Pro Systems January/February 2017

January / February 2017

R38.00

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

Cover Internet Feature of things ISE 2017 PREVIEW Club Taboo Upgrade Fill Up Orlando PROJECTOR CHOICES

In This Issue EDITOR Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of ProSystems Africa News, our first edition for 2017. We sincerely hope it will be a rather better year for the industry and the world than was the annus horribilis of 2016!

We hit the ground running in this issue, with a preview of the 2017 edition of one of the dominant industry trade shows around the world, ISE in Amsterdam. As has become the norm, ISE is predicting bigger and better things from the show this year, including an Immersive Technology Zone and more dedicated space at the RAI in Amsterdam for the mix of show floors, education and training initiatives and professional development.

Our special feature in our first issue for the new year focuses on the much-touted Internet of Things phenomenon, and how it is relevant to AV. This thought leadership section investigates the AV IoT convergence, what AV professionals have to consider and factor into their integration and installation work, and a focus on a key market for IoT products and applications – the smart home market.

Our integration and installation coverage this issue ranges far and wide, with an eclectic mix of club, exhibition, broadcast studio and new local product news all present. In a similar vein, we have a wide range of live events covered this issue, showing off the varied skills of our local rental companies, technical suppliers, and production companies – everything from an impressively large Christian stadium gathering to a hip-hop festival!

Continuing our now-regular technical feature section, we have an interesting story on a livestreaming initiative locally, and some wise words from regular contributor Abrie du Plooy on choosing the right projector for your professional AV needs.

Our forthcoming special feature in March/April will be focused on the Education Technology sector. If you have any story ideas in the space you wish us to consider, please get in touch. Don’t forget that we’re here for you – as your resource for key industry news, information, trends and product news. If you want to talk about any of that, have suggestions, or comments on anything you read here and in our regularly updated website, newsletter, and social media feeds, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’m on james@sun-circle.co.za.

Enjoy the read!

James Sey

CONTENTS NEWS DiGiCo goes boldly with launch of Project Vulcan – the SD12...........................3 Crestron expands into India and Asian markets............................................4 Corporate AV trends........................................6 Prosound takes stock of a good year............7 HARMAN stable launches new products.......8 Software Defined Video over Ethernet Alliance launched....................9 AV industry guru Robert Simpson awarded MBE..................................................10 Industry Events 2017........................................12

ISE 2017 SHOW PREVIEW ISE- bigger and better than ever..................14 Alcons Audio – official technology partner............................15 d&b audiotechnik and the evolution of venues.................................15 IDante AV Networking World announces new format.................................16 Crestron boasts host of new products.........16 LG Electronics showcases range of OLED products................................18 Matrox to focus on collaboration.................18 DPA Microphones highlights audio quality..................................19 D Series Slimline models from LAB Gruppen..........................................20 TANNOY CMS 3.0.............................................20 Powersoft revs up for Amsterdam.................21 Yealink's latest innovations.............................21

FEATURE: INTERNET OF THINGS AV and the Internet of Things........................22 Pro-AV and the Internet of Things.................23 The Internet of Things and smart home technology........................26

Pro-Audio at centre of smart home technology................................28 IoT innovation drives consumer audio market growth.....................................30

INTERVIEW The Formative way.........................................32

Integration & INSTALLATION Alpha Technologies launches ALFAtron.......34 Formative realise high-end exhibition stand..............................36 CNN installs LED Videowalls in Washington studio......................................38 Club Taboo receives technical upgrade..........................40

Live Events Largest locally supplied PA for Sacred Assembly.......................................44 GETshow gears up for 2017............................47 Delivering faith at Every Nation....................48 Rigging and such: Circles and Arches.........52 Designs on Orlando........................................54 Good weather for Bad Weather at Rocking the Daisies....................................58

Technical Spotlight Monetising live expertise for the streaming world..................................60

EXPERT OPINION Selecting the right projector..........................62

Social Robe Theatre Workshop.................................64 Peripheral Vision Year End Function.............64 Sun-Circle Year End Function........................64 SACIA ICASA discussion.................................64

Cover graphic by Trevor Ou Tim

Contributors Elaine Strauss | A journalist and photographer, with experience in writing articles featuring a broad range of subjects, Elaine also has a honours degree in Visual Studies, and is making her mark in the audio and AV industries. With a keen interest in lighting design and film studies, she is a peoples-person with a fascination for all things new and shiny. With experience in journalism, videography and marketing, she brings to her writing a passion for and understanding of various fields.

Abrie du Plooy (CTS, CERT AV PROF) | Abrie is an independent consultant in the AV industry. He writes for us in his personal capacity.

Greg Bester | With 16 years in the audio industry and a penchant for the technology of things, has funnelled his accumulative experience into writing since 2007. An audio engineer by trade, he has worked in many areas of production such as live sound, music, post-production, location recording and film audio and his work has garnered several award nominations.

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

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

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

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

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DiGiCo goes boldly with launch of Project Vulcan – the SD12 The SD12 is the culmination of everything that DiGiCo has learned over the last decade and a half…

This year, DiGiCo celebrates 15 years of manufacturing exceptional digital mixing consoles. Now, at the very beginning of 2017, it has moved its game a notch up with the unveiling of Project Vulcan, the new SD12 digital mixing console.

The SD12, says DiGiCo, is the culmination of everything the company has learned over the last decade and a half and encapsulates the best features of both the SD and S Series.

The SD12 features 72 input channels with full processing, 36 aux/group busses with full processing, a 12 x 8 matrix with full processing, LR/LCR buss with full processing, 12 stereo FX units, 16 Graphic EQs, 119 Dynamic EQs, 119 multiband compressors and 119 DiGi-TuBes, 12 Control Groups (VCA) and SD Series Stealth Core 2 software, making it compatible with all other SD Series sessions.

One of the SD12’s outstanding features is its dual 15-inch digital touchscreens – previously only seen on the SD7 and SD5 – which provide 24 channels in one view, dual operator mode and the ability for the right-hand screen to be the Master, as well as advanced connectivity via optional DMI cards, yet the SD12 still maintains a workflow that will be familiar to anyone working in live touring, corporate, installation, House of Worship, theatre or broadcast.

EQ and dynamics controls are aligned perfectly next to both the left and right-hand screens, so that they sit adjacent to the graphic representation that you see when you assign an EQ. DiGiCo has included its signature Hidden Til Lit (HTL) technology, with two banks of 24 encoders featuring an RGB HTL ring, as well as an SD7-style channel strip with HTL EQ encoders. There is also new Dynamics metering on the channel strip and new high intensity meters associated with the faders. The rotaries that sit below the screen indicate, by colour, what parameters they are controlling to allow for fast operation; these are also HTL. One of the other important things with a digital console is the feedback of the

DiGiCo SD12

metering. The Dynamics controls are exactly where you would expect them to be, but with the addition of Gain reduction meters normally only seen on the SD7 and SD5 and metering to show the action of the Gates making the feedback from the worksurface unrivalled at its price point.

There is also an assignable Master section on the bottom right hand side of the worksurface, again only previously seen on an SD7 or SD5, and two assignable faders with their own displays and metering, which can be assigned to be any of the channels whether input or output, or Solo Master controls. Dedicated RGB scribble strips, of which there are five, can be assigned to Macros with five banks giving a total of 25 Macros, and there is a Snapshot panel for quickly accessing and controlling the Snapshots list, as well as for firing the next and previous Snapshot.

On the back of the console is a standard local I/O format. There are eight local mic/ line inputs, eight local line outputs and eight AES/EBU in/out for local digital sources, as well as two MADI ports, plus a UB MADI connection for recording at 48kHz; 48 tracks of recording are possible with the console clocking at 48kHz and 24 tracks if it is clocking at 96kHz. There are two slots for DMI cards. Options include a Dante module, which can be plugged straight into the back of the console, alleviating the need to purchase an

Orange Box. A Waves module can also be fitted to take full advantage of the SoundGrid platform. In fact, there is a huge family of DMI cards that can be plugged in the SD12, which can be changed between different projects or tours, depending on requirements.

The SD12 has a suite of remote control options, including the iPad SD remote app which offers remote control, expansion and show control. Offline software, meanwhile, allows for session preparation and online remote. There are OSC and Ross network protocols; 16 pin GPIO that allows for audio follows video and show control; Serial/MIDI in/out for MMC/MTC, MIDI remote and QLab; second console mirroring and redundancy.

And, because the SD12 is an SD Series product, there is also the option to upgrade straight into the Optocore network with not one, but two loop options, allowing the SD12 to sit happily anywhere on a loop with any other Optocore enabled SD product.

“The SD12 has already created an international impact, with over 30 of our distributors taking part in a surprise global launch,” says DiGiCo MD James Gordon.

“The SD12 takes all the true DiGiCo values and installs them into a compact, cost effective surface with unrivalled feedback and control. It is ideal for operators that demand the best audio quality, combined with an intuitive and fast multi-screen worksurface.”

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Crestron expands into India and Asian markets

Crestron China team

Crestron, the global leader in advanced control and automation systems, recently announced the establishing of a direct brand presence in China.

This allows the company to further enhance its service and support to customers in the region. This followed the announcement of recently opened Crestron direct offices in India and NE Asia (HK), and emphasised the company’s significant expansion in the Asia Pacific region.

In exclusive partnership with Shanghai Golden Bridge, Crestron China will bring the full Crestron service model to China, while the new, wholly owned Crestron subsidiary in India includes a headquarters at RMZ Ecoworld, Bangalore, and supporting regional offices. The Indian headquarters features a fully functional Crestron Experience Centre, with state-of-the-art training facilities, as well as various active workspaces – all showcasing the latest Crestron solutions. This facility will allow the local Crestron team to provide hands-on,

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comprehensive training and education on the latest solution offerings to Indian partners and customers.

In Hong Kong, the new Crestron facility in Quarry Bay is a full service facility that offers a Crestron Experience Centre, training facilities, advanced technical support and more. With this new facility, Crestron will have a dedicated presence in all the key North East Asia markets including Korea, Macau and Taiwan.

“Combining Shanghai Golden Bridge’s extensive infrastructure footprint and in-depth knowledge of the China market, with Crestron’s world class technology solutions, technical support and sales and marketing programmes makes a lot of sense for this market. Crestron and Shanghai Golden Bridge will create a full service Crestron operation in China. We are currently building a Crestron Experience Centre, training and support facility in Shanghai with further details coming to all our customers very shortly. We will create a new benchmark for customer service to the channel and our end clients,” said Stuart Craig, CEO, Asia Pacific, Crestron.

Zhou Zhe, Director and General Manager of Shanghai Golden Bridge added “we will provide a direct Crestron presence right across China including Shanghai, Beijing,

Guangzhou, Jinan, Chengdu, Hefei, Kunming and Guiyang, delivering to our customers the full Crestron sales and marketing programmes, tailored to the China market”.

Regarding Asia Pacific, Craig continued: “Asia Pacific is an increasingly important market for Crestron and we are investing to support our customers, ensuring opportunities for all. Crestron is fully committed to providing our partners in the region with the highest level of customer experience and the tools and technologies to help our partners grow their business. Our goal is to provide the full range of our market leading technologies locally and to ensure our customer service leads the industry. Over the next couple of weeks, local Crestron customers will receive further details about the extensive services available to them and also information regarding our upcoming launch celebrations.”

The new direct footprint will allow Crestron to help grow the business of its local partners and resellers, allowing more clients in the region to optimise their biggest investments spanning people, spaces and technology.

Crestron works with customers in Asia Pacific across various industry sectors including education, corporate, government and defence, hospitality, healthcare and residential.

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Corporate AV trends Corporate AV Integration celebrates five years Corporate AV Integration is celebrating five years in business, during which time the company has seen many changes and advances with certain trends.

“As a growing business owner, we understand too well how many small businesses close within the first few years. Not only has Corporate AV Integration bucked the trend, we’ve grown bigger and better, and more successful than we ever imagined,” says Stefan Mayer, Managing Director of Corporate AV Integration.

A move to the cloud Mayer explains that over the past few years, the company has noticed several interesting trends. “There’s been a move away from hardware, and increased focus on cloud technologies in the AV sector. Our customers are opting to invest less in expensive infrastructure, and spend more on cloudbased services.”

In this way, they are enjoying many benefits, including cost savings, and having access to the latest and best technologies.

According to Mayer Cloud service providers will ensure that devices are loaded with the latest firmware and software, and that as the functionality is upgraded, it’s instantly available in the cloud.

“No longer is video conferencing only available to top executives. These advances in the cloud are allowing these technologies to be available in all sized companies worldwide.” Companies can now afford to have multiple smaller huddle rooms allowing more employees to use this technology.

Going greener Another trend the company has noticed is a move towards greener solutions. “AV systems are no longer only about improving presentations and keeping audiences engaged. They need to reduce the businesses’ carbon footprint and lower energy consumption.”

With a growing consciousness towards greener environments, Mayer explains that today’s intelligent building and room control systems do exactly that!

“Dimming lights and automatically turning off a screen or a projector is a start,” says Mayer, but the future is one where AV and environmental systems are closely integrated

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Stefan Mayer

to intelligently communicate with each other and react to changing conditions to boost energy and cost savings.”

The costs of such solutions in South Africa however, still slows down the deployment of such solutions and therefore companies opt for more simplified options.

A wireless world A definite trend the company has noticed is a move towards wireless presentation and collaborative systems. “Boardroom users are of the perception that everything AV should be, and must be wireless,” says Mayer.

“However, this is not the case. Although wireless AV technology has vastly improved since 2011, it is far from foolproof, and still costly.”

The opportunities are definitely there though, he says. “Wireless is extremely versatile, and this, coupled with the BYOD trend which is seeing today’s employees working from a variety of locations, on a variety of devices, means that anyone with a device can tap into a meeting or presentation.”

Mayer is adamant that wireless

presentation is not only about having no cables or being able to access work from anywhere in the office, it means full collaboration, and being able to charge devices, present from any device, share files, and interact, all whilst still presenting.

Moving forward For the past five years, the company’s mission has been to drive excellence in Africa’s corporate audiovisual market. “Our business was founded to provide our customers with corporate AV solutions that will help maximise their return on investment with these complex and potentially costly technologies,” concludes Mayer. “Now we’re in a position of stability and growth, we want to ‘pay it forward’ by training and upskilling young AV enthusiasts who generally have little to no formal education, and who would not have had the opportunity. I’d like to see a future in which AV companies are able to employ apprentices who will be subsidised through a skills development levy, which they are all contributing to, but currently not seeing a real return.”

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Prosound takes stock of a good year With many in the industry lamenting the parlous state of the local economy and the volatility of the currency, and with the whole world complaining bitterly about 2016 and happy to see the back of it, Prominent South African integrators Prosound and their newly launched distribution company, ApexPro, have bucked the trend, and can look back on a year in which they made great strides in new markets with some established and new product lines. We spoke to ApexPro’s Brand Development & Marketing Manager, Michael Harmse and Prosound’s Technical Sales Manager Lee Thomson for more.

ApexPro is a new company dedicated to the efficient distribution of premium mass-market brands like Electro-Voice, Audio-Technica and P.audio amongst several others; while Prosound as a high-level integrator only distributes more specialised, high-end brands such as Meyer Sound, Midas Pro Series and AEQ with a number of other brands in the stable.

Says ApexPro’s Michael Harmse, “We’ve certainly seen some of our established brands doing really well with products that have either been around a while and are gaining traction, or new products which we’ve successfully taken into broader markets. The Electro Voice ZLX range is a good example and is distributed through ApexPro. The ZLX combines decades of proven pro-audio engineering know-how with a bold and distinctive new look, user-friendly features and DSP that give you an extraordinary amount of control over your sound – all with the renowned EV quality and reliability the pros trust, and at a great price point!

