ETA March-April 2014

March - April 2014

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UnUsUaL Productions Knit An Audio-Visual Fiesta 27th SEA Games Technology Highlights

How Does Erik Matlock Develop a Tech Crew?

HARMAN India’s Prashant Govindan on Sound Credibility

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CONTENT VOL 15 ISSUE 2 March - April 2014

94 Elation Lighting in Vogue @ Fashion TV Club

66 Hong Kong: Trials & Tribulations 80 Robe Gets Into The ‘Festigal’ Spirit

FIRST WORDS

UNDER THE LENS

06 Writer’s Note

66 Hong Kong: Trials & Tribulations

NEWS 08 News nuggets from the industry

TECH TALK

33 Special PL+S 2014 Preview

68 It won’t bite...IT’S JUST LIGHT 71 Barco/High End Systems’ Chris Ferrante on ‘Blurred Lines’

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

ADVERTORIAL

56 PALM EXPO China 58 PALM Expo India

72 Clay Paky débuts B-EYE

MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE

74 UnUsUaL Productions Knit An Audio-Visual Fiesta 79 Clay Paky Fascinates @ Souq Okaze 80 Robe Gets Into The ‘Festigal’ Spirit 81 TDC provides for 27th ARIA Awards 82 27th SEA Games Technology Highlights

ENNOVATIONS

60 Prashant Govindan of HARMAN India spreads a message

SPECIAL FEATURE 64 Erik Matlock develops a Tech Crew

LIVE

85 A&O Technology Hits the Ground Running

INSTALL 86 Bosch perfect for Hard Rock Café 87 Laserworld on Rama VIII Bridge 88 HARMAN revs up Coke Studio audio 90 NFSA Launch New Theatrette With ETC and Vari-Lite 91 Luxury Club Chooses Outline 92 The P.A. People Glam Up Eternity 94 Elation Lighting in Vogue @ Fashion TV Club 96 Sonic rejuvenation at W Hotel

HaAavve U Met...?

98 Zoul Mohamed

06

FIRST WORDS March - April 2014

I’ve noticed a trend starting to emerge. Very subtly you can see that engineers are becoming a focal point in many articles and interviews. From Robb Jibson with Fall Out Boy and Big Mick with Metallica to Erik Matlock in his own standalone article.

The people who bring ‘Live to Life’ are finally stepping out of the shadows(or away from the desks) and into the spotlight.

And that, I believe, is the essence of E-Tech Asia, to bring ‘Live to Life’.

When I first started out at E-Tech Asia, I met so many people who worked in the background that were so critical to a show but never got the credit. So it really meant a lot to me when I was doing an article in Malaysia a few issues ago and one of the Sound Engineers came up to me, patted me on the shoulder and said, “You know what I like about E-Tech? You guys are so focused on the people aspect of the industry”. And, I must say, while I had to play it cool, I was beaming inside. That’s because from the very beginning it was my mission to take a technology magazine and add a human touch to it all. For me, it’s not always about the technology, but the people behind it that make everything come together. To back me up on that, Zoul Mohamed FINALLY agreed to do an interview with us. Our ‘Have U Met?’ subject this issue comes with a wealth of knowledge but up until now has been overshadowed by his complete disinterest in publicity. If my charm and wit could persuade Zoul, a man who literally runs away whenever I bring out my pen, this could only bode well for what’s left to come in 2014, no?

Dare I say, this could be the year of the engineer? Naysayers may say its a bit too early, but hell, let’s just keep it between us for now, yea?

Another big thing that everyone around here seems to be noticing is how fast 2014 is passing! Can you believe that ProLight + Sound is almost upon us? PL+S Frankfurt 2014 promises to rock in more ways than ever this year and the Asian influence can’t be ignored..a Karaoke competition is going to be happening daily at Hall 9 where visitors will get to show off their chops alongside virtual musicians.

And to add ‘OW’ to the ‘WOW’, there will also be a Concert Sound arena in addition to the usual Live Sound arena as well as a swanky new platform – the Theatre and Film Colloquium. A new forum of knowledge for exhibitors and visitors of the theatre, stage and film technology sect.

But before you pull on your thermals and pack your earmuffs, don’t forget to check out our new and improved website! Revamped for your viewing pleasure and QR Coded here just for you! See how much we care? Haha..Enjoy the issue, we worked really hard to put this together and send it to you just in time for the exhibition-crazed months that are coming.

See you in Frankfurt!

Elissa Nadine Writer elissa@spinworkz.com

Publisher / Editorial Director Thomas Richard Prakasam thomas@spinworkz.com

INDIA AND MIDDLE EAST EDITOR Ram Bhavanashi ram@spinworkz.com

WRITER Rosalind Tan rosalind@spinworkz.com

ADMIN & CIRCULATION Julie Tan admin@spinworkz.com

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Jimmy Chin jimmy@spinworkz.com

MEDIA REP IN NORTH AMERICA Broadcast Media International Michael Mitchell Tel: +1 631 673 0072 mjmitchell@broadcastmedia.tv PUBLISHED BY Spinworkz Pte Ltd, 51 Bukit Batok Crescent, #06-10 Unity Centre, Singapore 658077 Tel: (65) 6316 2716 Fax: (65) 63162715 www.spinworkz.com PRINTED BY Stamford Press Pte Ltd

Disclaimer Entertainment Technology Asia is published 6 times a year. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies.

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NEWS March - April 2014

Robe Launches Asia Pacific Operation

(L-R): Harry von den Stemmen (Sales Director, Robe Lighting s.r.o.); Edwwerth Lai (Sales Director, Robe Asia Pacific); Dhora Shukor (Office Manager, Robe Asia Pacific), John Saunders (Director, Anolis); Josef Valchar (CEO, Robe Lighting s.r.o.) and Desmond Kwan (Technical Operations Director, Robe Asia-Pacific)

SINGAPORE: Robe Lighting s.r.o. kicked off 2014 with the launch of its new Asia-Pacific office in Singapore. This is part of the Czech Republic-based moving light manufacturer’s planned medium term expansion strategy.

It will be an advanced, resource-efficient sales and distribution point for all Robe and Anolis LED brand distributors and customers in the geographical regions between India and Australia / New Zealand on the Indian Ocean side, and China, Taiwan, Japan and Korea in the western Pacific. This will enable quicker and more streamlined communications and access between Robe’s full sales and support network in the region as well as strengthening Anolis’s presence in the architectural segment.

Robe Asia-Pacific (RAP) will be headed by Sales Director for Asia Edwwerth Lai and Technical Operations Director Desmond Kwan, both well-known and respected industry ‘movers & shakers’ in the region, who bring a wealth of knowledge and contacts to the equation.

Edwwerth will oversee all of Robe AsiaPacific’s commercial operations, while Desmond will co-ordinate the service, technical and project support while Dhora Shukor will manage the office.

Stocks will be held of products and parts, making delivery super-quick, and countries immediately geographically next to the Singapore office will deal direct, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam

and The Philippines. Robe will continue to work with Lighting & Sound Distribution represented by Louis Teo and Brenda Keung as preferred partners for Singapore.

Harry von den Stemmen, Robe’s Sales Director stated, “Establishing Robe Asia Pacific is fundamental to our infrastructure and planning. It will be an invaluable asset in sustaining existing business and boosting new growth in all these territories where we are predicting good activity in the coming 12 months.”

“We are extremely fortunate to already have such a skilled team onboard already with Edwwerth, Desmond and Dhora, whom we welcome to the Robe family. We are all

looking forward to a busy and positive 2014,” added Robe’s CEO Josef Valchar.

John Saunders, MD of Anolis commented, “A subsidiary in Singapore is a major step forward in establishing the brand in the AsiaPacific region. It will allow even greater client support for project specification and service, and I’m really looking forward to working with Edwwerth and Desmond and drawing on their vast experience and local knowledge to see Anolis included on various projects.”

The new RAP facility was officially declared open by Josef and Harry at a reception on the 17th January. www.robe.cz

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10

NEWS March - April 2014

Fall Out Boy Tour With Jands but does not try to dabble with concepts from here or there, and the networking abilities on the Vista L5 are amazing.

“Vista finally allows me to refine my work flow. I can be in After Effects, Photoshop, Vectorworks and all the keyboard commands system wide that I’m used to work. I can command tab between my apps and keep things flowing. It’s also a very musical software, being able to build FX and cues that relate to BPM and then divide and multiply, means that I can get dialed in quickly for any project I’m working on.”

With Fall Out Boy, Robb is sometimes touring a system and sometimes not, fortunately the Vista L5 platform allows him to quickly and effortlessly swap, merge, expand and contract all the programming that is being built very easily.

INTERNATIONAL: American rockers Fall Out Boy recently toured in support of their new EP, Pax Am Days which reached No. 2 on the ARIA Album Charts. Lighting designer Robb Jibson toured with a Vista L5, the latest addition to the Jands Vista range of consoles and control surfaces, with a Mac Mini based S3 as a system back up.

Robb has been a Vista user for over eighteen months reporting that he was instantly blown away by the simplicity of the user interface and the intricate timings that he could dial in.

“My favourite feature is probably the swing

based FX,” he added. “Not having to create multiple macro-based cue lists and the ease in which you can lock sync with the band and those FX. Close second would be the way the console deals with multipart fixtures and matrix FXs.” Robb further commented that he particularly liked how the software was designed and developed.

“It’s not a hodgepodge of many programming styles, it stands on its own two feet. That said, it’s really powerful and super flexible,

“By using matrix FX and global based personalities, I can swap from our rig to spec one day and a hodgepodge of knock off equipment the next!” he said. “I’ve been told a few times by house staff and vendors that other shows have a hard time getting things going quickly or are waiting on fixture personalities to be built, whereas the Vista software has you up and going quickly! I live for the fixture editor we have, scared no more of the abyss of knock off fixtures in remote countries!” www.jands.com

PR Lighting Effects for YinIi ‘O’ Complex CHINA: The Yinji ‘O’ Show complex has recently been equipped with leading production technology, including lighting effects from PR Lighting. The Chinese manufacturer won the tender based on the capability of its PR-5000 series to meet the criteria for waterproof fixtures, with an advanced feature-set and the ability to work under high temperatures.

Owned by the Yinji Development Company the venue measures 46m high and 36m wide, and the Yinji ‘O’ Show’s large central ring structure, located opposite the main stands, is reported to be the largest of its

kind in the world. The 22m wide covered area can hold up to 11,000 spectators, which was the case for the Yinji ‘O’ Show’s opening night last October during the Kaifeng Chrysanthemum Festival, headlined by South Korean star, PSY. The lighting designer from Sigongtech specified 75 x PR-5000 Wash/Beam fixtures and 22 x PR-5000 Spots, which were custom designed to be able to run during the fountain shows, and were installed on the big ‘O’, the most remarkable part of the complex.

These were supplied direct to the production and installed by the contracting team.

The clients themselves were quick to praise the consistency of the units, adding that the colours, brightness and all aspects relating to the PR-5000’s were perfect. www.pr-lighting.com

NEWS March - April 2014

11

Panasonic Rental Summit 2013 At the end of the event, formation of the official Panasonic Rental Partner Network was announced. Plaques were given to the attendees as recognition that they are part of the Network.

On a lighter note, customers went for a half day sightseeing tour around the main attractions of Macau the day after the summit.

"The summit was a truly informative and enriching event. It not only allows us to explore the latest products first hand, it also enables us to network and exchange positive ideas with the region's rental vendors. I'm definitely looking forward to more of such events in the future," commented Jackson Tan, Managing Director of AVC Pte Ltd. www.panasonic.com/sg

MACAU: Panasonic held their first Rental Summit at the Sheraton Macau in October 2013. During the one and a half day event, 36 customers from 6 countries (Singapore, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Philippines and Thailand) viewed the latest product presentations and demonstrations by the various product Divisions namely: Professional Display Division (Projectors and Professional Flat Panels), Broadcast Division and Display Solutions Division (Outdoor and Indoor LED displays).

“We brought in our latest product lineup and presented it to our rental business partners.

Live product demonstration and integrated solutions with our Professional Cameras and Projectors is the key highlight of the demonstration,” said William Chan, Assistant General Manager, Professional Display Division of Panasonic Systems Asia-Pacific.

Through this event, Panasonic’s regional rental partners got the chance to network with each other for the first time. The networking opened up new doors for them to collaborate with each other for any crosscountry rental requirements thus achieving cost and logistics efficiency.

12

NEWS March - April 2014

Voice of China Croons with Sennheiser HONG KONG: Part of the The Voice franchise and based on the Dutch program 'The Voice of Holland', The Voice of China is one of the most popular singing contests in China.

When the stars of the show graced Hong Kong with a live concert last November, they performed with top Hong Kong artists in a one-off special which captivated the 12,500 fans who attended. Each contestant was paired with one Hong Kong star in his or her performance, which helped extend the Voice of China alumni’s fan base.

Li Daimo, a Season 1 competitor, Li Qi the winner from Season 2 and Simon Chung, a 60-year-old competitor from Season 2 performed with Hong Kong pop stars Hins Cheung (a Sennheiser endorser), Vincy Chan, Mag Lam, Alfred Hui and Jay Fung, to the excitement of the crowd.

fledged pros and Sennheiser is the perfect partner for any musician who wants to make good, great music,” stated Marc Vincent, President, Sennheiser Greater China.

FOH Engineer, Fung Chan

Altogether 4 sets each of Sennheiser 9000 & 5000 microphones were sponsored for the event. The Digital 9000 system was developed for all professional users in broadcast studios, theatres and especially live performers unwilling to compromise on sound. Its unique uncompressed digital audio transmission offers artifacts free sound with great dynamics. The Sennheiser 5000 is another example of a dynamic wireless system designed for big stage performances for its clarity and range. www.sennheiser.com

Since Sennheiser was responsible for providing audio support for The Voice of China during its original shows, the artists requested that for the very same microphones once again in Hong Kong.

Assisting with audio were engineers, Cheng Tak Wai (Monitor) and Fung Chan (FOH).

“We were very involved with the original program in China and to have contestants request specifically to use Sennheiser microphones is a testament to the quality of the product. We have enjoyed watching each of these amateur performers become fully

Monitor Engineer, Cheng Tak Wai

B&C expands sales team to Asia-Pacific APAC: B&C Speakers have appointed Dean Chiu to the position of Sales Manager for the Asia-Pacific region as of February 1st, 2014.

“Dean’s unique skill set and experience will make him a welcome addition to our team!

We are confident that he will improve the level of service that we have in this rapidly expanding region, making B&C easier to deal with.” says Ron Tizzard, Director of Sales for B&C Speakers.

Dean’s background includes International sales, ODM product development, Quality control and sourcing. He is also a musician with hands on professional audio and MI retail sales experience. He will be based in

Taipei, Taiwan with responsibility for the entire Asia-Pacific region.

Founded in 1946, B&C Speakers is among the leading professional loudspeaker transducer manufacturers in the world. In addition to designing and distributing components under the B&C brand name, they also supply OEM components to most of the top professional audio brands in the market today.

With more than 85 employees, B&C Speakers designs, produces and trades all of its products directly from its head office,in Florence, Italy. www.bcspeakers.com

NEWS March - April 2014

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Total Solution Brings Showtex Stage Fabrics To Marina Bay Sands SINGAPORE: Marina Bay Sands (MBS) MICE division has just added a substantial order of 2,900sqm ShowTex Black Molton CS stage fabrics on top of the few thousand sqm ShowTex fabrics in their existing inventory.

This deal was concluded by Total Solution Marketing.

ShowTex Molton CS is an inherently and permanent flame retardant fabric which meets many worldwide flame retardant standards (NFPM1, DIN-B1 & BS-2B). The fabric's composition also provides minimum shrinkage which gives great resistance for drapes against humidity & cleaning.

The Molton CS also has sound dampening properties which are ideal for fine tuning the sound reverberation in a venue or onstage.

Jan Blomme, Managing Director for ShowTex shared his delight with the latest purchase, “It’s always a challenge to convince the end users like MBS MICE division that professional

event drapes cannot be compared with drapes that are used in hotel rooms or for domestic use. The proposed material for this project; black Molton CS, is really a great functional fabric. Also the fabric panels are 3 meter wide so there are less joints; the material is inherently flame retardant so it can be dry cleaned; has minimal shrinkage and it’s tough yet lightweight. For long-term and everyday use, these drapes have a great return on investment.”

Jan also commented on the limited time given for delivery, “Lead time was a challenge but that’s of course how things work in the event industry. We have a fully equipped workshop in Hong Kong with experienced seamstresses. All material was in stock as we try to keep our best-selling materials available locally to meet last-minute orders.

For this project, almost 5000sqm and 2000m of velcro of fabric had to pass through the safe and secure hands of the ShowTex team.

I must also thank our fantastic working relationship with Total Solution who ensured that we managed to find the most efficient way of keeping the flow of goods moving and I am glad that all the stage fabric was supplied earlier than our given deadline.”

Managing Director of Total Solution, Glenn Wong shared,” We are delighted that MBS has repeated their orders again for ShowTex stage fabrics as ShowTex is well-known as a worldwide leader in inventing, manufacturing and installing the most creative flame retardant curtain fabrics for event and entertainment professionals around the world. We look forward to working closely with ShowTex to offer our customers with the best possible stage fabric solutions in accordance to their requirements”. www.showtex.com www.tsm-int.com

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NEWS March - April 2014

HARMAN Strengthens Support with Interactive Road Show and Training Program

INDIA: In a bid to spearhead its strategic campaign of reaching out to sound and light professionals in key potential-laden cities across the country, HARMAN Professional India launched its very first interactive roadshow for Martin Lighting in December 2013, in Mumbai, followed by an in-depth training session in November 2013 in Bangalore.

The training sessions and road shows have been launched with the aim of reiterating ‘brand Martin’ in India whilst providing the necessary education for dealers and users. The two-day road show was held in the premises of HARMAN’s leading dealer for Martin in Mumbai, Dev Electronics and saw enthusiastic participation with over 60 attendees consisting of rental companies, freelance lighting engineers and consultants.

The road-show entailed an in-depth session on Martin Lighting and Video Systems. The session began with an introduction to the Martin RUSH series range and consisted of an overview and live demo of the M-Series Console. In addition, the feedback received from audiences for the MAC Aura was insightful and encouraging to the organizers.

“This is a tremendous step in engaging and educating stakeholders in the professional lighting industry and I am delighted that HARMAN has embarked on this endeavour in India, with the very first road show being held at Dev Electronics. The response for this road show has been very encouraging and has even equipped our team with the know-how and technicalities of Martin Lighting & Video range of products. In a high potential region like Mumbai, such programs are essential and received with great anticipation.” said Dilip Devjani, Owner, Dev Electronics, Mumbai.

Commenting on the road show, Ulhas Sahasrabuddhe, Proprietor, SS Lights and one of the eager participants said, “This program has definitely been a welcome move from HARMAN to educate and equip the user on the Martin range of lighting products. Not only do I feel empowered with the in-depth understanding of the product range via this session, the networking and meeting of like-minded professionals in this space gives us the added benefit. The live demos were truly informative and encouraging, which also enables us to recommend these programs to industry colleagues as well.”

“It is very important to enhance the visibility in the market for Martin range of lighting & video systems due to the low exposure to the brand, until now. In the past, most users were apprehensive about Martin's commitment to the India market and in turn, the support provided. I am confident that these programs go a long way in building that awareness and technical know-how of the solutions that we have to offer.” said, Abhishek Guha, National Sales Manager, Lighting – HARMAN Professional India.

An in-depth training session, covering the basics of lighting systems was also held in Bangalore catering specifically to leading SIs and rental companies. This session reiterated that HARMAN Professional is committed toward strengthening its training and focus across all segments including Lighting and Video segments.

During the course of a day long session, the trainees were introduced to Martin Lighting for the very first time in a formal setting. The session essentially comprised a comprehensive overview of the Martin range, the DMX512 protocol and different kinds of lighting. In addition to product demonstrations, HARMAN had its key trainers available to answer specific one-onone queries.

In the immediate future, HARMAN plans on conducting similar sessions regularly in Kolkata and key cities in South India.

Speaking on this initiative, Prashant Govindan, Director, India Operations, HARMAN Professional said, “What we have hoped to achieve via these road shows and training sessions is simple – greater understanding and empowerment. This benefits the industry greatly as has been proven by the ongoing structure training programs and road shows that cover the eco system of the professional audio segment.

This success is what we wish to replicate with Lighting & Video Systems given that we now have the necessary resources to do so. We are very pleased with the overwhelming response received thus far and we look forward to extending this initiative, with the aim of building the brand Martin and strengthening its service & support proposition across the country.” www.harman.in

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NEWS March - April 2014

W-DMX Incorporated into Volt Q5 & Q3 INTERNATIONAL: Wireless Solution Sweden AB’s award-winning W-DMX technology is now available in the new Volt Q5 and Volt Q3 Uplighters by Elation Professional.

The Volt Q3 and Volt Q5 are versatile RGBW LED wash lights that run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery so they can easily be placed wherever dynamic up lighting is needed. With no power cords required, and equipped with a W-DMX wireless DMX transceiver that frees them from the constraints of DMX cables (compatible with Elation's EWDMX or other W-DMX products), the Volt Q3 and Q5 provide a fast, easy, and effective decorative lighting solution.

Both Volt wash lights are controllable via standard DMX or Wireless DMX, stand alone, or via in-built programs while a blue and white LCD menu display with four-button control panel makes for simple hands-on operation.

Toby Velazquez, President of Elation said, “Elation and Wireless Solution have enjoyed a long-term co-operation and using W-DMX in Volt was an obvious choice for us with great support and the latest technology like support of RDM and adaptive frequency hopping to avoid interference.“ Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution commented, “We’re very happy to collaborate with Elation on a product like this that really shows off the benefits of being completely wireless. It allows so many flexible options and Elation really thought about the end-user and what they needed.”

Hailed for its reliability and ease of use, Wireless Solution’s W-DMX range of products have been used in major lighting applications including the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Coldplay, Justin Bieber, Super Bowl and the Olympic Games.

www.wirelessdmx.com

Yamaha Introduces New Generation of MG Series Consoles

INTERNATIONAL: With a flexible lineup of completely re-designed consoles suitable for both portable and installation applications offering varying input and processing capabilities, the new MG mixers put an emphasis on sound quality combined with a level of reliability and performance that have made this series an industry standard.

Featuring five standard models ranging from six to twenty inputs, and five XU models featuring onboard SPX effect processors, the new series comprises a versatile lineup of ten models in total that will meet the demands of a range of mixing applications.

The new MG Series feature Yamaha's state-of-the-art discrete Class-A “D-PRE” microphone preamps. Utilizing an inverted Darlington circuit topography, these studiograde preamps feature multiple circuitry elements designed to deliver more power with lower impedance. The high-resolution sound of D-PRE preamps features on Yamaha's high-end professional mixers, meeting the requirements of even the most demanding professional sound engineers.

Delivering fat, natural sounding bass, rich mids, and smooth, soaring highs, with very low distortion, D-PRE preamps possess an impressively wide frequency range, allowing them to handle signal from any audio source without coloration, retaining the original sound faithfully.

Models above 10 inputs are equipped with newly upgraded 1-knob compressors that let you add optimized compression to a variety of input sources with the touch of a single control.

The XU models of the series feature an upgraded version of the renowned SPX

effects processor, with a comprehensive suite of 24 different effects, upgraded from the 16 effect version in the previous MG mixer series, while the MG06X is equipped with a six-effect SPX processor.

The XU models feature a USB 2.0 audio interface capable of 24-bit/192kHz sound quality, allowing playback of digital content from a PC, and recording of the mixer output using DAW software. Steinberg’s Cubase AI software is included with these XU models.

Each model in the new series has been redesigned with an emphasis on durability, incorporating practical features that offer greater resistance to the conditions and hazards that they may be subjected to.

Based on feedback from Yamaha’s worldwide customer base, the MG Series offers improved reliability thanks to its internal universal power supplies.

More information on the MG XU Consoles on page (36). www.yamahaproaudio.com

Good things come in small packages ETC’s Source Four Mini and Selador Desire D22 fixtures are a pocket-sized hybrid-lighting duo that brings brightness, flexible color and easy plugand-play setups to even the smallest of spaces.

Find out how these little lights can make a big impact, by visiting ETC on stand E1A55 at the PALM tradeshow, May 26th-29th, 2014.

Learn more about ETC and its products at www.etcconnect.com Americas

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NEWS March - April 2014

Martin Audio Appoints Weingaertner for International Role INTERNATIONAL: Martin Audio has confirmed the appointment of the experienced Andreas Weingaertner as its new International Account Manager. Based in Bremen, Germany, Weingaertner brings more than 26 years of sales and marketing experience in pro audio to the role — covering all aspects of MI, rental and fixed installations.

“After all this time in pro audio I remain excited by the possibilities, and this has enabled me to constantly learn, not only about new products but also the changing needs of distributors and end-users,” said Andreas. “I had been approached in recent

years by other loudspeaker manufacturers, but the opportunity to work for such a pioneering manufacturer as Martin Audio, was a prospect too good to pass by. They really are leading their field, with the likes of MLA. Commenting on Andreas’s appointment, Director of Sales, Simon Bull said, “With Andy’s experience and passion I’m confident that he will take great strides in working with our partners to further the success of Martin Audio.” www.martin-audio.com

Jeff Shoesmith Joins Audio Brands Australia Australia: Audio Brands Australia has welcomed Jeff Shoesmith on-board in the role of Sales Engineer. Jeff is well-known and highly respected in the audio and AV integration markets, having worked with The PA People, Jands and Hills SVL during his 25 years in the industry.

Don McConnell, Director of Audio Brands commented: “I’m very pleased to welcome Jeff to the company. I have known Jeff for a long time, going way back to his system tech days at The PA People. Jeff has that rare combination of being highly technical,

yet being able to clearly communicate and share that knowledge. He is 100% customer focused and I’m excited to have him onboard.”

Jeff added: “Audio Brands is a company with a passion for audio. I share that passion and am really looking forward to working with Don and his customers.”

Audio Brands Australia is the Australian distributor for FBT, EUROCOM and KEMPTON. www.audiobrands.com.au

ITE College CREATEs SMOKE with LE MAITRE

SINGAPORE: The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central has taken delivery of 4 units of Le Maitre Gforce 2 Smoke Machines and 1 unit of Freezefog Pro Machine. The Le Maitre units will be used extensively as training equipment in the 2 year Nitec in Electrical Technology – Lighting and Sound course. The course aims to equip its students with relevant hands-on training and technical knowledge to prepare them for a career in the lighting industry. The purchases were concluded via Le Maitre distributor, Total Solution Marketing.

