ETA May-June 2014 by Spinworkz Pte Ltd

May - June 2014

MICA [P] 021/09/2013 KDN: PPS 1663/08/2013 [022991]

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Panasonic & coolux Cast Intricate Images for i Light Marina Bay 2014 PL+S Frankfurt Review

EAW ANYA: Dreaming The Impossible Dream

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Look @ Lights

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Barco Pte Ltd No 10 Changi South Lane #04-01 OSSIA Building Singapore 486162 Tel: +65 6243 7610 Fax: +65 6543 4322

What did we think of when we designed MAX? Everything!

MAX - 4 PROJECTIONS WITH A SINGLE UNIT

BEAM - SPOT - STUDIO - WASH

CHECK OUT THE NEW MAX INTERACTIVE DIGITAL CATALOGUE www.dts-lighting.com

CONTENT VOL 15 ISSUE 3 May - June 2014

70 Shure Shows Excellence Through Innovation

68 Pok Sutat Kohkiat: “The Only Constant, is Change” 86 Digital Aid Productions Gets Wicked

06 FIRST WORDS 08 NEWS EXHIBITION PREVIEW 18 BroadcastAsia2014

EXHIBITION REVIEW 22 PL+S Guangzhou 28 GET Show 32 Prolight + Sound 2014

UNDER THE LENS 54 INDIA R&S @ A Crossroads!

SPECIAL FEATURE 58 EAW ANYA: Dreaming The Impossible Dream 60 Do You See The Light? 64 Lighting Trends: We asked, You answered!

MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE 68 Pok Sutat Kohkiat: “The Only Constant, is Change”

TECH TALK 70 Shure Shows Excellence Through Innovation 72 Epson Shines A Spotlight On Possibilities

INSTALL 74 ETC Lights Up NFSA 76 Electro-Voice Highlights the Elegance of Ramada 78 Show Technology Delivers Martin RUSH 79 Siglap South CC Hall transforms into a Performance Arts Centre 82 Ding Dong, Big Brands Have Come! 84 Q-Sys in Control @ Grand Hyatt HK

LIVE 86 Digital Aid Productions Gets Wicked 88 Christie Enthrals At The Opening of Lusofonia Games 90 Robe’s Star Rises Again 91 SING JAZZ Transcends with High-Quality Gear 92 Panasonic & coolux Cast Intricate Images for i Light Marina Bay 2014 94 HARMAN’s JBL VTX Makes India Debut @ NH7 Weekender Festival 96 coolux Transforms The White Night

97 HaAavve U Met...? 98 #SPOTTED

FIRST WORDS May - June 2014

The E-Tech Team has been working hard to bring the best reading experience to users on all platforms for awhile

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

now. We can gladly announce oﬃcially that mobile readers have a reason to rejoice! Our app both for the Apple and Android platform is out! Starting today, you’ll be able get access to the industry’s latest news, product updates, events - all in one place. To download,

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

just scan the QR Code on page 67 and your good to go. An excellent companion app to our newly revamped website! WRITER Rosalind Tan rosalind@spinworkz.com

Yes, if you haven’t seen our newly revamped website, go check it out! Rosalind has been working tirelessly to get it ready and after many months it’s all come together. Our bi-weekly e-newsletter has also donned a new look - a classier and cleaner design with a lots of personality. Speaking of personality, we have entered into the Twittersphere! Well, entered is the wrong word, more like.. revived.. our twittering. Fellow tweeters can now connect directly to the team whenever they want by following us @ETAteam.

ADMIN & CIRCULATION Julie Tan admin@spinworkz.com

For industry news, I’m really happy to say that we have some very interesting exclusives in this issue. Not only did we sit down with EAW President, Jeﬀ Rocha to discuss the new Anya system but we DESIGN AND PRODUCTION Jimmy Chin jimmy@spinworkz.com

also met up with Pok Sutat Kohkiat of Mr Team in Thailand for our Management Perspective column. I must say, his approach to business is truly inspiring but I don’t want to spoil it for you so go have a read and you will understand what I mean. Oh yes and before I forget, we’ve also come up with a fun new column (adhoc) #SPOTTED. (Yes, we are excited about Twitter, we know..) For now its just a way to showcase the who’s who being where and when but we want YOU to send in stuﬀ to us as well! Attending a barbeque with your team or having a dinner to celebrate your boss? Just tag us @ETATeam on Twitter or Facebook to send in your photos and get #SPOTTED! Elissa Nadine Writer elissa@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.

NEWS May - June 2014

“Business as usual - with changes for better” @ Harman Martin Open House SINGAPORE: To mark a new beginning and to reaffirm Martin Professional’s presence in the Asian region, the Martin team held an open house event to show off the newly renovated offices and showroom at 68 Kallang Pudding Road #06-02. The open house also aimed to present new team members to customers and friends within the industry, which included representatives from major distribution and rental companies from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Japan and Korea. Jonas Stenvinkel, Managing Director Lighting, Asia Pacific commented, “It was great to see both so many familiar faces and also new faces. We’re thrilled and excited about our commitment to serve the Asia Pacific market and particularly Singapore.” Among the new changes, a promise was made by the team to establish stronger ties with existing customers, and to increase staff as time goes on. “We have a strong brand and even though people and situations change, we are still the same brand with the same values. The values we stand for include quality products and solutions as well as a

strong after sales and service department. Right now, it’s business as usual, with changes for the better,” said Jonas. More than 180 people showed up during the day to join in the celebrations and to take a closer look at the products on display, which included members of the RUSH line, the MAC Viper family, the Jem 365 CO2 hazer and of course the new workhorse; MAC Quantum Wash. Particularly the MAC Quantum Wash sparked an interest from visitors, as it has been predicted to take LED wash lights to a new level. Vice President Installation Frank Hoehn at Martin commented, “There has been a good energy today and we can see that our customers value and trust us and how we work. That’s why we take time to get to know our customers.” With the day turning into night and the party still going strong, Brice Schneider of independent lighting design consultancy, Light Cibles, commented of his first visit to the new Martin showroom, “I think

it’s always nice to see new tools to play with and this is a good place to meet people. Application goes with architectural generation. When you think Martin, you always think theatre and stuﬀ, but events and architecture will require these products as well so this was a good opportunity to see everything. Architainment is definitely on the way up and we need to take notice of that.” The revamped Martin Professional Pte Ltd oﬃce is located at: 68 Kallang Pudding Road # 06-02 SYH Logistics Building Singapore 349327 Tel. + 65 6842 3031 Fax + 65 6842 3032 www.martin.com.sg

MWP Workshop by Harman & Mahajak A Big Hit SINGAPORE: Mahajak SKM Electronics (MSE), the oﬃcial distributor for Harman Pro products in Singapore together with Harman Professional Asia, recently hosted a variation of the popular “Mixing with Professionals” (MWP) training session entitled 'Mixing with Professionals - A Workshop on Digital Technology'.

Held at the Hood Bar & Café in Singapore, a live music bar complete with a full Harman Pro sound reinforcement system, the workshop was conducted by Yee Tat Nam, Senior Application Engineer (Portable Sound) at Harman Asia. Yee gave a very detailed and concise presentation to some 50 audio professionals. During a break, he commented, “Workshops like this are a very good way to oﬀer training to not only our existing customers but potential customers as well”. Yee has been helping to promote Harman and train companies on the usage of their products out of Malaysia for the past 5 years. He has also conducted similar sessions in Vietnam, Taiwan and Thailand. For the setup of the event, MSE proudly displayed some of its newest mixing consoles and portable loudspeaker systems including

the Soundcraft Si Performer series, Si Expression series, and JBL Eon, JRX, PRX and STX series loudspeakers. “We had a very good turnout and we managed to gather many potential customers and rental companies, especially Resorts World Sentosa, in one place. This was also a good opportunity for our partners to see the diﬀerent products without going to a tradeshow and it provided a place for them to ask questions and get a feel of the new systems,” concluded Sales Manager at MSE, Glenn Lin. www.mahajakskm.com

www.robe.cz

NEWS May - June 2014

EAW Anya Debuts in APAC

SINGAPORE: Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW) recently hosted their Asia Pacific launch of its Anya system in Singapore. EAW distributors from China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Australia were hosted to an exclusive session featuring an in-depth demonstration by EAW’s Technical Training Manager, Bernie Broderick of Anya’s capabilities. This was followed by a tour of prestigious EAW installations in Singapore. The group of distributors visited the 101-hectare Gardens by the Bay horticultural park and its Supertree structures, which include weather-proof EAW speakers for ambient sound and music. The day ended with dinner at the 1-Altitude rooftop restaurant and bar on the top level of the 282 meter tall One Raﬄes Place Building, the

highest venue in Singapore, which entertains its guests with EAW sound.

pro audio consultants, sound reinforcement professionals, FOH engineers, and rental house representatives at The STAR Performing Arts Centre (The Star PAC) where EAW demoed a 16 enclosure Anya system with SB2001 subwoofers. Guests previewed the system to the sounds of pre-recorded music followed by a live performance by local band, Jive Talkin’ with Martin Frey, FOH engineer for Alan Parsons Live Project, running the board. The demonstration displayed Anya’s mechanics, DSP, amplification, rigging and more. Following the demo, an exclusive networking session was arranged for all the attendees and EAW personnel.

On day two, the morning commenced with a welcome speech by EAW’s President, Jeﬀ Rocha just before the group experienced a demonstration at Cathay Cineplex Jem’s Digital Xtreme hall’s state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos system, featuring 46 channels of EAW sound. They then continued on to the Singapore Sports Hub, which will soon feature a complete EAW audio solution when it opens. EAW’s local distribution partner, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd were responsible for the installation of all the EAW sites that were showcased during the twoday visit.

Davwinder Sheena, Asia-Pacific’s Managing Director for EAW, noted that everyone left the launch event with a clear understanding of Anya technology. “People were keen on experiencing the Anya system for themselves because of what they’d already heard about it,” Sheena said. “It went so well, that partners who already have Anya systems are now planning to do similar events locally in their own territories.”

Later that afternoon, the group of distributors converged with a congregation of

www.eaw.com www.enepl.com.sg

GTD Lighting Marks A New Era For Lijiang show comprises of the GTD-1500, GTD230 and GTD-LED series - all of which are mainstream favourites for high-end shows in China. Considered as a national epic, the play brings forth profound technological content while intrinsically weaving famous folktales together with the cultural elements of Lijiang City into a 60-minute extravaganza.

CHINA: Created by Songcheng LTD, a subsidiary of the Songcheng Group, the historical play - Lijiang Eternal Love - oﬃcially opened this March in Yunnan, China. It is considered one of the country's largest tourism investments and is also the largest in its scale for cultural stage settings in the Yunnan province. Deployed and wholly supplied by Guangzhou GTD Lighting LTD, the lighting rig for the

Held in the 4700-seat Lijiang Eternal Love Grand Theater, the nightly show presents the audience with a thousand years of history backed by a relaxed ambiance and glorious lighting. In order to recreate the magnificence of a central character's residence, 250 sets of stage lights - including LED lights, stained lights, pattern lights, beam lights and laser lights, were deployed. In total: 400 large machines, 300 actors, a 360 degree panoramic theatre curtain, a large vertical lift arm in water, a 350

sqm water stage, a 400 sqm coloured LED screen with split function together with large mechanical moon and snow mountain models combined to create the ultimate fantasy. GTD products are widely used in prestigious venues and ceremonies, such as National Grand Theater, 2012 CCTV Mid-Autumn Festival Gala, 2012 China Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Award, 2013 Hunan Satellite TV Spring Festival Gala, and of course, the 2014 Lijiang Eternal Love Opera. Songcheng's Eternal Love has now performed more than 15,000 times racking up an audience pool of 450,000,000, thus becoming the play with the highest frequency and the largest audience in the world. www.gtd-china.com

NEWS May - June 2014

Republic Polytechnic Gets Nexo Acoustic Upgrade SINGAPORE: With a new year comes a new upgrade for the first educational institution in Singapore to leverage the Problembased Learning approach for all its diploma programmes. An integral part of Republic Polytecnic's mission to nurture the multiple talents of their students is The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC). Designed by Maki & Associates (Japan), TRCC exudes an elegant simplicity and balance of aesthetics and functionality that reflects an appreciation for the arts and culture. Under its fan-shaped roof, TRCC has three main performing arts venues: a 1,000-seat Theatre, 300-seat Studio and, 120-seat Lab, all of which are open to the public. Since its opening in 2007, the main Theatre had not seen an upgrade in its audio hardware. With more international acts gracing its stage as well as the needs and criteria of shows evolving, Mark Spencer, former student and Head of TRCC's Audio Division, felt it was time the audio caught up to speed. “Audiences nowadays are more in tune with what's going on. They want quality for cost and with the new upgrade we not only plan to improve their experience, we also plan to enhance it.” Keeping with the already installed system, System Integrators, PAVE System Pte Ltd, replaced TRCC's old PA with Nexo GEO S12 line arrays. 2 clusters are now hung from the ceiling with 10 cabinets per side. All

systems are driven by Nexo NXamp digital TD Controller Amplifier, NXamp4x4C. As the oﬃcial distributor of Nexo systems in Singapore, Yamaha Music (Asia) Pte Ltd wasted no time in having the system shipped in from France. “We shipped the cabinets before PAVE won the tender. We had anticipated the need and we wanted to ensure that if we were awarded the project, things would be able to proceed without a glitch,” commented Lawrence Tan, PA Sales & Marketing for Yamaha Asia. While there were other interested competitors, PAVE and Yamaha won by matching the theatre's criteria such as having a system that could integrate with its existing system and still work with the 4 x Nexo Alpha S2 subwoofers. Due to a slim time slot for the upgrade, all planning had to be done outside of the theatre. “The theatre had to remain functional throughout the entire upgrade as it had already been pre-booked 4 weeks in advance to the upgrade,” explained Lawrence. “A study was done to see how we could integrate the new system with the old. With that, PAVE did a physical mock up at our warehouse where they measured the angles and flew the speakers exactly as they would be in the theatre.” The Nexo Geo S12s were chosen because the team wanted to “integrate not degrade”.

Nexo's GEO series provides elegant, ergonomic sound reinforcement solutions for any application. Additionally, the S12 Series expands GEO’s global reputation for advanced integrated loudspeaker systems. Speaking on the new upgrade, Mark noted, “We started 3 weeks behind schedule due to all the shows that were taking place, and when they finally managed to remove the old cluster to replace it with the new system, the fine tuning alone took 2 days. Overall, though, the installation was pretty smooth and I think everyone did a really great job. We have worked with Yamaha for many years and there is a familiar support there. We trust what they do and the working relationship is really good as well. Now the theatre is as current as the acts that come through.” sg.yamaha.com nexo-sa.com

NEWS May - June 2014

Clay Paky B-EYE Settles on S.E.A shores Manager, Eugene Yeo. “We received only a part of our shipment in March but due to the heavy backlog caused by the overwhelming positive response to the new series, we will only receive the rest of the shipment later.”

S.E.A: Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L), the oﬃcial distributor for Clay Paky in South East Asia, recently presented an impressive light demo of the A.Leda B-EYE series in partnership with TheatreWorks, an independent, non-profit Singaporean theatre company. A&L utilised the theatre company's large venue to showcase a range of Clay Paky products to nearly 100 interested partners and customers from various sectors including worship, R&S, and System Integrators. In total, 8 x A.Leda B-EYE K20, 4 x A.Leda B-EYE K10 and 4 x K10CC were up for display. This was less than initially ordered as explained by A&L's Business Development

The B-EYE range is quickly becoming “one of the hottest products around,” noted visitor Huang Muen, Technical Director at Singaporebased Illuminate Productions. “Its great that Acoustic & Lighting has provided another opportunity to experience yet another new fixture from Clay Paky. Considering that the Sharpy has changed the way stages look today and revolutionised the industry, I'm excited to see what the B-EYE can do.” There is hope among the Clay Paky team that the B-EYE will become the standard LED wash in the market, considering it's several advantages over other conventional LED products. “The B-EYE is so popular because our customers appreciate its uniformity and relatively powerful output. Add in the extra features such as pixel mapping and rotating lens and it becomes a new type of wash light

that gives you way more eﬀects than you can imagine,” stated Eugene. Other products featured included the Sharpy, Sharpy Wash, Alpha Spot QWO800 and Alpha HPE 1500 Profile and Spot. Visitors were also invited to get up close and personal to the lights and were allowed to try the fixtures via a ChamSys MagicQ MQ60 and a grandMA2 full-size console. On the response gathered at the event, Alberico D'Amato, Sales Manager at Clay Paky commented, “I was already expecting good feedback because we are already starting to see it being spec'd everywhere. I was also expecting a bit of curiosity because we haven't fully delivered to this part of the region yet. It seems to be following the Sharpy, in that, everyone is going over our expectations on their positive feedback. This is not just about good marketing, the B-EYE is a solid product.” www.claypaky.it www.acousticlighting.com

W-DMX OEM Installed in RC4 W-DIM4 and W-DIMm3 INTERNATIONAL: W-DMX by Wireless Solution Sweden AB is now coming OEM installed in the new W-DIM4 and W-DIMm3 by RC4 Wireless. The next-generation W-DIM4 and W-DIMm3 wireless dimmers are the latest dimmers from RC4 Wireless, maker of the awardwinning low-voltage dimmers, for use with Wireless Solution W-DMX systems. The W-DIM4 is a four-channel wireless DMX receiver with four dimmers integrated into one small device. The W-DIMm3 is a wireless DMX receiver and three dimmers housed in a miniature device measuring only 80mm x 40mm x 20mm. The W-DIMm3 is a miniature wireless DMX receiver and three-channel DC dimmer for use with Wireless Solution W-DMX transmitters. Its small size (80mm x 40mm x 20mm) is ideal for use in props, practicals and costumes. A comprehensive RDM implementation is accessible when RDM functionality is enabled in the host W-DMX system.

Each dimmer channel handle up to 50W at 12V. The device operates from 6V to 35VDC, and each dimmer can deliver 5A. Total device power handling, limited by input connections, is 10A. Over-temperature and over-current shut-down provide protection again wiring errors and load faults. The W-DIM4 is a wireless DMX receiver and powerful 4-channel DC dimmer for use with Wireless Solution W-DMX transmitters. With its high output power it is designed for multiple channels of lighting on revolves and moving set pieces, ideal for stage, film, or video, particularly where high-power halogen lamps are required. A comprehensive RDM implementation is accessible when RDM functionality is enabled in the host W-DMX system. Each dimmer handles up to 150W at 12V. The device operates from 6V to 30VDC, and each dimmer can deliver 12A. Total device power handling, limited by input connections, is 40A. Over-temperature and over-current shut-down provide protection again wiring errors and load faults.

In both units, any DMX channel can be assigned to any dimmer, with a choice of non-dim, linear, or ISL curves optimized for smooth, flicker-free LED dimming. With RDM users can configure DMX channel, dimmer curve, pwm frequency and RC4 Digital Persistence response time for each individual dimmer output. RDM sensors monitor battery voltage, internal temperature, and current draw for each dimmer, including minimum and maximum readings. NonRDM users can easily assign DMX channels, dimming curves, and more, using RC4 OneTouch: with one press of a button, any channel and curve can be assigned to a dimmer. Hailed for its reliability and ease of use, Wireless Solution’s W-DMX range of products are the consistent choice for top professionals in the lighting industry and specified with perfect results in high-profile events and installations around the world. www.wirelessdmx.com

K10 CC

K10 Easy

K20

K10

A REVOLUTIONARY, AWARD-WINNING RANGE OF SOPHISTICATED LED WASH-LIGHTS, THAT FIT ALL NEEDS.

All models feature: incomparable color and white light control, with light evenly diffused on the front lens and no visible gaps between LEDs. Zoom ranging from an impressive minimum of 4° (which turns the luminaire into a beam-light) up to 60°.

B-EYE K10, B-EYE K20 and K10 “Easy” generate, thru individual LED control, active eye-candy chromatic patterns and a striking array of independent micro-beams, that can be used for digital gobo design (virtual gobos) and aerial effect morphing.

www.b-eye.it

The full versions of B-EYE K10 and B-EYE K20 produce the revolutionary “vortex” and its unique kaleidoscopic projections, for countless fantastic atmospheric effects that may be controlled in shape, color and speed.

NEWS May - June 2014

E&E Appointed as New Distributor for A&H Bardy Hayes, President of Global Market Management, Inc., regional sales managing company for Allen & Heath in Asia Pacific, said: “E&E is a company with a rich history and a promising future. It is an honour to do business with a company with this level of professionalism and deep technical expertise. We look forward to a long and mutually successful relationship.”

S.E.A: Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E) has been appointed as the new Singaporean and Malaysian distributor for Allen & Heath, eﬀective 1st April 2014.

Founded in 1951, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd is one of the region’s leading Specialist Contractor, Consultant and Systems Integrator alongside being a distributor and supplier of a vast array of reputable audio-visual equipment. Allen & Heath was

attracted to the company’s expertise in the high end pro audio and installation market, which will especially complement the iLive, iDR, GLD and Qu digital ranges. Gary Goh, Deputy Managing Director, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd, commented: “We are honoured to be representing the Allen & Heath brand for the Singapore and Malaysia markets. It is indeed a joy to be working with such a reputable company that shares the same level of passion for audio excellence.” www.allen-heath.com

Shure Appoints Concept Audio as Distributor MALAYSIA: Concept Audio Associates (KL) Sdn Bhd. established since 2002, has become one of the leading full service audio, visual, lighting system distributors serving the whole of Malaysia. As of March 2014, the company has been named as the authorized distributor for the full line of Shure products excluding the Shure DIS product line in Malaysia. “We’re pleased to have partnered with Concept Audio which is very dedicated to the Professional Audio market in Malaysia. We look forward to seeing the relationship grow in the coming years and with Shure products

distributed and integrated throughout the country,” William Chan, Managing Director of Shure Asia Limited, stated. Andy Tan, Director of Concept Audio, said, “Concept Audio is honoured to represent Shure as the new authorized distributor in Malaysia. Notably, we are delighted to partner with the world renowned manufacturer of professional microphones with its exciting array of future products and highly trained support team that extends our company’s oﬀerings. Strengthening the commitment we made to our dealers and

valued customers to bring them the latest technology in the market as well as complete solutions. Our dedicated mission is to go beyond our distribution reaching out Shure legendary performance presence throughout Malaysia.” www.conceptaudio.com.my www.shure.com

TC Group appoints Nick Williams APAC: TC Group has announced the appointment of Nick Williams as its Business Development Manager Asia/Pacific for Install and Tour, with responsibility for the Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake brands. Nick has a long history in sales and the professional audio industry, and focused for many years in the EMEA/APAC regions. Based in the UK, his position commences immediately, with a main focus of driving and developing business in the Asia/Pacific region. “I am delighted to be joining TC Group at such an important time for the organisation, with an outstanding portfolio of products

across the Tannoy, Lab.gruppen and Lake brands,” said Nick. “Having been part of this industry for many years, I am well aware of the prime position that the brands hold, and I look forward to building on these already very strong foundations.” Miguel Hadelich, VP of International Sales for TC Group’s Install & Tour brands, said: “We are delighted to welcome him on board, and I’m sure that with his knowledge and experience, he has the focus required to deliver against targets, budgets and strategic objectives going forward.” www.tannoy.com

NEWS May - June 2014

On The Web!