ApexPro supplies premier lighting products including fixtures and consoles from ETC, and its new Colorsource range went down a

storm in recent months. “ETC’s ColorSource®products bring a whole new approach to LED system designs – on a budget,” says Harmse. “Whether you’re running a concert or events space, outfitting a theatrical production, lighting for broadcast or adding a splash of colour to your architectural installation, ColorSource products will make sure you look good. ETC uses lime to add more colour capability, while preserving the bright output needed from a washlight. With such diverse clients as Botswana’s National Museum Little Theatre and Grahamstown’s National Arts Festival across 16 of their venues, Colorsource fixtures and consoles have been enthusiastically embraced by schools, theatres and installers around Southern Africa. We look forward to extending the success of all these products in the coming months,” concludes Harmse.

A big brand audio product that has done well for Prosound in 2016 is the new Compact Linear Line Array Loudspeaker series from Meyer Sound, the LEOPARD. This is simply one of the most astonishing loudspeakers ever created. LEOPARD has 70 percent more power and 90 percent greater clarity than any comparable product. LEOPARD’s entirely new patent pending design brings a loudspeaker system at a fraction of the weight but with so little distortion and so much headroom and precision that it can be used for almost anything – from a church to a music hall, from a theatre to a hotel ballroom. This versatility makes it great for the local market, where low weight, power and accuracy is appreciated. The market response to LEOPARD has been incredibly positive in the wake of its launch last year.

The first install in Africa was at Woord en Lewe, a 3000-seater church in Boksburg.

Prosound’s Lee Thomson, Technical Sales Manager: “The clients have been ecstatic with the performance of the system and we envision many more installs to come.”

Among other high profile applications, the LEOPARD along with a Midas Pro-X operated

by Mark Malherbe and Johan Griesel was also used at the famous Rosies venue at the Cape Town Jazz Festival to accurate convey every nuance of the artists’ stellar performances in the venue for the entirety of the event. Durban’s Playhouse Theatre also received a LEOPARD install just in time for the Playhouse Company’s production of The Sound of Music in December. The LEOPARD did a tremendous job of accurately translating the show’s superb acting and musical arrangements. The sound design for the show was expertly created by Prosound’s own Mark Malherbe with the LEOPARD’s use in mind, also in conjunction with a newly upgraded Midas Pro-X. The Sound of Music opened to rave reviews.

Of course the Midas Pro-X itself has been prolific in live venues around South Africa.

Prosound is the exclusive reseller of all Midas Pro series consoles. “This sets a new performance benchmark in high-profile live sound applications,” says Thomson. “Midas have taken the input of live-mix engineers to heart and incorporated an array of real-world applicable features to create a combination of power, audio quality and ease of use. The powerhouse behind the PRO X system is the new Neutron Audio System Engine, which is the result of a three-year research and development program. This architecture delivers more than 100 gigaflops of real-time audio processing performance, translating into 271 simultaneous processing channels at 96 kHz and 40-bit floating point operation! We’ve supplied and installed several in the last while, such as at the Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City Casino and Acts Christian Church in Midrand as well as the previously mentioned Rosies at Cape Town Jazz Festival and at the Playhouse Theatre for the Sound of Music. The Pro-X is fast gathering momentum and gaining favour with high-profile engineers.”

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HARMAN stable launches new products HARMAN Professional Solutions launched a remarkable amount of products via their range of brands at Booth 7800 at NAMM 2017 in Anaheim California recently. The new releases boasted a range of Professional AV and studio products, reminding both competitors and customers that the HARMAN stable is still a force to be reckoned with in the industry.

HARMAN Connected PA

be controlled by up to ten devices via Ethernet or built-in dual-band Wi-Fi, making it possible to control mixing and multitrack recording wirelessly. Renowned Lexicon, dbx and DigiTech signal processing ensures pristine sound, while 20 Studer-designed microphone preamps deliver more professional inputs than any other mixer in its class. The compact, rack-mounted Ui24R is part of the new HARMAN Connected PA ecosystem and offers unprecedented control, versatility and power at an incredible value.

JBL Intonato 24 Monitor Management Tuning System

The HARMAN Connected PA™ is a complete, integrated ecosystem of live sound products that allows musicians and performers at any skill level to quickly and easily get professional results. At the centre of the Connected PA ecosystem is the groundbreaking new HARMAN Connected PA mobile app, which provides one centralised solution for intuitive setup, configuration and control. The HARMAN Connected PA ecosystem brings together Soundcraft mixing consoles, AKG microphones, dbx stage boxes and JBL speakers that integrate HARMAN ioSYS technology to offer a flexible and scalable solution that makes it easy for customers to get great live sound.

Soundcraft Ui24R

The new JBL Intonato 24 Monitor Management Tuning System is the industry’s most comprehensive solution for easy setup, precise automated calibration, and complete control of monitoring systems in stereo, surround, and immersive audio production rooms. Housed in a 2U rackmount enclosure and shipping with more included I/O than any monitoring control solution available today, Intonato 24 can calibrate and control systems of up to 24 speakers with customised recallable routing of up to 24 sources selected from 24 dedicated analogue, 24 digital and 256 networked audio sources. Included software and an optional Desktop Controller put the system’s powerful monitoring features at your fingertips, and take control room monitoring to the next level.

JBL 7 Series Powered Studio Monitor The new Ui24R is a complete digital mixing and multitrack recording system that delivers flexible I/O, pristine sound quality, intuitive wireless control, and roadworthy reliability— all in a streamlined design. The system can

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The new JBL 7 Series Powered studio monitors builds on the legacy of the acclaimed JBL 7 Series line. Featuring patented driver and waveguide technologies developed for the flagship JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor, the new 705P five-inch and 708P eight-inch

monitors deliver high output, stunning detail and best-in-class accuracy for post-production, broadcast and music recording facilities.

AKG C636 Master Reference Handheld Condenser Microphone The new AKG C636 master reference handheld condenser microphone.

Building on the legendary studio-quality sound of the acclaimed C535 microphone, the C636 innovates by providing professional singers with unparalleled stage reliability and performance. In addition to a custom-tuned capsule with hand-selected components, the C636 is engineered to reject feedback, handling noise and pop noise so vocalists can fully focus on their performance. The AKG C636 features three proprietary technologies that are designed to address several common problems singers face on stage, including feedback, handling noise and pop noise.

AKG P5i Microphone The new AKG P5i high-performance dynamic vocal microphone is the first microphone designed to automatically configure with the new HARMAN Connected PA ecosystem, providing effortless set up, instant recall of performer and pre-sets, and great sound for musicians of all skill levels. Based on the acclaimed AKG P5 dynamic vocal microphone, AKG P5i delivers powerful sound for lead vocals.

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Software Defined Video over Ethernet Alliance launched A new Industry alliance promotes a standardised software-defined video over Ethernet (SDVoE) platform for interoperable AV-over-IP applications and invites others to join

AptoVision, Aquantia, Christie Digital, NETGEAR, Sony and ZeeVee recently announced that they have formed the SDVoE Alliance to standardise the adoption of Ethernet to transport AV signals in professional AV environments, and to create an ecosystem around SDVoE technology that allows software to define AV applications. The Alliance is a non-profit organisation which participates in tradeshows and conferences, publishes white papers and case studies and promotes SDVoE technology, and solutions based on the technology, to system integrators, designers and consultants. Training and installer certification are also part of its mandate.

All AV distribution and processing applications that demand zero-latency, uncompromised video can benefit from SDVoE technology, which provides an end-to-end hardware and software platform for AV extension, switching, processing and control through advanced chipset technology, common control APIs and interoperability. SDVoE network architectures are based on off-the-shelf Ethernet switches thus offering substantial cost savings and greater system flexibility and scalability over traditional approaches such as point-topoint extension and circuit-based AV matrix switching.

SDVoE Alliance founding members bring different perspectives to the SDVoE initiative spanning the entire ecosystem with expertise in chipsets (AptoVision, Aquantia), switches and storage (NETGEAR), and AV end points (Christie Digital, Sony and ZeeVee). The SDVoE Alliance already benefits from over 35 shipping products and numerous installations in healthcare, enterprise, entertainment, hospitality, retail, houses of worship, government, military, industry and security.

“For years we have lived with the idea that

‘AV/IT convergence is coming’,” said Justin Kennington, president of the SDVoE Alliance.

“The SDVoE Alliance and its technology finally provide the platform that is necessary to enable it. Using 10 Gb Ethernet hardware to move video with flawless quality and zero latency is only the beginning. The creation of a software platform enables the development of whole new classes of applications not yet conceived. True convergence is finally here.”

The alliance seeks to: • Standardise adoption of Ethernet to transport AV signals in professional AV environments • Offer end users increased flexibility, with applications more tailored to their particular needs, and the opportunity to reduce both capital and operating expenses • Enable more cost-effective architectures for AV signal distribution using Ethernet switches • Provide a reliable and more versatile alternative to point-to-point extension

and circuit switches • Facilitate true AV/IT convergence such that high-quality AV networks and data networks can simultaneously share a single infrastructure platform • Bring ecosystem partners – AV equipment manufacturers, AV software developers, switch manufacturers, chipset designers, technology providers and system integrators – together under a single banner to foster collaboration • Bring awareness to new opportunities by educating the industry and offering training in the new paradigm The Alliance debuts at Integrated Systems Europe 2017, (Amsterdam, February 7-10) on stand 12-H55, with a series of featured demonstrations highlighting that only SDVoE technology delivers: a full stack solution for AV over IP, zero-latency 4K60 over standard Ethernet, a complete application development platform, powerful AV processing with simple controls, and 4K60 with HDR. For more information, visit sdvoe.org.

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AV industry guru Robert Simpson awarded MBE Electrosonic UK recently announced that Robert Simpson, co-founder of Electrosonic, has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the New Year’s 2017 Honours list for services to the AV industry.

The award was made in recognition of Simpson’s unwavering commitment to the industry over the past 52 years.

Over that time Simpson has helped to define what we now know as the AV industry. In his early years, working alongside co-founders Denis Naisbitt and Michael Ray, Electrosonic developed products associated with slide projection and ‘multi-image’ presentation.

Often working from a blank page, on electronic designs that had never been done before, often in countries far from home, they created invention after invention for one-of-a-kind experiences and attractions in museums, theme parks and cultural landmarks. Right from the start Electrosonic was engineering large scale audio-visual installations, including complex multi-media shows in Tehran in the 1970s, the world’s biggest videowall (850 CRT monitors) at EXPO 92 in Seville and major theme park installations from 1990 onwards.

On being advised of the award Simpson said, “I am pleased to receive this award, not only for myself, but also for my colleagues at Electrosonic. Recognition of the company as a significant force within the Audio-visual industry will be as welcome to them as it is to me.”

His contributions to the industry include far more than being one of its founding fathers.

He is a frequent writer and lecturer on audio-visual and lighting control topics, and his books include ‘Videowalls – The Book of the Big Electronic Image’ (Focal Press 1997) ‘Lighting Control – Technology and Applications’ (Focal Press 2003) and ‘Electrosonic – 50 Years on the Audio-Visual Front Line’ (Electrosonic 2014). He provides CPD accredited industry training programmes for InfoComm International® and for the Royal Institute of British Architects, (RIBA). In 2008 he was awarded the INFOCOMM Distinguished Achievement Award and in 1978 the company was awarded the Queen’s Award to Industry for

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Lourie Coetzee and Robert Simpson

Export Achievement.

Simpson was Chairman of Electrosonic Ltd for the period 1964-2004 and from 2005-2015 was a director of, and advisor to, the international Electrosonic Group. He is a life member of the SMPTE (USA), and a Fellow of the BKSTS (UK).

Now Director Emeritus of the Electrosonic Group, Simpson remains dedicated to the industry. He continues to write and provide industry lectures worldwide, give presentations to new staff as part of their induction programme and is the editor of Electrosonic’s bi-annual in house publication ‘Electrosonic World’.

As part of his international development of the industry in the early years, Simpson was and is no stranger to South Africa, and played an instrumental

role in facilitating the creation and growth of Electrosonic SA. He has family in the Southern African region, and so combined regular family visits with a marketing and mentoring relationship with Electrosonic SA. “Though we had been involved in business with Electrosonic UK as far back as the 1960s, and I had spent some time training with Electrosonic UK, our strong business connection dates to 1991, when we were offered the Electrosonic distribution agency once more after it had been represented by another company,” says Lourie Coetzee, now-retired founder of Electrosonic SA. “When, at that stage, the AV industry began to take off under the influence of increasing digitisation and the internet,

news

Bruce Genricks, Robert Simpson and Lourie Coetzee

Electrosonic’s forte had been installations for theme parks, planetariums, and automated show controls, most of which were custom designed. Bob and I agreed to use the Electrosonic name to get our SA business up and running, though there was never a crossshareholding. We began to properly represent the Electrosonic agency in the local market,” Coetzee continues. “At the time Bob in particular was very hands-on, and offered us regular training on the products. Electrosonic UK was in the process of moving to manufacture more off-the-shelf products rather than custom work, and had become known for audio installations, dimming controls and various prototype videowalls. This product was brought into SA for a car

launch by prominent AV industry figure Johan Kruger, around 1987! It was these product ranges we began to distribute locally, among others.”

Simpson’s involvement in the fledgling Electrosonic SA business would be crucial in establishing the business locally, though this would be in a marketing and training role rather than directly clientfacing. “Bob mentored and designed with us on some projects, for example for the installations at the Johannesburg and Cape Town planetariums, since he had plenty of installation experience in those kind of installations,” says Coetzee. “But by the turn of the millennium, Electrosonic UK had made the business decision to move away from being manufacturers, working with a network of

distributors, to become more end-to-end AV integrators and installers. So our business relationship with them came to an end, and we began to take on distribution agencies for other products.

But Bob, of course, remained a good friend and mentor for the business, and takes a keen interest in what’s happening in the AV market here. Of course, his books and other writings are influential on the industry here too. It’s been a pleasure to know him and work with him.”

Speaking of the award, Simpson himself says, “I have thoroughly enjoyed being in an industry which has developed out of all recognition in the nearly 53 years since Electrosonic was founded, and am proud of the contribution we have made.”

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news

Industry Events 2017 As a helpful reader’s guide in our first issue of 2017, here follows a full list of pro – AV and related industry events and trade shows for the calendar year. Please note that some events, particularly those later in the year, may not have yet updated the relevant website.

InfoComm Orlando, USA 14 – 16 June www.infocommshow.org Mediatech Africa Johannesburg, South Africa 19 – 21 July www.mediatech.co.za Tourism & Technology Asia Singapore, Singapore 26 – 28 July www.tourismtechnologyasia. miceapps.com PLASA Focus Glasgow Glasgow, UK 18 – 19 January www.plasashow.com

Music inside Rimini Rimini, Italy 7 – 9 May www.en.musicinsiderimini.it

Integrate Melbourne, Australia 29 – 31 August www.integrate – expo.com

NAMM Anaheim, USA 19 – 22 January www.namm.org

LightFair International Philadelphia, USA 7 – 8 May www.lightfair.com

Australian Smart Lighting Summit Melbourne, Australia 13 – 14 September www.lightingconference.com.au

Integrated Systems Europe Amsterdam, Netherlands 7 – 10 February www.iseurope.org

PLASA Focus Leeds Leeds, UK 9 – 10 May www.leeds.plasafocus.com

IBC Amsterdam, Netherlands 15 – 19 September www.ibc.org

Prolight + Sound Guangzhou Guangzhou, China 22 – 25 February www.hk.messefrankfurt.com/ hongkong/en

LLB Gothenburg, Sweden 9 – 11 May www.llb.se

PLASA London, UaK 17 – 19 September www.plasashow.com

KOBA Seoul, Korea 16 – 19 May www.kobashow.com/eng

InfoComm India Mumbai, India 26 – 28 September www.infocomm – india.com

The GET Show Guangzhou, China 27 February – 2 March www.getshow.com.cn/en

InfoComm Brazil Sao Paulo, Brazil 23 – 25 May www.infocomm.org/cps/rde/xchg/ infocomm

Expo Music Sao Paulo, Brazil 4 – 8 October www.expomusic.com.br

BVE London, UK 28 February – 2 March www.bvexpo.com

Live Entertainment & Event Expo Tokyo, Japan 31 May – 2 June www.live – event.jp/en

Prolight + Sound Shanghai Shanghai, China 11 – 14 October www.prolight – sound – shanghai. hk.messefrankfurt.com

Prolight + Sound Frankfurt am Main, Germany 4 – 7 April www.pls.messefrankfurt.com

Palm Expo India Mumbai, India 1 – 3 June www.palmexpo.in

WFX Dallas, USA 12 – 13 October www.wfxweb.com

InfoComm China Beijing, China 12 – 14 April www.infocomm – china.com/en

Palm Expo China Beijing, China 2 – 5 June www.palmexpo.net

LDI Las Vegas, USA 17 – 19 November www.ldishow.com

Sound Check Expo Mexico City, Mexico 23 – 25 April www.soundcheckexpo.com.mx/en

ABTT London, UK 7 – 8 June www.abtttheatreshow.co.uk

JTSE Paris, France 21 – 22 November www.jtse.fr/en/home

TPi Awards London, UK 27 February www.tpiawards.com

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EASY TO

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DSP-1283 12x8 analog I/O plus Dante and AEC

DSP-860 8X6 analog I/O

DSP-1281 12x8 analog I/O plus Dante™ audio networking

DSP-1280 12X8 analog I/O

DSP-1282 12x8 analog I/O plus AEC

Now, it’s incredibly easy to set up DSPs, perfectly tune any room, create touch screen controls, expand inputs/outputs, and integrate with AV systems. No other DSP makes it this easy to deliver high-performance audio.