The Le Maitre’s GForce 2 is from a range of high-powered, continuous flow, water

based smoke machines, based on the core technologies of G300. It has inbuilt DMX, maximum smoke output 25000 cbm/hr and settings can be stored for instant recall on power-up. The smoke fluid which produces a thick, white, practically odourless smoke with a long hang time has also been included in the "Equipment Based Guidelines for the Use of Theatrical Smoke and Haze" that has been prepared for PLASA/ESTA Fog Testing Program.

Elaine Peake, Head of Sales of Le Maitre Ltd shared her delight, “We are delighted that ITE College Central has chosen Le Maitre’s G-Force and Freezefog Pro low smoke

machine. Le Maitre has long been known as an outstanding manufacturer of smoke, haze and special effects, and we hope that they will continue to be thrilled with the performance of their purchase as well as the excellent support that we know Total Solution will provide.” lemaitreltd.com www.tsm-int.com

D.A.S. Audio, S.A. C/ Islas Baleares, 24 46988 Fuente del Jarro Valencia - Spain Tel. +34 961 340 860

D.A.S. Audio of America, Inc. Sunset Palmetto Park 6816 NW 77TH Court Miami, FL. 3166 - U.S.A. Toll Free - 1-888-DAS 4 USA

D.A.S. Audio Asia PTE. LTD. 25 Kaki Bukit Crescent #01-00/02-00 Kaki Bukit Techpark, 1 Singapore 416256 Tel. +65 6742 0151

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NEWS March - April 2014

Sennheiser Middle East Sees Profits Soar 62% in 2013 company. “There is no doubt that market confidence has returned and investments are now in full swing. It is an exciting time to be a part of this development. Our success has been due to our ability to act quickly and to leverage our strong product portfolio, extensive partner and distributor network and streamlined regional logistic and supply chain capabilities. In 2013, we managed to make inroads into a number of new vertical markets as an increasing number of organizations have begun to explore the possibility of utilizing professional audio solutions to gain competitive advantage,” he said.

MIDDLE EAST: Increased regional adoption of conference and translation systems, the Middle East broadcast industry’s ambitions to match global standards in audio systems design and deployment and an increased usage of wireless audio systems in smart classrooms, has resulted in another year of significant double-digit growth in the Middle East for the Sennheiser Group.

The company recorded an unprecedented 62% year-on-year (YOY) increase in gross profit in the region owing to a number of project wins in the education and hospitality sectors and a notably strong performance in the consumer electronics segment in which the company saw revenues increase by 52% in 2013.

Mig Cardamone, Sales and Marketing Manager, Sennheiser Middle East believes that the fresh wave of spending in the region presents a huge opportunity for the

As regional businesses increasingly begin to compete on a global stage, the adoption of conference and translation systems has been a notable trend. Sennheiser was quick to cater to this demand and through its system integrator partners implemented a number of such solutions across the region. The company also maintained its strong penetration in the education market where wireless audio systems are becoming a standard piece of equipment in smart classrooms.

Last year, Sennheiser introduced the Digital 9000 wireless microphone system, its most innovative wireless audio solution. The system has quickly gained popularity as a 'must have' piece of technology, particularly in the Middle East's thriving broadcast industry. According to Cardamone, the region is now matching global benchmarks in audio systems design and deployment.

He highlighted the example of a landmark project for a military band's recording studio

in Oman where high-end wired microphones from Sennheiser and Neumann, as well as 16-channels of Sennhesier's new Digital 9000 series wireless microphones were installed to create a world-class studio.

Alongside the continued growth in the professional audio business in the region, Sennheiser increased its focus on the consumer electronics market with an expansion of the division's sales team and marketing spend in 2013. The result has been a 52% YOY increase in business that affirms the company's commitment to this segment whilst the audio expert continues to expand on its distribution footprint. Cardamone predicts that the consumer electronics business will continue to grow and contribute in excess of 40% to the company's overall business within the next three years, which is in line with the Group’s overall performance.

Looking ahead, Sennheiser has clearly defined its strategy for 2014. With new solutions for teleconferencing and mobile digital audio streaming, the company hopes to diversify its offerings and tap into new markets. “TeamConnect is an all-in-one teleconferencing solution for small meeting rooms that brings professional audio quality and standards into an area of the market that could truly benefits from such advancements,” said Cardamone. “We will also unveil an innovative mobile digital audio streaming device and mobile app that will open up a new range of possibilities for our professional audio business that will have a direct benefit for the consumer.” www.sennheiser.com

New A&H Distributor for Xone AUSTRALIA: Soundbay Pty Ltd, trading as Store DJ, has announced its appointment as the exclusive importer and distributor for Allen & Heath’s Xone DJ Series in Australia.

“Allen & Heath’s reputation for uncompromising sound quality and innovation has made Xone the “DJ’s DJ mixer”, so it is natural that Xone should find a home at Store DJ, Australia’s leading DJ retailer,” comments Store DJ’s Xone brand manager, Paul Bridge. “Allen & Heath’s

Xone DJ mixers are the only choice for many top-shelf DJs, including Richie Hawtin, Pete Tong, Andy C, John Digweed, and Booka Shade. Store DJ’s management and staff are extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring these excellent products to Australia’s DJ’s and performers!”

Store DJ will continue the global development of the Xone brand not only through their own stores but through other key Australian retailer outlets too.

www.allen-heath.com www.storedj.com.au

NEWS March - April 2014

Community Appoints New International Sales Manager INTERNATIONAL: Community Professional Loudspeakers has announced the appointment of Max Lindsay-Johnson as International Sales Manager. LindsayJohnson has over 20 years of marketing, sales and business management experience in the pro audio industry. In his new role, Lindsay-Johnson is tasked with ensuring the continued growth of the company’s international sales.

Lindsay-Johnson’s previous roles have included International Sales and Marketing Manager for Duran Audio BV, and Managing Director of Harman Pro UK. "I am thrilled to be joining the Community team at such an incredible time of innovation and growth within the company," said Lindsay-Johnson.

"Community is a world leader in outdoor loudspeaker technology and its engineering excellence continues to drive expansion in its established position in the installed/ engineered sound market. I look forward to

being part of the team that brings this broad spectrum of solutions to the forefront of the pro audio business."

"Part of Community’s significant growth in its international sales is due to its increased product diversification in Engineered and Installed sound products. These product ranges, alongside the dominance in high value, high performance outdoor products that are synonymous with Community, continue to offer a great opportunity for real growth, not only within our home market but also internationally," remarked Julia Lee, Director of Sales and Marketing for Community Professional Loudspeakers.

“I'm confident Max will strengthen the sales team and play a major part in this continued growth. I'm very pleased to welcome him to Community.” www.communitypro.com

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NEWS March - April 2014

Ashly Audio Taps Into GMM Network APAC: Ashly Audio, veteran manufacturer of professional audio signal processing and amplification equipment, has appointed Bardy Hayes and Alex Schloesser of Global Marketing Management (GMM) as its sales manager and sales engineer, respectively, in the Asia-Pacific region.

Hayes will oversee the qualification and appointment of local distributors, as well as monitor sales and marketing goals.

Schloesser will train and support the distribution channel. In a word, the duo will act as an extension of Ashly’s sales, marketing, and technical departments from Mongolia to Tasmania and from India to Tahiti.

“Global has a mature and well-managed territory, with deep networks that we will tap directly into,” said Mark Wentling, CEO at Ashly. “Alex’s technical training and support capabilities are world-class, and Bardy’s able handling of regional planning and management will allow us to focus our energies on the more strategic side of building Ashly’s channels worldwide.” GMM

ASH(L-R) John Sexton (Ashly), Bardy Hayes (APAC Sales Manager), Mark Wentling (Ashly), Alex Schloesser (APAC Sales Engineer), Kelly Trader (APAC Order/Sales Admin).

has been in operation for over a decade and maintains offices in San Diego and Singapore.

“Ashly has a strong and stable brand reputation in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Hayes. “Ashly products sound great, fill real world needs, and are some of the most reliable in the world. The company has a high level of integrity and has respect from all

parties fortunate enough to do business with them. We will work hard to strengthen all the relationships between the factory and the channel in the Asia-Pacific region. We want to see Ashly in projects of all sizes and across a wide swath of applications.” www.ashly.com

Showtec Grows Chainmaster Inventory SINGAPORE: Singapore based leading production company Showtec Group, has grown its ChainMaster electric hoists inventory by purchasing an additional 100 pcs of 1 ton electric chain hoists. The purchases were concluded via ChainMaster Asia partner Total Solution Marketing.

Showtec first bought the ChainMaster hoists in 2011 and over the past few years have been continuously adding more ChainMaster hoists to their growing inventory. Henry Ang, Managing Director of Showtec remarked: “The ChainMaster hoists have been performing brilliantly for us and its reliability is incredible. We liked its compact size with lightweight design, the trustworthy safety features and the low noise which are suitable to use not only for concert touring but also conferences and other events in smaller venues. ChainMaster products are well designed and have high standards with regards to precision engineering.”

Henry was also exceptionally satisfied on the excellent after-sales service provided

by Total Solution. “TSM has always been very supportive to us and we never had any regrets purchasing equipment from them because they have always been reputed for delivering consistent high levels of customer service.”

Managing Director of Total Solution Marketing, Glenn Wong commented, “ChainMaster was the first anywhere in the world to develop an electric chain hoist system that was capable of satisfying the stringent German safety regulations for places of public entertainment and I am delighted that Showtec has once again selected ChainMaster as their preferred choice of chain hoists because the standard of ChainMaster products are second to none.” www.showtecgroup.com www.chainmaster.de www.tsm-int.com

NEWS March - April 2014

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Defiantly Innovative, Danley Enters The Column Speaker Market INTERNATIONAL: Danley Sound Labs broke into the house of worship market by skirting convention with its patented Synergy Horn and Tapped Horn technologies and is currently taking the sporting arena market by storm by one-upping line arrays with its unique Genesis and Jericho Horns. The recipe is easy to explain but almost impossible for anyone without Tom Danley’s unique acoustics background to pull off: Danley starts back at the fundamental physics of loudspeaker design to overcome trade-offs that are inherent to conventional designs.

So it is again with column speakers. The new Danley SBH-10 “Skinny Big Horn,” uses Danley’s patented Paraline technologies to deliver the aesthetic benefits of a column speaker but with much greater fidelity, superior pattern control, no spurious lobes, and no need for complicated signal processing.

“Danley’s new Skinny Big Horn series meets the aesthetic wish for a low profile column shape,” said Mike Hedden, president of Danley Sound Labs. “But shape is where the similarities between conventional column speakers and the Danley Skinny Big Horn end. Using our patented Paraline technology, the SBH-10 has the directivity of a twentyfive foot long horn, yet it is only nine inches deep! Moreover, due to horn loading, the SBH-10 has a sensitivity of 99dB, which is 10dB greater than similar sized cone-loaded products, and because it has such a high power handling rating, is capable of close to 20dB greater output when compared to similarly sized, front-loaded designs.”

and – most importantly – audiophile fidelity. If all that weren’t enough, the SBH-10 requires only one amplifier channel and no special signal processing,” he ends. www.danleysoundlabs. com

“The Danley Skinny Big Horn is a technological leap: no spurious lobes, forward directivity that other manufacturers can only dream of which allows it to even be flown away from a boundary, extremely tight vertical coverage, wide horizontal coverage,

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www.analogway.com

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NEWS March - April 2014

Grand Theatre Restored To Previous Splendour with ETC CHINA: The Shanghai Grand Theatre (SGT) had been looking to change its ageing stage equipment for more than a decade. The staff was focused on choosing products that offered a high quality of light, colour consistency, and ease of installation, while also meeting energy-saving requirements.

“Considering the large number of international troupes who come here to perform each year, a more stable and advanced lighting system that can cater to diverse performing styles was necessary,” explained Zhihua Wu (Z.H. Wu), the Manager of SGT's Stage Engineering department.

The theatre, which is home to three halls – the 1,800-seat Lyric Hall, the 600-seat Drama Hall and the 300-seat Studio Hall – chose to update its rig with the energy efficiency of 150 x Source Four LED Lustr+, 48 x Selador Desire D60 Fire and Ice,114 x Selador Classic Vivid-R LED luminaires, and 32 x Source Four LED CYC adapters. In order to deliver the best possible light, SGT combined the colour flexibility and brightness of the LED luminaires with the optics and rich tungsten output of 360 x Source Four spotlights. “The seamless integration of conventional and LED

light greatly reduces energy, while ensuring a high quality of light,” said JianWei Wu (J.W. Wu), Technical Director of Hangzhou YiDaShi, ETC’s authorized distributor in China.

In order to simplify power for the hybrid lighting rigs, SGT installed 80 x Source Four Dimmers, which attach to conventional Source Four fixtures to provide distributed dimming. Source Four Dimmers and Source Four LEDs have the same requirements for power and data, and both use simple switched power and reduced cabling to run. “In addition to dimming, the Source Four Dimmer provides 20% more intensity,” explains J.W. Wu. SGT also has 14 x Sensor3 power-control racks, which power the remaining conventional and LED fixtures.

Two Gio control desks and 52 x ETCNet3 Gateways control the lighting. The compact yet powerful Gio is the perfect size for SGT and provides intuitive control for its hybrid rig. Resident designers and programmers use the desk both in-house and on tour. Net3 lets users connect to the network and start controlling the system, which is convenient for touring groups performing at the venue.

Photo courtesy of Hangzhou YiDaShi

“We didn't use ETC equipment before, but decided to try it, because international troupes and guest lighting operators are big fans of it,” stated Z.H. Wu. “After using the ETC lighting control system, we’ve found out that ETC’s products are at the top of the entertainment technology industry.

Flexibility of operation, system interaction and product stability meet our theatre's requirements. Moreover, we are very impressed with Hangzhou YiDaShi’s excellent technical support, which was very important during load in.” www.etcconnect.com

Eighteen Sound’s Steve Hutt Continues The Legacy INTERNATIONAL: One year ago Steve Hutt joined Eighteen Sound (18Sound) as the manager of R&D and immediately began focusing his team on design for manufacturing, quality and production excellence. Last June the company moved to a new facility which allows for production, sales, R&D and administration to share the same building, adding even more efficiency to the design and development process.

“In the last year we have redefined our internal development procedures, organized our customer response practices for fast and thorough turn around, and introduced key product families that are setting new benchmarks for the industry," Hutt adds.

"I was recruited to implement a plan that would leverage the considerable expertise at 18Sound, while maintaining the original vision and passion for excellence. A great

design is only as good as the last unit off the production line and in this area, 18Sound is as good as it gets.”

Hutt ’s industry background underscores his broad reach of disciplines and understanding that is essential in his new role at 18Sound.

He has authored a substantial number of AES and Tech papers on Transducer Quality, he holds 15 Patents, and has 30+ years in the professional audio business, including time spent at Harman, Klipsch and THX. As the leader of the development team he interfaces with design engineers from prominent manufacturers around the world.

This not only keeps him grounded in up and coming technology demands but also allows him to explore the leading edge of design.

“Throughout my career I have been lucky to work closely with some of the greatest

contributors to loudspeaker sciences: Richard Small, Don (DB) Keele and Laurie Fincham are a few of the people who have inspired, mentored and instilled in me a discipline for excellence. It is fantastic to come to 18Sound to find the same passions, discipline and extraordinary skill sets literally throughout the organization.”

2014 will see some of the most decisive movements from 18Sound in its history. The new facility in Reggio Emilia, Italy allows for substantial production growth and product development, and the output from the organization will eclipse any previous year. www.eighteensound.com

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NEWS March - April 2014

DiGiCo Brings the Ballads to Malaysian Audiences

MALAYSIA: Renowned globally for its rainforests, wildlife, tropical climate, it is lesser known in the Western world that Malaysia has a long tradition of male and female vocalists who become superstars across eastern Asia.

Selangor-based Clef Productions Sdn Bhd is one of the leading companies in Malaysia’s live production industry. Clef’s owner Alvin Koh was a fan of DiGiCo’s original D5 consoles before he started working with the SD Series and has specified DiGiCo on shows by some of Malaysia’s biggest artists this year.

One of the company’s most recent projects is Anuar Zain’s Three Decades of, Music, Love and Passion, where the singer (famously also a steward for Malaysian Airlines) celebrated 30 years in the music industry and enjoyed the benefits of three DiGiCo SD10s as he sold out the 8000-capacity Stadium Melawati earlier in the year.

With one SD10 at Front of House, one on monitors and a third doing a separate multi-track recording mix for broadcast and future release, the consoles helped the balladeer’s wistful songs to send plenty of female hearts a-flutter.

One reason why Alvin likes DiGiCo consoles is their ability to handle a large input channel count in a single desk and this was what made him choose to use an SD7 at FoH for four consecutive nights of performances by Siti Nurhaliza at Kuala Lumpur’s Istana Budaya (Palace of Culture). A regular winner of Asian vocal competitions and music awards

in Malaysia, her career has included live shows in the UK and Australia.

Complementing the SD7 was an SD10 on monitors.

“What I most like about DiGiCo is the sound quality and the flexibility of how you can customise the work surface. Yet, at the same time, you have the benefits of the DiGiTuBes and the ‘analogue’ style of the console’s layout and workflow,” says Alvin.

“It is also so easy to record shows, either using a DiGiCo UB MADI interface (for up to 48 channels) or with the new DiGiGrid MGB for up to 128 channels, direct to an Ethernet port on a PC or Mac running any DAW.” The high profile of these artists in their home country meant that Alvin and his team were under a lot of pressure to deliver exceptional sound. As well as the DiGiCo consoles helping to do just that, he also had the peace of mind that high quality technical support was only a phone call away.

“I’ve been spoiled by DiGiCo’s support, both technical and production related,” he concludes. “James Gordon and Dan Page have been great, while distributor Team108 never fails to support me whenever I need it. I get to talk to real people who share the passion and understand the needs of a production. I feel they are always there, virtually next to me, whenever I use DiGiCo.” www.digico.biz

NEWS March - April 2014

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Highlight Systems takes in Avolites Powercubes Roy also expressed his happiness from working with Total Solution, “Total Solution has shown their utmost support in assisting us with the delivery with constant monitoring of the shipment because this order was confirmed very late. They also extended their service to check and ensure every single PowerCube was working well before delivering direct to the Chingay venue. TSM also ensured standby manpower and some spare units to ensure a smooth transition should there be a breakdown during setup and show. They have gone all out to give us assurance that they are there for us all the way.”

Immediately after taking delivery, Highlight Systems had to use all 24 units of the Art 2000 PowerCubes to power up the lighting for the Chingay Parade 2014

SINGAPORE: Highlight Systems has recently taken delivery of additional 22 units of Avolites ART 2000 PowerCube to its impressive lighting rental inventory for a total of 24 units of PowerCube. This deal was concluded by Avolites exclusive distributor, Total Solution Marketing.

Director of Highlight Systems, Roy Chooi shared his delight with the purchase, “The Avolites PowerCube has a very compact housing among other distinguished features such as being portable, easily stackable, being light in weight and extremely easy for setup. The reasonable channels output come with direct power outlet which is good for operating moving lights especially when in a conference setup. The PowerCube is able to meet our company operations standards as it can handle shows of mega proportion when all the channels are in use at same time and yet is able to break out for shows of other various scale size. Importantly it is able to marry into networking via Artnet and allows soft patching within the units.

Roy also touched on his history with Avolites, “I grew up with the Avolites brand 20 years ago while in my teens. The functions and settings of the Avolites products then were easy to comprehend and simple to access and along the years, this had never changed.

The cost of the Avolites products has always been affordable and they have really lived up to its tagline, FROM ROCK TO OPERA and now to ARENA.” Immediately after taking delivery, Highlight Systems had to use all 24 units of the Art 2000 PowerCubes to power up the lighting

for the Chingay Parade 2014 which is the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. Roy shared his experience, “Because the PowerCubes are portable in size and the design and configuration are suitable for location lighting usage in film, they definitely meet the requirement for Chingay 2014.” Touching base on his lighting design layout for the Chingay parade he

continued, “To power up 360 units of ARRI 2k True blue T2 Fresnel, these PowerCubes meet the maximum channel allocation which eventually helped us to cut down a lot on cable management as well as reducing troubleshooting time. There is not much wastage in terms of channels allocation when comparing it to a 24 channels or 48 channels dimmer rack and furthermore all ARRI 2k True blue T2 Fresnel units are constantly set at range of 75% to 100% thus to avoid dimmer overheating, PowerCube is preferred because only 18 channels may be lost per unit as compared to all the channels in a 48 channel dimmer rack.”

Koy Neminathan, Sales Director of Avolites Limited shared his thoughts on the sale, “We are delighted to supply the 22 PowerCubes and this cements our long term relationships we have built with many customers including Highlight Systems. It is truly diverse to say the least when it's from Rock to Opera to Live venues. The Powercube has been a great workhorse and a proud sibling to the trusted Art 2000 t4 series."

Glenn Wong, MD of Total Solution stated, “The Art 2000 PowerCube is a complete Dimming, Mains and Data Distribution Solution in one box. With 12 dimmer circuits@10amp each, 6 combined dimmer and fixed mains @10amp each and 6 fixed mains @ 16Amps each, Highlight Systems can use it to power a wide range of devices from moving lights, strobes, LED battons/fixtures and projectors. It is also available with Single pole and double breakers and standard supplied 5 pole 63A CEE connector, 3 x 30mA RCB’s allowing three phase and single phase operations, socapex or Harting options.”

Highlight Systems has built a resource pool from decades of experience in Show Productions, Engineering and Operations, Installation Design, hence enabling the company to effectively address all of the elements necessary to provide total turnkey lighting solutions. Highlight Systems also design for greater impact by combining different lighting field approach to the more traditional conservative applications. www.highlight-systems.com www.avolites.com www.tsm-int.com

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NEWS March - April 2014

Prolight Frankfu + Sound rt P review

RCF D LINE

NEXO to Debut GEO M6 Compact Line Array Hall 8, G16 PL+S Frankfurt 2014: NEXO will preview its new GEO M6 compact loudspeaker series in Frankfurt, a hugely versatile arrayable cabinet design that represents the modern NEXO hallmarks; true versatility, flexibility in use, high SPL output, and exceptional sonic clarity for speech and music reinforcement.

acoustic & lighting system MALAYSIA Tel. +603 - 8075 8990 Fax. +603 - 8075 8266 Email. acoustic@alhq.com.my SINGAPORE Tel. +65 - 6423 0682 Fax. +65 - 6423 0683 Email. info@acousticnlighting.com THAILAND Tel. +662 - 769 8199 Fax. +662 - 769 8195 Email. veera@alhq.com.my INDONESIA Tel. +62 - 21 29078968 Fax. +62 - 21 29078794 Email. edwin@acousticnlighting.com

www.acousticlighting.com

In its design brief, the GEO M6 extends beyond NEXO’s traditional heartland of live music applications, towards the corporate AV sector and a wide range of fixed installation opportunities where speech reinforcement is the primary requirement.

The GEO M6 Series will, at launch, comprise of the GEO M620 arrayable cabinet and the GEO M6B bass extension.

Made out of a lightweight polyurethane composite, the GEO M6 cabinets are available to order in any RAL colour designation. Highly cost-effective amplification is via NEXO’s NXAMP4x1 TDcontroller; with three cabinets per channel, this means that a 12-cabinet system can be powered by just one amplifier, and controlled over a Dante or Ethersound network.

GEO M620 loudspeakers can be used singly, in pairs, in curved arrays of three, in line arrays up to 12 cabinets long, depending on application and enabled by a range of simple accessories that allow flying, wall-mounting, pole-mounting and ground-stacking, pairing with any of NEXO’s wide range of subbass cabinets to create a highly portable SR solution. GEO M6B bass extensions can be deployed inside a M620 line array, allowing the user to increase line array length for improved directivity control and output in the lowmid frequency range.

NEXO Sales Director Denis Baudier says, “The GEO M6 Series delivers many benefits to a rental house, making inventory super-versatile and adaptable to different assignments. However, the design of this product also offers maximum potential in the permanent installation environment – whether it is a pair of M620s wall-mounted in a dynamic retail space, or 12 line-arrayed cabinets in a house of worship, the Series has the aesthetic and performance characteristics to appeal to many different applications.” www.nexo.fr

TM

Before B-EYE there were only drones

A.LEDA B-EYE K20

A.LEDA B-EYE K10

WASH-MODE: AN ESSENTIAL, SOPHISTICATED TOOL Total master of colors and white light. Impressive 6째-70째 zoom.

Light evenly diffused on front lens, with no gaps between LEDs. Digital framing shutter.

BEAM-MODE: THE MUST HAVE IN ALL DESIGNS Impressive array of independent, parallel micro-beams, packed into a 4째 solid beam. Digital LED pattern design (virtual gobos) and beam-morphing for high-speed aerial effects.

EFFECTS-MODE: AMAZING AND REVOLUTIONARY Countless fantastic atmospheric effects and unique kaleidoscopic projections, digitally controlled in shape, color and speed.

Active eye-candy chromatic patterns for sophisticated scenic design (B-EYE K20 only).

www.b-eye.it

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NEWS March - April 2014

Analog Way Showcases Hall 9, D04 Latest Switchers PL+S Frankfurt 2014: From March 12-15 in Frankfurt, Germany, Analog Way will exhibit a selection of its latest Mixers Seamless Switchers.

Ascender 32 – Premium Multiscreen Seamless Switcher with 32 Scalers Ascender 32 offers 12 seamless inputs with 42 input plugs: 6 x HDMI, 9 x DVI-I, 3 x DisplayPort, 12 x 3G/HD/SD-SDI and 12 x Universal Analog. It can handle any source from composite video, up to 2560x1600, and outputs a variety of formats, including HD-TV and Computer format up to 2560x1600 and 4K. The product delivers varied display configurations: Mixer, Hybrid, Hard Edge and Soft Edge configurations. In addition to a native background layer, Ascender 32 can display up to 4 true-seamless scaled layers + 1 native background per output. Up to 50 frames and 50 logos can be stored in the device’s memory bank. Layers, including frames and logos, individually controlled in time and transition, and can be fully resized.

