speakerphones, amplifiers, paging stations, personal monitoring systems, AV wall plates, recording interfaces, analogue/ digital break-in/break out and musical instruments.

Radvision launched the Scopia XT Executive, a video conferencing platform which features a 24in full HD LED display, an HD camera, high fidelity speakers and an echo cancelling microphone.

This all-in-one desktop video conferencing system with PC display boasts HD 1080p support for detailed content sharing, as well as the

Orchestrate!

Go ahead – create truly sensational multi-display shows with Dataton WATCHOUT™ production and playback software. Orchestrate virtually all types of digital media, including 3D, live feeds and streaming. Manipulate the content in real-time, and show it on multiple, synchronized displays. Check out WATCHOUT and the brand new WATCHPAX™ media server. use of H.264 High Profile provides bandwidth efficiency and H.264 Scalable Video Coding (SVC) for high performance over congested networks.

Designed to simplify the process of making video calls, the XT Executive is fully integrated with PC and Mac. It also features a wireless remote, controllable via an iPad, and optional embedded multi-party conferencing that provides support for a maximum of four remote participants.

Digital Projection presented its new 40 000 lumen solution to Europe for the first time, which comprised two stacked 20 000 lumen Titan Super Quads, the company’s latest projectors and simply combined their outputs.

In addition, the device features a brand new rigging frame which has been designed specifically to create a projector stack in a quick and efficient manner. Before the ISE show, in fact, Amsterdam RAI ordered a number of Titan Super Quads for permanent installation at the Holland Hall entrance of the RAI convention centre.

The manufacturer also debuted its LED 3-Chip 1 500-lumen projector and the HIGHlite 740, a 10 000 lumen addition to the HIGHlite series.

Dataton WATCHOUT used in car mapping of Volvo V40 press launch in Johannesburg. © PENMAC, Picture Mafia and EPH.

Presenting WATCHPAX, performance-optimised, solid-state media server with built-in WATCHOUT software for pure plug and play presentations.

Crestron showcased its 64 x 64 switcher – DM-MD64X64 – the latest addition to its digital audio/ video network technology, which the company claims has been built to meet high-definition and analogue AV distribution requirements for large commercial facilities including stadiums, arenas and universities.

The switcher accepts, manages and distributes 64 AV sources of most signals over Cat5e wire or fibre, all on a single platform. In addition to increased capacity, the switcher also includes a modular blade I/O expansion system and a built-in 15in colour touch screen, therefore integrators and installers no longer need to setup and connect via PC to configure or troubleshoot.

Through this graphical interface, integrators can route AV signals and view resolution and format information for all I/O, including a live video image of any input. The switcher also includes a built-in web server, eliminating the need for custom software.

DM-MD64X64 ships in late February and a 128 x 128 Crestron DigitalMedia switcher is scheduled for release later this year.

Distributed by www.electrosonic.co.za ProSystems SA halfpage_Jan12.indd 1

W W W.DATAT ON .COM

Phone: +27 11 4762066 av@penmac.co.za www.penmac.co.za

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2013-01-28 18:11

System Integration ISE REPORT

AV networking congress 2013

By Geny Caloisi

On January 29, leading audio companies got together just around the corner from ISE to discuss AV networking needs and opportunities. Of course the aim was to talk about audio and video, but the video side of things was lacking. The audio industry has several protocols it uses to be able to hook up the various components needed to transport signals over an IP network.

Digital audio gives installers and integrators of both live events and fixed installations, more possibilities than even before. The key thing in this area is to achieve interoperability between equipment of different manufacturers. Finding the right protocol will future proof the project.

There are many protocols: CobraNet, Ethersound, MADI, Dante, AVB and Ravenna, to name a few.

For instance, Atterotech chose CobraNet for its first line of networked AV products. CobraNet is an established technology for sending real-time, high-quality digital audio over an Ethernet network. It is very cost-effective to implement, and is still a great fit in many small and medium venues – as its upper most limit is 32x32 channels.

But as Mike Simms, director of marketing and sales at Atterotech explained, venues are getting bigger and CobraNet is a Layer 2 solution, while IT groups prefer Layer 3 AV networks, and it has only a limited number of channels available. It also operates over LAN and it is not routable, so the company has opted to adopt Audianet’s Dante protocol.

Dante is ‘interoperability made simple’, according to Lee Ellison, Audinate CEO. “Dante is Audinate’s patented solution which combines software, hardware and standard TCP/IP protocols, to transport many channels of high-resolution, uncompressed, low-latency digital media over relatively long distances and to multiple locations, using a standard 100Mbps or 1Gb Ethernet network,” explains Ellison. “Dante provides a self-configuring, plug-and-play digital audio/video network over standard IP. It is licensed by over 70 OEM manufacturers and Dante networked devices are currently being designed into hundreds of AV OEM products.”

Ellison added, “When you look at networking equipment, you don’t want to disrupt the way the IT people work. Dante can work with an IT manager’s switcher of choice. Our aim is to educate installers and contractors on the importance of using networked audio. Digital allows multiple connection with more flexibility, drawing on structure cabling. It allows you to do things that have never been done before.”

The significance of the Dante protocol was evident on the number of companies that announce were adopting the technology at ISE 2013.

Stewart Audio chose Audinate’s Dante for its FLX Series of compact networked half rack amplifiers. PreSonus has licensed Dante digital media networking technology and will incorporate Dante into optional networking cards for several of its new products.

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The main highlight at Shure’s booth was the SCM820 digital mixer, which delivering seamless, natural-sounding speech in various microphone applications and through Dante it can offer an eight-channel mixer with advanced mixing capabilities along with versatile configuration options.

Shure’s Microflex Wireless (MXW) family, for high-end corporate boardrooms and meeting rooms are fully networked via standard Ethernet (TCP/IP) allowing status monitoring. MXW is compatible with AMX, Crestron and other touchscreen controllers and it delivers superior digital audio, carried by Dante over Ethernet using shielded Cat5 cables. MXW also features Advanced Encryption Standard (AES-256).

Yamaha’s Commercial Installation Solutions (CIS) series, devised to provide a complete system solution that need little audio training to be managed, features Dante and Yamaha’s YDIF cascade bus to connect to Yamaha CIS products, as well as other professional audio products on a digital audio network. The first CIS series products include the MTX matrix processors, XMV multi-channel amplifiers, VXC ceiling speakers and VXS surface mount speakers.

A star product on the audio front for Justin Mamulis, Sales Director at iLED SA, was Powersoft’s DEVA. “This solar powered, full multi-media loudspeaker solution was, for me, one of the highlights of the show. New applications come to mind every minute for a product like this. Apart Audio launched AudioControl 12.8 – a very welcome addition to their already expansive range of products. Sonance’s landscape series will completely revolutionise the way we do audio in both our home gardens, as well as commercial outdoor areas – watch this space.”

Sonance launched Sonarray landscape audio system at ISE 2013.

The Sonarray sat/sub system of satellite speakers are designed for outdoor use reaching up to 185sqm. For larger surfaces there is Sonance Landscape Series (SLS) High Output (HO) system, which can operate at much higher volumes to produce a wide, even sound field.

Powersoft solar powered DEVA integrates bi-directional wireless A/V communication, lighting and a Class D amplifier in a compact, weatherproof enclosure. DEVA is a multifunctional device that enables audio messaging and video capturing for a wide range of applications. It is equipped with several sensors (microphone, presence detector, twilight switch and temperature / humidity / pressure sensors and accessories (eg. LED lights). On a single charge the unit can remain on stand-by for more than 18 days and can provide up to 64 hours of continuous audio playback.

Audio

By Geny Caloisi

– an Olympic task

Last year’s largest event was the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic games. Imagine having to care for its PA system. Roland Hemming, from RH consulting shared his experience as audio consultant at the AVNC2013.

“Many times we hear the media talk about the Olympics as they would about a world cup. Well, in fact, the Olympics and Paralympics were like having 25 world cups simultaneously.”

The overall responsibility for the AV project for LOCOG fell into the hands of Damian Rowe and Christiaan Page from Sports Technology.

RH Consulting worked directly for LOCOG and was responsible for delivering all PA systems, wired communications and audio for disability and emergency audio systems – excluding the opening and closing ceremonies.

Hemming explains: “The games were a kind of hybrid. It was planned as if it was a fixed installation, with very accurate and detailed parameters, but it was executed as a live event. Specific to the games was that this was a broadcasting event. We had to make sure different areas were zoned out correctly and that the right sound could be picked up by the microphones – from the swishing of the water in aquatic sports to the fans’ cheering. We could have no audio in the field of play.”

There were a total of 400 PA systems and the AV team had to jump through a few hoops to make sure the installation met British standards and Olympic requirements.

Hemming was involved on the project for a year and says that his role seemed more like a diplomat’s job than an audio consultant’s. “I worked with hundreds of people because it was my job to liaise with each venue team across about 50 venues. There were about 40 competition venues, but there were also a number of noncompetition venues such as the Olympic Villages. In addition I dealt with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), a number of local councils and many of the contractors supplying LOCOG. I also had to liaise with OBS – the Olympic Broadcasting Service,” said Hemming.

The Olympics was a true top spectacle and new skills and strategies had to be developed. RH Consulting won the Consultant or Project Manager of the Year award at the 2013 InAVation awards held in Amsterdam. What next? Well, the air ticket says Brazil!

17

System Integration ISE REPORT

AV systems commissioning best practices

By Geny Caloisi

InfoComm International organised a series of talks during ISE 2013. An interesting session was the one led by UK design consultancy, Visual Acuity’s Technology Director, Frank Sheehan and David Lesch CTS from AV Media, systems integration company based in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

The seminar talked about what AV professionals need to consider integration wise and the stepped process required when commissioning an AV system.

It drew on sharing the experience of both Sheehan and Lesch within their fields of expertise and included guides to best practices, tips and hints with perspectives from the installer, designer and InfoComm.

The presenters also shared their views on the roles of the client, designer and installer, covering what needs to be done both on the day of commissioning and handover.

Step by step: • Plan your approach • Create a checklist • Perform commissioning activities • Record results and outcomes – a defects list • Prepare and submit a commissioning report • Integrator request handover and completion By having a planned approach to the project this will minimise time on site, ensure that nothing is missed and allow everyone to work on the same agenda.

Top tips: commissioning planning starts in design phase; ensure that the equipment is compliant with the specification and requirements; try to pre-empt and resolve design issues by working as a team with designers and installers and submit your commissioning plans as early in the project as possible to minimise risks.

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ISE 2013 products Display Panasonic announced the world’s first lamp free projector with digital link connection.

Marked with 20 000 hours of maintenance free advantage, wide installation flexibility and professional features, the PT-RZ470/RZ370 Series opens a new era to reliable projection. Conventional lamp is replaced by LED/ laser diodes, which are boosted by Panasonic’s proprietary technologies to realise long lasting high brightness of more than 3 000lm.

Distributed by www.pansolutions.co.za Martin Professional exhibited The EC Series – a family of LED video panels that are brighter, lighter and faster. Built to the highest standards, the EC Series is designed for those who place value on solid, dependable performance and superior image quality. By combining the image quality and precision of conventional high resolution screens with the creativity and low weight of mesh type screens, the EC Series provides new design possibilities for all manner of staging and permanent installations.

Distributed by www.electrosonic.co.za

ISE 2013 saw Calibre UK parade the LEDView530 scaler-switcherprocessor designed specifically for ease of use by production staff operating LED video walls in rental and staging, events and sports grounds. It features an easy to use front panel control with jog wheel and front LCD readout for ultra-fast setup.

Christie had a world debut for the FHD551-W LCD outdoor/weatherproof flat panel, which will set the standard for outdoor LED-backlit LCD technology.

Rugged and versatile, the 55-inch Christie FHD551-W is a professional grade full HD solution designed to drive LCD flat panels and perform in harsh outdoor environments.

Vivitek exhibited the Qumi Q7 projector. The projector increases Vivitek’s family of projection devices for a wide range of applications and expands its LED-based projectors. Weighing in at 3.1 pounds, the Qumi Q7 delivers up to 800 lumens of brightness with an LED light source that gives it up to 30 000 hours of operation time.

Distributed by www.audiosure.co.za

ISE REPORT System Integration Projectiondesign showcased the F35 panorama; with its unique Picture-by-Picture imaging capabilities on a 21:9 display enables collaborative viewing in wide-screen with just one projector, where there are normally two. The unique 2560 x 1080 pixel resolution, Dual Head inputs with picture-by-picture and with no need for blend and warp, colour matching or realignment makes the F35 panorama ideal for use in any collaborative environment. The F35 panorama effectively replaces any installation with two SXGA+ projectors side-by-side.

Distributed by www.questek.co.za

Audio Shure unveiled Microflex Wireless – a new wireless solution for high-end corporate boardroom and meeting room environments. Microflex Wireless offers A/V integrators and consultants an extensive feature set in various innovative form factors, allowing them to find the perfect solution for their project.

Distributed by www.wildandmarr.co.za

Midas flaunted the smallest of its PRO Series – the PRO1. The groundbreaking PRO1 features an all-new, lightweight aluminium frame and is the first stand-alone Midas digital console, setting new standards of portability and performance for a ’compact’ digital console.

Distributed by www.prosound.co.za

Apart Audio launched the Audiocontrol12.8 at ISE Show.

Audiocontrol12.8 is an audio matrix, but unique on the market thanks to its combination of audio processing, control processing and endless paging possibilities. The unit has 12 audio inputs and 8 audio outputs, plus additional SPDIF input and output. The integrated real time task scheduler can perform a variety of tasks that means the Audiocontrol12.8 is suitable for many projects. Up to 120 addressable/ programmable paging microphones/extenders can be connected, each with their own functionality and individual presets and up to eight priority levels.

Distributed by www.iled.co.za

Bose introduced the new Bose Entero Voice Alarm system. The EN54-certified solution integrates music, paging and evacuation messages to form a ”complete, cost effective and reliable system for businesses”. The Entero Voice Alarm continuously monitors all voice-related loudspeaker lines, amplifiers and wiring, while checking the links to the fire detection system. In an emergency, the system overrides the sound system’s current audio source, automatically issuing evacuation messages at an optimum volume and with clear speech intelligibility.

The main focus of the Alcons Audio stand was the QR24 pro-ribbon line-source column – a modular, two-way column-array loudspeaker to be used as in acoustically-challenging rooms. The compact QR24 delivers a full-range high SPL HiFi sound quality, with unparalleled speech intelligibility in even the most reverberant rooms, without the necessity of DSP-based beam steering.

Distributed by www.matrixsound.co.za

Connectivity and control

Crestron showcased the 3-Series Control System®- a compact, rack-mountable 3-Series control processor with immense power and numerous integrated control ports. The Crestron® CP3 presents a new benchmark in control system technology. Featuring the Core 3 OS control engine, the CP3 forms the core of any modern networked home or commercial building, managing and integrating all the disparate technologies throughout your facility to make life easier, greener, more productive and more enjoyable.

Distributed by www.electrosonic.co.za AMX demonstrated the new PDXL -2. The PDXL-2 is a power over DXLink injector, which allows for remote powering of any two DXLink devices by ‘injecting’ power through the twisted pair cable. The PDXL-2 also accepts I/O control from a NetLinx controller allowing power down capabilities to either (or both) of the connected DXLink devices to achieve power savings when they are not in use.

19

System Integration ISE REPORT Barco showcased ClickShare, which makes connecting to the meeting room’s video system a matter of clicking a button.

This one click wonder not only helps the presenter get the presentation on-screen in a second, but it also allows the other people in the meeting to participate more actively.

The result is enhanced meeting efficiency and better decisionmaking.

Distributed by www.questek.co.za

Cisco paraded the Cisco TelePresence SX20 Quick Set – a flexible solution that helps you easily turn any flat panel display into a powerful tele-presence system for small to medium-sized meeting rooms. The SX20 Quick Set delivers high-definition video quality, multiparty conferencing, and three different camera options to accommodate room size and configurations – all at a good price.

Kramer Electronics showcased a new line of HDBaseT range extenders that are now compatible with the Panasonic digital link line of projectors. These new range extenders with HDBaseT capability, send the HDMI signal, along with the Ethernet 100BaseT, RS-232 and IR input signals as an integrated HDBaseT signal over a distance of 100 metres.