• Dante network expansion • Enterprise VoIP network • Network control • Universal power supply • POTS dialing • USB integration for Crestron RL® 2, BYOD soft codecs, and courtroom archival

Join us at ISE 2017 to find out more: crestronISE.com All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2017 Crestron EMEA

ISE SHOW PREVIEW

ISE- bigger and better than ever Reflecting the continued growth of the AV business and the significance of the ISE exhibition, ISE 2017 will see more than 3 000 additional square metres of floor space added to accommodate the ever-increasing number of companies opting to exhibit at the show. There will be 135 first-time exhibitors at February’s show.

ISE 2017 will see the addition of two new halls and two new technology focus areas. A new pavilion, to be known as Hall 14, will be a temporary structure built on the Congress Square. It will connect with the Europa Foyer, Diamond Lounge and Auditorium and provide valuable additional floor space.

Hall 9 is also new, and will be home to exhibitors addressing the burgeoning market for smart buildings. This space will also feature the CEDIA Smart Building Solutions Theatre sponsored by KNX. Meanwhile, Hall 12 becomes Hall 13 and, in another first, will be dedicated to the products and services associated with education technology, a fast developing area of the market.

The ISE 2017 exhibition is categorised into seven different technology zones on the ISE exhibitor floorplan. These are: • Digital Signage • Smart Building • Discovery Zone • Residential Solutions • Unified Communications • Pro Audio • Education Technology Within the technology zones are situated the five ISE Show Floor Theatres. The new CEDIA Smart Building Theatre sponsored by KNX for 2017 is a welcome addition for this popular show floor feature.

The Show Floor Theatres provide a unique opportunity for attendees to hear industry experts, consultants and manufacturers present the latest in project-based case studies, workflow solutions, technological innovations and business analysis in an intimate and innovative setting on the exhibition floor. Each presentation is 20 minutes long with a 10-minute Q&A. • Hall 8: InfoComm International Commercial Solutions Theatre sponsored by Crestron • Hall 5: CEDIA Residential Solutions Theatres • Hall 7: ISE Audio Solutions Theatre • Hall 11: InfoComm International Unified Communications Theatre sponsored by Crestron • Hall 9: CEDIA Smart Building Solutions Theatre sponsored by KNX

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Integrated Systems Events recently announced that the opening address at ISE 2017, on the eve of the show (Monday 6 February), will be given by award-winning architect Ole Scheeren. He will share his vision of contemporary architectural and urban development and explore how technology and architectural design combine to influence the creativity of each discipline. Principal of Buro Ole Scheeren, which has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Berlin and Bangkok, Scheeren is its chief designer and leads the company’s strategic development. His current projects include the Guardian Art Centre, near the Forbidden City in Beijing, 1500 West Georgia in downtown Vancouver, and MahaNakhon, Bangkok’s tallest tower.

The Opening Address will be followed immediately by the ISE 2017 Opening Reception.

Daniel Lamarre, the president and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, will present the closing keynote speech at Integrated Systems Europe on Friday 10 February 2017.

For over 30 years, Cirque du Soleil has been at the cutting edge of live entertainment creation and production with shows combining stunning acrobatics, theatrics, visuals and music. Cirque du Soleil has consistently shown how creative expression can benefit from the adoption of the latest AV technologies when used to enhance and complement a show’s key storylines. Today, the company operates across five continents and is the world’s largest theatrical production company.

Lamarre said: “As emerging technologies continue to grow their influence on live entertainment, it is timely for me to participate in ISE 2017. I will have an opportunity to share my vision on how new technologies will have a huge impact on artistic content.”

Visitors to ISE 2017 can keep up to date with everything happening across the show via ISEshow.TV, ISE’s unique video news channel which is being produced during the exhibition, live from the show floor.

ISEshow.TV is run by ISE official supplier IML, publisher of InAVate magazine. The online video channel allows subscribers to keep up to date with all that’s happening during the four day show alongside previewing up and coming events.

New content is uploaded each day and will feature: – breaking technology news, ISE show floor features, CEO interviews and daily editorial insight through discussions and analysis on technology and industry trends.

Content can be viewed on demand via iseshow.tv..

In what follows we present a preview of various offerings, new products and announcements of interest from international exhibitors.

SHOW PREVIEW ISE

Alcons Audio – official technology partner ISE 2017 sees Alcons Audio returns to its ‘home show’ both as a an official ISE Technology Partner and with an expanded Alcons Pro-Ribbon Immersive Experience, on stand 6-H148 (Hall 6).

The Pro-Ribbon Immersive Experience was one of the highlights of ISE 2016 and returns this year in expanded form, having also enjoyed critical acclaim at the CEDIA home technology exhibition in Dallas last year. Taking place in an acoustically-optimised demo room on Alcons stand 6H148 in Hall 6, the company will be demonstrating systems for both the residential/home theatre and professional installation markets.

For the professional installation (and rental) market, Alcons will be hosting seminars with Astro Spatial Audio (ASA), which will explore and demonstrate in depth immersive surround sound for live events.

The Alcons system will be working with ASA’s SARA II Premium Rendering Engine, which harnesses patented Spatial Sound Wave (SSW) technology to deliver scalable and easy to use object-based

3D audio for a wide range of applications.

Once again, Alcons is also an official ISE Technology Partner, with systems in the Residential Solutions Theatre (Hall 5) and the Audio Solutions Theatre (Hall 7). The show floor theatres are an important part of ISE, featuring case-study presentations by manufacturers, distributors, systems integrators, content creators and other experts on many current key technologies and issues. The Alcons systems ensure that all attendees hear every word of every presentations in exceptional detail.

“We are very pleased to be an official ISE Technology Partner again and to present an enhanced and expanded Pro-Ribbon Immersive Experience at ISE 2017. It has been recognised as one of the stars of every audio technology show it has appeared at. The best way to experience the quality and power of our systems is to hear them for yourself,” says Alcons co-founder Tom Back. “Audiences for all types of live and installed sound are looking to enjoy the very best that the latest audio technology can offer. At ISE 2017 we will be pleased to again demonstrate that Alcons delivers that.”

Alcons systems will also be used at the InAVate Awards ceremony on Tuesday evening.

d&b audiotechnik and the evolution of venues d&b audiotechnik is looking forward to welcoming visitors to stand 7-C173 and demo room E103 once again.

At the d&b stand visitors will find a joined up toolkit, including loudspeakers, software and electronics, alongside members of the team for support and advice. Interactive workstations will guide guests through the streamline d&b Workflow, and show interoperability possibilities with third party system controls.

For the first time, visitors will also have the opportunity to see the company’s latest installation specific loudspeakers, 24S and 24S-D. Launched with the 21S-SUB in October 2016, this system resets the performance level of the elegantly redesigned xS-Series to offer a truly full range, all-in-one solution. Made to set and forget, the system is ideally suited to the dynamic needs of night clubs, live performance venues, houses and worship and multipurpose centres.

On behalf of d&b, David Claringbold, former Director of Sydney Opera House, will discuss the evolution of entertainment, sports, retail and leisure venues, from traditionally single purpose buildings, to more complex spaces. “Modern venues are developing sophisticated business models,” he explains, “with 24/7 utilization, driven by a diverse program. The model is no longer linear. This demands new ways of approaching audio technology and new opportunities for creativity.

David Claringbold

“To meet the complex needs of our ever changing world in a meaningful way, we must explore, and further our understanding of how high quality sound can add value to life, art and enterprise. I will take a provocative look at the way sound deeply connects us – to our environment, our society, ideas and art.” The future of loudspeaker system design will also be examined – and experienced – in the first public demonstration of a d&b Soundscape.

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ISE SHOW PREVIEW

IDante AV Networking World announces new format Audinate, creator of the industry-leading Dante™ media networking technology, announces that it is running its popular Certification Program as part of this year’s Dante AV Networking World for ISE 2017.

Now in its seventh year, AV Networking World is the one of the most popular education events at ISE, showcasing the benefits of audio networking for commercial installation. The program includes training for new and advanced Dante users, a general session covering emerging trends pertinent to the future of Audio over IP networking for professional audio systems, and Level 1 and Level 2 Dante Certification.

General Session • Audio Networking Trends and Research, presented by Roland Hemming, RH Consulting • Advanced Management of AV Networks by Aidan Williams, CTO, Audinate

Track 1 Program is designed for attendees that are new to Dante, and are looking for the basic foundation to get started. This track will feature the following two sessions: • Introduction to Dante • Intermediate Dante Concepts

Track 2 Program is geared toward attendees that are already using Dante, and are looking to create more advanced systems and learn best practices. This track will feature the following two sessions: • Intermediate Dante Concepts • Advanced Dante Workshop Upon conclusion, all attendees are invited to reconvene in the sponsors’ demo area for a hosted reception with refreshments that will also provide access to Dante-enabled equipment from event sponsors. This year’s sponsors include Amphenol, AtteroTech, Audinate, Bosch, Bose, Clear-Com, Crest Audio, Extron, Luminex, Media Vision, Nexo, Peavey Commercial Audio, Powersoft Audio, RDL, Renkus-Heinz, Sennheiser, Shure, Stagetec, Stewart Audio, Symetrix, Tascam, Xilica Audio Design and Yamaha Commercial Audio.

Since the program also includes a catered lunch for all attendees, and seating is limited, interested attendees are encouraged to register immediately at www.audinate.com/ise17-avnw.

Crestron boasts host of new products ISE 2017 will see Crestron demonstrating its very latest room scheduling solutions, showing the new generation of their award-winning line of TSW touch screens from December, and presenting its new Skype Room System in partnership with Microsoft® in Hall 2, Stand C24.

Crestron Room Scheduling is an invaluable productivity tool for organisations with multiple conference rooms and meeting spaces, providing convenient room scheduling to suit the needs of any organisation.

“In today’s complex work environment, finding the right meeting space quickly is critical for success,” said Dan Jackson, Crestron Director, Enterprise Technology. “With Crestron Room Scheduling, you can connect the right people to the right space with the right technology to get your work done.”

With regard to the TSW-560, TSW-760, and TSW 1060, these deliver a bold new level of touch screen performance and security for a broad

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range of enterprise applications. On top of that, the new touch screens are available at the same, or even lower, pricing as the prior generation.

Crestron’s new Skype is a powerful, professional solution built for Skype for Business, it brings an HD audio video experience to small and mid-size meeting rooms and spaces, as well as conference rooms. Work like you’re in one place; quickly and easily join meetings, make phone calls, instantly share content in room and remotely, all from an elegant touch screen console device.

ISE SHOW PREVIEW

LG Electronics showcases range of OLED products LG Electronics will strengthen its OLED product offering, showcasing its newest products on booth 12-K70.

These stunning displays for commercial applications will be showcased alongside new developments in digital signage and cutting-edge display technology for various industries.

The booth will feature vertical market focus areas for retail, education, finance, transportation, hospitality and outdoor, highlighting key products and solutions in these areas with hands-on and interactivity options for visitors to Hall 12.

LG is embracing the increasing adoption of unique formats for digital signage displays by showcasing its Ultra Stretch displays across the stand with applications like retail and transportation supported.

The display is rendered in 58:9 format which allows for truly dynamic content or even four-divided Picture-by-Picture (PBP) content where the screen is divided into four independent parts each supporting their own content. This is made possible thanks to LG’s SuperSign media editor for content management, allowing end users to easily edit images or video clips of original content to fit the display format.

Within the retail and digital signage section, key products include the impressive UHD 98” display, a fantastic seamless alternative to the common 2x2 video wall in flagship store locations. LG’s bespoke Up-scaling and Super Resolution technology enhances the quality of

Full HD content to nearly-UHD quality and renders UHD content in beautiful clarity. They will be showing their complete UHD portfolio of IPS technology based professional displays from 98” down to 49”. They will be also show their brilliant window display for retail applications, where high-brightness is required due to exposure to sunlight. For outdoor applications, where durability and sustainability of brightness levels over time are key requirements, LG will showcase a line-up of display solutions.

LG will also offer a tailored area for the hospitality market, with a selection of proven products for the hotel sector. The OLED Hotel TV takes centre-stage for high-end and luxury applications.

LG’s 65” UHD SMART Hotel TV and Pro:Centric Direct solution will also be on show, delivering leading hospitality solutions for this market.

To book a bespoke tour of the stand or any further questions related to LG’s presence at ISE 2017, please contact info. displayUK@lge.com

Matrox to focus on collaboration At ISE 2017, Stand: 12-E38, Matrox will be presenting its complete ecosystem of AV-over-IP and video wall produacts, offering system builders and integrators a preview of how easily Matrox products can drive their content distribution, processing, and display needs.

The latest generation of Matrox’s Maevex™ H.264 distribution system, the Maevex 6100 quad encoder card will be capturing, encoding and streaming several channels of 4K and HD content sources from multiple inputs simultaneously. Also, on display for the first time anywhere, the Maevex 6150 quad 4K encoding appliance will be streaming and demonstrating its zero latency passthrough for all four of its inputs.

Powering a 3x3 video wall, the Matrox C900 nine-output graphics

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card will show off its robust single-card performance in digital signage and control room scenarios. Controlled by the MuraControl™ for Windows® video wall management software, the same system will also feature a Matrox Mura IPX 4K capture and IP decoder card to demonstrate the ease of integrating streaming IP sources onto a video wall, including IP cameras and Matrox Maevex-encoded sources.

In a security & control situation, the Mura IPX 4K IP decode and display card will power four displays arranged as a cost-effective, easy-to-integrate 2x2 multiviewer.

To underline the collaborative nature of Matrox video wall products, two Matrox Mura MPX™ video wall capture and display cards will be used to power a dual-4K wall, ideal for process control, dispatch, transportation, air traffic control and security command centres.

A Matrox P690 graphics card will be employed in the same system as a console display, with MuraControl for Windows managing sources and the wall layout.

Matrox will have its complete line-up of H.264 encoding and decoding appliances on display, exhibiting the flexibility and nuanced control that Matrox AV-over-IP solutions offer.

SHOW PREVIEW ISE

DPA Microphones highlights audio quality On stand 7-T235, DPA Microphones will show a range of solutions for the installation market, including a new Microphone Base that will be unveiled for the first time.

The Microphone Base, designed for use with the d:screet™ SC4098 Podium Microphone, can be placed on a table or podium, or attached to the ceiling or even the wall.