Sennheiser ‘Java Jazz’es For The 4th Year INDONESIA: Sennheiser maintained its commitment to play a greater part in Indonesia’s music industry by participating in the 10th edition of the Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival. Additionally, Sennheiser also hosted a brand booth within the festival grounds to allow festival goers to experience its premium audio products while holding a special fan meet-and-greet session the brand's Indonesian ambassador, Raisa. http://e-techasia.com/latest/liveinstall/ indonesia-sennheiser-jazz-4th-year/ www.sennheiserasia.com

Studiomaster Expands DJA Series

INTERNATIONAL: Studiomaster Professional recently expanded its DJA series range with the addition of two new models DJA 800 and DJA1600, giving the series a total of 4 amplifiers under its roster.

http://e-techasia.com/ennovations/ studiomaster-expands-dja-series/ www.studiomasterprofessional.com

Midas New Price Plan

INTERNATIONAL: Midas has launched a new competitive price plan for their PRO Series digital mixing consoles. A price reduction of up to 30% provides system integrators and rental/production providers more incentive to specify and purchase the legendary PRO Series consoles for their everyday, pro-audio applications. http://e-techasia.com/latest/news/worldmidas-mixes-marketplace/ www.midasconsoles.com

Epson Showcases Multisensory Projections for Art House Anniversary SINGAPORE: Epson transported audiences into a multi-media literary world with a dazzling display of light and dance, as part of the Singapore Arts House 10th Anniversary celebrations. The show was in line with Epson’s twin eﬀorts to challenge traditional boundaries with the latest technology and support the local arts and design scenes. In addition to equipment loan, Epson worked closely with the partners behind-the-scenes to calibrate the projections for the surfaces, as well as to changing weather conditions. http://e-techasia.com/latest/liveinstall/singapore-epson-dazzles-arts-house/ www.epson.com.sg

Christie Insight Forum Gets People Talking

South Korea: Christie demonstrated its expertise in next generation visualization solutions during the inaugural Christie Insight Forum “The Next Leap of Visualization”, at the Intercity Hotel Daejeon in South Korea. The event showcased highly immersive and interactive advanced visualization technologies aimed at industries such as architectural, aerospace, automotive and more. http://e-techasia.com/latest/news/south-korea-christie-insight-forum-gets-people/ www.christiedigital.com

Philips Entertainment @ Palm Expo Beijing 2014

CHINA: Philips Entertainment’s four premier brands – Selecon, Showline, Strand Lighting, and Vari-Lite – will be showing brand new products at the Palm Expo show in Beijing. Highlighted products include Vari-Lite VL4000 Spot luminaire that represents the first in a new generation of Vari-Lite luminaires, Showline’ SL NITRO 510C that follows on the success of the original SL NITRO 510 LED strobe and Selecon’s latest addition to the award winning Rama range of Fresnels and PC’s. Booth #E1A65 http://e-techasia.com/latest/news/news-showline-premiere-sl-nitro-510c-palm-expo/ www.philips.com/showline

Upcoming coolux Insight Events 2014 INTERNATIONAL: coolux, recently announced two new "coolux insight" events aimed at industry professionals who are interested in the latest Pandoras Box developments in relation to a specific application field. The topic for the next coolux insight to be held on May 16th is 3D projection mapping. An additional coolux insight scheduled for the 29th of August will revolve around broadcast technology. The insight events are free of charge and are operated on a strict first-come-first-served basis as there are only a limited number of places available. http://e-techasia.com/latest/news/world-upcoming-dates-coolux-insight-announced/ www.coolux.com

Take It To The Maximum

VP-773AMP

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EXHIBITION PREVIEW May - June 2014

BroadcastAsia2014: Covering all facets of the broadcasting value-chain Social media, OTT and multi-platform screening are some of the key trends to watch in 2014. These technologies, and more, will be highlighted at the upcoming BroadcastAsia2014 exhibition and conferences

Technologies such as 4K/UHD, OTT, multiscreen and multi-platform streaming enhance the viewer experience in ways not possible before. For instance, broadcasters using 4K cameras can now provide higher quality images to viewers. The application of these technologies will be intertwined throughout the BroadcastAsia2014 exhibition and conferences from 17 to 20 June at the Marina Bay Sands Singapore. Visitors will not only get to experience the convergence of technologies, they will also get to unlock new business pathways that will allow access to networking with major global industry players. They will be able to observe how broadcasters, pay-TV operators and online video and content service providers are working together to connect their audience through the latest technologies.

Key highlights include: • 4K, Multiplatform & MAM - An impressive display of cutting edge products and solutions designed for 4K/ UHD, multiplatform and Media Asset Management • ProfessionalAudioTechnology - An international showcase for professional audio equipment, services and technology • Cinematography / Film / Production Zone - A one-stop venue for the showcase of ground-breaking motion picture production tools and software Calvin Koh, Assistant Project Director from Singapore Exhibition Services, the shows organiser says, “With the broadcasting

industry facing challenges from emerging technologies, BroadcastAsia will gather the industry to discuss these opportunities and issues, as well as showcase the infinite business potential the new technologies can bring, especially in the Asian region. Highlighting 4K, second/multi screens and OTT, among other prevalent trends, is an example of how we continue to introduce new elements into the event and move the industry forward.” “The broadcasting industry is in an exciting state of flux at this time, especially with the addition of the second screen experience. Instead of seeing OTT and other Internet technologies as the competition, broadcasters have the opportunity to see these as enabling them to reach a higher level of play, through an intimate connection with their target audiences,” commented Olivier Heurteaux, senior vice president, APAC, EVS. EVS, a leader in live outside broadcast digital video production systems, will be exhibiting at BroadcastAsia2014, as well as presenting a case study on sportscasting at the BroadcastAsia2014 International Conference. Heurteaux will present a case study on ‘Sportscasting – How to Monetise Content for Second Screen Success’ on 18 June, Day 2 of the conference. Aside from EVS, exhibitors who have confirmed their participation and will be showcasing the latest technologies in DVB-T2, File-based Management Systems, Multi-Platform Streaming and Nextgen Broadcasting include: Coship, Dalet, Dayang, DB Broadcast, Elber, Envivio, Gospell, Imagine Communications and GatesAir, NEC, Orad, Pace, Pilat Media, Playbox, Quantel, Ross Video, Screen Systems, Skyworth, Telestream,

EXHIBITION PREVIEW May - June 2014

Thomson Networks, Toshiba, VIZRT, Wasp3D and Wohler.

and share their thought-provoking ideas at the conferences.

Intuitive conversations on the right business models

Noting that OTT services are gaining greater traction in the US and Europe, Lam Swee Kim, Group General Manager of Media Prima Digital thinks that Asian operators and broadcasters need to provide OTT services to reach not only a wider target audience, but also to be sustainable because content consumption is now expected to be multiscreen. Recognising that there are challenges such as getting the ‘buy-in’ of management to adopt an OTT strategy and setting up a robust OTT platform that is able to cater to the broadcaster’s needs, Kim believes that having good content will work anywhere – be it the traditional broadcast or OTT platforms.

Comprising of visionary keynotes and specialised industry sessions, the BroadcastAsia2014 conferences are a knowledge transfer hub and networking platform for attendees to debate and discuss critical upcoming trends such as disruptive technologies in the broadcast and digital media market landscapes, industry risk factors and models for success that will enable companies to ride these trends and remain profitable. Real-time social platform Twitter has more than 241 million users globally and is available in 35 languages. Shailesh Rao, Twitter Inc’s Vice President for Americas, Asia Pacific and Emerging Markets, will deliver a visionary address titled “You Matter: Asians Shaping The Pulse of the World Through Live, Authentic Conversations” to examine the role of social media and its significance in today’s society. The visionary address will be held on Day two of the conference on 18 June. BroadcastAsia2014 International Conference will delve deep into OTT as well as the role of social media in the future of TV, whilst the Creative Content Production Conference 2014 will focus on content creation and distribution, and the technical aspects of 4K. An insightful series of conference tracks will cover the latest disruptive technologies that enable companies to increase eyeballs, with specialised tracks on Asian audiences and strategies for success in Asia. Experts from EVS, Media Prima Digital, MediaCorp, Nielsen and Sony will present case studies

“OTT is driving business growth in the Asian broadcasting industry and with new players emerging from diﬀerent areas across the region, it is an extremely crucial time for us to learn from one another and unanimously develop OTT video services. BroadcastAsia will educate visitors and participating businesses alike, while providing the ideal opportunity for us to draw focus to our target audience, plan our investment options and prepare for the challenges that expanding the OTT market may bring,” said Kim. Kim will be presenting a case study at the conference on ‘How OTT is driving business growth in broadcasting’ on 17 June, Day One of the BroadcastAsia2014 International Conference. www.broadcast-asia.com

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PALM EXPO 2014 26 - 29 May, 2014 China International Exhibition Centre Beijing, China ETC Booth E1A55

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EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Prolight + Sound Guangzhou sees 24% visitor growth

A new record high for exhibitor and visitor attendance was set at Prolight + Sound Guangzhou, China’s largest pro audio and lighting show, held 24 – 27 February 2014, at the China Import and Export Fair Complex in Guangzhou. The 1,138 exhibitors were busy throughout the four-day event which saw 60,068 of visitors at the show. The increase in exhibitors and visitors represents a 23.4% and 24.2% growth respectively compared to the 2013 show. Commenting on the show’s success, Fiona Chiew, Deputy General Manager of Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai) Co Ltd shares, “The significant growth in numbers is a promising sign that the show is developing in the right direction. A majority of exhibitors and visitors also noticed that the show’s organisation, exhibit quality, brand variety, internationalism and energetic business atmosphere had improved quite a lot.”

Remains a vital trading hub This year's edition attracted an increased number of international brands from

25 countries and regions including ADJ, AKG, Allen & Heath, audio-technica, Avid, Beyerdynamic, Bose, D.A.S., Db Technologies, FBT, HARMAN, JBL, JTS, König & Meyer (K&M), L-Acoustics, LaserWorld, Martin Audio, Martin Professional, McCauley, Meyer Sound, NEXO, Philips, Proel, Sennheiser, SHURE, SOUNDKING, Studiomaster, TASCAM, TC Electronic, TEAC, TWAUDiO and YAMAHA.

Besides the bulk of industry heavyweights present at the trade show, many were newcomers including dB Technologies from Italy. “It’s a very good show to be in. This is the first time we have showed new technologies with our new distributor. People are positive about our brand. We have seen customers from China, Asia Pacific, Canada and Latin America. The China market is quite complicated but a brand like ours can have a very good development here, just like how we are doing in the rest of the world,” shared Export Manager Gianluca Dalessandro. Andrew Kong, Marketing Manager for Martin Professional (HK) Ltd attest to the growing market demand for the show, “The show is right in the centre of the China audio industry. I think China’s entertainment market is huge. This is where the international brands should be in.”

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

First-time exhibitor Real-music Acoustics & Lighting Technology Pte Ltd, who was on site to showcase its Adamson E12 line source, E218 subs, as well as the NEXT-proaudio PX, CX and X series, gave their stamp of approval, “The crowd and quality of visitors and exhibitors have definitely improved. It's a great place to grow our brand presence and network with our customers, at a bigger scale.” Karl-Heinz Käs, Managing Director for RTI Display Laser Systems from Switzerland also saw the exponential opportunity in China, sharing that “China is a big market. We now sell more in the Asian market than Europe. Chinese people rely on foreign brands because they see that it doesn’t make sense just to focus on the price and then having a failure in the show. The Chinese market is important for us because you can’t find bigscale shows anywhere else.” Leading brands believed the show is an ideal platform to reveal their new products to the market. Chinese agent for Sennheiser, ARTSOUND International Development Co Ltd took the opportunity to launch their new headphones for professional DJs at the show.

“At a big show like this, we can meet with many buyers and demonstrate the advantages of Sennheiser’s products which ultimately increase our market share,” Marketing Director Mr Rio Li enthused. Many exhibitors noticed the show has become more international since cooperating with Messe Frankfurt. One such company is Nightsun Pro Lighting Equipment Co Ltd from China. Representing the company, Xin Liao notes, “We have seen more international buyers this time, especially from South America. This is a new market which we intended to expand our business to and we have engaged in serious discussions with some of them. I think the show is a must-attend event for the industry and certainly we will return next year.” First time visitor from the US, Gary Moran, a stagehand for the San Francisco Convention Centre said, “You have pretty much everything here from the beginning to the end of production of a show such as trussing and motors, the distribution and connections. The quality of Chinese products

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EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Likewise, Yande Qu, Audio Video Department Project Manager for Dalian Yunhe Technology Co Ltd from China found the show greatly improved from last year. “I am looking for conference facilities and new products. There are more international brands and product variety this year which provide a wider sourcing option for us.”

Fringe programme well received by fair attendees During the show, visitors and exhibitors also had the chance to participate in a variety of fringe programmes. The Lighting Technology for Television Broadcasting Studio Forum 2014 was well attended by TV station heads, engineers and lighting technicians who exchanged their views about television and stage lighting. is very good. I wanted to see what’s new so that when the products come to the US I have a better understanding.”

Network, market updates – all in one German buyer Victor Wiesner, Product Manager Pro Audio/Purchasing for Adam Hall GmbH is a regular visitor to the show. “I have been to this show three or four times. We are a big distributor for wireless microphones, amplifiers and speakers and I come to China to look for possible suppliers and products. They have become so much better in the last 10 years. The show is important because in China all the manufacturers can get all the parts from the local market which is good for us to manufacture in China,” he shared. Mexican audio systems manufacturer Miguel Topete, Director for Top Line adds, “There are so many manufacturers here, and I can find them all in one place. If I didn’t visit this show it would take so many months to find contacts. Here I make contacts and next week I will visit factories.”

Speaker Andreas Gause, Sales and Marketing Director of Gerriets GmbH, Germany comments, “I think it’s a good networking opportunity for me to introduce our latest technology while exchanging our experience with the local industry experts and sharing our knowledge with the audience.” An equally popular event was the 4th edition Pro Audio Technology Seminar. Senior Engineer, Guangzhou Li from Guangdong Television shared his audio and broadcasting technology knowledge with audio technicians and experts. “The audience are very engaging. We are able to exchange industry knowledge through this platform and I hope a bigger seminar will be organised next year.” Audience member Xiaoqin Wang, a technician for He Yuan Television commented on his experience, “It’s an invaluable opportunity to learn new technologies from a national leading TV station which I can apply to my work.”

Other concurrent events included Applications of AV System in the Hotel Industry, The Guangdong Performing Industry Exchange and Trading Forum 2014, Outdoor Line Array and the HC360 Business Matching Programme. “Moving forward, we hope Prolight + Sound Guangzhou continues to deliver the best business platform for professional audio and lighting market in China,” Hanrong Wu, Director of Guangdong International Science and Technology Exhibition Company (STE) concludes. The next Prolight + Sound Guangzhou will be held from 2 – 5 March 2015. www.prolightsound-guangzhou.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

GETShow 2014 Gets It Right Held at the Poly World Trade Expo Center by Industry Association of South China Entertainment Equipment (SCEE), it was the fourth time this burgeoning entertainment technology show has taken place.

Debuting for the first time, these Spot and Beam versions of the new XR 1000 fully automated moving head house an Osram HTI 1000 W/PS 1000W metal halide lamp. The strength of the optical path was soon in evidence as the two units projected shapes and geometrics onto the stand roof, with butterflies projected onto the rear wall.

The expo again proved its popularity with all the major Chinese lighting and audio manufacturers — with around 500 diﬀerent companies participating. The entire show was segmented into three levels, spanned across six halls; with the majority of the audio situated in the first four halls, while Lighting was contained in Halls 5 and 6. Navigation was kept simple as halls were divided according to their features and product categories, so there was no wondering if one would missed a cool gadget tucked away in a corner. The day began with a capacity crowd where visitors hastened to comb through the trade show floor to find the latest technology and products, many of which were introduced for the first time. Among which, PR Lighting reported an outstanding response to its latest products from visitors at the show.

The company had again occupied a prime position right in the centre of Hall 6 with their large, eye-catching 137 square metre booth. International Sales Director, Ernie Armas reports not only an increase in domestic customers but also those from overseas. “All were extremely satisfied with the products we presented, and in particular the new XR1000 Spot and XR1000 Beam,” he said.

An integrated light show featuring a total of 301 fixtures, including 155 of the compact and lightweight XR 200 Beams, held the crowd captive with its impressive shades and maneuvers. It was indeed a feast for the senses as several exhibitors, namely Fine Art, Jolly, Panther Entertainment Technology, and Huanyu Tech took it upon themselves to ramp up their presence with larger-than-life, bold and elaborate displays at their respective booths, eﬀectively unrolling a blanket of liveliness and excitement across the show floor.

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

the GTD1500 BEAM, Profiles and Spots; a dedicated showroom for its lighting show; as well as a glamorous networking lounge stationed in plain sight, at the entrance of the Lighting hall.

GTD Lighting & Truss also donned its best suit at the show as they left their mark all over the exhibition floor – flashing out its full range of truss and lighting solutions including

Taiwanese brand Antari rolled out its big guns at the show floor with its range of fog machines and hazers, including the Bubble series B-200 and the W-101, which were a hit with the crowd with its indoor bubble show, serving as a great supporting character at the corners of the booth.

In particular, ACME opted for an “enclosed” showroom concept, set against a nightclub ambience where visitors were dazzled with rapid paced strobe lighting and techno music, using a range of their flagship Platinum and LED moving head entertainment lights, such as the AE-710 BEAM, XP-5R BEAM G, XP-15R BEAM, XP-15R SZG, and CM-320s. “The show has been truly phenomenal! We have definitely attracted several curious eyes with our quirky showroom,” a spokesperson at ACME enthused.

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EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

“The show has been great,” said Liu Ya Yan, the unit manager for Hongyu Electronic, who distributes the Antari brand, “We had the opportunity to preview our upcoming Z1520 series, which will be oﬃcially coming into the China market in April.”

booth was packed this morning,” commented Jesse Bath, the Director for Strategy & HR at ACCO Lighting System. SAE Audio, set out to impress with its extensive range of toroidal transformer power amplifiers including the PMX, EX, CA, 7000 series, as well as the brand new Precision series SMPS power amplifiers. was especially pleased with the unexpected traﬃc.

surprise for us,” Josep M. Sans, Market Development Manager for SAE Audio, mused. The Prolyte Group was also there to lend a helping hand to their Chinese distributor Trinity, where they unveiled their well soughtafter Prolyft AETOS series chain hoists. Likewise, W-DMX, who was participating for the third year, reeled in a sizable crowd to its booth.

“It has been a busy show, busy week – with the trade show happening back-to-back with the LED and Prolight show in Guangzhou. We're getting a lot of traﬃc at this show, some unexpected, which is a very pleasant This sentiment holds true for Singaporebased ACCO Lighting System, who returned to the GET Show for a second year – successfully drawing a decent crowd to their showroom which featured the latest ACCO Rex Beam and the well-received multipurpose unit, ACCO BOLD. The ACCO BOLD is a truly versatile and multipurpose unit that works as three fixtures – Wash, Spot, and Beam, in one. Featuring the high power OSRAM SIRIUS HRI 230W discharge lamp and limitless pan rotation, it's a great hit for entertainment venues. “It's a great chance to showcase our new products and build a stronger brand identity in the China market. The traﬃc has been great so far, there were a lot of enquires. Our

“For W-DMX, the China economy is a bit slower this year, but there's a bigger market for individual pieces. The show is definitely improving every year,” commented Niclas Arvidsson, CEO and founder of Wireless Solutions Sweden AB. Indeed, the GET Show presents and still plays a important role as the to-go platform for Chinese lighting and audio manufacturers. Align with the show's desire to enhance the “Made in Guangzhou” label, as well as polish the “Made in China” trademark that comes with it, the GET Show is undoubtfully, on the right track to building and nurturing a global base of performing arts equipment industry in Guangzhou. www.getshow.com.cn/en/

The ACCO team

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Prolight + Sound An Unrivalled 'Hot Spot' For Quality Business

Dates : 12 – 15 Mar 2014 Venue : Messe Frankfurt Exhibition Grounds, Frankfurt Am Main, Germany Gross Area : 578,000 sqm Number Of Attendees : 42,267 Number Of Exhibitors : 897 Website : www.prolight-sound.com

The Prolight + Sound (PL+S) tradeshow, was once again the highlight of the year for companies, retailers and professional users from the fields of event technology, AV media technology and systems integration. As always, PL+S was held concurrently with Musikmesse and turned Frankfurt into a hot spot for a big inter-national audience of trade visitors. “This year’s Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound were characterised by a high visitor standard and a willingness to place orders. A total of 107,629 visitors from 142 countries reflect the continuing high level of interest shown by the music and event sectors in innovations and new developments”, said Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. The unrivalled relevance of the fair for companies in the sector was emphasised by Dietmar Rottinghaus, Chairman of the

Board of the Professional Lighting & Sound Association of Germany, who said, “Prolight + Sound not only illuminates individual niches but also oﬀers a complete and comprehensive overview of the market. This is where manufacturers, customers, distributors and service providers meet – an overall blend that is unparalleled worldwide.” Around two thirds of the companies making presentations at PL+S came from outside Germany. After Germany, China was the best represented visitor nation, followed by

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Great Britain, Italy, the USA, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Taiwan and Spain. The audience of trade visitors was even more international than the year before with 51% of them travelling to Frankfurt from outside Germany.

personnel, a subject of great importance for our sector, because the demands on events and, therefore, on specialist staﬀ continue to grow.”