Saphyr - Mixer Native Matrix Switcher Saphyr is a versatile Mixer Native Matrix Switcher based on Analog Way’s Midra platform, the core of a new line of

acoustic & lighting system MALAYSIA Tel. +603 - 8075 8990 Fax. +603 - 8075 8266 Email. acoustic@alhq.com.my SINGAPORE Tel. +65 - 6423 0682 Fax. +65 - 6423 0683 Email. info@acousticnlighting.com THAILAND Tel. +662 - 769 8199 Fax. +662 - 769 8195 Email. veera@alhq.com.my INDONESIA Tel. +62 - 21 29078968 Fax. +62 - 21 29078794 Email. edwin@acousticnlighting.com

www.acousticlighting.com

mid-range Mixers Seamless Switchers.

Saphyr comes in a 2RU enclosure, and with upgraded connectivity through 10 seamless inputs and 16 input plugs: 4 x Universal Analog, 4 x DVI-D, 4 x HDMI and 4 x 3G-SDI plugs. Saphyr can operate fast and seamlessly switch between any of its 16 input plugs without fade through black or loss of sync. The product features a matrix mode with 2 outputs, and offers custom output format management.

Pulse2 - Mixer Native Matrix Switcher Based on the Midra platform, Pulse2 is a versatile Mixer Native Matrix Switcher offering diverse connectivity through 8 seamless inputs and 14 input plugs: 4 x Universal Analog, 4 x DVI-D, 4 x HDMI and 2 x 3G-SDI plugs. Pulse2 can operate fast and seamlessly switch between any of its 14 input plugs without fade through black or loss of sync. The product features a matrix mode with 2 outputs, and offers custom output format management.

Digital audio can be easily embedded or de-embedded on HDMI and DVI-D connectors on inputs and outputs. For easy routing of audio signals, some functions such as Fast Routing and Audio Breakaway mode are available. www.analogway.com

NEWS March - April 2014

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Symetrix to Exhibit DSP & New Composer Software PL+S Frankfurt 2014: Symetrix has announced that it will return to Prolight + Sound for 2014, co-exhibiting on the stand of German distributor TRIUS with a selection of its most popular solutions for installed applications and an upgraded version of SymNet Composer software.

The new software, Composer 2.0, will be available for demonstration by Mark Ullrich (International Sales Manager) and Craig Richardson (Vice-President of Global Sales), complete with additions necessary to enable interoperability between Symetrix DSPs, network amplifiers and Dante interface products from two other manufacturers.

The partnership, announced at ISE 2014 in Amsterdam, enables select Dante-enabled products from the three manufacturers to be programmed through a single software platform. SymNet Composer 2.0 is also fully integrated with SymQ, the DSP manufacturer’s online design and price quotation calculator.

Hall 8, C40 Symetrix will demonstrate its latest version of the SymNet Composer open-architecture programme software at Prolight + Sound 2014

Visitors to the stand will also have the chance to examine the SymNet range of openarchitecture processors, including Edge, Radius 12x8, award-winning Radius AEC, and Solus, fixed-architecture Jupiter, ruggedized Integrator Zone Mix 761 and the broadcastspecific Voice Processor 2x, a popular heritage product in the German market. “As in earlier years, Symetrix is delighted to co-exhibit on the stand of our German

distributor, TRIUS. One of the key appearances on our stand will be the latest version of SymNet Composer software — a product which truly supports our vision to deliver a simple, user-intuitive experience for integrators, with the flexibility needed to suit any application�, commented Brooke Macomber, Director of Marketing at Symetrix. www.symetrix.co

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An individual in

32

NEWS March - April 2014

CHAUVET Professional to Show New Fixtures Hall 11, D34

Nexus Aq 5X5

PL+S Frankfurt 2014: LED wash fixtures, powerful and versatile LED moving head lights and an easy-setup pixel mapping display system are among the products that will take center spotlight on the world stage at Prolight + Sound 2014, held in Frankfurt, Germany, March 12-15. CHAUVET Professional will be represented by an array of luminaires, pixel-mapping fixtures, powerful moving yokes, moving head wash fixtures and more. Additionally, Chauvet introduces a new line, Rogue, which début with powerful and feature-packed spot and beam fixtures that bring great value and performance.

CHAUVET Professional is also making it easier for “non-technical” users to create professional video and pixel-mapping displays with its ÉPIX Series. Included are two one-meter linear tri-color LED fixtures that work together seamlessly — the ÉPIX Bar 2.0 and ÉPIX Strip 2.0 — and the ÉPIX Drive 642, which hosts the fixtures’ processing and power supply. Requiring little technical knowledge to set up and configure, the ÉPIX Series was designed to give users of all experience levels a way to achieve vibrantly coloured pixel mapping and video in minutes with minimal effort.

Along with these brand-new series, CHAUVET Professional will showcase additions to two of its most celebrated fixture families. The company’s Parnelli award-winning Nexus LED display series has expanded with the launch of the Nexus Aq 5X5 (RGBW) and Nexus Aw 7X7 (WW) narrow beam panels. Ideal for creating large arrays on stage and in studio,

these multi-function panels can be used for everything from generating high-impact aerial effects, to producing vibrant text and graphic displays, to serving as a wash or audience blinder.

Other must-see at PL+S are the two newest models in the Legend moving head series.

The Legend 412Z is a powerful and versatile RGBW LED wash fixture with zone control, which takes the company’s well-known Legend 412 to new degrees of brightness and functionality with 12, 10-watt quad-colour LEDs, a wider array of programming options, and an 8-33-degree zoom. Also new to the series is the Legend 330SR Spot, a compact moving head spot featuring a 330-watt Osram Sirius lamp and precision optics for extremely intense brightness and crisp gobo projection — plus a full complement of pro features, including a custom-designed CMY colour mixing system, 22 gobos, 8-facet prism and variable frost-filter for dual use as a wash-type fixture.

“Lighting professionals today are looking for fixtures that can perform multi functions, and thus give them greater design flexibility and value,” said Ford Sellers, Senior Product

Manager for CHAUVET Professional. “We are addressing this demand with versatile products like the new Strike LED strobes, which are much more than just strobe lights, and the Nexus Aq 5X5 and Nexus Aw 7X7 LED displays, which can instantly go from being a bright stage wash to generating electrifying eye candy and aerial effects.

“Another demand we’re hearing from customers,” added Sellers, “is that they want easier access to the latest industry technologies, such as pixel mapping, Here, we believe our ÉPIX Series, which was designed for those with limited technical backgrounds, will set a new standard for simplicity in configuring pixel and video displays. With products like these that meet today’s demands head-on, we’re very excited about this year’s PLS show, and we invite all attendees to stop by our booth to see these innovative new fixtures in action.” www.chauvetprofessional.com

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

33

PR Lighting: XR 1000 Spot & Beam • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Pan: 540° Tilt: 270° 7 x rotating gobos, 7 x fixed gobos Linear Zoom range: 9°- 47° 0-100% linearly adjustable dimming and 5-100% linearly adjustable iris (with macro) Three-fact prism Soft frost and fire effect wheel 2800K-6500K linearly adjustable colour temperature Colour wheel with seven colours (plus white) Vari-speed bi-directional rainbow effect Double shutter blades with shutter speed of 0.3-25 fps (with macro).

DMX512 wireless signal Weight: 31kg

Housed in an IP20, high temperature engineered plastic chassis, the fixture boasts several advantages over competitive models. For example it is brighter than a conventional 1200W discharge lamp, and with a weight of just 31kg it is both lighter, and smaller, than its market rivals. ”

- PR Lighting

www.pr-lighting.com

Hall 9, D51

ProAudio Technology: SW12 Subwoofer It’s a good thing that the high-power SW12 is acoustically compatible with the larger SW18 and SW28 subwoofers on the system amplifiers. Which means that their phase and frequency responses are virtually identical.”

- ProAudio Technology

www.proaudio-technology.de

• Compact 12“ bassreflex subwoofer for sound systems with an active frequency crossover • Features a 12“ cone driver with a 4“ voice coil • Omnidirectional and cardioid set-up • Power handling (RMS / programme): 1,000 W / 2,000 W • Impedance: 8 Ω • Frequency response: 38 – 100 Hz (via system amplifier) • Max. SPL (1 m, free field) 125 dB peak (via system amplifier) • Connectors: 2 + 2 SpeakON sockets (front/rear system wiring) • Acoustically compatible with SW18 and SW28 (phase and frequency response) • Dimensions(H x W x D): 15.2” (385 mm) x 19.1” (485 mm) x 18.9” (480 mm) • Weight: 50.7 lbs (23 kg)

Hall 8, C20

34

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

DPA Microphones: MMP-F Modular Active Boom • Intended for use with the d:dicate MMC4011 Cardioid and MMC4018 Supercardioid mics for podium, floor stand or hanging applications • Output connector: XLR-3M. Pin 1: shield, Pin 2: signal + phase, Pin 3: - phase • Low-cut frequency, -3 dB: 15 Hz • Noise with shorted input, A-weighted: 0.6 μV • Output voltage, RMS: 2.2V • Output voltage, peak: 3.1V • Type of electronic circuit: Active • THD@1VRMS, 1kHz: < 0.2 % • Dynamic range: 131 dB • Output impedance: 100 Ω • Minimum load impedance: 2 kΩ • Current consumption: 3.5 mA • Output balance principle: Impedance balancing • Common Mode Rejection Ratio (CMRR): > 40 dB • Power supply (for full specifications): 48 V Phantom power (± 4 V) • Cable drive capability: 100 m (328 ft) • Diameter: 0.75’’ (19 mm) Hall 8, C71 • Length: 15, 30, 45, 75, 120 cm • Fits to any d:dicate modular capsule

..This new MMP-F Modular Boom further enhances the options of uses for our d:dicate Recording Microphone Series. The d:dicate line combines the company’s best new and existing capsules and preamplifiers, which deliver superior sound across many applications where the microphones have not been widely used before, such as live sound applications for touring and installation purposes.”

- Christian Poulsen, CEO of DPA Microphones. www.dpamicrophones.com

Alcons Audio: RR12 Point-Source Array Element The R&D team has been working on this series from 2008 already, but wanted to implement our new 02 proribbon transducer platform to bring it to the next level in terms of linearity, clarity, output and ultra-low distortion. With the outcome of the LR24 beta-testing, the proprietary simulation software, comparative competitor tests and two new global patents, we took our time in the development of the RR12, but the outcome absolutely justified the effort!”.

- Philip “Dr. Phil” de Haan, Head of R&D www.alconsaudio.com

• • • • • • • • • • •

System Type: 2-way full range Custom Designed 12” woofer with 4” voice coil Frequency Response (+/- 3dB): 55Hz – 20.000Hz Nominal Impedance: 8Ω SPL peak : 135dB Dispersion H x V: 30° x 60° (20°up/40°down) (nom.)

Connectors: 2 x Speakon NL4 input/link Low Frequency Driver: 1x AW12.4ND 12”, vented High Frequency Driver: 1x RBN602rsr 6” pro-ribbon Trapezoidal cabinet fitted with integrated mounting hardware Dimensions (W x H x D): 29.1’’ (740mm) x 13.7’’ (347mm) x 18.2’’ (462mm) • Weight (approx.) : 50.7 lbs (23 kg)

Hall 6, N148

36

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

Yamaha: MG XU Series Consoles With a flexible lineup of completely re-designed consoles suitable for both portable and installation applications offering varying input and processing capabilities, these new MG mixers put an emphasis on sound quality combined with a level of reliability and performance that have made this series an industry standard.”

- Yamaha Pro Audio

www.yamahaproaudio.com

Hall 8, G60

• • • •

D-PRE (Discrete Class 'A' Mic Preamps) PAD switch on mono inputs +48V phantom power Main stereo outputs feature XLR type connectors that lock to prevent accidental disconnection • 1-knob compressors for XU Models • High-Grade Effects: - XU models: SPX with 24 programs - MG06X: SPX with 6 programs

• XU models feature a USB 2.0 audio interface capable of 24-bit/192kHz sound quality, allowing playback of digital content from a PC, and recording of the mixer output using DAW software • Steinberg’s Cubase AI software is included with XU models • Internal Universal Power Supply • Flexible digital connectivity for quick and easy high resolution playback of digital content

MG20XU

MG10XU

• • • • •

20-Channel Mixing Console Max. 16 Mic / 20 Line Inputs (12 mono + 4 stereo) 4 GROUP Buses + 1 Stereo Bus 4 AUX (incl. FX) Dimensions(W×H×D): 17.5" (444 mm) x 5.1'' (130 mm) x 19.7'' (500 mm) • Weight: 15.7 lbs (7.1 kg)

• • • • •

MG16XU

MG06X

• • • • •

• • • •

16-Channel Mixing Console Max. 10 Mic / 16 Line Inputs (8 mono + 4 stereo) 4 GROUP Buses + 1 Stereo Bus 4 AUX (incl. FX) Dimensions(W×H×D): 17.5" (444 mm) x 5.1" (130 mm) x 19.7" (500 mm) • Weight: 15.0 lbs (6.8 kg)

MG12XU • • • • •

12-Channel Mixing Console Max. 6 Mic / 12 Line Inputs (4 mono + 4 stereo) 2 GROUP Buses + 1 Stereo Bus 2 AUX (incl. FX) Dimensions(W×H×D): 12.1" (308 mm) x 4.6'' (118 mm) x 16.6'' (422 mm) • Weight: 9.3 lbs (4.2 kg)

10-Channel Mixing Console Max. 4 Mic / 10 Line Inputs (4 mono + 3 stereo) 1 Stereo Bus 1 AUX (incl. FX) Dimensions(W×H×D): 9.6'' (244 mm) x 2.8'' (71 mm) x 11.6'' (294 mm) • Weight: 4.63 lbs (2.1 kg)

6-Channel Mixing Console Max. 2 Mic / 6 Line Inputs (2 mono + 2 stereo) 1 Stereo Bus Dimensions(W×H×D): 5.9'' (149 mm) x 2.4'' (62 mm) x 7.9'' (202 mm) • Weight: 1.98 lbs (0.9 kg)

38

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

QSC: TouchMix Series

Hall 8, L45

The TouchMix Series offers musicians, production professionals and live performance venues the power and capability of a large format console in a highly portable, fully integrated, affordable and easy to use product.”

- QSC Audio Products qsc.com

• Display: 6.1” x 3.5” (156mm x 90mm) color TFT, touch sensing • Mic & Line Input Channel Processing: 4-band, parametric EQ with Hi/Low shelving option, variable 24db/octave HPF & LPF, Gate, Compressor • 4 professional quality stereo DSP effects plus a pitch corrector.

• 1/3 octave graphic equalization, limiters, delay and notch filters on main and aux. outputs • 8 DCA groups (with mutes), 8 Mute groups

• Wizards, info and preset libraries assist the user with channel setup, effects selection and more • Direct to hard-drive recording and playback of multi-track wave files. Capable of recording all input channels plus a userselected stereo output pair • Remote control via mobile devices. Wi-Fi interface included • Available mid 2014

TouchMix-8

TouchMix-16

• Inputs: 4 Mic, 4 Mic/Line (XLR/TRS Combo), 2 Stereo line (TRS), USB 2-track • Outputs: 4 Aux (XLR), 1 Stereo (TRS), Main R/L (XLR), Cue/ Monitor (TRS) • Dimensions: 3.1” (79 mm) x 13.1” (333 mm) x 9.8” (250 mm) • Weight: 4.3 lbs (1.95 kg)

• Inputs: 12 Mic, 4 Mic/Line (XLR/TRS Combo), 2 Stereo Line (TRS), Talkback (XLR), USB 2-track • Outputs: 6 Aux (XLR), 2 Stereo (TRS), Main R/L (XLR), Cue (TRS), Monitor (TRS) • Dimensions: 3.5” (89 mm) x 14.2” (360 mm) x 11.7” (297 mm) • Weight: 5.9 lbs (2.98 kg)

Klark Teknik: DN9680 Port Extender • 8 Port AES50 Extender • Allows up to 192 bidirectional channels of AES50 digital audio to be extended up to 1,000 m via a dual fibre-optical cable, thereby overcoming the 100 metre limitation of Cat 5 cabling • Designed for use with Midas digital consoles, including support for dual-redundant AES50 networking • User control via an internal web server, which allows familiar browser-based configuration via a dedicated Ethernet control port faster set-up times

Hall 8, M86

We know some applications call for an extremely-long cable run, and the DN9680 fits the bill, providing the pristine transmission signal feeds required for high-end digital audio applications. Now you get all the benefits of simplified connectivity, faster setup times and a lower cost for cabling infrastructure – plus the confidence that it will sound great.”

- Al Walker, Product Manager. www.klarkteknik.com

Held concurrently with:

IMPACT Exhibition Center Bangkok, Thailand

18-20 Sept 2014 Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s International Exhibition for Pro Audio, Lighting, AV, Broadcast, Systems Integration and Installation Technologies

Your Gateway to Thailandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Thriving Music Market

Book Your Booth Space Today!

International enquires: +65 6411 7708 / juri.tan@informa.com Local enquires:

+66 (0) 2833 5328 / panvisutb@impact.co.th

www.palmeseries.com/thailand Organised by:

40

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

Electro-Voice: ETX Family

Hall 8, A22

“The new ETX family builds upon the industry-leading innovation and 85-year heritage of Electro-Voice audio engineering to offer the most advanced professional portable powered loudspeakers available today.”

- Electro-Voice

Shipping in Spring 2014 www.electrovoice.com

• EV-patented Signal Synchronized Transducers (SST) waveguide design provides precise and consistent coverage across all system configurations • Waveguides are custom-designed and optimized per ETX model • Amplifier Design: Class 'D' with integrated FIR-Drive DSP • Power Consumption: 100 - 240 V~, 50 - 60 Hz, 1.6 - 0.8 A4

• Subwoofer Models feature: - Special DSP preset for true cardioid performance across the full operating bandwidth - Combo pole cup (insert and threaded) for use with the ETX two-way models - Removable casters

ETX-10P

ETX-15P

ETX-15SP

• System Type: 10" 2-way powered loudspeaker • Maximum SPL: 134 dB peak • Frequency Response (-3 dB): 85 Hz – 20 kHz • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 65 Hz – 20 kHz • Coverage (H x V): 90° x 60° • Power Rating: 2000W • LF Transducer: SMX2100 10'' ( 254 mm) • Connectors: - 2 x XLR/TRS combo jack - 1 x XLR link output • Dimensions (H x W x D): 21'' (526 mm) x 13'' (330 mm) x 14'' (365 mm) • Weight: 44.8 lbs (20.3 kg)

• System Type:15" 2-way powered loudspeaker • Maximum SPL: 135 dB peak • Frequency Response (-3 dB): 48 Hz – 20 kHz • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 40 Hz – 20 kHz • Coverage (H x V): 90° x 60° • Power Rating: 2000W • LF Transducer: SMX2150 15'' (380 mm) • Connectors: - 2 x XLR/TRS combo jack - 1 x XLR link output • Dimensions (H x W x D): 27'' (691 mm) x 17'' (431 mm) x 18'' (447 mm) • Weight: 61.1 lbs (27.7 kg)

• System Type: 15" Powered Subwoofer • Maximum SPL: 134 dB peak • Frequency Response (-3 dB): 37 Hz – 150 Hz • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 32 Hz – 180 Hz • Power Rating: 1800W • LF Transducer: DVX3159A 15'' (380 mm) • Connectors: - 2 x XLR/TRS combo jack - 2 x XLR link output • Dimensions (H x W x D): 19'' (471 mm) x 23'' (576 mm) x 32'' (825 mm) • Weight: 91.9 lbs (41.7 kg)

ETX-12P

ETX-35P

• System Type: 12" 2-way powered loudspeaker • Maximum SPL: 135 dB peak • Frequency Response (-3 dB): 55 Hz – 20 kHz • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 43 Hz – 20 kHz • Coverage (H x V): 90° x 60° • Power Rating: 2000W • LF Transducer: SMX2120 12'' (300 mm) • Connectors: - 2 x XLR/TRS combo jack - 1 x XLR link output • Dimensions (H x W x D): 24'' (613 mm) x 15'' (381 mm) x 16'' (400 mm) • Weight: 52.0 lbs (23.6 kg)

• System Type:15" 3-way powered loudspeaker • MB Transducer: EVS-6C 6.5 in mid-bass driver • Maximum SPL: 136 dB peak • Frequency Response (-3 dB): 48 Hz – 20 kHz • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 38 Hz – 20 kHz • Coverage (H x V): 60° x 40° • Power Rating: 2000W • LF Transducer: SMX2151 15'' (380 mm) • Connectors: - 2 x XLR/TRS combo jack - 1 x XLR link output • Dimensions (H x W x D): 40'' (1023 mm) x 18'' (469 mm) x 17'' (426 mm) • Weight: 84.2 lbs (38.2 kg)

• System Type: 18" Powered Subwoofer • Maximum SPL: 135 dB peak • Frequency Response (-3 dB): 33 Hz – 150 Hz • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 28 Hz – 180 Hz • Power Rating: 1800W • LF Transducer: DVX3180A 18'' (457 mm) • Connectors: - 2 x XLR/TRS combo jack - 2 x XLR link output • Dimensions (H x W x D): 22'' (550 mm) x 27'' (675 mm) x 36'' (910 mm) • Weight: 114.2 lbs (51.8 kg)

ETX-18SP

42

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

D.A.S. Audio: Event Series Hall 8, H56 Line Array • Power: Class D amplifier topology • High-end DSP chipsets (Loudspeakers Only) • Easy-DSP Interface (Loudspeakers Only) • Enclosure Material: Birch Plywood • Color/Finish: Black ISO-Flex Paint • D.A.S. M-75 compression driver and cone transducers (Loudspeakers Only)

• Horizontal Coverage (-6 dB): 90º Nominal (Loudspeakers Only) • Connectors: -INPUT: Female XLR -LOOP THRU: Male XLR -AC Input/Output: powerCON

Event 208A

Event 210A

• 3-way powered line array in a double 8” configuration • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 75 Hz -20 kHz • Max SPL @ 1 m: 132 dB • AC Requirements: - 115 V, 2.4A, 50 Hz/60 Hz - 230 V, 1.2A, 50 Hz/60 Hz • Dimensions(H x W x D): 10.6”(270mm) x 26.4” (670 mm) x 14.4” (366 mm) • Weight: 66 lbs (30 kg)

• 3-way powered line array in a double 10” configuration • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 70 Hz -20 kHz • Max SPL @ 1 m: 134 dB • AC Requirements: - 115 V, 3.0A, 50 Hz/60 Hz - 230 V, 1.5A, 50 Hz/60 Hz • Dimensions (H x W x D): 10.6” (270mm) x 28.7” (730 mm) x 14.4” (366 mm) • Weight: 74.8 lbs (34 kg)

Event 218A

Event 210A Array

• Dual 18” powered subwoofer • Two 18LX loudspeakers with 4” voice coils • Front loaded bass-reflex configuration • Frequency Range (-10 dB): 32 Hz 160 Hz • Max SPL @1 m: 140 dB • AC Requirements: - 115 V, 6.0A, 50 Hz/60 Hz - 230 V, 3.0A, 50 Hz/60 Hz • Dimensions (H x W x D): 21.3” (540 mm) x 41.7” (1060 mm) x 26.4” (670 mm) • Weight: 176 lbs (80 kg)

The new line arrays promise impressive value for end-users .”

- D.A.S Audio

www.dasaudio.com

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

43

Elation Professional: Volt Q3 & Q5 The Volt Q3 and Volt Q5 are versatile RGBW LED wash lights that run on a rechargeable lithium-ion battery so they can easily be placed wherever dynamic uplighting is needed. Their go-anywhere portability, combined with an allweather IP-65 housing, means the Volt Q3 and Q5 can be used for a large variety of indoor or outdoor applications.”

TOUCH THE

FUTURE

- Elation Professional

www.elationlighting.com

TIGER TOUCH

Hall 11, D68

• 8 x Auto Program Chase Macros • Snap-on diffusion filters allow the user to soften and spread the light when needed • 7° to 13° Field Angle Range • Effects: - Pulse, Color Mixing, Rainbow - Strobe: 1 – 18 Flashes Per Second - Dimming: 0% - 100% + Blackout for All Four Colors • Average Service Life: 100,000 hours

• Control/Connections: - 4 DMX Channel Modes (4/5/7/9) - 3pin DMX In/Out - 2pin IP Connector Power In • Built-in Wireless DMX receiver compatible Elation Professional’s EWDMX or W-DMX • Software Upload via Optional External DMX Accessary • Blue and white LCD menu display with 4-button control panel

Volt Q3

Volt Q5

• Source: (3) 15W RGBW QUAD COLOR LEDs • Photometrics: Max 3,892 LUX @ 3M • Dimensions (H x W x L): 10.9” (276mm) x 8.5” (215.2mm) x 9.9” (250mm) • Weight: 12.1 lbs (5.5kg)

• Source: (5) 15W RGBW Quad Colour LEDs • Photometrics: Max 7,260 LUX @ 3M • Dimensions (H x W x L): 11.3” (288.4mm) x 9.9” (251.2mm) x 11.4” (290mm) • Weight: 15 lbs (6.8kg)

POWER CUBE

PEARL EXPERT TOUCH Avolites: +44 (0) 2089 658 522 avosales@avolites.com www.avolites.com

Total Solution: (+65) 6287 9878 sales@tsm-int.com www.tsm-int.com

44

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

MIDAS: M32 Digital Mixing Console

YOU´ VE GOT THE SKILLS. SKILLS WE´ VE GOT THE TOOLS.

• Live performance and studio recording digital console with up to 40 simultaneous input channels • (32) MIDAS microphone preamplifiers • (25) Time-aligned and phase-coherent mix buses • AES50 networking allows up to 96 inputs and 96 outputs • 192 kHz ADC and DAC converters • 40 bit floating point digital signal processing • (8) DCA and (6) mute groups • Removes the need for outboard gear with 8-slot stereo effects engine • (25) MIDAS PRO motorised 100 mm faders

Hall 8, M86

• Daylight viewable 7” full colour TFT display screen • 32 x 32 channel USB 2.0 audio interface allows real-time tracking and multiple expansion cards are available for digital networking • DAW remote control emulations of Mackie Control and HUI protocols • Optional wireless remote control with MIDAS Apps for iPhone and iPad • Auto-ranging universal switch-mode power supply • Features Ultranet for “Acoustic Integration” with the new Turbosound iQ Series active loudspeakers or IEM systems

We incorporated the same amazing mic preamps from the Midas PRO1 and PRO2, and gave the M32 professionalgrade motorized faders for maximum durability and unparalled accuracy. The design is compact and eye-catching, thanks to the high-tech carbon-fibre and aluminium construction – which also makes the M32 extremely light and portable.”