Furthermore, it has an internal shock mount that highly dampens unwanted sounds from tables and lecterns, securing a trouble-free installation. The d:screet™ capsule is mounted on a sleek boom that, for the table top version, has a gooseneck at the top and the bottom, thus allowing users to position the mic exactly where they want it. The ceiling version consists of a one piece gooseneck. In both versions, the cable can exit to the side of, or beneath, the unit.

The company is also showing its elegant d:screet™ BLM4060 Boundary Layer Microphone, which is ideal for use in boardrooms and conference facilities. It is also a great solution for teleconferencing and other applications where excellent vocal

pickup is required.

DPA’s full range of bodyworn microphones, which include d:screet™ Miniature Microphones that are available as a traditional lavalier or as a necklace, will also be on show. This cleverly designed mic houses the legendary d:screet™ 4060 Omnidirectional Miniature Capsule in a soft rubber necklace that can be easily and repeatedly mounted by non-technical people.

Also on show will be the company’s full range of d:fine™ Headset Microphones that are internationally acclaimed for their superior sound quality and durability. These unobtrusive microphones that are very popular with conference speakers and adjudicators who want to keep their hands free while they are presenting and talking.

DPA will complete its ISE 2017 line up with the award winning d:facto™ Vocal Microphone, an exceptional handheld vocal mic that offers true studio sound in live surroundings. Due to its modularity, it is easy to change the capsule or switch from the wired d:facto™ handle to the dedicated adapters that allow it to be used on various professional wireless systems to maintain the true and transparent sound of the performers.

The Vivitek DU8090Z is the perfect solution for any large venue application where power, flexibility and a durable solution are paramount WUXGA resolution 8000 ANSI Lumens brightness 10,000:1 contrast ratio up to 20,000 hours of operation built in edge blending, warping and portrait mode projection po interchangeable lenses motorised focus and zoom horizontal/vertical lens shift 10 predefined (memorised) lens positions HDBaseT interface support

LASER SHARP VISUALS WITH THE ULTIMATE IN OPERATIONAL FLEXIBILITY No Lamp Replacements = Lower Running Costs

Contact Michael Kennedy for a demonstration and pricing michaelk@audiosure.co.za 011 790 4572

Vivitek DU8090Z Proudly Distributed by

| www.audiosure.co.za

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ISE SHOW PREVIEW

D Series Slimline Models from LAB Gruppen The D Series from LAB GRUPPEN now consists of six power levels including the new slimline D 40:4L, D 20:4L and D 10:4L. This offers the integrator genuine open inter-operability and provides seamless integration with a wide range of digital audio and control protocols.

The new slimline, four channel, small format 1 U rack space power amplifiers (4000 W, 2000 W and 1000 W total power output) offer extreme power density which is rivalled to alternative 8 channel amplifiers, but in a scalable form factor.

Each is available with LAKE Processing power and also herald LAB GRUPPEN’s ground-breaking Rational Power Management™ (RPM) technology which made its debut with the flagship D Series release in

2014. RPM allows completely flexible allocation across all channels, ensuring the most efficient and rational use of amplifier inventory without the need to reduce channel count or total power.

The slimline models introduces the next generation of LAB GRUPPEN power-package; based on proven technologies for our renowned reliability but with increased performance and efficiency. The new models features LAB GRUPPEN’s exclusive IDEEA (IntelliDrive Energy Efficient Amplifier) output stage for greater efficiency and extreme flexibility with direct 70 and 100 V drive as well as low impedance.

The power supply ensures a superior power-to-current draw ratio for reduced running costs and minimal environmental impact.

Augmenting these green credentials is the CAFÉ (Configuring Amplifiers for the Environment) software suite which provides system design aid and many other time saving features that ensures optimized system cost as well as lifetime running costs.

TANNOY CMS 3.0 LAB GRUPPEN will showcase the TANNOY CMS 3.0 at ISE, 7 – 10 February 2017 at Stand 7-H179, as well as its own Slimline Power Models. continues with the CMS 3.0. The latest line of Dual Concentric equipped CMS comprises 5 models – CMS 403DCe, CMS 503DC, CMS 603DC and CMS 803DC – each designed to replace previous equivalent iterations – plus an all-new CMS 803DCQ 8” high-Q model, designed for high-ceiling/longer throw applications.

Dual Concentric Driver The new driver features Omnimagnet™ technology and a Torus Ogive Waveguide™ assembly to deliver more consistent and controlled directivity, with notable improvement in higher frequency ranges, in comparison to previous generations.

Design Features

In the early 1990s the company took its studio-grade Dual Concentric™ drivers and put them in the ceiling, giving birth to the CMS (Ceiling Monitor System) and bringing high quality audio to the ceiling loudspeaker space for the first time. Two decades later, TANNOY has taken the best and made it even better. Featuring a fundamental reinvention of the Dual Concentric driver, the revolution

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The CMS 3.0 also features mechanical and aesthetic changes that make the process of specifying, installing and commissioning easier than ever before, with new back cans and clamp designs, and a more convenient termination panels and choice of grille fixings, from the classic bevelled edge to the new Arco Grille accessory. The CMS 3.0 design also delivers improved time alignment and greater coherence between LF and HF, resulting in an even wider sweet spot and brighter, more defined and precise sound – for appreciably enhanced performance both on-and off-axis.

Powersoft revs up for Amsterdam Powersoft is set to plug an important gap in its multi-channel installation series. A brand new series will make its spectacular debut at ISE 2017 on the stand of its Dutch distribution partner, Ampco Flashlight Sales (# 7-K180).

So significant is the new range that Powersoft will throw a party on the opening day to toast the new arrival, inviting media, integrators and partners to join in the celebration. The party will start from 4pm onwards and is based on the key concept: “4 Human Integration”, which will be spread over a video, graphics and T-shirt.

Not content with this, Powersoft will also occupy an additional booth in ISE’s Hall #7 (V200). This will be dedicated to Deva, and overseen by new executive director, Karl Kahlau, who moves from his position as Regional Sales Account Manager, EMEA and India, to take up the new position.

Away from the trading floor, Powersoft will be involved in some exciting collateral activities. The company will again be sponsoring Audinate’s Dante AV Networking World training event on February 6 (in Rooms G104 and G105).

Finally, the company will again be sponsoring Connessioni’s AudioForum on February 6th (Room G001/G002) at 2.30pm.

The title will be: Decentralized DSP solutions: Advanced audio system design often requires audio sources from various locations in a building to be routed and distributed.

This will be presented by Powersoft’s fixed installation specialist, Marc Kocks, with over 20 years’ experience in design, project management and integration of theatres, sports arenas, theme parks and many other systems.

Yealink's latest innovations Videoconferencing is driving today’s businesses towards greater success and Yealink takes the next step in 2017 with their “Easy Video Conferencing” experience. ISE 2017 visitors can experience Yealink’s latest innovations that address business people’s increasing multipoint and security demands, including: • Yealink Meeting Server: a distributed-cloud based VC infrastructure that incorporates multiple modules, including MCU, registrar, directory, traversal server, meeting and device management server and more.

• VC800 Room System: a brand new meeting room solution that features the industry’s most powerful built-in multipoint capacity -- 25-party (two VMRs available).

Yealink is at Booth 11-B100, where visitors can also experience the company’s other videoconferencing endpoints, including more room systems, video phones and apps.

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Integration & Installation FEATURE

Special Feature: AV and the Internet of Things

The origins of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the AV industry are disputed. Some see the connectedness of different components which could be centrally controlled, such as early videowalls a few decades ago, as an early example of the networked control that defines current IoT applications. IT specialists on the other hand may look to its origins in early web browser technology in the early 1990s, since the advent of the commercial internet is what has made IoT possible.

What is indisputable is that in recent years, the AV industry has caught onto the concept of IoT. The impact of AV and its use of digital audio, video, and control systems, as data riding on a network with other data, has opened whole new horizons for the industry and has hastened the much-touted world of AV/IT convergence that potentially opens up new markets for AV products..

For many in the corporate world, especially senior executives, there has been a traditional divide between telephony, computers and AV such as screens and audio systems. Today there may well be AV systems plugged into the same network or at least using the same cable and connector as a means of signal transport. The fact that any device attached to the network of a corporation, whether that is distributed physically or located in one place, adds another layer of complexity to the AV/IoT convergence. In fact, the IoT is driving the assumption that every device is a computer and that its use is ubiquitous to functionality.

Indeed, modern users are driving the uptake of IoT because of their expectation that any device will offer seamless access to all the functionality and systems on a network, from voice to video and audio to data – and the tools facilitating such access are largely AV/IT integration tools and products.

The fact that traditional AV is catching onto IoT has dramatically changed the way products are conceived, engineered,

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manufactured, and deployed. Many products in the industry were traditionally items that shipped in boxes and broke when dropped, whereas today many processes are managed by software, not physical knobs and buttons. In this way they can communicate with other devices, bringing a level of interaction and connectedness that was difficult to achieve previously. The concept of IoT is therefore giving rise to a culture shift within the AV industry that fundamentally changes common perceptions of systems design, deployment, and maintenance. AV is now a component of the network, and it must begin communicating and interacting with other aspects of communications, such as routers, switchers, firewalls, quality of service, and user interface. Therein lies a challenge for many manufacturers of AV devices, which first entered into the digital network world using proprietary network protocols. , As a result of the move toward IoT, AV technology is becoming more integrated into network technology than ever before.

In what follows Pro-Systems Africa News has compiled a thought leadership feature detailing the implications of IoT for the AV industry and AV technologies and products. Since much of the uptake for IoT-related AV is in the consumer home space, we spend some time addressing the concept of the smart home, as well as the consequences of a maturing IoT landscape for every other aspect of the professional AV industry.

FEATURE Integration & Installation

Pro-AV and the Internet of Things

By Infocomm International (Reprinted with permission)

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a buzz phrase in a variety of industries, but the concept it describes — the networked connection of devices and sensors for monitoring and control — has been part of professional AV for the better part of two decades – for example, in getting Ethernet-connected control systems to gather information from projectors and feeding it into software management systems in order to control rooms.

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Integration & Installation FEATURE The evolution of a variety of technologies has advanced the relatively simple deployments of the last century into something wholly new.

The continued miniaturisation of sensors and processors has fuelled a massive explosion in the number of devices deployed around the world that can connect to the Internet or another network and interact with other devices. Machine-to-machine communication has reduced the need for human involvement in routine operations, allowing more to get done with less oversight. And the capability to analyse data collected by myriad networked sensors provides valuable insights that further boosts the benefits these technologies deliver.

The combination of these capabilities has created great opportunities for the AV industry.

“AV was stuck in fixed workspace environments. Evolutions in technology enabled the IoT to really take root,” says Gary Hall, CTS-D, CTS-I, Planning and Operations Officer at Cisco Systems and President of InfoComm International. “When you take a video camera or a microphone, you miniaturise it and you put it on a sensor, then you have it connect back to hundreds of other sensors, it gives you a brand new capability that never existed before: the ability to do things better.”

The Building Blocks of IoT for AV To take advantage of the capabilities the IoT offers, AV professionals must understand several foundational elements. Industry experts explain that mastery of supporting technologies isn’t essential, but AV pros need a basic knowledge of several networking and data concepts.

AV pros also must be familiar with wireless networking, says Shane Long, Principal at Waveguide. “Today, the one thing that everybody wants in their meeting environment is no wires,” Long explains. “They want to walk in and present wirelessly.”

For devices that are connected via copper cabling, Power over Ethernet delivers another important capability. As devices and sensors proliferate, the ability to power them via the same cables that connect them becomes vital. PoE allows AV professionals to maintain power to their IoT nodes without having to run electrical cables or rely on batteries.

AV professionals also need to understand industry standards for capabilities such as video transport, data compression and connectivity, which are key to the flow of information that fuels the IoT. Further, AV pros have to enable data analytics at the edge of a network to take advantage of IoT’s machine-to-machine communications. When data is analysed automatically at the edge, it can deliver real-time value without sending unwanted data to take up space in the cloud or in an organisation’s storage systems.

The Security Imperative As the number of networked devices increases, so do the security threats that AV deployments face. AV professionals need to get smarter on security, because IoT and AV share the fact that they create new threat vectors on the network that can be exploited, if not used properly. Those threats are multiplied when you’re putting hundreds or even thousands of sensors out beyond the edge of the

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network. AV systems have not traditionally been connected to the internet, but now that they are increasingly connected to networks, security is paramount.

As IoT projects increase the number of connected devices, AV professionals must employ encryption on all network traffic, experts say. AV systems also must be capable of authenticating the identity of authorized users. Passwords for individual systems are insufficient to meet this need, and more effective authentication can be achieved by integrating AV systems with an organisation’s Active Directory or Lightweight Directory Access Protocol service.

The importance of meeting the security challenge is difficult to overstate. Security is the biggest impediment to widespread adoption of IoT technologies. Unlocking the value of IoT is completely dependent on mitigating the risks that it presents.

How It Works: AV Use Cases for the IoT For AV professionals who understand the essential disciplines of the IoT and establish an effective security posture, the opportunities it offers are limited only by the imagination.

The monitoring and command-and-control capabilities that the IoT offers make it a good fit for managed AV service providers, says Richard Blackwell, President of Linked2Software. Service providers must keep close tabs on the state of equipment they provide to clients in order to maximize the efficiency of their maintenance and support efforts. “Network-based hardware allows integrators to stay in constant contact with the equipment their service policies are based on,” Blackwell says.

AV hardware manufacturers, such as Crestron, have developed products that deliver advanced capabilities via the IoT. A good example is room scheduling devices operating via touchscreens.

Networked digital signage is another solution that takes advantage of IoT capabilities. Display prices have dropped significantly in recent years, greatly increasing the feasibility of deploying more and broader signage. By networking signage with other devices, such as computers, sensors, cameras and databases, AV professionals can dynamically change displays to meet a variety of needs seamlessly.

AV professionals also are integrating building systems, such as HVAC and lighting, to make them smarter. This gives a building the capability to automatically turn the lights off and adjust the temperature in empty rooms, improving efficiency and decreasing energy costs.

Increasingly prevalent in the AV offering is mobile collaboration equipment that brings advanced video and communication hardware to users, instead of requiring them to visit a conference room. Other mobile IoT platforms include drones.

Overcoming IoT Challenges As they deploy IoT systems, AV pros need to be aware of several hurdles they may face. Privacy is a key consideration, and one that raises concerns for many parties. The efficiency of smart buildings offers plenty of promise, but some users may be worried about just what the building knows about them, such as what they’re doing and where they’re going. They may want to gain some control over how they’re tracked or whether they can opt out of monitoring.

Organisations looking to deploy IoT-enabled AV systems also must ensure that their data analysis capabilities are up to the task. AV professionals need to ensure that if these devices are connected to the network, the right information has to be extracted from them in order to get the full value out of the connectivity.

To learn more about the role of IoT, in ProAV applications, download a free InfoComm white paper at www.infocomm.org/iotwhitepaper

media & entertainment technology trade show

www.mediatech.co.za

SUN CIRCLE e x h i b i t i o n s

Integration & Installation FEATURE

The Internet of Things and smart home technology

While the Internet of Things (IoT) has been mooted for a long time, it has also taken a long time to mature to the extent that it is now a viable business proposition for its two major markets in AV – IP convergence in various market segments on one hand, and the smart home sector on the other. On the latter front, there has been perhaps too much fragmentation of the market, with many vendors touting many standalone appliances and apps on the market. Also, there has been little technology collaboration in order to bring these point solutions together as a converged and seamless user experience. But now that multinational companies such as Google and Amazon have decided the market is worth broaching, technology maturity and market readiness should rapidly follow.

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FEATURE Integration & Installation

In theory, any device in the home that uses electricity can be put onto a home network and be under a centralised form of control by the user. Whether the control takes the forms of voice, remote control, tablet or smartphone, the home reacts. Currently, most smart home applications relate to lighting, security (as with other AV applications in other smart buildings and control rooms), home theatre and entertainment, and thermostat regulation.

