Pro-Systems Sep/Oct 2017

September / October 2017

R38.00

AV System Integration | Installations | LIVE EVENTS | Studio Pro Audio

Cover CRESTRON DELIVER A SMART Feature GYM IN LONDON T he Chan gi n g Face o f C o r porate AV In te g r at i o n

J o b u r g Day 2 01 7

HDM I DIGITAL C o n n ecti vi ty i n SA

N C The at r e r e v a m p

I n T h i s Iss u e

E D I TO R Greetings, and welcome to the spring edition of ProSystems Africa News. In this edition, we take a look at the ever-evolving corporate AV market, with a particular focus on the manner in which AV technology is transforming the corporate environment.

The constantly evolving digital revolution continues to drive technological development at an ever-increasing pace – transforming the manner in which we interact with the world around us. As IT and AV converge, virtual offices, intercontinental web-based conferencing and collaborative, integrated meeting spaces are becoming more of an international norm. The explosion of available technologies in the pro AV market has resulted in integrators being able to offer end-users greater flexibility and wider functionality, creating the interconnected and agile workspaces demanded by a new generation of tech-savvy executives.

In support of the corporate focus of this issue, we offer some insights into what is being achieved in the local pro AV market by some of the country’s top integrators in the corporate, educational and residential markets. Ian Le Grange of Elan Systems shared with us the influence that their range of HDMI high definition connectivity products are gaining in the digital signage, corporate installation and residential markets in South and Southern Africa. Bruce Schwarts of Electrosonic shares with us some of the details of the impressive lighting and control installation that the company recently completed on the City of Johannesburg Council Chambers building in Braamfontein.

Lastly, our live section this issue covers a wide and varied range of productions and live events, including the much celebrated Innibos Arts Festival held in Nelspruit and an innovative, original full-length ballet recently premiered by Joburg Ballet in collaboration with the illustrious production designer, Wilhelm Disbergen. We also feature the recent revamp of the stage mechanics and lighting rig at the Northern Cape Theatre, which promises to bring world-class theatre productions to the Northern Cape community for the first time in more than 17 years.

Our forthcoming end of year edition will feature a look at the best products of 2017, as voted by installers and dealers in both the pro AV and live events sectors. We would truly value your contribution in this regard, so kindly email me at editor@pro-systems.co.za to participate in our 2017 industry round-up.

We look forward to an exciting and productive 2018 and encourage you, our valued readers to share with us your achievements, upcoming projects and developments in your market segment in the year ahead.

Enjoy the read – Nicole Barnes

CONT E NT S BUSINESS NEWS

Integration & INSTALLATION

ETC promotes Darren Beckley

The changing face of

to sales manager................................................3

corporate AV integration.................................16

InfoComm International

The corporate Audio Visual evolution............18

rebrands as AVIXA..............................................3

Crestron and Electric String

DreamWave appoints Musical Distributors

create a smarter way to work out..................22

as exclusive South African partners..................4

Pushing the limits of digital

Ayrton appoints Zane Cretten as

connectivity in South Africa ...........................24

regional sales manager for Africa

Electrosonic making waves

and the Middle East...........................................4

in lighting control..............................................28

Barco ClickShare hits 300 000............................6

Megahertz redesigns infrastructure at

Meyer packs a lot of sound

BT’s corporate HQ studio and auditorium.....32

into a little package...........................................6

Cooper College sets the stage for

Quickchannel expands into

a great educational experience....................34

South Africa in partnership with SkyGroup......7

Microflex Advance makes mark locally........38

Live Events PRODUCT NEWS

Geared up for success at

Elation offers DiGidot C4™ an

Huawei Joburg Day 2017.................................42

advanced LED and pixel tape driver...............8

Production designer Wilhelm Disbergen

ETC’s Ion gets an upgrade................................8

brings the city to life for Joburg Ballet ..........46

Robe launches new

Electrosonic revamps

MegaPointe worldwide......................................9

the Northern Cape Theatre.............................50 The production team steal the show at the Inaugural

PROLIGHT + SOUND 2017 SHOW REPORT

DStv Mzanzi Viewer’s Choice Awards............54

Second edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East on track.........................................10

Social Joburg Day 2017 ..............................................58 MA Service training for

Technical Spotlight

DWR technical team .......................................58

Vibrant Video Logistics.....................................14

Electrosonic NC Theatre Installation ..............58

C ontri b u tors James Sey | James is the outgoing editor of Pro-Systems News Africa, and we wish him all the best for his future endeavours.

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

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 | Nicole Barnes | news@pro-systems.co.za 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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www. pro-systems.co.za

BU S INE S S n e w s

ETC promotes Darren Beckley to sales manager ETC has announced the promotion of Darren Beckley to the role of sales manager for ETC Ltd. In this newly created position, Beckley will oversee all sales activity in the regions covered by ETC Ltd, including the UK and Ireland, northern and southern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. He will be based out of ETC’s London office and will spend time in all territories, providing support to ETC Ltd’s regional sales managers and their dealer and distributor networks.

Beckley has more than 15 years of experience working in the industry, including more than a decade with UK-based dealer Stage Electrics. For several years, he was sales manager for installation projects, leading a team responsible for designing and selling integrated lighting, audio, video and stage engineering systems across the EMEA region. He was also responsible for establishing the Dubai branch of Stage Electrics and subsequently joined ETC as the regional sales manager for the Middle East in early 2016.

“Darren has done an incredible job in his role as a regional sales manager,” says Mark Vassallo, ETC’s vice president of sales. “He is well-liked and respected by his colleagues, and there is no doubt he will do a fantastic

Darren-Beckley

job as the ETC Ltd sales manager.”

ETC Ltd general manager, Matthew Brookfield adds: “Darren has demonstrated a special aptitude for relationship building, which is important for ETC and all of our customers. Together with his team of talented regional sales managers and the ETC portfolio of products and services, we

expect him to achieve great things in his new role.”

Following Beckley’s promotion, ETC is recruiting for a replacement regional sales manager for the Middle East. For details of this vacancy and other opportunities with ETC, visit etcconnect.com/careers/.

InfoComm International rebrands as AVIXA InfoComm International®, the trade association representing the $178 billion commercial audiovisual industry worldwide, has changed its name to the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association™ (AVIXA™). The change reflects AVIXA’s broadening mission to be an industry hub, while also acting as a catalyst for market growth beyond what has been considered traditionally as professional AV. AVIXA’s trade shows worldwide, including the North America show, June 2-8 in Las Vegas, will continue to operate under the InfoComm name. The rebranding comes about in the context of the changing recent character of the global AV industry – a shift to an industry of solution providers that use audiovisual technology to create outcomes.

AVIXA membership has grown to include

experiential designers, content creators, IT companies, and users of AV solutions across a growing cross section of markets.

By adopting the name AVIXA, the industry association, which operates as a trade organisation representing companies and a professional society representing individuals, aims to reflect both what its members do (AV) and what they create for customers, which are integrated experiences (IX).

“The AVIXA Board of Directors has set out an ambitious plan to grow the association,

increase awareness of AV experiences, and reinvent our brand in order to propel this industry into the future,” said Gary Hall, CTS-D, CTS-I, president of the AVIXA Board, and federal strategy, planning and operations leader at Cisco Systems. “With new and different people and technologies coming into this space, we are thrilled that AVIXA will be home to all of them.”

AVIXA was founded in 1939 as the National Association of Visual Education Dealers. In 1949, NAVED merged with the Allied Non-Theatrical Film Association to form the National Audio-Visual Association. NAVA changed its name to the International Communications Industries Association in 1983, which became InfoComm International in 2005.

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BU S INE S S n e w s

DreamWave appoints Musical Distributors as exclusive South African partners Award-winning USA audio company DreamWave has established itself as a premier outdoor audio brand for audiophiles, with exciting growth in the American, European and Asian markets.

Now, thanks to an exclusive distribution agreement with a leading South African company, Musical Distributors, DreamWave will be available in South Africa from August at leading retailers.

Musical Distributors is a leading South African distributor – and carries international brands including Fender, Roland, Zildjian, Ernie Ball, RODE microphones, Cort Guitars and Mapex Drums.

Musical Distributors will carry a large range of DreamWave products, including the elegantly-designed and powerful Harmony II and the military-styled Elemental 30W Bluetooth high-performance speaker sound system, which sports an ultra-bright 110 lumens LED flashlight capable of projecting up to 400 feet of light distance with SOS flash sequence to assist in the dark when outdoors.

“We are excited about the synergies this

DreamWave Elemental bluetooth speaker

product range shares with South African lifestyles that demand sophisticated, rugged and superior audio products. The relationship with DreamWave both complements our portfolio offering and provides our customers with a total solution to their lifestyle and outdoor needs. Key to the success of this quality brand in South Africa will be the luxury of choice that the price range brings, allowing the consumer to pick and choose the products best suited to their wants and needs in a number of occasions, whilst always delivering powerful sound and

status,” says Dominic Bothner, marketing director of Musical Distributors.

Ken Siow, DreamWave’s vice president of global sales, states that: “Dominic and I share the same vision as DreamWave, which is driven by a passion for music, style and adventure. Musical Distributors is very professional in conducting business, detailing the marketing activities, survey and sharing what it takes to be successful in South Africa with us.”

Ayrton appoints Zane Cretten as regional sales manager for Africa and the Middle East Ayrton recently announced the appointment of Zane Cretten as the latest member of its expanding sales team. Based in South Africa, Cretten will take on the position of regional sales manager, with responsibility for sales across Africa and the Middle East, from 15 September 2017.

Cretten brings with him 11 years experience in the live events industry, specialising in video and lighting. During this time he has worked with major global brands including High End, Barco, Pandora’s Box, d3, CreateLED, Wings and Caliber.

“When the opportunity arose to join Ayrton I jumped at

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the chance,” says Cretten. “I am very excited to be joining such a highlyspecialised, innovative lighting company. I’m really looking forward to working with such a creative manufacturer and growing the market share in Africa and the Middle East.”

“Zane will be a valuable addition to Ayrton’s international sales team with a key role representing the company in this fast-developing region,” says Ayrton’s global sales director, Michael Althaus. “We are delighted to welcome him to the team and ensure customers across Africa, and the Middle East benefit from the full Ayrton service.”

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BU S INE S S n e w s

Barco ClickShare hits 300 000 More than three hundred thousand meeting rooms worldwide are now using Barco’s ClickShare wireless collaboration system.

Five years ago, Barco introduced ClickShare to the market as a solution to facilitate content sharing in the corporate environment. Barco now confirms that more than 300,000 ClickShare wireless presentation systems have been shipped worldwide.

An active, growing distributor and reseller network is further expanding the potential of this BYOD meeting platform of the future.

Recent research emphasises the pressing needs of IT and facility managers for efficient, intuitive collaboration solutions like ClickShare. Currently, ClickShare is more alive than ever, winning five awards so far in 2017,

totalling 25 awards since its launch. In February Barco expanded the ClickShare offering with a new flagship model, the CSE-800: the perfect, high-end companion to current models for huddle rooms and corporate meeting rooms. The product was developed upon the request of customers to fulfil their need for smooth collaboration in boardrooms and conference rooms. The CSE-800 complements the top-range portfolio, making ClickShare one of the only players in the field to match the needs of every type of meeting room.

Wainhouse research reviewed the brand new CSE-800 features immediately after its launch, saying: “The CSE-800 offers a

compelling combination of flexibility, usability, and performance. For those seeking an exceptional, enterprise-ready, wireless presentation experience, it will not disappoint.”

The ClickShare solution, well-known for its ease of use, reliability and intuitiveness, continues to address the needs of many companies struggling with meeting room technology. A recent survey conducted by Vanson Bourne and Barco on presentation issues confirms that poor presentation technology can affect the reputation of a company, workforce productivity and employee morale, with 7 in 10 of IT respondents reporting that presentation tech issues cause disputes between colleagues over who is to blame, resulting in postponed or cancelled presentations (75 %), and potential damage to business reputations (50%). By harnessing the power of a straightforward technology like ClickShare, presentation issues can be a thing of the past, enabling IT and facility managers to drive efficiencies across the business in the brightest, simplest and most productive way.

Meyer packs a lot of sound into a little package Meyer Sound, together with its South African distributors ApexPro, recently held a series of product demonstrations introducing Meyer’s new compact linear line array loudspeaker system to the South African market. Meyer’s sales manager for the region, Chris Mead took the LINA line array through its paces at the Lyric Theatre in Johannesburg, demonstrating the system’s excellent linearity and sound quality.

The LINA is the latest addition to Meyer’s flagship LEO line array range. The newest addition to the family is both the smallest and lightest in the series. However, the LINA linear line array system packs a considerable punch despite its compact size. Launched as an upgrade to the MINA, the LINA boasts new drivers and an updated amplifier and signal processing package that, along with an improved power supply, enables higher peak output. In addition, improvements in high-frequency headroom and lower distortion help LINA to faithfully reproduce audio with tremendous power, superior intelligibility, and extremely low distortion.

In most applications, LINA will be integrated with the companion 750-LFC low-frequency control element for extending

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The Meyer Sound LINA line array system being demonstrated at the Lyric Theatre

deep bass system performance down to 36 Hz. LINA and 750-LFC is driven by Meyer Sound’s Galileo GALAXY loudspeaker management system, which provides a toolset for corrective room equalisation and fine-tuning for a full range of applications.

The system is designed for easy transport and rigging, and comes with a multi-purpose grid, yoke and U-bracket, as well as caster frames and transport covers.

Speaking to Pro-Systems during the demo, Mead explained that the LINA system is best suited for small to medium theatres, houses

of worship and smaller live events. The system can be groundstacked or flown and is highly versatile – making it ideal for the rental market. On the topic of price point, Mead states that: “The LINA is well suited to the South African market as it represents a very high-quality product at an attractive price.”