- Al Walker, Senior Product Manager midasconsoles.com

www.tsm-int.com Phone: +65-62879878 sales@tsm-int.com

www.coolux.com

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

45

HARMAN Soundcraft: Vi Version 4.8 Software Hall 8, F32

Now loaded with Vi 4.8 software, the Soundcraft Vi6 rolls off the production line in Potters Bar, UK. Pictured (left to right): Harry McGee, Tony Alexander, Dominic Harter, Tim Mahesan.

• Update for Soundcraft Vi2, 4 and 6 consoles • Source selection switch allows each individual aux or group bus send from channels to be sourced from four different points in the signal path—post-fade, post-EQ & Dynamics, pre-Dynamics but post-EQ, and pre-EQ & Dynamics (existing software only allows the first two of these points to be selected) • Stereo mode for Matrix busses (including up to eight stereo Matrices on the Vi1) • Post-fade insert points for automixer insertion • Coloured channel label backgrounds • Enhanced Aux VCA system allows monitor engineers to selectively use VCA mixing within a monitor mix • Contribution Pan function allows each

of the Matrix contribution signals, selectable from a multitude of sources including channel direct outs, bus and master outs and direct I/O patches, to be positioned within the Matrix bus’s stereo field • For Vi1 consoles: V4.8 software allows increased flexibility of the Local I/O configuration, for example, one of the line out modules may be exchanged for a third Mic/line input module giving a total of 48 mic ins and 16 line outs on the back of the console • For all Vi consoles, it is now possible to select a bus mix as the external key input source for the Gate/Ducker on input channels. This allows more flexibility particularly when using the ducker to control ambient mics for a recording or in-ear monitor mix

Note: - Vi1 consoles will not receive the ‘All Busses can be mono or stereo’ feature, prefade Aux send options or post-fade insert point features, due to DSP restrictions.

- In order to benefit from the new audio features, Vi2, 4 and 6 consoles must have at least three DSP cards fitted to the Local Rack. Consoles with only two DSP cards will require the purchase of a third DSP card in order to benefit from the new audio features and in this case will need to choose using an ‘Expansion Mode’ switch between 96 inputs and the old bussing system, or 64 inputs with the new bussing system. In order to have both 96 inputs and the new audio features, a fourth DSP card will need to be purchased.

Version 4.8 software contains a number of significant new features, with stage monitor applications in particular set to benefit most from the update. The most significant of the new features is the upgrade of the bussing system on Vi2, 4 and 6 to allow all 32 of the console’s mix busses to work in stereo mode when required—without stealing any other busses--to allow use as in-ear mixes.”

- HARMAN Soundcraft

www.harman.com

46

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

Elation Professional: eNode Series

Hall 11, D68 • Professional Art-Net to DMX routers • Auto MDI/MDIX, DMX-512, and ArtNet Support • ArtNet - DMX Bilateral Signal Conversion

• Each DMX output can be set to function as single, zero, HTP/LTP or in broadcast mode • Units can also work as a standard DMX splitters • (2) RJ45 TCP/IP 10/100M Ethernet Connections

eNode 8 Pro

eNode 4

• Ideal for large pixel mapped DMX systems • Compatible with popular pixel mapping software controllers • (8) Universal DMX Ports (can be set as Input or Output) • (8) 5pin DMX Ports • Dimensions (L x W x H):19.0” (482mm) x 6.3” (160mm) x 1.7” (44mm) • Weight: 4.6 lbs (2.1 kg)

• Ideal for hanging in truss or remote areas of installations • For use with ArtNet compatible DMX control systems • (4) Universal DMX Ports (can be set as Input or Output) • (4) 5pin DMX Ports • Dimensions (L x W x H): 10.0” (255mm) x 6.8” (173mm) x 1.7” (43mm) • Weight: 3.5 lbs (1.6kg)

The eNode Series from Elation Professional is a new line of professional Art-Net to DMX routers consisting of the eNode 8 Pro and eNode 4. With the growth of pixel mapping and with multiple DMX universes a standard practice in lighting systems today, Elation answers the need for a powerful yet affordable Art-Net to DMX node solution.”

- Elation Professional

www.elationlighting.com

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

d&b audiotechnik: D80 amplifier

47

Hall 8, J46

It is very difficult to design reliability, the D80 is the result of careful planning and meticulous attention to detail during research, development and production.

This included a period of thorough field testing over several years, at major festivals, tours, events and performances around the world. The feedback has instilled confidence that the D80 amplifier, which is now officially available, will fulfill the expectations of a d&b product well into the future.”

- Marc Weber, Product Manager www.dbaudio.com

• Amplifier Design: 4 channel, Class ‘D’ • Incorporates Digital Signal Processing (DSP) to provide configurations for the entire d&b loudspeaker range • Signal delay of up to 10 seconds and 2 x 16-band equalizers, providing parametric, notch, shelving and asymmetric filters.

• 4 outputs deliver up to 4000W into 4 ohms and are distributed through the single NL8 connector, or the individual loudspeaker outputs.

• LoadMatch function electronically compensates for loudspeaker cable properties, without the need for an extra conductor. This results in increased accuracy of audio reproduction over a bandwidth of up to 20 kHz, preserving the tonal balance when using cable lengths of up to 70 m (230 ft).

• Utilizes a switch mode power supply with active Power Factor Correction (PFC) suitable for mains voltages 100 - 127 V/208 - 240 V, 50 - 60 Hz. • Features and functions controlled via TFT colour touchscreen and rotary encoder on the front panel • Integrates with the d&b Remote network via the established CAN-Bus or Ethernet, using the OCA (Open Control Architecture) protocols. The d&b R1 Remote control software provides a flexible workspace where all features, functions and controls available on the front panel of d&b amplifiers can be remotely grouped, monitored and managed.

48 AMAZING G OPTICS

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

JB-Lighting: Sparx 7 Wash The Sparx 7 is a compact and yet extremely bright washlight, well-designed and with high-quality optics. A washlight to be placed anytime in a prominent position in a stage set. The sparkle-channel creates a lovely starlike effect which looks amazing in camera view.”

- JB-Lighting

HIGH OUTPUT

www.jb-lighting.de

FULL FEATURE SET

Debuting Worldwide Hall 9, A60

March 2014

www.vari-lite.com

• • • • •

•

• • •

www.tsm-int.com

Source: (19) 15W RGBW multichip LEDs Zoom System: 4°- 40° (4 -30° at 1/2 peak, 8°-40° at 1/10 peak) Pan/Tilt: 450° / 330° Power consumption: Max. 350W Effects: - Separate CTC channel - Optimized colour mixing performance - High resolution, stepless dimmer 0–100% - Colour true dimming - Electronic strobe with pulse and random effects Control: - DMX-512 - Integrated receiver for JB-Lighting Wireless DMX Connectors: 3pin and 5pin Dimensions (B x H x T): 12.59’’ (320 mm) x 15.15’’ (385 mm) x 7.87’’ (200 mm) Weight: 17.6 lbs (8 kg)

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ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

DTS Lighting: NICK NRG 501, WONDER, MAX Thanks to its revolutionary set-up, WONDER offers infinite possibilities, ranging from creating the purest and most uniform color backgrounds ever seen, to projecting amazing effects in the air guaranteed to astonish any audience.”

- D.T.S Lighting

www.dts-lighting.com

Equipped with the ‘FPR’ system (D.T.S. patent), which allows limitless pan rotation, in either direction, never having to reverse motion

NICK NRG 501

MAX

WONDER

• High-efficiency LED moving head wash light which employs a new-generation optical group • LED Technology: 7 FULL COLOUR LEDs (RGBW) • Optical group: 3.5°- 52° linear motorized zoom which enables a range of projections (from very concentrated beams to wall washes) with a highefficiency optical system • Pan/Tilt: 540° / 270° • Luminosity: Over 13.000 Lux at 3 m • Power consumption:125W • Wide palette of pure uniform whites with variable linear colour temperature (2700°K - 8000°K) • Operating ambient temperature: -10° / 40° • Weight: 19.6 lbs (8.9 kg)

• Latest addition to D.T.S. ‘Dream Team’ • Special optical group with wide excursion motorized zoom that for the first time allows 4 different types of projection in a single moving head: ‘Beam’, ‘Spot’, ‘Wash’, and ‘Studio’ • MAX’ wide excursion motorized zoom allows any application from long-throw projections to large wall washing.

• Beam opening: -1.5° - 2° ‘Beam’ projection - 2° - 37° ‘Spot’ projection - 10° - 60° ‘Wash’projection - 4° - 40° ‘Studio’ function (selectable via DMX)

• Double-Optics LED Wall Washer • 2 x Concentric optical groups, independent from each other, each with a long-throw motorized linear zoom • LED plate is divided in 4 areas; each area is independently controllable in regards to luminosity, colours, and effects

Hall 11, D79

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

Allen & Heath: Qu-24 Digital Mixer • • • • • • • •

•

•

•

Latest addition to Qu series of compact digital mixers (24) mic/line inputs (3) stereo inputs (4) FX engines with 4 dedicated sends and stereo returns (20) mix outputs including 2 Stereo Matrix Mix Outputs and 2 Stereo Groups with full processing Total recall of settings (including 25 motorised faders and digitally controlled preamps) Patchable AES digital output with a further 2-channel ALT output High resolution (800x480) full colour Touchscreen featuring the ‘Touch Channel’ access to channel processing, the FX racks and all the setup and system management controls.

Qu-Drive integrated 18-channel USB recorder works with an external USB drive to record and playback multi-track and stereo audio .wav files A&H’s proprietary dSNAKE low latency audio connection enables the mixer to connect over a single Cat5 digital snake to a remote audio rack and is compatible with the ME personal mixing system 5 x latest generation ARM core processors run in parallel to efficiently deliver startling performance

-Andy Flint, Senior Manager, Portable PA Marketing www.jblpro.com

Hall 8, C22

Building on the key features f off the h hugely h successful Qu-16, Qu-24 is an exciting follow up. During the design process we aimed to retain a compact format with all mic inputs on one layer, with extra matrix, groups and FX sends to suit larger applications.”

- Rob Clark, A&H R&D Director www.allen-heath.com

HARMAN JBL Professional: EON615 LOUDSPEAKER “We’ve found a way to deliver studio monitor quality sound in a portable PA system, which is only possible by leveraging JBL’s revolutionary innovations in waveguide and transducer development. The striking design of the EON600 is a logical extension of the groundbreaking EON format, applying the latest technologies in cabinet materials, acoustic science, transducer design and user-friendliness.”

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• • • • • • • • • • •

• • •

Hall 8, F32

First model in the EON600 Series System Type: Self powered 15”, two-way, bass-reflex Custom JBL high- and low-frequency transducers Max SPL: 127 dB Frequency Response (±3 dB): 50.8 Hz - 20 kHz Frequency Range (-10 dB): 46.8 Hz - 20 kHz Coverage Pattern: 90° x 50° Amplifier Design: Class ‘D’ Power Rating: 1000 W (2 x 500W) iOS and Android supported interface to be paired with the Bluetooth Smart Ready 4.0 Enclosure designs have been optimized for ideal acoustic resonance taking advantage of injection molding techniques and mechanical shaping of the enclosures JBL Waveguide Technology Dimensions (H x W x D): 27.87’’ (708 mm) x 16.87’’ (428.6 mm) x 14.5’’ (368.3 mm) Weight: 39 lbs (17.69 kg)

52

ENNOVATIONS March - April 2014

Turbosound: iQ Series

Hall 8, M86

Our design objective was advanced integration between our growing digital mixer family and this new, high-performance loudspeaker line. The iQ Series is an industry first, thanks to the available digital audio networking via our proven Ultranet technology.”

- Al Walker, Product Manager www.turbosound.com

• KLARK TEKNIK Class 'D' amplification • Connect seamlessly with Midas M32 and Behringer X32 digital mixers • Power Rating: - Loudspeakers: 2500W - Subwoofers: 3000W

• Ultranet digital audio networking connects to mixers and other sources • Connectors: 2 x Jack/XLR input, 2 x XLR output, XLR Mix Output, Neutrik powerCON mains in and mains link, USB, ULTRANET In and Thru

iQ8

iQ15

• System Type: 8" powered 2-way loudspeaker • Components: 1 x 8" (203mm) LF driver, 1 x 1" (25 mm) HF compression driver • Frequency Response(±3 dB): 60 Hz - 18 kHz • Frequency Response(±10 dB): 55 Hz - 20 kHz • Max SPL: 124 dB • Dimensions (H x W x D): 18.0'' (456.9 mm) x 11.0'' (279.4 mm) x 11.0'' (279.4 mm) • Weight: 31.7 lbs (14.4 kgs)

• System Type: 15" powered 2-way loudspeaker • Components: 1 x 15" (381 mm) LF driver, 1 x 1" (25 mm) HF compression driver • Frequency Response(±3 dB): 50 Hz - 18 kHz • Frequency Response(±10 dB): 45 Hz - 20 kHz • Max SPL: 128 dB • Dimensions (H x W x D): 28'' (710.6 mm) x 17.7'' (449.6 mm) x 15'' (381 mm) • Weight: 56.7 lbs (25.7 kgs)

iQ10

iQ18B

• System Type: 10" powered 2-way loudspeaker • Components: 1 x 10" (254 mm) LF driver, 1 x 1" (25 mm) HF compression driver • Frequency Response(±3 dB): 55 Hz - 18 kHz • Frequency Response(±10 dB): 55 Hz - 20 kHz • Max SPL: 124 dB • Dimensions (H x W x D): 20.7'' (525.8 mm) x 12.8'' (323.9 mm) x 12.5'' (316.2 mm) • Weight: 36.5 lbs (16.5 kg)

• • • • • •

iQ12 • System Type: 12" powered 2-way loudspeaker • Components: 1 x 12" (305 mm) LF driver, 1 x 1" (25 mm) HF compression driver • Frequency Response(±3 dB): 50 Hz - 18 kHz • Frequency Response(±10 dB): 45 Hz - 20 kHz • Max SPL: 126 dB • Dimensions (H x W x D): 24'' (608.5 mm) x 14.6'' (369.6 mm) x 14.6'' (369.6 mm) • Weight: 46.4 lbs (21.1 kgs)

System Type: 18" powered subwoofer Components: 1 x 18" (457 mm) LF driver Frequency Response(±3 dB): 35 Hz - 150Hz Frequency Response(±10 dB): 30 Hz - 150Hz Max SPL: 127 dB continuous, 133 dB peak Dimensions (H x W x D): 27'' (685.8 mm) x 21'' (533.4 mm) x 22'' (558.8 mm) • Weight: 103.4 lbs (47 kgs)

iQ15B • • • • • •

System Type: 15" powered subwoofer Components: 1 x 15" (381 mm) LF driver Frequency Response(±3 dB): 40 Hz - 150Hz Frequency Response(±10 dB): 35 Hz - 150Hz Max SPL: 125 dB continuous, 131 dB peak Dimensions (H x W x D): 23.5'' (596.9 mm) x 17.5'' (444.5 mm) x 19.5'' (495.3 mm) • Weight: 69.3 lbs (31.5 kgs)

Optimized For Any Screen

w w w . e - t e c h a s i a . c o m

56

EXHIBITION PREVIEW March - April 2014

Hurry and leave your PALM prints!

China’s biggest and most established tradeshow in Pro Audio, Lighting, Music and Technology industry is back with its 23rd edition from 26 – 29 May 2014 The annual PALM EXPO will be back at the New China International Centre Beijing, China from 26 – 29 May 2014. The biggest and most established tradeshow in the Pro Audio, Lighting, Music and Technology industry is set to host manufacturers, distributors, dealers, retailers, importers and exporters as well as professional users and corporate users from all over the world. Showcasing up to a total of 11,000 square metres of floor space and hosting up to 1,100 exhibitors from various brands in 37 different countries and regions, Palm Expo 2013 attracted an impressive figure of over 50,000 visitors from 76 different countries.

Apart from upholding its remarkable track records for the past 22 years, PALM EXPO have not only established itself as being the biggest and the “must attend” tradeshow for all the industry professionals, but also the best platform from them to meet and network with industry partners as well as to obtain the latest news and trends from the industry to grow their business.

PALM EXPO is also at the same time the world’s 2nd largest tradeshow of its kind complete with exhibition, conference, seminars and workshops services provided all under one roof.

Co-organised by China Entertainment Technology Association (CETA) - a national first-class social organization in the Ministry of Culture, People's Republic of China, and is the authorized representative in the entertainment equipment industry of China, leading and coordinating the economic and technical development of the national entertainment equipment industry. With strong support from the local governments and associations, the 23rd edition of the PALM EXPO continues to provide as the key sourcing platform for International and Asian industry professionals and buyers to penetrate into the massive China market. It is not only the perfect platform to help gain

EXHIBITION PREVIEW March - April 2014

direct access to major cities, but also to 2nd and 3rd tier cities in Greater China.

PALM EXPO 2013 achieved highly positive responses and feedback:

On top of being part of the largest tradeshow in the Pro Audio, Lighting, Music and Technology industry in China, the exhibitors are also equipped with a comprehensive integrated marketing campaign provided by the PALM EXPO 2014 organizers to help optimize the business opportunities oďŹ&#x20AC;ered through the tradeshow, create awareness, maximum exposure and publicity for their business and to assist them to leverage their presence at the Palm Expo 2014.

(1) 100% of Exhibitors stated that participation in the Palm Expo 2013 is important as part of their marketing mix.

(2) 99% of Exhibitors said that they will return to Palm Expo 2014.

(3) 97% of Exhibitors stated that the visitor quality and numbers met their expectations and that they were successful in meeting their overall objectives at the Palm Expo 2013.

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(4) 95% of Exhibitors rated that the return of investment met and exceeded their expectations.

(5) 94% of Exhibitors are pleased with the service provided by the organisers.

(6) 92% of Exhibitors had received more than 200 genuine enquiries during the show for Palm Expo 2013.

It is definitely the tradeshow that is expected to attract more eyeballs this year and not to be missed. www.palmexpo.net

58

EXHIBITION PREVIEW March - April 2014

PALM Expo 2014 to showcase the latest trends and technologies in the pro audio biz PALM reinvents itself this year with added features This year PALM has some exciting extended features which will not only have the participation of the visitors but also help them to understand the products very well.

PALM show features and highlights include the HARMAN PALM Live Arena, PALM DJ Soundscape, PALM Live Rigging Workshop, PALM Conference & Seminar, PALM Innovation Spotlight, 3rd PALM Light Sound & Awards, 8th PALM IRA Awards, PALM System Integration Awards, PALM Integration for Entertainment Demo, and the Open Air Line Array Demo.

The sound, stage, lighting, DJ gear, music production, pro audio and systems integration technology is growing at a ferocious and competitive pace. It only gives PALM Expo – India’s only trade fair in this segment – a motivating and effective reason, to create a platform showcasing quality and quantity at its best.

For PALM™ Expo 2014 though, Diversified Communications India, the organizers of the mammoth expo, have decided to up the tempo in terms of the expo deliverables towards the industry. The exhibit will continue to grow in it’s the position as India’s only international trade platform for our industry to do business.

Looking Back

By delivering a much larger exhibit space as compared to 2013, PALM promises to bring in new national and international brands on board that would in turn open up potential buyers in the market. The new brands will get an opportunity to exhibit their new products and ideas which was never done in the country. Increasing number of brands participating at PALM helps potential buyers to look forward to such a show which offers everything pertaining to this industry and that too, all under one roof. Year on year PALM promises to offer something new and innovative which attracts lots of visitor to come and visit the show, and also familiarises them with new market trends.

PALM Expo, this year, enters its 14th edition, with new ideas keeping everything in mind catering to a large gamut of exhibitors, visitors, sponsors and industry people. Since its inception, PALM has been thriving and meeting the industry demands by adding new verticals and sections to the exhibit.

PALM promises to be India’s only B2B show which offers products related light sound & stage, lighting & effects, DJ gear, music production, pro audio systems and systems integration.

Historically, PALM™ Expo has always been a show that’s grown in strength and performance over the past 13 years, with every year witnessing several new world class brands flooding the exhibit space that invariably would feature a larger floor area than the previous year. To put this into statistical figures, in 2013, 117 exhibitors across a gross space of 12,000sq.mt. PALM witnessed an attendance of over 16,000 visitors.

The HARMAN PALM Live Arena The arena is not only a stage for performers but it also allows the artists to evaluate and analyse how they can enhance their audio requirements and deliver the best sound quality. Located centrally between Hall 1 & 5, the HARMAN PALM Live Arena enjoys its own private space as stage, sound, light and music game.

PALM Demo Qube This year PALM has come up with a new concept by the name of PALM Demo Qube.

This feature will allow audio companies to demonstrate their products and latest features with ease in a very private cube structure that will be specially created.

The PALM Demo Qube will be conveniently located just outside exhibition Hall 1.

PALM DJ Soundscape PALM Expo has refurbished its flagship feature, The PALM DJ Champion to PALM DJ Soundscape and created a 3 day exclusive arena only for DJs. The PALM DJ Conference & Workshop will be hosted on all the 3 days of the trade show within the exhibition hall.

Top renowned speakers from the Industry will disseminate and share their experience,

EXHIBITION PREVIEW March - April 2014

59

Performance Award, veteran projection expert Bart Kresa with the Creative Direction Award, and finally video technology veteran & expert Adela Kriland with the Education & Support Award.

PALM Integration for Entertainment Demo The Integration for Entertainment showcase in 2013 demonstrated production and playback software systems for multi-display applications from staging to digital signage, to events and fixed installations. Over 2000+ professionals experienced future technologies and trends in system integration of audio, video, lasers and lighting, control automation and visual mapping.

All of this gives the show a new look and feel and also opens avenues for the exhibitors to showcase their product on a larger scale. views and knowledge within the music iIndustry in India and the fast growing DJ segment. The 3 day conference and workshop will provide DJs an opportunity to learn, network and gain knowledge on the industry and also see latest products and technologies available on the exhibit floor.

Open Air Line Array Demo The Open Air Line Array Demo is conducted in the open space at the venue grounds. It will provide an excellent opportunity to 8 exhibitors who will present their latest line array systems in realistic conditions to over 3500* interested buyers from rental and event background.

PALM Live Rigging Workshop The PALM Live Rigging & Trussing Workshop is a feature that delivers the much needed quality information, knowledge and skills required to efficiently perform standard rigging and trussing procedures. In 2013, the workshop hosted live demonstrations which were conducted by highly respected and renowned professionals from Prolyte.

The feature covered the regulations, safety requirements along with many other basic concepts that riggers must be well versed with.

PALM Conference & Seminar With the clear intent to boost the knowledge quotient of the Indian industry professionals, the 2013 PALM Conference & Seminar Program was meticulously programmed to encompass the need of the hour for the Indian market. This year as well, the PALM Conference & Seminar aims to address and discuss the trends in technology and innovations in the pro audio industry.

PALM Innovation Spotlight This is a feature chalked out as an opportunity for exhibitors to showcase their latest products that are distinguished by technologically advanced features as a ready reference to all visitors. In 2013 the segment promoted the technological advancement of the industry, as it showcased 19 products ranging from across segments like live sound, music production, install & system integration, and lighting– all of which were kept live on display.

3rd PALM Sound & Light Awards PALM Sound & Light Awards recognises and honours outstanding service in the field of stage, sound & light. The 2013 edition of the PALM™ Expo witnessed the PALM Sound & Light Awards spread over 8 technical categories addition to two new categories in the form of Best Audio Monitoring Engineer & Best Event Management & Production Company.

8th IRA Awards Into its 8th glorious edition, the Indian Recording Arts (IRA) Awards are the first ever music awards that recognize the music, recording and engineering talent in India.

Selected by leading musicians and recording professionals, IRA Awards felicitate the music maestros and the technical and creative contributions by leading sound recordists.

PALM System Integration Awards The PALM System Integration Awards is an effort toward recognising and honouring global industry stalwarts for their outstanding service in system integration. In 2013, the first ever edition of the PALM System Integration Awards, felicitatied three global industry stalwarts by awarding Bose Corporation India with the Project

Looking at PALM’s success story year on year it is very much evident that this show definitely has something to offer for everyone. PALM has gone global in its marketing by advertising not only in Indian magazines but international also. Today PALM is visible in all top international magazines and online portals like Mondo, Pro Audio Asia, Entertainment Technology Asia, Systems Integration Asia, Worship AVL, Music Trade to name a few. Not only this PALM is also connects to all the industry professional through social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pintrest to name a few. The online registration is also picking up in a big way through Google ads and registrations online through PALM website.

PALM Expo aims at disseminating information to all the potential market, and making new developments assessable to the industry people all under one roof. www.palmexpo.in

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MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE March - April 2014

Spreading the message of sound credibility that involves all stakeholders - the entire community of consultants, rental companies, installers, end- users etc.

Every year, at HARMAN India we are working on launching new initiatives and that helps us understand the market requirements and move closer to the customers, while always keeping in mind the vast & versatile Harman Professional product portfolio.

Some of the efforts that have paid off well for the division include :

HARMAN (Professional) India – since its inception of direct operations in the country – has made a statement of its own kind, and noticeably with serious effort and understandably to good effect.

E-Tech Asia spoke to Prashant Govindan, Director, India Operations, HARMAN Professional to know more about what the company is up to.

Excerpts: E-Tech Asia: Tell us about HARMAN India as it stands today?

Prashant: HARMAN India is arguably the largest distribution entity in the professional audio industry in the country today, with a vast & versatile HARMAN Professional product portfolio - right from AKG to JBL to dbx to Martin (professional lighting & video systems). Our dealer segment includes Tour sound, Installed sound, Portable PA, Recording & Broadcast, Cinema, Lighting & Video systems & Music Industry. Then there are installed sound channels where and we have a number of system integration and contracting partners. All these segments hold great potential as we move into a pan-India expansion model.

E-Tech Asia: What specific changes have characterized HARMAN India from the time of its inception in the country, to what it is today?

Prashant: When we look at it from an industry perspective, the company has grown manifold. A perceptible change is that customers are more informed and discerning today and are willing to invest more to get the systems they want. They are realizing the true value of professional grade audio systems - irrespective of whether it is a portable PA or a fixed install system which means the customer has truly come of age. I think this is the single most important factor characterizing the market.

At HARMAN, we have strategically shifted our focus from selling products to selling solutions. While customers are opting for system solutions rather than just monitors or microphones – thus providing a high definition, high performance offerings with expansive service support.

Having said that, we entered into the Indian market at a time when it just started establishing itself; we have been instrumental in bringing about some critical changes in the regional market, which is undoubtedly moving towards a more organized format.