The key point about the market, as with any form of market adoption of technology, is that as standardisation and maturity of the technology increases, so does its availability and affordability. Smart home technology that was once a pet passion of Bill Gates is now accessible to many.

Evidence of the increasing standardisation and mass production in the application of IoT technology in the home is abundant. Sales of

domestic home automation systems grew to around $9.5 billion in 2015, and CNN estimates that this could grow to $44 billion by next year.

Much of the maturity of the domestic market for AV integration and smart home applications is due to the ubiquity of smartphones and tablets. The ability of these machines to be constantly connected to networks means they can be configured to control myriad other online devices – which is where IoT comes in.

In the domestic context, IoT refers to the objects and products that are interconnected and identifiable through digital networks. This web-like sprawl of products is getting bigger and better every day. All of the electronics in the home are potentially connectable and controllable through this channel. And there is no shortage of possibilities for smart home IoT devices.

BI Intelligence, Business Insider’s premium research service, expects the number of smart home devices shipped to grow from 83 million in 2015 to 193 million in 2020. This includes all smart appliances (washers, dryers, refrigerators, etc.), smart home safety and security systems (sensors, monitors, cameras, and alarm systems), and smart home energy equipment, like smart thermostats and smart lighting.

The first and most obvious benefit to smart homes is convenience, as more connected devices can handle more operations (lighting, temperature, etc.) and frees up the resident to perform other tasks.

But beyond this, smart home IoT devices can help reduce costs and conserve energy. Automating the switching off of power-consuming appliances when not in use, such as switching air conditioners off when not at home, lowers costs and reduces energy consumption.

Smart lights would function in a similar way.

Of course, there are disadvantages, as well. Smart home devices are, despite the maturing of the market, still typically more expensive than their non-connected counterparts. However, the cost of these connected bulbs has dropped in the last two years, so the prices of smart home IoT devices could decline even further and make them more affordable to the average consumer.

Several stellar smart home IoT devices have already hit the market and made their way into thousands of houses around the world.

One widely discussed device in the space is the Amazon Echo, arguably the first and most recognisable name in this space. The device functions as a central hub for all other smart home gadgets, and its voice-activated ‘assistant’, Alexa, provides convenience that few other products can match. Amazon also offers two sister products, the Tap and the Dot. Nest, one of the more famous smart home device manufacturers, has created a learning thermostat that can automatically adjust temperature based on your location and uses a far-field sensor to determine the time and temperature from a distance. And thanks to a recent update, it now works with Alexa, too.

The August Smart Lock provides enhanced security for the home, is easy to install, and works with Siri through the Apple HomeKit. And for smart bulbs, there’s the Lifx Color 1000, which can change colour as necessary, and the Philips Hue Wireless Dimming Kit for your white-light needs.

In terms of which companies are supplying these devices, apart from those mentioned, not many are emerging from the conventional AV space, but it’s safe to say that the AV industry will catch up as IoT becomes more prevalent. The smart home market will take off if IoT device prices come down and the general public comes to understand the benefits of these products. And from smart homes, the next logical step is smart cities, which is already becoming a reality, particularly in the connection of urban transport systems to systems of control, to automated lighting and temperature control, and so on. The rise of smart cities will take IoT technology to the next level – smart homes are only the beginning!.

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Integration & Installation FEATURE

Pro-Audio at centre of smart home technology

By James Monighan,

Associate Analyst, Futuresource Consulting

Voice recognition technology is shaking up the consumer electronics industry, broadening the horizons of speaker vendors and reinventing the audio device as the gatekeeper of voice, smart home and machine learning.

There is no doubt that the audio industry will play a starring role in the rise of the connected home. The inclusion of wireless connectivity in audio devices is propelling speakers far beyond simple music playback. Their flexible form factor and primary components for sound pickup and amplification position them in the smart home sweet spot, linking consumers to a supply chain that fulfils many needs and opens the door to value-added services.

This year, 6.3 million voice assistant speakers will be shipped globally, generating revenues of $890 million, according to recent research from Futuresource Consulting. Amazon’s Echo is leading the way in the VPA market, with its intuitive voice technology and 3,000 apps or ‘skills’, which have tripled in number since June. Owners are already using Echo to alert them if somebody rings the doorbell, to turn appliances and lights on and off, to control heating and order pizza.

According to Futuresource research, Amazon’s Alexa speakers (including Echo, Dot and Tap) are expected to capture 8% of worldwide wireless speaker shipments and account for 15% of the US market alone. And in the very near future, voice speakers will account for 51% of Wi-Fi speaker shipments.

The opportunity the technology presents extends across the audio market, with Sonos, Denon, Bose and DTS’s Play-Fi speaker brands announcing partnerships with Amazon Echo. JD.com already has a VPA speaker for the Chinese market whilst start-up company Omate has announced an Android-based personal assistant called ‘Yumi’ which is also partnered with Amazon. Retail group Rakuten meanwhile is also expected to announce VPA speakers for the Japanese market next year.

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In consumer electronics, the winners are those who can ride the riptide of changing consumer tendencies. Voice recognition technology is the next big thing, and it’s going to be huge.

Everyone is talking to about it. Speakers have the ideal feature set for incorporating voice, and right now this is a colossal opportunity for audio companies, if they get it right.

Audio vendors are constantly improving the user experience for in-home music listening. Wired stereo systems have evolved into Bluetooth and Wi-Fi devices for convenient streaming from the smartphone. The focus on multi-room capability has now shifted to providing music content directly on-speaker – for example, Apple music on Sonos speakers, Spotify on Bose speakers.

It appears that the professional audio industry and the consumer market are both finding a window of opportunity, as speakers become even smarter and are capable of communicating with other smart home applications, placing audio at the beating heart of the smart home revolution, which in turn is fuelled by the IoT revolution.

But the audio brand landscape could so easily be destabilised as Amazon, Google and other technology giants look to seize market share. Over the next two to three years the voice interface market will flourish. Where visual and touch have dominated to date, voice and speakers will become more relevant for certain environments. Longer term, as the IoT space matures, there will be more integration with TVs, appliances, lightbulbs and furniture, and the companies that act quickly on the opportunity are the ones who will emerge victorious.

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Integration & Installation FEATURE

IoT innovation drives consumer audio market growth

By Mariia Konovalova

– Research Analyst – Futuresource

Sales of wireless audio devices and headphones are already booming – and there’s much more growth in prospect as a result of IoT-driven developments such as Voice Personal Assistant (VPA) speakers and feature-rich headphones, according to research from Futuresource Consulting.

VPA speakers like Echo and Google Home have the potential to turn Wi-Fi speakers into a focal point of the home, making regular tasks even easier. Futuresource anticipates that 79% of the Wi-Fi speakers that ship globally in 2017 will offer voice assistance. VPA promises a new way for consumers to interact with other devices and services.

This could lead not only to significant growth in wireless speaker sales, but also to greater use of other smart home devices. Amazon was first to market with Echo, but other devices based on Alexa will soon emerge from brands including Sonos, LG, Denon and Jam Audio, whilst Google is now rolling out its own speaker. One challenge for audio brands that they will face, however, is how to differentiate the user interface in a device where voice interaction enables the owner to bypass the brand UI. Futuresource believes that the wireless speaker market will grow by 20% to 84 million units in 2017, with Bluetooth-only models forming 80% of sales. People love the simplicity of Bluetooth, which is also relatively cheap. Smartphone ownership may well be saturating in North America and Western Europe but owners here are still keen to buy speakers through which to play out the music from their phones.

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Elsewhere, smartphone ownership is still rising significantly and this too will bring opportunities for selling wireless speakers and headphones.

Headphones are also the subject of much innovation, helping drive this market to a forecast $13.8 billion in trade value globally in 2017, up 7% on 2016. Futuresource data reveals that average prices are rising thanks to consumer demand for more feature-rich models.

In Q3 2016 alone, Apple’s announcement to drop the headphones jack from iPhone 7 was accompanied by a 75% y-o-y rise in demand for wireless headphones to 18 million units. During the same period, sales of sport models also ballooned by 53% y-o-y in volumes and 96% in revenues.

As a result of such innovations, the average price paid for headphones at retail rose by an estimated 9% in 2016, to $37.

Elsewhere in audio, demand for soundbars continues to grow as consumers seek a simple sound solution to enhance their large screen TV experience. An estimated 16 million units were sold in 2016 (+15%) generating revenues of $2.5 billion. North America still accounts for over half of worldwide demand but growth there is slowing as the market saturates. Growth of demand in Western Europe too softened

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Also on the rise is the inclusion of GoogleCast into audio hardware such as soundbars, wireless speakers and Hi-Fi systems. This enables interoperability between all Cast-enabled speakers, something which consumers will welcome in the wake of the confusion that surrounded the multiple launches of multiroom speakers over the past two years, often reliant on proprietary technologies unable to communicate with one another. GoogleCast inclusion doubled in 2016 and – with a range of brands already on board such as Sony, LG, Onkyo, Philips and JBL. Hi-Res audio was also promoted at the recent Las Vegas show CES 2017. There is undoubtedly an untapped appetite for higher quality audio, but – in terms of hardware uptake and vendor support – this initiative still has some way to go. In 2016, Hi-Res products formed about 4% of worldwide home audio hardware shipments, with a more substantial 11% of revenues. Growth in Hi-Res hardware will rely upon the roll-out of products at affordable prices, easily accessible content and more consumer education.

Recent corporate acquisitions such as Samsung’s purchase of Harman and Tessera’s of DTS show that innovative audio technology is hot, so we look forward to monitoring further developments in this space.

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INTERVIEW

The Formative way

Grant Orchard and Gareth Hadden are the senior creative duo behind the Cape Town-based stage and production design agency, Formative. The company aims to be the leader in its field, to push boundaries and to create ‘a show within a show.’

“We work within the fields of live performance, brand experience, spatial design and corporate communication,” says creative director Orchard. “With more than two decades of experience and first-hand knowledge obtained on the world’s stages and events, our team has garnered an enviable set of technical skills to complement our creative fanaticism. Our experience spans theatre, music, festival, broadcast, interior design and architecture.”

Orchard walks the talk, having personally worked on major

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international concerts for Linkin Park, Jay-Z, Kasabian and Elton John, major European music festivals such as Glastonbury, V-Festival, Isle of Wight and Rock Werchter, and television shows such as X-Factor UK, Britain’s Got Talent and the BAFTA’s.

“The key to our value proposition is the technical ability to realise the show designs we come up with along with our clients. We have expert technical knowledge and know-how of the latest entertainment technologies across the board, from lighting to the

INTERVIEW

most advanced video and projection mapping technologies. This means we can offer concepts that are cutting edge, unique, innovative and extraordinary. We can offer a full range of creative and technical services to complement and bring our projects to life, including a fully equipped in-house d3 studio.”.

Formative is currently the only stage and production agency in South Africa to utilise d3, the market-leading 3D stage visualising software. d3 is based around a real-time 3D stage simulator, and enables the design, presentation, communication, sequencing and playback of any show. The software allows creatives to work with props, venues, LED screens, projection, lighting and moving stage elements. Artwork, dimensions, time codes and specifications are directly fed into d3. The programme then correlates all the information and cues the mechanical as well as visual elements into one continuous timeline.

Having seamlessly designed and staged the hugely successful ‘Fill up the Dome concert in 2015 for Cassper Nyovest, the Formative team recently worked together again with this leading South African hip hop artist to present his follow-up Fill Up Orlando Stadium in JHB, which saw 40,000 people revel in a first of its kind in South Africa stage design and show.

Other noteworthy projects the team have worked on recently include; the 2015 and 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards, AKA’s barnstorming performance at the 2016 Rocking the Daisies festival, and Anatii’s 2016 album tour featuring Omarion

Plug into simplicity.

“On most of our productions, we’re bringing technology to bear on a creative set of challenges,” continues Orchard. “While it’s the design team that makes the productions possible, this evolving technology enables us to merge music, performance, technology and digital art into a package that takes the process from concept to final show. For example, we have many elements in the technical design to consider, from stage design, to lighting design, video and content. But the tech allows us to translate a design vision into 3D Max, so that photorealistic renders can be presented. To be able to use d3 as a real-time 3D stage simulator, means that one single solution can design, present, communicate, sequence and playback shows. We can actually watch each performance in our studio before we have even built the stage. Each of these elements can then be timecoded so everything can be synchronised to perfection.

The team get the guide tracks from the musical director of the show and we add a timecode layer, and we travel to our shows with a motions graphics designer so changes can be made on-site if need be.”

Orchard is open about Formative’s mission to constantly watch and learn from its international counterparts. “We want to take the SA live events industry to another level, which also means we empower its artists to be their best. Using world class technology in ways that keep us internationally competitive in realising our creative vision is how we want to go about this. The quality of custom content created for South Africa stages is improving but there is still a lot to learn.”

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9/12/16 10:30

Integration & Installation REPORT

Alpha Technologies launches ALFAtron

South African specialised AV distribution business Alpha Technologies is known for its representation and dedicated customer support of prominent international brands like wePresent and Sony. Now it has announced the launch of a new premium brand in the local market: ALFAtron – professional signal management equipment for South African Installers The new brand is distinguished by being a South African-designed signal management range, though ALFAtron is manufactured on behalf of Alpha Technologies at facilities in China. However, it is an exclusive Alpha Technologies brand and the company is positioning it in the market as a flagship product.

The product suite is aimed squarely at the South African and African AV integrator and installer market. ALFAtron offers to provide the local markets a set of cost effective, professional AV signal management products which are easy to install and setup. Alpha Technologies is looking to extend their distribution for the products to the rest of Africa as soon as possible through its specialised network of resellers throughout the continent.

The ALFAtron range caters for a wide variety of installation applications: from simple VGA/HDMI scalers, HDMI switchers, distribution amplifiers and Top-class HDBaseT extenders, all the

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way to Alpha’s incredibly popular scaler/switchers and digital audio products.

The company is strongly focused on the value proposition of the new ALFAtron range, believing it offers great value for money in the range of HDMI matrix switchers and modular matrix switchers with all available signal types up to 144 x 144!

Alpha Technologies believes that the new product range is differentiated in its chosen markets by strong confidence and support for the brand. The company is so confident in the product suite in fact, that it is offering a seven year warranty on all its ALFAtron products.

Backing this up is an offer of assistance to the reseller base which install the products in big projects in the shape of a guaranteed five year on-site warranty. This ALFAtron warranty guarantees a four day turnaround time and access to loans for the reseller. In addition, Alpha Tech sees a big advantage in bringing ALFAtron to market with a continuous foundation in R&D, in conjuntion with the design and manufacture team in China. As a result of this collaboration, the company says, it has been able to tweak designs to suit the requirements of the unique South African market. In addition, it has designed some simple “one-box” boardroom scalers to meet the needs of its integrator network. This equates to cost-effective, easy-to-use, reliable, innovative products. ALFAtron offers its professional product at an extremely competitive price compared to its competitors.

In summary, ALFAtron is manufactured in China and imported and distributed by Alpha Technologies in Johannesburg and sold through the Alpha network of AV and IT resellers. The company’s aim is to provide first-class service to its dealers, who range from smaller one-man installation companies to some of the biggest Audio Visual companies in South Africa.

Daniel Lamarre, CEO and president of Cirque du Soleil, live on-stage The Closing Keynote at ISE 2017

Attendees on the final day of ISE 2017 will have the opportunity to experience first-hand one of the world’s leading international business development executives. Daniel Lamarre, the President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil, will present the show’s Closing Keynote speech on Friday 10 February 2017 at 9:00am.

Daniel Lamarre will share his vision on how new technologies will have a huge impact on artistic content.