Extensive programme of awards and events

Discussing the unique visitor structure at the fair, Alexander Hartung, Sales Manager of CHAIN MASTER Bühnentechnik GmbH, said, “At Prolight + Sound, we encounter customers from all parts of the world: from Europe and Africa to North and South America. The visitors are highly professional and they cover the spectrum from individual retailers to technical directors. In other words, you can reach a very multi-faceted audience here.” Prolight + Sound Director Michael Biwer summarised saying, “This year’s fair was characterised by an all-embracing image of the sector and a mood that is improving all the time in the live and event sector. 80 percent of exhibitors rate the economic climate in the sector as being at least satisfactory to good. This represents a solid foundation for the development of new and future-oriented technologies – and, therefore, for the future of Prolight + Sound.”

Live and event technology brought to life

New in the programme of awards this year was the Prolight + Sound International Press Award (PIPA). Under the auspices of the MM-Musik-Media-Verlag publishing company, trade journalists from all over the world selected the winners of awards for products and services in the professional audio and video industry. The next Prolight + Sound will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 15 to 18 April 2015.

Visitors could also see event technology in action at designated areas of the showgrounds. At the Live Sound Arena, PL+S presented mobile PA systems live and many companies from the live-sound segment took advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate their products. Bigger PA systems and line arrays were to be seen and heard at the Concert Sound Arena.

Focus on specialist training An important contribution to the unparalleled function of Prolight + Sound as a source of impulses for the sector is made by the wide range of interesting training events and conferences. Particularly popular as always was the Prolight + Sound Conference, at which experts passed on their knowledge in lectures and presentations and oﬀered insights into innovations and new areas of application. Besides the Conference, a new feature at this year’s PL+S was the Theatre and Film Colloquium, a knowledge forum for exhibitors and visitors from the fields of theatre, stage and film technology. The great importance of the training opportunities oﬀered by the fair was underscored by Detlef R. Schulz, Head of the National Politics & Communication Division of the Association for Media and Event Technology, who said, “Prolight + Sound is a very important platform for us. In particular, the seminar programme is a relevant part where the focus is on training for specialist

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EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Analog Way Displays Latest Switchers

Analog Way took the opportunity to show the Frankfurt crowd its development of drivers enabling third party control, mobile applications to control the company's

devices, and remote maintenance solutions with the objective of showing how easily Analog Way's systems can be deployed into automation and IT environments. The company displayed their selection of its latest Mixers Seamless Switchers including the Ascender 32: Multi-screen Seamless Switcher with 32 Scalers, and the Saphyr: Mixer Native Matrix Switcher and the Pulse²: Mixer Native Matrix Switcher. www.analogway.com

Avolites Exhibits with Einstein & Sons The 2014 PL+S show was Avolites' biggest presence yet. Avolites and Avolites Media took their own dedicated stand at Frankfurt but also exhibited with longstanding friend and partner, Trendco, in a seperate booth. Avolites and Avolites Media were joined by the formidable and respected team from Einstein and Sons, Michael Kühbandner, Roland Greil and Thomas Döhring, who showcased how media servers (in this instance the Ai Media Server) can be used in unusual ways by showing oﬀ a variety of their own cutting edge projects using the Ai system. In the words of Michael Kuehbandner, co-founder of the company, “we wanted to push boundaries and highlight that the only limitation is your fantasy.” The company who has been involved in a number of innovative and creative

projects, took the opportunity to show how you can think out of the box to create interesting possibilities. Innovative capabilities of the Ai Media Server, especially regarding projection mapping, were shown to the interested visitors from all around the globe. Using unusual ways to interactively control the groundbreaking Ai media server with diﬀerent sensors, like temperature and position sensors were in the focus, as well as using RFID technology to recognize diﬀerent 3D geometries and adjust the video mapping accordingly. Another shown approach was the integration of various feeds, like RSS feeds or live inputs via iPad from a webserver. “We decided to work with Ai for a specific reason – to push the boundaries of realtime video playback and manipulation as far as we can. Ai's incredible visualization capabilities enable us to easily work within a virtual 3D environment,” said Michael. www.avolites.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

beyerdynamic Turns 9O! “Meeting with friends” event. The 90th anniversary was celebrated with live music and a huge anniversary cake. On the web site www.generationaudio.com, which has been especially designed for the anniversary, people can enter their personal experience or story about beyerdynamic products to contribute and become part of the “Generation Audio”. A visit is highly recommended! north-america.beyerdynamic.com

For the anniversary “90 years of beyerdynamic”, the visitors did not only experience the present, but also the emotional history of the company by travelling through the past with antique products, a video clip and pictures of old stars of the musical scene, amusing advertisements, antique data sheets, pictures believed to be lost forever and so on. As a kind of souvenir for the 90th anniversary, the “M 88 TG 90 Years” microphone edition was available. On the evening before the trade show opened, some guests, who were specially invited, already came to Frankfurt to attend the

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Clay Paky Receives Numerous Accolades

RCF D LINE

During the four-day fair in Germany, Clay Paky's booth was constantly crowded with countless industry professionals from every continent. The demo area in particular was literally "taken by storm". Although over thirty demos were held, both in English and German, they were always "sold-out", forcing many determined latecomers to watch the demonstrations from the passageways along side the booth. The Clay Paky A.Leda B-EYE received the “best lighting product” award at the first ever ProLight & Sound International Press Award (PIPA). The PIPA Awards were founded this year to celebrate fifteen years of MIPA Awards, the annual music industry prizes awarded during the most important trade fair for the musical instrument industry, Musikmesse, which takes place every year at the same time as ProLight+Sound.

said the B-EYE is sexy. It is a metaphor that clearly expresses what a fascinating and unique light it is and the absolutely original lighting designs it may be used to create. The B-EYE harmoniously combines three fields of technology, which are essential in a quality light: optics, electronics and micromechanics. We would like to dedicate this success to the whole Clay Paky R&D team. Each and every one of them provided a piece of their own knowhow and contributed to creating a truly special light, entirely made in Italy." Additionally, Pasquale Quadri, founder and chairman Clay Paky, received the prestigious lifetime achievement prize at the awards. The ceremony took place on 13 March 2014 and the winner was chosen by an overwhelming majority of the jury, which consisted of journalists from all around the world, representing more than a hundred industry journals.

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

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Although it has not been on the market for very long, the B-EYE is already in high demand from rental companies all around the world. The major events it has lit include the opening and closing ceremonies of the Sochi Olympic Games, the 2014 Super Bowl Halftime Show and various BBC TV programmes. Pio Nahum, Clay Paky CCO, went on stage to receive the award from the hands of Gregor König, an RTL Television news reader. He said: "One of our customers

With this MIPA/PIPA Lifetime Achievement Award, Pasquale Quadri joins a highly exclusive club whose members consist of the personalities who have received it before him for having made the history of the world music industry, such as the two Meyer brothers, who founded the famous Meyer Sound, Fritz Sennheiser, inventor of the wireless microphone, and Jim Marshall, whose guitar amplifiers are legendary. www.claypaky.it

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

coolux Previews Venus Sites for Pandoras Box 5.7 Software One of the most impressive new Pandoras Box features at this year's show was, without a doubt, the introduction of the so called “Venue Sites”. The Venue Sites feature is part of the upcoming Pandoras Box Manager 5.7 Software release. The Venue Sites are used for visualising complete stage-, installationand show-setups in realtime, using 3D models. Media content can be pre-programmed per output and can then be routed to diﬀerent 3D models this way. Now, instead of just oﬀering a standard 3D mapping approach for pre-visualisation, one can now use a realtime compositing environment as a complete whole to simulate video projectors virtually, using a light projection rendering approach. Another important aspect of Venue Sites relates to being able to test and play around with the simulations of complex media installations. This way, one can for example train oneself to set up a spherical projection or a softedge projection without having to use real projectors in the process. www.coolux.de

D.A.S. Audio Promotes Event Series

The main highlight at the D.A.S Audio booth was the introduction of the new series of line array systems called the Event Series, aimed at small to medium level sound reinforcement requirements. The Event series line arrays include two models, the Event 208A and the Event 210A. Both are three-way powered line arrays in double 8” and double 10” configurations respectively. The series also includes a twin 18” companion subwoofer which makes use of D.A.S. LX series long-excursion loudspeakers for solid bass response. Designed for optimum coupling with the Event 208A and Event 210A tops, the front-loaded system is powered by an eﬃcient 3600Wpeak Class D amplifier and achieves a rated maximum peak SPL of 140 dB. All units boast professional grade Baltic Birch plywood construction and are finished using the D.A.S. ISO-flex paint for durability. Steel rigging hardware is included on the line arrays systems and allows for safe and precise flying. www.dasaudio.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

D.T.S Lighting Brings WONDER to PL+S

Exhibiting at the very front of the lighting hall on the trade floor, D.T.S held one of the largest and well-attended booths of the exhibition. On display were the highpower compact moving heads - MAX, RAPTOR and NICK NRG 501 – along with the new WONDER fixture. The first DoubleOptics LED Wall Washer ever features 2 concentric optical groups, independent from each other, each with a long-throw motorized linear zoom. The D.T.S booth certainly stood out as it attracted the interest of hundreds of professionals over the 4 day show.

The company also paid tribute to their supporters through their annual D.T.S Excellence Awards. The gala dinner, held in the Radisson Blu ballroom, was filled with top lighting professionals, distributors, rental company owners, and the international press. Organised by the D.T.S marketing team leader, Pierluigi Gasperoni, this year's categories included best concerts, events and installations featuring D.T.S products in 2013. www.dts-lighting.com

DPA Microphones d:facto Gets New Grids

www.acousticlighting.com

DPA Microphones award-winning d:facto Vocal Microphone was sporting new grids with gold and nickel finishes – ideal accessories for vocalists who want added sparkle for their onstage performances. The new grids are available as accessories to existing d:facto solutions and are delivered as metal grids with foam and pop screen. Additionally, the nickel option matches the finish available on the Sennheiser 2000, 5200 and 9000 wireless mic systems and comes complete with capsule and corresponding adapters.

“We saw a demand in the market to attain the d:facto sound with more than just the traditional black grids," says Christian Poulsen, CEO of DPA Microphones. "These grids provide the solution by bringing an exciting new visual dimension to a microphone that is already internationally acclaimed for its great sound." Continuing its tradition of oﬀering exhibition visitors even more bang for their buck, DPA once again ran a daily draw at ProLight + Sound 2014, with the opportunity for a lucky person to win a DPA microphone (d:vote or d:fine singleear headset). To enter, all visitors had to do is visit the DPA booth during the day, collect a special pin and then return at 5pm for the draw. www.dpamicrophones.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Electro-Voice Presents ETX-citing Family

FBT Launches X-PRO Series

The new ETX Powered Loudspeaker family builds upon the industry-leading innovation and 85-year heritage of Electro-Voice audio engineering. Inside each low-profile, tour-grade wood enclosure are a range of unique new features that set the ETX Powered Loudspeaker family apart, combining intelligent technology and innovative industrial design for spectacular results across all applications.

FBT displayed its full production in a large 196 sqm stand. The main highlight was the new X-PRO series of powered speakers. Constructed out of plywood enclosures finished the X-PRO series is cut to withstand tour-tough conditions. Professional features include ergonomic handles, M10 flying points, a monitor taper design, and a full protective grille.

The ETX Powered Loudspeaker family will ship in Spring 2014.

FBT's MODUS Passive and Powered Compact Line Arrays were also a hit with visitors. The system, available in passive and powered versions, is composed of two line-array enclosures (MODUS 15, MODUS 40) and one bandpass subwoofer (MODUS SUB), all flyable thanks to the user friendly built-in hardware manufactured with the highest safety standards. The two array modules oﬀer coverage patterns 90°H x 40°V and 90°H x 15°V dispersion angles, which can be used alone or in pairs to form a “J” array capable of covering a 90°H x 55°V angle. The SUB can be either be suspended or stacked and is a complement to the System to provide extended low frequency SPL when required.

www.electrovoice.com

www.fbt.it

Positioned above the ZLX and Live X families respectively, the ETX Powered Loudspeaker family completes a trio of recent Electro-Voice portable loudspeaker oﬀerings – each of which was designed to bring best-in-class performance to its price point. EV-engineered higheﬃciency transducers and high-powered Class-D amplifiers, Signal Synchronized Transducers (SST) waveguide design and smart FIRDrive DSP all work together to provide peerless Electro-Voice sound quality and precise coverage at the highest SPLs.

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

GLP celebrates 20th Anniversary Udo Kunzler, the founder of the company, greeted clients, journalists and other industry personnel as the company celebrated its 20th Anniversary at PL+S. Capturing the attention of the packed crowd and with the help of a screen, Udo Kunzler went through the milestones of the company, highlighting key products. A number of world class lighting designers also gave testimony to GLP's revolutionary products and congratulated the company. As a preview to what is to be expected next from GLP, Mark Ravenhill spoke about the new generation of impression fixtures, the XL4, which was shown as a prototype at the stand and which is expected to make its debut later this year.

Stated Udo Künzler, “This was a very special occasion for us and it was great to be able to welcome so many friends and supporters who have helped us along the way — plus, of course, the world’s press.” www.glp.de

GREEN-HIPPO Serves Up Chipmunk range, Chipmunk delivers two layers of 1080p HD with ease. Full on-layer geometry, FX and colour control plus keystone correction. Timeline functionality is as per Chipmunk’s siblings along with RegionMapper, Preset Manager, ScreenWarp and many more of the components Hippotizer users have come to expect.

Chipmunk is the latest addition to Green Hippo’s award winning Hippotizer media server range. Driven by the same acclaimed software engine that powers the entire

The ability to switch to a single layer with cross-fade opens up a host of possibilities for Chipmunk. With a selection of transitions and mixer style functions built in, the system is ideal for on the fly applications such as

music events, nightclubs or even permanent installations. Hippotizer Chipmunk can be further configured to perform advanced functionality through a series of additional software packages that can be purchased at any time. For projects with up to 2 layers of HD video via a single output without sacrificing flexibility and control Chipmunk is the perfect solution. www.green-hippo.com

HARMAN’s Martin Professional Feels The RUSH HARMAN’s Martin Professional hosted its annual RUSH event at the Gibson Club in Frankfurt on March 13. In addition to a great night of fun, the venue showcased the RUSH by Martin line, including Martin’s RUSH Multibeam 2, MH 4 Beam, and PAR 2 RGBW Zoom lighting fixtures. PL+S attendees collected their free ticket to the RUSH event by visiting the Martin stand during show hours. Martin also gave away a different RUSH by Martin product each day of the show and all attendees were given a chance to win at the Martin stand. The RUSH by Martin line features a comprehensive and affordable range of profile, wash, strobe, beam and pin spot luminaries for DJ and club effects. As a compact moving head for smaller venues, the RUSH MH 4 Beam houses a fixed gobo wheel and color wheel for a multitude of effects,

such as dimming, strobe, 6-facet prism, and focus. The RUSH Multibeam 2 is a versatile eﬀect featuring two moveable LED bars each with five individually controlled narrow beams, as well as preprogrammed macros for powerful yet easy eﬀects. The RUSH PAR

2 RGBW Zoom is a bright single-lens LED PAR Can with fully premixed color from 12 RGBW LEDs that oﬀers electronic dimming and strobe. martin.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Double the Power for K-array Anakonda Kan200+ In one of the larger booths on the show floor, Italian manufacturer, K-Array immersed visitors not only in their products but in their hospitality as well. During a break between his presentations, Francesco Maﬀei, Product Specialist at K-array was seen mingling with customers and press over a cup of Italian espresso. K-array also unveiled the latest addition to the Anakonda series: the Anakonda KAN200+ with double the number of transducers for a +6 dB power. A truly revolutionary speaker module born to meet the needs of places

where few had dared to go up to now. It is designed to be a problem solver in situations where a traditional speaker box can’t be used but where good intelligibility, ultra-reliability and a sleek design are required. Its dedicated presets allow KAN200s to serve as a flexible PA system - either standalone or combined with K-array subwoofers. Each KAN200 module is 2m (6.6ft). Up to 32 modules can be interconnected, creating a continuous sound line, 64m (209.97 ft) in length. www.k-array.com

L-ACOUSTICS Hosts Presentation for K2 System During a special presentation conducted by Stephane Ecalle, Director of Marketing, L-ACOUSTICS introduced the K2 to press and show attendees. Stephane commented that at the time of the show, 60 companies had already confirmed orders for their K2 sets and added that the “K2 is doing very well and the industry seems very enthusiastic.” With the K2, L-ACOUSTICS offers K1 performance in a rescaled package. The K2 system flexibility makes it suited to both permanent installation and touring applications, from theatre to stadium productions. It employs the L-ACOUSTICS PANFLEX, a unique horizontal steering technology which combines mechanically adjustable fins with DSP algorithms effective from 300 Hz. Four different settings are

possible: two symmetric (70° or 110°) and two asymmetric (90° as 35°/55° or 55°/35°). Currently, a K2 system is on tour with alternative rockers, Placebo and Indie band, Arctic Monkeys. Cabinets were also employed at the Sochi Olympic Games. For touring applications, K2 can be associated to the LA-RAK, a universal distribution platform for power, audio signals and network which facilitates cross rental between rental

companies. LA-RAK houses three LA8 amplified controllers and can be flown onto a K2 array. www.l-acoustics.com

Martin Audio Launches DD12 Martin Audio has added an important loudspeaker to its comprehensive range, following the oﬃcial launch of the new multi-purpose DD12. A powered, two-way loudspeaker systems that combines onboard networking, DSP and Class D amplification with state-of-the-art transducers and Diﬀerential Dispersion horn technology to achieve best-in-class performance in terms of fidelity, output capability and coverage consistency across the audience. The system is designed to meet a multitude of premium stand-alone and distributed sound reinforcement requirements — from touring, theatre and portable live sound applications to concert hall and HoW installations, AV events and stage monitor use. Ideal as the main PA in small-to-medium

size rooms, it can also be used as an infill loudspeaker in large-scale systems. Another important feature of the DD12 is its internal memory, which allows factory ‘plug-and-play’ or user-generated DSP preset ‘snapshots’ to be recalled by means of a preset selector button on the rear panel, instead of using computer control. Jason Baird, R&D Director for Martin Audio, concluded, “This market sector has been underserved from a technology and innovation point of view for far too long. DD12 will signal a true shift in fidelity, output capability and coverage and bring our Diﬀerential Dispersion horn technology to, quite literally, a wider audience”. www.martin-audio.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Meyer Sound Unleashes the LYON The LYON is the latest addition to the Meyer Sound LEO Family of linear sound reinforcement systems. Bringing the linear reproduction of the LEO system to a more flexible and compact package, LYON is designed for applications where LEOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extreme long throw is not required. This includes arena and large auditorium installations, as well as tours and festivals. The loudspekers are available in two versions: the LYON-M main line array loudspeaker and the LYON-W wide-coverage line array loudspeaker. Complemented by the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element and the Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system, LYON-M can anchor a powerful system for installations in arenas and large auditoriums, as well as tours and festivals. LYON-W can serve as down fill to augment a LYON-based system. The Meyer Sound team also used the show as a platform to debut the new MJF-210, self-powered stage monitor. Only 353 mm (13.9 inches) high and weighing just 30.4 kg (67 lbs), the MJF-210 reproduces vocals and instruments with extraordinary accuracy. For real-time monitoring of loudspeaker parameters, the MJF-210 can be integrated into the Compass RMS remote monitoring system using the optional RMS module. Compass RMS features the RMServer and can be controlled in the Compass software. www.meyersound.com

Mamma Mia - Amici Productions/Auckland Music Theatre Inc. Lighting Design by Nik Janiurek.

Showline is a complete range of high performance LED luminaires designed and engineered to deliver exceptional performance for the entertainment lighting industry at an affordable price, backed by a two year warranty. Setting a new standard in the industry, all Showline products work seamlessly together to match colour, dimming and operations.

To find out more visit www.philips.com/showline

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Midas Announces the ‘Touring Engineer’s Dream’ which is the result of a three-year research and development program that pushed Midas engineers far beyond the edge of the proverbial envelope.

Building on the rock-solid legacy of their award-winning PRO3, PRO6 and PRO9 digital consoles, Midas debuted the new PRO X Console.– the touring engineer's dream console. On its own, the PRO X provides 168 inputs and 99 mix or 103 output channels simultaneously on a control surface that measures less than 1.5m, or 60" wide. The powerhouse behind the PRO X system is the new Neutron Audio System Engine,

“The PRO X brings mind-blowing I/O channel counts and seamless integration, while maintaining easy and cross platform operation – all at a price point that allows even the budget conscious to own Midas,” stated Music Group Professional Division Sales VP Shawn Watts. “Another amazing feature; existing PRO 3, 6, and 9 owners can easily upgrade those systems to the new PRO X. They need only replace certain sections of their control surface, upgrade to the new Neutron DSP engine, and use their existing remote I/O – that's it! The PRO X is the first of its kind, and a prime example of why Midas is the digital and analogue mixing console industry leader." www.midasconsoles.com

MIPRO Germany Now in Operation Due to the expansion of the German market, MIPRO has established a MIPRO Germany GmbH in Hardthausen, Germany and hired a pro audio veteran, Hartmut Reichert, as its managing director. The new office officially opened on the 1st of April 2014. Reichert brings an enviable pedigree to the position. Between 1991 and 1999 he set up and led the European sales and marketing office for Shure Inc. in Chicago, USA, establishing a European sales and marketing office from the company’s European base in Heilbronn, Germany. He subsequently worked for Beyerdynamic, setting up an international sales, marketing and distribution program. In 2008 Hartmut joined the QSC Audio as their sales manager for the European, Middle East & Africa (EMEA) territories. During the last two years he gained some business experience in the German electronic and computer business. Hartmut Reichert’s technical background, combined with his long term market experience in the European audio territories, leaves him perfectly positioned to take up the new challenge with MIPRO.

New managing director, Harmut Reichert with MIPRO CEO, K.C. Chang

K.C. Chang, CEO of MIPRO commented, "This is another exciting step for MIPRO in the region and we are very pleased to welcome Harmut to the MIPRO team. We have known and work with him in the past and admired his hands-on business acumen for a long time. He brings a wealth of experience and technical knowledge in the wireless microphone and wireless PA business. “Harmut is a well-respected audio professional and his track record in managing sales and distribution will be a valuable assets for MIPRO and an ideal match for our regional strategies. Under his leadership we are confidence we will

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

raise product profiles and presence with pro A/V system integrators, installation and rental companies, sound engineers and consultants. We look forward in working closely with him and the entire team to provide direct sales, service, and support to MIPRO customers.” “I am certain I will be able to use the good relationships I have created with distributors, dealers and system integrators to MIPRO’s advantage,” Reichert adds. “I have followed the company’s development in the market for many years and have been enormously impressed by how they have developed from being a well-known manufacturer of wireless microphones, to becoming one of the most innovative and expanding systems companies in the industry. I am delighted to be joining them.”