Distributed by www.electrosonic.co.za

Clear-Com presented the Eclipse and Eclipse HX Digital Matrix Platforms, which are the latest advancements in digital intercom technology for enabling critical intercommunications among production teams who need direct (point-to-point) and one-to-many (group and partyline or conference) connections. The Eclipse HX family was designed and engineered to be highly flexible and extensible for addressing the intercom needs of the global production community.

Video conferencing Taiden flaunted the new HCS-8301m.

With the new HCS-8301M Digital Audio Mixer the operator gets real-time control of the audio levels for up to 6 active microphones and 64 language channels without a PC. The fader settings are memorised and retrievable. A 10 LCD touch screen enables users to monitor audio levels, language channels and system connection. www.audiosure.co.za Polycom flaunted the Polycom EagleEye Director – A camera intelligent enough to automatically zoom in on the person speaking. Polycom EagleEye Director delivers an affordable and personalised tele-presence experience in group meetings. It accomplishes this by intelligently emulating professional video production techniques. The result is direct, intimate communication and more productive meetings with no remote control or user intervention required.

20

Digital signage LG’s flagship product at this year’s ISE was the 84-inch model 84WS70, the world’s largest Ultra HD signage with four times the screen resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) of traditional HD displays. Three of these cutting-edge products will be arranged side-by-side, displaying vibrant footage from the spring/summer collections of top fashion designers in near life-size form.

Sharp paraded the PN-R903 LED display that features a high-impact 90” class screen (90-1/16” diagonal), big enough to showcase life-size images. At 6’ 8” tall, the new PN-R903 is the first professional LED display that can display people at real height in portrait view, making it an ideal fit for the fashion and retail industries. Large enough to seamlessly replace a 2x2 46” panel video wall, the PN-R903 offers easy set-up and installation, with much less wiring, computer support and virtually no calibration requirements.

Bruce Genricks

Industry Expert System Integration

Working his way up...

Bruce Genricks, Managing Member, Electrosonic SA. For over 20 years Bruce Genricks has been building

Electrosonic SA, a leading AV and live entertainment specialist supplier, from grassroots level upwards. Today the company engineers complete AV systems for some of the country’s top corporate, entertainment and retail sectors plus they supply specialist AV products from a number of international brands.

We took time out to speak to Bruce Genricks about how he went from being a railway apprentice to signing large deals and being elected chairman of the Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA).

How did you get into the AV industry?

I always wanted to get into electronics, from a young age I was taking things apart and putting them back together, which is why I did an apprenticeship in telecommunications through the railways. It provided me with an excellent education from basic skills like working with hand tools to more advanced practical theory.

My first job in the early 80s was a service manager at Twin Imports which were Electrosonic agents and was owned by Lourie Coetzee.

When the company was sold to Selected Audio Visual, I became technical manager and after a few years was retrenched – giving me the opportunity to start supplying technical services on my own. While still supplying installations, repairs and services to Selected Audio Visual and growing my client base, I later joined forces with my previous employer and long-time industry player Lourie Coetzee who had already opened Electrosonic SA.

What have been some of the highlights of your career?

Getting the contract to do the Durban ICC was a big game changer and really put Electrosonic on the map. I packed up and handled the 18-month-contract on my own, allowing the business in Johannesburg to continue growing. We installed 27 control systems that were, at that stage, quite ground-breaking in South Africa and laid over 350kms of cabling.

Many of our flagship products in South Africa we now supply because of orders that were placed when working on the ICC job.

Being the sole distributer for leading international brands like Creston, Kramer and Martin is a huge accomplishment for us. Another turning point for me was being retrenched and subsequently starting my own business in technical service. It allowed me the time and opportunity to really build a solid client base and of course form a partnership with Lourie Coetzee.

As the industry evolves, which technologies do you see as game changers?

I think dedicated programmable control systems will continue to gain momentum and popularity; we are starting to see a lot of IP networking coming into the AV industry. If we look at gesture technology and its increasing popularity in residential, advertising and signage spaces, I think with development and maturity the future of this technology looks exciting.

On the lighting side of things LED lighting is still new and has a lot of potential to still develop and go much further.

How have you found it as SACIA Chairman for the past year?

Something we’ve never had before is a decent organisation for the AV industry. It’s a worthy cause that I really believe will make a significant difference in getting AV companies to integrate with one another. The training element is the most important facet because that’s what is lacking in our country, and it will allow us to raise the bar in terms of professional delivery of services. Being chairman of SACIA has been challenging given the pressures of my main job at Electrosonic, but SACIA is really something that I believe in, and it is worth investing my time in.

What can we expect to see from Electrosonic SA over the next few years?

We are going to be offering more options for new products in digital signage and our control systems, in terms of digital media, are expanding at a dramatic rate. Our aim is to combine various interfaces into one control system and to simplify integration. This year we will focus on improving the customer experience of Electrosonic.

This includes better demonstration areas, faster stock deliveries, quicker turn around on repairs and improved price lists.

Which brand do you feel is at the forefront of AV technology?

What is your holiday destination of choice?

Creston is one of the brands that I feel is very ahead of the game.

They have had a head start in the digital media space and have had time to work out any technical glitches in their systems.

I love travelling. I prefer the older more historic cities in Europe.

Do you have any hobbies?

I spent the Christmas holidays steam bending wood for a desk I’m building. I really enjoy woodwork – creating anything from a cabinet to a crafted pen.

21

System Integration TECHNOLOGy TRENDS

Demise of the BNC?

By Ian Dormer

Paul Neill (6 September 1882 – October 1968) and Carl Concelman (23 December 1912 –

August 1975) must be turning in their graves. With ever increasing video resolution and advancing network technology, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) is currently discussing the possibility of replacing the humble BNC (Bayonet Neill Concelman Connector) with the RJ45 connector.

Paul Neill was an electrical engineer at Bell Labs and Carl Concelman an engineer at Amphenol, which was founded in Chicago in 1932 by entrepreneur Arthur Schmitt. Its first product was a tube socket for radio tubes.

Amphenol expanded significantly during World War II, when the company became the primary manufacturer of connectors used in military hardware, including airplanes and radios. It was while at Amphenol that Concelman was credited for inventing the C connector, a robust connector used for terminating coaxial cable that carried radio frequencies in a multi-megahertz range.

While at Bell Labs, Neill worked in the Electrical Research Products division in the 1940s. The rapid advance in the quality of film sound during that period is credited as being largely due to two main lines of work with which he was closely associated, alongside motion picture engineers who were developing acoustic techniques for film.

During this post war period, Neill and Concelman got together to collaborate on the design of a bayonet type fitting for radio frequency (RF) applications that would lock two connector ends together for greater electrical efficiency, giving birth to the Bayonet Neill Concelman Connector or BNC. The BNC was originally designed for military use and is commonly and mistakenly called the British Naval Connector. Other unofficial explanations expand the abbreviation as Baby Neill-Concelman because it is a lot smaller than N and C connectors invented by Neill and Concelman respectively.

Standard interface Since its inception, video has been running over coaxial cable. The PL-259 or UHF connector was used widely in the black and white era

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until the introduction of colour television when the BNC connector became the standard electrical interface for professional video.

Since then, the BNC has survived transitions from analogue to digital and the subsequent explosion of digital video formats. In its inception, the development of the Serial Digital Interface (SDI) in broadcast television had a number of key design criteria, one of which was that it be carried on a BNC connector.

The BNC connector has processed television signals from the war in Vietnam through to Space Shuttle launches and the building of the International Space Station, to South Africa winning the Cricket Test Series in England; clinching the number one spot.

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS System Integration The shift

So after 50 years, is it time for the television industry to start looking at a different interface for video signals? A number of years ago, the world of SDI and Internet Protocol (IP) technology started coming together in the area of video transport. The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) implemented the SMPTE 2022 family of standards in 2007.

SMPTE 2022 led to Information Technology (IT) engineers experimenting with IP streaming of professional video streams, successfully transporting a bit-for-bit copy of an SDI signal thousands of miles away.

Today almost every piece of professional TV equipment connects to an IP network in one way or another. Broadcast engineers have had to shift into the IT world’s way of thinking as well as keep up with traditional television technology. With 4K the adopted resolution in digital cinema having become common place and 8K or Super Hi-Vision looming on the horizon, there is certainly no evidence that the advance in video bit-rates are slowing down.

At one time it was not possible to convey real-time video and audio over computer networks. Today’s IT infrastructure allows such signals to be processed even if only experimental and under test conditions. Indeed Japanese broadcaster NHK has already managed to transmit its 4 000 scan lines, 7 680 x 4 320 pixels, Ultra High Definition widescreen system over an IP network!

Admittedly it was over a massive fibre optic network, using dense wavelength division multiplexing requiring a total of 16 different wavelength signals to get the bit rate high enough.

So why move from HD SDI and Audio Engineering Society (AES) over to BNC? It’s all about the IT world keeping up with the broadcast world and boils down to cost savings and the ability for IT platforms to adapt to anything thrown at them.

Doing this, however, requires one significant, difficult and costly change: it will require a break in the connection between video format geometry and the electrical and physical interface of the famous connector.

So is it really time to say goodbye to the BNC? Methinks no, not yet!

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Installations Venue Solution

Great audio is no myth Apart from a place to indulge in delicious food and refreshing drinks, a restaurant is an establishment that relies on good service, quality wares and a lively, comfortable atmosphere to attract and subsequently keep its patrons. Part and parcel of the atmosphere is of course background music, and therefore an adequate system is required; one that is flexible and provides total coverage with high fidelity. Greg Bester reports.

Mythos restaurant in Irene Village Mall is no exception. Since this is lively, up-market, al-fresco restaurant that can get quite boisterous at times, a flexible system was specified to provide anything from subtle background music to a pumping soundtrack for when the party gets going.

Naturally, system installer and designer Riaz Omar from R & F Audio Visual was called upon to design and install the system, along with Johannesburg-based distributors iLED that supplied the components and consultation, coordinated by account manager Derick van Tonder.

Riaz is no stranger to the restaurant audio business and has installed systems in high-profile eateries and bistros such as Mythos in Brooklyn, Cofi, Baobab and Cappuccinos. He has always used iLED products for his installs and considers them to be of utmost quality.

Riaz comments on the system specified by him: “[The owner] wanted something that could pump a little bit so I gave him a low impedance system as opposed to a 100V line system. Most restaurants run a 100V line system for background music.”

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pre-amplifiers, speakers, music source control and microphone systems. They have a massive distribution network spanning the globe and iLED proudly handles their distribution in South Africa.

Inside, a total of 16 Apart Audio CMX20T ceiling speakers (eight per zone) were employed. These 8” speakers are two-way and supply 100W at 16Ohms or 20W at 100V. For outside Riaz utilised eight Apart Audio MASK 6T-BLs. These are high fidelity pro-design enclosed speakers, handling 150W at 16 ohms or 60W at 100V. He decided to go with these cabinet-enclosed models because of their aversion to weather.

Riaz explains. “We usually install ceiling mount speakers where we can because aesthetically it looks neater, but the MASKs are weather proof so I use them for a lot of restaurant installations on the outside.

They sound brilliant.”

A single Apart Audio Champ 2 power amplifier powers each zone, totaling three. These stereo amplifiers can drive 350W per channel at 4 Ohms, which was crucial to accomplish the low impedance system Riaz was aiming for. Taking this approach, four 16 Ohm speakers per channel were chained in parallel; therefore impedance matching the load down to 4 Ohms and optimising system performance and quality.

The system

The wrap

To maximise flexibility the audio system for Mythos Irene was divided up into three distinct zones which include outside, inside right and inside left.

Antwerp, Belgium-based Apart Audio components were selected for their robust construction, high power and high quality sound. Apart Audio offers such contractor audio solutions as automatic level controllers, mixing, power and modular amplifiers,

Restaurant audio is a tricky affair which differs from other installations for the simple reason that background music is there to create the atmosphere and not be too upfront.

After all, no restaurant owner wants any of their customers to be short-changed in any way, and that includes soaking in the vibe. Complete control of all the relevant zones and a high fidelity system, therefore, must be of paramount consideration and considering what R & F AV and iLED have done at Mythos, I doubt any patron will leave dissatisfied for years to come.

Photos by Greg Bester

Installations Venue Solution

Just wild about new VIP club upgrade Club installations, which at first might seem like straightforward affairs, can be just as challenging as installations at large-scale venues, writes Greg Bester. Of course, they share many of the same obstacles, namely adequate coverage, volume concerns, aesthetics and budget constraints, but nonetheless the challenges remain meeting the needs of the client and delivering an effective product. After all, the client may not always be right, but he is definitely king.

Wild and Marr have an enviable track record for supplying great hardware, masterfully installed, to a wide variety of clients from stadia to small basement clubs. Their list of brands is also impressive, including (but not limited to) JBL, Crown, BSS, Lexicon, Soundcraft and DBX. So given the fact that their brands cover the entire spectrum of system components needed to accomplish a complete install, it is no wonder that they were called upon to install the sound and lighting at the VIP Room at the Michaelangelo Towers in Sandton, Johannesburg.

The VIP Room is an ‘intimate 300 square metre space designed with a special form of luxurious informality’ located in the centre of Sandton’s business district. Considering the velvet covered walls and chic, glossy feel of the fixtures, the overall ambiance and finish of the club is clearly high profile and therefore required a delicate touch and focussed execution.

Neville Rumble, Executive Sales Consultant at Wild and Marr, was kind enough to meet me at the VIP Room to run me through the planning, challenges and execution of the audio and lighting installation.

Sound The VIP Room is basically a small to medium sized club with multiple rooms that offshoot the dance floor and bar area, which is the first

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space presented to you when descending into the club. The main specification when installing the audio system was to be powerful enough to get bodies moving but also discrete enough to be out of sight. For this reason, a single JBL VRX 932LAs was positioned on each extreme quadrant of the dance floor to supply a focussed, powerful sound while being hidden by the flat black finish of the ceiling.

Neville explains: “The reason we used the VRX 932LAs is because we had a ceiling height issue and we wanted to keep them out of the way. You barely even notice them, to be honest. ” For subwoofers, two JBL SRX728 dual-18” enclosures were cleverly installed into the front façade of the DJ booth, hiding them nicely and giving them the perfect position to supply pounding bass to dancing club attendees. For powering the main system, two Crown MA-5000i amplifiers were employed.

For the DJ booth, only top of the line equipment was the accepted approach. Two Pioneer CDJ2000 CD players and a Pioneer DJM2000 mixer were installed, along with a single JBL PRX-615M for a booth monitor and a Shure SLX/SM58 wireless microphone system.

Of course, the dance floor was not the only space in the club requiring sound so therefore a distributed audio system was specified for various zones, particularly in the private rooms that offshoot the main dance floor. For these areas Neville chose to utilise – at the approval of his client – wall and ceiling mounted JBL Control series speakers coupled to Crown XLS Drivecore amplifiers for maximum sound quality given the tight spaces to work in.

Venue Solution Installations “We use Control 25AVs all over the place. I prefer the wall-mounts; they sound a lot better but [the client] insisted on putting in ceiling mounts where they could. They would have had ceiling mount speakers everywhere but there was no space in [certain areas]. It’s always a compromise on what you want to do and what the client wants to do,” Neville explains.

For system control a BSS BLU-100 series audio management processor was employed with two expansion units, supplying 12 inputs and 16 outputs. Two control panels were installed; one BLU-10 touch panel controller at the rack and one BLU-3 wall mount panel in the main entrance of the club. From these panels, volume levels for each zone in the club can be selected and controlled.

Lighting Lighting the dance floor in the VIP Room is straightforward and uncomplicated. Four Robe Colour Spot 250s with moving heads were installed at each quadrant of the dance floor and Martin Light Jockey lighting control software was employed for lighting scheme configuration.

The wrap Wild and Marr have an excellent reputation for professional, effective, and client-pleasing installations and the VIP club is no exception. From the high-power sound system, to the streamlined distribution of audio to the various zones, to the minimalist yet effective lighting, I’m sure their client and club attendees are more than happy with the results and will be for years to come.

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Installations Venue Solution

Photo by Claire Badenhorst

Freedom Park is on a roll with giant screen

By Geny Caloisi

Freedom Park, an important heritage destination in South Africa, boasts a brand new Lighthouse SkyRoll VideoBlades LED screen.

Located in Pretoria, Freedom Park is a memorial that narrates the story of South Africa’s pre-colonial, colonial, apartheid and postapartheid history and heritage, spanning a period of 3.6 billion years of humanity. It acknowledges those who contributed to the freedom of the country.