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Integration & Installation REPORT

Formative realise

high-end exhibition stand

The most recent iteration of the stand built on the solid foundations of the previous show, with a major design change being a transition from projection to LED technology. The LED was supplied by wellknown local supplier LED Vision, in the form of two highly impressive brand-new ROE BP 3.91mm screens with a total resolution nearing 6k, all run via Brompton M2 Processing and fed from d3 Technologies v2.5 Servers.

The lighting, supplied by MGG, was designed to make the stand ‘pop’ and stand out, and given its close proximity to doorways and the serious weight restrictions on the venue required ultra-low-weight fixtures that could provide both vivid colour and adequate punch to deliver high quality camera shots for the many high profile launches

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and announcements on the stand during the course of the show.

The design of the stand featured scale models of many of the Paramount Group’s flagship products, each individually and carefully downlit with 25 tightly-focussed Selecon SPX 15-35 Zoomspots, controlled by the d3 servers via an MA Lighting MA2 System with a Command Wing and a 4-port node. The aim of the downlighting design was essentially to synchronise the highlighting of individual models to the ultra-high resolution custom video content displayed on the screens, so that as a product was featured on the screen the respective model was highlighted on the stand.

For general coverage and dynamic key light Formative relied heavily on 14 of the ever-reliable 14 Robe Robin 1200 LED Washes, and

REPORT Integration & Installation

Formative, the Cape-Town based technical production and design company, have an existing association with the designer and client for the Paramount Group, a prominent South African supplier of defence and aerospace equipment. They once again provided expert technical management for the Group’s stand at the major continental trade show, the Africa Aerospace and Defence Exhibition.

for area-specific lighting on the stand Formative went with an additional 25 of the popular and equally reliable Robe Robin 600 LED Washes, which at trim of 8.5m deliver excellent light output relative to the throw distance, and with their fantastic weight and power consumption figures, were the clear choice.

Audio requirements on the stand were for even coverage, spilling onto the walkway around the stand without interfering with the stands nearby, which called for a discreet truss-mounted down-firing solution. This was achieved with a 3x3 grid of JBL PRX 710 Power Speakers run on separate sends to deliver maximum gain before feedback by isolating the various presentation areas from each other, with a neat stack of JBL VRX918 subs mounted behind the screen to

deliver the low-end rumble that gave the video content an imposing “acoustic mass”.

Thomas Peters from Formative programmed and operated the entire show on a backbone of Luminex Gigacore switches to create VLANs for the different network types and pass data between them, to allow everything to communicate with everything else.

Ultimately he ran the entire show via a bespoke iPad application created specifically for the stand, giving him immediate single-point wireless remote control over video, audio and the lighting from anywhere on the stand.

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Integration & Installation REPORT

CNN installs LED Videowalls in Washington studio Prominent international news organisation CNN went AV for the redesign of its Washington D.C. studio, calling on AV integrator and collaborative communications business Advanced to redesign its set with two Leyard LED 1.2mm pixel pitch LED displays and one 30’ Leyard 1.6mm pixel pitch LED display.

Informative news reporting uses facts, footage, and explanatory graphics. That’s why CNN decided to redesign their studio in Washington D.C. to include the highest-resolution, lowest pixel pitch LED displays in the world for news analysis shows “The Situation Room” with Wolf Blitzer and “The Lead” with Jake Tapper. The project required specialised AV installation knowledge, so CNN called on Advanced, the Toronto-headquartered North American AV installers, to renovate the studio just in time for the US election season.

Advanceed proposed a radical redesign, which was installed after a

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year of LED testing and designing. The revolutionised new set comprised one 25’ wide 1.2mm pixel pitch Leyard LED display, one 108” diagonal 1.2mm pixel pitch Leyard LED display, and one 30’ wide 1.6mm pixel pitch Leyard LED display. The new install and redesign made CNN the only televised broadcast network to utilise the latest 1.2mm videowall technologies on air.

“CNN is a pioneer in the televised broadcasting space. This installation set the bar for quality in visual reporting,” Advanced President David Weatherhead commented. “CNN’s former LCD modular displays were difficult to shoot. They called on us to rectify the issue with high-resolution LED displays that would allow them to film creative, tight shots of the videowall itself. No other network in the world has a studio with 1.2mm pixel pitch LED videowalls. CNN has truly set the standard for modern television.”

CNN’s need for high-resolution videowalls is grounded in their distinctive filming technique. In traditional television network broadcasting, news anchors report in front of a videowall, but the camera focuses primarily on them. CNN, on the other hand, uses unique camera shifts and tight zoom-shots that require a display with very high definition resolution up-close and from a distance. With out-of-date LCD displays, CNN’s zoom-in shots created blurry moiré and colour-shift effects that lessened the quality of their programmes.

To resolve the issue, Advanced suggested that CNN use LED videowalls that have the flexibility and resolution required.

REPORT Integration & Installation

“We presented CNN with the most innovative displays on the market, and Leyard instantly captured their attention,” Weatherhead continued. “Together, we proceeded to conduct a wide array of camera tests to ensure that Leyard’s display technology looked nothing short of stunning on the screen.”

Proving just how vivid Leyard’s resolution is, Advanced positioned two camera feeds next to each other with one direct graphic feed and the other with the Leyard display’s image of the graphic feed.

“No one could tell the difference between the source and the display of the source,” Weatherhead said. “This certainly demonstrated that these displays offer unprecedented imagery never before used on live television.”

After CNN selected Leyard, Advanced Vice President of Engineering Kevin Linton conducted extensive testing at its factory in Beijing, as Advanced does with all large LED projects. “The pre-

installation testing is crucial to make sure that the videowalls deliver the quality required by the client,” Linton emphasised. “We had a very small window of time for the actual installation, so every element had to be perfect before it began.”

The deconstruction of CNN’s old system and the installation of the new system took two weeks in total. Since the newsroom never sleeps, the installation was well underway at CNN’s studio while shows were still broadcast live, meaning that the Advanced team had to be efficient and extremely quiet. “It was an interesting experience for our crew,” Linton said. “But our team is equipped with experts that work quickly and carefully, so we were able to do it.”

With Leyard’s LED 1.2mm and 1.6mm pixel pitch displays, CNN is now able to achieve excellent image uniformity and no challenges with moiré on television. Additionally, since the new LED technology has no bezels, there are no distracting black-lines on the videowalls.

Unlike modular LCD displays, Leyard’s videowalls allow the production team to easily manipulate color balancing, calibrating, and brightness levels. Advanced helped to train the team so that they could easily control the videowall after the project’s completion.

“Leyard’s 1.2mm and 1.6mm pixel pitch displays allow CNN’s production team to control the displays in a way that LCD products cannot,” Weatherhead explained. “Beyond the visually arresting element, Leyard’s displays also offer the team an easy-to-use software so they can easily control what appears on screen.”

To maximise on-site use, Advanced designed the large 1.6mm videowall with the capability to split it into two and flip over to be used in either Studio A or Studio B, both of which are set back-toback. To do so, they used a Christie Spyder X20 video processor that evenly divides the screen into two separate content streams. Now, CNN can visually divide the video wall in half, and use it in either Studio A and Studio B. To physically divide the studio, a retractable and movable wall was installed into the ceiling.

The video walls are also extensively protected in case of a malfunction or power outage. “The last thing that CNN wants is for their graphic display to black out on air,” Weatherhead explained.

“To prevent this from happening, we designed a backup system for every single component for each videowall. If one power supply dies, another power supply kicks in automatically with no delay. This is the most resilient piece of equipment you can have, and it’s necessary in this particular application.”

At the project’s conclusion, CNN was extremely satisfied with the final result. “We’re so proud to be a part of this televised broadcasting revolution that CNN has started,” Weatherhead said. “These innovative displays will assist them in delivering the most comprehensive and compelling news imagery, now and in the future.”

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Integration & Installation REPORT

Club Taboo Club Taboo has been a premium club destination in the upmarket Sandton district for the better part of 11 years. Known for attracting the country’s finest glitterati with its glamourous and luxurious vibe, it is also known for its dedication to entertaining its discerning patrons with dazzling lights and chest-thumping sound to accompany their resident and visiting DJs. Taboo recently received a landmark audio and lighting upgrade to their upper floors, courtesy of TV Audio and Wild and Marr.

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By Greg Bester

receives technical upgrade

REPORT Integration & Installation

Lighting The lighting upgrade at Taboo was supplied by TV Audio, configured

by Aidan Wolhuter and installed by Tony E Silva of Leisuretech Lighting.

TV Audio is a broad-line electronic goods distributor with one of the largest catalogues of products from affordable to premium and has its roots firmly planted in 1982. Thirty years later they are still a major player across multiple industry sectors and the club market is no different.

“We supply the products and we advise the installer as we know our products very well,” says Peter Berry, owner of TV Audio. “Once the installation has been done we back up the installer with the software and the integration of the system and commission it. We do that with all of our customers.”

The upgrade installation took place on the uppermost tented mezzanine floor of Taboo and the adjacent two rooms.

“We used the structure that holds up the roof to mount the lighting,” explains Wolhuter. “So we took the fixtures we had in stock currently and worked out a design of where we’d place them around the DJ and performers. They mentioned to us they were going to have

dancers on the side of the stage so we had to design it in such a way so that they could have light in all the sections.”

The marquee received trussing almost encompassing its circumference with a triangular section extending over the stage to the centre pole of the tent, thus over quite a large section of the dance floor in front of the DJ box and stage. All of the audio, lighting and video equipment is installed on this trussing structure in roughly a broad U-shape.

A combination of beamZ fixtures were supplied by TV Audio to Leisuretech lighting for installation.

“We put in Beamz Panther 7R moving heads, which is a beam effect on the sides of the structure and then behind the DJ we put the Panther 2Rs for a less powerful beam effect,” says Wolhuter. “We also installed MHL-90 RGBW wash fixtures and we put in some BT310 LED par cans for eye candy and to light the stage. We put two large Pango 2500 analogue 40kpps lasers on the sides to create a blanket effect and two MHL-510 LED sweepers above the DJ to supplement.

It’s a very tight 2 or 3 degree RGBW beam and each lens is individually controllable.”

Wolhuter utilised Sweet Light™ to configure the design of the lighting show, which is a computer-based DMX application to create scenes and cues. The entire lighting show is run on a laptop and a DMX interface out to an eight-way DMX booster and into the fixtures.

Silva adds that the large LED screen behind the DJ as well as all of the TV displays around the venue were installed by him.

Sound The audio upgrades at Taboo were supplied and installed by Wild and Marr under the guidance of solutions representative Neville Rumble.

The idea behind the audio system upgrade at Taboo was to negate the need to rent any further equipment for the bulk of the events taking place there. A degree of ergonomics and efficiency was also key for the installation and several points of consideration were taken by Rumble and his team.

“Without the need to deploy too many speakers we tried to keep it simple by implementing a left and right array of three active JBL VRX-932LAP elements per side,” notes Rumble. “There are some pros and cons to that in terms of active and passive but it’s also cleaner and neater.”

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Integration & Installation REPORT

The arrays were hung on the same truss structure as the rest of the lighting and TV displays. To supplement the low end four SRX-828SP dual-18”subwoofers were installed front and centre under the DJ booth while a further two were placed at the extreme left and right sides of the floor for low-end side fill. I/O boxes were placed at strategic areas around the stage for patching in and out of the system, selectable from the BSS London Blu system that manages the DSP and routing matrix.

The DJ booth received two SRX-812P 12”monitors arranged in a left and right stereo configuration on either side of the DJ along with a single PRX-718XLF 18”subwoofer.

“Generally we find that if we keep the DJs happy, the sound system is happy,” muses Rumble. “From that perspective it works very well and the coverage from the VRX is very good.”

The FOH control systems and rack were placed in the rear of the venue in a roof access area to keep the system away from prying hands and out of sight. A small Soundcraft Signature 10 mixer handles basic routing of microphones and ancillary inputs while the BSS system in the rack handles the heavy lifting of DSP and routing around the venue with 16 input channels and 24 output channels to and from various points in the venue. Long term Rumble will implement full redundancy for an extra level of security in the event anything goes wrong.

BSS EC8 control panels were also placed at the FOH and in the inside rooms for selection of patch scenes. This enables the system to adapt to a variety of scenarios and events, such as when there is a DJ and there is overflow into the adjoining garage. The “DJ” patch, for example, routes audio automatically to a patch point

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in the garage.

Rumble and Wild and Marr were also involved with the implementation of the HDMI matrix for video distribution in the venue utilising a Cypress Technologies CMSI-8H8HS 8 x 8 HDMI matrix. An interesting feature of this setup is that the BSS control panels are linked to the HDMI matrix via the network to control the video feed.

“From those control panels we can actually switch the video sources, so we don’t need a third party control system to do that,” remarks Rumble.

In the first of the adjacent rooms JBL VRX-932LAP active elements were installed discreetly in each corner of the room. Rumble explains that the VRX elements are the best way for them to achieve high output with the smallest footprint.

“We always try to cover the entire space with the PA,” explains Rumble. “The days where you had a dedicated dance floor and a seated area are gone. Now the sound needs to be everywhere and as you can see, there is no dancefloor; it’s a premium seating area.”

Under the DJ booth there are three SRX-828P dual-18”subwoofers while a SRX-812P is installed in the roof pointing towards the DJ. The DJ receives residual bass from the subwoofers, negating the need for more monitoring.

For the adjoining VIP room PRX710s were placed in the corners of the room. No subwoofer was installed.

The lighting and sound installation at Taboo has brought them firmly into the 21st Century. With complex yet compact lighting control via Sweet Light™ to the immensely powerful BSS matrix controlling the audio and video DSP and routing systems, the club is set to be futureproof and enjoy many years of successful events.

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Largest locally supplied PA for Sacred Assembly

By Elaine Strauss

Gearhouse, Sound Harmonics and others join forces on the largest locally supplied PA in South Africa to date…

The Sacred Assembly, held by Shalom Ministries founder Angus Buchan in November last year officially broke the record for the largest PA to be used in South Africa supplied by a local company, surpassing its own 2009 Mighty Men Conference and only second to U2’s Clair Brothers’ system, which had travelled with them. The event, which took place at the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on 19 November 2016, was organised specifically to bring together Christians from all denominations, to pray for South Africa, with regard to the drought, corruption and racial tolerance, among others. The venue was chosen specifically for its size and location, in order to be able to accommodate all the different communities expected

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to participate.

The event not only featured an eight piece band comprised of some of South Africa’s top musicians and ten vocalists including well-known Joe Niemand, Loyiso Bala and Janine Price, but also featured a special guest performer, UK Trumpeter Dan Newell.

The principal technical supplier for the event was the Gearhouse Group, with support from Afrika Audio and Sound Harmonics, while Sound Harmonics’ own Richard Smith took on the roles of Technical Director, Audio System Designer and HOD. “My brief as technical director, was to come up with a design that would provide as much sound clarity and coverage as possible for

the expected maximum capacity of around 106 000 people and the only way to do that was to put the stage in the centre and play ‘in the round’,” Smith says.

According to Smith, the only other event that had previously been allowed to do this at the stadium was the U2 360 tour and there were very specific conditions set then.

“The pitch is the stadium’s bread and butter and so South African Stadium Management is not inclined to allow this, as I have experienced from doing other large scale shows in venues they manage. So to me it was amazing that they allowed it,” he says. “My original PA design was a system of eight hangs, essentially giving each side of the stadium a stereo system, but that allowed only one option of roof, which was Gearhouse’s StageCo Structure, and the stadium would not allow this to be erected in the centre of the pitch.”

The team at Gearhouse then suggested the ‘Spider Dome’ as solution, which had been used at another, similar stadium venue at the time, with minimal impact on the pitch. Though the stadium

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT reference at both the rehearsal and the stadium.

“I suggested the new L-Acoustics X8 on top of SB18 subs and he was very happy with them,” says Smith.

Due to time constraints, the large band and minimal time for a full soundcheck in the stadium, Smith decided to hold a full rehearsal off site, while the main PA was being setup at the stadium.