With this change, MIPRO will part ways with distributor Beyerdynamic. “Naturally the decision to change distribution after 12 years of trusted and fruitful partnership is diﬃcult. We’d like to sincerely thank Beyerdynamic and its staﬀ for their dedication and commitment to growing the MIPRO brand,” concluded Eugene Chen, International Sales Director of MIPRO. “We felt we needed to be closer to our customers and with a direct presence in Germany we are well positioned for the future and in particular our services reflect what our customers want and need.”

TOUCH THE

FUTURE

Besides MIPRO Germany GmbH, MIPRO has sales oﬃces in China, Hong Kong, Austria and Hungary.

TIGER TOUCH

www.mipro.com.tw

Nexo Is Main PA For LEA Awards opportunity to hear NEXO and Yamaha in concert. With a 24-set STM Series modular line array at front-of-house and a 45°N-12 line monitor system on stage, networked over Dante with a full complement of Yamaha CL Series consoles. Sponsored by PRG, the Live Entertainment Awards (PRG LEA) reward outstanding achievement in the entertainment industry in German-speaking countries.

POWER CUBE

This year, some 1,300 guests, including many prominent celebrities, gathered to enjoy live performances and applaud the winners of the LEA trophies. The gala event also marked the beginning of the tradeshow.

Besides previewing the new GEO M6 compact loudspeaker series at their stand, Nexo partnered with PRG Europe to provide the PA and monitoring systems in a state-of-the-art production package for the LEA Awards, one of Germany’s premier entertainment award programmes. Visitors to the Festhalle in Frankfurt, over the duration of the expo, had the

NEXO Marketing Director Ginny Goudy said, “Thousands of people visited the Festhalle, and it’s a great opportunity for NEXO to show them what we can do. “ “It was also a special chance to team up with our parent company Yamaha to present publicly the true symbiosis between our respective technologies, in a fully networked new-generation concert sound system.” www.nexo.fr

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

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Optocore & Partners Steal The Show with 3-way Comms Network

YOU´ VE GOT THE SKILLS. SKILLS WE´ VE GOT THE TOOLS. Following the development of new software, enabling Optocore devices to be connected directly to the Optocore-DiGiCo fibre loop, the German specialists created an ambitious network which threatened to steal the show. The two companies — along with ClearCom — certainly ring fenced the opening morning with successive ‘virtual’ press conferences, where the media thronged to the stands — first to see DiGiCo MD James Gordon hosting, with marketing director Dave Webster speaking remotely from the Optocore stand, followed by Bob Boster, MD of Clear-Com, who was beamed in from the Optocore stand as Simon Browne anchored the press call from Clear-Com’s stand location. The three stands were connected via single mode fibre — all made possible by

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

the new DiGiCo implementation. Visitors were clearly able to see the remote X6R mic preamp on the Optocore booth being controlled from the console on DiGiCo’s booth. “By adding a simple Optocore 16-channel X6R-FX interface to the DiGiCo network extra I/O connectivity can be achieved together with Ethernet and RS485/422,” explains Optocore founder, Marc Brunke. “They can also use Optocore’s cost eﬃcient DD2FR-FX and DD4MR-FX MADI interfaces to increase the number of MADI ports available on the console.” Although Optocore partners with multiple console manufacturers, only DiGiCo has OEM Optocore and is running the native 2.21 Optocore protocol. “With both companies' R&D departments working closely together, we have managed to join two systems together in an intuitive and elegant way,” he said. The Optocore booth remained packed throughout the four-day show, topped oﬀ with a party on the opening night when the Munich-based company were able to treat press and customers to some genuine Bavarian hospitality. www.optocore.com

www.coolux.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Outline Chooses PL+S for Multiple Product Launch purpose problem-solver, combining high power with an asymmetric cabinet design allowing myriad applications. Its use of modern co-axial driver technology (12”/3” LF/HF) allows a very light and compact unit to deliver serious SPL.

Outline launched of a whole raft of innovative new products at the show including the expansion of the EIDOS and Movie Series range along with the release of the DBS 18-2i subwoofer. The latest Outline product to feature their unique ‘Decoupled Baﬄe Subwoofer’ design, which increases the structural integrity of the cabinet and also reduces resonance and air turbulence around the reflex ports. Attracting heavy foot traﬃc at the show were the three new members to the EIDOS line. The EIDOS X123W is a classic multi-

The EIDOS 6.5 is a super-compact 6.5” + 1” module designed for installation purposes, especially where space is limited but which also requires power and intelligibility. It is also available in virtually any colour to match surroundings where needed. Finally, the EIDOS 12 SP is a very powerful multi-role device containing a 12” LF transducer and 1.75” compression driver, powered by internal Class D amplifiers and thus oﬀering all the advantages of selfpowered loudspeakers, and also featuring a rotatable HF waveguide allowing use in vertical or horizontal orientations. www.outlinearray.com

Philips Entertainment Attracts Worldwide Attention Following the incredibly positive reactions to new product launches from all four of its premier brands - Selecon, Showline, Strand Lighting, and Vari-Lite - Philips Entertainment celebrated its most successful Prolight + Sound to date. German TV presenter Markus Philipp hosted hourly product presentations on Philips Entertainment's huge stand, attracting worldwide attention from the press, dealers, and end users. Impressing attendees of the show, Philips Vari-Lite's eagerly anticipated feature rich VL4000 Spot luminaire made its global debut, showing oﬀ its high lumen output, precision optics, and full feature set. "The VL4000 Spot represents the first in a new generation of Vari-Lite luminaires designed to provide designers, rental companies, venues and productions with luminaires oﬀering unlimited possibilities without compromises," said Brad Schiller, Vari-Lite Product Segment Manager. "The launch at Prolight + Sound with multiple

light shows and continuous amazing looks showed the industry many of the capabilities that make the VL4000 Spot the new choice luminaire for productions and rental companies around the world." Richard Schmit, GM PLS Entertainment Group at Philips, concluded: "We are incredibly proud of our new range of luminaires and control systems from all four of our premier brands. There is definitely a real sense of excitement in the industry following their unveiling at Frankfurt. We will continue to serve our markets with the fast delivery of meaningful technological innovations in every new product that we launch." www.vari-lite.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Powersoft Plans to Change the Market

The Powersoft X Series represents Powersoft's plans to change the landscape of the professional amplifier market once more It is the first amplifier that, in reality, is a system tool that integrates a large amount of functionality, generally only found in separate outboard units. This includes an innovative system of channel routing, a truly universal mono, bi and three-phase balancing power supply and a revolutionary fully-featured DSP. The X Series consists of two models. Both the X8 (8-chn) and the X4 (4-chn) share the same power density, being capable of delivering up to 5200W @ 2 ohms per channel.

“The philosophy behind the X Series is to permit the audio system to operate independently from the power mains available at the venue and to allow even smaller racks to be brought to run the show,” explains Luca Giorgi, Pro Audio Business Unit Director at Powersoft. “This brings us even closer to complete integration of the system and provides an unmatched level of control over the behaviour of both the audio and power source.” www.powersoft-audio.com

PR Lighting Previews Flagship LED Moving Head

PR Lighting previewed a new flagship LED moving head and no fewer than six other, fully featured lighting projectors within their own self-contained display, set within the large portfolio of their German distributors, Focon Showtechnic. This included fixtures purpose designed for photographic and TV studios, and also for use at motor shows.

Fixtures featured included: XLED 2007 Beam, a mini unit that has all the advantages of the XLED 336 but can rotate endlessly: the XR230 SPOT that boasts a linear zoom from 3.8°-42°: the XR330 SPOT with a linear zoom from 3/8°-42° and the XR1000 Spot and Beam fixtures. www.pr-lighting.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Prolyte Reflects On A Vibrant PL+S 2014 market feel is buzzing again, being here to present so many new product innovations and developments is certainly rewarded in the direct response we get from both our users and customers.”

Prolyte enjoyed a busy and fruitful four days with the stand frequently brimming with people. All in all it was a fantastic result, thanks to Prolyte’s loyal network of users and customers. The exhibition provided a great platform to catch up with many contacts in person, with Prolyte taking away from the exhibition the motivation to further excel in future product developments and services. Lee Brooks, CEO commented: ”It’s great to be back in Frankfurt for another year, not only is it noticeable that the general

For Prolyte Group, the traditional Prolyte Awards Ceremony, organised to acknowledge and thank its loyal partner network, was one of the most satisfying events at the Prolight + Sound exhibition. Prolyte revelled in an exciting ceremony, the 9th consecutive event of its kind, with no less than 5 awards up for grabs. Marina Prak, head of marketing for Prolyte, commented: ”It’s always a pleasure to show how we value our partners and to reward their hard work. With many of our partners we have long-standing business relationships, and they are a true part of our family”. www.prolyte.com

QSC Strengthens Commitment to Versatility Shown for the first time at PL+S, QSC unveiled the new CXD-Q Network Amplifier line. CXD-Q models combine the Flexible Amplifier Summing Technology (FAST) found in the CXD/PLD amplifier platform with the same Q-Sys network connectivity and processing to create the ultimate audio routing and power solution for installed sound applications. “CXD-Q represents our ongoing commitment to create installed sound solutions that are incredibly versatile and integrate seamlessly with Q-Sys," says Dale Sandberg, QSC Senior Product Manager. “As Q-Sys products, they operate like other Q-Sys peripherals utilising the same standard Layer 3 networking technology for audio streaming, control, and monitoring. As amplifiers, they feature our new Flexible Amplifier Summing Technology that enables the amp channels

to be combined and deployed in a widerange of installed sound applications. This allows integrators the ability and flexibility to design and install systems in a whole new way." In addition to their outstanding eﬃciency, the CXD-Q amplifiers’ power saving modes further ensure that energy costs will be kept to a minimum over the life of the installation. CXD-Q Series Network Amplifiers will be available in are now available. qsc.com

50 AMAZING G OPTICS

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

RCF Gives Sound Back to Musicians

dynamics and power in an extremely portable package All the EVOX products feature high technology RCF transducers — the EVOX 5 with five 2” full range drivers and 10” sub, capable of handling extremely high SPL and power, and the EVOX 8 with eight 2” drivers (and 12” sub). These high excursion woofers are able to extend to the lowest frequencies and oﬀer a quick and precise response up to the crossover point.

HIGH OUTPUT

EVOX systems are driven from high power class D amplifiers. Each system features real two way amplifiers with DSP controlled crossover. With careful design and protection settings it has been possible to reach pressures up to 6dB more than traditional products with passive crossovers.

FULL FEATURE SET

Debuting Worldwide

March 2014

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RCF premiered the new EVOX portable column style speakers at this year's show where the EVOX 5 and EVOX 8 were shown for the first time. The company set itself a simple brief in designing this pole-mounted system which incorporates satellite and subwoofer — namely to exceed the performance and portability of all competitive products in this class. To fulfil the requirements of a high output, dynamic system, EVOX has been infused with a number of distinguishing characteristics: High definition full-range drivers; Dedicated processing algorithms; Extended low frequency range; Wide and even horizontal sound dispersion; Unmatched vocal reproduction; Simple setup and transportation — all designed to deliver optimum live sound performance. “The active 2-way EVOX series is the most important product that we will introduce to our new ‘Live Sound’ catalogue this year,” promises RCF Director of R&D Alessandro Manini. “It incorporates

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EVOX array design feature a constant horizontal directivity coverage of 120° to deliver an even and consistent listening experience to every seat in the house. The vertical array ‘sloped’ design is purpose-shaped to deliver the same high quality nearfield listening experience to the first row as it does over long throw distances, with the optimised profile avoiding the high frequency beaming typical of straight arrays. Meanwhile, the low frequency section, taking advantage of the floor placement and the accurate port design, oﬀers a tight and full bass response everywhere in the room. Alessandro Manini added, “What we have done with EVOX is to give the sound back to the musicians; and everything from the look of the grilles to the pole mount suggests this is something you would want to see on stage.” www.rcf.it

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Robe Enjoys Another Phenomenal Show on the stand for one day by Czech MotoGP rider Karel Abraham and his bike. Robe is one of the sponsors of the 2014 season. All Robe’s current products received lots of attention including their fastest-ever selling Pointe and the LEDWash series, which has now become an industry standard LED wash luminaire. Robe once again enjoyed a massively busy and successful PL+S show. Besides launching a selection of new innovations and presenting another eye-catching lightshow at their booth, which attracted huge numbers of visitors to the stand and created a buzz which resonated throughout the entire trade show.

Sales Director Harry von den Stemmen comments, “The show was excellent in every way and confirmed many things. It provided great feedback for both our current and future product plans and we are really satisfied with the amount and type of people who came to see us from all over the world”.

Other highlights involved the ROBIN MiniMe winning the PIPA for ‘Lights FX’ [sic], and for the second year, the Robe team was joined

The Robe booth was also the major social hub of Hall 11 with its incredible vibes, daily end-of-day happy hour … and people

clamouring to catch the half-hourly lightshow created and programmed by Nathan Wan and celebrate the company's 20th year of business. The MiniMe proudly adds its PIPA to other awards it has collected, prompting Robe’s Marketing Manager Jiri Baros to state, “Winning the Award – as voted by over 100 industry trade publications worldwide – was the ‘icing-on-the-cake’ of an amazing Prolight+Sound for us and underlines Robe’s commitment to innovation and excellence. The Award is a great present for Robe’s 20th birthday celebrations. “We hope the interest we experienced at the exhibitions will be a good sign of how the rest of the year will unfold”. www.robe.cz

Sennheiser’s Most Interactive Stand Yet Sennheiser invited visitors to PL+S to become immersed in sound, participate in hands-on sessions and even perform live at its stand. To showcase its latest solutions, the company gave artists the opportunity to experience its technology through their own music and performances. For those interested in turntablism, a dedicated DJ Corner was set up and oﬀered sessions with a pro DJ – and Sennheiser’s new range of DJ and mixing headphones. The world’s largest pro audio/MI show was also the ideal place to introduce the MK 8 double-diaphragm condenser microphone.

The long-awaited sister model to the MK 4, this professional recording microphone features five switchable polar patterns (omnidirectional, wide cardioid, cardioid, supercardioid, figure-of-eight) to adapt to any recording situation. The MK 8 features a three-position switchable low-cut/roll-oﬀ filter to eliminate low-frequency noise or reduce the proximity eﬀect, respectively. The sturdy mic is also fitted with a three-position pad switch to handle excessively loud audio sources and adapt the signal to subsequent recording equipment.

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SGM Celebrates “Best Trade Show Ever” lighting concept was one of the most dynamic and interactive seen in the lighting segment of the show.

Having presided over international trade fairs spanning four decades, SGM boss Peter Johansen was able to declare that PL+S 2014 was unquestionably his best trade show experience ever. There were numerous reasons to celebrate, one being that LD Michael Rahr’s inspired

Specifically, SGM passed several milestones. First, Michael Herweg, head of SGM Deutschland GmbH, was able to present dry hire company, Motion Light, with a special golden P-5 to mark the 1000th sale of the high-selling/high-powered energy eﬃcient wash light. Then PRG, which has already embraced the P-5, placed a massive order with SGM UK. Paul Weaver, Head of EU Asset Management, was on hand to confirm the purchase of a

further 250 P-5s as well as 80 SixPack blinders. SGM also took the opportunity for some heavy promotion — both on and oﬀ the stand. Within the booth area they again partnered with OASE Living, to prove again just how impervious to liquid the IP65-rated G-Spot LED moving head really is. Externally too, SGM had a mighty presence as the sole lighting sponsor of the Agora Stages. In addition the adjacent Festhalle was also equipped with 48 SGM Q-7 W low profile cool white flood lights for the LEA Awards. www.sgmlight.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

SM Pro Audio Captures Attention with uMix Delivering the benefits of digital mixing, uMiX features a pristine 56-bit double precision audio signal path with detailed Parametric EQ, Dynamics, and digital FX available on all channels. All uMiX models include an on board secure Wi-Fi and Ethernet router and remote microphone preamps providing a truly out of the box remote mixing solution.

uMiX is a range of fully featured remote controllable digital mixers. It caught the attention of a number of visitors at PL&S who were impressed not only with its versatility but price range as well. Rack-mountable or as a stage box uMiX is a portable road-ready mixing solution. The uMiX family includes the uMiX mini (8ch), uMiX 12, uMiX 16 and uMiX 24. A digital mixer for everyone and every application.

Built for both desktop and touch devices, uMiX brings remote access, multi-touch, key commands, and an intuitive GUI with the look and feel of a hardware mixer. All you need is a desktop PC, laptop, tablet or smart phone with a modern web browser. No apps or software downloads. Simply join the uMiX network and take control. uMiX’s extensive mixer functions include Sub Groups, View Groups, Mute Groups, Mute FX, Mute All, Permissions, Channel Safes and more. uMiX stands for “You Mix”. This means everyone in the band can control their own monitor mix.

A copy main mix to Aux button makes setting up your personal mix a breeze. Users can capture every gig with built-in “One Touch” stereo recording to any USB stick/ drive (excludes uMiX mini). Simultaneously play back digital media using the integrated digital media player -- perfect for remote controlled background music and/or backing tracks. No Docking required. The uMiX16 and uMiX24 oﬀer additional processing on the master outputs from Waves Audio, leaders in audio processing. Waves MaxxBass and MaxxVolume adds drive, punch and polish to your mix while protecting the PA. Pump up your lows and perform all essential dynamics processing with one convenient tool on your master outputs. www.smproaudio.com

SOMMER CABLE Presents Product Portfolio This year, SOMMER CABLE once again presented their product portfolio at a large booth. On an area greater than 100 sqm one could see many products and ideas around the topics of cables and lines, connectors and connection technology, signal processing as well as mechanical solutions for mobile and permanent installations. The focus of attention lay on the novelties from their in-house brand CARDINAL DVM: as of now the popular DVM 120 series is

broadened by the single-channel model versions DVM-120-DIS and DVM-120-DISH. Owing to their transformers from Swedish premium maker LUNDAHL, these high-quality DI boxes oﬀer excellent audio specs in a very compact and solid housing. Already the standard DVM-120-DIS DI box can meet the highest requirements due to very low distortions, a high headroom and an almost ideal frequency response. www.sommercable.com

W-DMX Celebrates 10 Years on the Market Wireless Solution Sweden AB’s awardwinning W-DMX celebrated a major milestone at the show – 10 years on the market. Wireless Solution Sweden was founded in 2003 and the first W-DMX product to market was debuted in March 2004 at the SIB Show in Rimini. Later that same year, Wireless Solution won the Innovation Award at PLASA. The success story continued at LDI in Las Vegas where Wireless Solution won the LDI Award as the first manufacturer to launch an IP65 Solution for Wireless DMX.

In the 2006 article “The Great Wireless DMX Shoot-Out”, Lighting & Sound International Magazine said of W-DMX, “In terms of performance, the W-DMX system outshone the rest. Despite trying, we could not get it to fall over using the interference tests, and it performed the best in the range tests.” Today, Wireless Solution has over 40 OEM Partners around the world and has produced over 300,000 units since 2004. www.wirelessdmx.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW May - June 2014

Yamaha Continues To Trend with QL Series

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The new Yamaha QL series digital mixing consoles continue the trend started by the Yamaha CL Series, bringing the same high level of operation, networking, and outstanding sound quality within reach of the small-to-medium live music, corporate, speech and installation markets. According to Chihaya “Chick” Hirai, PA department manager of Yamaha Pro Audio: “Response to the CL series has been overwhelmingly positive, and since its introduction we have received many requests for smaller all-in-one consoles that oﬀer the same level of performance. The QL consoles grew out of that need, oﬀering the core performance of the CL series plus a number of important new functions in compact form. On their own the compact QL consoles provide everything needed for a wide range of applications, but in combination with the CL and R series they can support much larger applications as well. We’re hoping that our customers will take full advantage of the vast potential that the QL consoles provide in their own systems.” Two models are available in the series: the QL5 with 64 mono + 8 stereo mix channels, and the QL1 with 32 mono + 8 stereo mix channels. Both types feature 16 mix and 8 matrix output busses. Ample local I/O is also provided: 32 in/16 out on the QL5, and 16 in/8 out on the QL1. Both models feature space-saving dimensions, and the QL1 can be rack mounted. The QL series didn't get all the limelight though, Yamaha's NilsPeter Keller and Chihaya 'Chick' Hirai collected the PIPA Award for the CL series in the Mixing Desk (Live) category. “Winning the PIPA award for the CL series was a bonus, proving that Yamaha technology continues to inspire and lead the professional audio industry from the front,” said Nils-Peter Keller, Marketing Director Promusic and Pro Audio at Yamaha Music Europe GmbH. “We are very excited about the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the new QL series and the stand was continuously busy with enquiries about the entire Yamaha Commercial Audio range. On top of that we are extremely pleased that the market has immediately recognized the QL as the perfect expansion to make incredibly scalable audio solutions possible.

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UNDER THE LENS May - June 2014

Indian R&S Industry @ A Crossroads! The Indian Rental and Staging Industry – even as it looks into a future of big, energizing, and recurring events – appears to be finding itself at crossroads, unable to figure out which way to go. With challenges apparently outnumbering opportunities, the industry is counting on its positives to move ahead.. An E-Tech Asia scan of the scenario by Ram Bhavanashi Let's rewind a few years to 2008 to the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League (a first of its kind 20-over-each cricket tournament)- the birth of a new event, and a new business venture adding to the existing band of biggies in the country! Rock concerts; Award events; fashion shows; long-haul festive occasions like Navratri, Kala Ghoda and Kite Festival; the new genre wedding ceremonies and TV shows like Indian Idol- all catalyzed what was then billed as a ‘sunrise industry’ with a growth prospect of around 25% year-on-year. Fast forward to 2014 - the events are still there and happening, both the big and small. However, the enthusiasm doesn’t seem to be the same as it has been portrayed from time to time. Perhaps what is missing is a reassuring belief in the business! Its strengths, technical competence, skill and increase in expertise! A survey report produced by Ernst & Young at the behest of Event and Entertainment Management Association (EEMA) in 2012 estimated that the Indian Event (and Activation) industry would be worth Rs. 4,375 crore (approx. US$ 728 million ) in 201314, with a 20%annual growth. While this growth is yet to be confirmed by experiential happenings, the industry doesn’t appear to be that upbeat.