Meyer Sound’s LINA line array loudspeaker system is being distributed locally through ApexPro. Visit http://apexpro.co.za/ for more information.

– Nicole Barnes

BU S INE S S n e w s

Quickchannel expands into South Africa in partnership with SkyGroup Video and audio specialist, Quickchannel, is pleased to announce that it is expanding its international footprint with the appointment of SkyGroup Communications as its distribution partner in South Africa. The move will enable Quickchannel to more readily provide its advanced content delivery solutions to the African market while expanding its presence on the continent.

SkyGroup Communications is a South African based video, communications and collaboration company, focused on assisting reseller partners with the successful implementation and integration of communication technologies in their client’s environments.

As per the agreement, SkyGroup will make

use of the Quickchannel technologies in its own cloud solution videoHUB as well as offer it as an on premise solution to customers looking to leverage its capabilities.

“Quickchannel provides a world-class solution for audio and video streaming and recording, something our clients have for a while been looking for,” Marius van Wyk, operations and technical director at SkyGroup Communications. “After considering several partners in this market and stringent testing of the system we quickly settled on the Scandinavian company as our partner of choice.”

According to the management of Quickchannel, the company has been exploring the possibility of an African partnership for some time. The African market forms part of a logical expansion for the company and SkyGroup has provided it

with the geographical footprint, industry related skills and knowledge of communications the company is looking for in a partner.

“Africa has been on our expansion wish list for some time, and we have been trying to find a partner that gave a suitable fit. It was only after meeting the SkyGroup Communications team that we felt we had found a strategic partner that ticked all the relevant boxes, and which we believed was an appropriate fit for our technologies, our team and the business,” says Viktor Hedström, CEO of Quickchannel.

“Quickchannel is looking forward to kicking off our partnership with SkyGroup and believe we will be able to make great inroads into the African market with them as we provide both our partner and their resellers with a technology we consider to provide a competitive advantage to its users,” adds Hedström.

SkyGroup is, with immediate effect, offering customers access to the full Quickchannel product range with a focus on Quickchannel Bridge and Pexip technology integration. The solutions can be delivered as a cloud based solution or on premise.

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PRO D U C T n e w s

Elation offers DiGidot C4™ an advanced LED and pixel tape driver Elation Professional is pleased to offer the DiGidot C4™, a small and powerful LED controller and pixel tape driver that can be used in multiple applications.

“DiGidot is a powerful, innovative solution for pixel control and is one of the most advanced LED pixel tape drivers on the market today. We are proud to now offer it in our product line up,” stated Elation Professional Sales Director Eric Loader. “It offers the latest technology for integration into a variety of LED pixel tape projects and runs all pixel tapes on the market, including the Elation Flex Pixel range.”

The DiGidot C4 is an in-house development of DiGidot, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It works as a pixel controller, ArtNet node, show recorder and trigger device and can work standalone for smaller setups or collaborate in larger

networks with third-party devices.

One device can drive more than 6000 single LEDs. Whereas users previously needed one or more ArtNet to DMX nodes in combination with a large number of DMX to SPI decoders to control a large number of LED pixel lights, the DiGidot C4 driver allows for easier configuration by daisy chaining through a built-in Ethernet switch. This means fewer devices, less cabling and less installation time.

A built-in show recorder records up to 8 DMX universes, making the DiGidot C4

perfectly suited for applications in theme parks, museums, retail shops and architectural. It works with a variety of protocols, and an intuitive app and web-based user interface make for convenient operation.

ETC’s Ion gets an upgrade

For nearly a decade, ETC’s Ion® consoles have brought powerful control to theatres, concert venues, studios and events around the world. Now, with the release of two Ion Xe consoles and two new fader wings, the small but mighty workhorse of the Eos® family gets an upgrade.

With compact footprints and full-featured Eos software, Ion Xe consoles bring high-

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level, award-winning programming power to smaller venues. Since the new consoles feature the same backlit keyboard layout as their larger Eos family siblings, your workflow can transfer seamlessly from desk to desk. Ion Xe desks support up to external two multi-touch monitors so that you can take full hands-on advantage of colour tools, Magic Sheets, Direct Selects and more.

Ion Xe consoles feature full main playback controls, fader controls, level and rate wheels, four rotary parameter encoders and support for up to five USB-connectable wings and devices. Ion Xe consoles are available in two output counts: 2K (base) and 12K (expanded), providing control for a wide variety of rigs. For extra security and flexibility, ETC has also released a new Ion Xe RPU (Remote Processing Unit), which can serve as a backup, remote programming station, or primary controller for your system.

The new Eos Fader Wing accessories provide 20 or 40 non-motorised faders in handy, USB-connectable modules that match – and are compatible with – all the latest Eos family hardware. The wings share the profile of the Ion Xe and Eos Motorized Fader Wings, and they can be used with all Eos family products (with the exception of Element).

For more information, visit www. etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/ Eos-Family/Ion-Xe/Features.aspx

PRO D U C T n e w s

Robe launches new MegaPointe worldwide Robe goes Mega with the global launch of its much anticipated new multi-functional moving light fixture … the MegaPointe.

This hugely innovative new “reference point” and landmark product was revealed worldwide at midnight on Tuesday 5 September 2017 Central European Timezone (CET).

This follows a series of eyecatching and intriguing teaser videos “Now there is MEGA” which have generated a huge amount of excitement globally throughout lighting and visual communities.

MegaPointe is set to define new standards and expectations in moving light technology taking the original concept of the all-in-one fixture to a whole new level.

Utilising an exclusive 470W short-arc lightsource, Robe’s diligently crafted MegaPointe optics produce phenomenally bright parallel beams, incredible spot gobo projections, together with super-quick movement, smooth CMY colour mixing and a multitude of effects available for splitting and shaping the light in Spot, Beam or Wash modes.

The zoom ranges from 1.8 to 21 degrees in Beam mode – tight, powerful and punchy, and goes from 3 to 42 degrees in Spot mode with crystal clear high-clarity output through a 150 mm diameter front lens, with a stunning total lumen output of 20.375 and an impressive CRI of over 80.

Inventive, different in-air projections can be created using the new Effects Engine, pre-loaded with 12 dynamic beam and flower effects, and can be further finessed using the beam shaper which can emulate framing shutter effects and create rectangular shapes as well as being rotatable and indexable.

Utilising the ‘light’ and medium’ frost filters with any combination of colours from the CMY mixing system produces a beautiful, smooth, even wash coverage.

There is a static 14-slot plus open gobo wheel fitted with glass gobos for precision surface projections and exciting in-air impressions, and a second wheel contains 9 rotating, indexable and replaceable gobos.

These can be combined with a variable speed, bi-directional animation wheel which can be used in conjunction with any of the gobos or on its own to enhance or produce exceptionally subtle and detailed effects and projections.

A remote adjustable hot-spot control can further influence the appearance of the lightsource, and there is yet more versatility with a series of pre-programmable ‘random’ strobe and pulse effects.

In keeping with Robe’s commitment to smaller-brighter-lighter fixtures. It weighs only 22Kgs (48.5lbs).

MegaPointe draws on Robe’s expertise as a premium moving light manufacturer and has been developed by the R&D team working in close collaboration with valuable input from lighting professionals to develop another outstanding product.

Robe’s Pointe – revolutionary at the time – was launched in 2013 and led the way as the first truly multi-functional moving light taking the industry by storm and established new standards of flexibility and choice for LDs, programmers and operators. It continues to be one of the company’s best-selling products.

MiniPointe was launched in 2015 to bring

all the well-loved Pointe dynamics to small-to-medium applications and now the family is completed with the MegaPointe, which takes everything up several notches with refined touches enhancements like CMY colour mixing and blistering brightness.

This multi-functional, multi-purpose luminaire is perfect for live concerts, festivals, EDM and dance extravaganzas, TV productions, outdoor spectaculars and all types of live events and permanent installations.

The first MegaPointes were live in action a week before the launch on the Main Stage production lighting rig designed by Sander den Otter for Mysteryland 2017, the Netherlands’ oldest and most original dance music extravaganza this year staged over two days at Haarlemmermeerse Bos, Amsterdam, and produced by ID&T. MegaPointes made a big impact on the main stage of the first ever New Horizons EDM / dance music event at Nürburgring, Germany, part of a production design by Andre Beekmans from NL based creative practice, The Art of Light.

South Africa MegaPointe Launch DWR Distribution invite you to the South African launch of the Robe MegaPointe, hosted by Harry von den Stemmen and Ondrej Hegar.

Join DRW for snacks and drinks at the company’s offices in Johannesburg on 2 November or in Cape Town on 6 November at 17:30 as they unveil the MegaPointe for the South African market.

For bookings and more information, visit: http://dwrdistribution.co.za/register/ megapointe/

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S h o w REPOR T PRO L IGH T + S OUN D

Second edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East on track

Already the Middle East region’s premier exhibition for the pro-AV, events and entertainment industry, Prolight + Sound Middle East 2017, is expecting to attract more than 40 exhibitors, representing close to 100 brands from over eleven countries, drawn in by the exciting potential held out by the many mega events scheduled for the near future, as well as the rapidly growing events industry with its demand for the latest in professional AV equipment.

“The Middle East, with its rapid evolution as a region that hosts a large number of mega events and international headline-grabbing shows, is a natural market for the latest professional AV services,” said Ahmed Pauwels, CEO of organisers, Messe Frankfurt Middle East. “Prolight + Sound Middle East 2017 not only features the best brands and leading suppliers but also presents trade buyers and businesses with an opportunity to benefit from the choice of products and solutions available.”

Prolight + Sound Middle East 2017 will also feature the return of

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Stage On!, the live demo area where visitors get an up close look and feel of the latest AV equipment from the leading brands, New this year, is the Events, Creation and Entertainment Development Forum, an interactive platform that brings together leaders from the entertainment, events and creation fields to discuss latest trends and developments in the industry.

The two-day forum will bring together leading stakeholders from the government, events, leisure, creation, entertainment and tourism industry to discuss trends and strategies in developing world class events, iconic attractions and industry partnerships that drive tourism and long-term success.

Prominent speakers at the forum include: Tom Davis, Director at Theatre Project Consultants; Frederik Fayard, Founder of Concept K and UK-based lighting designer, Andy Webb.

The exhibition will feature a large number of returning exhibitors including the likes of founding partner of the event Martin Professional and Bose.

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Nittin Dargan, regional sales manager of Bose, was happy with the outcome of the debut event last year. “The first edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East met our expectations, which is why we’re returning in 2017. The inaugural show was a good platform for us to showcase our new ShowMatch™ DeltaQ™ Array Loudspeakers and PowerShare amplifiers to the key pro audio industry members of the Middle East market. Middle East is a focus market for us. The region is also very entrepreneurial and very receptive to adopting new technologies and new marketing approaches. We’re looking forward to the exhibition this year, where we can further establish our business relationships in the fixed install and rental markets.”

Also impressed by the reputation of the global Prolight + Sound brand was Elie Batah, General Manager of Robe, who are also set to make their debut in the Middle East this year. “We heard good things about Prolight + Sound Middle East as a one-of-its-kind exhibition dedicated to the professional entertainment and audio visual industries, and so decided to exhibit for the first time in 2017. The Robe brand can be found on stages, concert halls and TV studios all over the world and we’re experiencing record growth with our new products, BMFL Spot and the Spider. We’re confident Prolight + Sound Middle East will give us another leg up in the fast-growing and exciting region.”

Prolight + Sound Middle East is the fifth leg of the international network of Prolight + Sound events worldwide, which brings the latest technologies and services for the entertainment and creation industries.

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Other prominent AV brands exhibiting at Prolight + Sound Middle East this year include:

Prolyte is a world leading manufacturer of hardware products and structural solutions for the entertainment industry. Their headquarters in the Netherlands is where the complex processes of design, engineering and sales come together, making the basic building blocks of industry performances; like trussing, staging and electrical hoists. Prolyte also have manufacturing bases and warehouses in Romania, Malaysia, Japan and Germany, which are supported by a network of distribution partners in many different countries. You can find Prolyte products in installations, events and productions all over the world.

Returning exhibitor Penn Elcom are one of the world’s leading manufacturers of quality flight case, speaker cabinet hardware and 19 inch racking solutions, with over 40 years of experience designing product solutions for these specialist industries. Their extensive designing and manufacturing capabilities also allow them to provide custom solutions in addition to their range of over 3 000 products.

PRO L IGH T + S OUN D S h o w REPOR T

The Exterior™ Projection 1000 from Martin by HARMAN is an unparalleled, powerful tool for permanent outdoor installations to integrate textures, patterns and graphics for limitless creative exterior lighting designs. Sporting high impact and low maintenance, this advanced, IP66-rated LED projector offers sharp image quality, dynamic features and great reach over huge distances.

Some new products to be showcased at the event include:

Robert Juliat Roxie LED Followspot – with its ultra-compact dimensions and low power consumption, Roxie is the new LED followspot. Roxie has been developed for schools and small-sized venues to fit into the smallest of spaces. It has a long life source, beam shaping from 11 Deg to 20 Deg , removable iris, a gobo holder and it is available in three colour temperatures.

The ELX200 series from Electro-Voice is the latest member of the Electro-Voice portatble loudspeaker family and the next generation of the popular ELX line, which includes 10-inch, 12-inch and 15-inch two-way models as well as 12-inch and 18-inch subwoofers.

All aspects of each ELX200 model work together seamlessly to deliver heavyweight performance in a lightweight package.