“On the Thursday we recreated the stage layout at Christian Family Church and setup FOH, the monitor console and full stage setup, as per the show, and held a full musical rehearsal,” he says. “We broke it down at 16:00 Thursday and went straight to the stadium to setup to be ready for Friday morning sound check.”

According to Smith, they recorded multitrack onto an iMac using Logic, managed by Tiaan Newman, and used that to do ‘virtual sound checks’ in the stadium on Thursday night and early Friday morning, so Warren could familiarise himself with the venue.

The rest of the production and technical team for the event included organiser Joe Niemand, Gearhouse account manager Llewelyn Reniecke, structure designer Otto Wijnberger (In2Structures), accepted this, it offered an extra challenge for Smith, as this specific structure could only support about half the weight of the system he originally proposed.

According to Gearhouse Project Manager for the event, Jaco Saaiman, between the rigging team and the audio team, careful planning had to go into achieving 360 degree audio coverage inside the stadium – especially with the delay audio points out of the roof.

“The process of getting the points in, delay (roof) audio up and working, and safety protocols observed took three days,” he says. “It’s a massive roof and a massive area to cover but we managed to get it done on time and within the allocated schedule.”

“My first instinct was to use a system comprising of six arrays, but the screens required a lot of space, so I had to think differently,” Smith says. “I then came up with a new design, based on four main hangs covering the majority of the field and the first four levels of the stands.

Luckily Gearhouse had just purchased a new K2 system, which integrates with the K1 and this allowed me to get the coverage required.”

This design, however, left the centre of the stage another challenge for Smith, as the main arrays were fire out at 45% from each of the stage’s corners.

“I used an ARCS II array flown above each screen as a fill in the nearfield and a stacked array of V-DOSC in the far field up to level 3,” he says. “The top level of seating is known as level 5 and is almost impossible to cover from the field. In the past, Gearhouse has flown a system of delay arrays when doing international concerts in the length. This has normally consisted of 12 to 14 arrays of KUDO and KARA, but because of the layout, it was increased to 16 hangs, totalling 96 enclosures just to cover the upper level.”

Another important factor and possible challenge, according to Saaiman, was taking the weather into account.

“Our setup days were during a heat wave period so it really took its toll on the crew, but with lots of hydration we got through it. We particularly had to pay attention to wind conditions, since with the Spider Dome there is not much help with regards to wind protection and the gear is exposed,” he says. “We also had to take into consideration the weight of all the tech and the capacity the Dome could handle. This is where the K2 system (audio) and the MC7 LED screens played a role in minimizing the weight but still achieving the required look and feel.”

Legendary British Mix Engineer, Jim Warren, (Radiohead, Peter Gabriel, etc.) was brought in to mix FOH and was happy to use the Avid profile console, but asked for an L-Acoustics Nearfield system for

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staging by Attie Van Staden (SS Staging), audio system technician Jonathan Green (Gearhouse), monitor engineer Revil Baselga, multitrack recording by Marius Brouwer (Pop Planet Studios), audio assistant to Jim, Brendan Keizer (Afrika Audio), musical director JB Arthur, production manager Kirstin Barwise, show director Belinda Chapman, DVD director and Video HOD Peter Heaney (9mm Films) and live camera director Eugene Naidoo.

Saaiman concluded: “It was a great event to work on, especially together with Sound Harmonics. Richard, together with Llewellyn from our side, went through a lot of time and detail to get the design and audio for the event 100%. Because it was a church sermon and spoken word, together with music, it was critical to make sure that every person in the stadium could hear the messages with clarity, and I do believe this was achieved.”

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GETshow is an exhibition held in China’s industrial base, theGuangdong province, in which 80% of the nation’s entertainment equipment enterprises are located. The show’s main sponsors include many national Chinese enterprises which have sponsored prominent international events such as the Olympic Games, the Asia Games, the World Expo and the Youth Olympic Games, the G20 Summit Meeting, etc. Many famous international brands also choose GETshow as the launch platform for new products.

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Delivering faith at Every Nation

By Greg Bester

Every Nation Churches and Ministries is a global organisation of campus churches and ministries across seven continents whose aim is to unite the world through faith. Every three years they host the Every Nation Conference, a Guinness World Record-breaking event, where followers from around the world unite in their diversity and come together in the spirit of faith and unity.

Every Nation Conference 2016 was held at the Grand West Arena in Cape Town and local production company Bad Weather was tasked with conceptualising, designing and executing the event, starting in 2014 and culminating from 3 to 7 October, 2016.

“Our journey with Every Nation began in East London for a worship event that Wholehearted (the Every Nation Somerset West band) was playing at,” says Andrew Bosman, managing director at Bad Weather. “They had seen a set that we designed and opened the conversation about the 2016 conference. Shortly after, we all sat around the table and they shared their vision for the three year plan over a good cup of coffee.”

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The creative brief given to Bad Weather by the ministry at the commencement of the project in February 2014 was to “make use of the logo and keep the stage intimate”.

Taking this cue, the logo’s design was implemented into the design of the main LED screen which was used as the centrepiece of the stage. 3.9mm LED panels were then constructed with split fingers of LED radiating outward for a total horizontal pixel count of more than 5000 pixels. The centrepiece LED screen was then framed with curved truss to complement the design. The video was played out via a custom Resolume server running Arena 5 software.

“Their brand is a kind of oval shape and we wanted to make the

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centre screen oval and have the main speaking platform be oval while the band was upstage,” explains Jonathan Bandli, creative director at Bad Weather. “We also wanted to widen the experience by using the LED fingers instead of using raw truss or blackout drape so we decided to ‘black out’ the truss with LED screen.”

Bad Weather brought in C&S Audio as the full technical providers for the event. Bad Weather deals as somewhat of an integrator or mediator in the production for their events. They like the position of being responsible for all technical and production aspects and bringing in their preferred and trusted suppliers while they steer the event in the direction laid out by their clients.

Alan Muller was brought in as lighting designer for the show and lit the event on an Avolites Tiger Touch II. An overhead grid design was utilised and incorporated Robe BMFL Blades and Robe ROBIN 300 LED washes. Other fixtures included Robe BMFL WashBeams, ROBIN Pointes, Spiiders, ROBIN 600 Washes, ROBIN 100 LEDBeams, Colorspot 700E ATs, Philips Nitro Strobes and Par64 par cans. An MDG Atmosphere CO2 provided haze.

“We knew the project would be in really good hands with Alan from his experience with Gospel Skouspel, which is where we met him,” remarks Bandli. “There were some really special moments.”

The opening sequence of the event was a ten-minute video that was synchronised via timecode to a complex lighting and video sequence. This was accomplished by sending timecode from a playback system to both the lighting console and the Resolume server. Bad Weather has been an avid Resolume user since early 2016 and feel it delivers the quality that its clients demand. The server

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provides quick programme changes, stable timecode chasing, up to 12 HD video outputs and 4K capture all in one box.

Audio for the event was provided by the in-house JBL Vertec system and the existing infrastructure at Grand West Arena with the exception of the Soundcraft Vi6 console which was removed and replaced with a Yamaha CL-series console so that Dante could be used for both audio distribution and multi-track recording for rebroadcast.

“They (Grand West Arena) already have an existing network in the building that ties with the stage so there wasn’t a ton of fibre we had to pull,” notes Bandli.

The Audinate virtual Sound Card was used to ingest audio into the computer-based recording system which is really easy as a full multi-track and can be transported over a single CAT5e cable.

The only challenge at the event was the rigging, admits Bandli. For this reason Bad Weather flew down ex-Gearhouse rigging expert Reinier Robertson. Safety is very important to Bad Weather and they have the utmost confidence in Robertson’s skills and input.

“The understanding that you get a competent person to get a job done is very important to us, especially for our clients. It makes everyone feel secure,” concludes Bandli.

It’s clear that Bad Weather is making waves in the sea of event production. From the three-year planning phase of the Every Nation Conference 2016 to the meticulous attention to detail to their philosophy of teamwork and employing the right people for the job, their tide will most certainly continue to rise and deliver fine conditions for their clients and event attendees alike.

LIVE EVENTs Expert Opinion

Rigging and such: Circles and Arches

A series by Rinus “Rhino” Bakker

Circles and arches can be found in a variety of applications, all of these bringing particular challenges about how to safely calculate constructions using circular or arched truss.

Although lots of examples of the use of circular truss can be found, the opposite is true for finding loading data. The information on these types of truss modules is sparse.

Looking into this, it obviously comes as no surprise. When calculating a circular or arched truss module the number of parameters involved to generate the data is astronomical.

This is why I think, when discussing circular and arched trussing, even without going into structural engineering, we need some classification to enhance our understanding of the subject.

We can identify the following: • Orientation of use • Bracing set-up in the truss module(s) • Number and position of supports.

that an asymmetrical distribution of force is built into the truss. The result is not only a different load on the chord tube, diagonals and connection elements through bending and shear forces, but also a rotation and torsion force which affects the bearing capacity of the truss. The torsion force influences the danger of buckling in the arched spans.

The minimum number of supports for circular trusses with diagonals on all sides used in a horizontal position without causing problems of stability or balance is 3.

The larger your number of support points, the lesser the cantilever effect (see picture, where Sh in relation to the length of the segment chord, defines the cantilever).

Dealing with all of these can’t be handled in one blog, so let’s look at one of the most common situations: the horizontal circle (ranging from a flat plane to a 15-degree inclination will generate more or less the same results). This will at least give an idea of the loading effects that come into play when using circular trusses.

Circles in a Horizontal plane A circle is a special structure, head and tail are connected, so there is no real span to refer to. In general, they can absorb less of a load than straight trusses. In all sections of the circle there’s always a superimposed cantilever effect.

In a circle segment the braces in the vertical plane for the inner and outer side are fundamentally different and the effective length of the braces is always greater on the outside than on the inside. This means

In my opinion this simple example already shows that rigging circular or arched trusses is a relatively complex thing to do. We must be happy with those manufacturers that provide circle loading data. Without any data, please turn to a structural engineer for proper advice and calculations before you start rigging such a structure!

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Designs on Orlando

By James Sey

Cassper Nyovest’s Fill up the Dome gig brought Cape Town-based Formative Productions to prominence in the local live production sector. The production design studio has become known for delivering innovative bespoke live events. As they put it, “we work at within the intersection of design and technology to create unforgettable productions”. Their success on the design of 2015’s Fill up the Dome led to a call to production design Nyovest’s follow up gig late last year, an equally ambitious attempt to Fill up Orlando Stadium. We spoke to Creative Director at Formative, Grant Orchard.

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REPORT LIVE EVENTs

ProSystems News (PSN): What was different from 2015’s Fill Up The Dome concert?

Grant Orchard (GO): With Fill Up The Dome we worked lighting and video as two separate systems, with a very small amount of pixel mapping and one small moment of motion control in the show.

In 2016 we produced a lot of smaller concerts, which allowed us to figure out an efficient workflow for combining lighting and video as one system, so by the time we got to Fill Up Orlando Stadium we were ready to merge lighting and video into one “canvas” by taking control of every fixture in the rig from d3, which allowed is to create a far more coherent design.

We are the only stage and production agency in South Africa to utilise d3. The programme correlates all the information and queues the mechanics of the motion system as well as visual elements into one continuous timeline, so in essence it can run automatically during a show. However, the full Formative contingent is always on hand to ensure that each facet of the production is carried out as initially visualised.

The Dome was a kick-ass concert and Fill Up Orlando Stadium was a proper show, with additional design complications. We approached the production differently. In order to create a fully choreographed production, we orchestrated scenic, lighting, video, motion and dance into a singular vision; a first for South Africa, as the stage continuously metamorphosed; seamlessly transitioning from one song into the next over a two-and-a-half-hour process. Traditionally, concert stage design is quite symmetrical but that wasn’t what we wanted to produce this time, we wanted this to have a more artistic approach.

Suspended, monolithic LED screens asymmetrically flanked a revolving, mirrored stage on which Cassper performed throughout the concert.

The results were both functional and captivating; the audience were never aware of actual set changes but rather emotive transitions from one song into the next.

Being able to map animation from d3 onto the lights saves a huge amount of programming time. We had within d3, a full model of the video system, the moving stage objects, the video systems and the lighting systems – so everything could be controlled with d3 via DMX merging via Art-Net. To give you an idea, 24 universes of DMX were being sent out of d3 which were being routed through the grand MA.

PSN: What were the major challenges of the production?

GO: By far the biggest challenge was a lack of load-in time and the sheer quantity of light and screens that needed to be rigged, followed closely by the weight loading constraints of the outdoor structure.

We needed to move several tons of equipment throughout the concert, which required exact timing. More importantly, it required very specific wait periods between moves, which meant we needed to calculate the relative trim heights of the different positions, combine these with the speeds of the different automation systems, and then factor the movement and waiting time into each cue. We did this by creating all those positions in d3 and MA3D, simulating the moves in time as closely as possible, and then factoring the wait time into the timeline.

The movements influenced the perspective at which the content would be viewed, the physical positions of the lighting fixtures, and the

LIVE EVENTs REPORT

relationships in 3d space between screens and lights. The content therefore needed to be rendered in some cases to account for these positions, and lighting focuses needed to be managed to reflect the moves.

The scale of the event meant we needed to rely on the guidance of Gearhouse on what was physically possible, so we spent a lot of our time working on concepts and ideas which they then translated into plans. Given time constraints, we then in turn modified and adapted in a back-and-forth process to end up with a design that was both aligned with our creative vision and realistically possible within the time frame.

The risk factor was so high, that we even wrote custom software that listened to commands from d3 and gave the motion control go-cues. We ended up not even using the software, but given the high risk, we had to be as prepared as possible.

We also had three starlift entrances into the stage from below, which required artists to be in position and ready for their cues like clockwork. But it also meant that for safety’s sake, the stage management team be on the ball. We therefore had no option but to combine several different departments comm rings into one, so that stage could be aware of what motion was doing and vice-versa.

As far as we are aware, there has never been a motion control concept of this scale done across any music or television production

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in South Africa. There was more movement happening in this show than anything we have ever seen here before. The structure allowed us the freedom we needed. If we had been in the Dome, we wouldn’t have been able to move anything. It’s not likely that there is any other infrastructure in South Africa that could carry that weight other than the stage system from Gearhouse.

PSN: Tell us a bit about the lighting design?

GO: Lighting consoles create looks and effects in certain ways, and put you into a certain workflow. When you pixel map an entire rig, and have a non-lighting person who isn’t in that cue 1, 2, 3… ‘mindset’ to create video content that is applied to the lights, you create very different looks, effects and transitions. d3 allows you to do this with incredible ease and versatility, and in far less time than it takes to create a precise and exact cue list for a song on a lighting console. We set-up a full d3 and MA lighting pre-visualisation studio at Gearhouse and did the bulk of programming the week before the show. During this period, we had a team of 6 Formative staff involved with content creation back in our studio in Cape Town making all the visuals for the tracks, including the lighting. We used predominantly Martin and Robe fixtures, running off three MA2 full size consoles.

LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Good weather for Bad Weather at

By Greg Bester

Rocking the Daisies

Rocking the Daisies Music and Lifestyle Festival has become one of South Africa’s premier getaway events on par with Oppikoppi and Splashy Fen. Thousands of festival goers from all over the country flock for a four-day extravaganza, incorporating 250 acts over 11 stages and one of the largest outdoor camping and music experiences in the country. In addition to live music, the festival presents comedy, art, film and a variety of sense-tickling experiences annually at the lush and green Cloof Wine Estate in Darling, north of Cape Town. Their motto is, “play hard, tread lightly”.

As hip hop has seen a steady rise in popularity in South Africa over the last few years, it made sense for a stage at the Daisies to be wholly dedicated to the genre. Pop Bottles, a lifestyle events promotion company aimed at hip hop, teamed up with the Rocking the Daisies team to erect and promote the Pop Bottles Two’s Up stage where local hip hop artists could rock the party and get hands in the air.