Reasons include:

• Budgets: Heavy price-sensitivity from clients that impact the profitability and operational structure of solution providers/vendors • Professionalism (and ethical practices): Or lack thereof amongst solution providers, leading to a very uncomfortable rat race type of situation • Transparency: Lack of transparency on either/both sides - clients and solution providers - often makes the whole transaction process very cryptic • Talent pool: Inadequate numbers of skilled professionals that often render solution providers handicap to meet a clients requirement • Dignity of Labour: A lack of respect from the client community to the industry, with solution providers often regarded as mere ‘sound wala’ or ‘light wala’ • Regulatory mechanism: Entertainment policies in many States are proving heavily prohibitive against the cause of the industry • Representative voice: Absence or/ no eﬀort for, a representative body that can voice out the industry’s requirements or concerns

As a generic holding matrix for all these factors is what contributes to the industry's nature of being largely unorganized, opine most industry players. With as much as 70% of the industry made up of the ‘unorganized sector’ any measure for its holistic betterment is not only diﬃcult to ideate but also implement, they say. “With the industry being so largely unorganized, it becomes very very diﬃcult to make any measurable assumption,” said Vipul Patel, noted audio consultant-integrator and Director at Mumbai-based System Architect & Engineers. “The assumptions made in the market are only those of managed events and that too of the top few,” he explains, “much of the industry, which is sizably large, lies outside the measured area; and this cannot be measured for the simple reason that there is no specific yardstick.” According to him, while the industry has been growing, with recurring big events getting bigger by the year together with a higher number of sundry events – certainly from the unorganized sector – a multitude of factors (like those mentioned above) have all been dampening the growth prospects. The projected growth figures constitute only the managed events under the organized sector. The market size from the unorganized

UNDER THE LENS May - June 2014

sector is said to be at least thrice the ‘organized figure.’ “There are some big events happening around, particularly in Maharashtra but just because those events are sponsored by liquor brands, youths of under-18 age are not allowed to get-in,” Vipul explained. “Clearly these young groups make for a sizable segment of the market and a prospect for growth- both in terms of returns, and demand for newer and more innovative programming.” “If one were to be objective, there are more ills than thrills,” feels Vijay Sabhlok, Director at Video Design, Mumbai-based leading video solutions provider. According to him, many things – like low infrastructure and a lack of policy direction – have been present for ages within the industry. What’s more concerning, as of late, is that there in an increasing level of rat-racing among solution providers. A direct result of this has been the discouragingly low budgets and falling quality standards. Most R&S service/ solution providers are not even in a position to upgrade their skillsets because they are compelled to work under very low returns, and thus cannot re-invest in skills.

“Quality comes with a price, and a quality professional demands a volume, which most companies today cannot aﬀord,” he vouches, “simply because they are not “paid” at those levels.” For the Video Design Director, as of now, the industry appears stagnant, and the only way out is standardization and organized structure. He, however, is optimistic about the future, with the young generation beginning to get dynamic.

“There is a huge need for an all-round education, training and awareness to bring some methodology and mindset in the market,” feels Vijay. The Video Design exec, who does a significant amount of training for the industry, says while they are doing their best, “there is a lot more to be desired and done.” “There are two major concerns impacting the industry,” opines Sreecharan Atluri, Managing Director of Hyderabad-based Highbrow

Production Services Pvt. Ltd., leading AV and event production services provider. “Primarily, the solution providers are not respected; they are considered a mere fixer of sound or light component- irrespective of the expertise and organizational structure they bring to place.” In a situation that is polluted by unprofessional tenets, customers land in Event Management firms. That most Event Management firms in the country today are not “technically-equipped,” they are unlikely to visualize the clients requirement (technically), on one side, and competence of the solution providers on the other. The result is no good to either the customer, or the solutions developer. “The other factor is the absence of corporatisation,” feels the Highbrow head honcho. “That the service providers, working on low budgets and returns, do not have adequate means to invest in skillsets, it’s only through corporate funding they can better equip in terms of technical and management skills or equipment procurement.”

UNDER THE LENS May - June 2014

“Threats, in a way, can also be opportunities,” feels Vijay. “Education/awareness campaigns, and eﬀorts towards standardization would make for a lot of good.” More, he says, the creative abilities or elements that the solution providers have been generating – which are being oﬀered as a ‘courtesy or goodwill service’ – have to be charged to achieve a twin-objective. One: the creative talents comes out speaking, and that it gets paid, it will benefit the provider. Two: it contributes towards standardizing the process which is equally imperative. Programmes involving the young in awareness campaigns make a significant impact, feels an observer. While some manufacturers have been doing a form of this through celebrity endorsements, and promo campaigns, similar initiatives by rental companies would make a big impact. For Bangalore-based leading rental solutions provider Acoustic Control, while most issues are age-old, inextricably tangled with the industry, it’s the dearth of skilled professionals that has been costing it dearly. “Though the situation appears to be improving of late,” he maintains, “it’s not just enough.” “That there is no particular quality regulation or eligibility guideline to follow for the business, anybody with even a little enthusiasm can get into it, and this has caused mushrooming of many a R&S companies in the country,” feels Roshan Malim, a Bengaluru-based freelance audio professional. “It’s a bad price-war out there,” he says. “Everything is decided on who’s the lowest quote, regardless of whether rental company is capable of doing a show in a professional way or not.” That has been hurting even the big, and competent enterprises who are compelled to cut short their quotes, and thus the quality services too.

Albeit a slightly concerning situation, most industrywalas do see light in the distance, though that way is apparently littered with thorns. That the industry is growing irrespective of the impacting factors, there is hope for improvement – especially by moving along the path of speciality.

Opportunities Ahead “Specializing skills and services is one way,” suggests Sreecharan. According to him, most enterprises today, have been specializing themselves into their competency areas- like concerts, conventions, festivals, occasions, etc. While competency is expected to come in the long run, fascination for new and innovative technology is always a big take, and technology experiences such as 3D, LED, or HD displays are already evolving to be the entertainment oﬀering speciality.

According to an industry veteran, a previous instance of electioneering in Gujarat has been a big case of technology show as well as a rental show. That 2014 is considered to be an ‘Election Year,’ the opportunity can be leveraged to make good about.” Have something to say? Get in touch with Ram at ram@spinworkz.com www.e-techasia.com

SPECIAL FEATURE May - June 2014

EAW ANYA: Dreaming The recently released Anya system from EAW has been making waves since its debut. It has even been coined as “the most technologically advanced sound system ever created.” In town for the APAC debut, EAW President, Jeff Rocha sat down exclusively with E-Tech Asia to talk about the new system that is set to revolutionise the audio industry. By Elissa Nadine Nadine E-Tech Asia: Let's start first with theBy Elissa E-Tech Asia: How do you think, in name. Why Anya? Does it stand for terms of innovation, Anya will affect something? the industry? Jeff Rocha: That’s a funny question because we have a FAQ document about Anya and the first question is “Hey, does that stand for something?” The answer is… maybe, but we’re not telling. (Laughs). There’s definitely a story behind the name.

“With Anya, the engineer or system technician only has to worry about the specifics of the venue. The system does the rest. And if you want to make changes to the coverage within the space, it is now possible within seconds. This allows more time for line checks, sound checking, and generally more time for everybody involved in the production.”

But mainly we wanted to anthropomorphize the product. It’s a product with some humanistic qualities like the ability to know its neighbours, the ability to adapt to its environment, and many other sophisticated capabilities. The system even has a ‘Find Me’ feature that allows it to find the position of a microphone in a venue. This is helpful when you do not have time to complete a room model in advance. You can simply use your experience to hang an appropriate system for the room. In the software you then create a very simple model of the room, perhaps a flat floor with a balcony. You can then place a measurement microphone at the front row of seating and Anya will work together with EAW Resolution software and Rational Acoustics Smaart7 software to send test tones through various devices in the system, use the arrival times at the microphone to determine its location and put that location in the model. You can then simply drag the front of your seating plane to the microphone position in the model. Repeat this process with a variety of locations and Anya will in essence discover the model for you. Because it has so many of these qualities and can think a little bit, we wanted to give it a human name. We had so many meetings and conversations about the name… should it be an acronym for something? Should it be somehow representative of what it is capable of or what it looks like? All of our discussions eventually converged on Anya. There is a long back story, but I’m not telling!

Jeff Rocha: I think it will change it pretty radically. If you look at the history of premier live sound reinforcement, every 15 years or so there’s a pretty significant shift. It starts when a pioneering system is released and then pretty much every manufacturer in the industry will develop similar products to follow that lead. They are all a little bit different; with maybe slightly better transducer technology or better system performance, but for the most part they are all very similar to the product that started the revolutionary trend. Our own KF850 was one of a few pioneering products that launched in the early eighties and sustained through the introduction and adoption of the line array. Anya is another watershed moment in our history. For the first time we are seeing a loudspeaker product that is comprehensively integrating modern technology and software control to achieve a system solution that offers extreme capabilities and simplifies setup. Anya is simply capable of doing things that have never been done before.

E-Tech Asia: So was that the aim of Anya? To radically change the industry? Jeﬀ Rocha: It was to take advantage of our ability to synthesize all of these technologies into a single product and use them to oﬀer a definitive advantage to the user. And to give the user a level of real-time system control that was previously unheard of. Take the issue of dealing with residential noise complaints for example. A major issue for outdoor venues everywhere. You almost always have people living in fairly close proximity to venues that want to be able to have live events without receiving calls for them to be shut down. Anya gives the ability to precisely control audio and keep energy within a well-defined area. And if the coverage has to be changed it can be adjusted in seconds. We actually just conducted a demonstration at an outdoor

SPECIAL FEATURE May - June 2014

The Impossible Dream facility in the US that was closed for years over a lot of litigation that was tied to residential noise complaints. During the demonstration we had a person standing about 50m (150ft) outside the perimeter of the seating area with an SPL meter. We first adapted Anya’s coverage in software to shoot just over the back row of the venue so it was throwing out into the parking lot. We were measuring SPL at FOH and in the parking lot. I don’t recall the exact readings, but I certainly remember how they changed. When we adapted the system coverage to only cover the seating area, the SPL measurement at the FOH position went up about a dB and the SPL reading just 150ft just outside in the parking lot went down by 14 dB! The only thing that changed was the parameters in the software. Anya makes these precision adjustments in seconds – with other systems they are impossible. So users now have that level of control and facilities have the confidence to know that if they receive noise complaints during a show, they can actually do something about it. That fact alone gives cities and towns greater comfort with live events, where they know that if this turns into something other than what we thought it was going to be, we have the ability to actually do something about it. And the promoter can know that the changes are not going to impact the people that are actually at the event. Currently, most people just deal with the compromise. They are forced to think, ‘We’ll just run the show at a lower level, because that’s the way it has to be at this venue’. Well not anymore, now you have another option.

E-Tech Asia: For you, what is the ONE main point of diﬀerence with Anya? Jeﬀ Rocha: There are two. Can I give you two? (Laughs) First, it is the freedom to change. And to know that you can make changes instantly. If you need to adapt to the changing demands of a specific situation or the environment that you are in, you have the ability to do it, very very simply and quickly without having to worry or sacrifice or compromise. You don’t have to develop an extremely rigorous model that gets perfectly implemented inside of a venue knowing full well that if anything

ends up a little bit different than planned you have limited options to make things better or you simply live with the compromise. With Anya, the engineer or system technician only has to worry about the specifics of the venue. The system does the rest. And if you want to make changes to the coverage within the space, it is now possible within seconds. This allows more time for line checks, sound checking, and generally more time for everybody involved in the production. For promoters, knowing that Anya is being used even gives flexibility down the road. If you decide in the 11th hour that instead of just covering the floor of a venue, you want to cover the balcony as well. It does not mean bringing in more speakers, developing a new model, rehanging the system or simply saying no. With Anya, it is easy. You can change the coverage area an hour before the show or even minutes before the show. The second is minimising the impact of the venue itself. By having so much precision control you can keep more energy off of the venue and focus the energy on the audience. For a concert tour that is going night after night into different venues, with different levels of acoustic treatment, Anya gives you extremely repeatable results. We’ve done so many demos and shows in so many different rooms and the system always sounds the same. We have had the same engineers mixing on different nights in different venues and they have just been blown away by the consistency. So again, I would say that minimising the impact of

the room and the ability to change when the situation changes are the most unique attributes of Anya. Anya has so many unique technical features, but it is the impact that these features have on the application of the product that makes all of the diﬀerence.

E-Tech Asia: Do you think the APAC region is ready for Anya? Jeﬀ Rocha: I think so! We’ve already had really good take up with all of our distribution partners in the region, which is a really strong indication that we are collectively optimistic about this region and the opportunities here. Now we have a system in Korea that went on tour immediately, 2 in China and the one here today that is actually destined for Indonesia. There is also a system in Australia. And demos are happening everywhere. So yes, I think we have great opportunities in APAC and the region is very ready for the benefits that Anya brings.

E-Tech Asia: And lastly, describe Anya in 3 words.. Jeﬀ Rocha: Adaptive has to be one of them. We call the complete technology ‘Adaptive Performance’. Consistent and spectacular. Anya is consistently spectacular! Every Anya module includes its own amplifier power, signal processing and Dante networking for connecting to Resolution 2 configuration software. All YOU need to do is - Just add audio. For more information on the new EAW Anya, go to : http://eaw.com/Anya-feature

SPECIAL FEATURE May - June 2014

Do You See The Light?

Straight from the recent ProLight+Sound Frankfurt 2014 tradeshow, we present some of the most innovative hardware & software creations in Lighting Technology.

DTS Lighting – WONDER Description: WONDER introduces a revolutionary architecture: a double concentric optical system. A radically new technology that projects two concentric beams with independently controllable luminosity, size and colour. It is therefore possible to balance the brightness of the entire beam with that of its center, resulting in unprecedented evenly diﬀused luminosity.You can also obtain stunning multicolor projections. WONDER also features the ‘FPR’ Free Pan Rotation system (D.T.S. patent) that allows limitless pan rotation: WONDER head rotates freely on its vertical axe without interruption, in either direction, never having to reverse motion. See it in Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLzn42rDi2o www.dts-lighting.com

Robe – CycFX 4 Description: ‘Small is beautiful’ has always been a winning mantra for Robe, and the highly versatile CycFX 4 takes all the flexible parameters of the CycFX 8 and presents it in a smaller, half size package. Truss or floormountable and oﬀering four individually controllable LEDs, an amazing 8 to 67 degree zoom and lightning-quick movement – it is a unique fixture ideal for creating spectacular sweeps and curtains of light and colour across a stage or area … and also for footlights or audience ‘blinder’ eﬀects. CycFX 4s can be combined with CycFX 8s for even greater dynamics. See it in Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zD0JeICjfw www.robe.cz

HARMAN Martin Professional MAC Quantum Wash Description: The MAC Quantum features tight beams, beautiful wash fields, a market-leading colour palette and uniform mixing that combines to accommodate the most demanding applications with brightness and perfection. Combining an impressive 750-watt of RGBW LED power with Martin’s optical system ensures Quantum’s 1:6 zoom operates with maximum output and superior performance. With its compact form factor, easy handling, high-speed movements, low noise cooling and rugged construction, the MAC Quantum does not compromise on any aspect lighting designers expect from a wash light. Designed for demanding applications, the MAC Quantum will be the new workhorse in a professional lighting rig. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOVze6YKYsk www.martin.com.sg

Clay Paky - SUPERSHARPY Description: After the Sharpy’s extraordinary worldwide success, Clay Paky has launched the SuperSharpy, an ACL beam type moving head featuring a 470 watt, 7,000K lamp. If you were amazed at the brightness of the Sharpy, the SuperSharpy will leave you literally stunned. Its light beam is nothing short of four times brighter, with a far bigger diﬀerence than you would expect by simply comparing the rated wattage of the two lamps (470 vs 190). Thanks to this incredible output, the SuperSharpy’s light reaches never-seenbefore mid-air distances, making the SuperSharpy the first lowwattage beam light that can really challenge a searchlight. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=almCbHELhUw www.claypaky.it

Philips Strand Lighting – NEO Control Console Description: The introduction of the NEO lighting control console marks a new chapter in the evolution of control. This console allows the ability to seize light; to grab, move, change position, color and motivate the lighting design simply and eﬀectively. Every NEO lighting control console benefits from the Philips Advantage DMX model allowing the operator to patch Philips Entertainment and Color Kinetics luminaires without consuming the console’s purchased DMX outputs. With this, it’s possible to control thousands of Philips luminaires at no additional cost or output license limitations. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk0bJz3ryv8 www.strandlighting.com

SPECIAL FEATURE May - June 2014

Elation Professional - Platinum Wash 16R PRO Description: A flexible and feature-packed wash and beam luminaire, the Platinum Wash 16R PRO features the MSD Platinum 16R, 330-watt lamp from Phillips, 16-bit resolution on all motor functions as wells as a Beam Shaping eﬀect and variable CMY & CTO color mixing. Other features include a 8 facet rotating / indexing prism, light and heavy frost filter and a zoom system with a 6.5° to 48° range. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=nJTWfacKog0 www.elationlighting.com

High End Systems SHAPESHIFTER Description: Designed by Richard Belliveau, prepare to have your mind shifted! 126 high-powered LED’s with custom lensing provide an incredible beam of light, making this the industry’s brightest LED fixture. Two versions- SHAPESHIFTER C1 (RGB) and SHAPESHIFTER W1 (White) are available, with the C1 outputting 24,000 RGB lumens and the W1 an incredible 27,000 lumens. 7 independently controlled modules housed in one moving fixture create a multitude of highly defined beams coming together to form an amazing array of eﬀects from the incredibly bold to the ultra subtle. All elements of the fixture are lightning fast giving the designer the largest palette of creative options available, all from one fixture. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8mk0He2wYU www.highend.com

CHAUVET Professional ROGUE R2 Spot Description: Promoted as “weapons of mass creation,” that liberate the imagination from “the tyranny of tight budgets,” Rogue is a rugged line of fixtures that pack a powerful punch and oﬀer a host of high-performance features. The ROGUE R2 Spot is a class leader in LED automated spots, combining incredible value with quality engineering. ROGUE R2 Spot features two continuously and variably scrolling color wheels, allowing you also to have a large series of split colors at your fingertips. ROGUE R2 Spot’s 16.5-degree beam angle comes with motorized iris, frost, and a 3-facet prism for creative beam shaping. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaXBCTD8l_I www.chauvetlighting.com

ArKaos PRO- MediaMaster 4.0 Description: MediaMaster 4.0 is the latest, more powerful version of ArKaos PRO’s media server software. The addition of a new Video Optimizer and Video Mapper means visuals can all be corrected, blended and mapped within the same application. The Video Optimizer automatically re-encodes all visuals to mpeg format, even up to 4k and 8k files, while the new Video Mapper oﬀers integrated Geometrical Correct and Edge Blending functions to enhance the professional appearance of the final output. MediaMaster 4.0 is no longer restricted to use on only one machine. A completely redesigned licensing system allows the user to register and deregister any machine remotely from their own account. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p3qvS-Xdy8 www.arkaospro.com

ETC - Cobalt 10 Description: The short commands and on-the-fly lighting controls of ETC’s Cobalt family are now packaged to take on tour. The new Cobalt 10 lighting desk features the same capacity and functions of the larger Cobalt 20 desk, but is compact enough to take on the road or fit into control rooms with limited space. It features the same short, direct operating syntax and on-the-fly operating style but by reducing the number of faders and colour-coded endless pots, it has a 20% smaller footprint, making it ideal for space starved lighting booths. See It In Action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02zxWM0ONzA www.etcconnect.com

SPECIAL FEATURE May - June 2014

We Asked, You Answered!