Integrated efficient Class-D power amplifiers provide distortion-free maximum sound pressure levels utilising high-sensitivity transducers – all designed and engineered by Electro-Voice. System reliability is verified via rigorous endurance testing of the custom internal components, amplifier/DSP module, and enclosures and hardware – all undertaken above and beyond industry norms. The ELX200’s user-friendly versatility is further enhanced with the new Bluetooth®* QuickSmartMobile app, which allows the wireless configuration, control, and monitoring of up to six ELX200 systems simultaneously. The app makes it quick and easy to dial-in settings in real time from in front of the system, ensuring exceptional EV audio performance at all times for every application.

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T E C HNI C A L S PO T L IGH T V I D EO D I S T RIBU T ION

Vibrant Video Logistics

By Abrie duPlooy

The term ‘plug and play’ has been around for decades and mostly pertains to the ease of use of technology systems. It’s especially appealing to non-technical consumers prior to opening the box of a new technology-related product. But, at least for the AV professional, it’s often a different story.

Video communication is literally stealing the show in the modern age – from marketing platforms to information management and entertainment. For the viewer, it’s as simple as pressing a button and selecting what to watch, or even watching whatever is already displayed. The intricate part, however, is delivering the content from the source to the screen – a process unseen by the user. This has been the cause of many a grey hair for the AV professional. Video distribution has its limitations, which need to be known when designing signal distribution systems. As technology develops, new signal types also come with new challenges.

The most common signal type used in current day video is HDMI (High Definition Digital Media Interface) because of its diverse design.

With the introduction of high definition satellite television to the

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residential market, digital video connection between source and screen was done with HDMI. It was a simple, fresh and effective new component that arrived with the whole new world of high definition television. In fact, HDMI was developed to carry a variety of signals in a single cable. This primarily includes a video component, which is capable of transporting video signals in extremely high resolutions, and an embedded digital audio signal that delivers adequate audio information for the most recent surround sound variants. These two components are sufficient to deliver a comprehensible video signal, but HDMI technology exceeds this by far and additional information is available on the same cable infrastructure.

Thus, over and above the audiovisual components, HDMI 1.4 includes an Ethernet channel, enabling high-speed, bi-directional

V I D EO D I S T RIBU T ION T E C HNI C A L S PO T L IGH T

s network connectivity at up to 100 Mbps. Display resolution is recognised with EDID (Extended Display Identification Data), which is available to identify the native resolution of a display as soon as it is connected to a video source. The source component will respond by transmitting the content in the optimum resolution that the screen is capable of receiving. In most cases it will be full HD (1920x1080) or, these days, even UHD (3840x2160). Challenges include, for example, sending a full HD signal to a WXGA projector with a native resolution of only 1280x800 – which would be incapable of displaying the complete pixel space of the source image. In this scenario, one of two adjustments can be made to display the content. Ideally, the display device would scan convert (downscale) the image to match its own native resolution. If this is not possible, the source device would reduce its own output resolution in order to meet the display. The latter is not ideal for networked video distribution systems, as the source content’s quality would then be reduced on all connected displays – regardless of their capability to meet a higher definition video.

HDCP (High Bandwidth Digital Content Protection) is the main element behind the development of HDMI as a standard video format. For decades, Hollywood producers have been fighting the piracy war in spite of content duplication being legally prohibited. It has always been a losing battle as there is no effective way to prevent consumers from duplicating analogue video. In a digital world, many parameters can be introduced to a signal to only allow duplication when certain criteria are met. HDCP did exactly that by creating a

standard that couldn’t be legally duplicated unless all components in the particular system conforms to a licensed process. Law enforcement is much easier when all stakeholders in the video supply chain are forced to conform, instead of just the end consumer. HDMI’s trump card is that the source component will not transmit a video signal unless a digital handshake takes place to confirm that the display device is licensed as well. Recording equipment will not tick all the required boxes and hence remain unlicensed. A source device will thus not release a video signal connected to a recording device.

In layman’s terms, HDCP prevents the digital signal flow unless the display device is HDCP compliant. With economic pressure, the manufacturers of video players and displays are very eager to license their products to avoid paying the price of non-compatibility.

Unfortunately, there will always be electronic devices on the black market that override these parameters.

CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is another feature of HDMI which enables users to control multiple connected devices with a single control interface. A DVD player, for example, can be controlled via the connected HDMI feed, or a third-party control system can control sources and display devices from a single user interface.

With all the above components forming part of the HDMI signal, bandwidth requirements are clearly extensive and, as a result, distribution distances are limited. A full HD signal should not be distributed farther than 15m. In a standard residential dwelling this will be adequate, but in larger residences and in professional systems especially, the distribution becomes a challenge. Cables are available at lengths of up to 22m and will work well with lower resolutions, but this might be problematic as the bandwidth increases.

In these larger systems even 22m cables won’t be adequate to distribute signals to all displays.

With these distance limitations, an entire new world of opportunities has opened up. Many technologies are available to distribute HDMI – each with unique architecture and challenges. There are balun transmitter- and receiver sets that distribute the HDMI signal components over twisted pair cables, and HDBaseT that uses the same infrastructure but also transmits additional signals such as control protocols and even low voltage power supply on the same cable. Fibre optic mediums are positioning themselves amongst these technologies and, although expensive, are capable of transmitting digital signals across longer distances.

The latest technology breakthrough to see the light is based on the IP infrastructure available in everyday IT networks. These two technologies are encroaching on the other’s territory as they improve.

The challenge has always been that the available bandwidth in current day networks is far too little for the vast number of data packets of a video signal. Many compression techniques bridge the gaps and higher bandwidth networks are available, but the latter adds an extra zero to the price tag. Despite all these red flags, Video over IP technology adds a fresh new dynamic to video distribution systems by replacing the conventional video router or switcher with a network switch. True to IT network architecture, video inputs and outputs can be connected at any patch point across the network and routing takes place based on IP addresses. Because video signals can be distributed as IP packets, wireless systems are also seeing the light of day – but many creases still need to be ironed out.

It will happen eventually, it’s just not possible to say exactly when.

Video distribution, from small to large systems, may have given consultants and technicians many a headache in this exciting industry. But, luckily, almost always with a happy ending.

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The changing face of corporate AV integration

By Dan Daley,

courtesy of InfoComm International®

The pro-AV business landscape has been fluid for some time. The tectonic shift from analogue to digital as the technological foundation of the industry set the tone for constant change, as new platforms and formats, from digital audio to 4K video, have generated relentless technical churn.

At the same time, the commercial side of the business was doubly challenged by the Great Recession. Most major verticals reined in spending starting in 2008, while at the same time, the pro-AV industry witnessed growing incursions on its flanks from residential integrators fleeing the challenged housing sector, IT businesses eyeing AV as an adjunct service, and others. More recently, there has been several years’ worth of merger-and-acquisition activity that has changed the makeup of both the service-provider and the vendor sides of pro AV. In short, it’s been a head-spinning time for commercial

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audiovisual companies.

Tom Peters, CTS®, general manager of California-based SybaTek, has seen challenges from multiple angles.

“Competition is getting more diverse, while at another level it’s consolidating,” says Peters, who is also a past president of InfoComm International, citing the just-announced merger of large US AV integration companies Diversified and Technical Innovations. “We see residential dealers migrating into the commercial space, often with a very different mindset from traditional commercial integrators. We

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also see IT firms attempting to broaden their role with clients, again with a different mindset. In addition, the ubiquity of AV has led some influencers, such as design firms and project management firms, to attempt to set budgets without the ability to ascertain the desires and needs of the client, which then often leaves the client with an inadequate budget for their needs. And once budgets are set, it is very hard to move them higher. So funds that could have been spent on technology end up on the floor, or in the bathroom fixtures, rather than in AV systems. It is more important than ever to ensure that AV experts are at the table from the beginning.�

Many AV integrators are less worried about consolidation among themselves as consolidation among manufacturers, who can use the added scale this brings about to squeeze out integrators, designers and consultants that are also product dealers. They may profess not to intend to bypass the integrator, but it doesn’t always work out that way. Manufacturers that expand through mergers and acquisitions often take a long time to fully integrate new divisions into a coherent single entity.

Opportunity knocks While industry consolidation can shake up the business terrain, it can also create opportunities, since AV and IT are not the only sectors being affected by consolidation. Globalisation may be an overworked term these days, but it is forcing companies to find ways to do more with fewer human resources. The technology now available offers integrators the tools they need to create systems that can be scaled globally but managed centrally, reducing clients’ needs for trained operators at their various locations around the world. For example, corporate conference rooms in one city can be

operated from a control room in another. This results in huge cost savings for the enterprise in the form of fewer employees dedicated to technical operations.

It also presents a new potential revenue stream for AV integrators, which can remotely monitor those systems for maintenance and management purposes, adding even more efficiency to the mix. This also has the benefit for the client of being able to predict potential problems and address them quickly rather than reacting to them after the fact.

And for the AV industry, new revenue streams have become an area of intense focus in recent years. But the ability to take advantage of industry change is intertwined with workforce education. AV firms, like in all industries, must continue to find new ways to generate revenue, but due to the ever-changing technological landscape, it is imperative that AV professionals continue to further their education and remain knowledgeable of current and future technologies. The AV landscape remains competitive, as IT and managed service companies consider forays into the industry. When a company has top-notch employees who see the changes coming or who have experience with converging markets, we are able to plan accordingly and prepare in advance for market growth. Often, they already have the processes in place to handle the type of serviceoriented business plan to which many in the AV industry are just now catching on.

Adversity and opportunity are linked in the evolving business landscape of corporate AV integration. Savvy integrators are finding ways to turn the first into the other.

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I n t e g r a t i o n & I n st a ll a t i o n REPOR T

The corporate Audio Visual evolution

Questek has been supplying audio visual solutions to the corporate market for the past 29 years.

Its clients are from all sectors of industry, including financial, pharmaceutical, government, entertainment and telecommunications.

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Over the company’s years in business there have been many changes in the AV industry. Perhaps the biggest shift has been that the technology that was exclusively used by large corporates for their executive boardrooms and auditoriums is now used by every company, regardless of its size. Every business usually now has an audio visual system in its meeting room.

In the early 90’s a 600 Lumen projector cost the equivalent of a new Mercedes Benz, whereas today the consumer can pick up a projector for less than the price of one Mercedes Benz tyre!

Similarly, video conferencing appliances which used to cost about R250 000 for a basic ISDN system at turn of the millennium, can now be replaced with a basic PC and some free or marginal-cost software.

The rapid cost reductions in technology has brought a video projector into every business, and now the next change in these businesses is a shift over to LCD touch screens and LED video walls to satisfy their requirements.

Projector technology has never been a perfect solution as it had many disadvantages such as requiring the room lighting to be dimmed. This is not really suitable for video conferencing cameras. In addition, projector technology has always been a bit daunting for the non-technical person. A common experience is to switch on a projector and then for the first couple of minutes, nothing happens while the lamp warms up. Then the tendency would be to hit the on switch again, which actually switches it off! Coupled with this is the vulnerability and high costs of the lamps. These days a lamp replacement can cost more than the initial purchase price of the projector, which is reminiscent of a printer market where the cartridges can cost the same as the printer.

So where are the corporates customers in South Africa going with their AV technology?

Firstly, the trend of open plan offices has given way to more and smaller meeting rooms or huddle spaces, where four to six people meet either to brainstorm using touch screen white boarding or to video conference with other parties.

Typically, the trend can be seen in organisations such as Telkom, BCX or KPMG. Each of these enterprise-size corporates roll out on their campuses thirty to fifty of these small rooms. Depending on room size they will either have a 65” to 86” touch screen with a built in computer and coupled to that they will have an echo cancelling USB microphone on the table and either a fixed or PTZ camera mounted above the screen.

With all the various laptop video output standards such as XGA, HDMI, DVI display port, it has become very difficult to cater for many different standards to be connected to the same screen.

Also the connectors and cable lying on the meeting desk can be very fragile and look untidy.

As a result, most companies are moving away from hard-wire

I n t e g r a t i o n & I n st a ll a t i o n REPOR T

cabling and are using a wireless connection from the laptop to the touch screen. There are already manufacturers of touch screens such as the Vivitek Novo Touch catering for this. This product has a built in receiver allowing a person to plug in a launcher into the laptop that will send your screen image seamlessly to the touch screen without the need to load any applications onto your laptop.

Auditoriums are also being re-invented. Previously a common sight in corporate auditoriums was an expensive noisy projector hanging from the middle of the ceiling. This has now been replaced by a near seamless LCD video wall or a LED screen with a pixel pitch of less than 2,5mm. These screens are bright, have a lifespan of over 100 000 hours and produce quality pictures not seen before using projector technology. With the maturity of the market meaning a price reduction in the technology, it has now become viable to provide these solutions.

What is evident in the market, with these changes in use and the wider rollout of AV, is the new add-ons that are required. With the huge proliferation of smaller meeting rooms and huddle spaces, corporate organisations now also a centralised and automated room booking system, coupled with displays at each venue as well as way-finding digital signage in order to prevent organisational chaos.

There are many of these systems available, which provide all of

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these functions, and can be hooked into a system that will provide catering and technology booking requirements for each session.

Lastly, there is a corporate AV trend in companies looking for digital training solutions. Using these, employees can access, via protected passwords, training programmes. These training sessions are logged in the system so that HR can assess employee development and future training needs. Training plans, promotions and succession decisions are insights driven from data analytics made possible by deploying e-learning. Education and learning in the corporate organisation is becoming more engaging– videos instead of static presentations, interactivity and social media integration, pod-casts rather than lengthy training modules, accessible on any device at any time via personalised interfaces and recommendation engines are imperatives. Products such as Mediasite provides the software for these e-learning programmes In conclusion, the corporate AV trend is moving away from huge elaborate boardrooms to smaller huddle spaces that provide all the technology at the fingertips in a easy to use system. For the system integrator the solutions are now at a much lower cost but there is a much greater demand for AV and the industry is currently seeing major growth even in our not so great economy.