We put in extensive effort to educate the industry value chain - the consultant, the consumer and the channels that connect the two. We pride ourselves for being instrumental in contributing to this change in a significant manner.

E-Tech Asia: Would you please elaborate on what exactly the initiative comprises?

Prashant: HARMAN is known the world over for its high quality products, innovative technology and knowledge dissemination. In the professional audio industry. If the users are aware of the quality of the products, sales growth is a given. We recognized this rather early on and accordingly initiated the requisite action. While it is easy to have a short term view to get immediate results, HARMAN believes in long-term approach

We have marked several firsts to our portfolio this year including the truly integrated airport communication AV system from HARMAN Professional at the Bengaluru International Airport wherein we provided a premium information delivery solution that minimizes traveller stress, and ensures a positive airport experience. This is the first HARMAN IDX system install in Asia and we believe this project has set a new benchmark in the global AV industry. Our theme park installation at the popular destination – Adlabs Imagica has already created a positive experience in sound for the visitors and the theme park management. In the educational segment we completed a few installations at premier institutes like IIT- Bombay, IIM – Indore to name a few.

Additionally, in this dynamic industry of professional audio, especially in live events, cinema and installation projects, it is imperative to provide customers with best and most timely after sales support. With a service network that spans the length and breadth of the country, coupled with the toll-free customer helpline, we have truly established an industry benchmark within a span of one year. The turnaround time has been effectively managed from the start of our operations, and the processes have been further streamlined, thus ensuring a hassle free service experience.

Trainings continue to be the cornerstone of Harman’s strategy to reach the customers in every segment

MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE March - April 2014

HARMAN’s India initiative doesn’t stop with sales, distribution, marketing and service – a team of software engineers in India is working closely and tirelessly with its global counterparts to develop products for the both global and local markets, right here in our India Development Center.

Trainings continue to be the cornerstone of Harman’s strategy to reach the customers in every segment that HARMAN operates in – be it segment focused trainings, road shows in Tier 2 cities, BSS Signal Processing Level 1, Lighting & Video solutions, Audio Basics, Cinema Systems, Portable Audio and other specific workshops.

E-Tech Asia: Is there a particular format specifically for the training initiative as to the frequency, duration, curriculum etc.?

Prashant: We can say it’s both a structured and unstructured format. Unstructured training refers to a training element every time we visit a customer, depending upon the situation and specific requirement.

Structured training, on the other hand, is conducted every week or fortnight at our premises here in Bengaluru and other major cities.

As part of the same, the initiative was taken up on a very comprehensive level - not just one training for one segment at one time but across the board- engineering/technical support and sales personnel, and even helping to establish online user communities as well. The trainings vary on a need basis, be it a simple workshop, demonstrating digital presets or how to get the best of, say, a dbx crossover to correct positioning of speaker, to ‘how to mic your drum kit’, line array theory/ demonstration and more.

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Our experienced application engineering team has been touring extensively across the country to interact with as many stakeholders as possible, with the sole purpose of imparting these trainings.

E-Tech Asia: The initiative, while it is impressive, does need a word of publicity or promo. How do you or did you do it?

Prashant: We have a robust mechanism for reaching out to the participants across regions through regular e-mailers, social media and constant feedback session. The fact that our initiative carries both direct and indirect benefits to one and all, means that it has spread rather quickly percolated rather fast across the industry, and as a result, we have had participants from far-flung locations attending these programs, some of whom we haven’t known or met before.

Interestingly the audio basics module of the training essentially caters to anyone, and everyone, who wants to know anything basic about audio. A very important aspect of the program is that we do not confine the program to just HARMAN. The program is focused on understanding the basic functioning of audio products, and some essential tips and best practices to operate sound equipment for the best results.

The current road show under the banner of ‘TechXchange’ and the various other training modules have already covered a total of 500 participants in less than a year. This is only expected to grow leaps and bounds in the coming year. Attendees also include students and amateurs, and they go out with a new level of audio knowledge. The message that is clear is that HARMAN India is not only enriching the current generation of engineers and user communities with ‘sound

Harman Audio Solutions at Dharmaram College Chapel ( Pic Courtesy: Acoustic Control Pvt Ltd)

Harman Paging Station at the Bangalore International Airport Terminal T1 A

knowledge’ but also creating batches of aspiring professionals who would take there challenges into the future. Moreover, we are not conducting the program just at dealer locations; we are taking the initiative to universities. The idea is simply not to prompt the current generation with some useful tips, but help shape up the young minds of today towards an intelligent society of professional thinking.

E-Tech Asia: Coming to your launch of direct distribution( it has been a year already) isn’t it, in a way, a competition to your own existing dealer network? How do you demarcate the market for both?

Prashant: I would say it is a natural step forward from what we have been doing since setting up our India operations. As you have seen, we want to do a lot of different things in a more expansive way, working with dealers, channel partner and installers at the same time to ensure that we provide quality experience to the user communities that our efforts are developing, and spreading this across the various market segments. It is something like complementing our existing network to further our mutual strengths.

So, it is a natural extension to our existing business model.

E-Tech Asia: How did the initiative help your cause?

Prashant: We have been working with around 60 partners across the country in different vertical markets, and what we have found is that these people are interested in investing in marketing HARMAN products.

They are interested in better training, and educating their own personnel on HARMANbranded products. We have been conducting six to eight training seminars every month and we hope to do ten every month next year. The point – as I said earlier – is not just about selling HARMAN-branded and products but educating the customer base, the dealer network base, and our system integration partners on generic audio technology and enhancing their ability to best leverage whatever audio products they use.

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MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE March - April 2014

JBL VTX line arrays debut at NH7 Weekender( New Delhi) reinforcement by SOUND.COM

Dealer channels are set up geographically, and we try to make sure we’re represented in each state with at least one partner, sometimes more depending on size or geographical spread, to make sure our products are successful in all regions.

The biggest impact the initiative has made is in our service capabilities. When we set up our business here, we had several challenges on the service front. The recently launched customer support toll free helpline will complement the wide network of HARMAN Service centers across India for HARMAN Professional brands including – AKG, BSS, Crown, dbx, JBL, Lexicon, Soundcraft & Studer and Martin Professional range of lighting & video equipment. Customer support has always been the cornerstone of our offerings in India. This move only reiterates our focus in enhancing our service levels across the country, with support being just a call away.

Today, our credibility is such that people say we’re the best in service. By being able to attend to customers’ needs with right service while also helping to grow their business, this is as good as selling a new product or making new business.

E-Tech Asia: Hasn’t it resulted in a situation of HARMAN’s existing dealer base feeling their interests hurt?

Prashant: First, any change is normally met with some resistance - simply because people will have doubts about the change being taken by the market or what role they would play in the change. Incidentally, HARMAN India’s move to go-direct, is the first of its kind within all the geographies that we

operate in, and the learning has been just tremendous. The second part is that this has actually proved to be complementary.

It has convinced our dealer base that it’s a win-win proposition for all. People have realized the benefits and responded quite enthusiastically.

E-Tech Asia: How about strengthening HARMAN’s in-house teams with the same or higher skill sets?

Prashant: Oh yes. We do have a constant training initiative within HARMAN. Different department personnel like production, sales and marketing are required to undergo respective certifications. In fact, the sales personnel are also required to undergo certain levels of technical certifications to be able to pitch themselves better on a sales field. A good case in point is the BSS signal processing Level-1 Certification- all our sales personnel are certified with this.

We encourage them to seek even higher certifications so that they can sharpen their skills to field any technical challenges arising out of their domain

E-Tech Asia: How about collaborating with Government or recognized institutions towards the initiative?

Prashant: We’ve actually been very keen on that. We’ve already done it through some colleges in Tamil Nadu. Students of Karunya University in Coimbatore have been specializing in audio technologies in association with HARMAN. We have had two such programmes during the last two years.

We are not in a position to set up our own such institutional programme at the moment.

Our focus is to strengthen the application teams and spread knowledge about the audio basics and nuances for a holistic benefit for the nation-wide user community.

E-Tech Asia: While HARMAN itself is a big brand, how about the competition from other majors in the market? How does it look at the challenge?

Prashant: HARMAN has its own competencies that are probably unmatched in the industry. The product ranges are anyway proven internationally, and in case of the Indian industry, like we said in the beginning, having filled out the areas like service that needed attention, HARMAN today stands in a much better position than it was a couple of years ago.

The programmes and campaigns we initiated have given us a certain edge over the competition. And addressing the competing areas is a constant process at HARMAN, it complements our competency. What’s more, with Martin Lighting adding a unique solution and brand value to HARMAN portfolio, the combined proposition has put the company in much compelling proposition as viewed by the customer, than most others on the market.

E-Tech Asia: Would you please elaborate on what particular advantages did Martin bring to HARMAN?

Prashant: Martin Professional was acquired

by HARMAN early this year and this move

MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE March - April 2014

was to couple Martin Lighting’s exceptional product range with HARMAN’s highly effective global sales and support program.

Additionally the acquisition of Duran Audio BV, a specialized loudspeaker technology firm in the Netherlands, has bolstered HARMAN's stated commitment to advance our technology leadership through both R&D and acquisitions.

Our philosophy is simple – with these strategic acquisitions, we look forward to leveraging unique product lines with HARMAN’s global manufacturing and distribution footprint and system synergies, thus ensuring that our business is optimally positioned to serve new customers around the world. As we move forward and institute these companies as business units within HARMAN Professional, our customers will soon be able to capitalize on even more comprehensive solutions of sound & light offerings, joint innovations, efficiencies and better access to our systems portfolios. This is also a great growth engine for HARMAN in the emerging markets.

E-Tech Asia: What segments does HARMAN see as most promising at the moment and what segment the most challenging?

Prashant: The dynamics of the professional audio industry, especially in India are challenging and exciting. Like most of our contemporaries we are not isolated from the pressures of weak currencies and rising costs of import. Having said that, our aggressive growth strategy in the emerging markets,

our best-in-class structure for capital and cost efficiency has helped us steer through and keep our focus right on the customer.

Globally, we reported a strong Fiscal year 2013, while we doubled our dividends and continued to grow our revenues in India.

The Professional division maintained its course and placed significant bets in many uncharted territories like theme parks, airports, night clubs, etc. At the same time we increased our penetration in the install and touring markets during the year.

Recording and Broadcast markets continue to hold good potential and so does the cinema segment. Our dealer segment already includes tour sound, install sound, portable PA, cinema,& MI. In installed sound channels we have a number of system integration and contracting partners. All these segments are highly profitable for us as we continue to expand in India.

E-Tech Asia: What is HARMAN’s take on the threat of grey market and counterfeit products?

Prashant: Industry-wide, it’s mainly the Musical Instrument retail-dealer category that suffers most from counterfeiters but even within the category, different brands will suffer at varying levels based on how they position themselves and based on the quality/innovation grade of their own genuine product. At HARMAN, we cater to discerning professionals who will not be fooled by deals that are “too good to be true.” One look at the counterfeit items and these professionals will recognize that it’s not a HARMAN product — the build quality,

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minimal output capabilities and inferior connectivity will be quick giveaways that this is a sub-par imitation of the real thing.

We have found that the best protection against counterfeiters and bottom-feeders is to educate the market. We do this by building quality products and systems that deliver unmatched performance and efficiency for our professional customers. This is something that counterfeiters can never do.

We also run comprehensive training and education programs to enable professionals to get the very best from our systems. We do address the counterfeit issue in our training but it’s less critical because we are speaking to a pre-qualified group of audio professionals. Finally, I think we have the strongest dealer-base in India. These are among the most technically aware, bestinformed channel partners in the market and they provide an excellent service to us — and to customers — in the India audio community.

E-Tech Asia: What are HARMAN's immediate and long term objectives?

Prashant: Since 2010, India has played a major role in some of the most successful and ground breaking products that HARMAN Professional has produced for the global market including control interfaces (including iOS), software configuration platforms like Audio Architect and the latest audio networking implementations. We also look forward to continually expanding our footprint in India through our expansive dealer and channel partner network.

Overall, HARMAN India’s Professional Division in India is well-organized, equipped and optimally positioned to serve a growing market. We continue to invest as we strengthen the organization in order to offer effective state-of-the-art solutions suited to the customer requirements. Raising the bar overall is the main goal that Harman wants to achieve on the subcontinent.

Harman Professional Service Centre at Bangalore

www.harman.in

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SPECIAL FEATURE March - April 2014

How do I develop For sound tech newbies who can only wonder what life is like in the real world, “The Art of the Soundcheck” blog by M. Erik Matlock will set your career to the right levels. In his often amusing, entertaining and educational writings, readers will find the sound advice needed to lay a strong foundation in the audio production business. Not afraid to speak his mind, here Matlock answers one readers simple yet not questions with his experience, sound advice and wit.

“I’m leading a team of volunteers at a church, who have been around for quite some time now. Several of the guys on our audio rotation are pretty good at what they do, but a couple are fairly new at mixing. A couple of questions for you if you have a few minutes: 1) How have you developed a team of skilled audio techs in the past, if you’re starting from ground zero?

2) What are some good resources for honing your craft? Most specifically, if I was developing a training resource, not just in book format, what are some references you would recommend for learning things like EQ, Compression, Gain structures, Effects tuning, signal processing, etc.

3) Any thoughts on paying audio guys versus completely volunteer-run?”

Thanks for any response.

-T

I get direct emails sometimes, asking how I would handle various situations. Some are simple, just one question. Some require more thought. I like to take the complicated or elaborate ones public. That way everyone can applaud my genius response, or figure out that I really am a knucklehead. Ok, let’s look at this and see how many arguments I can provoke...

How have I developed a team of skilled techs?

Usually by absolute necessity. I ended up in a situation where I had an event that just demanded more than I was capable of managing with my current volunteers.

In all honesty, my first choice was always the youth group. I looked for someone old enough to drive and young enough to be living with their parents. Mature enough to be responsible for a car and a license, but no big responsibilities like paying bills. Intelligent enough to take directions, but dumb enough to volunteer as a tech. Something like that.

I tried to bring in adults, but they never lasted. There were a few who were just always there. The guy who tricked me into volunteering originally. The guy who had nine hundred kids and pretty much lived there anyway. The semi-psychotic guy who was incapable of sitting in the audience and HAD to be at the board. They were all dependable as daylight. They were always there. But those guys came in to help. They usually got in by putting their hands on cables and the

stage first. When they tried to put their hands on the mixer first, it was always trouble.

Always.

Mixing is only a piece of this puzzle. But, it’s the piece everyone sees. It’s the most critical. Nobody takes that seat first. They get that one after they have proven themselves everywhere else. Be nervous when anyone wants to mix before they have done anything else.

The guys who come into that sound booth, eyeballing the gear, telling you how much they know, feeding you their résumé are almost alway a flash in the pan. They want to add something else to their list, be seen behind the board. They are willing to volunteer as long as it seems to make them look more important. They will last until it becomes work. The first time someone tells them “no,” they will find someone else to work with.

Even if the biggest names in live sound showed up, I doubt I would just step aside

SPECIAL FEATURE March - April 2014

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a tech crew?

By M. Erik Matlock

and let them mix. Not because they aren’t qualified, but because that room was my responsibility. My pastor expected to see someone he knew, and trusted, behind that board. He told me how much he needed to see me there. He knew I wasn’t going to fail him. There were others who had burned him so bad, he couldn’t stay focused on the service when they were mixing. He expected them to cause a problem because they had done it so many times before.

I think I did well because my people skills are kinda weak. I didn’t mind being the bad guy. I didn’t have an issue telling someone I didn’t need their help. I didn’t need them to like me. I was quick to put a new volunteer in a crappy spot and see how they handled it. I knew if someone got stuck rolling cables, then re-rolling them all because they did it wrong, they had potential. If someone was willing to babysit a mixer in children’s church, without falling asleep, they might last. If I could hand them the most annoying and monotonous jobs, the least visible positions and the menial, tedious stuff… Then they showed back up next week; I had a winner.

The only ones who ever did that were from the youth group. Several of those kids are professionals now. This blog was started because of them. I wanted to go back and cover the stuff I never taught them. I would do it the same way all over again. It took time, but paid off whenever I needed anyone to help.

Good resources? Training manual?

First, don’t attempt to reinvent the wheel.

Writing your own training manual should be about this complicated.

1. Treat this like a job, show up early, stay late, be here when you are scheduled. Call if you can’t.

2. Learn to roll and repair cables ASAP. You will do a lot of that stuff.

3. Everyone rehearses at rehearsals. Take that time to experiment with effects, compression, etc. Wear your headphones, listen and learn. Don’t play games on your phone when there is an opportunity to learn.

4. Techs live in the shadows. If they know you are here, it’s because you just screwed something up. We don’t attract attention to ourselves. We are here to serve, not to stand in a spotlight.

5. Our mission is to take the vision of our pastor and bring it to life.

6. Try to not screw stuff up. If you do screw stuff up, don’t do it again, the same way.

Learn from it and move on.

7. If you don’t enjoy this stuff, feel free to step out. No hard feelings. Find your place.

Honestly, most guys who are in charge of other volunteer techs are there because they are dependable, not because they are expert techs. They are rarely qualified to train their own crew. They need to keep reading and learning as much as anyone.

Everyone on the crew needs to go to Church Production Magazine, and sign up for the free subscription and the email newsletters.

It’s free training from people who work this gear for a living. Make a point of reading the same stuff and bring it up in conversations.

Make sure they are reading, too.

Paid vs. Volunteer?

I never paid a tech, unless they were helping me get paid. Then they always got paid. I didn’t pay volunteers. I trained volunteers to see who could get paid. When they became dependable and knew enough to take on a gig, they got paying work. Within the church, I don’t know. I think it depends on the size of the operation and the level of commitment involved.

A church with 200 members and two musicians? Two or three services a week?

Not a chance. Straight volunteer work. Get a few people and rotate them. Not a high demand slot.

A church with 2000 members and 20 musicians? Yeah, most likely. That is over the line. That is demanding more time and commitment. There needs to be a paid tech in charge of the operation. Not just a tech. Someone with management skills who knows how to delegate, train, organize and hopefully mix. That position will carry a lot of responsibility. It will be a full time job.

However, don’t think that that right person is going to last if they aren’t paid competitively.

A quality tech with management skills is going to cost a lot.

Think about this. As a freelance tech, most of my work was on weekends, when there was more of an audience available. To lock down every Sunday, often meant giving up the whole weekend on paying gigs. When I was making $1200 on the weekend, that measly $50-100 offered for a Sunday was pretty hard to accept. Give up a good paying weekend for a tank of gas and a cheeseburger? Those techs will eventually be forced to choose one or the other.

When we learn to treat tech like a ministry within the church, it becomes more satisfying to the crew. They feel like they matter. Not like dogs who come back for a fresh beating every week. Treat your crew with respect and make sure they understand how valuable they are. This is a ministry of support. We matter. We are the ones who take this thing to the next level. We are the ones who make sure everyone sees the excellence within our ministry.

Usually, that’s worth more than a tank of gas and a cheeseburger anyway.

This article has been published with the permission of M. Erik Matlock. Over the course of his 20+ years in this business, Matlock has built several recording studios, served as Lead Audio Technician, Staff Media Director and independent contractor amidst designing and installing about 100 sound systems for churches, schools and businesses.

His credentials include having travelled with the late Chuck Colson’s Prison Fellowship for almost five years, setting up and running concerts for between 10 to 1,000 inmates in some 350 different prisons and working as a hired-gun sound tech for hundreds of shows, concerts, fund-raisers, political rallies, corporate events and RV shows.

To obtain a copy of his book and to read Matlock’s blog, visit artofthesoundcheck.com or scan the QR Code for quick access.

E-Tech Asia thanks Erik for his contribution and welcomes readers to send their opinions and thoughts to elissa@spinworkz.com

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UNDER THE LENS March - April 2014

HONG KONG: TRIALS & TRIBULATIONS

by Audrey Anne Felix

As the world’s freest market, Hong Kong is largely viewed as a hub for advanced technologies and smart solutions in government, commercial and entertainment venues. Systems Integration Asia, sister publication to E-Tech Asia, recently reached out to Hong Kong’s top system integrators, consultants and manufacturers to put together a report on this important center of finance and trade that has one of the greatest concentrations of corporate headquarters in the Asia Pacific region. Excerpts...

Daryl Grove, Global Business Director, Vega Group Vega was established in Hong Kong in 1986 and began life as a regional distributor for audiovisual technology and became a distribution agency for international manufacturers supplying the APAC theatre. Vega soon added consultancy, engineering and support services to its technology portfolio in order to provide a comprehensive solution resource. Welcomed by customers, Vega quickly became a leader in the design, implementation and support of converged videoconferencing and audiovisual solutions. In 2010 Vega instigated its “Vega Global” strategic program, expanding its operational capabilities across the global markets.

E-Tech Asia: Where do the opportunities for the SI industry lie in Hong Kong?

Daryl: There are a number of factors over the past few years that have affected our industry and the current areas of opportunity. The first is the financial crisis in 2008, and the following financial uncertainty that posed challenges to many multinational companies and has resulted in more cautious spending. Throughout 2008 and in the following year, many projects were put on hold and budget was cut completely. This actually resulted in a bounce back in 2010 and 2011 when many organizations were forced to catch up on projects that had been delayed over the previous years. Now that

Ben Lui, Asst. General Manager, Advanced Communication Equipment (Int’l) Co. Ltd Advanced Communication Equipment (Int’l) Co. Ltd. or ACE was set up in 1982, with a focus on businesses related to the broadcast and Telecommunications market covering multimedia, video, pro-audio, pro-sound, lighting & musical instruments. As the exclusive distributor of top brands in the field with relationships lasting more than 20 years, they work closely with system integrators to steer customers towards better solutions and support the SI industry as such. In 1997, ACE’s total turnover exceeded US$65 million.

has leveled back out, however the level of spending in MNCs has reduced due to a more cautious approach. In Hong Kong, SMEs are less affected by the global financial situation and we see a great opportunity in this sector, and in Macau the casino sector holds many opportunities with the rapid growth of that market.

The second key factor is the uptake in video usage as organizations look to become more efficient and competitive, both throughout SMEs and MNCs, and in other areas such as education where video is becoming far more prevalent. In this area we see significant opportunities in the uptake of cloud video solutions, which enable smaller organizations to use high quality video without the need to

Ian Harris, Principal Consultant, ihD Ltd ihD Ltd is a Hong Kong-registered Private Limited Company, specializing in Audio-Visual, Acoustics, IT, Security, PBX System Design and Consultancy, focused on Design, Consultancy, and Project Management. Ian D. Harris is an industry veteran with more than 27 years of experience as engineer, project manager, and consultant. Originally from the UK, Ian makes Hong Kong home now.

invest in expensive infrastructure themselves.

Ben: Over the last few years, there’s been a lot of disruption to installation businesses, which led to delays in project development.

For example, the West Kowloon Cultural District is a huge project, but it will take around 10 years to complete. Shopping center businesses may need support for background music, but they don’t require our assistance while the cinema is a growth area because these complexes have all upgraded to Dolby Atmos recently. Another opportunity for us is the new phase of development of casinos in Macau which looks to be significant based on the investments by Galaxy, Wynn and SJM Holdings over the next two years.

UNDER THE LENS March - April 2014

Ian: Hong Kong itself is not so busy for system integration presently; there is hotel refurbishment, racecourse renewal (HK Jockey Club), Corporate things like iBanking, meeting rooms etc. A lot of the large projects are in nearby Macau with its continued casino and related projects. There is a critical step, which the SI’s need to take, and one we took 5 years ago. This is to shift their thinking from analogue to digital AV, especially to embrace the so-called “IT” aspects.

The industry is talking about “Convergence of AV & IT”, with much talk of IT taking over AV. In reality, although many IT departments are being handed responsibilities for the AV systems, in terms of technology, IT is a subset of Audio-Visual, a natural extension of communications and control ability. It is not difficult and is very much easier to deal with than many of the aspects of AV, but it IS crucial that the system integrators embrace, train, and take the lead in IT matters, if they are to continue to prosper.

E-Tech Asia: Is your work predominantly in Hong Kong or beyond? Do you also take projects from around the region? Which markets and why?

Daryl: Vega is a global solutions provider, with 21 offices across 13 countries (Hong Kong, China, Macau, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Australia, UK and USA). Part of our unique value is the ability to deliver regional and global projects to customers from a single vendor, with a consistent service delivery in all locations. We are able to offer a single account manager and project manager to provide customers with single points of contact to communicate with for their projects. This approach has been extremely well received by customers, consultants and partners, where global standardisation is so important.

all parts of the APAC, as the whole region is very large compared with Hong Kong.

Aside from hotel/ mixed development (office, residential and mall), iBanking and museum/show suites, we work on churches, auditorium and educational establishments.

Our service is unusual and valuable to the developers as we handle the full IT and PABX, which is unusual. This covers security with surveillance and access-control, as well as bomb detection and other threat deterrence, audio-visual, and acoustics. This dovetails with the convergence I mentioned above.

E-Tech Asia: What are the challenges faced by the SI industry as a whole in Hong Kong? How does your organization as a company and brand, position itself and stay competitive in this region?

Daryl: The key challenge faced by the industry in recent years has come about through the move from analog to digital, and with the ownership of AV moving to IT. The key decisions makers on AV solutions has moved from the users into the CIO, yet there is still a lack of understanding of AV within the IT area. This has resulted in a decision making process that is more technical focused rather than functional. In this area, Vega have gained more IT knowledge and hired IT experts in order to bridge this gap, and help both educate these IT decision makers on AV solutions, as well as provide a level of comfort with the impact of AV on areas of IT such as the networks and security.

Ben: Our business covers China, Hong Kong and Macau. This is because most of the brands consider these three territories as one complete region. We cover mainly the broadcast, theatre, cultural center, stadium, arena, convention center, rental business, cinema, hotel, school and churches; basically anywhere you know where sound matters!

The other key challenge stemming from global financial uncertainty is a more cautious purchasing process, which has resulted in a stronger involvement from customer procurement teams, and requires more detailed justification of spending.

Vega have helped in this area through an educational sales approach, helping the customer to understand the value of the solutions we provide, and helping to provide recommendations where alternatives may be possible. Vega have been around for 28 years and are in this for the long term, which comes about through helping our customers select best value solutions, and as a result these same customers come back to us time after time.