AV installer specialist Systems Solutions was in charge of providing and installing the impressive roll-up LED screen.

Roger Feldmann, Systems Solutions’ general manager explains: “Freedom Park requested a solution to provide an outdoor LED screen at the Sanctuary. This is an outdoor amphitheatre, with an eternal flame located in the middle of the fountain. The eternal flame pays tribute to the unknown and unsung heroes and heroines. The flame is under cover under a bridge-like structure and is flanked on the left by rectangular ribbon stone.

“This amphitheatre has been used many times before for outdoor events. Typically for these events the fountain was drained and an outdoor LED screen with a PA system was erected temporarily in the drained fountain area. Due to the popularity of using this venue for events, the park called for proposals to install a permanent solution.”

Since the space under the bridge structure varies in height depending on whether there is water or not, the solution needed a screen that could expand and retract easily. It also needed to be light enough not to damage the supporting building.

The Sky Roll VideoBlades LED screen has a 12.5 mm pixel pitch definition and a density of 6 400 pixels per square meter, producing a brightness of 6 500 nits, ideal for bright outdoor light. The screen deploys down from overhead with a smooth motor on the edge.

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As it comes pre-configured from the factory only a minimal number of electrical and mechanical connections are required to operate the system. The blades are supported by an integrated truss sub-structure, which minimises the time of the truck packing with minimum wear and tear.

The screen is 6m wide by 3.37m high (16:9 aspect ratio). Each video blade measures 1m wide by 0.7m high. The screen image is processed using a proprietary LED screen processor called a blade runner.

Feldmann says: “We have installed an FSR Indie 400 high performance video scalar. This is an HD, high performance video scaler, scan converter, switcher and transcoder in one. The INDIE is the ideal solution for converting any video signal, such as RGB, HDTV, component, s-video, composite and HD/SDI; into a user-selectable video format. The INDIE supports a wide variety of analogue and digital output formats including broadcast and VESA standards along with many native plasma formats and outputs DVI to the blade runner.”

The screen is operated remotely using a handheld remote control device. But visitors to Freedom Park are not only delighted with the bright images on the screen; their ears are also tended for thanks to a weatherproof JBL AMX 6315 /95 PA system. There is one on each side of the screen linked to a Crown XTI 6002 amplifier.

“The PA system was cleverly incorporated into the installation by extending the truss to the left and right of the screen,” recalls Feldmann, “the loudspeakers are concealed in these extensions.

“The screen linked with the PA is used primarily for displaying feeds from outside broadcast vans during live events, however now that the client has seen the versatility they are even thinking about using it as a fanpark for upcoming sporting events,” concludes Feldmann.

This outdoor screen can be used at public events, which contributes to social cohesion by underpinning Freedom Park’s commitment to its values of tolerance of diversity, inclusivity, trust, transparency and accountability.

Photo by Greg Bester

Installations Venue Solution

Heavenly install is perfecto

By Greg Bester

The Perfecting Church in Longdale, Johannesburg, like any other large scale church, has very specific audio requirements to meet the demands of its massive 4 000-seater sanctuary. The sanctuary itself is about 70 metres wide so the challenges presented when installing a sound system is myriad, the main focuses of course being coverage, high quality sound reinforcement and not to mention a console that is fairly easy to use.

Long-time industry stalwarts Tadco were called upon to provide audio installation services to the Perfecting Church sanctuary. Perry Elias and Josh Oates were kind enough to meet me there to discuss the installation of the Nexo Geo S1210 and Digico SD9 system that was selected.

“The whole dive here is to get them into a fully digital domain using MADI streams because,” Perry comments, “it interfaces to almost any pro kit with a MADI interface. It’s two BNC cables and Bob’s your uncle.”

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Hardware Starting with the console, a Digico SD9 was selected for its comprehensive feature set, digital processing and preferred MADI compatibility. The church’s on-stage setup requires a minimum of 24 channels, making the SD9 the logical choice since it is medium format and supports 48 inputs of what Digico calls Flexi Channels (mono or stereo). This also leaves room for expansion if they ever do need additional channels.

A 32-channel D-Rack was then employed, which is a 32x16 remote box connected via CAT5 cable, utilising the MADI protocol to and from the console. The microphone snake from the stage is split via three Klark Teknik Square 1 splitters for FOH and monitoring to a Yamaha M7, which feeds a combination of Nexo PS15 and LAX wedges (for the vocals) on stage.

The loudspeaker system selected for the sanctuary is a Nexo Geo S1210 line array. Nexo has a fantastic reputation worldwide for delivering rock solid performance, reliability and utmost audio quality.

Indeed, their Alpha systems are legendary and many live music venues would not have fared the same without them. Quite simply, they are warm, inviting speakers that are comfortable to listen to in almost any application.

For the main FOH system, four arrays were flown to achieve maximum coverage. Each side therefore garnered two arrays; an outer with six S1210s and an inner with three S1210s. The purpose of this configuration was to supply centre – fill from the two inner arrays on a centre bus and a left and right bus for the outer arrays, giving absolute control of each specific coverage zone’s levels.

For the outer arrays the 120 degree non-coupling waveguide configuration was selected to properly cover what is an extremely wide sanctuary, measuring in at around 70 metres. However, the width of the room was not the only obstacle.

Perry explains: “It was quite challenging installing this line array because the room is not perfectly symmetrical. It looks symmetrical but it’s not. The software measurements just gave us a guideline but you need to practice some common sense. Nothing beats your ears.”

For low-end reinforcement, four Nexo Alpha S2 subwoofers were employed; two of each per side. Granted, these are now oldermodel subwoofers in the Nexo line but there is no doubting the quality and low frequency extension of these dual-18” enclosures. After all, with a peak SPL of 140dB and a frequency response of 32 to 64Hz, they are a pretty good match for the S1210s which extend from 19kHz down to 53Hz. In any case, the S2s are only biding time until phase two of the installation, set to go ahead later in 2013, where four brand new Nexo RS15 subwoofers will replace them. The RS15s extend from 200Hz to 35Hz in omni or 150Hz to 35Hz in directional mode, therefore giving a

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wider range of crossover options. They have a peak SPL of around 139dB which is quite similar performance to the S2s.

Powering the main system comes courtesy of only two Nexo NXAMP 4x4 DSP-loaded amplifiers, which are among some of the most powerful the industry has to offer. In a nutshell, these amplifiers can drive a maximum 8 000W per side in a stereo setup (16 000W total) all the way down to 2Ohms, incorporating two dual-core 24-bit fix point DSP chips with 56-bit accumulators for system processing.

There are a variety of configurations that can be selected because these are essentially four in/four out amplifiers but in the case of Tadco at the Perfecting Church, one NXAMP was selected to drive the S2 subs and another to drive the main arrays in LCR configuration.

For monitoring a variety of high quality amplifiers were employed.

For the LAX vocal monitors, an LAX MPA4450 was the logical choice and for the other two LAX monitors, a Behringer EP1500. Two Crown Macrotech 3600VZs – each with their own Nexo PS15 TD controller – run the pastor’s dual Nexo PS15s and the keyboard/organ monitors in stereo.

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Walkaround After the gist of the system had been revealed to me I was played a selection of modern gospel music at a level that was typical of a service. Immediately I was met with the warm, inviting sound that Nexo has become known for. The low end extension of the system really presented itself strongly, but not in an obtrusive way. Rather, it was full and commanding with the impression that it could pound the chest if need be. The mid-range was smooth, too, and there were very little spectral artefacts that caused my ears to prick. This mated very nicely with the top end, which was crisp and shiny and seemed to ’glow’ from the four arrays.

Gathering my initial impressions, I set out to listen to the coverage consistency of the system. I made my rounds, listening for dropouts, phase seams and spectral issues. Indeed the low end coverage of the system was very consistent and I could feel the bass nicely from end to end of the sanctuary. The spectral consistency was also very good but I did notice a slight increase in volume when I arrived at around 60 degrees off-axis due to the larger arrays being orientated there, but this is expected if you’re sitting directly in front of them.

Travelling to the outer extremes to around 120 degrees off axis, the volume dropped off again but I expected as much because these seats are pretty far behind the front of the stage at that point. These are the challenges a very wide room presents. Otherwise I found that the system was set up as well as one could ask for in a room such as this and Tadco, Perry and his team had clearly done a fantastic job in rigging and configuring the system.

Advanced Video Presentation Technology

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Installations Venue Solution

Creating charismatic lighting & audio for churches

By Greg Bester

Church lighting and audio systems installation is no small business. Indeed, for many of the bigger churches there are often thousands of people to cater for and therefore it is important for their facility to cater to a wide variety of needs from general Sunday services, to youth gatherings, to devotionals and special events.

A flexible lighting and audio system is required for churches; one that is powerful, future-proof, and effective enough to make sure that no one leaves feeling like their experience was compromised in any way.

The ACTS Charismatic Church is a thriving, constantly growing congregation which has recently opened new premises in Midrand and the new 2 800-seater auditorium, of course, called for specific audio and lighting requirements. Prosound was the logical choice for the new installation of the staging, audio and lighting systems, as their relationship with the church spanned back five years when they supplied said systems for the church’s previous sanctuary.

Lighting One of the main goals of the lighting system, as specified by Pastor Peter for the ACTS church, was to facilitate multiple lighting zones, depending on the application of the meeting.

It is no use, for instance, to light the entire auditorium if only a small section of it is being used. Since Prosound was responsible for the previous installation (ETC Source fixtures and trussing were used), they were called upon once again to offer their services for the house lighting design, overseen by Ian Blair, general manager of T&A Lighting, Prosound’s lighting division.

Working closely with the ACTS planning and design team, they constructed custom lighting schematics which specified the individual lighting schemes for each section of the sanctuary. For starters, 103 ETC Source 4 Par Fixtures – 60 with extra wide lenses – were installed, along with a Zero88 Chill 24 x 16A dimmer.

For the stage, the focus was to create broadcast quality lighting.

Thirty ETC Source4 Pars and six ETC Source4 fixed focus profiles were implemented and controlled by an ETC Congo Kid lighting console with 48 channels of Zero88 Chill dimmers. Additionally, full trussing was supplied for FOH and an I Light HF Ballast dimmer with DMX cards were installed to control the dimming of the fluorescent lights in the

cry room, situated behind several panes of plate glass. Impressively, the ACTS Church Team was always on site to lend a hand with the installation.

Pastor Peter enthusiastically lent a helping hand, often seen brandishing a soldering iron. He has a background in audio, is no stranger to technical happenings and was a huge part of the driving force of this project.

Audio For the ACTS Church audio system Meyer Sound was selected for its fantastic build quality, reliability and legendary sound. Front of house is covered by 12 Meyer Sound JM1P self-powered enclosures which were selected for three point source arrays – left, centre and right.

Despite not being classed as a line array, the JM1P enclosures are designed to be used in either traditional stacked or flown configuration and are thus termed ‘arrayable loudspeakers’. They have a very accurate and predictable response in both the frequency and dispersion categories and after comparing the predicted response by Meyer Sound’s MAPP online acoustic prediction software to the actual response, it was found to be almost exact. Prosound’s technical director, Mark Malherbe, had a huge hand in configuring the system and he worked very closely with the ACTS planning and design team.

For front fills, four Meyer Sound UPJunior UltraCompact VariO self-powered loudspeakers were selected for their small footprint, and fantastic short throw response. For low frequency reproduction, four ground-stacked (two per side) Meyer Sound 600-HP compact, high power subwoofer enclosures were selected. Each enclosure incorporates dual 15” cone drivers and is rated to 1200 watts (AES; driven continuously for two hours with a band-limited noise signal having a 6dB peak-to-average ratio) and delivers a peak SPL of 138dB. A Midas Pro3 with its fantastic sound quality, ergonomic workflow and advanced audio routing and network capabilities was selected for FOH control. Supplementing the Pro3, a DL317 DSP unit was supplied along with a DL251 stage box, supplying 48 send and four return channels. This system can be upgraded to a Pro9 eventually if need be, offering 88 inputs by upgrading the control surface, stage box and DSP without too much expense, which was attractive to the ACTS team.

Finally, system processing comes courtesy of a Midas Galileo 408, which offers four input, eight output operation, complete with a very flexible routing matrix and distributed through a 10/100 Ethernet network.

The wrap

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The main goal of any installation is to offer the audience a streamlined, exciting and hiccup-free performance. Each system should be user friendly, easy to operate and deliver the specifications of the client. Given what Prosound has done at the ACTS church and given their previous successes, it is clear they were the right company for the job and delivered a professional and effective result.

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LIVE EVENTs INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY EXPERT

Dave Rat interview

Photo courtesy Dave Rat

By Greg Bester

January 2013 saw the arrival of California funk-rock icons the Red Hot Chili Peppers to South African shores – a first for all involved – and as usual, they brought along their career-long sound engineer and friend Dave Rat to handle FOH duties. Dave Rat is a world renowned live sound engineer, system designer, and sound consultant whose client list has included the likes of Rage Against the Machine, Blink 182, The Offspring, and, of course, the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

He also holds two patents for the EAW MicroWedge stage monitor and the Ratsniffer cable tester, owns an audio rental, sales and installation company called Ratsound, has been a contributor to various audio publications and runs a blog called Roadies in the Mist. To say he is a busy man that immerses himself in all things sound is a vast understatement.

I had an opportunity to catch up with Dave at the Intercontinental Hotel in Sandton to discuss his techniques, views and philosophies and to pick his brain on audio. Here’s what he had to say.

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– A red hot mix

INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY EXPERT LIVE EVENTs Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, Dave. Did you have a good time last night? What did you think of the venue?

I did, it was fun. It was big! I heard the place holds 85 000 and we were set up to sell 60 000ish and I’m not sure, but it was close to sold out. It’s a big venue, man. We’ve done a couple of those. We did one in France that’s a little bit bigger, but it’s a giant stadium.

What inspired you to become a sound engineer? Did you always want to be one or did you stumble into it?

I never wanted to be a sound engineer! It wasn’t even something that dawned on me. I just wanted to design speaker cabinets because I like to build things. I would test them out, see if they blow, and set the limiters and crossovers, try to get them to sound good, and then we would rent them out and do some shows with them.

Being a sound company owner first, a lot of bands would come through without an engineer, at least early on, so I ended up mixing a bunch of shows. That was great because I could test all the designs out. So I did a lot of local engineering. I started out doing some stuff with Black Flag and I was Jane’s Addiction’s first sound engineer when they were a local club band. Then they went on tour and they asked me to go and said no. I didn’t want to tour. I gave the gig to a friend of mine and he went out and toured with them. They became real popular. I did that with several bands in the late 80s.

Are you still involved in speaker cabinet design?

Not as much as I’d like. I still do the Soundtools stuff with the Ratsniffer and that’s kind of what’s lingering on but I still do consulting with EAW very actively. With touring the cabinet design kind of goes on the

back burner when I leave. With Soundtools I’m able to keep designs running but probably the biggest time sponge for me is engineering and running the business.

You do a lot of seminars while you’re on tour. Is this something you’re passionate about?

Yeah, that’s really exciting. When I’m home and I’m designing stuff and running the company and when I’m in my world, I’m pretty happy. I’ve got all my tools and all the things I like to do like surfing and hanging out with my daughters. But I love touring and traveling so I do sporadic sound engineering jobs just for fun, to keep my chops up and to see what new gear is out there. The Chili Peppers is the only band where I’ll really take a full world tour and commit time to. But it’s tough. It takes me away from home, it takes me away from designing gear, it takes me away from the company and it’s mixing a show, which is somebody else’s project. So I wanted to bring something into the touring world that was challenging, unique, and fun for me. So the idea of seminars and sharing some knowledge came about. I don’t think anyone has really ever done that before as in a touring engineer totally autonomously setting up a seminar on tour. It’s like I’m doing my own little gigs.

Can you tell me about your double hung PA? Is that something you still do or do you mix on a standard rig these days?

I did that with a V-DOSC rig on the last tour. There were two driving forces behind it. First of all, the manager of the Chili Peppers asked me and the lighting designer to do something unique to make the Pepper’s show special. So I put some thought into it and came up

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Photo courtesy Big Concerts

LIVE EVENTs INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY EXPERT

with the double hung rig in order to address two angles of sound reproduction. These are the fundamental theories that I talk about in the seminar which is that nowhere in nature does the same sound radiate from multiple places, and the corollary to that, where nowhere in nature do multiple unrelated sounds radiate from the same place. With home stereos and live rigs we take all these sounds and crush them into one radiating point, which is very unnatural. For the first time in history we have line arrays which are long slender rigs that cover wide areas so I can have two identical rigs side by side and cover almost identical area with it. So I can put the guitar on the outside, guitar on the inside, bass on the outside, bass on the inside, I can put anything anywhere. It creates a whole new dimension of realism.