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LOCKED IN TO ONLY ONE UC PLATFORM? Only Crestron Mercury™ supports your collaboration applications.

LEARN MORE AT CRESTRON.COM/MERCURY 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. Š2017 Crestron EMEA

I n t e g r a t i o n & I n st a ll a t i o n REPOR T

Crestron and Electric String create a smarter way to work out The brief for this project was simple – to build a communal gym for the central London headquarters of INEOS, a global manufacturer of chemical and oil products, that is unlike any other!

Electric String collaborated with Crestron to create an audio, video and control system which gives a new dimension to the gym user experience via a Crestron 3-Series® PRO3 processor, with 2 x 10.1” TSW type touch panels for user interaction and an iPad Air for “Super User” admin. Crestron DigitalMedia® provides 4K video distribution to the main 98” screen and supplementary displays.

Right from the initial design stage, the focus on quality was paramount for Electric String and so Crestron was the natural choice.

Control of the gym and creating a unique user experience were key aspects of the design. Unlike most communal gym spaces, the space needed to allow control by individual users rather than expecting users to be force-fed standard distributed content or rely on their personal audio players.

Crestron’s flagship 3-Series control processor, coupled with a DigitalMedia distribution system provides the perfect balance between usability, simplicity and flexibility. “The real key was to give gym users fully flexible control and access to whatever content they desired from the installed system, something which is simply not possible in most gym situations.” noted Rob Sullivan, commercial

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director. Gym users are provided access to: • Instructor microphone • Internet radio • AirPlay from instructor for classes • AirPlay from individual gym users • Streaming audio “virtual jukebox” • Blu-Ray/CD • Satellite TV • Freeview TV • Plug-in point for 3rd party device Control was achieved with a Crestron PRO3 processor, with stylish 10.1” TSW touchscreens for user interaction and an iPad Air for “Super User” administration. The layout and operation of the user interface was a key aspect to ensure that the system complemented, rather than complicated, each user’s exercise programme. With such an array of sources, dual zone operation and multiple users, the attention to detail from the front-end user interface to the back-end programming took great attention to detail. Electric String worked

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tirelessly with the client to get the perfect system working and provided training for instructors and users alike.

Total control coupled with the highest quality, cutting edge exercise equipment meant an audio system of exceptional quality was also required to match.

The advanced digital audio signal processing allowed the sound to be optimised in an environment which under normal circumstances could have caused many headaches. Materials and equipment in the gym including mirrors, hard floors, glass and metal workout machines meant that to achieve the highest quality sound, precise control of the acoustics was required.

Benefits of the system: Users have the option of not only selecting different source audio and/or video but having full control of the sources too. In addition to this the users can select different audio and video sources so that

on-demand workout plans can be displayed along with personalised entertainment. At the front of the spin studio a 98� screen was mounted with three supplementary displays along the length of the space, mounted from the ceiling for video content supplied by the Crestron system.

Electric String supplied video to the displays via a Crestron DM matrix, giving the highest quality images possible from the source devices and at the same time allowing virtually limitless flexibility in configuration of the distributed content. The result is a new dimension of user experience to the gym member by providing a superior audio, video and control system. “Electric String was the perfect partner for us with our gym project.

We had to combine several complex lighting, audio and training software packages behind the scenes, and yet present gym users with a very simple user interface via the Crestron TSW1052 touchpanels which were designed and programmed just for our requirements. The team achieved exactly that and our users love it.�

Comments Jonny Ginns, group general counsel, INEOS Holdings Limited. The project was such a success that the client is now using the gym system as a blueprint design for future gyms around their worldwide offices.

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Pushing the limits of digital connectivity in South Africa

By Nicole Barnes

Premium High Definition Solutions (PhD Solutions) is an original equipment manufacturer, headquartered in Mauritius, which produces a wide range of HDMI high definition connectivity products for the international market. PhD products are distributed in Southern Africa by Elan Systems, who provide dealers with HDMI solutions for the digital signage, commercial installation, broadcast, residential, audio visual, IT, military, healthcare and security markets.

The PhD product range has been specifically designed to meet the unique needs of the South African market and has a reputation for being the most robust, high quality brand that offers highly flexible, value for money, HDMI and connectivity solutions. PHD Solutions products are specified with the highest level of ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) protection, offering another layer of protection not commonly seen in the industry.

Speaking to Pro-Systems News in a recent interview, Elan Systems sales and product manager Ian Le Grange expands on his experience with the PhD product range and the impact that it is having on high definition connectivity in both residential and commercial installations across the country.

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HDBaseT comes to South Africa According to the HDBT Alliance1, HDBaseT is defined as “the global standard for the transmission of ultra-high-definition video and audio, Ethernet, controls, USB and up to 100W of power over a single, long-distance cable.� For audio-visual solutions, consumer electronics, and industrial PCs, this can take the form of a simple category cable, extending up to 100m. Initially developed by Israeli company Valens in 2010, HDBaseT technology has revolutionised the video distribution sector, as it offers a diverse set of features, increased reach, and better performance at a lower cost than many HDMI distribution alternatives. The cornerstone of the technology is 5Play; the converged and simultaneous delivery of uncompressed

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ultra-high-definition digital video and audio, Ethernet, USB, control signals and power over a single cable.

Elan Systems was one of the first distributors to introduce HDBaseT technology to the Southern African market in early 2011. From the outset, the fragility of HDMI technology posed a challenge for many of the company’s dealers. Le Grange recalls: “The HDMI matrix switchers and related products that were being used at the time were particularly susceptible to failure – particularly as a result of the unstable power supply and high incidence of lightning strikes in the country. Many of our dealers, therefore, reached a point where they were reluctant to install HDMI networking products as a result of the high number of system failures they were experiencing.”

In response to their dealer’s concerns, Elan Systems sought out an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) that was able to produce HDMI equipment that was highly robust but also cost effective. After extensive research, Elan Systems identified an OEM that was up to the task in the Far East – and the PhD Solutions product range was born.

PhD graduates to Genius Following the successful introduction of the PhD product range to the Southern African market, PhD Solutions continued to develop their technology, with the aims of improving user experience and to meet the maintenance needs of installers. In 2015, their efforts resulted in the launch of the PhD Genius range, which incorporates a wide range of features that make remote diagnostics, web-based control and seamless cloud monitoring a possibility. The PHD Solutions Genius range of products is manufactured in the UK in a state-of-the-art robotic factory and boasts a level of engineering expertise not

typically found in the industry.

At the core of the PhD matrix system lies the 340Mhz video processing unit, which provides users with instant access to all of the connected source devices within their matrix in 1080p or 3D or UHD on the Genius PRO models. In addition, the operating system, geniOS, actively manages all on-board diagnostics and control features, including EDID – the information provided by a monitor to the video source, describing the monitor’s capabilities and allowing the video source to send out a video resolution and audio format, if any, that is supported by the monitor. The system is smart enough to automatically select the best format to ensure that all monitors within the matrix perform optimally, even if the monitors have differing capabilities. Adding to the flexibility of the solution, a dealer can remotely manage this feature and specify a fixed EDID remotely, should the need arise.

The matrix can be controlled using the geniOS web-based interface from any mobile device within the local Wi-Fi environment, adding a whole new level of “smart” to the system. This capability places the end user in control of their HDMI matrix and is designed to work intuitively with very little training needed. What makes the Genius range even more flexible, as far as control is concerned, is the addition of libCEC, the ability to utilise the HDMI bus to control HDMI 2.0 CEC enabled devices with no need for additional cables or infrared parts.

Operating system updates are managed with a single cloudbased solution. However, software rollbacks can be done as well, if needed, which can be effected automatically within an hour, or manually by a user or installer. Automatic updates are only run at optimal times – ensuring that end users do not have to deal with downtime during critical periods, which is particularly important for corporate installations, Le Grange points out.

Uptime guaranteed When dealing with the corporate market, the reliability of an audio-visual system is of critical importance – especially in sensitive settings such as airport lounges and in the consumer market.

PhD Solutions prides itself on the robustness of its technology – ensuring that end users can rely on their HDMI systems to work consistently and seamlessly. “HDMI technology is notoriously prone to glitches, especially where the environment is not optimal. The Genius geniOS platform will pinpoint possible issues, allowing the installer to take the appropriate steps to ensure continued uptime,” says Le Grange. PhD

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Remote solutions

Solutions places a lot of emphasis on research and development, with a large contingent of highly qualified engineers driving product design at their factories in the Far East and in the UK. Every unit is quality checked to exceed industry standards, and the components used are specifically selected for their highperformance ratings in challenging environments. “Using components with the highest grade specifications to meet end users’ needs is essential,” states Le Grange, “However, as Elan Systems is dealing with the manufacturer directly, there is no middle-man driving up costs. As a result, the product remains affordable for our market while delivering unparalleled robustness,” Le Grange points out.

PhD Solution Genius products all come with a three-year warranty against factory defects, and all faulty units are inspected by local technicians in consultation with PhD engineers overseas. Data obtained from analysing system faults or component failures is used for continual improvements in manufacturing and design.

“We hardly ever have faulty units out of the box,” Le Grange explains, “However if a unit does malfunction, we will always ensure that repairs are done timeously and that motherboards, or complete machines, are replaced if necessary.”

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Arguably, the feature that distinguishes the PhD Genius matrix switcher from many others on the market is the unit’s remote selfdiagnostic abilities. The system makes use of constant cloud-based monitoring, allowing both end users and – most importantly – installers to access critical diagnostic information remotely.

“The unit ‘calls home’ every hour, and is equipped with on-board diagnostic capabilities,” Le Grange explains. “This is perhaps the most revolutionary feature for our dealers, as a technician can log into a client’s matrix and run diagnostics remotely. Should the install show a glitch, the Genius technology allows technicians to isolate the cause of the problem online and, in many cases, effect a solution in real-time.” When the problem originates from a faulty category cable, the system can even detect the exact output right down to the faulty twisted pair that is malfunctioning, which means that installers are able to arrive on site with the necessary parts and repair the system, immediately.

“The implications of remote access and on-board system diagnostics are enormous,” Le Grange declares. He cites an example where a dealer performed a residential HDMI matrix installation using PhD technology for a client in a neighbouring country. A few days following the installation, the client phoned to inform the dealer that the entire system was non-operational. The client demanded that the dealer return to the site, remove the installation and provide a full refund.

“You can imagine the implications of this instruction for the dealer,” Le Grange states. “If the system were not enabled with remote diagnostics, technicians would have had to drive for more than nine hours to reach the client’s property. The company would have made

REPOR T I n t e g r a t i o n & I n st a ll a t i o n a significant financial loss on the job, not only due to travel expenses but also due to the loss of billable hours and capacity on other installations being implemented.”

Fortunately, the dealer was able to access the client’s matrix logs in the cloud remotely and immediately noted that the unit had not reported to the cloud for more than 24 hours. This vital piece of information indicated that the system was not receiving power or the unit was offline. The Araknis network equipment that Elan Systems supplied reported a healthy network so it clearly indicated the matrix was powered down. In response, the dealer sent a local repair person to the client’s home with the instruction to find out why the system was without power. The repair person quickly discovered that a cleaner had removed the main power plug from the wall socket and the system was simply switched off.

“Our dealers want their installation teams to be engaged with income generating jobs the majority of the time,” Le Grange states.

"With remote diagnostics and repair capabilities, the number of billable hours spent repairing installations that have already been paid for is dramatically reduced. In addition, the end user experiences less down time and a higher level of customer service – an undeniable win-win solution for all,” he concludes.

question remotely to come up with a solution. In the unlikely event that we are not able to find a solution, we have a direct line to the engineers at PhD Solutions – allowing us to provide an unparalleled level of service,” Le Grange states.

Demonstrating Elan System’s commitment to dealer support, Le Grange mentions a recent example where a client contacted one of their dealers to assist with a matrix system malfunction. The family wanted to be able to switch between watching television and a visual from their security cameras on their entrance gate, using their living room LED monitor, which was proving problematic. Unable to find a solution using their remote interface, the dealer contacted a technician at Elan Systems for assistance. Elan Systems then logged into the client’s units and discovered that a simple alteration in settings to accommodate the different source devices was needed. These settings were adjusted remotely and, in less than an hour, the matrix was fully operational without needing to have a technician onsite.

“We are immensely proud of the PhD Solutions range of products that we distribute, as it represents world leading technology that is particularly well adapted to the South African market.” Le Grange states, adding that: “At Elan Systems, our dealer network becomes like a family. We are committed to providing our installers with world leading technology and the best possible support to ensure that they are, in turn, equipped to meet and exceed their customers’ expectations,” Le Grange concludes.

Service and support driving success Elan Systems offers dealers extensive product training and support on all PhD System products. “If a distributor is not able to solve a problem for their client, we are available to assist and can access the unit in

1. The HDBaseT Alliance: hdbaset.org

SkyGroup Communications brings Trademark Guidelines you Lifesize Cloud.

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Guidelines, “Lifesize Marks” means the trademarks, service marks, in the marketplace. These Trademark Guidelines are intended to preserve the value attached to the Lifesize Marks.

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service or trade names, logos, product names or designations of Lifesize and its affiliates, including the current Lifesize Marks listed below and any other Lifesize Marks made available from time to time:

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Combining a cloud-based conferencing experience with award-winning, easy-to-use • conference Lifesize® room cameras and HD phones that let you connect to anyone, anywhere.

• Lifesize® Cloud Call SkyGroup today for the best audio, web and video conferencing service.