Ian: 90% of our work is outside of Hong Kong and spread across Asia. We recently completed a hotel in Istanbul, a large set of meeting and conferencing facilities for an iBank in Shanghai, and a large museum project in Central China. We basically work in

Ian: For a consultancy, the challenge is availability of free design. Design/build is a tried and tested path for the clients, but very often means higher contract costs through lack of apples-for-apples tender returns, and no policing in quality where tender

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process though consultancy tends to mean the high-quality SI’s are the ones competing, Design/Build encourages the low-price sector with small companies and often inadequate processes, quality and documentation. We just keep on providing our clients a fulldesign service and are pro-active with the appointed SI’s to work with them for quality results, and our reputation has remained high in the market.

The biggest challenge for the SI industry is that many clients see AV equipment such as projectors in the shops and believe that an AV System is easy and cheap to build, just a matter of buying the boxes. The complexity of integration, negotiation with the interior designers, achieving super-short installation timescales with the other trades finishing late, and yet having to finish the work on time, are often completely overlooked.

The presence too, of some very low-priced vendors, tends to short-circuit the AV business, dropping the margins, and bringing about poor-practice. Pricing of USD2,000 for the complete control system software programming for a suite of boardrooms and meeting rooms is typical and a good example.

E-Tech Asia Perspective…

Systems integration like any other business has developed & grown in step with the technologies surrounding the industry. What would it take to improve the overall knowledge of businesses to enable better engagement practices with customers? Clearly having an informed audience is better than to not. Is it our responsibility as a whole to create that medium of communication as an industry? Possibly, and why not as the benefits are many. This isn’t just a question for Hong Kong SI folks but across the region, as many of our guests have said, their work does not stop within one territory, there will always be crossovers and this is a question that deserves some consideration. All companies interviewed are clearly internally structured for smooth, streamlined operations where internal training is run regularly and staff is given opportunities to develop skill sets, but this is not enough. We believe that bridging that gap through educating your potential customers across different businesses and disciplines can go some way in improving the process of providing systems integration. Food for thought?

Full article appears in Systems Integration Asia December-January 2014 issue.

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TECH TALK March - April 2014

It won't bite...

IT'S JUST LIGHT Optical fiber cable has been around for several decades, yet some systems integrators are still reluctant to use it.

And that's unfortunate, because it's never been easier to make the switch to fiber for AV interconnections.

The accelerating trend toward faster and denser digital signal interfaces is increasing demand for bandwidth. The high definition serial digital interface (HD-SDI) requires 3 Gb/s to pass a 1080p/60 signal. HDMI 1.4 currently caps out at 10.2 gigabits per second (Gb/s), while DisplayPort 1.2 has a bit rate ceiling of 17.2 Gb/s.

And that’s just today! With a new wave of 4K-resolution cameras, monitors, projectors, and televisions coming to market, digital video and audio interfaces will need to operate at data rates in excess of 20 Gb/s before long. Add in high-speed Ethernet and control signals, and you can see how today’s interfaces will “run out of road” before very long.

Faster, Wider Highways While there are continuing efforts to increase the capacity of copper wire, optical fiber presents an alternative signal transmission system that is already futureproof. Because it uses pulsed beams of light, optical fiber can switch signals at speeds much faster than today’s copper wire systems. And fiber can transport those signals over much greater distances.

Here’s an example. We can combine HDMI display, audio, Ethernet, RS-232, and IR control signals into one structured wire (Category 5e) cable, using the HDBaseT standard, and move all of these signals a maximum distance of 100 meters, or about 328 feet, from a transmitter to a receiver.

With optical fiber, the same signals can travel several miles before any measurable signal attenuation. And two or more sets of HDBaseT-format signals can be multiplexed into a single fiber to realize even greater signal transmission efficiency.

Optical fiber has many advantages over copper wire for signal transmission. It won’t break down in the presence of salt or fresh water, corrosive chemicals, solvents, or

gases, and can operate across an extreme range of temperatures. And optical fiber fits in nicely with current emphasis on “green” AV best practices, as silicon is organic and environmentally friendly.

There are just a handful of disadvantages to fiber. It is very easy to contaminate optical fiber connectors during assembly and use.

(That’s why those small plastic caps are supplied with fiber interfaces — use them on any open ports!) Dirt reduces fiber performance dramatically and may shut down a connection entirely, which is why connectors need to be installed carefully and can take longer to fit than those used for copper wire.

The Flavors of Fiber Although optical fiber is a pure light transmission system, there are only three wavelengths at which light passes through fiber cables. These specific wavelengths are known as transparency windows, and occur at 850 nanometers, 1310 nanometers, and 1550 nanometers. All these wavelengths of light are in the terahertz (THZ) region of the radio spectrum, far beyond the operating range of any wireless devices in use today. In fact, optical fiber is completely immune to RF interference.

There are two different types of optical fiber cable. The first is single-mode fiber, which uses a very small core that measures just .9 microns, less than the diameter [or width] of a human hair. The name “single-mode” comes from the behavior of light as it passes through the fiber in a direct path with no reflections. Single-mode optical fiber is always illuminated with laser diodes.

The second type of optical fiber is multimode. The core of a multimode optical fiber cable is quite a bit larger than that of a single-mode cable, measuring between 50 and 62 microns. In a multimode cable, light rays reflect and bend from the walls of the cable as they travel from transmitter to receiver. Multimode optical fiber cables are illuminated with light-emitting diodes instead of lasers.

TECH TALK March - April 2014

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Optical fiber fits in nicely with current emphasis on “green” AV best practices, as silicon is organic and environmentally friendly. switcher and route all of them through a single fiber. (You could also add in several streams of HD-SDI video and gigabit Ethernet and still not run out of capacity!) Think of how many separate copper wire cables you’d have to run to equal that much bandwidth.

There is a significant difference in performance between single-mode and multimode cables. Single-mode fiber has an attenuation specification of 6 dB per mile at a wavelength of 850 nanometers (nm), and 5 dB at 1310 nm. In contrast, multimode fiber attenuates the light energy by just 1.5 dB at 1310 nm, and only .3 dB per mile at 1510 nm.

It’s Not Sleight of Hand

As a result, multimode fiber is most often used for short signal runs, such as an HDMIto-fiber converter system within a building.

And it costs less than single-mode fiber with per-foot prices comparable to Category 5e structured wire. Single-mode fiber is better suited to longer cable runs, with a good example being a campus-wide telecommunications system.

Although optical fiber has been in wide use for many years in the telecom, satellite, and broadcast markets, many pro AV dealers and integrators shy away from it because they don’t want to deal with installing connectors.

And that reluctance was understandable, as optical fiber connectors usually required careful assembly in a dirt-free environment, using special tools and epoxy in a timeconsuming process.

Filling the Pipe Digital signals travel through optical fiber by means of a process called pulse-width modulation. The digital signal is coded into packets and transmitted by a series of pulses.

The bits of data conveyed by the duration and frequency of those pulses are then converted back to video, audio, and control signals at the receiving end, and converted to the desired digital signal interface format.

Now, here’s a neat trick. By manipulating the frequencies of light, we can pack two or more digital signals into a single fiber using a technique called wave-division multiplexing, or WDM. Think of a tunnel where cars and trucks can travel not only on the roadbed, but on the sides and even the ceiling, all at the same time and at different speeds, and you can appreciate how useful WDM is.

There are two wave-division multiplexing formats: coarse and dense. With coarse WDM, up to 16 discrete digital signals can travel simultaneously over a single optical fiber. Using dense WDM techniques, more than one hundred different digital signals will happily coexist in the same fiber.

That means you could take every output from a 32x32 or even a 64x64 HDMI or DVI matrix

That’s all changed. Nowadays, crimp-style connectors don’t require epoxy, nor do they need to be polished before assembly. (You still need to keep dirt away from the fiber, though!) These connectors take a couple of minutes to install, using stripping and crimping guidelines printed right on the connector package.

A special connector block holds the termination in place to ensure a secure crimp and precise spacing of the fiber end against the connector face. It’s not much more work than fitting a crimp-style BNC connector or installing an RJ-45-category wire plug, and there’s no waiting — the connector is ready to use as soon as you’ve attached the outer jacket.

One additional benefit to using optical fiber cable: The signal losses are so low that you don’t need to worry about excess cable. If the installation calls for a 10-foot interconnect and you have either prepared or have on hand a 25-foot optical fiber with connectors, go ahead and use it! Simply loop up and secure the excess cable out of the way.

Several different types of optical fiber cables are available to you, but the types you’re most likely to come across in AV applications

are SC (single-fiber) and LC (duplex fiber).

SC interfaces are the most common type on signal format converters, such as DVI and HDMI optical fiber extenders. LC interfaces are more often found in high-density distribution amplifiers and matrix switchers.

It’s possible to build optical fiber interfaces directly into cables. One example would be an HDMI extender with a small block at either end to hold the signal conversion electronics. LEDs are used to modulate the light through multimode optical fiber cable, and the LEDs are powered by a small wall transformer or a USB-style low-voltage DC connection.

In the Field There is literally no downside to using optical fiber for AV installations. Fiber weighs less than comparable copper-based cables for specified data rates and bandwidths, is extremely flexible, and occupies minimal space in electrical conduit and cable trays. It also provides security for data transmission, unlike copper wire, and is the ideal solution for eliminating common-mode noise, more commonly referred to as ground loops.

There are also “mission critical” applications that prohibit the use of copper wire, such as spark-free environments where volatile substances are in use, hospital operating rooms, locations with high levels of radio frequency interference (RFI), and spaces subject to high levels of impulse noise.

Optical fiber signals can be switched and distributed in a similar manner to copper wire signals. There are optical fiber matrix switches and repeaters that can take one signal and distribute it to multiple receivers.

Optical fiber switches can also operate in a hybrid mode, accepting copper formats like HDMI, DisplayPort, and HD-SDI, and converting them directly to fiber at the output for transmission, saving the time and cost to install signal format converters. (This is a similar approach to using direct category wire outputs in switchers.)

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TECH TALK March - April 2014

Although it’s not common in commercial AV installations, optical repeaters can be installed to restore the amplitude of the modulated light and also correct for any distortions that may occur along the signal path. The most common are chromatic dispersion, or spreading of the modulated light rays over time, resulting from different velocities of light rays (occurs only in single-mode cables), and modal dispersion, or spreading of the modulated light rays over time. The latter is created by different propagation modes in multimode fiber.

You may be surprised to learn that chromatic and modal dispersion problems can be corrected by using passive optical fiber products! Think of a prism that refracts light into colors of the spectrum, and simply reverse that process — combining the individual colors back into a single beam of white light.

There are two primary interference issues when using wave-division multiplexing.

The first is crosstalk, when one pulse-width modulated signal “bleeds” into another PWM signal. (The crosstalk phenomenon in

You can future-proof your new installations for years to come by switching to fiber for all signal interconnects. condition arises when two or more optical carriers “beat” against each other to create spurious harmonics at the sum or difference of the carrier frequencies. This is solved by using very tight optical filters in the signal multiplexing equipment.

Keep in mind that all these corrective methods are built in to optical fiber switches and repeaters. You won’t need to change filters or make any adjustments in the field — just plug in your connectors and you are ready to go. But you should make every effort to provide a dust-free environment, so a can of compressed air is handy when attaching fiber connectors.

Adding Fiber to Your Diet If you haven’t considered using optical fiber before, now would be a great time to start.

The introduction of 4K (Ultra High Definition) TV at CES 2013 and subsequent 4K product announcements at the NAB 2013 trade show are evidence of the next big thing in display technology — displays with four times the resolution of today’s TVs and projectors.

That means four times as much data must be moved from source to display, creating a potential bandwidth bottleneck. While there are groups working on enhancements to existing display standards (HDMI 2.0 and Display Stream for DisplayPort), you can future-proof your new installations for years to come by switching to fiber for all signal interconnects.

optical fiber is similar to crosstalk in copper wire.) The remedy is to use optical filters with narrow bandpass characteristics.

Another interference problem with WDM is known as intermodulation distortion. This

Optical fiber is lighter, smaller, faster, flexible, immune to interference, “green,” and comparably priced to structured wire. The connectors have never been easier to install and the interfaces support every AV signal format in use today. What are you waiting for?

This article is re-printed with permission from Kramer Electronics. The article first appeared in Kramer CONNECTIONS May 2013 issue. www.kramerelectronics.com

Did You Know?

There are only three wavelengths at which light passes through fiber cables. These specific wavelengths are known as transparency windows, and occur at 850 nanometers, 1310 nanometers, and 1550 nanometers.

There are two different types of optical fiber cable: single-mode fiber and multimode.

Multimode fiber is most often used for short signal runs, such as an HDMI-to-fiber converter system within a building. Singlemode fiber is better suited to longer cable runs, with a good example being a campus-wide telecommunications system.

By manipulating the frequencies of light, we can pack two or more digital signals into a single fiber using a technique called wavedivision multiplexing, or WDM. There are two wave-division multiplexing formats: coarse and dense. With coarse WDM, up to 16 discrete digital signals can travel simultaneously over a single optical fiber.

TECH TALK March - April 2014

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Do You See These Blurred Lines?

The growing convergence of lighting and video technologies combined with the rapid growth of LEDs in Entertainment Lighting are starting to blur the lines between digital video and moving lighting space. But in which sector is the convergence the most prevalent? Will it help or hinder work processes?

In an E-Tech Asia exclusive, Director of Product Management at High End / Barco Lighting Systems, Chris Ferrante sheds some light on the current mishmash of technology and where it is going. Excerpts..

E-Tech: What exactly is Digital Lighting and how does it work?

Chris: Digital Lighting is the ability to quickly and creatively manipulate video content to present audiences with an experience that cannot be achieved through conventional sources. Digital Lighting is incredibly flexible and offers the designer [and through him/ her] the audience, an almost unlimited palette of options to choose from.

E-Tech: Do you agree that there has been a growing convergence of lighting and video technologies as well as a rapid growth of LEDs in Entertainment Lighting sector in the past 5 years?

Chris: I think we have seen this convergence in several ways. Lighting Designers have embraced the video element and incorporated it in their designs, giving them complete control of the look and feel of a show. As well as this, in some areas, the need for a single person to control both the lighting and video portions (sometimes due to budgetary constraints) has led to this convergence. LED’s, both in lighting and as Video walls, have seen a very large increase in use. From a video point of view, since cost

has come down and resolution has increased, many shows use this technology.

E-Tech: Does this convergence impact digital video and moving lighting as separate entities?

Chris: I am not sure that it does impact them as separate entities, apart from the fact that the operators need to be more savvy, have more experience and be able to deal with more complex set-ups.

E-Tech: Can this convergence be seen in the live sector? Will it help or hinder work processes?

Chris: I think this is where it is most prevalent actually. I think on the hinder or help it all depends on who you ask. I am sure there will be some that suggest the increased work load is a hindrance so it really depends on the individual.

E-Tech: Do you know of any technical applications where these products have helped work-flow?

Chris: I think the most obvious example is in the corporate sphere, where digital lighting offers far more flexibility than static video options and also reduces the amount of

equipment needed. You can, at one point during the event, be projecting a corporate presentation and then using the same products, turn the meeting room into an immersive environment. All in real-time.

E-Tech: What are some of Barco's convergence and integration strategies?

Chris: We aim to leverage Barco’s projection knowledge coupled with High End Systems control and movement expertise to open this segment up to a wider market area.

Head-quartered in Austin, Texas, High End Systems is a world-class manufacturer of automated and digital lighting instruments as well as lighting control systems.

With its acquisition of High End Systems, Barco reinforced its leadership position in the fast converging video and lighting segments.

Barco is active in more than 90 countries with about 3600 employees worldwide while High End Systems products specified by discerning lighting directors worldwide and distributed through its dealer and distributor network.

www.barco.com www.highend.com

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ADVERTORIAL March - April 2014

Clay Paky B-EYE début: Opinions & FirstHand Accounts Only a few days after its official launch, everyone was talking about it! Curiosity for the new B-EYE was huge, also thanks to the engaging advertising campaign that accompanied the launch with its "bee-concept" look. Lighting professionals recognize a really innovative product when they see one and immediately catch on to the wide range of new creative possibilities it offers for their projects.

After only one month, the B-EYE had already won prizes at Plasa and LDI, the two biggest world awards in our industry on both sides of the Atlantic. Comments on forums, Facebook and YouTube were rife especially with the video of the Clay Paky demo show at Plasa clocking up over 10,000 views in its first twenty-four hours.

In January 2014, B-EYEs were installed on the lighting rig at the Brit Awards Launch Show and, after that, they were used in the Jonathan Ross Show, broadcast in Britain by ITV. The new B-EYE has been specifically mentioned for many live events, television shows and corporate gatherings. The latest arrivals in the Clay Paky range will soon be thrilling audiences all over with their special effects.

GLYN

Glyn O’Donoghue, Ma naging Director of Am bersphere Solutions, for the United Kingd Clay Paky ’s sole distri om - “The B-EYE is a butor whole new category cusstomers. It’s really of fixture. Its versatility a perfect wash light wi amazed th an amazing zoom pow werful beam light wi range, then it’s a rea th a defined beam an lly d super fast moveme com mbination. But when nt - people really like we show what effects this the Com B-EYE can do, everybo mbining the wash, be dy gets stunned! am and effects featur es all together in a sin pack ckage for a designer gle fixture is a formida and for a rental comp ble any! It’s not just lighti on tthe B-EYE, we are ng people who comm getting questions on ent site from the scenic de amaazing range of diff signers too, because erent looks that the of the B-EYE can produce.”

tributor Paky ’s dis y la rs C , g n “Custome T Lighti e demo ghting, AC th D Li t a d LE rs te e a e v m m GEORGaEsek, Vice President orkf Aeut toon comments from ocunest.oIt is a powerful andaenffaepctipealing a George M ing ability, le units in merican m intensity n and mix ery capab v o portant A ti e im ra re e e th n ntre-beam th e y g r ll ce r a fo u u in lo ct n a o co ti is t ghtly and reduc , grea t B-EYE zoom so ti d no stark h intensity agree tha n to ig a h e re h g e it tu n x w ra fi s the inaire zoom ly, with th wash lum stem allow incredible xture. Last The effects n sy fi a l m h ca a it ti e p w b o e lity it.

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ADVERTORIAL March - April 2014

HERBERT

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The first coun try on contine ntal Europe to was Germany. receive a sign Herbert Marx, ificant numbe Sales Director A.leda B-EYE r of Clay Paky of Lightpower has completel B-EYE’s GmbH told us y w on over our cu and combina : “The new Cl tion of wash st om er s with its high lig ay Paky and beam feat dimming, with ht output, ric ures. Furtherm out any colour h colours ore its extrem shift, was wel white light fe ely smooth, ve l received. In atures: it is po ry precise addition, the ssible to match ttemperature.”

B-EYE offers gr all the colour eat s it produces with a certain colour Herbert Marx focused on th e remarkable for an LED lig beam shaping ht: “Also the fa functions, whi ct that the Bthat can be us ch are highly EYE K20 and K1 ed for beam eff innovative 0 produce an ex ec an eye-opener ts or configure tremely narrow , not to menti d as individual beam on the shape ly our customer co nt rollable micro mode for indi s, the rotatabl -beams was vidual beam sh e front lens th the cake. The aping options. at creates ne fact the B-EYE For many ver-seen-befor is silent means B-EEYE is perfec e effects was it is usable fo t both for lighti the icing on r noise-sensiti ng stages and ve projects. Al as an effects l in all the light.”

“Th hree importan t international how the B-EY stakeholders E’s reception have given en has been on th thusiastic firs Diirector. “Sev t-hand accoun e market,” co eral orders ha ts of ncluded Pio N ve arrived, de earnestly so th ah um liv , Clay Paky Sa er ies have alread at the B-EYE ca les y begun and w n play the lead e are working ing role in the forthcoming sh ow season.”

DISCOVER THE NEW B-EYE WEBSITE: www.b-eye.it www.claypaky.it

B-EYE K20, K1

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LIVE March - April 2014

SINGAPORE

UnUsUaL Productions knit an audiovisual fiesta

by Rosalind Tan

Sound and Lighting knit as one at Chingay 2014, where UnUsUaL Productions reeled in the big guns by deploying a well-rounded Yamaha Digital Audia/ Dante digital networking system for its audio, as well as the Avolites Art 2000 PowerCubes to power up the lighting. A celebratory feast for the eyes and ears!

Picture yourself at a circus, with stilt walkers and prancing lions (not necessary live ones) hovering over you, while a group of dance performers, artfully adorned in their ethnic costumes, act out a musical number – that's how much zest and excitement are packed in a single night, at the Chingay street parade in Singapore. Held each year during the first weekend of the Lunar New Year, it is truly a spectacular sight that is of a uniquely Singaporean tradition. This year's Chingay was held on the 7th and 8th of February with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially launching the start of the festivities on February 7.

The word 'Chingay', which translates to 'Zhuang Yi (妆艺)' in Mandarin, connotes the “art of costume and masquerade”.

This National Event is also the largest street performance and float parade in Asia. The dynamism of Singapore's vibrant and multicultural society is personified,

quite literally, in this larger-than-life street extravaganza.

The theme for this year's parade was “Knit As One”.

UnUsUaL Productions, the production team behind the spectacular, teamed up with Yamaha, Total Solution Marketing and Highlight Systems for the grand show which saw up to 8,000 multi-cultural performers, including contingents from China, Italy, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Poised as one with many firsts, the event involved 70,000 individuals – the largest number of participants in the parade's history, and featured new acts such as giant puppets, the boisterous and lively 'Ge Tai (歌台)' performances, as well as a community

drama performance and a parade of horses to commemorate the year of the horse.

Scores of spectators, both local and foreign, joined the performers along the streets to celebrate and watch the spectacle.

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“This is a significant investment for UnUsUaL’s inventory. Our customers will most definitely appreciate the difference in sound and ease of installation, set-up and operation. The major benefit is the reduction in cabling as well as the labour and manpower required to run such a large, multi-core production.”

– Johnny Ong, Director, UnUsUaL Productions on their Yamaha Digital Audio / Dante digital networking system inventory

An earful of music A crucial part of the parade is secured on the ambience of the environment. Vibrant floats, dancing dragons, prancing lions and stilt walkers – a sight that can only be heightened with an immersive audio experience.

The parade was divided into two sectors, which were further segregated into six performance grounds (three on each side). Stages in the first sector constitutes the main stages for both the opening and closing acts, which would then become stand-alone stages as the parade progresses.

The event relied on a sophisticated and powerful Yamaha Digital Audio / Dante digital networking system. It was the backbone behind the event's huge technical infrastructure which includes a Yamaha LS9 master control with two Dante-MY16-AUD interface cards handling a 32 In 32 Out to control inputs and outputs. This transmitted all signals into

star topology network, which featured three LS9, one Yamaha M7CL and two O1V 96i digital mixing consoles, all featuring Dante cards and each handling different aspects of the stage sound.

Dante is a combination of software, hardware, and network protocols that deliver uncompressed, multi-channel, low-latency digital audio over a standard Ethernet network. Dante builds and improves on previous audio over Ethernet technologies, such as CobraNet and EtherSound. Like most other audio over Ethernet technologies, Dante is primarily for professional, commercial applications. Most often, it is used in applications where a large number of audio channels must be transmitted over relatively long distances or to multiple locations.

Johnny Ong, Director, UnUsUaL Productions shares, “This is a significant investment for UnUsUaL's inventory. Our customers will most definitely appreciate the difference in sound and ease of installation, set-up

and operation. The major benefit is the reduction in cabling as well as the labour and manpower required to run such a large, multi-core production.”

“Chingay 2014 audio tech team realized that they needed a durable and stable audio-networking system that is able to carry audio signal up to 1km in length and yet required stable signal delivery. The Tech team chose Yamaha Digital Audio System together with Dante Networking system as the solution. The event eventually ended with good notes with the Consultant and the Tech team. They were glad that the audio signal stream through Yamaha Digital Audio System with Dante Network proved to be greatly stable and that it was able to carry audio signal in a highly complex situation and also in a harsh environment as it was an outdoor event that is susceptible to weather conditions.” said Lawrence Tan, Assistant General Manager of PA/CA Marketing for Yamaha Music Asia.

Yamaha M7CL

The main control room for audio featuring the Yamaha LS9 with Dante-MY16-AUD interface cards

Yamaha LS9

(Redundant Network)

DANTE AUDIO NETWORK SYSTEM DIAGRAM FOR CHINGAY

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“To power up 360 units of ARRI 2k True blue T2 Fresnel, the Avolite PowerCubes meet the maximum channel allocation which eventually helped us to cut down a lot on cable management as well as reducing troubleshooting time.”

– Roy Chooi, Director, Highlight Systems “It's great to have complete control of such a large-scale site.” adds Alan Meng, Director at UnUsUaL Productions.

The main PA system consists of 16 units of Electro-Voice X-line XVLT and 24 EV X-line XVLS array speakers, complemented by 24 Electro-Voice Xsubs subwoofers, as well as 16 units of Dynacore Cobra II and Dynacord Cobra subs, duly driven by 120 units of Electro-Voice P3000 Precision Series Power Amplifiers.

A further 36 units of Electro-Voice QRX 115s and 32 units of Electro-Voice XLD 281 line arrays supplemented the setup.

Illuminating hearts of the audience “This year saw an evolution of last year's set design, with a sturdier stage structure comprising of a wide range of 600mm x 600 mm, 450mm x 450mm, and 300mm x 300mm boxed global truss over a 800-metre wide arena, as well as 220 units of Chain Master 1 TON motor hoist – all supplied by Total Solution Marketing and rigged by UnUsUaL Developments ,” shared Johnny.

The entire lighting rig included 100 Martin MAC 2000 Washes, 60 Robe 300 classic beams, 4 units of Robert Juliat 2.5KW followspots, 360 units of Arri T2 True Blue 2K lighting fixtures and UnUsual Production's very own in-house IP-67 M3 LEDs which comprises 140 units of M3 5R effect beams, 240 units of M3 15R effect beams, 500 units of M3 LEDPAR 20 degree RGBW, all neatly rigged and spread across the towers at each performance ground.

The M3 lighting fixtures created by UnUsUaL Productions follows their investment last year in creating their own LED screens. As in the M3 LED Screens, much attention was paid to ensuring that the M3 lighting fixtures met the IP requirements for outdoor use.

For the evening's festivities, Highlight Systems' Director Roy Chooi reprised his role as lighting designer.

Each tower is rigged with 15 units of M3 15Rs and five Arri 2K Washes, allowing the lighting design team to utilize the tower space as a centerpiece backdrop for the whole parade.

Roy shares, “We wanted to create different looks for the different stage sets, so the

A full-size grandMA2 console and three grandMA2 lites running 27 DMX channels, were placed at front of house to run the show's lighting.

show was essentially broken down into visual layers, where the foreground and background lighting for each stage could either have video ghosted over them or be lit from front or rear – allowing the switch between subtle and very large lighting effects, thus boosting the overall scale of the show.”