Is it two stereo rigs or are you using a mono and stereo bus together?

No, it’s quad, so four separate channels. Basically there would be inner left, inner right, outer left, outer right, all on separate sends. Then for both out-hangs there’s mono inner, mono outer and then for the two center clusters, there’s a mono left and a mono right, so there’s a lot of matrixing involved. That allows me to change the width; I can have the guitars on the inside and the vocals on the outside, I can move things between, I can put everything on the inside or outside, so it gives me this new space to work in. Even though the rigs are fairly close together, the ability to decipher spatial placement is really good. The other advantage of that system is that it addresses inter-modulation distortion, which is the difficulty of a loudspeaker to reproduce complex signals. The simpler the signal, the easier time it has reproducing it. At low volumes, speakers can reproduce fairly complex signals. At high volumes, when they reach the mechanical limits of their coverage, two similar tones will inter modulate each other and you will get distortion. So I divide it up. I put bass and guitar in the outsides. The bass is mainly in the fifteens and the guitar is mainly in the sixes and twos so they don’t fight with each other too much. The result is lots of clarity. Then I put the vocals, kick and bass into the inside rig. So the vocals are super clean without modulation from the bass or guitar.

Is L-Acoustics your go-to PA? Yeah. Pretty much. I prefer it because I’m familiar with it; I can get the same rig all over the world and it sounds identical everywhere I go.

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I read about you using polarity to increase monitoring clarity. Is this something you still do?

The concept is summations and cancellations. When you have two signals coming from two different points, by paying careful attention to polarity throughout the audio chain you can create summations or cancellations and gain a lot more control over what we’re doing by understanding the fundamentals.

So does this go beyond simple polarity flipping on the console?

For example, if the bass player asks for more bass in the wedges, fair enough, you turn it up in the wedges. The wedge might be polarity reversed to the bass rig. If it’s out of polarity, it will be loud at the wedge, loud at the rig, and cancelled in between. That’s a huge problem. Very rarely do I see a monitor engineer paying attention to polarity between the bass rig and wedge. Once you envision that whole structure, you can really clean up and eliminate all those gremlins and improve the quality of the presentation. The core concepts are polarity, time and distance.

Can you go into some detail about your cardioid subwoofer arrays?

Does your approach differ from what has now become quite popular with cardioid subwoofer configurations?

Which part? As far as spinning a speaker around backwards?

Yes. It’s the same thing; polarity, time and distance. Basically most of them are end fire arrays, like L-Acoustics. When sound comes out the rear speaker the sound-wave spreads. Sound comes out the front speaker, combines with the rear and the result is additive in the front with cancellation in the rear. The distance is fixed; the time is adjusted at the front so you get summation and the signal is left in polarity. The exact same theory applies to many audio situations. With cardioid subwoofer arrays you’re trying to accomplish several things. One is coverage pattern, usually expanded horizontally. You want to minimise interaction; you want to get rid of power ally, you want to minimise cancellation nodes, like having an array that’s directional but fanned outward. Then you want to determine why you want cancellation behind [the stage]. Are there neighbours behind? Is production office behind?

What kind of processing do you use on live drums?

I don’t compress individual drums. I take the kick and snare, put them into a stereo group and compress the group. I take toms, put them into a stereo group and compress the group. I take the round things made of metal, put them into a stereo group and compress the group.

What’s your go-to compressor for that?

I use a lot of compressors but my go-to utility ones are the BSS DPR-404, which is a quad, single rack space unit. Nothing special about it. I just like the way they sound and they’re fairly high density.

I’ve got twelve channels and I use them on everything. I also use an Empirical Labs Distressor on keyboards and stereo Distressor on the percussion. I would use 404s but we ran out of them.

What do you look for in a compressor?

That it doesn’t screw up the sound! Also, the main thing I’m looking for in a compressor is the metering; if the gain reduction looks like what I expect it to. There are some compressors where the meter doesn’t move at all and I can hear drastic changes. There are others where the meter is working a whole bunch and I can’t hear anything. So I want to see some correlation between what I expect to hear and what the meter is saying.

How do you approach bass? Do you use a mic and DI? I always take a minimum of two channels but I try to take three. I take a clean line right off the bass, a line after all the effects before the bass rig, and a mic as well. I don’t use the clean very often; maybe if they run their crappy effects or they run it really dirty and I don’t have a clean low sub. In that case I’ll pick the subwoofer send off of the clean.

The rest of the sound will come off the dirty channel and mic. I use a Beta 98a on the bass cab.

What is your vocal chain?

I use Distressors on all the vocals on the channel inserts. That kind of grabs them all so they play well with each other. Then I run them all into a stereo group.

Have you ever worked in studio or have you always been a live guy?

Early on. There was so much detail; it was like you went over and over to make everything perfect and I was never perfect. Live was just so much fun because perfection didn’t matter. What matters is the excitement and the moment. The flaws don’t matter. I liked the spontaneity. You can have the most exciting show and have a bunch of different issues and that’s ok. You can have everything pristinely perfect too and have it be boring. There’s a wildcard beyond technology that has to do with the energy of the artist connection with the artist.

What advice would you give to up and coming engineers in 2013 in South Africa?

Well it’s tough here because you have a limited touring market. It’s the age old thing. If you want to be an actor, you go to New York and LA. You gotta go to the big city if you want to swim with the big fish. Get your chops up and jump into it. There’s a lot of competition no matter where you are. Successful people are the ones that are willing to approach any challenge, and no matter what goes wrong they look at the bright side, roll through it and then keep going. The people that fail tend to be the ones that are always looking for the reasons why they can’t succeed or always point out the issues. Issues are just challenges.

Finally, what’s been your favourite part of being in South Africa?

We had a great time in the lion park! I got to hug a cheetah! That was interesting. For me it’s such a remote place. I’ve been all over the world but it definitely has a unique feel to it. Everyone is super nice and friendly. There’s this kind of general feeling of open friendliness here.

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Photos courtesy Prolight + Sound

LIVE EVENTs PROLIGHT + SOUND

Prolight + sound preview

Trade shows are vital to any industry. They give manufacturers an opportunity to showcase their best wares and enable agents, distributors, buyers, and every day customers to get their hands on the latest products, not to mention to get a taste for what’s coming next: the cutting edge, so to speak.

The trade show concept is not a new one and has in fact been going on for centuries, most notably in Europe, a place where countless travellers and merchants have crossed paths for millennia, hoping to sell their goods and to bring home their fortune.

One of these places of cross pollination is Frankfurt, Germany and with its rich history as being an epicentre for the medieval fares of old, it has positioned itself as the premiere city of modern exchange, bolstered in no small part by Messe Frankfurt GmbH, the seminal trade fair company that calls it home.

Of course, Messe Frankfurt holds many trade shows year round, but there is only one that we are interested in here. It is, of course, Prolight and Sound, the largest trade fair of its kind in the world where the event technology, systems integration, AV media, production, broadcasting, and recording sectors come together to demo their new gear and to increase their network. Let’s take a look at what’s happening in this coming year.

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The Halls From 10 to 13 April, 2013 Prolight and Sound will welcome over 850 exhibitors and over 40 000 visitors to their Messe grounds to take part in the world’s largest lighting and sound exposition in existence.

Messe Frankurt, which translates literally to ‘Frankfurt Trade Fair’, is a massive complex of exhibition halls collectively called the Frankfurt Trade Fair grounds in the Bockenheim and Westend-Sud districts, a stone’s throw from the city centre.

Altogether there are 11 exhibition halls, a central logistics centre, and an attached convention centre, totalling a gargantuan 578 000 square meters in exhibition space. Prolight and Sound is, of course, run concurrently with MusikMesse, Europe’s largest Music Technology trade fair, in order to complement their attendees.

Hall 8.0 (Messe designates a decimal to their halls; a zero indicating the main hall and further numbers indicating supplemental or adjoining halls) will comprise the Audio and Sound Systems exhibitions. These exhibits include portable, concert and installed sound systems, network audio, production and broadcasting systems, mobile loudspeaker systems, and accessories.

Hall 9.0 will be the exhibition space for Light and Stage, including theatre, studio and stage lighting, staging, trussing, and rigging systems, plus video and display technology exhibits. Adjoining the Light and Stage group in Hall 9.1 is the newly added Light and Sound Systems, International Sourcing exhibition space, which comprehensively includes theatre, studio and stage lighting, staging, trussing and rigging systems, displays, video, portable, concert and installed sound, microphones, networks, production and broadcasting and accessories. The ‘International Sourcing’ designation was affixed in a streamlining attempt by the organisers to make it easier for visitors to find exhibitors according to their groups and is focussed on Asian manufacturers.

In the Messe’s newest hall, Hall 11.0, we will see a dedicated

exhibition space for Light and Effects. This includes any and all technology relating to show and stage lighting, lighting design, installation, lasers and effects, and trussing and rigging systems.

PROLIGHT + SOUND LIVE EVENTs

The Conference Formerly called the Information and Training event, the organisers of Prolight and Sound have renamed it this year to the Prolight + Sound Conference, which will be held in Hall 9.1 and the Cosmopolitan Lounge of Hall 9.0.

The conference will comprise three main sections: event technology, media systems, and VDT (Verband Deutsher Tonmeister – the Association of German Sound Engineers) Academy. The conference includes lectures, presentations and symposia by speakers in the mediatechnology field which will focus on knowledge gained from personal and applied experience, along with AV media technology and systems integration product solutions and services. Other topics of discussion will include event security, legalities, regulations, and training options.

Event Plaza Event Plaza is the three-day conference and trade exhibition held in the “Granat” Room in Hall 11 focussing on lectures and talks by speakers with practical experience in the field, disseminating ideas based on trends, strategies, expertise and impulse. This event is geared toward the event-management sector and includes the first ever International Safety Conference (I-ESC) starting on day one, held in the Portalhaus building of the Exhibition Centre from 11h00 to 18h00 daily.

Specific topics to be covered by the I-ESC include innovations in fire protection, technical safety, and safety models for fairs and exhibitions.

Exhibitors in this field, while being found in both halls, will also be located in a special section of the foyer of Hall 11.0, findable through the “Quickfinder”.

Outdoor Exhibition Area Just as we have seen with our local Mediatech trade show, Prolight and Sound will include an outdoor section where concert and portable sound system manufacturers will exhibit their products in the Concert Sound Arena and the Portable Sound Arena, respectively.

The aim here is to give full demonstrations of these products when operating in real-world conditions. Also included in the outdoor area are the ever-expanding group of manufacturers of large portable display systems, mobile stages, and tenting systems.

Awards Ceremonies Two major award ceremonies will be taking place during the duration of Prolight and Sound. The first is Opus, the German Stage Award, which awards outstanding creative work in stage productions. The second is Sinus, the Systems Integration Award, which is presented for the unique and creative integration of media technology in buildings and projects.

This will be the tenth such award given.

The Wrap As said previously, MusikMesse will be held concurrently with Prolight + Sound. These two expos suit each other perfectly because, as one would expect, technology from both camps overlap nicely. For this reason, ticketholders from either side are entitled to attend either event, which is certainly a plus, and the admission price also includes a second class travel ticket on local public transport. With all of this to do, and all of that to see, this year’s Prolight and Sound is set to be the most exciting yet and I, for one, can’t wait to get there. Bon voyage!

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Photo courtesy steveaoki.com

LIVE EVENTs PRODUCT REVIEW

D.A.S. – making waves in the array market

In today’s loudspeaker systems market there are myriad contenders that offer varied quality and performance, rendering a purchase decision quite daunting, writes Greg Bester.

Line array technology and popularity has seen massive growth over the past decade or so and has virtually pushed point source and traditional touring systems to the sidelines for large scale events.

This is largely due to the fact that line arrays are easier to rig, have smaller footprints, are scalable, and if properly engineered, can provide clear, powerful sound to a large audience with ease. Not to mention the fact that audience coverage can be finely tuned with line array calculation software and adjustments made on the fly either physically, or via DSP. These are just some of the advantages that line arrays offer, so it’s easy to see why they are so popular, why so many companies now manufacture them and why so many more AV companies are purchasing them.

One manufacturer that has been making waves (pun intended) and has posed themselves as a serious competitor in the line array market has been the Valencia, Spain-based company D.A.S. Audio.

DAS has supplied high quality pro audio equipment to the pro audio community for the past 40 years and has grown from a small audio laboratory, which started out supplying sound systems for the emerging dance club scene in Spain in the early 70s, to the global force that it is today. With headquarters in Valencia spanning 24 000 square metres and their network of distributors spanning the globe, DAS is now truly a force of audio technology to be reckoned with.

South African DAS distributor Complete Event Solutions has also been making waves of late – literally – by supplying the audio systems for H20 2012 at Wild Waters in Boksburg, along with the many other events they cater for year round. I had a chance to catch up with CES technical manager Leslie Wahl and managing director Dylan Bridle at Wild Waters to check out their flagship DAS line array rig for the main stage, to talk shop, and to take a listen.

First impressions Arriving at Wild Waters and parking my car, I was warmly greeted by Leslie and his team and then given a quick demonstration of the system. Having personally had experience with DAS rigs (big and small) for the past 10 years, I knew that they would have no problem producing the volume that is needed for such a dance event where

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big bass and a smooth mid-range is a must.

You can’t have a rig up there spilling out uncomfortable frequencies at the volumes needed to get peoples’ hips gyrating and their heads bobbing. What you need is a rig that can comfortably push 115dB without becoming strident or piercing and, of course, the bass needs to be full and chest pounding. Before I get into the specifics of the system, suffice it to say that this is a large format line array with lots of power and is comprised of (mostly) current DAS products.

A wide variety of music was played for me from the typical dance music that would be the focus of the event to UB40 and Sade to showcase the versatility of the system. My first impression was that the bass was definitely large and in charge, but not uncomfortably so. It was, shall we say ’bumped’.

Given that this is a dance event where there will be lots of bodies soaking up both pressure and water waves, I could understand why this approach was taken. Speaking about the low end dispersion, Bridle remarked: “We’re not allowed to go too loud so we’re trying to stop the bass here,” as he pointed to the edge of the wave pool.

Interestingly, this is exactly what I noticed while taking my initial walk-around because as I stepped towards the fringe of the water, I noticed an appreciable drop in bass. I would say their aim was achieved.

Addressing the mid-range, I felt it was smooth, unobtrusive and clear. There were no uncomfortable frequencies in the upper registers either, and I stood impressed at the overall listening comfortability of the system at the volume at which it was presented. There are many line arrays – cheap and expensive – that tend to have an ugly bark in this range and this system clearly did not have it. The top end too was

pleasant, not fatiguing, and brought out that highly sought-after ‘airy’ vocal quality.

Finally coverage of the main dance zone was consistent and broad with very little phase interference and minimal spectral dropouts. When walking to the outer extremes of the main dance zone, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the reproduction of the music suffered very little from end to end as the top end and mid-range retained its clarity and the bass remained fairly consistent.

This system, for all intents and purposes, was clearly set up correctly.

info@ephproductions.co.za www.ephproductions.co.za 012-345 5303 082 924 9046

Nitty gritty DAS systems were selected for all the entertainment areas of H20, from the main stage to the surrounding supplemental dance zones.

The main stage was outfitted with eight of DAS’s large format Aero50s per side as the core system, and then adaption frames loaded with four self-powered Aero 12As per side were fitted to the bottom of each array to supply near fill.

Powering the Aero 50 boxes came courtesy of Lab Gruppen, with one 10 000Q model being used per two Aero 50 boxes, albeit running at around 60% power. Completing the mid-high system, two self-powered Aero-28 eight-inch line array boxes were positioned on top of the center subwoofers for centre fill.

For the low end, two models of subwoofers were used to supply the pounding bass that was going to be necessary for the night ahead.

First, 12 dual 18” LX-218 subwoofers per side were positioned under each main array. These boxes are part of DAS’s current Aero range and, to my ears, provided the very low stuff where sub-synths and bass drops reside. These boxes extend all the way down to 28Hz from 100Hz! Then, to supplement the LX-218s, twelve older model dual 18” horn-loaded ST-218s were positioned at centre stage. These boxes extend from 300 to 35Hz so, to my ears, this is where the chest pounding, ‘thuddy’ 100 to 200Hz frequencies were emanating from.