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Connect via desktop, mobile and browserLifesize® Phone™ HD based web calling

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Electrosonic making waves in lighting control

Electrosonic SA is known in the market for its entertainment lighting, with Martin Professional fixtures perhaps its best-known brand locally. The company is perhaps less well-known for its involvement in the architectural and installation lighting and control market. Electrosonic’s main brand in this market is Helvar, a long-established Finnish company with a globally respected approach to energy efficient lighting control and products.

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Says Electrosonic’s director of entertainment lighting, Bruce Schwartz, “Helvar have been a good fit for our brand portfolio because of our focus on control and distribution technology in installation lighting. They’ve been on the Digital Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) standard for many years, and recently launched the first DALI-2 standard certified product in the world. The DALI standard is used primarily in building automation, but only in the last few years has experienced an upsurge in its prominence as a standard in building installations. That means we’re well-placed in the current market for the product range. We also believe in Helvar for other reasons – it’s the most cost effective lighting control solution in the market compared to competitive products; it has a standalone and product-agnostic control system, which makes interfacing with other systems easier, and it is a modular system, where a user only needs to buy as many channels as are actually needed in the installation”.

When Electrosonic were called in to work on the lighting systems for the new City of Johannesburg Council Chambers in Braamfontein, Schwartz had no hesitation in deploying Helvar product. More importantly for the Electrosonic team was the fact that they were brought in on the project early on, a great luxury in the design and implementation of lighting control systems. Schwartz, Aftek Consulting Engineer’s Sydney and Rupert and Fergus from Smith Tait Lighting Design all worked very closely from the beginning of the project in designing an extensive and distributed DALI-standard based lighting management system and building in colour changes which met a five Star Green Building Council Rating. Over 450 fixtures were supplied and commissioned by Electrosonic, with installation by Standard Electrical.

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A complete Helvar Control System was implemented using three Helvar 910 DALI routers, Helvar 454 Dimmers, Helvar 498 Relays and Helvar 312 Sensors to control around 340 DALI channels. Both presence and daylight harvesting were critical to meeting the Green Council requirements, which the Helvar system controls really well, reducing overall power output significantly while controlling the mood and environmental lighting of the building. A vast array of lighting fixtures were supplied by Electrosonic including 100 Electron Lima Fixtures, 180 Soraa AR111 Fixtures, OMS Avior Spots and many Soraa GU10 Lamps. The entire system runs with presence and astronomical clock settings for a truly seamless lighting and mood environment.

A second aspect of the building which really turns it into a new Johannesburg statement landmark at night time, is an amazing wrap around RGB-based colour change of the entire building’s circumference. This required fixtures to be nestled in the underbelly and then the two floors of circulation passage. The colour change was achieved using over 300m of Electron RGB Midi 1200mm wall washes. The Electron Midi’s were chosen for their build quality and affordability in this aspect of the project. Budget was always an issue but by working closely with Electron in Greece, Electrosonic was able to meet targets and even come in slightly under budget. In terms of fixture programming and control, a Martin M-PC Controller was deployed, with a distributed Artnet/DMX Network using five of the Luminex Network Intelligence Ethernet DinMX4 devices to reliably send DMX512 to over 250 Fixtures. The M-PC software made programming a breeze and the M-Series Manager keeps things running smoothly.

With more programming expected as the seasons change the new COJ Chambers in Braamfontein are truly a highlight of a trip downtown and contribute to lighting up our city in a colourful and embracing way. “These larger installations don’t happen very often

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so it has been a total privilege to be trusted to design and implement this installation using world class products.” says Schwartz.

A similar project and collaboration between Smith-Tait design and Electrosonic took place with the recent design overhaul of the Comair International SLOW Lounge at OR Tambo Airport in

Johannesburg, which included a state of the art lighting system. Designed by Smith-Tait, and once more having Schwartz on board, the team implemented a full Helvar DALI-based control system, using Helvar routers and a range of colour temperature variable lighting fixtures that are programmed along the circadian rhythm.

“Essentially the entire lounge changes in both colour temperature and intensity throughout the day,” says Schwartz. “It goes from a very cool bright early morning progressing through the day to a very warm and dimmer evening light. With over 240 DALI channels of control that run in the background oblivious to any patron, the effect of entering this environment is so subconscious but really adds to mood and feeling. With other slow lounge installations in progress around the country, as well as these types of installation in other architectural spaces, such as the Mesh Club at the Keyes Art Mile building in Johannesburg, we’re looking forward to lighting up people’s experience of public spaces in a much more progressive and innovative way,” Schwartz concludes.

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Megahertz redesigns infrastructure at BT’s corporate HQ studio and auditorium 32

Megahertz Ltd., a longstanding UK-based systems integrator specialised in fixed and mobile applications, has announced that, following a competitive tender, it has been chosen to drive the complete redesign and 1080p capable infrastructure upgrade of the studio and auditorium facilities at BT’s corporate head office in London. Work started in early August with only a five-week window for completion.

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Not only is the systems integrator upgrading the facilities to full HD, it is simplifying both the studio and auditorium infrastructures via a complete system refit and rewire to provide workflow and energy efficiencies, free up rack space and streamline support and fault finding tasks. A new communications matrix, timing synchronisation system, plus conversion, jackfields and monitoring equipment is to be rolled out across both locations as part of the upgrade.

Megahertz was selected on the basis that it has a proven track record, innovative ideas and the capacity to meet BT’s specified technical and commercial requirements.

“Megahertz has supported our facilities for over 10 years and they have always provided a first-class service, not only on installation but also in responding to technical challenges that arise,” said Paul Groves, auditorium manager at BT Group Communication Services.

“Megahertz has a thorough understanding of the facility and the equipment in it, having previously conducted a full infrastructure survey. We are very pleased to be working with the Megahertz team once again to make this exciting upgrade a success.”

A number of existing hardware systems are linked and serve both sites, so Megahertz’s duty was to minimise disruption to the auditorium while working within the studio. It was vital to the project that there was no loss of service to the auditorium or other areas that feed in and out of the studio, such as the production office, media suite, web MCR and Green Room. This called for meticulous planning and organisation, including extensive prefabrication ahead of installation.

The BT Centre studio, which is used to record and package corporate videos for BT’s internal social media channels, as well as provide live links into all business channels, such as Bloomberg, CNBC, BBC News etc., is replacing its existing SD-SDI camera chains with three Hitachi HD SK-1300E camera chains and all cabling and connectivity will be re-designed to handle 1080p 3GHz. Video and audio monitoring within the studio control room is also being upgraded to function at 1080i: A Calrec Brio-36 digital audio mixing console and a Trilogy 24 Port Messenger talkback and communications system will not only serve the studio area, but also the auditorium upstairs. Additionally, a new Autoscript prompter system from Vitec Videocom and an AJA RovoCam beauty camera is being incorporated as well an AJA Ki-Pro Ultra for 1080p recording of ‘green screen’ productions, alongside an existing bank of five Ki-Pro Rack recorders.

With its own gallery, the 170-seater auditorium is used to capture live internal corporate presentations, communications and events. The auditorium is also incorporating an existing Evertz VIP Multiviewer to provide the monitoring capabilities across legacy and new equipment and it will integrate with the auditorium’s existing AV equipment, some of which is already HD capable. An upgrade of the digital video and analogue audio matrix which, together with the replacement of the infrastructure glue with the Ross Opengear platform, will also bring equipment in line with the studio upgrades. Additionally, Megahertz is modernising the auditorium lighting rig to incorporate an energy efficient LED-based system in support of BT’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint.

“We are delighted that BT is once again placing its trust in us to deliver this large-scale upgrade,” commented Steve Burgess, CTO of Megahertz. “The entirely revised design for both sites will transition both facilities to a 1080p capable workflow while making the resulting infrastructure more compact and efficient.”

Megahertz upgrades BT Centre's auditorium

BT Centre interior

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Cooper College sets the stage for

Situated on Johannesburg’s North Rand, Cooper College is a fairly new, highly progressive private school that caters for both primary and high school learners. School founder, Rick Cooper, established the school with the vision to provide a forward-thinking, internationally relevant learning experience for both staff and learners at the school. In line with this philosophy, Cooper enlisted the services of Bounce Sound and Lighting – a newly established events and AV installation company owned by Gavin Deysel and Chris Andrews – to put together a state-of-theart AV system for the school’s hall.

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a great educational experience

Rick Cooper at the controls

At inception, Cooper decided that the installation would need to be highly flexible – enabling Cooper College to stage professional quality theatrical productions, cinema-quality movie nights and professional level dance parties. At the same time – drawing on the more corporate functionalities of AV technology – the installation needed to cater for school assemblies and interactive learning sessions. Owing to the fact that the system would be used primarily by teachers and students – the user interface needed to be accessible for first-time users and those with little or no experience operating high-end audio visual equipment. Cooper also wanted the option of hiring professional sound engineers and lighting designers for high-profile events, such as school productions and dance parties.

Therefore, the system needed to be run on presets for everyday use, but also be programmable for professionals, when needed.

In response to this diverse list of requirements, Bounce Sound and Lighting enlisted the services of some of the country’s leading AV suppliers, including Orion Audiovisual, Audiosure, TV Audio and

installation expert Jaco Lubbe. Together, the team put together an impressive array of lighting, audio, visual and control solutions to provide Cooper College with a highly integrated world-class AV system, designed to meet all of the school’s unique needs.

The light of learning Taking on the responsibility of lighting design and installation, TV Audio’s Aidan Wolhulter was presented with a vast open-plan space with high rafters and white floors, ceilings and walls. Initially, the team visualised using static lighting to create a warm entrance effect, but as the different functionalities of the venue were discussed, the plan changed to include moving lights. “We decided to go with BeamZ fixtures, as this enabled us to achieve the functionality of a professional lighting installation at a fraction of the cost of competing brands,” states Wolhulter.

For front lighting of the stage, Wolhulter installed five BeamZ BPP200

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Allen & Heath mixing desk

LED par 64s. For onstage lighting, he specified four Panther 2R moving head spots together with ten BeamZ BFP 120 LED (RGBW) pars. The stage is also equipped with a BeamZ F1500 Fazer fog/hazer machine.

For auditorium lighting, Wolhulter installed eight BeamZ MHL90 moving head wash lights, which are fitted to the rafters and are reflected against the walls to create a warm entrance effect. The lights, however, can be programmed to create a great party feel when the school hosts a dance. “The design is highly flexible, allowing Cooper to transform the venue from a classroom feel to a nightclub or cinema as needed,” Wolhulter states.

Lighting control is achieved using the Sweetlight DMX lighting control software, which Cooper can drive using a tablet. Wolhuter has installed a number of presets, so that the system can be operated by school staff at the touch of a button, eliminating the need for technicians to be hired in by the school. “I enjoy the flexibility of the lighting design and am very impressed with the quality of the lighting that we achieved within the available budget,” comments Cooper.

Wired for loud Cooper proposed a very generous budget for the installation.

However, as in any small-to-medium scale installation, controlling the cost was a serious consideration. “Looking at the available budget, we decided that the lion’s share of the available resources should be spent on ensuring the best possible audio solution for the space – as a high-quality sound system will serve Rick for years to come,” states project manager, Thys Venter of Orion Audio Visual.

Brendon Venter of Audiosure elected to install a loudspeaker system by Martin Audio, selected for the high-output coaxial differential dispersion system that is incorporated into the company’s CDD range, which makes it ideal for medium-to-large rooms that demand high sonic performance from a single enclosure. The system includes two Martin Audio CDD15 loudspeakers for front fill, a CDD10 for centre fill, and two more CDD10 for rear fill.

The system includes two Martin Audio CSX118 subs, with stage monitoring achieved using two Samson RSXM12As. Amps for the system come from MC2 Audio, with the E90 installed for the subs, a T3500 on the CDD15s and a T100 on the CDD10s. To fit in with the aesthetics of the room, the Martin CDD loudspeakers were all ordered in white and mounted in the rafters, creating the elegance

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AV control

of invisible sound while delivering an impressive surround-sound effect in the hall.

“Acoustics in the room proved a problem at inception. However, Cooper had the room treated with high-quality acoustic wall panels, which softened the reverberation considerably – enabling us to achieve a very high-quality audio experience in the room,” Thys points out.

For sound control, the team installed a state-of-the-art Allen & Heath QU16 digital desk, activated with presets on an Aspen 812 digital matrix processor, which Thys installed for audio management and distribution. In addition, an Allen & Heath AR1608 digital stage box was included, which is connected over an Ethernet cable to the stage. For presentations and live acts, Brendon provided four wireless AKG WMS470 microphone sets, two D5 hand-held microphones and two presenter sets.

“During movie night, the sound is of such a high quality, it feels like being in a commercial cinema,” states Cooper. “The system is loud – which the kids really enjoy – but the quality is such that your ears don’t hurt,” he concludes.

Projected learning Critical to the Cooper College installation was a high-quality presentation system that would allow for learning and teaching, as well as entertainment such as movie nights. To meet these needs, Audiosure supplied the Vivitek DU7090Z laser source HD projector.

The state-of-the-art laser projector offers exceptional colour quality and brightness, with an output of 6,000 lumens. As the projector operates using laser technology – there are no maintenance costs associated with running the machine and promises to give a stable, high-quality projection for up to 20,000 hours. “I use the projector all of the time – as much as possible, actually – as I know that it is a resource that will keep running for years to come,” comments Cooper.

The stage is equipped with a fully automated Grandview 6090 by 3420 motorised screen, that is elegantly rigged above the stage –

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Lighting control monitor

making it highly flexible as a performance space or a learning environment. “ I’ve seen schools with very professional setups for live events and very commercial setups for teaching and learning – but this is the first time that I have seen an installation that answers both needs so seamlessly,” comments Thys.