Looking for the Latest Leanings in Lights? Look no further! We asked LDs, LPs and various Lighting Specialists, what was trending in the Lighting sector. Here's what they had to say.. By Elissa Nadine

Unle you have been living under a rock you must have been aware of the arrival of the Sharpy Unless a few fe years back and with all the subsequent copies it has hailed in the revival of beam shows kind ki of reminiscent of the days of the great ACL rigs. You can’t put on the TV or go to a concert without hundreds of pencil beams in all sizes and colours moving at near mirror speeds with w shutt ers that almost keep up with strobes!! It can become quite repetitive after a while but s eeveryone seems to be doing it. To say that I am not responsible for a bit of ‘beamage’ would be a lie, I recently lit a show in Barcelona and got completely carried away with quite a few Robe Pointe’s to the point where I had to exercise some serious self restraint. Po The use u of creative LED in scenic applications seems to be on the rise in Asia but I think that many LD’s stilll are reluctant to embrace what was once thought to be a video tool, video & lighting have merged. Since 2006 I have been a great advocate of taking control of the imagery and building already me shows with the ccontent in mind, I have been using Green Hippo Media servers controlled via Artnet from a console to run both screens and creative LED, I found them so useful I bought a few!! This integration of lighting and video technology brings the overall visual creative control to a single point allowing the LD to really take control of what people see and keeping things in balance, I find it very disheartening to see untamed LED surfaces screaming over the top of the lighting with content so bright it makes the job of the lighting redundant. - Steve Nield, United Kingdom

“To be honest, I think Festoon lighting is making a comeback. Haha.. Even with all the new technology and new LED lamps coming out, fixtures like the Jarag from Chromlech and the tungsten lamp are still strong features in the marketplace. Nowadays, many light shows are flashier and you can have one light capable of multiple features but people are slowly moving back to the solid beams and the ParCan look, ultimately - they are moving back to the oldschool feel.” - Jared Hawke, Australia

“ Personally, I like to stick to vintage stuﬀ. I still like to use ParCans if I can, but in my basic field which is lights shows, I've seen lasers making a comeback. In the last 2 years, I used lots of lasers specifically, lasers that you can control from your desk. Not graphic lasers, but fixtures like lasers bursters, laser bars which look like an LED bar but can have up to 10 lasers outputs. They are very fun and easy to use and they are being used not only in Rock 'N' Roll shows or installations but for corporate functions as well. In the last few years, I have also seen the massive arrivals of Beams and Sharpy-type fixtures, really a lot of them. In many rig’s more than 50% of the fixtures are beam’s. Another thing that I see emerging are fixtures like the Clay Paky B-Eye, not just a wash light,something new and diﬀerent. A very complicated fixture, it has so many options, parameters and it can give the LD so many combinations. Since the first time I saw the B-EYE, I realised that I needed to study it. Before working with it on my next project, I will be going to the Clay Paky headquarters to play with, and learn more about the B-eye. This is something that is going to change the way we use lights. It's quite interesting and it's a new challenge for LDs. I'm also experimenting with Parasol Systems' rotating rigs, I'm planning to feature that in my summer shows. That's something that I've never used before and we'll have to see how that goes but I'm really excited.” - Giovanni Pinna, Italy

SPECIAL FEATURE May - June 2014

We Asked, You Answered! “I’v noticed that the professional community is taking cues from the disco community. EDM is a “I’ve hot music genre now so you’re seeing a lot of disco eﬀects and it’s funny because it used to be ho disco that was taking cues from the professional side. This is a new change that is making LDs d push their limits. 3D video mapping is also really hot right now because it adds an entirely new p dimension to your set. Before, the back of a stage was made up of a video wall or a black canvas d but now, you can transport your band and audience into a totally diﬀerent world. No more b lugging around set pieces, today everything is just projected.” lu - Chuck Green, USA

“I’m expecting to see the next step in pre-production and pre-visualisation software development. It would be also great to see more interaction between platforms, softwares and so on. Other than that it looks like 3D mapping is growing along with the use of LEDs and both are getting more and more flexible.” - Mikki Kunttu, Finland

“Trending in the lighting world at the moment are Beams, especially fixtures with tight narrow “Tre beams, like the Robe Pointe or Clay Paky Sharpy. Beams are also available as LED fixtures like the bea Robe Robin 100 LEDBeam, a really small fixture with a tight high power beam of 7 degrees but Ro with RGBW colour mixing. Personally, I think fixtures like the LEDBeam are going to be the new w PAR 64 Cans. P Unfortunately, beams are not always used in the ideal situations. They’re almost always out U of balance with the rest of the light rig because of their high power output, so their harder to handle on camera for registration and live events. I see them as a special effect like the aircraft han PARs of the past and I think others should see it as an addition to their light rig instead of as a replacement of the Spots or Washes. replace I hope that if the evolution of the Beam keeps on growing, it will take over the lasers. I’ve seen enough of lasers especially those with the waves and all the other mixed figures and colours, I’m so done with that. I think some Beams will take over some of the lasers in the future because you get more possibilities with Beams. Some of them have a zoom, frost effect and proper gobo’s so you can use them as a normal light fixture but as an air effect too.” -André Beekmans, The Netherlands

“At the moment, beams, backlight, and mid-air eﬀects seem to be very popular. And I also see lasers making a comeback. Most of all, I think, with the release of the Clay Paky Sharpy, the lighting industry was revolutionised. The Sharpy has changed the way the stages look and is present on almost all the stages I’ve seen. This applies to me as well, I use the Sharpy in most of my shows. Now that the B-EYE is out, there is something new and fresh out there. When I first saw the B-EYE fixture, I was like ‘WOW’, it’s something I’d never seen before.” - Huang Muen, Singapore

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MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE May - June 2014

Pok Sutat Kohkiat: “The Only Constant, is Change”

Founded in 1986, Mr Team Productions Company began as a Sound company. Today, they have bloomed into one of the largest R&S powerhouse production companies in Thailand. Led by Sutat Pohkiat, an industry veteran by any standard, Mr Team now boasts 38 full-time employees, a very interesting company motto and an interesting perspective on ROIs... By Elissa Nadine

E-Tech Asia: Mr Team went from Sound Company to full-on Production Specialists in a matter of years. Can you tell us more about that journey? Sutat: When we were starting out, we developed the theory of Creative Audio Engineering. We don't just listen to audio, we work at it. We did lot of work in the Thai Music Industry, where one of our specialities was in Live concerts, something that continues to this day. That was when we got involved with all genres of music and were getting jobs from local and international bands as well. As the Corporate Event market developed here we got involved in that too, again, both Thai and International. With more jobs and more requirements, it was a natural process to not only deal with sound but with all the other elements too. Now we are a full Live Production Support service, which has diversified the company in many ways. Along with our staﬀ, we have sister companies who help to provide a full service under the umbrella of Mr Team Productions and we undertake projects both big and small. As long as we can see the quality potential in them. Our motto is simple... Work hard, Work smart, Party harder!!!

E-Tech Asia: What is your role at Mr Team? Sutat: Mostly answering the phone! Haha.. I am the Managing Director of Mr Team, and believe me, there are an awful lot of phone calls to be taken..but I am also involved in several other businesses and so nowadays I am mainly non-operational and do not go out to many shows. I leave that to my Project Managers, but I am always available to back them up if needed. By trade I am a Sound Engineer though...

MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE May - June 2014

E-Tech Asia: Has being the MD at Mr.Team changed your management styles to adapt to the R&S market?

Money is important obviously, but people are more so. Anyone can buy an expensive sports car, but can you drive it?

Sutat: Yes, definitely. In my opinion, management is all about adapting and coping with whatever life throws at you. I like to look after my staﬀ too, and in a human environment the only constant is change, so adapting becomes a priority in that regard. Mr Team operates much like a family, we look after each other in every possible way, and the family atmosphere that I encourage in turn fosters loyalty both ways, quality work and general content and happiness. I will always go the extra 10% for my staﬀ, and they return the compliment.

E-Tech Asia: What is your criteria for choosing inventory and what are your ROI expectations? Sutat: I look for quality and value in hardware. We stock mostly high quality professional systems with reasonable price tags, and these systems do, over time, pay for themselves and have been invaluable. For me though, in terms of ROI, this is first and foremost, a people business. As I said, I like to look after my staﬀ, there are older ones who have been with me for twenty years. I have taken enormous satisfaction in seeing people develop over the years, particularly those from less privileged backgrounds and with little or no education. My Crew Chief, Komsun, is one good example. He has been here twenty years, and in the opinion of many in the industry is one of the finest Sound Engineers in Asia. Money is important obviously, but people are more so. Anyone can buy an expensive sports car, but can you drive it?

E-Tech Asia: How does Mr. Team maintain its competitive edge? Sutat: By constant evaluation, selfimprovement and diversification. Also by taking care of my crew who, as I say, are my prime asset.

E-Tech Asia: What are some of the challenges you face as a production company in Thailand and how are these challenges are met? Sutat: Here in Thailand there are many challenges to running any business... and not necessarily normal corporate issues. Floods, tsunamis, politics and the corruption of politics are a constant threat to any

business in my country, and it deters foreign investment and visitors. For example, just as we are talking, Bangkok is in shutdown mode as the political strife continues. This is way beyond our business, let alone our control and there is nothing we can do about it and has cost us the cancellation of all Live Events in Bangkok for the foreseeable future. Luckily we have an Event in Phuket, and this is the only thing keeping us going this week. As for the world over, we also see an ever-changing market, and as I said just now, management is about adaptability, so I have to think about what is best for sustainability in the long term. We are increasingly seeing a number of what we in Thailand refer to as, “Cheap Charlie” Production Companies that always want more for less. Again, I have to think long term, and if this is the way the world is going, I have to adapt but without losing the quality that Mr Team is associated with. We are like a European Beer Advert, “reassuringly expensive”, and deliberately so, as we provide a high quality of service. Some projects we turn down outright, as we do not wish to be associated with those standard events that are out to simply to make a fast buck. Recently, in conjunction with overseas allies we have moved into Projection Mapping, which we can sell into all sorts of diﬀerent projects. Not many companies can provide this service here, so the capability sustains us for now at the top end of the market in Bangkok.

E-Tech Asia: Do you plan to expand further into Asia? Sutat: Yes and no... We are already international as we do most of the big corporate shows here in Bangkok, many of which are from overseas, Asia and beyond. We have good links to companies in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Singapore and a lot of reciprocal projects go back and forth. The coming AEC in 2015 will be interesting in this regard as it should open up further opportunities in Asia. But we have no ambition to get too big and upset the status quo here as some have done. The industry can be quite territorial anywhere in the world and we would not like to see others moving strongly into the Thai marketplace...

E-Tech Asia: Can you tell us what's next for Mr Team? Sutat: There is nothing I would like more, but we are in the hands of the politicians. The Bangkok Shutdown is in full swing, and none of us know, how, when, or indeed if, this will eventually end. But to be positive, it is a good time for equipment maintenance, crew training and learning new skills, and of course giving my staﬀ a well earned break. So I am taking them on an outing next week as a thank you... www.mrteam.co.th

TECH TALK May - June 2014

Shure KSM Series – Excellence Through Innovation

As a developer of new technologies, Shure has always stood out due to the company’s dedication to research and near-obsessive attention to detail through quality testing of both completed microphones and their component parts. Designed for demanding live sound reinforcement and critical studio performance, the KSM Series microphones are the embodiment of Shure’s continued dedication to innovation.

KSM Family

Technological Advancement The KSM Series originated in the 1990s, when Shure devoted five years to the development of an all-new side-address condenser microphone for studio applications. That microphone, the KSM32, was released in 1999 and is still popular today. The microphone design employed a still-unique embossed diaphragm to achieve the performance of a one-inch capsule in a ¾-inch design, a testament to Shure’s embrace of innovation-over-imitation in microphone designs. Shure reserves the KSM prefix for new hardwired microphones designed to be state-of-the-art devices, regardless of operating principle and primary application. More recently, Shure developed its Prethos advanced preamplifier technology for the KSM42 and KSM44A dual-diaphragm models. Prethos encompasses a comprehensive combination of superior components, innovative circuit topography, and stringent manufacturing, thus achieving a noise floor of just 4 dB SPL-A (KSM44A in Cardioid),

resulting in a significantly wider dynamic range. For live performance vocals, Shure developed the KSM9 and KSM9HS handheld condenser microphones, which utilize dual goldlayered, low mass diaphragms, low-noise transformerless circuitry, and advanced suspension shock mounts to provide the exceptionally clear articulation needed to capture the nuance and subtlety of a great vocal performance. Both models offer switchable polar patterns for flexibility. The KSM9 offers the traditional choice between cardioid and supercardioid polar pattern. The new KSM9HS was developed to address the fidelity and feedback issues of performers who “cup” the microphone by offering specialized hypercardioid and subcardioid polar patterns. They are the only KSM Series microphones available for wireless applications. Shure’s ribbon microphones, the KSM313 and KSM353, utilize a patent-pending proprietary material called Roswellite, not found in any

other brand. Developed by Crowley and Tripp and acquired by Shure in 2010, Roswellite is an “acoustic nanofilm” that replaces the traditional metal ribbon. The material is an extremely strong, yet low mass composite with high conductivity and exceptional shape memory.

Precision and Consistency Shure products must also excel under environmental extremes like temperature, humidity, salt, and shock. This is a tradition that goes back to World War II, when Shure adopted military specifications, called MILSPEC, in products built for the armed forces. After the war, company founder Sydney N. Shure saw the value of continuing this approach, resulting in products that rarely failed and helped build the brand’s reputation for ruggedness and reliability. To this day, Shure designs and builds much of the equipment critical to the design, prototyping and production of its microphones.

TECH TALK May - June 2014

“warmth” that record producers utilized to their advantage. Not surprising, the prized microphones of that era counteract that warmth with a strong midrange presence, resulting in a pleasing, natural sound.

Shure Founder, Sydney N. Shure

To achieve outstanding performance, all Shure microphones undergo a sophisticated assembly process and strict quality control, starting with the acquisition of parts and raw materials and continuing through to the finished product, with quality assurance testing confirming compliance to specifications at every step. KSM Series microphones are meticulously handcrafted with state-of-the art transducers, transformers and metals. Hand assembled, these microphones undergo rigorous automated testing. “That’s something that we focus on in our designs—to achieve the desired performance while being repeatedly manufacturable. We measure meticulously, from incoming parts to final products, all to make sure our microphones remain consistent,” notes Shure Associate Product Manager John Born. “You can take a Shure microphone built two years ago and compare it to the same model made today, and they will measure and sound virtually identical. That’s something you won’t find in vintage microphones, for example, where two of the same model will typically sound a little diﬀerent.”

Sound Signature Over the years, recording and playback systems have evolved..And so have the Shure microphone designs.. The KSM Series studio microphones are a good example of this. These microphones have a noticeably flatter response than the classic microphones of the 60s and 70s, and with good reason. The multitrack recorders of that era were analog devices, and the storage medium was magnetic tape. The best analog recording systems aren’t clinically flat in their response. Rather, they exhibit inherent

Today, recording is a file-based digital medium. Modern recording and playback systems have a rule flat, more linear frequency response with extended high and low frequencies. Shure designed its KSM Series studio microphones (e.g., the KSM32, KSM42, and KSM44A) to embrace this new reality. These models feature a nearly flat response, with a tailored, much less pronounced subtle presence peak that is shifted to a higher center frequency to achieve a more natural sound signature. Shure Recording Studio

Historically, Shure’s success was built on stage, so it is no surprise to find KSM Series models that are optimized for today’s

demanding live performance environments, where in-ear monitors place a premium on sonic accuracy. The dual-diaphragm design of the KSM9 and KSM9HS handheld condensers provides the accuracy and transparency of a studio microphone, with a subtle proximity effect for consistent sound quality across different working distances. To deliver that fidelity across a variety of stage conditions, both models offer two polar patterns – one to maximize isolation of the voice from monitor bleed on extremely loud stages, the other optimized for the intimate ambience of quieter venues.

After 89 years in business, Shure remains one of the few pro audio companies still designing and manufacturing microphones in America. From their premium components and unique materials to the company’s manufacturing and quality assurance protocols, KSM Series microphones embody Shure’s ongoing embrace of innovation in microphone design. John Born sums it up by saying, “Quite simply, the KSM Series represents the best microphones that we can dream up and produce.” www.shure.com/asia

TECH TALK May - June 2014

Epson Z-series projectors: Shining A Spotlight On Possibilities As the global market leader, Epson has worked to continually incorporate new technologies and enhance performance features over the years. The Z-series of commercial projectors are testament to Epson’s eﬀorts as it continues to produce high-value-added projectors that exceed expectations in fields as varied as enterprise, education, and home entertainment.

Projectors have had a relatively short history, going back only as far back as the 1970s, when the first projectors came out in the form of CRT projectors. Then the 1980s saw a trend emerge, primarily in America, where PCs were used for presentations in place of conventional OHPs. That led to an increase in interest, and demand, for projectors that could project images directly from the PC to a screen. Pioneered during the time when projections were still unmarked territory, Epson's 3LCD technology was the breakthough in projector technology that the industry was craving for. With the reproduction of truly natural and beautiful colours, the Epson VPJ-700, was the company's first milestone projector and the first 3LCD projector. Subsequent projectors featuring the 3LCD technology soon followed and in 1994, Epson released the ELP-3000. It became a tremendous hit, laying the foundations for Epson's present projector business, and at the same time, playing a leading role in expanding the global projector market. Today, the world’s top projector maker for 13 years continues to lead the market with product innovations that pushes boundaries and imagination – with projectors that are the “world’s first”, “world’s slimmest” or the “world’s lightest in weight”.

Unparalleled Versatility and Flexibility In addition to its home and business projectors, Epson has ventured into the the large venue and staging market segments over the last few years, with the Pro G-series and Z-series projectors available in Singapore. The industry-leading Pro G-series was its first 7,000 lumens projector with just 1 lamp, and the EB-Z10000 was an ultrabright 10,000-lumens model targeted at auditoriums and other large venues. “Epson is committed to creating a new visual communications culture. While we have been known for our product innovation and technological advancements in commercial segments, the high lumens range for large venues and entertainment is the next segment that we are very interested in. As we constantly develop new technologies to identify and satisfy the demands of our customers, the series of projectors for large venues will serve to equip visual professionals with the best technology to bring their creativity to life”, said Tan May Lin, General Manager of Epson Singapore. To meet the demands of large-scale events, Epson’s Z-series projectors, Epson’s first 10,000 lumens projectors, bring visual enjoyment to greater heights. The 3LCDpowered and high-definition projector series provides excellent gradation, vibrant colour

changes and superior cinema-like quality that bring the images to life. The projectors also feature the award-winning Faroudja DCDi Cinema chipsets for advanced video, a video technology that produces exceptional image quality. This technology, coupled with decoding and further enhanced technologies, won an Emmy Award from the prestigious National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

TECH TALK May - June 2014

Epson’s Z-series are designed to adjust to different usage needs, with features such as edge-blending, arc correction, point correction, lens shift and extended connectivity options. With the need to keep maintenance overheads in check, the projectors feature Epson's proprietary C2Fine (Crystal Clear Fine) Technology and inorganic LCD panels with its Original Cooling system, and can withstand temperatures up to 55°C while preserving brightness and picture quality. Lamps and filters can also be changed without having to dismount the projectors.

Bringing Technology to Life One of the latest trends in the projector industry is the use of projection mapping, a technique that can transform both flat and 3D surfaces into a mammoth work of art. Ideal and widely adopted in advertising, entertainment and commercial segments, the ability to create optical illusions and transform physical spaces continue to fascinate creators, audiences, and customers alike. Epson champions the notion of being a technology enabler to translate its latest technological innovations to useful and impactful visual applications, and bring the beauty of projections closer to end users. Starting with the Singaporean community, Epson set off to collaborate closely with creative industries on various lifestyle initiatives to challenge traditional limits and perception of projectors. On the arts and drama front, Epson was instrumental in the launch of the multidisciplinary arts community Aliwal Arts Centre in 2013. By combining the necessary software with its high brightness projectors, still, video and interactive content were

meticulously configured and calibrated onto the complex surface of the center’s façade. Members of the public were treated to real-time multimedia and art projections of caricature and virtual graffiti, with a seamless combination of Epson’s interactive ultrashort-throw interactive projector EB-1410Wi and G-series projectors to showcase live demonstrations of multimedia work. The result was clear, crisp and high-defining images that transformed the building into an astounding visual showcase for hours. In June 2013, Epson also loaned 3 projectors, including the EB-Z8450WU and EB-Z10000 business projectors, for CAKE Theatrical Productions’ Illogic theatre performance in Singapore. The performance featured 3D mapping and dynamic projections on set. Tapping on features such as edge-blending, DICOM mode as well as the Epson Cinema Filter, dazzling and vibrant video mapping transformed into features such as large

sprawling wooden stairs for the dynamic, dancing scenes. On the entertainment retail front, projection mapping can be used to give businesses a visible edge. A futuristic-themed club, Dream, was launched in 2013 as the first night club in Singapore to offer the latest video mapping technology. 2 of Epson’s EB-Z10000 projectors are able to match visual effects accordingly to the type of music played and theme of the room, thus creating an immersive experience with mind-blowing visual effects for guests.

A New Era for Business Projectors Building on the success, Epson expects to launch updated models of commercial projectors in the coming year, including a Z11000, an 11,000 lumens projector. Epson is well aware that a holistic approach in developing its products is what will continue to set it apart and is the secret to endearing its products with customers. By staying up-to-date and integrating the most recent technological advancements in the industry, such as edge-blending technology for curved and corner screens and HDBaseT and HD-SDI connectivity options, Epson is committed to create products that will benefit their customers across the various markets and at the same time maximizing the customer's ROI. www.epson.com.sg

INSTALL May - June 2014

Photography By: SHANE BOLLARD

AUSTRALIA

ETC Lights Up NFSA

he National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA) in Canberra recently renovated its 114-seat Theatrette, expanding the stage, creating a new seating design and installing new audio/visual technology. The refurbishment also included an update to the venue’s lighting system, adding a number of ETC Source Four LED and Selador LED luminaires, all controlled by an ETC SmartFade lighting desk. Fredon, a building-systems company, was tasked with installing a performance lighting system in the Theatrette, which was a challenge due to the venue’s rigging. “The fact that we got it looking so good in such a challenging ceiling space is a work of art in itself,” describes Allan Wade, Fredon’s account manager for Audio Visual Solutions. “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.”

are basically used for wall-wash eye-candy and for mood-setting the room,” says Trevor Anderson, NFSA’s technical theatre and facilities manager. “The acoustic panels on the wall were chosen in a very neutral grey colour that can be easily lit with colour.” The Theatrette is often used for screenings and has the capability of streaming HD content to any venue in the world, so NFSA had 14 x Source Four LED Lustr+ luminaires installed. “The ETC Source Four LEDs were chosen because not only did we want real theatrical light, we also needed a light that would be useful for video production and video conferencing,” explains Anderson. “The Source Four LED can light people on the stage to specific colour temperatures, so we can get good-quality video reproduction.”

Controlling the entire rig is an ETC SmartFade console, also specified by Jands. It was picked for the Theatrette due to its approachable interface and the fact that it was an easy board for the staﬀ to learn and to program. www.etcconnect.com

Photography By: SHANE BOLLARD

ETC dealer Jands supplied the lighting fixtures to NFSA, including 10 x ETC Selador Desire D40 units, which deliver a broad colour wash to the stage and illuminate the room. A couple of the D40 luminaires light the ceiling and the remainder are on the rig, downlighting the stage. Four x 42-inch Selador Classic Lustr LED striplights were added to the project, to give the venue the flexible colour-mixing of the x7 Color System. “The Selador Classics

Positioning the fixtures was a careful process, because of the short distance between them and the stage. “The ETC fixtures have been great,” commented Allan. “We supplied 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 and get a tight pattern on stage, but we managed to do that.”

Photography By: Shane Bollard

INSTALL May - June 2014

Electro-Voice Highlights the Elegance of Ramada

he Ramada Singapore at Zhongshan Park combines contemporary elegance, comfort and convenience for business and leisure travelers. With 540sqm of meeting and banquet space, the Ramada Singapore oďŹ&#x20AC;ers a perfect setting for corporate meetings, wedding banquets and private parties.

SINGAPORE

Working closely with AV consultant, Acoustic & Environmental Solutions Pte Ltd, Concept Systems Technologies Pte Ltd was awarded the tender to install the AV system into two of the function rooms. Intelligibility was cited as the main criteria for the audio system, for which the two systems had to be able to cater to events, ranging from simple reinforced speech to high sound pressure level live performances. An EV EVID 12.2C ceiling solution consisting of eighteen speakers that oďŹ&#x20AC;er even dispersion and clear intelligibility for speeches, conferences and background music was proposed. Powered by EV PA2400T amplifiers, the system draws upon Sabine FBX Navigator loudspeaker processors. With three chandeliers occupying approximately half of the 5.3m height ceiling space in the function rooms, the Concept Systems Technologies team was challenged in the placement of the EVID 12.2C ceiling speakers. After sound plotting, speakers were placed accurately to provide intelligibility while not marring the aesthetics of the function room. To enable Ramada Singapore to cater to clients with higher SPL events, two (L-R) EVA arrays were added according to the orientation of the function rooms. Powered by EV CPS2.12 amplifiers, two clustered EVA-2082S front-loaded loudspeakers were combined with a single EVA-1151D 15-inch subwoofer per side. With the EV solutions provided at the Ramada Singapore, event organizers can now expect to receive excellent service and impeccable function spaces complemented by quality audio and visual set-up. www.boschsecurity.asia

INSTALL May - June 2014

Show Technology deliver Martin RUSH for swanky new Melbourne Club “They may be small in size but the output from all three fixtures is big,” said Matt. “The MH1 Profile is very bright and provides some great eﬀects, the MH2 Wash is fast and the MH3 Beam punches out some great narrow beams for spectacular mid-air looks and eﬀects. Plus the colours on all of them are amazing.” For control Martin M-PC V3 controller software with a touch screen is used as well as a M2PC control surface for live control. Matt has configured the controller so that the lighting is time-triggered so all the DJ has to do is tap the BPM to deliver a great light show.