They made, in my opinion, a great marriage with the otherwise ‘lower register’ LX-218 boxes and filled in the gaps nicely. Crown Macrotech and MC² E100 amplifiers were chosen to power the subwoofers.

Speaker management and system DSP duties were handled by two DAS DSP processors: one DSP-4080 eight-way controller running the Aero 50s and the subs in four-way system configuration, and one DSP-2060A running the Aero 28s and the Aero 12s. The system was configured to be as flat as possible with virtually no EQ being applied at the program level, which is testament to just how good this system sounds without any processing.

In conclusion It’s easy to think that there are very few line array manufacturers out there who are getting it right. What we really want, after all, is a system that doesn’t require too much trickery and fiddling to supply high quality sound and one that is also easy to set up and utilise. Once you get over the hype and mass marketing that we sift through on a daily basis all that is left to do is to simply listen with your ears. An answer will come.

Well, I can tell you, that after taking a listen to CES’s DAS rig with my own ears, the honest answer is that it is excellent! I have no qualms at all about calling this a fantastic sounding, good value, high quality line array system that will stand up confidently to any of the competition. CES has certainly chosen their products wisely and I am confident they will be making many more feet stomp and heads bob for years to come.

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LIVE EVENTs SHOW REPORT

Photos courtesy Channel O

Channel O Music Video Awards continue to evolve in Soweto

Last November the ninth annual Channel O Music Video Awards, an event dedicated solely to African artists, took place on Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto. Put together for the seventh year in succession by production company Don’t Look Down and supplier AV Unlimited, it took place in a purpose-built SUPA dome, which housed the biggest LED screen ever in South Africa; and opened its doors to the general public for the first time. Paul Watson reports.

Although he admits it’s always quite an undertaking, Don’t Look Down’s executive producer (and producer for the event and broadcast), Glenn van Loggerenberg, says all key personnel involved in the Channel O MVAs are among the best in South Africa, providing serious peace of mind.

Van Loggerenberg adds that the earned trust of the client, Channel O, has opened the door for many technical innovations and staging concepts.“We have an excellent working relationship with AV Unlimited, as we have collaborated on a number of these events together, and we continue to learn from the mistakes we make,” he smiles. “Having the good fortune to continue the show year after year really gives us a distinct advantage from the offset; it’d be very different coming into this cold.”

Undoubtedly, as the preparation is evidently substantial. Van Loggerenberg says the best part of 12 months is spent on the show, from choosing the theme, to eventually staging that theme and everything in between!

“This time round, we went to Soweto and put up a massive dome; but the upside of that is that we have worked in the dome before on stadium shows, so I know very well how the physical object work in

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terms of dimensions and what it’s capable of,” he explains. “So we structured a show which would allow us to take advantage of its eight massive truss arches, so we could suspend things and also create a lighting design that really exploited the volume of the room. It was quite special.”

To achieve this a vast array of automated lighting fixtures were utilised: 20 Martin MAC 700 Profiles and 14 Martin MAC 700 Washes; 24 Robe Robin 100 LEDs; 12 Vari-Lite VLX LED Washes; 12 Robe 600s; 12 Robe Colourbeam 700s; and 24 High End Studio pix.

In addition 96 LED SRL-6057-L Parcans and 190 Brite Q powerbank LED fixtures were deployed, along with 48 generic ETC Source 4 Profile Zooms. Operation was via a Grand MA 2 console and a Grand MA 2 Fader Wing.

The IN2STRUCTURES SUPA dome featured a single raised main stage at the far end, with a combination of staircases offering undulating access points for the performers and MC. In the centre, there was a free-standing ‘mini stage’ flanked by two VIP stands and fronting the main stage on the opposite side of the dome stood the spectator grandstand.

“Once you start designing and building the grandstands, if the

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LIVE EVENTs SHOW REPORT drawings are off, you’re ‘dead,’” Van Loggerenberg insists. “One of the main difficulties we had was where we staged the show and erected the dome, there was actually an incline; if you can picture a horizon floating at 30 degrees, then put a spirit level against it, you can see the triangle that it would make – that’s what we were dealing with. It just meant that all the departments had to take this gradient into account and try not to let it affect the show.”

AV Unlimited provided all AV equipment for the event; company director and technical director for the Channel O VMAs, Guillaume Ducray, says the requirements have certainly changed over the years.

“We still don’t have a huge budget, but the kit list has definitely improved and got larger and larger,” he says. “This venue in Soweto was three times bigger than the previous venue we were in, and as well as the 1 500 people seated for the show, this one was the first to sell tickets to the public, so we had an additional 2 000-strong standing audience; naturally this meant an increase in security, but thankfully everything went very smoothly on the night.”

And it had to run smoothly, being 100% live, of course. Though remarkably, this added pressure doesn’t seem to faze either Ducray or Van Loggerenberg; they’re quite relaxed about it all, in fact.

“Look, sometimes there will be an issue with the power, or the audio, or something – the thing is, the audience is occasionally none the wiser, even if you’re running at 70 or 80%,” Van Loggerenberg explains. “It’s that last differential of 20 to 30 extra percent where the magic happens – the bits you’ve painstakingly plotted and staged, that transforms the script into a real event. Really, the live thing is actually a lot of fun!”

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Before speccing and then providing the kit, Ducray makes sure he sits down with his team and brainstorms.

“Everything is put down on paper first, then we work out what gear we need,” he explains. “It is a process – a six-month process, in fact, but we look at everything from the look and feel, right through to the health and safety drawings – that’s all done by AV Unlimited: Marius Marais and the Sound Stylists’ team designed the audio; Joshua Cutts is a key person in Glenn’s team, following the lead of DLD Creative Director Anton Cloete and associate creative director Tebogo Mogola. Garrith Castelyn is in charge of the stage and room layouts and consolidates all the information. The site manager, Sven Hansen, is also completely key of course.”

Van Loggerenberg demands synchronisation between what’s appearing on the stage and what’s happening with all the technology in the room, as well as a consistent treatment across music direction by Zwai Bala, sound design by Something Kinda Funky, program graphics by Clearwater, performance graphics by Motion Cult and lighting by Visual Frontier.

“We take the tracks in advance and we will produce audioactivated graphic visualisations; these are then loaded as individual clips onto our Coolux video server with their audio, so that when the show is rolling, the screen and the audio are working together at a frequency level,” he reveals. “We take those clips and load them onto the server, so they can be triggered by the lighting desk; then we work with the lighting director to create each of the scenes.”

Evidently a lot of time is spent in advance, preparing raw materials and when the venue is set up and the lighting rig is live, work is carried out through the night leading up to the show playing and replaying

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the clips and re-programming, to ensure it’s all in sync.

“Once we have that, those elements are simply a command on the TV director’s script,” Van Loggerenberg adds. “By the time we get to show night, my preference is always to have a live hand on the desk, but for it to run almost automatically.”

The full video control setup consisted of two Coolux Server LTs and a Coolux Media Manager STD, and the centrepiece of the set was undeniably the giant 16m x 9m LED wall, the largest ever to be deployed into an indoor structure in South Africa.

“I contracted in Megaview to bring in the LED wall, and it provided a fantastic, huge backdrop,” enthuses Ducray. “It worked so well, and because the stage floor had a high gloss finish to it, we were able to create a ‘double’ LED effect as it created a mirror image; it was like having two LED walls, really.”

Ducray opted for a Coda audio system. Feeding sound to the main grandstand were sizeable line arrays, comprising of 12 Coda LA12s (six per side), with three Coda SC8 subs sat L/R respectively; these were powered by two RC40 Coda amp racks. There were also four hangs of four Coda LA8 and two Coda LA8 subs each side of the stage; these arrays were strategically placed up high and focused directly on the audience to avoid reflections and obstacles imposed by the structure. For front fill eight JBL SRX and eight Nexo S2 were deployed.

At FOH, a left, right and sub feed was sent into two XTA units, which distributed the feeds: an XTA 448 fed the LA12s and LA8s as well as the fills; and an XTA 224 fed the SC8ss, LA8 subs and the S2s “We were creating continuous narratives throughout the show; everything was linked: the lighting design was tied to the video design, which was tied to the music, which was tied to the artists who were getting the prizes from Channel O,” Van Loggerenberg concludes.

“The bottom line is that you simply cannot afford to be troubleshooting technical gear and discover that the kit is incapable of what you thought it was. That’s why I always favour AV Unlimited; I can concentrate on the creative elements because I know the kit will be working absolutely perfectly. It would take a long time to build the same level of trust with another AV supplier, so we are very happy with our partnership.”

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LIVE EVENTs SHOW REPORT

Partying it up in Slovenia Photos by Louise Stickland

By Louise Stickland

Slovenian promoters Black Pony Entertainment could relax in the reassurance that they were most certainly doing something right as their Red Christmas Party rocked a million smiles, dance moves and waves of anticipation at the Stozice Arena in Ljubljana.

12 000 excited dance music enthusiasts packed into the beautiful historic city of Ljubljana for the largest event of its type in Slovenia, all buoyed with additional festive spirit.

OK so the weather was somewhat less than beautiful – cold, grey and rainy with a layer of brown slush reminding everyone that it was December – but superfluous to the finest rave spirits pitching out to hear Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten and a host of hot national and local talent rock the city of Ljubljana to its foundations!

Black Pony Entertainment spotted a gap in the Slovenian market and kickstarted a trend based on offering unique large scale events with the very highest production values – from the international line ups and dynamic music right through to all areas of ‘the experience’.

Black Pony’s Anja Rebek – her personality oozing enthusiasm for the work she loves – exudes the very essence of the event’s vibe.

Formed two years ago specifically to promote large scale (4 000 plus) electro-house events in Slovenia, the company wanted to start something “new and powerful,” explains Rebek bubbling with positive energy.

Now with the fourth Red Party (all sold out) they seem to have hit a nerve.

Like much of Europe, Slovenia is still in the grip of a recession, but the average ticket price of 28 Euros is excellent value for eight hours of non-stop live performance and the highest standard of presentation.

Rebek and her colleagues put together a team of technical production suppliers, all handpicked from their experiences with running other parties and events informed by their passion and commitment to deliver the very best.

She also came up with a basic production and décor design concept to transform the venue into an intimate and cosy environment for the evening. This is a daunting task in any stadium, even this one which looks funkier than the average, designed by Sadar Vuga Architects with a distinctive shell-shaped dome, and opened in 2010.

The room dressing was executed with assistance from Igor Remeta and 12 crew from Remeta’s company Igra Izr utilising over 5kms of red

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cloth, 100 large balloons and about 15 large mirror balls of different sizes, which were dotted randomly around the auditorium.

Technical production is critical in Red Party world. “It’s around 75 per cent of the whole event in terms of people’s expectations and the creative process,” confirms Rebek. “It makes the Red Party story a qualitative as well as a quantitive exercise,” she insists with a mischievous flourish of her large smile.

That’s also the reason they choose suppliers and partners aligned with their Black Pony’s ethos.

Lighting and visuals A versatile and flexible lighting and visual scheme is vital to any large scale event, and the challenges include sustaining atmosphere and ambience without obvious repetition for a long period. In the process also giving each DJ and artist, which included a group of aerialists who seemed completely at home engulfed by banging techno, an individual look.

The lighting design was based on a plot submitted by Van Buuren’s LD André Beekmans and operated on the night by Michael Seeverens, both from Dutch-based company The Art of Light.

In Ljubljana there were nearly 70 Robe moving lights, which were supplied together with the rest of the lighting kit by Slovenia’s largest lighting rental company, Event Lighting.

Event Lighting, owned by Jernej Guštin, is very firmly committed to the Robe brand and now has over 100 fixtures in stock.

The Robes were positioned all over a series of 12 trusses hanging below a mother grid and above the stage and wings. They comprised 25 x Robe ROBIN 600 LEDWashes, 20 x ROBIN 600 Spots and 24 x ColorSpot 1 200E ATs. As well as forming a dynamic nucleus for Van Buuren’s high energy set, the Robes were the workhorse lights for all the other performers over eight hours, including Jaz von D, who worked the crowd to sizzling point ahead of Van Buuren’s 1 am incendiary slot. Ferry Corsten took the dex, caught the adrenaline rush and eased

SHOW REPORT LIVE EVENTs

everyone into some more chilled spatiality from 3h00 to 5h00.

Lighting for all artists (apart from Van Buuren and Corsten) was operated by freelance LD/operator Uroš Vovk. Using a Chamsys MagicQ 100 Pro console, he evolved the long show with great panache, sparingly applied plenty of crowd pleasers with big, bold interactive beams in and out of the audience and bouncing boldly around the auditorium.

Joining the Robes were 20 x High End Studio Commander 1 200 Washes which were kept busy illuminating the audience.

Twenty-four Martin Professional Atomic strobes were dotted on the rig and used rave-style, together with around 40 x 4-lite blinders, six Studio Due City Colors and 20 Clay Paky Alpha Beam 1200s.

Uroš comments that having a good quantity of Robes and other fixtures on the rig – although not massive for a stadium by any stretch of the imagination – helped enormously to vary the lighting moods and kept it fresh and constantly moving.

Sometimes less is so much more when applied with a bit of thought and imagination.

Uroš set up a number of basic presets on the Chamsys console and Playback Wing and then mixed live ‘improv’ style over the top, keeping it vibrant and changing with the peaks and shifts in the music and aura of the crowd.

The overall show visuals were further enhanced by an impressive video design created by the event’s technical director Jaka Meden, consisting of several large different shaped LED screen surfaces.

These were loosely based on Armin van Buuren’s classic arms outstretched pose, and vaguely reminiscent of a reversed pyramid.

Jaka also took the room décor into consideration when planning the screens and the fact that it’s a Red Christmas Party – so plenty of variations on red when it came to content.

There was also a large red drape wrapping around the back of the stage, which aided specific 3D animations and effects on screen.

The video screens were all supplied by Ljubljana based Hurikan – about 132 square metres of 18mm pitch and 92 square metres of 32mm pitch LED – most of it above and to the sides of the stage area.

Any serious dance event relies heavily on well placed screen elements to help close and define the space and energise the audience. Without it there would have been a rather large gap.

The LED screens were all from China; very much a current sign of the times in terms of pricing options for those operating in emerging countries like Slovenia, but its origins are completely irrelevant when in action.

The video department also tied into the venue’s LED arena-wide info-ring and the scoreboard cube in the roof via their AV Stumfl Wings system, operated by Den Baruca and used for all the screen mapping and management.

Content was supplied by two VJs – stored on their laptops – for the majority of the event, and included some but subtle sections of sponsor’s logos and other animations.

Van Buuren’s team hooked into the ‘house’ video system and used their own materials and graphics, operated by Sander Reneman (also Van Buuren’s production manager). It was stored on his laptop and output via an Akai APC40 mixer fed into the Wings system for outputting to screen.

companies involved they are also from Ljubljana.

Dèjan has worked on the Red Parties since number two and he designed the system together with one of his technicians, Jernej Cernolog, choosing combined Martin Audio and d&b elements.

The main left and right hangs were12 x Martin W8LB speakers a side, augmented with plus side hangs of 12 additional W8LBs. For infills they used three Martin H3s a side.

The subs were eight ground-stacked d&b J-SUBS a side plus 40 x Martin WS218 subs ensconced under the stage to ensure that low end permeated every hidden corner and structural nuance of the building.

Dèjan comments that he has found the Martin / d&b combination an excellent one, enhancing any sonic environment for dance and electronic music.

His familiarity with the venue was also an “enormous help” in fine tuning and getting a nice smooth, clean image all around the arena, and he mixed the show using a DiGiCo D1; his current digital console of choice.

The 54 points of lighting, sound and video rigging were installed by lead Rigger Mitta Zupancic and his crew of 10 – six in the air and four on the ground. They started two days beforehand; their first task was to install the 30 x 16 metre mother grid – achieved with the help of cherry-pickers.

All the trussing and motors (a mix of CM and Chain Master hoists) came from Prozvok together with the staging.

As doors were about to open Van Buuren’s lighting operator Michael Seeverens and the rest of his crew were in a relaxed and happy mood – a testament to the smooth running and good organisation of the event.