Integrated excellence Thys took responsibility for pulling the operation of the lighting, audio and visual aspects of the installation together using one, easy to operate, control system. He selected the Neets Control DelTA AV control system, including the expansion bus and switching relay that allows Cooper and his staff to control all aspects of the system,

Owner and principal of Cooper College, Rick Cooper

including audio, video and lighting, using one interface on a tablet. Matrix control is achieved using a 4x4 HDMI matrix switcher, together with an HDMI audio de-embedder. Thys also installed a WIPG1000 wireless presentation system, which allows for wireless connection from all wireless-enabled devices on the school’s network.

The AV control system has been pre-programmed with a number of presets, which means that Cooper is able to drive the school’s AV system without much technical knowledge.

“When I started this project, I knew very little about professional AV technology – and I still feel like an amateur. However, with the way that the team has set the system up, I feel confident that I am able to get the best out of the system without having to learn a whole new set of skills. I simply turn the system on, play with a few toggles on the control interface on my tablet, and get on with the business of delivering a world-class educational experience for my staff and learners.”

Built for growth Rick Cooper explains that the decision to involve industry professionals in designing and installing an AV solution for the school hall is an investment for the future. With wireless presentation, high-end entertainment and a fully integrated AV system driving the teaching and learning at the school, Cooper feels that he is achieving his objective of providing a progressive, future-focused learning environment for the learners. “This installation has shown me what can be achieved by investing in a state-of-the-art AV system, and therefore, when we build a second, larger school hall for the senior school, I will ensure to involve the AV installation team from the planning phase.”

“Many of the elements that we selected for the Cooper College installation are designed to be expandable in the future. As Rick grows the school campus, incorporating new venues and technologies, the system can simply be augmented rather than replaced,” explains Thys.

The Cooper College AV installation is not necessarily a groundbreaking case study. However, it does present an excellent example of what can be achieved when installers collaborate and with end-users throughout project planning and implementation.

“Rick Cooper contracted Bounce Sound and Light to put together a unique solution for his school, and I believe that we have achieved this. It would, however, been impossible without Rick’s visionary and open-minded approach, and the support, technical expertise and hands-on involvement offered by our suppliers,” concludes Andrews

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Microflex Advance makes mark locally ISE 2016 marked the global debut of a new networkable conferencing audio solution from Shure, Microflex Advance, designed to dramatically improve the audio quality for modern conferencing applications where pristine speech intelligibility is of utmost importance.

Comprising high -quality networked ceiling and table array microphones, audio interfaces, intelligent mixing DSP and intuitive, browser-based control software, Microflex Advance draws on Shure’s extensive experience in microphone, audio networking and automatic mixing technology, and packages it in a discreet, architecturally unobtrusive design.

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Microflex Advance significantly improves the sound quality experienced by employees in the workplace , making offices and businesses better places to work, and thereby creating a more creative and productive workforce.

“We are extremely proud of the engineering and design of Microflex Advance, but this isn’t just about selling clever technology,” explains Peter James, managing director Shure Distribution UK. “Bad sound in the workplace is both frustrating and a hindrance to productivity.

Videoconferencing is a great invention, but you can’t be understood if you can’t be heard properly, and that’s an issue for management and employees alike. Make the sound better, and not only will the quality of your conferences improve, your internal communications will be generally better, and your organisation more productive.”

It is increasingly accepted that noisy workplaces are detrimental to conversation and concentration. When communication is taking place via microphones and loudspeakers, the words spoken are much more susceptible to misunderstanding if the environment at either end is noisy. As refined as modern microphone technology has become, it is essentially passive, cannot distinguish between wanted audio (a person speaking) and unwanted noise (fans, air conditioning, printers etc.) and will reproduce everything indiscriminately, to the detriment of intelligibility.

Microflex Advance tackles these issues with innovative new technology, including software control of the array microphones’ pickup patterns to optimise audio capture from speakers and presenters — Shure’s proprietary Steerable Coverage technology. The Microflex Advance ceiling array offers an adjustable pickup pattern with eight lobes that can be defined in three dimensions, and can be flush-mounted with ceiling tiles or suspended to avoid fans or ceiling-mount projectors. The table array microphone

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captures up to four channels of audio from around a desk or conference table and offers an innovative, wholly new ‘toroid’ (ring-shaped) pickup pattern to reject unwanted sound from overhead, such as ceiling fan or air conditioning noise. Signals from the array microphones are auto-mixed by the built-in Shure proprietary IntelliMix DSP providing seamless activation of the best microphone while attenuating microphones that are not being addressed.

Furthermore the audio signals can be interfaced with a Dante audio network via single standard Ethernet cable connection.

Simple-to-use, browser-based software controls connectivity and monitoring. Preset configurations are included for typical operations, and the system is designed to integrate with third-party audio control systems, such as those from Crestron, AMX or QSC. “The perfect conferencing solution is a balance,” continues Peter James. “It has to produce high-quality sound, irrespective of how the presenters are using it or bad room acoustics, in addition to being user friendly and integrating perfectly with architectural aesthetics and your network infrastructure.

Microflex Advance successfully achieves all of these things.

Integrators can have the system on the network and up and running quickly, anyone can operate the system once installed, and the technical innovations we’ve incorporated in the design of the mic arrays and pickup patterns increases productivity and minimises downtime by ensuring consistent sound quality from any location

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within the meeting space.

The MXA system has been successfully installed locally, with South African Shure distributors Wild and Marr having supplied to many corporate installations already. A prominent one in Johanneburg was installed by Dimension Data’s Converged Communications division at 1 Discovery Place in Sandton, Johannesburg, Gauteng. One of the main construction sites in Sandton, and soon to be the corporate headquarters of the healthcare giant, is situated opposite the U.S. Embassy and the headquarters of legal corporation Webber Wentzel Bowens, on the corner of Katherine Avenue and Rivonia Road.

The installation includes voice lift as well as video conferencing systems, and totals almost 40 MXA units. The MXA was chosen forthis enterprise installation for its simple configuration, on-board IntelliMix DSP suite, configurable and steerable coverage capabilities, ease of installation, superb audio quality and all of this over a DANTE network.

The system, says the installer, is aesthetically pleasing – and fits within most of the required specifications of the interior design, maintaining audio quality and pick-up at optimal levels. It can easily be applied to movable desk environments while maintaining quality.

L I V E E V EN T S REPOR T

Geared up for success at Huawei Joburg Day 2017 The Huawei Joburg Day live music festival, backed by Primedia’s 947 music radio, has become a landmark event on Johannesburg’s social calendar, offering fans and families the opportunity to invite spring to the city with a day in the sun to the sound of some of the country’s best loved local musicians.

This year was no exception, with thousands of Joburgers flocking to Crocodile Creek Polo Estate in Lanseria on 9 September, to enjoy the star-studded lineup. Artists included Prime Circle, Cassper Nyovest, Kwesta, Gangs of Ballet, Goodluck, Matthew Mole and Micasa, among others. The full-day event offers fans the opportunity to bask in some much-missed sunshine at the event’s expansive picnic site and beer garden while enjoying the best that the South African music industry has to offer.

Event organisers, Primedia, once again enlisted the services of Gearhouse Group to provide the staging, lighting and audio rig for the event. Project managers, Jaco Saaiman and Leslie Wahl, hosted Pro-Systems on a site visit to the venue before the event, sharing some of the joys and challenges of setting up for an event of this scale.

Setting the stage Tasked with the job of erecting the stage for the event, Saaiman pointed out that the greatest challenge was setting up a full stage rig on the uneven ground of the country estate. “We had to be creative to ensure that the stage was level, and used a trial and error approach, propping the base of the stage on blocks to ensure that the structure was sound,” he states. Erection of the main stage started on 2 September and was completed three days later, allowing for two days of systems checks prior to the event.

The unique venue design for Joburg Day caters for fans wishing to

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w w w . r o b e . c z

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L I V E E V EN T S E x p e r t OPINION see their favourite acts within the golden circle and families enjoying a day in the countryside at an expansive picnic area.

This presents a unique challenge for the production crew, which Gearhouse overcame by erecting delay rings and LED screens in a circumference around the outskirts of the venue and in the beer tent, which ensured even sound coverage and provided everybody with an opportunity to enjoy the live performances.

Lighting the rig Lighting design and operation for Joburg Day was provided by Gearhouse’s Lucky Nkosi – who has worked on the event for the past five years running. Nkosi, together with his programmers Tumi Mafora and Busi Ngema, put together an innovative lighting design for this year’s show. “Joburg Day is always a bit of a challenge as most of the event happens during the day. Without the cover of night to provide the contrast needed for a light show, it is important that enough LED fixtures are used to prevent the stage from looking flat during the day,” he explains.

Nkosi elected to use moving lights from Robe together with Martin Professional’s MAC 2K washes and MAC Viper Profiles for the stage.

“This is the first time that I will be using MAC Vipers at this venue, and I believe that they will perform well during the daylight hours,” he states. In addition, Nkosi decided to use the Philips Nitro for front lighting instead of the more traditional profiles, to optimise the lighting for video broadcast. He has also elected to include sky trackers on the stage, to create strong beams behind the artists. “We have used high-powered sky trackers at the front of the stage in the past.

However, we encountered some serious problems with this approach, as the Aviation Authority informed us that the beams were interfering with passing aircraft. To overcome this, I have installed 2K sky trackers at the back of the stage to create strong beams behind the artists,” Nkosi explains.

Stretching the sound The Huawei Joburg Day day has become synonymous with great music, and as such, a lot ofemphasis is placed on producing the highest possible sound production for the event. Sound technician, Kgotso Motaung, together with the Gearhouse team put together a truly impressive audio rig that was designed to deliver high-quality audio throughout the enormous venue.

The main PA comprised four L-Acoustics K1 subs together with 12 K1 loudspeakers flown on each side of the stage. Three Kara loudspeakers were used for down-fill, together with eight Meyer Milo loudspeakers for out-fill. For side-fill on either side of the stage, the team used three flown arrays of L-Acoustics ARCS2, with two SB28 subwoofers. Stage monitoring was achieved using 12 HiQ monitors.

To ensure even sound coverage across the picnic lawns and in the beer tent, the sound team erected three delay rings encircling the venue. The first delay ring comprised three flown arrays of eight V-Dosc by L-Acoustics, with the second ring made up of two sets of four ground stacked L-Acoustic Kudos, and the third made up of three ground stacks of four L-Acoustics Kudos each. Finally, the team set up a ground stack of Kudos in the beer tent, together with an LED screen.

“With an arena of this size, it is essential that you achieve even sound coverage, no matter where you are standing, be it in front of the stage or at the back of the beer tent,” explains senior sound technician Kgotso Motaung.

Motaung controlled sound for the event using a Venue Profile, with

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48 channels providing the scope needed to take care of the bands, main vocals and presenter’s lines. He opted for an analogue split to ensure that his front of house monitor engineer had a feed, controlled using a second Venue Profile console. When asked why he elected to use analogue over a digital split, Motaung stated: “While digital offers a lot of flexibility, analogue splitting is tried and tested at gigs with this type of rig, and I enjoy the reliability of this approach.”

Delivering world-class events Gearhouse Group, once again, rose to the challenge and delivered a world-class production for Huawei Joburg Day. Primedia’s events manager Ebrahim Jooma, stated that: “I am happy with Gearhouse and the delivery and execution at this event and look forward to finding more ways to raise the bar in 2018.” Joburg’s music loving public no doubt share the same sentiment as they look forward to the next Joburg Day scheduled to take place in the first half of 2018.

STAGE Meyer

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L I V E E V EN T S REPOR T

Production designer Wilhelm Disbergen brings the city to life for Joburg Ballet

Dancing on the streets of Joburg

By Nicole Barnes

Joburg Ballet recently joined forces with two other leading South African dance companies – Vuyani Dance Theatre (VDT) and Moving Into Dance Mophatong (MIDM) – to develop a uniquely South African, full-length dance production titled “Big City, Big Dreams”. The work is inspired by the dynamic energy and pulse of Johannesburg and represents a unique, cross-disciplinary collaboration between artists, directors, and the technical team involved.

Big City, Big Dreams tells the story of a young businessman, performed by Phumlane Mndebele of Vuyani Dance Theatre, who falls in love with a dancer named Zara, performed by Joburg Ballet’s senior soloist, Claudia Monja. Their developing relationship is played out across a variety of iconic Johannesburg scenes, including the Joburg Ballet studios, a rainy jacaranda-lined street, a vibrant football stadium and a nightclub.

Central to the narrative of the work is the dynamic set, lighting and AV design by Wilhelm Disbergen, which brought this uniquely South African story to life. The show, which enjoyed a six-performance run at Braamfontein’s Joburg Theatre during July and August, has been positively received by audiences and critics alike, with original and exciting choreography, contemporary music and innovative stage design enticing new, younger audiences to support the country’s most celebrated dance companies.

Moving into fusion Big City, Big Dreams represents a true collaborative effort between a diverse team of local creative professionals. The production was directed by celebrated South African actress and stage director, Fiona Ramsey, with choreography by Shannon Glover (Joburg Ballet), Lulu Mlangeni (VDT) and Sunnyboy Motau (MIDM). The work deviates notably from the

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REPOR T L I V E E V EN T S creative set, lighting and AV design by Disbergen, which transports the audience to some of the city’s most iconic landscapes – producing a feeling of both recognition and rediscovery for Johannesburg audiences.

Disbergen’s Big Dream

classical repertoire that is typically staged by Joburg Ballet – and represents a concerted effort on the company’s part to become more relevant and relatable to young South African audiences.

Joburg Ballet CEO, Esther Nasser states: “Big City, Big Dreams has introduced a brand new audience to Joburg Ballet – which is very exciting for the company.”