AUSTRALIA

Photography by WILLIAM WATT

he Emerson is Melbourne’s latest glossy entertainment venue spanning three levels and is part bar, part club and part restaurant. The ground floor club has a grand bar, lush booth seating, and a dance floor whilst the upstairs cocktail bar features a number of private booths. One more level up, guests can experience the Emerson Rooftop which features laid back beats and days beds to lounge on. Unfortunately, as is the case with many venues, lighting was a bit of an afterthought and the necessary cabling and rigging had not been thought of and could not be installed by South West Solutions (SWS) as it had already been sealed. Fortunately, a feature of the large opening between the ground floor club and the first floor cocktail bar was the perfect location to mount a curved HD LED screen and it was decided to incorporate the rigging of the light fixtures from behind the screen to keep them hidden. SWS were contracted to design and supply a lighting and video package to principally cater to the dance floor and to add the element of movement to involve the VIP level in what was happening below. They were delighted to get some of the first Martin RUSH available from Australian distributor Show Technology including 6 x MH2 Wash, 4 x MH1 Profile, and 4 x MH3 Beams. “We had to come up with a way to rig the lighting and so we had custom-made brackets

manufactured for the LED screen which could double as rigging brackets for the lighting,” explained Matt Downs, managing director of SWS. “Initially we had planned to put only the MH2 Washes behind the LED screen and the MH1’s and MH3’s hung from the roof so we could get more beam eﬀects. But without the necessary infrastructure, it just was not possible.” Because of where they had to be hung from, the size and weight of the lighting fixture was very important. Being both lightweight and compact as well as cost-eﬀective, the Martin RUSH products were ideal.

“We had access to only one Cat5 cable in the DJ console we decided to go with Ether2DMX8 so we could get remote DMX and Artnet,” added Matt. In certain Australian states it is now illegal to isolate a smoke system and so it made sense to use a CO2 hazer with small particle sizes so that, when set up correctly, it does not set oﬀ smoke sensors. “For atmospherics we chose a JEM 365 Hazer so we would have fine enough particles not to set oﬀ the smoke system. We’ve ducted it into the air conditioning system to get even coverage throughout the entire venue,” stated Matt. www.showtech.com.au Photography by WILLIAM WATT

INSTALL May - June 2014

Siglap South CC Hall transforms into a Performance Arts Centre by Thomas Richard Prakasam

KV2 Audio systems provide the necessary flexibility and coverage

SINGAPORE

The KV2 ES1.0, ESD10 and ES2.5 speakers hung on left and right of stage

he Siglap South Community Centre (SSCC) located in the south-eastern part of Singapore caters to Singaporeans from all walks of life. The CC features various facilities in support of arts and crafts eg Art & Craft Room, Children’s Art Gallery, Conference Room, Dance Studios, Homecraft Room, Kitchen, Multi-Purpose Hall, Music Rooms, Reading Room, Roof Terrace, Youth Room etc that are used extensively for various programmes and activities conducted by the CC and external organisations. In the first quarter of this year, the Sound and Lighting systems in the Multi-Purpose Hall was upgraded and Computer Projection installed with funding from the National Arts Council. The main purpose was to enable the SSCC, as a Community Arts Node funded by the NAC, to showcase a higher standard of Performing Arts, arts music, dance, theatre and bring them closer to the community. The transformation of the Hall itself was not structural in nature but rather more solution driven. The Hall was already acoustically treated in the past and heavily used for music, dance, and theatre performance. But these events always required additional external sound and lighting equipment and services. In addition, other standard oﬃcial events and activities were also hosted in the Hall. The CC Management Committee decided that the Hall should upgrade the sound and lighting systems to be in line with its being referred to as a Centre of Excellence

for Performing Arts and thus engaged Robert Adrian Tan of Creative Elifestyles Pte Ltd as Consultant for the project. “The sound systems and the analogue board were outdated and did not offer the versatility needed to cater to different types of usage effectively,” says Robert. The tender for the project was called in October 2013 with the handing over of the project completed in March this year. The Hall has a comfortable seating capacity for 300 with a stage and changing rooms already in place. Thus Robert had to work with what was already there in terms of structure. Wan Seng Contractors Pte Ltd was awarded the Project through the Gebiz Tender as the systems integration company. The main sound system for the stage comprises of a left right composition of KV2 Audio speakers that were hung from the ceiling. Each side features a KV2 Audio ESD10 10” passive 2-Way speaker driven by a QSC GX5 power amplifier with a KV2 Audio

QSC Audio K12 12” Active 2-way speaker placed as stage monitor

ES1.0.3-Way Tri-Amp passive speaker and a KV2 Audio ES2.5 Dual 15” acoustic loaded sub-woofer that are both driven by a KV2 Audio EPAK2500R 4 channel power amplifier. “The KV2 ES1.0, ESD10 and ES2.5 combine well to oﬀer exceptional output, clarity and performance be it for speech reinforcement, band performance, musical and dance performances. The speakers are very powerful and normally cater to a much higher capacity than what the Hall is able to accommodate. The system actually only uses 25% of its capability. This was to give the system enough headroom to last the marathon which essentially means the systems should last and perform well for a long time,” says Robert. It was also a conscious eﬀort to hang the sub-woofers as the Management Committee wanted a clean look. Two units of QSC Audio K12 12” Active 2-way speakers are placed on the left and right of stage to perform stage monitor duties with a further two units of QSC Audio AD-S82 8” passive 2-way speakers driven by a QSC Audio GX3 power amplifier installed in the control room for the operator's monitoring purpose. For the precise direction and installation of the main house speakers, EASE software was used for the simulation with the Smaart software used for tuning the systems. Speaker processing is handled by a Xilica XP4080 DSP Speaker processor.

INSTALL May - June 2014

The control room featuring the Panasonic projector, the A&H GLD80 mixing console and the Clair lighting controller desk

An Allen & Heath GLD80 digital mixing console is complemented with an A&H GLD AR84 AudioRack which is installed in the control room and a GLD AR2412 Main AudioRack installed at the stage. “The SSCC is one of the few CC halls in Singapore that now features a digital mixing console. The GLD80 can easily cater to a 50 piece band performance at the Hall,” comments Robert. 2 units of Furman CN-3600S E power sequencers are also installed to ensure a longer life span of the equipment installed. Other systems making up the audio solutions include ASL wired intercom sets, 3 sets of AKG WMS470 with D5 capsule handheld microphones, 5 units of Shure SM57 long body instrument microphones, 3 units of Shure SM58 vocal microphones and one Audio-Technica ES915C Gooseneck microphone for podium purposes.

RGBWA LED COB Stage Bars and 4 units of 48x10W RGBW LED par, all controlled via a Clair Lighting AVL 1024 Lighting controller desk. The 12x25W RGBWA LED COB Stage Bars are installed at the back of the stage to provide even background colour coverage as well as to avoid shadows. “The switch to LED fixtures obviously helps in cutting down power consumption but also as it does not generate so much heat, the performers on stage do not perspire profusely,” adds Robert. 2 Liteputer DX-1210 Dimmer packs are also installed. Featuring 12 individual extractable modules with 12 channels control, it allows for easy replacement of modules without needing to change the whole rack. The solutions provide the necessary versatility that the hall caters to. But more

A Denon DJ DN-4500 MK11 Dual Deck CD Player for playback and a Denon Professional DN-F650R Recording unit are also specified. On the visual aspect, a 8200 ANSI Lumens Panasonic PT-DX810ELS XGA DLP front projector with a ET-DLE450 long throw lens ensures crisp projection onto the Da-Lite 240” large Cosmo motorised projector screen installed at the back of the stage. A Kramer VP-730 presentation scaler switcher ensures smooth transitions of projected images. As the projector is HDCP compliant it is able to playback from Blu-ray without issue. Lighting duties are handled by a range of Clair Lighting fixtures that include 8 units of 18x10W RGBW LED pars, 4 units of 12x25W

Clair Lighting fixtures on stage

The Da-Lite 240” large Cosmo motorised projector screen importantly the systems now perform seamlessly to provide a pleasant experience for both the audience and the performers. Dr Uma Rajan BBM, PBS, Vice Chairman of Siglap South CC Management Committee and Chairman,Community Arts & Culture Club Joo Chiat comments, “The systems are elegant and highly professional. They have added the much needed auditory and visual excellence for the staging of performances by artistes of national and international repute. We are looking forward to the development of our SSCC Hall as a much sought after venue in the east and the staging of major arts performances for the community.” www.creativeelifestyles.com

In A Nutshell

• Venue: Siglap South Community Centre (SSCC • Project Consultant: Robert Adrian Tan of Creative Elifestyles Pte Ltd • Systems Integrator: Wan Seng Contractors Pte Ltd. • KV2 Audio ES1.0, ESD10, ES2.5 speakers and EPAK2500R 4 channel power amplifier • QSC Audio K12, AD-S82, GX3 and GX5 power amplifiers • Allen & Heath GLD80 digital mixing console with GLD AR84 and GLD AR2412 AudioRack • Clair Lighting fixtures and lighting controller desk • Panasonic PT-DX810ELS XGA DLP front projector • Da-Lite 240” large Cosmo motorised projector screen

AUSTRALIA

INSTALL May - June 2014

Ding Dong, Big Brands Have Come!

egendary Melbourne, Australia, live music mecca Ding Dong Lounge has upped the ante for rock venues nationally with a brilliant new P.A. system installed by sales and integration company Soundcorp.

chemistry and easy teamwork left little to be desired. Heading the project was Ding Dong’s owner, Bill Walsh, a man who understands his Rock’N’Roll. He used to pound the drums

while belting out vocals for Melbourne institution The Cosmic Psychos. “Bill Walsh knows what it’s like to be up on the stage” said Scott Jamieson. “He knew what he wanted the system to achieve”.

Ding Dong punters can now expect a premium experience delivered by Nexo GEO and PS loudspeakers, a DiGiCo SD9 digital mixer, Quest foldback, Xilica DSP and Apex level control. The system design was a collaborative eﬀort between Ding Dong in-house production manager Wil Burtson, distributor Group Technolgies’ Drew Menard and Soundcorp’s Scott Jamieson. With a mixture of talents, Wil brought a deep experience of Nexo P.A. systems and DiGiCo mixing consoles earned while touring, Technical Sales Specialist Drew Menard helped Wil with system design and computer modelling and Scott Jamieson project-managed the install, helping integrate BOH and FOH systems. Together the smooth

(L-R) Scott Jamieson, Drew Menard, Wil Burston and Bill Walsh

INSTALL May - June 2014

In the beginning as Drew explained, “We all discussed some of the short falls in the previous system. They included coverage, horsepower and sound on stage. That’s one of the big issues with smaller venues – what’s happening with the P.A. drastically aﬀects what’s happening on stage. We wanted to make sure both the F.O.H. and foldback systems worked cohesively.” FOH at Ding Dong now rocks Nexo GEO S1230 and GEO S1210, with low end extension from four Nexo LS600 subs, Nexo PS8s as sides fill and PS10-R2s run as infill, all powered by Nexo NX amps. Foldback on stage is provided by Quest 12MP wedges powered with Camco. All processing is handled by Xilica processors in the rack. Xilica control panels throughout the venue let staﬀ switch operational modes and control volumes.

In the driver’s seat is DiGiCo’s compact SD-9 digital mixer. “Having toured forever and used everything, I use nothing but a DiGiCo if possible” said Wil. “It’s musical without changing colour, and it does what you tell it to do.” Keeping Ding Dong sweet with its residential neighbours is an Apex HERA Sound Level Controller and Apex ARGOS Sound level limiter. When running its successful Weekender club nights, the Apex system constantly monitors and controls levels. “It ensures that the room stays at 101-95dB,” explained Wil, “saving both our licence and staﬀ ’s hearing! From midnight, we are a club, and without this system I doubt we would still be trading!” The system has been winning accolades from locals and touring crew alike. “The younger touring engineers coming through from Sydney and Brisbane are just gobsmacked” beamed Wil. “They’re all totally envious and

point out that they have nothing like this in their cities.” Wil is also keen to point out that wasn’t only the gear, but also the process of getting it in that was world-class. “It was one of the most painless, transparent P.A. installs I could imagine. Soundcorp’s support has been fantastic.” Drew Menard concurred; “I do a lot of work with Soundcorp and I’m always impressed by the support that they give their customers. Whether its design questions at the outset or last minute requirements, they’ve always got their customers’ needs in mind.” Soundcorp’s Scott Jamieson took the compliment with humility. “It’s one of the cleanest, best quality installs I’ve seen. The job the install team did was phenomenal, as well as on time and on budget.” www.soundcorp.com.au www.gtaust.com www.dingdonglounge.com.au

In A Nutshell • • • •

Venue: Ding Dong Lounge Location: Melbourne, Victoria Integrators: Soundcorp Pty Ltd Gear: - Main: Nexo GEO S1230 & GEO S1210 - Subs: 4 x Nexo LS600 - Sidefills: Nexo PS8 - Infill: PS10-R2 - Power: NX amps - Foldback on stage: Quest 12MP wedges powered with Camco - Processing: Xilica processors in the rack - Console: DiGiCo’s compact SD-9 digital mixer - Sound Monitors: Apex HERA Sound Level Controller + Apex ARGOS Sound level limiter

HONG KONG

INSTALL May - June 2014

Q-Sys in Control @ Grand Hyatt HK

Q-Sys Core 250i Integrated Core was recently chosen as the backbone to manage the audio systems in the Grand Ballroom at the prestigious Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong. A flagship of the Hyatt International Hotel Group in Asia, the luxurious Grand Hyatt Hong Kong occupies a convenient location near the territory’s waterfront, directly behind the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. As a result, the Grand Ballroom, 680sqm in size, is often used for convention centre events during trade fairs and exhibitions. "The entire audio system is managed and configured via a PC in the control room loaded with the Q-Sys Designer software," explains Tommy Ho, Senior Sales Manager at Audio System Consultants (Asia) Ltd (ASCL), the QSC distributor in Hong Kong. "In addition to providing delay and dynamics processing, and controlling meters, crossovers, filters and EQ, the centralised architecture provides complete flexibility, in which any input can be routed to any output without confusion."

“We needed something simple but powerful,” explains a representative of the management at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. “Q-Sys was the only solution that met these criteria.” To further expand the flexibility of the Core 250i, two Q-Sys I/O Frames aid in routing and controlling audio in the ballroom, a pre-function hospitality area outside the ballroom and a number of nearby meeting rooms. In addition to these, the overhaul of the AV systems in the Grand Hyatt ballroom included QSC loudspeakers and amplifiers, new stage lighting systems and additional

sound reinforcement equipment, all supplied by ASCL. “We needed something simple but powerful,” explains a representative of the management at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong. “Q-Sys was the only solution that met these criteria.” The Grand Hyatt ’s hospitality area and meeting rooms feature QSC AD-CI52ST 5.25inch ceiling speakers, driven by QSC CX302V and CX108V amplifiers, while AD-C42T loudspeakers provide audio in the back-of-house areas. All of the loudspeakers integrate seamlessly with Q-Sys. qsc.com

LIVE May - June 2014

MALAYSIA

Digital Aid Productions Gets Wicked by Elissa Nadine

The Belgians have Tomorrowland, the Australians have Future Music Festival and now Malaysians have the Wicked Festival. Backed by L’Acoustics, Clay Paky, Robe and Martin, two powerhouses of EDM came together for a festival like no other.

rganised by Wicked Entertainment, the inaugural Wicked Festival in late 2013, saw two powerhouses of EDM come together for a festival like no other. Calling upon the expertise of Malaysian-based production team, Digital Aid Productions (D8), organisers found the perfect venue fit at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) in Sepang, Malaysia. With his first ever appearance in Malaysia, EDM wonderboy, Zedd was the first of the two powerhouses to take on the crowd of 8000 adoring fans. Born, Anton Zaslavski, Zedd is best known for his Billboard Hot 100 hit, “Clarity” featuring Foxes, which topped the US Hot Dance Club Songs charts in 2013. Backed by a full L'Acoustics set-up that included a main array of 24 x K1 boxes and 30 x SB28 subs, Zedd managed to turn the audience into one large karaoke machine by pumping out hits such as “Stay The Night” and, of course, “Clarity”. For the FOH, a DiGi Design Profile was provided and mixed by his very own Sound engineer. While the 23-year-old managed his set rather well, he was just a warm-up to the craziness that erupted when the main head-liner of the night took his place at the DJ stack which also served as the monitors for the show. Little did anyone know, standing up on the stage with 4 x dV-DOSC and 2 x SB18 subs, EDM master, Axwell would push his audio equipment to its limit as the night wore on. As one-third of the famous ex-trio, Swedish House Mafia, Axwell has been releasing international hits since he first stepped

The D8 team who made it happen

onto the scene in 2004. With his hits, “Save the World” and “Reload”, the DJ united the crowd by flashing the graphics, “We came, We Love, We Rave” on the 18 by 6 main LED backdrop and on the 2 x LED walls that flanked the stage. However, it wasn't until a sudden heavy shower an hour into his set that one could see the devotion that the fans had for him and he to his fans. A storm that kept stopping and starting with varying levels of intensity should have sent fans running for shelter but instead, seemed to fuel their rave fire instead. It also did nothing to quell Axwell's enthusiasm as he remained on stage despite the safety issues to both the equipment and himself.

When the rain abruptly ended 20 minutes later, it was definitely a sight to behold. 28 x Clay Paky Sharpys lit up the circuit like sunshine after the rain. Braving the weather, 30 x Clay Paky Alpha Spot HPE 1500s, 4 x Alpha Wash HPE 1500s and 8 x Robe Robin 100 LEDBeams were at full strength for the congregation of fans who raised their hands to thank the heavens for the closed sky. Catching the irony of the moment, Axwell followed up by playing his version of English singer, Adele's smash hit, “Set Fire To The Rain”. He also took the time to thank fans for sticking by him saying, “That was a little bit more rain than we asked for but luckily, Malaysians don't run from the rain”

LIVE May - June 2014

attempt to cover the attached 15 x Martin Atomic Strobes. The team even brought a tarp to cover the Pioneer CDJ 2000 Nexus which Axwell was using but the DJ refused to stop. “We didn't use half of the eﬀects we had planned to use and still the DJ played along. He had an opportunity to just walk oﬀ the stage but he stayed on and played even though the guys around him were trying to cover him up.” stated D8 CEO, Henry. - referring to the scorching heat that had everyone praying for rain just an hour earlier. After the show, Kenneth Karnan, D8 General Manager of Operations, commented, “We never wanted to stop the show but we didn't want to compromise the safety of the artist and our equipment. Luckily, no one was hurt and no equipment was damaged. We never missed a beat and neither did the fans. It was a good night.” Amazingly, the D8 team seemed to take the rain in their stride. Calm and collected, once the rain started beating down, the team automatically went to work doing what they needed to. D8 Stage-In-Charge, Syed was seen scrambling up the side truss in an

During tear-down, Sajeev Govindan D8 Manager Operations, commented, “I really admire the DJ because despite the rain, despite everything, he still played on. We're used to this and tonight the synergy between the crew was amazing, the communication today was just top-notch. Everyone knew what they needed to do and they managed to do it and allow the show to go on at the same time.” Looking to the future, Kenneth concluded, "2014 is going to be a very interesting year. It's Malaysia's year and you're going to see a lot of unique names and we are going to be right there." www.d8projects.com

IN A HURRY? • Event: Wicked Festival 2013 • Production Company: Digital Aid Productions (D8) • Equipment: • Audio – L’Acoustics - Main: 24 x K1 Array - Subs: 30 x SB28 - Console: 1 x DiGi Design Profile • DJ Stack/Monitor - Main: 4 x dV-DOSC - Subs: 2 x SB18 • Lighting: - 28 x Clay Paky Sharpy - 30 x Clay Paky Alpha Spot - 4 x Clay Paky Alpha Wash - 8 x Robe ROBIN 100 - 15 x Martin Atomic Strobes - 8 x Molefays - Console: GrandMA2 Fullsize

LIVE May - June 2014

INDIA

Christie Enthrals At The Opening of Lusofonia Games

Projection Design: BARTKRESA design

s the sky darkened after sunset, all eyes were set upon the stage in the center of the field at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Thousands of performers clad in elaborately-designed costumes – gloriously illuminated by rays of light from multiple projectors positioned strategically around the stadium – would go on to enthrall the spectators during the opening ceremony of the Lusofonia Games 2014, the largest sporting event ever held in Goa, India. Widely referred to as the Portuguese version of the British Commonwealth Games, the 12-day tournament was organized by the Association of the Portuguese Speaking Olympic Committee (ACOLOP). It involved athletes and oﬃcials from Portuguesespeaking countries such as Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Guinea-Bissau, Macau (China), Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe. Equatorial Guinea, India and Sri Lanka are also associate members of the Games. Attended by over 22,000 spectators, the opening ceremony included a spellbinding projection mapping show and performances of over 1,200 artistes who presented folk dances from Goa and other parts of

India. Local school children and groups of artistes from various parts of the country also partook in the extravaganza and put on a splendid representative display that encompassed the spirit of ‘unity’ and ‘pride’, as well as the rich history and heritage of Indian and Goan culture. “We’re celebrating sports and its dynamism through the energetic movements of the performers,” said Bansi Kaul, creative director and show director for the event’s opening ceremony. “In the past, we used painted curtains and lights to achieve the desired eﬀects. But now, projection technology has made it easier for us to accomplish certain things which otherwise are just metaphoric. Now they become realistic.”