The atmosphere kicked in right from the off – Slovenia was here – loud and clear and out to party!

Hitting the spot with an awesome line up, the highest standards of presentational excellence and an audience hungry for good dance music … Arena Stožice made-some-serious noise!

Audio Achieving any sort of even sounding and smooth audio in the barn like environs of a stadium is interesting. While relatively straightforward in terms of a left and right mix, there was some definite sonic art involved … courtesy of Dèjan Žura of DB Team. Like most of the

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LIVE EVENTs Industry Expert “I don’t mind being in a man’s world, as long as I can be a woman in it.”

– Marilyn Monroe.

In an industry primarily dominated by men, the need for women in the lighting industry is more relevant than ever. Sadly, the female prevalence in this field is sparse but that doesn’t mean you won’t find a shining star to guide and inspire once in a while. In light of this, if you know anything about lighting design in South Africa at all, you’ll most certainly know the name Gerda Kruger. She stands among the best.

Kruger has a history in lighting going back almost three and half decades and her exposure to theatre and drama encompasses her entire life.

I caught up with Gerda in between her busy schedule to talk a little bit about her history, lighting design, women in the industry and the future of it all.

Gerda Kruger Do you feel that having an eye for art is important in being a lighting designer?

Yes. It is. You have to be creative. You can be a very good technician but if you cannot think creatively and visualise, you cannot actually become a lighting designer. Remember, you don’t really study to become a lighting designer. You actually earn that through your peers.

As a young lighting designer coming up to where you are now, what do you think has changed in the industry?

Let me tell you what I think has happened. People who grew up in theatre definitely light differently to people who work in rock n’ roll.

Because I’m not a rock n’ roll designer; I don’t do rock n’ roll. I approach everything in a theatrical way, even if it’s a corporate with rock, I will still light it with some sort of theatrical flair. With the demise of the performing arts councils in the late 90s, performing arts started disappearing. Students and technicians could not get work in theatre.

It is the best stepping stone to work in theatre first. I am very fortunate that I had that and I feel very sorry for people who don’t get that opportunity. Training is a problem, and it’s a world-wide issue.

What do you think is the secret to longevity in the industry?

Passion. If you don’t have passion, you’re not going to succeed. If you dread every time you have a lighting job, you’re not going to make it.

Do you still get nervous before a show?

Ugh, believe me; I get very nervous because every show is unique. I get sweaty palms! But it’s very important to get nervous because that nervousness changes into positive energy. Once you get going, there is no feeling like it. We did the Blackberry 10 launch recently with the international company Smyle and I tell you, I was so nervous, but it was so great. The feeling afterwards when everything has gone well and the client is happy, what more could you ask for?

Cirque du Soleil

You have always had an interest in art and you continue to paint, what do you feel are the similarities between painting and lighting?

It’s all about colour. The difference is that you paint with light instead of a brush. Colour is light, after all. I studied art in my first year and then I noticed that they had a course for theatre crafts at the Pretoria Technikon and I said: “That’s what I really want to do.”

What drew you to theatre?

My parents were very involved in theatre. In the fifties my parents lived in Krugersdorp and there they were part of the Dramatic Society there. There were very involved in theatre, even though they were teachers. I used to go to every theatre piece that was held, whether it was ballet or whatever. I was very exposed to theatre. My father even wrote a musical on the Anglo Boer War. He was an incredible man and he really instilled everything in me. That is why I love theatre and art so much.

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There aren’t many women in lighting design, which is by and large dominated by men. What are your thoughts on this?

I’m really saddened that there are no women coming through. They just don’t seem to last. I don’t know what happened with me and why I lasted, but I’m trying to push women to get out there and do lighting design and develop themselves. I actually started a follow spotter course because I am so sick and tired of bad follow spotting and people ruining my show. It’s a one day course. I have asked the organisation Women in Technical Production run by Melanie Eckstein to find me eight women with passion that can speak English and I will train them free of charge to develop them and get jobs. You have to start somewhere. This is what we are planning this year to give back to the industry. It’s very important to me to develop women so that they can be independent.

How do you feel about the future of lighting in South Africa?

I feel positive. But, if we don’t train future generation of technicians properly it won’t survive. I am certainly going to continue my career as a lighting designer until I die. We need to pull out all the stops and create the next generation of designers. We have the talent but we need to develop people and mentor them into those positions. I am so sad when I see mediocre work, and I know it doesn’t have to be that way. We need to push these people in the right direction.

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LIVE EVENTs STAGE LIGHTING

Photos by Louise Stickland

The future of lighting

Coldplay

The fast developing world of entertainment, show lighting and visuals technology is in a constant state of fluidity and development, whether it’s ideas, products or applications and it’s an exciting time in which to be involved. Louise Stickland reports.

‘Convergence’ between the mediums of lighting and video / pixels is no longer a buzz word, it’s a reality – and has been for some time. As another year comes and goes with action-packed trade shows, expos and exhibitions – similar to fashion – it’s great to get an idea of what’s hot and popular on stages and performance spaces worldwide – and why!

It’s interesting to see what’s enduring, what’s trending and what’s potentially in the pipeline and what’s still in the recesses of creative heads.

I asked a selection of lighting and visual designers working across a variety of sectors – concerts, spectaculars, theatre, television and fashion – which shows, events and work (not their own) inspired them most in 2012!

I was also curious as to which products were currently impressive and what might top their wish lists of new products yet to be developed or produced.

I also contacted the four leading moving light manufacturers for some alternative perspective comments.

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Spectacle For Czech moving light manufacturer Robe Lighting’s CEO

Josef Valchar – and numerous others – the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics hit the spot in terms of spectacle.

Apart from the overall lighting, sense of drama and occasion, Josef was particularly impressed by the 70 500 in-seat Pixel Tablets developed by Tait Technologies, which were used to produce giant images and animations enveloping the entire audience around the stadium in all four opening and closing ceremonies.

STAGE LIGHTING LIVE EVENTs

Double X

Patrick Woodroffe,

the LD for these four high profile events needs little introduction. He is probably the best known entertainment lighting designer on the planet, works across multiple genres and is a role model for a whole generation of aspiring LDs. He undertook the extreme pressure of representing the entire country with the whole world watching and delivered something truly special. The OCs and CCs were the most consuming of several ambitious projects in Woodroffe’s 2012 diary which also included Lady Gaga and the Rolling Stones 50th anniversary shows.

However it was the brilliant show designed by Andi Watson for Radiohead’s 2012 world tour – complete with ‘Innocent wall’ built from thousands of recycled Innocent drink bottles, VersaTUBE curtain and automated video panels – that in turn caught Woodroffe’s venerable eye. “It was wonderful – original, subtle, beautifully paced and imaginative,” he comments.

For Philips Vari*Lite’s David March, it was Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto show. “Bold, dramatic, uplifting,” he enthuses. Having been there, I thoroughly agree!

The interactive LED wristbands were a “real highlight” from a myriad of shows that he saw in 2012, and while they came later in the set, Coldplay’s audience were engaged right from the very first note.

The incredible synergy between band, lighting and visuals instantly transformed a giant stadium void into an intimate performance space (challenging under any circumstances) as an amazing show unfolded.

The show was designed by Paul Normandale with video direction

by Andy Bramley and also featured five fabulous hi-def circular video screens which defined the space.

Michael Straun

is a talented young LD known for his inventive, highly atmospheric and proactive use of both conventional and projected light on The xx world tour throughout 2012. He loved both the Coldplay wristbands and the Olympic Pixel Tablets.

He also mentions the audience hand-held Tait Pixel Tablets (also used in the Olympics) for Rihanna’s performance on the X-Factor final in Manchester, and comments: “It’s interesting how designers are involving the audience and making the entire show experience more 3D through involving them.”

Both Michael and Squib (see below) liked Justice’s show with lighting / visuals designed by Vincent Lerisson. The set featured concealed video panels in a Marshall Amp style arrangement. Straun initially thought the lightshow show was timecode triggered until he realised that it was being operated completely live. Squib comments that apart from the graceful and agile programming, it looked completely different to all the other major DJ shows out there.

Steffan Jones

is a busy, successful young UK-based LD and rising star working in television, theatre, touring and on large scale events with clients including the BBC, Sony Music, Channel 4 and many more.

He really liked Al Gurdon’s 2012 Brit Awards design and also his X-Factor USA show, as well as the Olympics. He also cites Mark Kenyon’s vibrant Strictly Come Dancing TV series design and his work for The Voice, along with Dave Davey’s lighting of Dancing On Ice and the X-Factor UK series.

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LIVE EVENTs STAGE LIGHTING Favourite products

Wish list

When it came to favourite products ‘of the moment’, the Clay Paky Sharpy beamer was a clear favourite among most of those I contacted, together with Martin Professional’s MAC Viper profile.

When it comes to wish lists or a fixture or piece of kit that has yet to be invented, developed, presented or launched by a manufacturer … there’s a heterogeneity of wants.

Rob Sinclair

, whose 2012 work included designing lighting and visuals for Peter Gabriel, Queen, The Pet Shop Boys, Keane and numerous others admits that like many, he “has fallen” for the Sharpy, adding a word of caution in that care is needed not to over-use the fixture.

Leading international fashion lighting designer and video / light artist

Nick Gray

of creative design practice Renegade – always as immaculately turned out as his clients on the catwalk – seconds that. “Clay Paky has really excelled.” He also highly rates the MAC Viper as being great for producing aerial effects and for texturing surfaces.

Gray is just preparing for the upcoming London Fashion Week AW2013 event where he’s working for the British Fashion Council in their main space, plus a number of other off-site shows. He also lights indie rockers Kasabian and is designing comedian Eddie Izzard’s forthcoming world tour as well as creating his own digital artworks.

Squib (Chris Swain) is another emerging young LD ‘to watch’ who takes a different and inventive approach, and is currently working with poplar indie bands like Two Door Cinema, Bombay Bicycle Club and others.

He agrees that specific signature fixtures will come in and out of fashion, good examples in recent years being JTE PixelLines, i-Pix’ unique petal shaped BB7 LED washes and Jarags. The Jarag seems to enjoy a cyclical renaissance every two or three years along with Skypans – often utilised for interesting and more architectural looks.

Squib has been looking for a new LED batten product for a while, and reckons that the UK manufacturer i-Pix have a winner with their new i-Line range.

Ed Warren

For of Next Level Lights, who spent most of 2012 on the road with Mumford & Sons epic Two Halves tour which continues well into 2013, new highlights were XL Video’s X-spheres that he has utilised as individual (digital) light bulb sources on the arena sections of the show.

Luc Peumans

Belgium-based of Painting With Light is a prolific multidisciplinary designer working in entertainment, architecture and the crossover area of ‘architainment’ and is not shy to develop and try new techniques.

Peumans is already experimenting with ideas for new follow-spot features, an area of lighting technology which he thinks “Really needs to move on” – and not with automated tracking. He’s also looking for an updated version of the famous DHA Digital Light Curtain.

Warren is quite clear: “A string of Tungsten festoons with individually dimmable bulbs would be a dream.”

For Woodroffe it’s more of the same lights but “Smaller, lighter and more cost-effective,” and as a general observation I’ll add more eco-friendly.

Squib

would like to see some sort of cross-manufacturer international standardisation in colour mixing systems for LED fixtures, a great concept that would involve a massive political initiative.

Gray would like more wireless options and more homogenised LED products (in terms of smooth light engines and colour mixing). He’s also waiting on laser manufacturers to create some small white diodes that can be utilised on several art projects that are ‘up his sleeve’.

Sinclair fancies a smoke machine which works as efficiently outdoors as it does indoors, which would be an immediate best seller.

Straun has two hypothetical products topping his wish list. The first is a super-bright moving mirror which he reckons must be possible given the optics now available for moving heads! The second is a moving head with two different lightsources mixed together before being output through the same lens for some very cool and funky effects.

Jones would like to see a versatile shuttered CMY profile that offers colour temperature and hot spot control, that’s tungsten and specifically designed for TV. Apart from a plethora of ideas for new product ideas or directions, and no shortage of dynamics, scope or imagination on how to use existing ones differently just from this small sample…2013 looks set to be replete with visual thrills and treats!

When it came to favourite products ‘of the moment’, the Clay Paky Sharpy beamer was a clear favourite among most of those I contacted, together with Martin Professional’s MAC Viper profile.

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LIVE EVENTs NAMM EXPO

Music trade show rocks California Produced by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), the NAMM Show 2013 provided the most effective platform for music industry players to debut new products, network and to partake in educational opportunities.

NAMM Show, the world’s premier and largest music products trade show, took place from 24 to 27 January at the Anaheim Convention Center in California, USA. For the four jam-packed days, every aspect of the music instrument and products industry including retailers, corporate buyers, artists and sound and lighting professionals interacted with almost 5 000 unique brands.

“Our industry, like many others, is in the midst of rapid change,” said Joe Lamond, president and CEO, NAMM. “I believe NAMM Members who came to Anaheim to see the latest product innovations, attend NAMM University sessions and network with friends and peers will be uniquely positioned to take advantage of the business opportunities in the year ahead.”

Based on member feedback, NAMM made a concerted effort to increase buyer badges and decrease guest badges to create the most business friendly event in years. The number of buyers increased by four percent over 2012, while non-industry guests decreased 16 percent.

The important increase in buyers was attributed to more retail music stores, corporate buyers including houses of worship, live event venues and touring professionals, casinos and studios sending buyers to shop the NAMM Show. The mix of industry professionals resulted in business-focused, yet vibrant show made up of 93 908 total registrants, a two percent decrease from 2012.

NAMM Show, which prides itself as the world’s premier music products trade show, enabled attendees to connect with lots of great products on display at the trade fair. ProSystems perused through the myriad of products paraded at the exhibition and here are some of the brands that caught our eye.

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NAMM products 2013 Microphones DPA Microphones introduced the d:facto II Vocal Microphone at the NAMM Show. With a true studio sound for the live stage, this latest addition to the d:facto line offers an extraordinarily natural sound, high separation and extreme SPL handling, giving users unlimited possibilities for their performances. In addition to the new wired DPA handle, the d:facto II provides singers and engineers with the added benefit of a state-of-the-art adapter system that allows for seamless integration with many professional wireless systems.

Shure previewed the BLX Wireless System at the show. Shure BLX Wireless Systems combine professional quality sound with simple set up and an intuitive interface for performance you can trust right out of the box. Precision built and available in a variety of handheld, lavalier, instrument and headset configurations, it’s the most accessible way to own the stage.

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NAMM EXPO LIVE EVENTS Audio-Technica introduced its premier studio vocal microphone – the AT5040 cardioid condenser. Designed as a first choice vocal microphone, the AT5040 features an extremely smooth top end with controlled sibilance. Largediaphragm characteristics and fast transient response also make it ideal for recording acoustic instruments such as piano, guitar, strings and saxophone Distributed by www.tadco.co.za

dB Technologies launched the Sigma S115, a 2-way active speaker. This active 15“/ 1.4“system is musicians’ and DJs’ first choice in a full range FOH speaker. The S115’s reach is remarkable thanks to its assertive midrange, prominent top end, and constant directivity at high sound pressure levels.

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Speakers and monitors At Winter NAMM, JBL Professional introduced the M2 Master Reference Monitor, which is designed for use in a wide range of rooms. The largest speaker in JBL’s studio monitor line, the M2 integrates new JBL transducer technologies and patented innovations in a free-standing, 2-way system that can be placed in any production environment and tuned to provide a superior level of accuracy and performance.

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D.A.S. Audio introduced the Aero 40A three-way line array that incorporates connectivity for remote monitoring and control. The unique configuration of the Aero 40A employs a rear-loaded 12-inch transducer in a bass-horn configuration for low-end reproduction. The mid-range is handled by a new 8-inch transducer/horn assembly developed specifically for the Aero 40A. The new BM-8905 horn integrates a phasing plug to enhance acoustic coupling between adjacent units.

Distributed by www.ceslive.co.za

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LIVE EVENTs NAMM EXPO Consoles and mixers PreSonus introduced the StudioLive 32.4.2AI, a 32-channel performance and recording digital mixer. The 14-aux PreSonus® StudioLive 32.4.2AI starts with all the strengths of previous StudioLive models – and then pushes technology to the next level. It is also built with next-generation active integration technology that adds unprecedented power for mixing consoles anywhere near this price class.

Roland Systems Group introduced the M-200i.