The work represents a fusion of dance styles, from classical ballet to contemporary and street dance, and therefore appeals to a wide range of audiences. The work is set to an eclectic mix of original compositions by Nik Sakellarides, together with instrumental versions of popular songs by Adel and Bonnie Raitt and a creative mix of electric dance music.

The highlight of the production, however, remains the highly

Wilhelm Disbergen is a prolific set, lighting, costume and audio visual designer, who has received both national and international recognition for his work. This list of productions for which he has designed is impressive, and includes the musical Gugu Mzimba and Aint Misbehaving, The Mountaintop and Have You Seen Zandile? at the Market Theatre. At the State Theatre, his collaboration with artistic director Aubrey Sekhabi started with Silent Voice, followed by Sekhabi’s three seminal freedom plays – Mantolo: The Tenth Step, Kalushi: The Story of Solomon Mahlangu, and The Rivonia Trial. In 2014, he designed Sekhabi’s Hungry and the epoch making Marikana – The Musical.

Disbergen has developed a reputation for cutting-edge, innovative production design, and was one of the first in the industry to purchase Green Hippo media servers when they became available in South Africa in 2013. The Naledi Awards acknowledged his brilliant use of the technology in the staging of Sekhabi’s Marikana in 2014.

Speaking to Pro-Systems in a recent interview, Disbergen explains that he was a part of the creative team on Big City, Big Dreams from inception – with his staging concept driving the creative process from the start. “The conceptualisation and development of this work took about six months,” states Disbergen, “which is longer than is usual for a

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L I V E E V EN T S REPOR T stage production. However, a work of this nature has never been attempted on a South African stage before and, as such, it took a lot of planning.”

The novel set and lighting design mark a dramatic departure from the traditionally conservative approach adopted by Joburg Ballet – something which Disbergen and the creative team behind the production were hoping to achieve. “Typically, South African ballet companies are very reluctant to push the boundaries, and as a result, one has to go overseas to see groundbreaking work within the genre. Big City, Big Dreams represents a deviation from this approach, and one that promises to breathe new life into the industry,” he states.

the audience has been taken on a spectacular tour of some of Joburg’s iconic locations. The mirror is then raised to create a wall behind the dancers, and the audience can see themselves mirrored behind the performers on stage. “During the finale, the wall shifts to be almost perpendicular to the floor, giving the full company a gigantic silver wall to dance in front of and giving the audience a view of themselves watching the show,” he explains. As a spectator, the effect creates a sense of dialogue with the dancers on stage. “We were making a piece about Joburg, for the people of Joburg,” Disbergen expounds, “mirroring the audience during the finale reminds those watching that they are, in fact, the reflection and heart of the city.”

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Reflections and projections

Central to staging design of Big City, Big Dreams was an enormous 15-metre by 9-metre mirror, mounted behind the dancers, creating a magnificent reflection of the action on stage throughout the work. The mirror was custom built by Yves La Garrigue of Steel Scheme for the production. “The mirror was designed using tiles that were bracketed together on the stage floor before being lifted and suspended from a heavy-duty fly bar at the back of the stage,” Disbergen explains. “When the mirror was being hoisted into position, it looked like a giant makeup compact being opened,” laughs Disbergen.

Once assembled, the mirror weighed over a tonne and presented some interesting safety challenges for the production technicians. In addition to the sheer weight and size of the installation, the mirror was angled at 45-degrees over the stage to achieve the reflection needed to capture the dancers moving below. “The mirror was attached to seven safety cables that were hard rigged to the back of the stage. It was a little nerve wracking to have that much glass suspended at a 45-degree angle over the heads of the dancers. We placed a lot of emphasis on the engineering and safety certification needed to ensure that there were no accidents,” Disbergen states.

The mirror was very successful in creating a stunning visual effect, with white dance mats providing the contrast needed to present the audience with a completely novel perspective of the action happening on stage below. “We understood what we were trying to achieve.

However, due to the need to complete the installation of the mirror at the theatre – which could not be done during choreography and rehearsal in the studio, we were only able to see the full effect one week before opening night,” Disbergen notes. “We were as amazed and surprised as the audience to see how the concept brought the performance to life.”

During a scene depicting a ballet class at the Joburg Ballet studios, one is struck by the illusion that a Degas painting has come to life in the mirror above the dancers – an effect that Disbergen states was unintentional but noted by many as an impressive technical and creative feat.

Perhaps the most notable contribution of the staging design to the narrative of the work was achieved during the finale. By the final scene,

Disbergen used Green Hippo’s Hippotizer Boreal to project visuals onto the white floor, which then reflected onto the mirror behind the dancers.

“Because I used strong side lights, I could wrap the dancers in a clam shell of visuals,” says Disbergen. Two stacked Christie projectors, supplied by Staal van den Bergh of AudioVisual Productions, overlapped slightly to achieve the square format. “It was wonderful to see the dancers enveloped by the numerous layers, which gave the production a rich and authentic Joburg look and feel,” Disbergen states.

Acclaimed South African programmer, Glenn Duncan, assisted on the production. Hippotizer Boreal controlled 16 layers of content over two viewports. “This gave us immense freedom in composing the final tableau,” said Disbergen. “Images were sometimes made up of many different images blended together and moved to achieve the best look.

The strange thing was that because we were seeing the floor reflected in the mirror, all the images and videos had to be not only turned upside down but flipped left to right as well so that they read correctly.

Sometimes, I deliberately left the images as they were so that it looked as though you were on the inside of a bar window, looking out.”

Two fibre DVI-D outputs for the two projectors were triggered by a grandMA2 full console over ethernet. All visuals and low-resolution video was streamed to the lighting console via CITP protocol, enabling the users to see the video running live on one of the console screens when selected.

“I enjoyed seeing how the follow spots made long shadows behind the dancers, and this followed them upside down as a reflection above, melting with the projected image underneath and above,” Disbergen reflects.

Disbergen will be employing his creative genius at the Market Theatre in September, with Green Hippo media servers bringing the set of Tamasha on Hope Street to life. Written by Rajesh Gopie and directed by Gopala Davies, the show promises to be another success in the production designer’s growing list of theatrical achievements.

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Rigging and such: Risk Assessment

By Rinus “Rhino” Bakker

In this blog I’ll touch on Risk Assessment. It’s not nice pointing out the hazardous situations we see, and the small and larger accidents that unfortunately happen.

But how can we prevent this from happening? Risk Assessment plays a major part in the prevention of incidents. It may not be the sexiest topic but, in my opinion, of paramount importance.

Almost all laws and regulations require the manufacturer to do a risk assessment when designing and/or selling a product. Any foreseeable hazard should be ‘designed away’ or reduced to acceptable levels of probability and consequences.

The same requirements apply to any user, when using products in any situation or configuration that is not described in the manufacturer’s product information or manual. It also applies to situations where a combination with other products is used, that might result in a possible new set of hazards.

As an example, you might want to look at heating hazards in combination with your rig. It is not just the pyro-boys that could burn or melt rigging components, high energy lighting fixtures can also be hazardous heat sources. Furthermore, the internet shows us an increase in sound cabinet fires as well. All these products or components can present a risk to your construction or rig.

For riggers, this means that the classic truss suspension materials, like webbing or round slings (commonly known as ‘spansets’) are better left in the warehouse. Various tests have shown that artificial fibre slings will not survive the onslaught of a ‘Sharpie’ or a ‘Pointe’, even from distances over 3 to 4 metres.

While it’s not directly a riggers issue, a front curtain and other softs on and over the stage, can become the full responsibility of the Lighting Designer.

Lighting fixtures can burn and melt stage textiles or cause – worst case scenario – stage fires.

E x p e r t OPINION L I V E E V EN T S

Back to the rigging responsibilities There are some very good standard Risk Assessment methods available for our industry, one of them can be found as part of the EU-draft CWA 19502-1. This might be a bit broad, but we can summarise the essentials for any rigger in the following list of questions:

Company name/logo Authorised by: Risk Assessment ref: Contract Location:

Ref number:

Risk Assessment & Method Statement Issue Date:

Issued by:

General Activities/Scope of Work:

What are the Hazards?

Who might be harmed and how?

Precautions in place

Risk Rating Actions needed? Residual Risk Rating Probability Severity Risk Probability Severity Risk

1. What if? Identify the safety critical equipment and operations.

What if an operator error occurs? Can that result in an overload on a truss or on a chain hoist?

What if a thunder- & rain-storm hits the stage? Can we evacuate in time?

What if one guy wire or ballast fails?

What if a spanset or ratchet strap burns or melts?

2. What are the consequences of such an incident? Identify and manage the risks.

During the build – for the technical team. During the performance – for the performers and/or audience.

Can they lead to death, serious injuries or just property damage?

3. What is the probability of such incident to occur?

Are all loads known? Is a rigging plan available? Is all equipment tested and/or visually checked?

4. Identify the risk reduction factors or alternative options. Are technical back-ups possible to provide in redundancy? Or is an increased ‘Coefficient of Use’ an adequate measure to reduce the risks.

These 4 components should be part of any risk assessment and/or Method Statement. Furthermore, for any responsible rigger, these questions should be top-of-mind in the design, preparation and execution of any project, installation or show. Non-stop safety awareness is part of any riggers job, so be prepared to have the answers when needed.

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Elvis Blue at Northern Cape Theatre during Gariep Fees 2017

Electrosonic revamps the Northern Cape Theatre Nestled in the heart of central South Africa is the little known Northern Cape Theatre – a modest establishment that has been the subject of much debate over the past decade. The Northern Cape Department of Arts and Culture has been engaged in stop-start efforts to reopen the once illustrious establishment since 2011, with varying levels of success.

LED Cyc and Zoom Profile fixtures from ETC’s ColourSource range

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There is, however, evidence of light at the end of the tunnel, as the Northern Cape Theatre was recently treated to a complete technical makeover, supplied and installed by Electrosonic SA. While the official reopening of the theatre by the Northern Cape Department of Arts and Culture is still pending, the theatre recently hosted its first audiences in more than a decade, marking an enormous milestone in this long-overdue restoration project.

Closed for an intermission Speaking to Pro-Systems in a recent interview, Happy Mocumi – an employee of the Northern Cape Department of Arts and Culture who worked full-time at the Northern Cape Theatre prior to its closure – explains that after years of steady decay, the Northern Cape Department of Labour decided to close down the Northern Cape Theatre in 2010 – condemning the building as a safety hazard to both staff and audiences. Staff at the theatre were redeployed to positions within the Northern Cape Department of Arts and Culture, while the local government initiated a plan to refurbish the main theatre building and add the necessary amenities to bring the establishment back to life.

According to the Northern Cape Department of Arts and Culture’s project plan for the establishment, the refurbishment would include

new state-of-the-art auditorium seating, including seating for the disabled and a ramp for disability access to backstage. In addition, an extended foyer area, improved backstage facilities, upgraded orchestra pit and new roofing, as well as extended ablution facilities with new emergency evacuation points, were proposed.1 The first phase of construction on the theatre was initiated in 2011, with approximately R16 million spent over a period of three years, which left the theatre at approximately 85% complete. The project was then suspended for a brief period, as it had run both over the timeframe and budget originally proposed by the Northern Cape Department of Public Works – who were responsible for project implementation.

Following an investigation and reassessment of the project plan, an additional R12 million was allocated by the Department of Arts and Culture in 2015 to complete the structural restoration of the building as well as to provide for lighting, sound and technical stage equipment.

In an official statement published at the time, the Department stated: “The Department would like to emphasise that the additional funding should be seen as an investment; as the lighting, sound equipment and stage will be world-class and will allow the Province of the Northern Cape to host high profile stage productions.” In rationalising the spend to the treasury, the Department stated that: “The people of the Northern Cape have been denied the opportunity to watch theatre productions from highly acclaimed performers and producers because we did not have an adequate facility.”1 According to Mocumi, the structural restoration of the original theatre complex and construction of the extended facilities were officially completed by June 2016. Following an extensive tendering process, Electrosonic SA was awarded the contract to provide for the refurbishment of the lighting, audio and technical staging equipment at the theatre earlier this year.

The stage comes to life

Martin Professional M2PC lighting controller with DMX and Artnet outputs

Luminex ether2DMX8 and splitters at Northern Cape Theatre

To ensure the timeous and efficient execution of the Northern Cape Theatre installation, Electrosonic put together a highly skilled team, with project management provided by Suren Lutchman. Installation manager Omar Sharfoodeen took care of safety and Jesse Dullabh served as lighting controller and networking trainer. The team was assisted by Alphas Nkomo and Thabang Mafakane. The task proved an enormous undertaking, which included removing the old dimmers, ropes and other dated fixtures still in place on the theatre’s stage, before fitting new lighting, sound and control systems in the freshly revamped theatre.

Lutchman and team selected static LED Cyc and Zoom Profile fixtures from ETC’s ColourSource range and the highly versatile LED parcans from VERSA-LIGHT, an Electrosonic brand. These fixtures are highly flexible and deliver exceptional energy efficiency and brightness at an affordable price. In addition to these, the team installed ten Martin Professional MH1 Profile Plus moving heads and the Dardo 1200W followspot, with colour changer. Lighting control was set up using a Martin Professional M2PC lighting controller with DMX and Artnet outputs, coupled with a Luminex ether2DMX8 and splitters. The lighting system installed by the Electrosonic team will provide the Northern Cape Theatre with the ability to run world-class theatre productions, with professional lighting design, while remaining user-friendly and within budget.

For sound control, Bloemfontein based Sonique Productions installed a Midas M32 Digital Mixing Console, a 40 channel console with 32 mono channels and four stereo channels. The system is wired using two CAT5 network cables, connecting the Midas M32 to DL16

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microphone preamplifiers, with ULTRANET and ADAT interfaces.