Cape Town-based production company Bad Weather Productions was then brought in to handle the overall production aesthetic of the stage and to handle the technical aspects by bringing in their preferred technical supplier, Ampere Events Technology which is also based in Cape Town.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Pop Bottles, who do urban lifestyle parties on Sunday afternoons around the country,”

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explains Jonathan Bandli, creative director at Bad Weather. “We’ve been involved with them for the whole of 2016. They wanted to do something a little different and take the production to a new level so they approached us for the Pop Bottles stage at Rocking the Daisies.”

Bringing the highest possible production value was of paramount importance to Pop Bottles. Brainstorming meetings ensued and it was eventually decided upon that Bad Weather would handle everything from the design of the stage to running all things technical.

“Most important to us was to design something uniquely Pop Bottles and something uniquely Rocking the Daises,” says Bandli.

The stage structure was provided by the festival but Bad Weather immediately got down to transforming it into something special that reflected their mandate to Pop Bottles and the festival itself. The first

REPORT LIVE EVENTs order of business was designing a clean and bold DJ booth with a custom wooden frame clad in black vinyl. Their intention was to get every DJ to sign the booth upon completion of their set, which was eventually realised during the festival.

LED strips aligned into hexagons were then hung from each PA tower to provide an interesting element; producing a set-like appearance during the day and a visual experience at night. The Two’s Up stage’s shape and branding was a hexagon with a peace sign in the middle, which is what the hexagons played upon. This shape was reflected in the trussing as well to keep things consistent.

“By bringing the geometric shape into the stage design we were able to give the stage an identity without branding,” remarks Bandli.

The PA of choice was a d&b Audioteknik Q-series rig with eight Q1 elements hung per side. Hip hop being a bass-heavy genre required some seriously full bass, thus ten B2, four J-Infra bass extenders and four Q-sub subwoofers were implemented to round out the chest thump and sub bass bands of the spectrum.

“For us using d&b is a no-brainer and our PA of choice,” notes Bandli.

Bad Weather flew in Christiaan Wepener from Pretoria-based Blue Array Productions to run FoH. Bad Weather hand-picks all of their technical staff based on past relationships and who they feel is best for the job. Wepener has vast experience setting up and running d&b systems and is a veteran audio engineer in the live sound industry so for them he was a logical choice. Bandli comments how the resulting sound quality met and exceeded expectations all-round.

Lighting for the event was controlled from an MA2 Command Wing and operated by lighting designers Marius Coetzee and Tommy Lottering.

“We knew we wanted to cover a broad spectrum of different genres so we used a combination of washes, spots and beams, which was crucial” explains Bandli. “We [originally] wanted to use two different kinds of beam-based back-light points but I feel that approach is abused so we opted to keep it quite sparse and go for a rear-breakup gobo effect on the up-stage.”

As a result Bandli opted for six Robe Pointes on the up-stage. The rest of the rig was a combination of Martin MAC 101s, Martin Mac Quantum spots, Acme CM600 LED washes, Par 56 and 64s, eight-cell moles, and Martin Atomic 3000 strobes.

“We definitely had the right fixtures for the job,” notes Bandli.

For video a combination of 4mm and 6mm LED screens were employed. In the centre-rear of the stage a 4mm 4.5m x 2.5m in a 16:9 aspect ratio and on the sides of the stage 6mm 2m x 2m screens were erected on rolling risers. Content for the screens was run on a custom Resolume media server running Arena 5 software and the content itself was provided by Pop Bottles and the artists on the stage who worked together to produce a final result that was interesting and diverse.

Bandli goes on to remark how the production of the show presented very few challenges and was smooth sailing all round. Bad Weather has forged an ethos of doing their best for their clients and to deliver a problem-free, well planned event.

“Our job is to support music and support artists and projects and that’s how I see Bad Weather,” concludes Bandli. “We put a lot of effort into planning and communicating with the artists and make them feel comfortable so that when they get on stage they know they’ll get the best experience. And we’re there to help them to put on the best performance.”

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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT STREAMING

Monetising live expertise for the streaming world During the quieter months of the live performance calendar, many producers have always ensured that their schedules are filled with corporate events as an alternative, but equally lucrative source of revenue.

However, the rising popularity of exclusive performances streamed live, whether from sold out theatrical productions or concerts from international artists, presents a new opportunity.

Leading producers have realised that their live event expertise can translate this opportunity into a viable new revenue stream. We speak to some of the best live producers who are already harnessing the potential of live streaming and get their tips and tricks for engaging online viewers.

Utilise the power of platforms Live streaming is now a staple of the digital world, with Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram all allowing consumers to instantly broadcast moments and experiences in their lives and share with anyone around the world. We’re already seeing these platforms expanding their live capabilities so that brands and artists can create bigger, more inclusive events for fans, and instantly connect them, without the complexities or technical issues that webcasts might have succumbed to.

“Facebook Live is a great way for bands and artists to connect with fans, as they are already following them via official Facebook pages, so your audience is already there,” explains Bela Molnar of TwentyFourSeven Films. “And the beauty of Facebook is that even once you’ve gone live, you can continue to attract viewers, either by fans sharing the event with their friends or by pushing live promos.

He continues: “During a recent session for (Scottish indie rock band) Biffy Clyro, I had an editor sitting next to me cutting a promo trailer as I was producing the live mix, which was quite surreal, but it was a great way to encourage more people to come and check out the stream.”

The whole session was streamed live via the band’s Facebook page and attracted more than 1.2 million viewers, which only serves to reinforce the value and potential reach of live streaming.

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Premium content production will prevail As these streaming platforms grow, the volume of material needed is going to increase, and with more content, the harder it will be to stand out, believes Eban Olivier of Militia Broadcast.

“Ensuring that your production values remain high is essential,” he begins. “Any live producer worth their salt understands how to translate the excitement of a stage performance to the big screen, and these skills are even more important when streaming a session as your audience isn’t there in the venue.

“Our clients trust us to deliver, and because of this, they have been very supportive during the launch of Militia 24/7, which has been set up to showcase some of South Africa’s most exciting artists and bands. While the platform may have changed, that doesn’t mean you can compromise on your production values or attention to detail. And that is why we work with the best in the business, just as we do for our festival and concert projects.”

Make the most of the multicam Although anyone can now live stream from a smartphone, holding a person’s attention for more than a few seconds can be difficult. According to Olivier, it has never been easier to implement a live production workflow that incorporates the ability to stream live.

“Professional grade equipment is going to be the foundation for long-term revenues, whatever path you choose to go with for live streaming, and most live producers will already have a preferred camera package and video workflow. Manufacturers such as Blackmagic Design have done a lot to democratise the space and have made live workflows far more accessible, regardless of your size or budget.”

“For us, we use an identical workflow as we do in our rental and staging business to produce our exclusive performances and stream them online. It’s incredibly robust and very reliable, but, more importantly, it is easy to use and inexpensive to implement. That means we are able to produce exclusive content that keeps people coming back for more.”

Be adaptable or lose out “Just as when you’re producing a live performance, it’s critical that your technical set up is flexible enough that you can adapt to last minute changes: labels might want you to include additional graphics or another camera angle to be added,” explains Molnar.

“It’s so important to be able to adapt to these wishes and help clients achieve what they’re looking for. The technology you choose as a live technician shouldn’t impede this agility, it should enhance it, particularly if you want to retain a great working reputation and firmly establish streaming as part of your service offering.”

Olivier agrees that flexibility is key when choosing your technical infrastructure: “That ability to add to, or swap out components with no fuss is a must in any live environment. You can plan for almost every

STREAMING TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT eventuality, but a live event will always throw something unexpected at you, so a flexible workflow is imperative. Live event producers understand this, and it gives them a distinct advantage in the streaming world.”

“Not only do we save ourselves time and money in using the hardware we have, but we also give our team, who are some of the best operators, mixers and directors in the business, the room to let their creative juices flow. Add to that the simple plug and play nature of Blackmagic’s hardware and you have a flexible solution that is simple to build and easy to operate. It’s like Lego!

“The response to the live streams has been fantastic, with good viewing figures, and I think this is a testament to the balance we have struck with having not only professional live production kit for our content, but complementing this with high-quality streaming providers. There’s no point investing in an Ultra HD 4K workflow, only to deliver to a substandard stream. Equally, from our experience, those who are looking to elevate their streaming to a wider audience, providing you’re prepared to put in the work in terms of time and creativity, the outlay in investing in professional production kit can bring a multitude of benefits.”

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EXPERT OPINION PROJECTORS

Selecting the right projector

By Abrie Du Plooy

Projector selection in today’s world can be a confusing and time consuming exercise. There are many different models and specifications available and purchasing the correct unit for a specific application, is not as easy as it seems.

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Projectors are distinguished by various specifications. Normally, the key aspect around projector selection – apart from budget – is the brightness output; which although essential is not the only deciding factor. Other distinctive specifications include: resolution, imaging technology, aspect ratio, light source, and of course, budget! These are the variables that need to be considered, based on a specific application. When regularly designing audio visual systems, one develops a ‘feel’ for an average ‘go to’ projector within budget which will be sufficient for most solutions. In the interest of quick effective design, this is acceptable, but ideally one should select the perfect projector for every custom solution.

displayed on an XGA projector, the pixel count reduces by roughly 45% – which essentially means the end user would sacrifice almost half of the image quality.

If a client refuses to upgrade their existing 4:3 screens, an interim solution would be to use a 16:9 or 16:10 projector, even with a lower resolution, on said screens until the screens can be upgraded accordingly. The result will be a wide image, failing to fill the top and bottom sections of the screen which is not ideal but adequate for the time being. Even if a 4:3 projector is installed to match the screen and a presentation from a modern wide screen laptop is displayed, the result will essentially be the same.

Aspect Ratio

Brightness

In my opinion as an audio-visual professional, the first element that should be looked at, irrespective of the rest of the solution, is the choice between aspect ratios. Traditional 4:3 projectors are still widely used today, partly because they are cost-effective in our challenging economic times. When budgets are cut, an easy method of saving is to select a XGA or even lower resolution projector with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Another appealing way to save money when upgrading a current system, is to use the existing 4:3 aspect ratio screens and then match a projector to said screen. Although this is an option, it is still a concern from a professional perspective. New designs should be based on modern wide screen solutions. The reason to stay away from 4:3 aspect ratio projectors, is the low resolution. If Full HD signal is

The standard measurement for projector brightness is lumens according to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). 1x lumen, is also known as 1x foot-candle or more commonly explained as the amount of light measured at a distance of 1 foot away from 1 candle. Projectors are available in different levels of brightness for a multitude of different uses. In a home theatre set up, a 2000 ANSI lumens projector might be more than sufficient because of the low-light environment, but for a big outdoor concert, one would require in the region of 10 000 to 15 000 lumens or even higher depending on the distance between the projector and the screen surface. A large corporate boardroom or small auditorium will require anything around 4000 to 5000 ANSI lumens.

PROJECTORS EXPERT OPINION

Resolution The native resolution of a projector is the optimum amount of physical pixels that the projector is able to display. Almost all projectors have scaling technology built in to them; which means the projector can accept video signals of various different resolutions which will be scaled and adapted to match the native resolution of the projector.

This feature however is misunderstood by consumers, and even certain resellers lacking the correct knowledge, who could advise consumers on an incorrect product. They may for example propose an attractively priced XGA projector – with only 1024 x 768 physical pixels – to a client and mention the projector’s capability of processing WUXGA signals of up to 2.3 million pixels. This is correct.

However what it actually means, is that the projector will reduce the original 2.3 million pixels to the available 786 432 pixels, thereby reducing image quality by almost 66%. If the entire video chain (camera and distribution equipment) is based on WUXGA, it would prove useless if the display element only produces XGA resolution.

A boardroom screen displaying spreadsheets, or a movie theatre for example, would require higher resolutions. In a church or auditorium setting where the viewers are further away from the screens and the majority of the content is graphics; a standard WXGA would be adequate. Higher brightness should be a priority. In areas where displays are used for inspection or to show detail, or where exceptionally large screens are used, UHD or 4K would deliver the best results if the budget allows for it.

Imaging Technology Few consumers are concerned as to whether a projector is LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or DLP (Digital Light Processing) and many don’t even know the difference. Apart from the above technologies, there are also LCOS (Liquid Crystals on Silicone) as well as laser phosphor DLP. The latter is slightly different to conventional DLP. These technologies have advantages and disadvantages which are mostly irrelevant but it makes them more effective for certain applications.

One of the downsides to DLP is the rainbow effect. Because of the architecture of DLP technology and the pulses of different colours of light, a multicolour line could appear for a split second between dark and light areas. This could be disruptive in a cinema or home theatre environment especially where there is a minimal amount of ambient light. A positive side to DLP is that more brightness is achieved with higher resolutions because of the DMD (Digital Micro-mirror Device) chip. LCD projectors (depending on the manufacturer) are much better at producing accurate colour and for this reason, LCD projectors are mostly suggested for clients needing to do design proposals, or display colour-detailed content for inspection purposes.

A negative of LCD is the lower contrast, which is caused by light bleeding through the micro space between the pixels.

Light Source Conventional projectors mostly utilise UHP (Ultra High Pressure) and HID (High Intensity Discharge) lamps. These lamps were perfectly adequate for their original purpose even though they were not energy efficient and resulted in high thermal emissions when in use.

Due to the fact that they were not energy efficient, they also did not have a very long lifespan (2000 – 4000 hours depending on model) and are quite costly to replace. Newer technologies use solid state lighting such as LED and laser phosphor. The LED projectors were the first to surface in the market and were hugely popular because of the low energy consumption and the extended lamp life (up to 20 000 hours). However, they lacked brightness and could not adequately replace their predecessors. Laser phosphor is the newest kid on the block which delivers higher brightness as well as longevity. This is definitely the way forward albeit more costly to acquire. Due to the fact that the product has a lifelong, near maintenance free lifespan, it is a much better investment long-term.

Ultimately, the customer needs a working solution and many projectors will provide a sufficient result for a variety of different applications. However, selecting the correct projector for a specific application will deliver optimum results and exceed customer expectations.

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Social

Robe Theatre Workshop – University of Johannesburg

Jannie de Jager, Andy Webb, Harry von den Stemmen, Josef Valchar, Duncan Riley, Nathan Wan, Gareth Chambers and Kevin Stannett

Tshepang Rafout and Mlungisi Ngcobo

Willie Botha and Kate Upsher

Tshwane University of Technology theatre students

Adi Netshankhu, Madison van Zyl and Jaene Schoeman

Sheryl Hodkin and Su Huggett

Peripheral Vision Year End Function – Kyalami Business Park

Linda Swart and Marianne Möller

Diane Franzsen, Elaine O’Gorman, Wynand Langenhoven and Audrey Glover

Pinki Mbila, Gert van der Merwe, Adri Jacobs, Tjaart Buys and Colin Levey

Pinky Khanye, Minesh Singh and Walter Kashiri

Sun-Circle Year End Function – Salsa, Fourways

Chanelle Ellaya, Claire Badenhorst and Simon Robinson

Cera-Jane Catton and Tina Tserere

Warren Holden, Cera-Jane Catton and Tina Tserere

Helen Loots, Marlene Paul and Delight Ngwenya

James Sey, Nicola du Plooy, Chanelle Ellaya and Claire Badenhorst

Trevor Ou Tim and Graham Grier

SACIA ICASA discussion – Blandford Manor, Randburg

Kim Smith and Eric Lawrenson

Richard Smith and Chris Pugh

Bruce Schwartz and Abrie du Plooy

Johannes von Weyssenhoff, Chris Grandin, Pieter Grootes, Jeff Isaacs, Mark Gaylard and Gavin Atkinson (front)

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Johannes von Weyssenhoff, Chris Hlanganyana, Elaine O’Gorman, Brent Eustice and Norman Cummins

Kevan Jones, Pieter Grootes and Andy Louis

Stefan Roos, George Durant, Ngoni Ndarimani and Vaughn Williams

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