With cutting edge hybrid surface it combines an iPad with a physical controller. The iPad functions as a large touch screen display. Use the iPad for intuitive control of effects and other graphical manipulation, while physically controlling the volume with the motorised faders. The advanced ‘Touch & Turn’ surface provides a more convenient mixing environment than ever before by allowing you to touch a parameter on the iPad and control it with a physical knob.

Allen & Heath introduced the new ME-1Personal Mixer, which puts musicians in control of their own monitor mix. Each performer can be given a tailored set up that works perfectly for them, whether they crave maximum control over the fine details of their mix or just want the minimum of keys to press.

Operation is intuitive and elegant, with simple controls, clear visual feedback and custom naming for instant familiarity.

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Power amplifiers Crown announced the introduction of the USBX, an accessory that enables Crown XTi, CDi and DSi Series amplifiers with a USB port to be operated via an Apple iPad or iPhone using the ‘Powered by Crown’ app. The USBX allows Crown amplifiers equipped with a USB port to be controlled via Ethernet.

The USBX plugs into an AC outlet and up to eight compatible Crown USB products can be connected to the USBX. The USBX has built-in Wi-Fi, enabling wireless control of connected Crown amps via iPad or iPhone and the ’Powered by Crown’ app without the need for a separate wireless router.

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INDUSTRY EXPERT Studio & Broadcast When did you start Sound in Motion? Outline a brief company history.

I started Sound & Motion Studios in 2002 with an idea that a little studio and booth to servicing the growing multimedia industry would be small enough not to have too many overheads but powerful enough to service the gaming and new media communities. That is completely NOT what happened!

Actually I had a really small place at first with animator Leigh Van Der Byl and the idea was probably a good one, but we jumped the gun. She wanted to move to London and I wanted a bigger place so I moved to Harrington Street. We had this small studio and then started setting up in other parts of the building as money became available.

Over the next three years we added another floor until we had a control room, live room and dead booth in a music facility as well as an edit suite, a 5.1 post room and a digital mastering suite. In 2006 we set up a studio in Jo’burg for training and commercial use. We have a long standing relationship with City Varsity where I’ve lectured part time for over a decade, so we decided to set up the space in Newtown by their campus as part of a reciprocal relationship.

The same year we started working in Lagos doing reality TV (under Jungle Filmworks) and the following year we started running reality TV productions of shows (similar to Pop Stars and Survivor). We are also working in Ghana and hope to open Sound & Motion Dublin at the end of 2013.

Simon Ratcliffe interview

By Greg Bester

Give a little background to yourself and your experience, ie. how long have you been in the business, where you started and how it all got going?

Music was always a really important part of our lives growing up. I did music at school and really got into swing and jazz, but when I started playing flute everything changed and I started working at Paul Bothner music.

I learned the most from Roy Viljoen, who gave me so many valuable lessons on running a business. I owe Bothners a lot. In 1994 I started doing live sound, as well as recording demos for our bands. In 1997 I did some sound design for Koos Turenhout’s Ivory Tower studio.

Koos was a huge inspiration and he ended up being a massive part of Sound & Motion in the early days.

I joined The London Connection as senior engineer and here I fell in love with analogue tape and mixing OTB. I left to go to Amsterdam for a bit where I learned more about TV and radio post audio and came back in 2002 to start Sound & Motion Studios.

Why did you choose to get into audio and has it turned out how you expected?

To be honest it sort of just happened. When I got into sound engineering you just had to do a lot of that stuff yourself. Decent studios were very expensive in the 90s, there were no courses and many small studios were really quite bad. This world is a truly fascinating place and I couldn’t imagine NOT doing sound. It’s a huge amount of fun especially when you figure out something groundbreaking.

I’m really glad that I got into it when I did as an apprentice, and now as an educator I think an apprenticeship of some sort is vital... etiquette, for examples, can’t be taught like how to kick the MTR90 in the right spot – that can’t be learnt at college.

Since you are a bass player and have played with Lark for a number of years, how do you think this has influenced you as an engineer or producer? Is being a musician important to becoming a great engineer?

I think being part of Lark has influenced me more as a result of the kinds of bands who want to work with me. I often get approached by bands and artists who want an engineer who is comfortable working with electronic and acoustic elements together, which makes sense given Lark’s sound. I also work on a lot of jazz and world music.

Should you be a musician to be a good engineer is an interesting one – I say no. If someone really loves music and listens to a crazy array of bands and genres and GETS it, they will crack a better sound than someone who, for example, plays guitar in one style and only listens to music in that one style.

What is your favourite part of the process (tracking, mixing, editing) and why?

Tricky one. I love mixing, especially when you have enough time. I mix OTB on my Audient 90% of the time and I get a real kick out of hybrid mixing. You have to make a decision because once you strike the desk and outboard, it’s gone! My favourite part of the process is working with an amazing producer, the kind of relationship where you finish each other’s sentences.

What do you feel is the key to a successful studio and audio career?

Remember you will always be a student; that you will always learn from all the amazing people that come to work with you and remain humble to what they can teach you. Of course you are helping to craft someone’s dreams and aspirations, so treat them like gold.

What is your favourite meal, holiday destination and movie and why? (Just for fun.)

A curry or a proper winter roast.

If it’s just a holiday, it’s a split between Ireland or a certain special cottage in Citrusdal.

Movie: Master and Commander. The cinematography and sound are just on another level, more importantly the script is beautifully crafted and the acting exquisite.

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Studio & Broadcast Plug INS

Plugging into a digital future

By Greg Bester

Before the digital age that we are now in, audio was a totally different ball game that didn’t boast the streamlined and time-efficient workflow that we now enjoy.

Cumbersome large format analogue consoles, racks and racks of outboard processing gear, miles and miles of cable, and actual, physical patching. This is what audio engineers in ages past were used to.

If you wanted a compressor inserted into an audio chain, you would literally have to plug it in. The thought! However, as simple as that sounds, there were obvious pitfalls to the process, most notably the time it takes to do so and the fact that once it’s plugged in, that was it – the processor was occupied. It makes the mind boggle that a unit costing R30 000 could only be used once on something as simple as a bass guitar track for the rest of the production.

But then came the move into digital. The digital audio workstation revolutionised the way we work and gave us such things as a non-linear workflow, unlimited track counts, virtually zero signal degradation through generations, low noise floors and, of course, the power of the audio plugin.

Audio plugins are basically DSP code contained within a file that can be hosted in audio application and manipulated via a graphical user interface. On their own they are merely incoherent collections of data but used within a DAW, they become powerful processing tools; the use and instance count of which is only limited to the available processing power of your system. This has obvious advantages, not least of which they can be applied at the click of a mouse (negating the need to ever touch a cable), and spread across as many tracks as you like. We are now in an age where we can have the ‘sound’ of a Pultec EQP1a or a Fairchild 670 on every track.

Or can we?

The question is, are plugins as good as hardware? This debate has raged, is raging and will continue to rage in the future with no foreseeable end in sight.

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Many professionals, particularly those with their roots in analogue, claim that plugins come nowhere close to hardware and many detest them. On the other hand, there are many current professionals closer to the cutting edge that use nothing but plugins and hardly ever touch a hardware processor.

Oh, but that doesn’t stop the luddites. From their end the going argument is that this too has pitfalls, such as too many options and the fact that it promotes over-processing and endless tweaking instead of focusing on getting a good sound from the beginning.

In the favour of plugin proponents, DSP coding and emulations are getting better as time goes on, rendering them highly useable for most purposes. Someone must be using them successfully. The tough part is that both camps are capable of producing great sounding work and because the end listener remains oblivious to the inner workings of the production process – which is possibly a worsening scenario – the issue remains wholly dependent on the taste of the engineer. As we know, taste is entirely personal.

The choices are endless too, as there are literally thousands and thousands of plugins available on both the commercial and freeware side of the spectrum. Also, we have many different formats that only work on specific platforms. For example, VST and DirectX plugins for Windows; Audio Unit and Mac VST plugins for Mac OSX; LADSPA and LV2 plugins for Linux; and then there are proprietary plugins, such as TDM, RTAS and AAX, which only work in Avid’s Pro Tools.

We also have varying plugin flavours. These include strictly digital incarnations of traditional audio processing tools and then digital emulations of classic hardware, supposedly complete with the analogue character that they are famous for. These plugins include emulation code of non-linearities particular to that unit, internal gain structure and sometimes even the operational quirks of the originals.

It doesn’t end there. Audio plugins are not limited to processing or effects such as compressors and reverb. There are also instrument plugins which are complete electronic instruments in their own right.

This is another way that the DAW has enhanced our lives and enabled performers to have a plethora of sounds at their fingertips. Gone are the days of lugging around multiple keyboards and synth modules because now they’re all contained within your computer’s hard drive.

I had the opportunity to catch up with a few local producers and engineers to talk to them about their favourite plugins and how they use them. The results were interesting to say the least but, just like microphones, everyone has their favourite go-to specimens and opinions are myriad and varied.

Let’s see what they had to say.

PLUG INS Studio & Broadcast you’ll pay like R200 for it. Cenzo showed it to me and he uses it on all his mixes for delay. It can emulate tape delay in Retro mode but it also has a modern mode, which is just a straight delay. Often I have it in Retro mode so you get that break down in quality.”

Darryl Torr Grammy Award-winning record producer Darryl Torr is one of the most recognisable players in the industry. As owner of Openroom Productions, he has worked with almost every big name in the industry from the Soweto Gospel Choir, to Zebra and Giraffe and Louise Carver.

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EQ – Massenburg EQ “For vocals or anything where I need a lot of character and headroom, I use the Massenburg EQ.” EQ – Focusrite ISA 110 “If I want to give more character to a sound, the Focusrite EQ is great.”

Compressor – Fairchild 660 or Bomb Factory BF76 “The Fairchild 660 and the Bomb Factory BF76 are the two compressors I use constantly. Depending on the instrument or what I’m trying to get out of the sound – because they both have very different characteristics – I’ll use either. For something that’s smooth like vocals I’ll use the Fairchild, but for drums, where I want a more aggressive sound, I’ll use the BF76.”

Limiter – Chandler EMI compressor/limiter “A plugin I use a lot is the Chandler EMI compressor/limiter. I don’t use it so much as a compressor but mostly as a limiter.

When Zebra and Giraffe got their stuff mixed in England by Cenzo [Townshend], the vocal chain was the EMI compressor and a Pultec EQ. It sounded perfect.”

Reverb – Revibe “I use Revibe 99% of the time. Although what I do is up an initial sound and then I use EQs and compressors after that to dirty it up and to pull out sounds in different ways, so I’m not just using ‘Big Room’. I never just use a reverb unit on its own as it’s always in conjunction with other stuff.”

Delay – Massey TD5 “The Massey TD5 is incredible, especially for the price. I think

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Studio & Broadcast Plug INS Johan van der Colff Johan van der Colff is owner and chief engineer of Master Max Productions in Midrand and winner of the 2012 South African Music Awards Best Engineer Award for the album Lolilwe by Zahara.

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EQ – DIGIRack EQ3 “The DIGIRack EQ3 is one of the nicest EQ for me in terms of my base EQ.” EQ – Waves Q8 “When I want to do bus EQs I quite enjoy the Waves EQ8 because it gives me the graphic [EQ] feel for notching specific frequencies out. I like to use it in a side chain as well.”

Compressor – Waves C1 “I use the C1 on a lot of my tracks but what I tend to do is send the signal out of the box and compress with my Summit TLA-100 hardware.”

Limiter – Waves L2 “One of my favourites of all time is the Waves L2. I’ve got a really good relationship with mastering engineers and they have some

Neelan Parshotam Neelan Parshotam has over 20 years’ experience in the South African recording industry.

Starting at Heritage Studios in 1991 fresh out of high school, he eventually secured a position at BOP Recording Studios in Mafikeng, first as an assistant audio engineer, and eventually as studio manager and chief audio engineer. He has worked on major projects with world-renowned artists and producers such as the Lion King II soundtrack with Jay Rifkin, Kevin Shirley, Tony Sheppard, Koffi Olomide, Hugh Masekela, Lucky Dube, Sibongile Khumalo and Lebo M. Neelan now works for himself as an independent mix engineer from his home-based studio in Mafikeng.

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EQ – DMG Equality “This EQ has so much versatility in it. When I deal with bad tracking and I need to get into the finer detail this is my go to EQ. On vocals it gives me a really nice air on the top end and it is just like using one on a Neve or SSL.” EQ – Focusrite Forte ISA110 “This plugin is also a huge favourite. It brings very subtle warmth

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really nice hardware units that in my opinion are better than the L2, but what I do is that I use the L2 in the box to give me a simulation of what my mix will sound like after it’s mastered. It’s also what I play the client. Obviously, though, when I bounce it out, I bounce it out without the L2.”

Reverb – Reverb One “My favourite on drum kit is Reverb One. We’ve got a nice room to track in so we get a good [room] sound, but if I track in the smaller rooms to get more of a dead sound for the poppier stuff, I will then use Reverb One to create my drum room. I usually start with the Wood Room preset and move on from there.”

Reverb – Waves RVerb “For my vocal reverbs I like RVerb. I’ve got my own presets that I’ve created which I really enjoy. There is so much to play with in RVerb that you don’t really need anything else.”

and openness and feels like working on the console itself.”

Compressor – Focusrite Forte ISA 130 “This plugin just has a great versatility and is very musical to achieve what is needed.”

Compressor – Fairchild 670 “The sound of this plugin is very difficult to explain in the sense of words…but it’s smooth and warm and you don’t hear it working.

With a highly dynamic track it doesn’t destroy the dynamics but is very smooth and musical.”

Limiter – BF-3A “I use this more as a limiter than a compressor and love it especially on keys as it has a very nice smooth way of limiting.”

Gate – Focusrite Forte ISA 130 “I use the ISA 130 a lot on drums as the gate works very musically.”

Reverb – Reverb One “The Reverb One plugin reminds me of the Lexicon 480 and 300 series. It has some really great presets to work with.”

PLUG INS Studio & Broadcast Robin Walch • Robin Walch is a Johannesburg-based engineer/producer who has been nominated twice for ‘Best Engineer’ at the South African Music Awards.

Delay – Waves Hybrid Delay “I really like the Waves Hybrid Delay; the orangey yellow thing. It works well for nice guitar effects. It’s got modulation, ping pong, all that sort of stuff. It’s a really, really nice delay. It’s a digital delay that you can get dirty.”

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EQ – UAD Cambridge “The Cambridge is a great EQ that I suspect was based on the Sony Oxford EQ. It’s really surgical. I love the top and bottom filters; you can really get them sharp and they don’t add a bump. Often in a lot of the stuff I mix, not much attention has been given to the bottom end in the recording. So, you still want the warmth but you want to just take out 30Hz, 40Hz. You don’t want to touch the rest of the bottom end. There I’ll use the [Cambridge] filters.”

EQ – Steinberg / Yamaha RND Portico EQ “The RND Portico EQ is the only EQ I’ll boost with. I find that it’s about the only EQ that if I really need to boost something, it sounds like an analogue EQ.” Compressor – Steinberg / Yamaha RND Portico Compressor “The RND Portico Compressor is beautiful. It’s a very interesting thing because it hasn’t had as high a rating as the EQ for the one simple reason that it’s a really good, transparent compressor. If you use the feed forward mode it can clamp but it’s not a fast compressor like the 1176. It’s a lot smoother. I find that slapping that on guitar tracks, where the 1176 can get a bit edgy and bright and grind things a bit, the Portico doesn’t. On strings it’s also beautiful.”

Reverb – Sony Oxford Reverb “The Sony Oxford reverb has got a great EQ section, which I like. I wish more developers would put a proper EQ section in [their plugins]. The Sonnox Reverb has almost got a full Sonnox EQ in it. I use it for very short rooms, because my room is small. I don’t like it for longer stuff because it’s an older reverb and it’s a bit grainy.”

Reverb – UAD Lexicon 224 “The 224 is a really lekker old sound. It’s really nice if you want that ‘reverb sound’. I think a lot of the algorithmic reverbs are great and I use them a lot.”

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Studio & Broadcast Plug INS

Thabiso Ramahlo Thabiso Ramahlo is chief audio engineer and studio manager at Soul Candi Studios, Johannesburg. His work has garnered two SAMA nominations and five wins.

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EQ – Izotope Alloy 2 “My favourite EQ plugin is the Izotope Alloy 2. It just does the job for me. It also does compression and transient shaping but I mostly use the EQ. Sometimes I’ll just click on a preset and if I’m happy with it, I’ll go with it. If I’m not I’ll tweak it until I get the sound that I want.”