Despite the enormity of the undertaking, the Electrosonic team completed the installation of the lighting, dimmers, sound, stage motors, fire curtain, flybars and control systems at the Northern Cape Theatre over a six-week period – an accomplishment of which Electrosonic SA is extremely proud.

The doors finally open

Electrosonic SA install a new lighting rig at the Northern Cape Theatre: Before

Electrosonic SA install a new lighting rig at the Northern Cape Theatre: After

stage racks. The main system for front of house comprises right and left stereo configured hangs, with three Electro Voice EVA-2082S 126 – Dual-element 120° by 6°, full-range line-array modules each side.

The sound system includes two ground stacked Electro Voice TX2181 dual 18-inch passive subwoofers together with an Electro Voice Dual-element 120° by 20° full-range line-array module as down fill.

Renowned for its high performance and affordable price point, the EVA-2082S range is ideal for fixed installations in medium to small theatres.

For system management and amplification, the team installed an Ashly 4.8 SP Protea Digital System Management Processor, with 4 inputs and 8 outputs, together with four Electro Voice Q1212 power amplifiers. A Midas DL16 digital stage rack, with 16 input and 8 output, was included, as well as an output stage box with 16 MIDAS

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The Northern Cape Theatre hosted its first audiences in 17 years during the recent the Gariep Fees arts festival, held in Kimberly between the 31 August and 3 September. Event organisers hired the newly refurbished venue to stage a number of original South African productions, including an original work written and performed by South African singer/songwriter Elvis Blue, titled Kaal, which premiered at Pretoria’s Atterbury Theatre in September 2016. This was followed by a staging of Buster en Bella, a locally written and produced family-friendly puppet show, featuring songs by John Vorster and performed by Liane May and Hendri Myburgh and a staging of Geheime Taal by Lizz Meiring. The theatre’s debut run of performances was concluded with the staging of the annual Gariep Konsert, presented by Tracey Lange and featuring performances by Juanita du Plessis, Theuns Jordaan and the Soweto String Quartet. According to Mocumi, the majority of the artists that performed at the Northern Cape Theatre during the Gariep Fees were enormously impressed with the venue and audiences continue to post positive reviews on social media.

The date of the official reopening of the Northern Cape Theatre, which will be marked by an opening ceremony officiated by representatives of the Northern Cape provincial government, is yet to be announced. However, the Northern Cape Department of Arts and Culture is in the process of compiling a proposal for the operational budget for the Northern Cape Theatre and meetings are underway to make provision for the staffing and management of the facility.

1. South African Government 2015: Northern Cape Arts and Culture visits Northern Cape Theatre; https://www.gov.za/af/northern-cape-sport-arts-and-culture-visits-northerncape-theatre

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The production team steal the show at the Inaugural DStv Mzanzi Viewer’s Choice Awards

The inaugural DStv Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Awards (DStvMVCA), broadcast live from the Sandton Convention Centre on 26 August, has been heralded as a world-class event by audiences and critics alike, with the exceptionally high production quality of the show being widely noted.

A star-studded new awards show The DStv MVCAs aim to celebrate the diversity of South African talent across a myriad of entertainment categories. The awards provided a platform for South African audiences to vote for their favourite South African personalities, including favourite TV presenter, radio personality, DJ and sporting personality, among many others. More than 1 million votes were recorded for 50 nominees across ten categories, with winners announced during a punctual two-hour broadcast from the gala event for 1700 invited guests.

Award winners included Themba Ndaba and Vatiswa Ndara for best actor and actress, and Caster Semenya for favourite sporting personality. Thembisa Mdoda was voted best TV presenter, but also received the Ultimate Viewer’s Choice Award – the top prize handed out at the event according to the highest volume of overall votes.

Global jazz icon, Hugh Masekela was also honoured with the first ever

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Legend Award, presented by M-Net CEO, Ms Yolisa Phahle.

It took several years to bring this widely-appealing, multi-genre awards concept, with its objective of celebrating all of Mzansi's talent in an inclusive way, to life. Introducing this generously intentioned new event to the nation's social calendar required Mzansi Magic to display nuanced industry leadership to, for the first time, warmly welcome potential competitors and their talent to the celebration.

Meanwhile, the tempo of detailed engagement between producers Don’t Look Down (DLD) and AV Unlimited (AVU) accelerated daily, to meet not only the creative and technical expectations of the event, but to also provide commercial exposure customisations for designed by DStv Media Sales for headline sponsor, 1Life, Vodacom and Kia – while entertaining the vast audiences tuned in to the magic on DStv.

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A long and complex road to show day

Multiple bespoke work streams

There were many months of strategy, event, content, staging and broadcast planning between producers Don’t Look Down, Mzansi Magic, DStv and the sponsors, before the DLD creative team could once again apply its signature narrative staging extension of the entirely new brand identity, devised with Clearwater UX. The physically imposing staging environment evolved through 13 technical drawings by Wayne-Petite Sproule of Phoenix Design, before DLD again confidently relied on their long-standing technical partner, AV Unlimited, to enable the lighting, sound, staging build and live operations demanded by the show’s ambitious design and precision workflow.

DLD’s wider broadcast, digital and experience teams applied themselves to multiple parallel executions, including a separate Red Carpet broadcast from the guest reception, coverage via online and social media, along with a 360 degree Facebook live stream and an entirely separate after-party production; within a high volume VIP premium event plan, designed and managed by V3 Strategic’s Leedam Vercellino, while confidently surpassing the complex compliance levels and protocol requirements within the Health and Safety frame of director, Gift Luthuli. The entire infrastructure, human resourcing, event operations and live production plan rolled out according to a hyper-detailed schedule designed and supervised by DLD line producer, Ola Wilczynski.

With the auxiliary production teams all safely underway, DLD’s lead creative team could now switch the interaction from client-supplier to something more like a multi-disciplinary creative collective, where the necessary expertise external to DLD was linked in on the trusted expertise provided by AV Unlimited, lead by Guillaume Ducray as the show’s technical production manager, and to begin the final inter-dependent DLD workflow sprint, designed to push the technical collaboration envelope, buffered by professional trust and a calm collective temperament developed during more than a decade’s worth of major live broadcast shows together, including nine Channel O Music Video Awards, the SAMA-winning and platinum selling Black Coffee’s Africa Rising concerts and releases, the SAFTA-winning Galaxy Of Stars; most recently The M-Net 30th Birthday Celebrations and the 10th Anniversary of the Supersport – PSL partnership.

Remote online collaboration using a virtual environment The sound reactive CG that anchored the staging synch at the heart of the show were designed per cue, by Motion Cult’s Rob Rae for DLD’s specific LED pixel map, and modelled within a virtual environment, allowing daily pre-production between Toronto and

REPOR T L I V E E V EN T S

Johannesburg for several weeks before the load-in to the Sandton Convention Centre.

These were based on a palette of style cues developed into a detailed reference guide for all departments by DLD executive creative director, Anton Cloete, who also designed the entire digital pre and post-production environment. Disciplined application of the guide enabled the independent development of stage collaborations devised by DLD creative director Tebogo Mogola, from artist pairings, to medley structure, to wardrobe and choreography, supported by DLD assistant producer, Philisa Bidi. The CG scenes were continuously revised and re-synched in response to the tiniest music changes, made by Tebogo, the Thatch Music team and the performers, while the final stage rehearsals and show were directed by Darren Hayward.

Fanie Oelefse served as video engineer with Coolux engineering

by Jonathan Bandli. The set LED panels and screens were managed

by Liam Bain, Clive Make and Duncan Kaiser. To maintain synch integrity, adjustments were made right up to the go-live deadline, and at the processing limit of the render farm operated on-site by the DLD post-production team, while they prepped final show content, like the 1Life Winner insert and show packaging changes, for parallel ingest into the EVS of the Supersport Outside Broadcast facility, directed by Michael Schneider.

Interactive lighting design and direction Prolific lighting director, Joshua Cutts, applied the shared vocabulary earned over a multitude of DLD collaboration strategies and shows, to rapidly and economically apply the ECD’s style brief into an aggressive lighting design under the watchful eye of AVU’s Guillaume, assisted by Itumeleng Matlhaela and Jessica Matthews. Once fully evolved, the design was then pre-visualised at the DLD offices, once again using the palette, CG references and performance audio, in a collaborative programming process with AV Unlimited’s talented LD on the rise, Renaldo van den Berg, who would then act as lighting director for the main show.

“We know that DLD's collaborative approach is extremely demanding, so we both cherish and exploit the trust the creative team have earned from each other when we have to tweak the team roles to match everyone’s busy schedules. We really see accommodating individual schedules and growth as a key to unemotionally failing faster with a unified team. This is the best way to aggressively lead everyone beyond their professional limits and to seek out the unexpected magic beyond the emotion to delight our audiences. We simply couldn’t achieve these alone, or even with an equal number of experts who have no history between them”, says DLD ECD Anton Cloete.

Cutts and van den Berg elected to use 18 Robe BMFL Blades on the rig, chosen for their exceptionally smooth linear dimming and high-definition colour mixing, which, according to van den Berg, is ideal for broadcast-quality lighting. The BMFL Blades offer a full-width beam with an output in excess of 250,000lux at 5 metres. The fixture is enabled with the Robe’s industry leading EMS™ (Electronic Motion Stabiliser) technology, enabling the BMFL™ to both move and stop faster and more precisely than any other fixture in its class.

“This was the first time I worked with the Robe BMFL Blades,” states van den Berg, “and I really enjoyed the brilliant colour provided by the fixture.” In addition to the large array of Robe fixtures, the lighting rig included 147 Martin Professional VDO Sceptrons. “The pixel count

from the Martin VDO Sceptrons was integrated into the overall AV programme for the event, giving exceptional accuracy and control,” van den Berg states.

A highlight of the lighting design was DLD’s decision to integrate MIDI triggers in the drum section that opened the show, reprised with a variation of the concept to use a Roland APC to close the show.

These were rigged onto the live drum-kit and drum machine, allowing the performers to automatically control the lighting rig with perfect precision for the opening and closing of the show.

“The use of triggers on the show was awesome, allowing for a perfectly timed and interactive lighting design for the event.” says van den Berg. In addition, van den Berg points out that the level of integration and content management achieved over the live network DLD specified between the production office, video, lighting and audio rigs set a new standard in his experience.

“The level of high bandwidth coordination between the lighting, video, LED and audio teams was exceptional. Every single pixel had to be mapped and accounted as a minimum requirement before DLD encouraged us all to take the plan to the limit. An new kind of achievement for everyone,” van den Berg adds.

Complex, crystal clear sound experience Prolific audio engineer, Marius Marais headed up the sound team for the event, using a Studer Vista 5 SR mixing console. Marais ensured perfect coverage of the auditorium using 12 JBL VTX V25 II line array cabinets and 8 JBL VTX G28 sub bass cabinets together with 4 JBL VTX v20 line array cabinets for front fill with full V-rack amplification.

Hosting of the show was provided by Bonang Matheba, who was provided with one of the 24 Shure ULX-D handheld radio microphones used for presenting. The various bands and live artists that performed for the show were provided with 32 additional mics, including products from AKG, Shure, Audix, Sennheiser and Crown. Marais monitored sound using 12 x Shure PSM900 and 8 Sennheiser G3 in-ear monitoring systems.

Speaking to Pro-Systems after the event, Marius states that the greatest challenge with a show of this nature is dealing with the pressure of live broadcasting. “While every gig comes with the pressure to ensure that the audio production is as close to perfect as possible, knowing that the show will be broadcast live to millions of viewers adds a whole new level of stress. When you know that you will be broadcasting live, pre-show checks become even more important, with systems being double and triple checked before the actual show.”

Reflecting on the event, Marais points out that working with Don’t Look Down and AV Unlimited is always a privilege and a pleasure for him. “These companies demand that production quality remains world-class.”

“Don’t Look Down is founded on a complex creative and technical culture, so we really value the technical team’s patience with our continuous technical hacking, and their ability to creatively respond to our unwavering pursuit of difficult objectives. We are however a prolific broadcast and digital producer so while we are inclined to take risks, they are always finely calculated and very faithfully managed by our indispensable technical partner AV Unlimited, with the exceptional pragmatism and even temperament of Guillaume Ducray out front.” concludes Don’t Look Down’s executive producer, Glenn van Loggerenberg.

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MA Service training for DWR technical team DWR, Johannesburg

DWR’s Bruce Riley, Nick Barnes, Derek Kruger, Jethro Jordaan, Oliver Ronshausen (service manager from MA Lighting), Michael van Dyk, Jannie de Jager, Basinki Sekori and Tyler Pugin

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Electrosonic Suren Lutchman, Alphas Nkomo, Thabang Makafane and Omar Sharfoodeen

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New from DiGiCo

SD12 SETTING A NEW STANDARD

Predictably Stunning In 2015, DiGiCo launched its compact S-Series, which boasted a modern workflow at an affordable pricepoint; last year, the whole SD Range became much more powerful thanks to the introduction of Stealth Core 2 Software across the board; now, in DiGiCo’s 15th year, meet the new and predictably stunning SD12.

Main Features

72 input channels with full processing

The new DiGiCo SD12 doesn’t just re-write the book on

36 aux/grp busses with full processing

compact multi-application consoles, it simply rips it up

LR / LCR bus & 12 x 8 Matrix

and starts again.

12 FX processors & 16 Graphic EQs

119 Dynamic EQs, 119 Multiband Compressors, 119 DiGiTuBes

Advanced surface connectivity with optional DMI cards

UB MADI & optional Optics

www.dwrdistribution.co.za OFFICIAL DIGICO DISTRIBUTOR FOR SOUTH AFRICA: DWR DISTRIBUTION Block C, Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170, Johannesburg It’s all about the people Tel: +27 11 794 5023 | Fax: + 27 11 794 5702 | sales@dwrdistribution.co.za