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Highlight Systems, who had recently bulked up their lighting inventory with Art 2000 PowerCubes, utilized 24 units of their Avolites Art 2000 PowerCubes, to power up the lighting for the parade.

“To power up 360 units of ARRI 2k True blue T2 Fresnel, these PowerCubes meet the maximum channel allocation which eventually helped us to cut down a lot on cable management as well as reducing troubleshooting time,” shared Roy. He enthused, “There is not much wastage in terms of channels allocation when comparing it to a 24 channels or 48 channels dimmer rack and furthermore all ARRI 2k True blue T2 Fresnel units are constantly set at range of 75% to 100% thus to avoid dimmer overheating, PowerCube is preferred because only 18 channels may be lost per unit as compared to all the channels in a 48 channel dimmer rack.”

Christopher Loh, project manager for UnUsUaL Productions adds, “This is the first time the Arri 2Ks are being used in

The PA system for the parade was driven by a mix of Electro-Voice speakers

Singapore. The huge number used (360 in total) is to mainly cater for the broadcast recording. The Chingay parade was shown as a delayed telecast in the local TV station.

Lighting generally provides a challenge for broadcast recording and the Arri T2 fixtures are very suitable for HD recording.”

The three-hour festival cannily crafts folklore and traditions, into an theatrical show of harmony, peace and joy; where we can finally find relief from the bustle of modern life through these contemporary performances.

Knit as one, indeed!

A full-size grandMA2 console and three grandMA2 lites running 27 DMX channels, were placed at front of house to run the show's lighting.

www.unusual.com.sg www.yamahaproaudio.com www.highlight-systems.com www.tsm-int.com

Providing a complete solution to dimming, were two 48-channel Avolites Art2000s.

A parade for the people This exuberant, high-energy entertainment, could well offer audiences a treasured glimpse into the different cultures of Singapore and the world.

Combined with great sound, lighting and visuals, Chingay 2014 effectively evokes narratives of affection, restlessness and hope within the hearts of the audience.

FUN FACT The first formal Chingay Parade in Singapore was mooted by the then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, who was also the chairman of the People’s Association (PA).

Chingay, with all its noise and gaiety, would compensate for the ban on firecrackers, a customary New Year practice to drive away evil spirits.

LIVE March - April 2014

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SAUDI ARABIA

Clay Paky Fascinates @ Souq Okaze

U

sing an extensive line of Clay Paky products, well-known Saudi director and owner of Riyadh-based Rhythm Media Production, Futais Bugna, organized the Souq Okaze cultural festival and Saudi Arabia's National Day in the presence of his Highness Prince Mishaal bin Majid Al Saud, Governor of Jeddah.

The first was a drama based on the story of the pre-Islamic poet Ilashia, who - like many others - went to Okaze to find inspiration, spending nights in the desert in the company of wine and women. The story tells of how this man became famous for his poems, but also of how he came to a bad end for not embracing the Islāmic religion. The production involved fifty actors, together with camels and horses, on a stage with a 50m proscenium.

The director asked the Italian LD Emiliano Morgia for his creative contribution, which he provided with extensive use of Clay Paky lights.

"There were limitations to the design," said Emiliano, "because it was impossible to hang any kind of backlighting truss on

the structure. I was, however, able to make extensive use of Alpha Profile 1500s for the frontlighting, plus 24 x Sharpys, which I was able to place on the huge tent props thanks to their light weight".

"The Alpha Profile 1500s are incomparably accurate, with an optical sharpness like no other light on the market. I also used several Alpha Spot HPE 700s to illuminate the scenery."

With a set designed by Abdullah Siddique, a naturalized Saudi designer of Pakistani origin, the show was broadcast live by the national television channel Saudi 1 and was followed by over 20,000,000 viewers. A considerably unique record for this type of event.

"I am always happy to work with Futais.

He is a great director and a person of great humanity. I was put in a position to interpret the whole drama, even without understanding a word of Arabic. However, when a story is well written and performed in such an intense way, you do not need words to understand the meaning,” said Emiliano.

The lighting system was managed and programmed by Associate LD Nick Calthrop, who used 2 x Hog4s connected in a network.

He pre-programmed the show with the use of WYSIWYG. Four days after the first big event, a stage was set up on the same site to celebrate the

National Day using the same lighting material and an additional 12 x 25,000 ANSI lumen video projectors.

Emiliano concluded: "By using Clay Paky, I am always able to deliver my clients a quality product, no matter where I am, in Italy, Asia or the Middle East. Clay Paky's quality helps me offer a top-ranking product and the clients are always satisfied with what I do.

The saturated colours of Clay Paky lights are unmistakable and often even laypeople are fascinated by the Sharpys' unique beauty.

My thanks go to Pasquale Quadri, Chairman of Clay Paky, whose work has taken Italian products around the world keeping the level of our reputation high."

CLICK LINK TO WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtTE0_ nymzE www.claypaky.it

IN A HURRY? • • • • • •

Main: Alpha Profile 1500s Frontlighting: 24 x Sharpys Scenery: Alpha Spot HPE 700s Consoles: 2 x Hog4s Pre-programming: WYSIWYG Projection: 12 x 25,000 ANSI lumen video projectors (National Day Only)

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ISRAEL

Robe Gets Into The ‘Festigal’ Spirit Ronen Najar, one of Israel’s leading LDs, specified Robe moving lights as the backbone of his design for the 2013 ‘Festigal’ event.

Photos by LOUISE STICKLAND

F

estigal is an elaborate and high-profile song and dance show for children staged for five weeks each year during Hanukkah in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa and Beer Sheva featuring many well-known Israeli singing and dance stars. The Tel Aviv edition was held in a 6500 capacity arena at the Exhibition Centre playing between two and four times a day – all sold out - keeping its young and demanding audiences hooked!

This latest show was staged in-the-round with an X-shaped set designed by Nitzan Rafael and built by Irgunit, which was the starting point for Najar’s lighting design.

Flexible, colourful and fluid lighting was needed to deal with the lively fast-moving array of scenes and costumes for a show which was nearly three hours long!

The Robe-count included 28 x ColorSpot 2500E ATs, 24 x ColorWash 2500E ATs and 8 x ColorWash 1200E ATs all provided by rental company Argaman and rigged on trusses flown above the stage in the centre of the room.

Festigal lighting was programmed and operated – for the seventh time - by Cfir Asraf using a grandMA2 light console, and this year the moving lights were a primary new visual element, and as such were used for all the major effects and specials.

The ColorWash 1200E ATs provided the main front light for the performers and soloists – the first time they have had such an adaptable front lighting source at their disposal for the show. The rest of the Robes plus other fixtures were used to produce numerous effects coupled with drama and excitement as the onstage action unfolded.

The crew certainly didn’t find themselves short of new looks and scenes that could be created.

Asraf works full-time for Argaman Systems and has been using Robe products for the last eight or nine years. He comments, “The products have always been reliable and solid, and we are always looking to Robe to bring out new and interesting technologies”.

The Roshayam based company also has plenty of Robes in its rental stock, with the most recent purchases from Robe’s Israeli distributor Danor being MMX Spots and LEDBeam 100s. Argaman Systems has just supplied Robe MMX Spots to the latest series of the ‘Rising Star’ TV series, another popular singing competition also with lighting designed by Najar. www.robe.cz

IN A HURRY? • Main for Performers & Soloists: 8 x ColorWash 1200E ATs • Scenery, Effects: 28 x ColorSpot 2500E ATs, 24 x ColorWash 2500E ATs • Console(s): grandMA2 light

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AUSTRALIA

TDC provides the perfect video backdrop for 27th ARIA Awards Video display experts, Technical Direction Company (TDC) supplied all video technology elements for the 27th ARIA Awards held at The Star in Sydney, Australia. the stage. Because the venue didn't have the ceiling height, we had to think of something different and thankfully TDC had some special screens available. TDC suggested early on that we use 6x6m screens with custombuilt truss to roll them in and out creating a seamless image and transition,” he explained.

Olin Winton, Technical Manager at TDC said, “Creating a seamless video and LED video technology elements was vital to this project.

We were able to use some of our highest resolution LED stock for the 27th ARIA Awards which created the perfect backdrop to the Australian and international music performances.”

“We really appreciate the support that TDC gives the ARIA Awards and the Australian music industry,” ended Long. www.tdc.com.au Images courtesy of Michael Long, ©ARIAs

T

he ARIA Awards are the official awards of the Australian Record Industry Association attended by an audience of over 4,000. The event was broadcast live on Channel 9’s “GO!” with performances from many Australian artists including Birds of Tokyo, Bliss n Eso and Tame Impala as well as special guest appearances from Alicia Keys and Lorde.

Production of the ceremony was by Michael Long and Vicki Gerrans. Set design was by Kim Buddee. Stunning screen graphics were produced and operated by Rod Morris.

TDC supplied custom automated rolling screens with ultra-bright 26K HD projectors, that not only provided a uniform, concise and clean look according to the set design but also acted as a mask for set changeover. TDC also supplied 200sqm of high-resolution LED video display as well as video projections and creative and scenic LED elements along with switching, control and technical crew.

ARIA Event Producer, Michael Long said: “We’ve worked with TDC for a number of years because they have quality products, they always deliver on time and within

budget, meeting our set designers needs and music act requirements. TDC has an excellent logistical and creative team that can cope well with any last-minute changes.”

“For the Birds of Tokyo, Tame Impala, Jessica Mauboy performances and various DJ’s we used all 4 LED screens on stage along with two side screens. We created a specific look for act changeover where TDC’s two large projection screens came down and covered

IN A HURRY? • Event: 27th ARIA Awards • Production Company: Technical Direction Company (TDC) • Provided: Custom automated rolling screens with ultra-bright 26K HD projectors, 200sqm hi-res LED video display, video projections, creative LED elements, switching, control and technical crew.

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MYANMAR

27th SEA Games Highlights

Multimedia Bonanza with Christie Digital In 2013, the 27th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) was held in Myanmar for the first time in over four decades.

With expectations running high, organisers turned to trusted high quality manufacturers, Christie Digital and MIPRO, to fulfill their projections and wireless audio needs.

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hen Myanmar learned it would host Southeast Asia’s annual preeminent regional athletic event for the first time in 44 years, the pride of the developing nation was bolstered – and its need for preparation was quickly identified.

“There were 11 ASEAN countries participating in this year’s event, and with their leaders in attendance and the world watching, Myanmar was center stage,” said Sin Yaw Mg Mg, Creative Director for the event’s opening and closing ceremonies and a representative of Myanmar. “Our nation has endured a great deal, and hosting this event after more than four decades was huge an opportunity. Our preparation and planning took two years, and we realized during that process that we needed to deliver a high-tech experience. This was our moment, our time to shine.”

The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2013 Southeast Asian sports spectacle held in Naypyidaw, Myanmar were a sight to behold and made international headlines. But the challenges faced in making the 2013 version a success were significant. A key component in bringing the concept to life was the lighting projection.

“Based on a number of factors, we knew the Christie Roadsters would be the right choice,”

said Yong Li of Beijing Hengxin Ruicheng Multimedia Technology and Technical Director for the ceremonies. “First, the need to project on the floor of the Stadium and the height limitations of the venue’s roof called for projectors that could deliver high quality multimedia at a steep angle. Also, the weather in Myanmar is wet and brings longer hours of daylight with high temperatures.

This meant that we needed projectors which could withstand inclement conditions and still perform at the highest level. The Christie Roadsters provided the unique blend of durability and high-design we needed.”

Ultimately, the decision was made to attach the Roadsters to steel rods and stack them in 10 sets of 4 along the rooftop. This enabled the broad range of high-quality lenses found on the Christie S+22K-J projectors – all utilizing Intelligent Lens System capabilities – to be put to good use.

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While the event brought together competitors and spectators from around the region, it also provided an opportunity for relationships to strengthen away from the field of play. Nowhere was this more evident than in the technical management of the event – where representatives from Myanmar and China worked closely together.

“The people of Myanmar and China have a good relationship,” said Zheng Yuan, Chief Commander for Technical Assistance representing China. “So when Myanmar requested support, our country responded – and we felt we could be particularly helpful in providing technical assistance. As a result, the production teams from Myanmar and China worked very closely together to ensure the technical processes and preparation were in place. The opening and closing ceremonies of the event were a great success, and they were a strong reflection of Myanmar’s distinctive and rich culture and history.”

The desire to convey the unique story of Myanmar called on another strength of the 40 x Christie Roadster S+22K-J 3-chip DLP units: the ability to provide projector mapping to fit any surface and space.

During the opening ceremony in particular, the Roadsters delivered in a big way – casting intricately detailed images down from the venue’s roof through projection mapping. In the process, the Christie projectors turned the surface of the Wunna Theikdi Stadium into a blue river, green farmland and field of flowers during the course of the event.

The stunning results provided a palate of Myanmar’s past and present for the event’s spectators and a source of shared pride for the Art Directors overseeing its execution.

“The opening and closing ceremonies were planned to illustrate and share the story of Myanmar,” commented Juying Hu, Creative Director for the event’s opening and closing

and representative of China. “Presenting floor graphics through high-performance projectors gave us the opportunity to express that in a meaningful way.”

“The programs we presented utilized 3D projection technologies and projector mapping to bring the story we were telling to life,” added his counterpart from Myanmar, Sin Yaw Mg Mg. “In the first scene of our opening ceremony, we used the projectors to bring the flow of the Irrawaddy River – our country’s ‘Mother River’ – right through the Stadium. This was only possible because of the projector mapping capabilities of the Roadsters.”

Lihe Xiao, Lighting Designer for the event, had a similar take. “Xingguang’s large digital screen and Christie projectors presented very beautiful imagery and resolution. A lot of lighting was used to throw low-angled moving lights on the stage, and it worked quite well, thanks in large part to the equipment we brought to bear.”

Christie Roadster S+22K-J 3-chip DLP projectors are uniquely designed to deliver projector mapping at the highest level, thanks to Christie Twist. This technology enables users to expertly edge-blend multiple curved images seamlessly, precisely control multiple edge-blended images, and warp displays to almost any projection surface.

Meanwhile, amidst the many relationships strengthened through the Myanmar event, was that between Xingguang and Christie.

“Xingguang is one the leading production companies for venues, large-scale events, as well as opening and closing ceremonies, and Christie is proud of our continued relationship with them as our Beijing partner,” commented Ken Wheatley, Director of Sales, Business Products with Christie Asia Pacific. “Our companies have a shared history and commitment in delivering high-level projection and media production expertise, and the 2013 Myanmar-hosted sports event is further evidence of that.”

“From the 2008 global sports event in Beijing to the Shanghai Expo 2010 to a series of large-scale performance events, we’ve looked to Christie to deliver the best in projection and they’ve delivered time and again,” added Li. “We have strong faith in Christie’s projectors, and we are continuously satisfied with the after-sale service they provide as well.”

It seems the partnership between Xingguang and Christie is as strong as ever, a definite boon for Asia businesses and organizations in need of high-level visualization solutions. www.christiedigital.com

IN A HURRY? • EVENT: 2013 SEA Games • PARTNER: Xingguang (Starlighting) • SOLUTIONS: 40 x Christie Roadster S+22K-J 3-chip DLP projectors

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27th SEA Games Highlights

MIPRO Provides Clarity with Wireless Systems

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ith nearly 5000 athletes participating in 37 different sporting tournaments, MIPRO was the main wireless systems supplier for the opening and closing ceremonies. Audio equipment included wireless microphones, wireless in-ear monitoring systems and a wireless intercom system.

Wireless microphone systems 2 groups of wireless microphone systems were used in the opening ceremony, the first contained 4 x ACT-828 dual-channel digital receivers and 1 spare receiver, 1 x AD-707a antenna divider and 2 x AT-90W log antennae, of which 2 x ACT-80H handheld were provided for the Master of Ceremonies, 2 BC-100 boundary mic with ACT-80T and MM-202 gooseneck microphone for Myanmar’s Vice President, 1 ACT-80T fitted with MU-53HN headworn mic for the flag captain.

The second wireless microphone system contained 5 x ACT-74 quad-channel analog receivers and 1 spare receiver, 1 AD-707a antenna divider and 2 AT-90W log antenna, while 16 ACT-70H handheld were used for the two program presenters, Chairman of Myanmar Olympic Committee, athlete oath and singers.

Wireless in-ear monitoring system In such a large event, it was crucial that

program presenters, singers, and the thousands of performers were able to monitor their music and receive the relevant program information in sync. This was why the wireless IEM system played a critical role.

The event featured 8 x monitor channels, coupled with 8 x MI-808T transmitters. To avoid intermodulation, every 4 MI-808T transmitters’ output signals were integrated into one signal via AD-808 antenna combiner.

Due to the wide range of the performances, the original 100mW output power of the MI808T was unable to cover the range, so AD808 had to be connected to the AD-90A high power amplifier which upgraded the output power to 1W to meet the requirement.

In addition, to cover the wide dynamic for a large number of performers, sound engineers use the AT-100 circularly polarized directional antenna as a transmitting antenna. With its polarized feature, the AT-100 can effectively reduce the polarization loss of an antenna and obtain optimal signal quality no matter the vertical or horizontal pattern. The event used more than 400 sets of monitoring receivers and earphones for all performers.

Antenna systems There were 7 x AT-90W wideband log directional antenna and 2 x AT-100 circularly polarized directional antenna used for both ceremonies. 2 x AT-90W with ACT-828

digital systems provided for Myanmar’s Vice President, Masters of Ceremonies and the flag captain. Additionally, 2 x AT-90W with ACT-74 wideband analog systems were given to program presenters, the Chairman of Myanmar Olympic, the athlete oath and singers. For staff communication, another 2 AT-90W with ACT-74 wideband receiver systems and 1 AT-90W as a transmitting antenna with the intercom system MTS-100T and MTG-100Ra were provided. All monitor systems by performers utilised 2 AT-100 with the IEM system MI-808T & MI-808R. MIPRO senior sound technical consultant, Daniel Ku stated, "MIPRO's latest antenna system delivers superior signal transmission quality, especially in such a large sports field.

Reception range and signal stability is the biggest challenge, as the shortest distance between the main stage and the mixing console is 150 meters while the longest is more than 350 meters. MIPRO wireless microphones systems plus antenna systems are the “Gold combination” to achieve a “zero defects” performance with excellent sound quality and stable reception. All sound team members are very satisfied with the results!” www.mipro.com.tw

LIVE March - April 2014

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Ralph Larmann / © 2014, A&O Technology

A&O Technology Hits the Ground Running

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ith three spectacular events, A&O Technology in the role of general contractor, along with its in-house creative department, was able to close out the year 2013 in style and hit the ground running in 2014. Under the leadership of lighting designer, Jerry P. Appelt, the lighting specialist bathed the Burj Khalifa in light to mark the announcement that the city had been chosen to host Expo 2020. Following the announcement, a magnificent light show in Doha marked National Day 2013, and a further superb lighting spectacle which included a record-breaking firework display on the 31st of December at the Atlantis, The Palm in Dubai heralded the advent of 2014.

“A&O Technology is now excellently placed in terms of ideas and expertise to participate in shaping the future of the lighting sector,” says Marco Niedermeier, CEO.

It began with the news that Dubai will be hosting Expo 2020. This will be the first time ever that the world’s fair is held in an Arab country. To mark the announcement, A&O Technology bathed the 828m high Burj Khalifa from top to bottom in blue and white using Xenon searchlights. This was also the first time the tower had been lit from all three sides to create a 360° illumination.

The expo colours gave way at the end of the show to the colours of the national flag, to mark the United Arab Emirates’ National Day. To underline the role of the world’s highest building as a landmark visible from afar, A&O Technology pulled off a logistical masterpiece in a relatively short space of time.

Next it was time in Doha for Qatar to celebrate its own National Day. It does so on 18 December each year to celebrate its independence, this being the day Sheik

Jassem bin Mohamed bin Thani, the founder of the state of Qatar, took power in the year 1878. The location of the installation for the National Day illumination was Old Palm Trees Island. It was the first time fireworks and moving searchlights had been installed in the cramped location and it required A&O Technology to work closely with the pyrotechnicians.

The highlight of the show was the first use of the ‘Double Twister’ composed of 7,000W searchlights flanked by fans of light spread

by FALCON 6000 CMY searchlights. This architecture of light, formed by columnlike beams, had already in a simpler form enthused onlookers in Azerbaijan and Muscat. For this event, A&O Technology installed FALCON BEAM colour 7,000W and FALCON 6000 CMY fixtures on the small island – a logistical challenge in itself as all the equipment had to be transported there by ship.

Back in Dubai, the huge New Year celebrations at Dubai’s leading entertainment resort included a 360° façade illumination with searchlights. A&O Technology participated in a record-breaking production, as the accompanying firework display involved the use of some 500,000 individual fireworks!

This was one Arabian night in which the sense of expressions like ‘sea of light’ and ‘riot of colour’ became abundantly obvious. With a six-minute light-show, Dubai celebrated the arrival of the New Year at the Atlantis Resort in incomparable style.

Accompanied by the Atlantis’s legendary SANDANCE Music Festival, the event drew party-goers in their thousands from all over the world. This was the first time that

FALCON 6000 CMY searchlights had been employed as wall washes and they proved fully convincing in the role.

On the beach side, the main public area, FALCON CMY LED-VIDEO moving LED/ xenon hybrid searchlights with LED panels complemented the façade illumination and the play of beams from the roof. The installation of the FALCON BEAM colour 7,000W searchlights on the roof, incidentally, was also no simple matter, as the devices and equipment had to be moved through the lobby and up the stairs of the hotel while it was still receiving guests. Yet in spite of all the difficulties, A&O Creative managed in the end to make this already luxurious hotel even more magnificent and impressive, with rays reaching into the sky against a backdrop of pyrotechnics.

For all three events, A&O Creative was responsible for the design, control, execution and operation of the light show, whilst A&O Technology appeared in the role of general contractor, also for each event. www.ao-technology.com

IN A HURRY? • Events: Expo 2020, National Day 2013, Advent of 2014 • Production Company: A&O Creative & A&O Technology Equipment: • Xenon searchlights • FALCON BEAM colour 7,000W • FALCON 6000 CMY fixtures • FALCON CMY LED-VIDEO moving LED/ xenon hybrid searchlights with LED panels

AUSTRALIA

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Bosch PLENA matrix: Perfect fit for Hard Rock Café

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To ensure a powerful sound reinforcement, the VisionX team installed a sound system consisting of Electro-Voice loudspeakers, amps and subwoofers.

Famed for its’ memorabilia, burgers, merchandise and cocktails, the Hard Rock Café chain continues to depend on reinforced back ground music, foreground and live Professional Audio systems to ensure its’ patrons remain in an upbeat mood.

Owing to the long operations hours of the venue, the VisionX team were restricted to refitting the resultant Bosch/Electro-Voice sound system within one week during nights once the final patrons had departed.

Fortunately, with its single-cable approach, PLENA Matrix provided efficient and quick system set-up. Wireless remote control is offered via an App downloadable to IOS mobile devices including an iPad and iPhone.

The original audio system was deemed unsatisfactory to the needs of the Sydney outlet and so VisionX were called upon to install a digital solution designed by principal ICT consultant Mal Barnes from Umow Lai.

In a venue that boasts a Save the World mural, intelligent energy management boosts its’ credentials in which Bosch motion detectors enhance amplifiers with AutoStandby mode when zones are inactive.

ffering a spectacular vista across Darling Harbour, the Hard Rock Café Sydney has quickly established itself as a favourite waterfront destination for entertainment and dining. Having reopened in 2011 at its new location, the 500+ capacity venue includes a lounge bar, outdoor balcony dining area and a live performance area.

“I attended a seminar on the new Bosch PLENA matrix system recently, and was suitably enough impressed to realize that it was exactly the right fit for the Hard Rock Café project. The venue required eight zones of sound distribution and control, which was ideal as the PLENA matrix comes with an 8x8 DSP mixer and loudspeaker processor with fixed DSP architecture, making it easier for the contractor to achieve a consistent result.”

Until recently, such a refit would have been very challenging - but not anymore”, concluded Mal. “In addition, the PLENA Matrix system is fully programmable and the staff here can be flexible with the zones.

For price conscious installations, the savings in long-term power consumption and initial installation costs are attractive benefits to any owner or manager.” www.boschsecurity.com

In A Nutshell • Venue: Hard Rock Café Sydney, Sydney, Australia • Integrators: VisionX • Main: Bosch PLENA matrix Digital Sound System • Sound System: Electro-Voice loudspeakers, amps and subwoofers

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Laserworld On Rama VIII Bridge

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any of the major bridges spanning the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok are named after Kings. However, one bridge stands out above all others due to itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique atmosphere, and that bridge is the Rama VIII Bridge aka Saphan Phra Ram 8.

Named after the late King Ananda Mahidol, it is the thirteenth bridge crossing the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.

A testament to the compassion of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the bridge was commissioned to solve the major traďŹ&#x192;c and transportation problems that have plagued the country for many years. Hence, the bridge is seen as symbol of how kind the King is to the Thai people. To tell the story of the bridge and the King as well as to provide yet another attraction to Bangkok City and its residents, Lighting & Equipment Bangkok decided to use laser show systems as the perfect medium.

However, due to very high humidity and extreme temperatures, as well as the permanent vibrations on the bridge, special equipment was necessary to illustrate the story of the bridge. To cope with the problems while retaining quality systems, Lighting & Equipment Bangkok enlisted the help of Swiss manufacturer, Laserworld and its subsidiary, RTI.

As a result, 1 x RTI NANO 4 RYGB 22 and 2 x RTI PIKO G10 were chosen. The RTI NANO 4 RYGB has an output power of about 20,000mW, while the single green laser light systems, RTI PIKO G10, have an output power of about 10,000mW each. All laser lights were mounted inside an RTI COCOON climate housing which was developed to protect the systems against the environment and to keep them at ideal operating temperatures.

As a popular haven for the young and old, countrymen and tourists, the story of the Saphan Phra Ram 8 is also explained via audio on tour boats which pass by.

Saphan Phra Ram 8 was one part of the royal development projects set up by King Bhumibol on 15th July 1995 and was opened to the public on 7th May 2002. www.laserworld.com

THAILAND

Through a project set up by Lighting & Equipment Bangkok, Laserworld's subsidiary, RTI implemented a huge permanent laser show installation on the majestic Rama VIII Bridge in Bangkok, Thailand.