Compressor – Waves RComp or Sonnox Dynamics “I find myself running away from emulations because I prefer transparent compression. So, the RComp would be the compressor I use, or the Sonnox. I like the Sonnox for sound shaping and I can push it quite a bit without getting distortion.”

Reverb – Altiverb “The Altiverb is an impulse reverb. It has a vast range of reverbs that you can tap into for post. Although, most of the time when I’m in Altiverb I use the Lexicon impulses. For me the Lexicon room emulations are very classic.”

Limiter – Waves L3 Ultramaximizer “I was looking into limiting on the net and watched a video where they were using the L2. They pulled down the threshold and ceiling at the same time, which limits the peaks at the given threshold without increasing the level. It’s quick and easy and when you want a plugin that’s not too complex, it just works.”

Matthew Fink Matthew Fink began his career in radio advertising in the mid 90s. Since then he has worked as an engineer with groups ranging from BLK JKS to Steve Hofmeyer. As a producer he has recorded critically acclaimed albums for The Sick Leaves, Jim Neversink, The One Night Stands and Tailor.

He is currently co-writer and keyboardist in the group, The Black Hotels.

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EQ – UAD Cambridge “I’m very fond of the UAD Cambridge. One of the main reasons I like it is because of the Eliptical high pass and low pass filters. It’s pretty amazing when you want to get that porridge out of there.”

EQ – UAD Neve 31102 “This is an EQ [emulation] from one of Neve’s newer consoles and there’s something in the midrange that I like on guitar tracks.

The midrange sounds a lot different to the midrange on the 1073.

There’s something about it that does something crazy on guitars that I love.”

PLUG INS Studio & Broadcast •

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Compressor – Sound Toy’s Decapitator “The Decapitator is nice and crunchy. I’ll put it on drum bus to grit up the drums a bit. I read an article about Chad Blake who reckoned he used it quite a lot on the Black Keys vocals for some distortion. I was quite happy since I just used it on Shadow Club’s Guns and Money album. I’d been using it on his voice for most of the tracks and the cool thing – and this really is the selling point – it has a mix control.”

Compressor – UAD Fairchild “The Fairchild can make the vocals sit really well. I can’t stand the sound of compressors biting, you know. The Fairchild is quite gentle.”

Transient – UAD Transient Designer “I use the Transient Designer quite often on kick and snare to give them some more punch.”

Before the digital age that we are now in, audio was a totally different ball game that didn’t boast the streamlined and time-efficient workflow that we now enjoy.

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Studio & Broadcast STUDIO INSULATION

The glue that holds it all together...

By Greg Bester

One of the most critical aspects of studio design and construction is undoubtedly controlling sound transmission. Granted, this is just a fancy way of saying ‘sound proofing’ but nonetheless, it is no less important and when it’s done properly – along with proper acoustic design and treatment – it’s what separates the mediocre studios from the great.

It can be extremely expensive to sound proof a studio and many studios built from the ground up by people who know better often spend a sizeable portion of their budget on sound proofing and acoustic treatment. But why is sound proofing important?

Well, the most obvious reason is to prevent sound from leaking into the outside world and to adjacent rooms. This keeps the neighbours happy but the next and most important application is to prevent outside noise from leaking into the workspace. The way this is traditionally achieved is to build a room within a room with a floating floor and employing absorptive materials into the construction. All constructions should be buffered from the supporting structure by an air cavity (or by some other absorptive filler such as sand or insulation) and as few physical contacts as possible. Additionally, each and every possible point of leakage must be sealed by an acoustic sealant. I can already hear cash registers clanging.

Of course, this is all a challenge. Besides the cost, it requires hiring someone – hopefully a professional – who knows what they’re doing, unless you’re a serious DIY-er who loves getting his hands dirty. This is often what happens when cost is a constraint. In this case, there might be a product that provides a solution and it’s already causing a stir in the sound proofing community.

The product I am talking about is Green Glue, by the Green Glue Company, a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain, now available in South Africa through local importers Kenoran Products, based in Edenvale and Genesis Acoustics in Port Elizabeth.

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So what is Green Glue? Well, it’s a compound that looks somewhat like silicon that you would apply with a standard silicon gun around your household except, of course, that it’s green. But before we get into how Green Glue actually works, let’s take a quick crash course on the physics of sound transmission so we can get a better idea of the technology behind it.

Sound travels through a medium (normally air) in waves, which can be termed an airborne vibration. Upon impacting a wall or other boundary, some frequencies will be absorbed, some will be reflected, and some will pass through and be heard on the other side of the boundary. The amount of sound absorbed is termed ‘transmission loss’ and certain materials are better than others at absorbing certain frequency ranges. Sound Transmission Loss (STL) across specific frequencies can then be defined by the standard unit of acoustic pressure measurement, the decibel, as dB STL. For instance, if a pressure wave is measured as 100dB on one side of a room boundary and 55dB is measured on the other side, we would say that the boundary has a STL of 45dB STL. Green Glue is a polymeric viscous compound, invented in 2003 and brought to the market in 2004, which effectively converts the

STUDIO INSULATION Studio & Broadcast

mechanical energy of sound into heat. The idea is to sandwich the glue between two layers of dry wall to form a virtually invisible damping system, thus creating a barrier between layers where the sound can be trapped and dissipated into heat. How this compound specifically does this is, understandably, a trade secret.

In addition there is an entire system supplied by Saint-Gobain to aid the installer in taking full advantage of Green Glue technology. This system includes not only the Green Glue compound, but also a clip system for hanging and decoupling the drywall, and a special sealant called Silenseal to seal up the nooks and crannies. Provided you follow their instructions to the letter and use all the components in the system, the Green Glue Company claims that you can eliminate up to a staggering 90% of sound transmission across all frequencies.

Needless to say, these are quite tall claims, so does it really work?

Well, one company that is currently using Green Glue as part of their acoustic installation service is Genesis Acoustics, based in Port Elizabeth. I had an opportunity to go to one of their Johannesburg installations where Green Glue was used to make an assessment of the technology. Granted, I would have loved to go to a studio installation but because it’s a relatively new product, there aren’t any studios in this part of the world that have employed it in their construction yet. What we need to remember as well is that studios aren’t the only venues in need of sound proofing and noise control.

Restaurants, offices, factories and many other noise-rich environments require this sort of sound transmission control for the purpose of keeping the neighbours happy.

Recently I met Gerald Di Pasquale, owner of Le Bistro restaurant and live music venue in Sandton, to take a look and listen to his

installation where Green Glue was utilised. Le Bistro is a quaint French eatery on Rivonia Road that has an adjoining dance club which doubles as a live music venue. The goal there was to create a sound barrier between the outside of the club and the dining areas so that the dance club could rage on while the non-dancing guests could enjoy their dinner without the need to shout at one another. Also, Gerald wanted to control sound leakage as there are other restaurants in close proximity.

Stepping inside the club area, he explained to me that there were three main areas that Green Glue was applied, namely on the kitchen doors, on the main entrance doors and at various points in the building where there were once windows, such as at the east end of the room. In a listening test, Gerald turned on his club system to supply 100dB (measured by my trusty SPL meter) of sound pressure so we could close all the treated doors and take a listen outside. As we did so, Gerald explained further.

“I wasn’t expecting to get figures of 90% transmission loss because we didn’t treat the whole room and we didn’t use the clip system. I just wanted to seal up all the points of leakage and reduce the SPL by about 20 to 30dB. Of course, the low end was the most challenging.

It’s the most difficult range to eliminate because of how long the waves are.”

Of course he is completely correct. Low end sound waves – or ‘bass’ as it is usually called – are omnidirectional, high energy and have the longest wavelengths. This means that they can traverse through almost any non-treated structure and is why we hear a muffled, ‘bassy’ sound from the outside when noise or music is coming from indoors. We don’t hear the high frequencies because they get absorbed more easily.

Di Pasquale followed the recommendations of the Green Glue company and used two layers of dry wall with a layer of Green Glue between the layers. Indeed, when we listened from the outside, it was clear he got his desired 25dB or so of transmission loss but there was still the obvious leakage of low end. This is somewhat expected, however, and considering there was 100dB pumping inside the room, 75dB SPL is liveable.

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Studio & Broadcast STUDIO INSULATION

But what about a major studio installation where Green Glue was used in its entirety? Well, I was able to interview a studio owner in the United States, Max Dearing of Graham, North Carolina, and he was kind enough to answer some of my questions regarding Green Glue.

It had come to my attention through an audio forum that he had used it extensively in the construction of his studio, Dark Pines Studios.

He explains. “I’m not going to say that using Green Glue gives you a 90% reduction, as I can’t prove it by my own non-certified testing, but it damn sure kills a LOT of the low frequency transmission through a wall.”

Granted this was a pretty serious construction job and many other materials were used in conjunction with Green Glue. (see inset) Dearing continues: “Granted there is indeed a LOT of mass in my studio construction, and the isolation is optimised by each room being on its own independent concrete slabs, so I should get a good bit of isolation and sound attenuation. I can have a full band in the tracking room (drums, bass amp and two guitars) playing full on, and the majority of what little bleed I get into the control room, is through the window. I get very little sound bleeding through the rest of the building into the control room.”

He adds.

“I have walked outside at relatively late hours, when the majority of the world is asleep, and at no more than six feet from the building’s exterior, I cannot hear that typical band playing at anything other than what would be a car radio passing down the road, and at 12 feet from the building, there is not enough sound level to determine it is music. Crickets and frogs in the woods are louder.”

But here’s the qualifying remark: “So, for me, yeah, Green Glue’s a good part of why I have as good isolation and LF attenuation as I do and it saved me from having to put up two to three more layers of 5/8” gypsum!”

So there you have it. Green Glue was integral in saving space and cost at Dark Pines Studios and Dearing is convinced that without it, he would not have the low frequency transmission loss that he does. I could definitely see how Green Glue can make a serious mark in the acoustics industry and aid customers in saving on costs and space in the construction of their studios, or where ever effective transmission loss is required.

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Max’s construction was done as professionally as any commercial studio and he outlined for me what he used in the construction of his studio walls. The following list reveals the layers implemented from the interior of the studio to the exterior. The same treatment was done for the ceilings as well: 1) Tracking room interior 2) 1” finish oak 3) IFR fabric 4) 1” OC 703 and 1” furring strips 5) 5/8” FR Gypsum 6) Green Glue @ 50% coverage 7) 5/8” FR Gypsum 8) 3/4” OSB (Oriented Strand Board) 9) 2x6 Stud wall with R19 Insulation 10) 1” Air gap 11) 2x8 Stud wall with R19 Insulation 12) 5/8” FR Gypsum (caulked and cleated with 1x2), between the studs 13) 5/8” OSB 14) 5/8” OSB 15) Tyvek house wrap 16) 1/2” Hardie Board concrete/fibre siding 17) Building exterior

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Christie SA Office Launch – Montecasino, Johannesburg

Annalise Hodgson, Monica Behrens and Daryl Stewart

Chris Grandin and Tyron Ackerman

Sean Stewart and Simon Oates

The team from DWR Distribution

Erin Mclintock, Karsten Hinrechsen, Bret Lindsay and Kieth Mclintock

Pierre Mare, Steff van Zyl and Steven Murphy

Tyron and Phil Lord

Questek hosts Bright Ideas – Bryanston, Johannesburg

Martin Wood, Grant Reyes, Zane Cretten and Marc Geldhof

Grant Reyes and Michael Collyer

Mandla Zulu

Andrew Maseko and Anton du Plessis from Multi-Media

Martin Wood, Zane Cretten, Marc Geldhof and Abbe Westerlundh

DWR Distribution Rigging Conference – Randburg, Jhb (also held in Durban and Cape Town)

Denzil Smith

Duncan Riley and Rinus Bakker

Pierre Slabbert, Rene Rossol and Wessel Kruger

Siyabulela Maqoko and Thangwa Moreroa

Eazy Moeketsi, Lebogang Manyama, Vumani Sibanda, Siyabonga Tshabalala and Buti Mabunda

Eugene Hammond and Rinus Bakker

Tyron Windell and Tyrone Dobbin

Luke O’Gorman, Jonathan Oliver and Alex Farmer

iLED Product Launch – The Baron on Witkoppen, Johannesburg

iLED Team

Aubrey Muleyai, Lawrence Kubjana and Telly Sebola

Kagiso Marakalla, Boitumelo Monama and Thomas Sebola

Desmond Mashigoane, Elias Ngobese and Stephen Dithebe

Edward Shezi and Mangaliso Radebe

Lee and Susan Elliot with Warren Hunter and Oren Prato

Malcom Potter, Jon-Paul Wilson, Andre Wagner, Bradley Reeb

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Extron Africa Institute first class – Extron office, Johannesburg

Gary Atkins, Danie van Rensburg, Jerome Gueras, Anthony Olivier and Edgard Naim

Adrian Kriel

Anthony Olivier, Thomas Ngwaru and Jerome Gueras

Mandla Zulu and Mpho Mohlala

Travis Lovell, Mauritz van Wyk and Greg Buitendag

Extron S3 Institute experts with the students

Geofrey Koome and Asif Latif from Kenya with Jerome Gueras (middle)

Sharp Screen Launch – Stage Audio Works, Johannesburg

Hermant Lala and Shaun Austin Jolanie van Vuuren

Meggan McCarthy, Isukriti and Jade Ovis

The Sharp team

Stage Audio Works Staff

Mathew Gray, Yves Shangalume, Katlego Photole and Andrew Berry

Joppie Maritz

Siya Tontsi and Angela Murison

DWR Distribution Roadshow – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban

Nick Britz, Dave Whitehouse, Peter Kirkup (LumenRadio), Duncan Riley, Debi Tucker, Harry von den Stemmen and Josef Valchar (Robe)

The DWR Team with Harry von den Stemmen, Josef Valchar and Peter Kirkup (front and centre)

Harry von den Stemmen

Peter Kirkup speaks to attendees at the DWR Roadshow

Sound & Motion Studio 10th Birthday – Johannesburg

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The audience viewing a live performance broadcast from Sound & Motion Studios, Cape Town to the screen in Johannesburg

Craig Hawkins, Jessica Taylor and Simon Ratcliffe

Richard West with a live performance on-screen.

Nick Argyros and Paul Norwood from the band Newtown Knife Gang

Aleks Jankovic, Sharon Pearson and Peter Pearleson

Ashleigh Nash and Kurt Wilson

Alti Fouche, Karina Andreae and Andrea Rusc

Johan Scheepers and Michael Clark

Lightweight cost, Lightweight mass

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Small footprint and light weight

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DVA T12 and DVA T4 are totally compatible to fit together

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DVA Composer predictive software manages the complete set-up – which includes the DVA S30N Subs, DVA T12 and DVA T4 line array enclosures – ensuring limitless combinations, to suit venues from clubs to stadiums and everything in between

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RDNet Software manages the system during shows

With stats to produce a technical knockout

DVA T12

DVA T4

DVA S30N

3 Way Active Line Array Module 3 Way Active Line Array Module

Subwoofer

Frequency Response (+/- 3dB):

Frequency Response (+/- 3dB):

Frequency Response (+/- 3dB):

60 – 19000Hz

80 – 19000Hz

30 – 120Hz

Max SPL: 136dB

Max SPL: 128dB

Max SPL: 141dB

HF Drivers: 3 x 1” Neo Compression Driver

HF Drivers: 2 x 1” Neo Compression Driver

LF Drivers: 2 x 18” Neo

MF Drivers: 2 x 6.5” Neo

MF Driver: 1 x 6.5” Neo

Power Rating: 3000 W

LF Driver: 12” Neo

LF Driver: 8” Neo

Weight: 72Kg

Power Rating: 710 + 350 + 350 W

Power Rating: 220 + 100 + 100 W

Dimensions mm:

Weight: 29.9Kg

Weight: 13.8Kg

1100(W) x 580(H) x 720(D)

Dimensions mm: 580(W) x 386(H) x 430(D)

Dimensions mm: 580(W) x 240(H) x 327(D)

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

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DWR Distribution | Unit 38, Graphite Industrial Park, Fabriek Street, Strijdom Park, Randburg Tel: 011 793 5066 | Fax: 011 792 5076 | E-mail: sales@dwrdistribution.co.za | Visit: www.dwrdistribution.co.za