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HARMAN revs up Coke Studio audio

INDIA

Sound.com and Flying Carpet Productions share the honours

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he Coke Studio at MTV India in Mumbai is a premier platform for showcasing a fusion of India’s best musical talent. Now in its third season, the popular television broadcast event brings together the country’s top independent, classical, folk and popular artistes and their creative energies into one entertaining series.

Sponsored by the Coca-Cola Company, the show invites musicians from different genres to jam together while recording the resulting collaboration on the spot. The series has gained massive popularity with over 40 million viewers for the second season alone.

This year, the series has upped the ante further by featuring celebrated composer, AR Rahman along with artistes like Sivamani, Amit Trivedi, Clinton Cerejo and more. The iconic AR Rahman is a global endorser for HARMAN’s JBL brand, while Sivamani is an AKG endorser.

The show is supported by India’s Flying Carpet Productions (FCP). While it made a big impression with its impacting role in MTV Unplugged, FCP also earned big fame with its mixing of soundtracks for movies such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Dev D. The company

had collaborated with Mumbai-based leading sound reinforcement solutions provider SOUND.COM for Coke Studio’s artiste and production monitoring requirements at the shoot as well as during rehearsals.

“With over 200 musicians and over 45 original songs, Season 3 of Coke Studio at MTV presents a plethora of musical flavours, enthralling audiences with unique

combinations of genres and versatile musicians,” said Ashish Manchanda, Audio Director of FCP. “Thanks to the premium range of microphones and headphones from AKG and Soundcraft mixing consoles, we are able to capture life-like performances of artistes,” he said adding, “considering the live nature of the programme and the expectation for audio clarity, we are very pleased to collaborate with SOUND.COM.

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to shakers and piano, whereas the AKG D 112 was chosen for its excellent fit with the low end of the Cajon, the kick, and the duff. For consistency, all artists on the show are using the AKG K171 MK II headphones.

“This association exemplifies HARMAN’s commitment to quality and our ability to deliver on any stage,” said Prashant Govindan, Director – India Operations, Harman Professional. “HARMAN’s AKG, Soundcraft and JBL products combined with the experienced professionals from FCP and SOUND.COM, provided perfect and reliable sound for yet another successful edition of Coke Studio at MTV India.”

Their HARMAN Professional equipment deployed at the show has delivered flawless sound output, receiving very encouraging comments from the musicians and composers.”

SOUND.COM, who enjoys a track record of handling audio for some of the most illustrious live events in India, provided the entire range of audio equipment and the backend support for the stage equipment setup along with RF technicians. FCP chose a Soundcraft Vi 6 console for use at the audio mixing position along with a Soundcraft Vi1 as a sub-mixer for larger acts. It employed JBL LSR 4328s for monitoring during recording.

“Coke Studio at MTV is a testimonial to our company’s commitment to cult musical shows on television and the Internet,” says Warren D’souza, Managing Director of SOUND.COM. “We have the experience and equipment for the artistes and producers to deliver successful productions,” he affirms, “our synergy with Flying Carpet Productions is a testimonial to our work on MTV Unplugged and Coke Studio. We will continue to deliver our best by exploiting technology to the limit.”

According to Mark Thomas, Systems Engineer for the project, the Vi6 console has a remarkably intuitive Vistonics interface which made it easy to handle almost 60 inputs on each episode of the show with relative ease.

“We chose to work on the Soundcraft Vi6 this year due to its ViSi iPad app,” he said, adding, “during the recording sessions, each musician in the house band was given control over his/her mix using the ViSi remote app on an iPad. This enabled them to tweak their mixes for every song, based on their individual requirements, while the engineer concentrated on handling the in-ear monitor

mixes for the guest musicians and singers.”

The musicians were reportedly ecstatic about being able to control their own personal mixes with no learning curve.

Says Ezekiel Tyle, Monitoring Engineer for the show: “The amount of inputs we had to cater to was challenging. The Soundcraft Vi6 definitely made life simple in terms of monitoring, having the flexibility to make all the busses into auxiliaries as per the requirement of individual producers. It was an absolute pleasure to work on this board.”

For microphone technology, the show is outfitted with an assortment of AKG models including AKG DSR 700 V2 wireless systems, D7 and D5 microphones for back-up vocals.

Other microphones such as C414’s for drum overheads and piano, and C451’s for cymbals and guitars have been deployed at the show.

Both mics have been favourites on this show, with the C451 being the permanent microphone on the hi-hats due of its excellent HF reproduction. C414’s are used on everything from Percussion/Drum overheads

“We are very excited to be a part of the Coke Studio at MTV, a unique exploration of India’s rich musical landscape,” concluded Ankush Agarwal, Director – Marketing & Business Development, HARMAN Professional India. www.harman.com www.sound.com www.flyingcarpetproductions.com

In A Nutshell • Venue: Coke Studio at MTV India, Mumbai • Equipment Supplied by: SOUND.COM, Flying Carpet Productions • Soundcraft Vi 6 console for audio mixing • Soundcraft Vi1 as a sub-mixer for larger acts • JBL LSR 4328s for monitoring during recording.

• Mics: AKG DSR 700 V2 wireless systems, D7 and D5 microphones for back-up vocals, C414’s for drum overheads and piano, C451’s for cymbals and guitars

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NFSA Launch New Theatrette with ETC and Vari-Lite to specific colour temperatures so we can get good quality video reproduction. The Selador Lustr are basically used for wall wash eye candy and mood setting the room. The acoustic panels on the wall were chosen in a very neutral grey colour that can be easily lit in colour.”

AUSTRALIA

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he National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra has launched their new Theatrette located in the NFSA's heritage-listed art deco building. The refurbishment included a larger stage, new seating design and new audiovisual technology. The 114seat Theatrette is an intimate option for screenings, live performances, conferences, lectures, and break-out sessions. It will also allow the NFSA to stream HD content to any venue in the world.

FREDON was called upon to install a performance lighting system the rigging of which was a major challenge. However Allan Wade, Fredon’s ACT Manager for Audio Visual Solutions, describes the result as absolutely spectacular!

“The fact that we got it looking so good in such a challenging ceiling space is a work of art in itself,” he added. “Issues with the room meant it would be very difficult to get to the lighting rig once it was installed so we turned to an LED solution that offered long-life operation. We also installed more than the usual amount of lights so that it would not be necessary to re-rig the lights.”

Resource Group was on hand to provide detailed production information and design guidance. Ultimately, this is a success story of today’s contracting – a consultant, integrator and vendor all working together to achieve a solution to meet the clients requirements.”

An ETC SmartFade 24/48 was chosen for control with Trevor describing it as having an awesome interface, plus being very easy to learn and program. While a Jands DD8 DMX distribution unit runs individual feeds to each of the bar locations and stage, a simple solution to ensure that everything does what it is supposed to do. www.jands.com.au

The lighting package comprised of 10 x ETC Desire D40, 14 x ETC Source Four CE LED Lustr+, 4 x 42'' ETC Selador Lustr and 4 x VariLite VLX LED wash-lights.

“The ETC fixtures have been great,” commented Allan. “Care had to be taken when positioning them as there is such a short distance between the actual fixture and the stage. We supplied them with a number of different zooms so that they could change the angle. The stage was very tricky as it had a particularly short throw to try get a tight pattern on stage but we managed to do that.

The Vari-lite VLX fixtures were chosen to light live performances giving as much flexibility as possible.”

With access to the lighting fixtures limited, fixture reliability was vital and consequently Fredon turned to a combined Vari-Lite and ETC solution.

Trevor Anderson, Theatre Technical/Facilities Manager at NFSA, commented that the Vari-Lite VLX fixtures were also chosen to match the ETC fixtures in terms of colour functionality and to add movement to the room. “The VLX have been fantastic and totally functional in the way we hoped they would be,” he said. “They certainly give the room a wow factor.”

“It’s important as the people at the coal face to know that we’re installing best of breed product with matched reliability and local support. So when the specification called for the use of ETC and Vari-Lite product, we were more than comfortable with confirming that selection,” remarked Allan. “Ultimately, we are the ones that need to support it.

Our relationship with Jands has always been very good and I know that the product they supply is always reliable. The Jands Technical

The ETC Desire D40 fixtures were chosen to supply a broad colour wash to the stage and also to light the room. “A couple are used to light the ceiling whilst the rest are in the rig to down light the stage,” added Trevor. “The ETC Source Four CE LED Lustr+ were chosen because not only did we want a real theatrical light we also need a light that would be useful for video production and video conferencing. The ETC Source Four CE LED Lustr+ can light people on the stage

In A Nutshell • Venue: The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia new Theatrette, Canberra • Integrator: FREDON • Lighting: 10 x ETC Desire D40, 14 x ETC Source Four CE LED Lustr+, 4 x 42’’ ETC Selador Lustr and 4 x Vari-Lite VLX LED wash-lights.

• Control: ETC SmartFade 24/48 • Distribution via Jands DD8 DMX

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Luxury Club Chooses Outline

White Eagle Entertainment Ltd. brings Outline’s Doppia and DBS systems to exclusive New Delhi nightclub passive low-loss crossovers, catering for midhigh frequencies.

Beefy bottom-end punch is courtesy of a group of 6 x Outline DBS 18-2 subwoofers that extend the low frequency response and the 2 x Outline Eidos 118S subwoofers ensuring deep low frequencies are compact enclosures with an impressive peak SPL of 135 dB at 1m.

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ocated in Delhi’s Ashok Hotel, Pangaea is the latest addition to the numerous world-famous exclusive clubs owned

by Michael Ault, a pre-eminent club operator. Michael has experienced almost 25 successful years in the night-life industry and operates more than thirty nightclubs in key markets such as New York, Miami Beach, Los Angeles, Bermuda, Sao Paulo and Marbella.

Delhi, which has India’s biggest luxury market, was reportedly chosen by Ault after noting that many of the clients in his Singapore club were Indian billionaires, who asked him to bring the brand to India. One of them (Spice Group’s owner BK Modi) entered into a partnership with Ault to establish Pangaea (A super-continent that existed approximately 300 million years ago and consisted of today's continents) on the Indian night-life scene.

Although only having a capacity of about 450 patrons, for Pangaea, Ault - as always wanted the best, so top DJs such as KasKade, voted among the world’s top five jocks, keep the atmosphere hot with a cutting edge sound system by Italian manufacturer Outline.

Due to an early closing time of 12.30am, Ault decided only to participate on a consultancy basis (designing, branding, building, training, publicising, marketing, promoting, booking, setting up systems and controls, and opening the venue), after which the Spice Group took over the club’s operation.

Ault and his project manager Garry Lawrence brought in New Delhi-based White Eagle Entertainment Pvt Ltd (Outline’s distributor for India) to supply and install the audio, lighting and laser equipment at the club.

WEE’s team was led by MD Arun Kalra, whose brief was to specify a system with “high energy sound that would encourage everyone to dance.” Arun also fielded Outline’s Open Array software to determine the optimum configuration and mounting positions.

The main system comprises of 6 x Outline Doppia II 9075P three-way loudspeakers, 4 x Outline DVS 15 wide range loudspeakers, 2 x Outline DVS 12 high efficiency loudspeakers and 2 x Outline Eidos 10 two-way loudspeakers, all of which are equipped with

The club, which was completed ahead of schedule and below budget, is, according to Ault, “Unquestionably one of the most beautiful clubs I have ever seen” and has received unprecedented media coverage worldwide with extensive articles and reports by top periodicals and TV networks. www.outline.it

In A Nutshell • Venue: Pangaea, Delhi’s Ashok Hotel • Integrators: White Eagle Entertainment Ltd • Main PA: (6)Outline Doppia II 9075P three-way loudspeakers, (4)Outline DVS 15 wide range loudspeakers, (2)Outline DVS 12 loudspeakers and (2)Outline Eidos 10 two-way loudspeakers • Subs: (6)Outline DBS 18-2 subwoofers, (2)Outline Eidos 118S subwoofers • Amps: (5)Outline T-Five, (2)Outline T-Eleven, (2)Outline DPA 1004

INDIA

The Italian theme continues in the venue, with Outline also being chosen for the sound system’s powerhouse. In fact, the high-impact set-up is driven by 9 amplifiers: a combination of 5 x Outline T-Five and 2 x Outline T-Eleven and 2 x Outline DPA 1004 digitally processed models.

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The P.A. People Glam Up Eternity

AUSTRALIA

History reborn with high-tech digital PA for Darlinghurst Theatre Company.

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ince the 1990s, Sydney’s Darlinghurst Theatre Company have provided a forum for actors, writers and producers to express themselves on the professional stage. Proud champions of independent, sustainable theatre practice, they were chosen by the City of Sydney to be the managing company of the newly established Eternity Playhouse in Darlinghurst.

The Eternity Playhouse is the result of a fouryear renovation of the heritage-listed Burton Street Tabernacle by the City of Sydney, a 126 year old Baptist Church, unused for worship since 1996. after consulting with the City of Sydney and architects Tonkin Zulaikha Greer, Darlinghurst Theatre Company has helped transform the building into a unique, stateof-the-art performance space that lovingly emphasises the building’s original features while delivering high-quality technical results.

The Eternity Man The Eternity Theatre is named for the chalk street art of Arthur Stace, a Sydney man who, inspired by a sermon in the Tabernacle, wrote the word ‘Eternity’ in copperplate on the streets of Sydney an estimated 500,000 times from the 1930s to 1960s. Some stunning period elements of the building has been kept intact and incorporated

into the unconventional design with clever engineering. A steel wire grid of strands only 3mm thick is suspended above the audience, providing a see-through work area strong enough to support technicians and rig lighting, while maintaining a clear view of the ornate wood panelled ceiling.

Cultural Sensitivity AV integrators The P.A. People were called upon to supply sound, paging and communications to the project. With their long history of sensitivity to historic buildings and in-depth experience in theatre technology, Darlinghurst Theatre Company

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Associate Producer and Production Manager Liz Jenkins was happy to have them on the job. “We initially approached The P.A. People with our installation as they were already familiar with the Eternity Playhouse project” explained Liz. “Their competitive quote and attention to detail secured the partnership.

They were very considerate of the purpose of the venue and the versatility the sound design required.”

Fit For Purpose Josh Jones, Project Manager at The P.A People, oversaw an audio design and installation that balances ease-ofuse with advanced digital technology and appropriateness of scale. “The PA loudspeakers are JBL VP Series; 12” units for Front of House and 10” for fill. We’ve augmented those with a VP Series 18” subwoofer” said Josh. “The mixing desk is a Soundcraft Si Expression 1, which is an ultracompact digital mixer that will more than cover the audio requirements of the most demanding shows. Signal is fed to a pair of dbx 220i processors that are automated to maintain the system in perfect condition and keep levels within residential requirements.”

The P.A. People were also responsible for critical paging, stage management, performance relay and hearing augmentation infrastructure. Working as the Tabernacle was renovated, Josh and his team ran cabling linking the foyer to the performance spaces and lighting and sound control to stage.

New video cabling supports a performance relay system linked to multiple monitors

throughout the venue for reference by stage management, back-of-house and foyer staff.

and establish a strong relationship with the community.”

Curtain Raiser

www.papeople.com

The Eternity Playhouse’s first full production was in November 2013, after Darlinghurst Theatre Company had relocated from the Potts Point base that had served them for the last 12 years. Arthur Miller’s “All My Sons” was chosen for the début, and went on to pick up four nominations at the Sydney Theatre Awards. “Darlinghurst Theatre Company will continue to present outstanding theatre by local artists” stated Liz proudly. “We plan to expand our audience in the Darlinghurst area and greater Sydney

In A Nutshell • Venue: The Eternity Playhouse, Darlinghurst, NSW • Integrators: The P.A. People Pty Ltd • Main PA: HARMAN JBL VP Series (12) x FOH, (10) x Fill • Subs: HARMAN JBL VP Series 18” subwoofer • Console(s): Soundcraft Si Expression • Processors: 2 x dbx 220i

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SINGAPORE

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Elation Lighting in Vogue @ Fashion TV Club German company auxweg.com turns to Elation moving heads, LED video panels and Total Support for dance venue install.

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ashion TV venues are hyped all over the planet with Singapore recently celebrating the opening of the first Fashion TV Club. German company auxweg. com designed the club and technically equipped it with a state-of-the-art sound and lighting package from ADJ Group that included Elation Professional lighting fixtures and LED video panels.

The global fashion network teamed with investors from the US and Germany and placed the chic night spot in Clarke Quay at the heart of Singapore night-life. After a complete renovation of a previous club, Elation Platinum Beam 5R Extreme moving heads, Rayzor Q12 LED lights, Platinum Spot LED Pro IIs, Design Wash LED Zooms and EPV6 LED panels are now featured prominently in the club’s two main rooms.

Auxweg.com was involved every step of the way from market analysis and concept development to opening and operation.

Working on a tight schedule, auxweg. com chose lighting fixtures based on prior experience. “From our previous experience with the Elation brand and the awesome support we’ve received in the past, it was clear that we would work with Elation products again,” states auxweg.com partner Volkan Gümüs. “The price to performance ratio both suited our client’s budget and fulfilled the project’s requirements.”

Designed and built by auxweg.com and Archetype Pte Ltd, the 10,000 square foot club is split into two areas, the Diamond Room and Ruby Hall.

Diamond Room The Diamond Room reflects the Fashion TV diamond logo with features like a diamond-

shaped bar and DJ booth. Mounted on each of three diamond-shaped trusses are 3 x Platinum Beam 5R Extremes, 2 x Rayzor Q12 LED lights, and 1 x Platinum Spot LED Pro II fixture with three lasers mounted on a support truss.

“We decided to use the Platinum Beam heads and the Rayzor heads in this area because the Diamond Room is the house area where people want to party hard so we

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needed moving heads with fast movement and powerful output,” says Gregor Schubert, partner in auxweg.com. “The Beams are perfect for this. We went with the Rayzor because we needed a fast light that was able to light up the dance floor area in a specific colour. The Platinum Spot heads are used to display the Fashion TV logo at different positions, to light up dancers and to throw large gobos through the hall.”

One of the stand-out design elements of the Diamond Room is a diamond-shaped LED video screen made up of 15 x Elation EPV6 LED video panels. Mounted behind the DJ booth, the screen adds another level of excitement and sophistication to the room with content from Fashion TV along with custom visuals. The video screen is controlled via a PC endued with an EPV PCI Sending Card.

The diamond-shaped video screen was nearly a casualty before the club even opened. Volkan explains, “We had major problems with suppliers either because of the construction involved, pricing or delivery and three weeks before the opening we were faced with the problem that one of the key

features in the main room, the three-point diamond-shaped truss and LED screen, would not be ready. We decided to call Elation for help and after explaining what we needed they came back the next day with a full quote, drawings and an exact shipping time.

“Elation saved us and even delivered the diamond-shaped truss. The happy faces of the auxweg.com crew, the other contractors and the shareholders were priceless.

Everything worked perfectly, and I must admit it was an emotional moment when I saw Elation still helping us via remote desktop access and a webcam to do the system set-up and patch the video panel.

Impressive, also when you think about the 8-hour time difference to the Elation tech support guys in The Netherlands.”

Ruby Hall In Ruby Hall, designed to evoke a French baroque ballroom, a more discreet lighting concept is featured yet one that still supports the DJ and party crowd. “In Ruby Hall, the concept includes more spots and washes instead of beams,” Gregor explains. “We chose the Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II, which is just perfect to throw big gobos

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into the hall, and we use the Design Wash LED to immerse the dance floor in different colours and create a special atmosphere in combination with the baroque design.”

Volkan sums up by returning to the support that was so valuable in making the project a success. “Without Elation, we would not have been able to deliver the requested result, not in time and not within budget,” he says.

“We give a big thank you to Simon Gasch at Elation and the team around him, also to Sven Haferkamp from AD systems and our local hero Louis Chia from Archetype.” www.elationlighting.eu

In A Nutshell • Venue: Fashion TV Club, Clarke Quay, Singapore • Design and Construction by: auxweg. com and Archetype Pte Ltd Diamond Room Lighting: • 9 x Elation Platinum Beam 5R Extreme • 6 x Elation Rayzor Q12 • 3 x Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II • 15 x Elation EPV6 video panel • 1 x Elation EPV PCI Sending Card • 4 x 8m support truss (4-point Global Truss) • 3 x Diamond- shaped 3-point truss (Duratruss) Sound: • 4 x AD Systems Magnus15 • 6 x AD Systems i.Flex15B • 5 x AD Systems i.Flex8 Ruby Hall Lighting: • 8 x Elation Platinum Spot LED Pro II • 4 x Elation Design Wash LED Zoom • 1 x 5m circle truss (4-point Duratruss) Sound: • 4 x AD Systems Magnus15 • 4 x AD Systems Touring Sub 18” • 9 x AD Systems i.Flex8

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Sonic rejuvenation at W Hotel woofers deliver high power handling with high sensitivity.

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SINGAPORE

he W Singapore-Sentosa Cove Hotel is a five star hotel nestled in the eastern cove of Sentosa, offering an unobstructed view of the South China Sea. Music is the soul of the hotel and it can be heard throughout the property, from the lobby, lounge and bar to the F&B outlets and ballroom – even underwater in the swimming pool!

Concept Systems Technologies understood the requirements for each area within the hotel and proposed a range of ElectroVoice products to fill the hotel with music.

The speakers proposed for each area were carefully selected to provide the best sound quality for each environment.

Highlights of the EV installation include the EVID ceiling subwoofers selected for the bar, which provide a remarkable level of bass response for DJ sets. More EVID ceiling

and surface-mount speakers are distributed around the hotel – powered by CPS and PA series amplifiers and processed via the N8000 system controller. These handle background music, but also have plenty of headroom to support live performances.

In the ballroom, Tour X speakers meet the needs of various events’ sound requirements.

Tour X brings the engineering excellence and aesthetic design of EV's world-class tour systems to an innovative and exciting series of portable loudspeakers. Combining bold design and breakthrough performance, the Tour X series is optimized for applications such as club sound, pro music, and concert sound. The line's full-range loudspeakers and monitors utilize either 1.25-inch DH3/2010A or 2-inch ND2 compression drivers, protected by an advanced fourth-order crossover.

Rotatable horns provide coverage-pattern flexibility while 12-inch or 15-inch SMX

To complete the sonic experience at the W hotel, UW30 underwater speakers were installed in the swimming pool to allow guests to relax and immerse in quality sound when they are swimming. UW30 represents a departure from conventional underwater sound source design. Utilizing the water proof barrier as the sound source radiator provides more full range sound in one of the toughest acoustic environments. www.electrovoice.com

In A Nutshell • Venue: W Singapore-Sentosa Cove Hotel, Sentosa • Integrators: Concept Systems Technologies • Main & Bar: EVID ceiling and surfacemount speakers • Power: CPS and PA series amplifiers • Processors: N8000 system controller • Ballroom: Tour X speakers • Swimming Pool: UW30 underwater speakers

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HaAavve U Met...?

March - April 2014

Freelance Sound Engineer – Singapore, Singapore At 42 and after more than 2 decades in the Live Sound industry, Zoul Mohamed has seen and nearly done it all. While maintaining his citizenship in Singapore, you can usually find him mixing up shows in Malaysia and Indonesia as well.

A man of few words, Zoul prefers to let the music speak for him and that it does - his résumé includes mixing for rock, EDM, pop and numerous festivals across 3 countries. In his very first ever personal interview, Zoul allows E-Tech Asia exclusive access into his world and let's us in on a very..unusual.. choice for an alternate career. artists/singers, the rental companies I mix for and especially the foreign engineers I work with, it becomes a memorable experience.

E-Tech: What advice do you have for those just joining the entertainment industry?

Zoul: Better do something else, because when you're in, you can never get out..

Haha.. On a serious note though, be hardworking, listen to advice, do not try to be a smart-a**, listen to instructions, be obedient, fast, calm and always be humble (even if you have mixed for Metallica in your previous life...HAHA)

E-Tech: If your path in life had been different, what would you be today?

E-Tech: How did you first get started within the entertainment industry?

Zoul: When I used to go to concerts as a teenager, I was very interested in production.

The lights, sound and AV, it captured my attention so I joined the SAE (School of Audio Engineering) in 1991 and at the same time I was working as a Senior Technician in the clubbing district of Singapore.

E-Tech: Do you remember your very first show and how it was like?

Zoul: Can't remember the first small show but my first "BIG" show was Sheryl Crow at the Sentosa Amphitheatre in 1995. It was only for rigging and fixing of the left PA, I was being taught by Concert Sound at the time.

I managed to set-up the Main left system on one go. It was awesome.

Zoul: Captain of a ship. Not just any ship, it has to be a cruise ship. So when I'm out at sea I won't get bored. It would be nice to constantly meet new people, play in the casinos and swim!

E-Tech: Do you have any hobbies?

Zoul: Too many! Cooking, carpentry, surfing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, fast cars/bikes, golfing, futsal*, travelling, swimming, diving, fishing, mountain climbing, camping, gokarting, bowling, playing pool, singing, horse riding and archery. Oh yea, my job is also one of my hobbies..

Zoul: A few.. First would be the Managing Director for an Australian musical theatre sound company, System Sound Pty Ltd, John Scandrett. I admire John for his phenomenal mixes in musicals and theatres. His mix doesn’t really come out from the speakers, it is as though the sound gets amplified straight from the mouth of the artist or from the instrument itself. To me, this says that he is very very good with system alignment, calibration and he understands the fundamentals of the speaker cabinets and venue very well.

I would also have to say, Dave “Big Mick” Hughes, Metallica’s FOH Engineer for the past 30 years has been a big influence as well as Ken “Pooch” Van Druten, a threetime Grammy nominated engineer who has worked with Linkin Park and Rob Zombie.

E-Tech: What are your personal future goals?

Zoul: Maintain my hearing and mixing abilities till I'm 80.. Hahaha.. I want to retire a happy man with enough money and a house by the beach while surrounded by beloved friends and family.

*A variation of soccer played mainly indoors and on a smaller pitch

Beaming with excitement just before Metallica Live in KL, Zoul with ‘Big Mick’ Hughes and Dave Dennison of Meyer Sound.

E-Tech: What are your favourite tools of the trade and why?

Zoul: My favourite tools? My ears.

To find out more or get in touch with Zoul, send him an email at: zoul.mohd@gmail.com

E-Tech: What has been the most memorable aspect of your work thus far?

Zoul: Everytime I get acknowledged by the

E-Tech: Is there anyone you admire or that has greatly influenced your career choices?

Zoul with Grammy nominee, Ken "Pooch" Van Druten

Know an interesting personality that we should meet? Send us an email at elissa@spinworkz.com