Projection Design: BARTKRESA design

“The idea of using floor projections came from the event company Percept. Apart from this, I think it would also be necessary to give credit to the Creative Core Committee constituted by the Government of Goa that gave ideas and guidance to the project. Without its support, the event might not have been possible,” Kaul added. The success of the projection mapping performance could equally be attributed to the hard work by award-winning projection designer Bart Kresa and his team from BARTKRESA design. Audio Design, Christie’s local partner that was fully responsible for the Games’ visual display, had collaborated with Kresa to create the visual spectacle. With over 20 years of industry experience under his belt, Kresa is known for delivering

LIVE May - June 2014

height of the stadium’s roof, which would have been approximately 60 feet from the ground. During the site visit, we realized that the structure required for that would be huge and uneconomical, and we could not put the projectors on the roof as it was not load bearing,” said Vijay Sabhlok, managing partner, Video Design. “So along with Bart, we decided to mount the projectors on the highest point of the spectator stands. In doing so, our biggest challenge was to project the contents properly onto the ground because the projectors were placed at an unusual angle. It was almost an impossible task, but with the ingenuity of Bart and his team, we overcame the hurdles and delivered an amazing event. We used Christie’s alignment software Twist a lot to help us get the alignments right.”

one-of-a-kind projection designs by combining industry-leading projectors and timeless artistry through brilliantly executed immersive projections. On the quality of the projectors, Kresa stated, “Christie makes really good, solid projectors and I really love working with this gear. It’s dependable, reliable, has a great color and great resolution. We have brought so much gear to this place, so it’s important that we have reliable equipment.” 40 x projectors comprising of Christie Roadster S+20K, Roadster S+22K-J and Roadster HD20K-J 3-chip DLP projectors were deployed to ensure maximum projection coverage. They were positioned on speciallybuilt platforms above the spectator stands at six points around the stadium – four stacks of eight projectors each for the flow projections onto the ground, as well as two stacks of four projectors each for projections on the stage. Audio Design and Video Design also put in a contingency plan by bringing in an additional four projectors and placing them on standby just in case.

“This 40-projector setup for the opening ceremony of the Lusofonia Games is the biggest projection event that has ever been staged in India,” added Sabhlok. “Our decision to use Christie projectors was really a no-brainer. The motor of the Roadster HD20K-J is the most rugged, and it works really well in all sorts of conditions. On top of that, it gives the best colors.” The entire opening ceremony show was a kaleidoscope of India through a spectacle of mass cast, props, lights and technology. The multiple segments of the carefully choreographed show also illustrated the various professions of Goans, colors of India, magic of monsoons, and fascinating facets of Goa through the eyes of famous Indian cartoonist Mario Miranda. Sharing Sabhlok’s sentiments, Kaul added: “What I really like about the Christie

The impressive visuals made possible through the use of projection mapping technology, was certainly a sight to behold for the spectators at the stadium, who expressed their excitement with applause and loud cheers. But the challenges faced in making this event a triumphant one had also been significant, as much time and eﬀort were spent to overcome various issues related to lighting projection. “When we started this job, our initial thought process was to take the projectors to the

Projection Design: BARTKRESA design

projectors is that even though they have a very strong resolution, they do not distort the colours. This is very important because we are portraying nature and we want the seasons and monsoons to be shown in the best possible way during the performance.” Judging from the accolades received from guests about the opening ceremony show, it’s evident that the close collaboration between Christie and its partners – Audio Design, Video Design and Kresa – has reaped fantastic results and strengthened relationships between all parties. Rajesh Patkar, deputy general manager, Christie India, commented: “Christie has been involved in several projection mapping projects in India in recent years. One of them is the Umaid Bhawan project where 30 of our projectors were used for an event. Besides this, Christie’s high-brightness projectors are deployed for two fixed installs in New Delhi. We’re really happy and proud to work together with our partner Audio Design and Video Design at the Lusofonia Games, which has set a new record for the most number of projectors ever used for a single event in India”. “Audio Design and Video Design are among the largest rental staging players in India and they are committed in delivering very high standards in the projection mapping projects that they are involved in, and we look forward to working more closely with them in the future. We’re also thrilled that thousands of spectators are wowed by the awesome visuals created by Bart Kresa and his team of talented projection artists.” www.christiedigital.com

LIVE May - June 2014

ISRAEL

Robe’s Star Rises Again

obe continues to be a popular choice for Israel’s top TV Lighting Designers. The ROBIN MMX Spot and LEDBeam 100s were right up there in the eye-catching lighting scheme designed by LD Ronen Najar for the first 24-episode series of the brand new singing contest, ‘Rising Star’.

Rising Star is a singing competition with a twist. All the contestants started their performances behind a curved projection screen that flew in around the front of the stage – with IMAG images of the artists projected onto it. As they started their song, viewers and the 800 live audience in Studio 4 of the Globus Group Studios in Jerusalem – having downloaded an App for their Smartphones - registered their ‘likes’ live as the song was being performed. If the ‘likes’ reached a 70% marker, then the screen started to fly out and they made it through to the next round! The show was broadcast on national Channel 2. Najar was asked onboard because of his work on concert touring shows and large scale musicals. He had also worked with the production company TEDDI on lighting their previous talent contest, ‘A Star Is Born’.

Najar’s lighting was based on an impressive curved back-wall with columns of wash lights alternating with strips of 8mm LED screen that matched the spherical stage and projection screen. It was all about the softness and elegance of the curves! The 24 x Robe MMX Spot were part of the back wall, and used for all the rear key lighting and gobo looks as well as for sharpfocusing and applying textures to the stage surface, which was also under-lit. The performers had to be lit so they looked equally as good onstage, on the projection screen and on the television. Whilst a completely diﬀerent treatment was needed for when the screen was up or down, there had to be absolute continuity at all times on camera.

Najar has used Robe products generally for the last eight years and is a big fan of the MMX Spot which he has enthusiastically embraced in his work ever since it became available in Israel.

“I really like the MMX Spot,” he says. “Firstly, it’s a great unit, very reliable, very precise and it gives the exact intensity I need. Secondly it’s really small and also I like the graphics wheels a lot”. The LEDBeam 100s were positioned at the back of the raked audience seating and used as reverse wall-of-light eﬀects when the screen was open, a look that enhanced the space for the wide camera shots. Najar has been using LEDBeam 100s for the last two years for various designs and says, “It’s exceptionally bright and powerful for the tiny size. I use the whites a lot as well as the RGB colours, and again … it’s always been completely reliable”. Another challenge on Rising Star was the timescale – each episode was created, rehearsed and recorded in a day which entailed some intense programming for which he used a grandMA2 console. The Robes were supplied to Rising Star by Argaman Systems from Rosh Hayain, one of the leading rental companies in Israel that has invested in a lot of Robe gear. www.robe.cz

LIVE May - June 2014

SINGAPORE

SING JAZZ Transcends with HighQuality Gear “To achieve this, we used over eight sets of 8ft by 8ft risers that allowed us to transport instruments, microphones and monitoring elements that were pre-configured during the sound checks earlier on the day of the performances.” This attention to detail and the event's tight schedule resulted in 12 performances and 12 sound checks in 3 days with changeovers taking less than 30 minutes. Illuminating the mammoth event, the team once again deployed their in-house highquality gear while fulfilling the various rider expectations. The team utilized 10 x Vari-Lite VL3000s and 18 x Vari-Lite VLX together with 30 x PAR 64 Par Cans and 4 x Avolite ARC 4k Dimmers. Control went through a single GrandMA 2 full size while visuals were provided by 8m x 6m LED screens.

ingapore’s largest ever jazz and jazz-influenced music festival, The Singapore International Jazz Festival 2014 (‘SING JAZZ’), aimed to showcase jazz, in all its forms, while helping to nurture and encourage the development of jazz talent within the country. Organised by Orbis Festival Productions, in partnership with Marina Bay Sands(MBS) as the Oﬃcial Venue Partner and the Java International Jazz Festival (‘Java Jazz’), SING JAZZ invigorated the local jazz and music scene from the end of February to the beginning of March 2014. Held in what is increasingly being seen as a global hub of art and culture, Singapore’s SING JAZZ 2014 brought some of the biggest names in the jazz world such as Jamie Cullum and India Arie together with emerging international, regional and local talents. For the celebration of jazz music at its most diverse, a combination of high-end audio equipment was spec'd by various artists. With the entire audience area estimated at 95m by 45m (about 4300sqm) the sound system for the event was spread out in four diﬀerent locations which helped to provide a more levelled sound exposure. Equipment included the use of 42 Nexo's PS15s at the festivals indoor stages, while CharterOak amplifiers, Lexicon Signal Processors and 40channels of Shure UR4 Wireless mics were used both indoor and outdoor.

To enhance acoustics for the main outdoor stage, the team relied heavily on the use of Meyer Sound gear as the main PA. A total of 18 x Meyer MILOS cabinets combined with 10x Meyer CQ2s were flown in 4 arrays at 8.5m. Low-end was delivered by 8 x Meyer 700HP subs while a fifth centre cluster of Meyer CQ2s was raised above the main stage at 12m to cover the remaining centre rows. “We would like to recognize Meyer Sound for their continuous support and expertise. Their level of commitment to their product gave us the added edge needed to accomplish a festival of this magnitude” commented Karen Mosley, Director of Entertainment at Marina Bay Sands. Pointing out a bump in the road, Karen recounted, “Certain large events can be challenging mostly due to the huge amount of logistics and number of staﬀ involved but with SING JAZZ, organizers wanted to keep the rotation between the artists changeover times to a minimum.”

“Our aim, as with all the events we produce, was to satisfy the artist’s requirements and deliver performance of the highest technical standard to our audiences. Having worked on multiple events that are grand in nature, we had all the necessary technical equipment in-house. These brands were chosen for their capability to produce quality audio and visual and to cater to the diverse events that are staged at Marina Bay Sands. Of the riders that were presented to us, we are happy to say that 95-100% of the specs' were met,” concluded Karen. www.sing-jazz.com www.marinabaysands.com

LIVE May - June 2014

SINGAPORE

Panasonic & coolux Cast Intricate Images for i Light Marina Bay 2014

he biennial i Light Marina Bay, Asia’s only sustainable light art festival, was back for the third time this year with an all new line-up of 28 stunning light art installations from all over the world. The iconic ArtScience Museum basked in the splendour of the brilliant night with a playful commentary on the role and value of traditional culture in Singapore's contemporary society.

Aptly called the “Celebration of Life”, the masterpiece was the work of local artist Justin Lee and Dorier Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, and was brought to life with two coolux Pandoras Box QUAD Server systems used in conjunction with 16 x Panasonic PT-DZ21KE projectors situated across three locations. The façade of the ArtScience Museum was a sight to behold, but the challenge was getting a 3D projection onto a structurally challenging flower-shaped structure. Furthermore, the festival required eﬃcient and eﬀective management of resources to meet its commitment to the environment. One of the first steps for the Dorier Asia team involved a laser measurement of the ArtScience Museum’s petal like exterior. The point cloud data was

then simplified into a grid that was then passed on to the content team. The same grid was also used inside the Pandoras Box QUAD Server system, of which there were two on site. One of the servers acted as the primary main system and an additional QUAD Server was used as a full backup. Although the grid was accurate, on site warping via the Pandoras Box was necessary, without which the team would not have been able to work eﬃciently and to accurately calibrate the projectors. Tactical grade fiber optic cabling and DVI Fiber TX/RX from Lightware were used throughout the demanding show schedule. With Panasonic’s expertise in projection and renowned reputation as a green company, the fit was ideal, or rather, natural. The PT-DZ21KE projectors deliver an impressive 20,000 lumen of brightness with its compact

body realized by its unique quad-lamp system. It is equipped with a unique processor called the Detail Clarity Processor 3, which is able to bring out the intricate designs of the spectacular artwork with a high contrast ratio of 10,000:1. The projector can also be placed in a vertical position to accommodate various installation conditions, a must have if you consider the longitudinal extensions (or fingers as what it is commonly called) of the ArtScience Museum. This greatly expanded ideas of large images and design, all of which were pivotal in portraying the delicate details of the artist Justin Lee’s artwork. Artist Justin Lee, provided stencils of his artwork, which the design team then used for creating and compositing a collage of moving imagery and backgrounds reflecting

LIVE May - June 2014

The projectors required a small space and were placed compactly side by side. This minimalistic delivery meant that it blended into its surroundings eﬀortlessly and allows the artwork to grab the attention.

the local Singapore “flavour”, an overall look both contemporary and authentically local. He stated: “The 3D projection is a key aspect of my artwork as I used pop- art as a medium to show Asian values and the role of women in our society. It is great to see my concept become a reality, and the support behind the scenes, from the set up to the projection alignment, has made this possible.”

Visitors were able to appreciate the finesse of details on an unprecedented scale, as colour matching and digital image enlarging technology further accentuate the clarity of the projection.

For a festival with a key focus on eco responsibility, environmentalists would be glad to know that the lamp has a replacement cycle of an impressive 2,000 hours. This helps to lower maintenance cost and lamp cost - in fact, the lamp consumes less power, saving running cost as well. Another green attribute is the eco filters with maintenance cycle of up to 12,000 hours that can be washed with water and re-used. Hirotatsu Asai, Professional Systems Division, Panasonic highlighted the relevance to the festival, saying: “We saw a great opportunity to work on this project and bring the beauty of projection mapping to public and tourists in an environmentally friendly way and on one of the most beautiful landmarks. Bringing enjoyable experience to people while at the same time caring for our environment makes i Light a festival that Panasonic can identify with and be part of.”

Projecting on the curvaceous façade also requires a great deal of alignment, and one of the main software was Geometry Manager Pro, a Panasonic proprietary software which enabled the adjustment of lens and projector alignment, geometric correction, edge blending, adjustments for uniformity, brightness control, colour matching adjustments and masking. The PT-DZ21KE projectors with Geometry Manager Pro and portrait lamps were the stars of a more extensive list of equipment to realize the projection. panasonic.net www.coolux.com

LIVE May - June 2014

INDIA

HARMAN’s JBL VTX Makes India Debut @ NH7 Weekender Festival

COM has always adapted and evolved to the growing nature of our business and industry and this was a logical step in the right direction as we have already been successful with JBL and HARMAN in India. This was just a way to take forward the relationship that has empowered clients, entertained audiences and in return reap dividends and brand value.”

ARMAN’s next-generation JBL Professional VTX line arrays made a spectacular debut in New Delhi at the recently concluded NH7 Weekender Music Festival. The 3-year-old, multi-city festival organized by entertainment company, Only Much Louder's festival division, has gained immense popularity over the years with the 2014 event production commissioned to New Delhi-based, Scoop Holdings. This year’s artist line-up included the likes of Lucky Ali, Meshuggah, Mutemath, Faridkot, Kailasa, Vir Das’ Alien Chutney, Karsh Kale Collective + NH7 All Stars, and many others. Leading sound rental company SOUND. COM was the chosen to provide sound reinforcement solutions for the New Delhi edition of the music festival. The company was one of the very first companies in India to add JBL VERTEC line arrays and a host of other HARMAN gear into its inventory. SOUND.COM now joins the list of international rental companies with the world-class gear and is the first in India to stock JBL VTX line arrays as its frontline PA.

Commenting on this addition, Warren D’ Souza, Founder & Managing Director, SOUND. COM, said, “We have had a good 8-year run with JBL VERTEC VT4889 loudspeakers, and it was time to take our service provision to the next level with the JBL VTX line arrays. The system definitely complements VERTEC, while VTX is the next-generation line array system, with better rigging, better flying, sound and horizontal coverage, which one would expect from the JBL lineage. SOUND.

SOUND.COM was commissioned to provide the sound reinforcement for four of the six stages at the festival. The JBL VTX system was deployed at the ‘Dewarist’ stage. The stage was equipped with 24 x JBL VTX V25 fullsize line array elements, 16 x JBL VERTEC VT4880A subwoofers, with 6 x JBL VERTEC VT4887 compact line array elements as front fills.

LIVE May - June 2014

The stage monitoring gear was complete with 16 JBL VRX915M loudspeakers and two VRX918S subwoofers, with four SRX728 and an SRX725 as side fills. The entire system was powered by 24 Crown I-Tech 12000 HD and three I-Tech 4x3500 HD amplifiers. A Soundcraft Vi6 was used as the monitor console at this particular stage where some of the major acts included Kailash Kher and Lucky Ali. Vijay Nair, CEO, Only Much Louder, said, “Having been associated with SOUND.COM from our very first international concert to NH7 Weekender in New Delhi, we have come a long way together. In New Delhi, we have used an absolutely new, innovative format, the circular format, bundled with the amazing sound design, the engineering and mixing, it has been fantastic, leaving no sound clash between the stages. The best feedback you get as a festival promoter is not to get any feedback or calls from the artists during setup or otherwise. It feels great that we can work together as an entity and create something as big as this in India.” Sunil Karanjikar, Application Manager, HARMAN Professional India and Systems

Engineer for the festival, said, “The key objective of this audio design is to keep maximum audio within the festival stage area and avoid spill over to the other areas. We have managed to do just that with the JBL VTX systems, integrating it with Crown I-Tech HD amplification. The features of the VTX is huge step forward sonically—with new V5 presets, smaller height, higher headroom, great horizontal coverage pattern and better stereo separation.” Apart from the Dewarist stage, the other two stages included the Bacardi Rock Arena and the Eristoﬀ stage which spec'd similar PAs in diﬀerent quantities combined with a host of other HARMAN gear.

Enthusiastic FOH mixing engineer for the Bacardi Stage, Fali Damania, said, “What sets JBL VERTEC apart is the low-mid, midrange sounds brilliant: snare, rock and roll, guitars need less work on this PA. JBL VERTEC is my go-to system for anything rock and roll and we received some great reviews throughout the festival.”

Signing oﬀ on yet another successful show for SOUND.COM, D’Souza said, “Appreciation for quality of sound and service is most important and I can say that was well received. That we could also have a good time in the bargain, whilst working with our colleagues without any stress was the best part of the festival experience.” “The event enabled us to showcase the distinct advantages of the VTX Line Array Series to a large number of professionals and it was an excellent opportunity to see how the system performed with multiple stages competing for the best sound output,” said Ankush Agarwal, Director—Marketing & Business Development, HARMAN Professional India. Reflecting on the hugely successful event that will set the tone for more large events in the future, Prashant Govindan, Director— India Operations, HARMAN Professional said, “We are extremely pleased to witness the debut of JBL VTX systems in India. The NH7 Weekender in New Delhi, going by the feedback of the sound engineers, the event organizers and the artists, was a hugely successful show. This only reinforces the HARMAN JBL Professional's position as the world's most innovative developer and manufacturer of line array loudspeaker technology.” www.harman.com www.online-sound.com

LIVE May - June 2014

AUSTRALIA

coolux Transforms The White Night

or its 2013 debut, White Night Melbourne attracted more than 300,000 people. For 12 hours in February, Melbourne’s city streets, laneways, landmarks and cultural institutions were once again transformed into a cultural playground from dusk-till-dawn.

warped into an immersive cocoon sparkling and flickering with light and colour. The light tunnel was an extraordinary illumination in the centre of the river extending the creatively lit landscape of White Night Melbourne to the south.

coolux Pandora’s Box media systems were vital in the success of two of the major installations within the festival: Vortex as well as Molecular Kaleidoscope – ‘Virus One Billion Times’.

Resolution X supplied the coolux Pandora’s Box for Vortex with the tunnel constructed from Pro Shop LED Tubes and assorted RGB LED fixtures. The pixel mapping function of Pandora’s Box was used for linear and graphic content to give the feeling of travelling through a tunnel of light.

Rohan Thornton, technical manager for the festival, designed Vortex which saw the Southbank Pedestrian Bridge of Melbourne

Molecular Kaleidoscope – ‘Virus One Billion Times’ was a massive internal projection project inside of the State Library of Victoria with coolux and projectors supplied by

Technical Direction Company. The library’s famous domed La Trobe Reading Room was morphed into a vast microscope with a magnifying power of one billion times. Showcasing the work of BAFTA and Emmy award-winning artist Drew Berry and composer Franc Tétaz, Molecular Kaleidoscope – ‘Virus One Billion Times’ was a spectacular biomedical animation with projections of giant 40-metre viruses. “It’s a massive room 35 metres high and 35 metres wide and with its octagonal shape, it’s a pretty significant surface,” commented Rohan. “Peter Lynn, TDC’s technical director with Drew Ferors the projectionist coordinated the machines and video mapping using the warping function of the Pandora’s Box. All of the content was played via the Pandora’s Box and time code out of the Pandora’s Box triggered the sound system that was played oﬀ of Pro Tools.” The shape of the room dictated a 360⁰ on a horizontal plane and 270⁰ on a vertical plane projection which was achieved by melding together twelve 26K Barco projectors, all pointing in diﬀerent directions. Inspired by Paris’ Nuit Blanche, the international network of White Night programmes has grown to over 20 cities globally. Melbourne's unique interpretation allowed visitors to participate in an urban adventure of exhibitions, street performances, fashion, lighting installations, film screenings, multimedia projections, concerts, dance and interactive events. www.showtech.com.au www.coolux.de

HaAavve U Met...? May - June 2014

Nageswaran Ramanujem Lighting Designer – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Nagesh with Chief Lighting Tech at TV3 Malaysia, Pushpa

Born in 1975 and bred in Kuala Lumpur, Nageswaran Ramanujem (aka Nagesh) stumbled into the entertainment industry after receiving his Degree in Electrical Engineering. With a bucket-load of enthusiasm and wealth of talent, it’s not surprising that the widely recognized designer has won numerous awards for his work. These include the annual Anugerah Juara Lagu music competition as well as the 2013 Showdown and Shout Awards in Malaysia. E-Tech: Tell us about your foray into the entertainment industry.

Nagesh: Well..During my final year in college, I was actually oﬀered a few diﬀerent types of jobs and I chose one where the company was looking for an electrician in its lighting department. When I got to work on my first day, I was taken for a tour around the company's studio which was full of lighting fixtures. I was confused and surprised, I kept thinking, why is this guy showing me the fixtures and why does he keep talking about the lights? It was only at the end of the day that I realised my job was more about being an engineer then an electrician. And that's where my journey began..

E-Tech: Sounds like divine intervention. Do you remember your very first gig and how it was?

Nagesh: Ha! For my very first gig, I was approached by a producer and was asked to handle the 1999 MTV 100 Retrospective at the Arena of Stars in Genting Highlands. It was a really big show and I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle it but guess what? It turned out to be a superb show. It was a great feeling! It was also an amazing experience to know that my very first show went beyond the expectation of the producer.

E-Tech: Throughout your 17 years on the job, you've worked with artists such as Metallica, Pitbull and JLo. Who or what motivates you? Nagesh: I have a few inspiring people in my life. Firstly, I count the guru himself, Patrick Woodroﬀe as one. He has lit and directed shows for artists like ABBA, Ozzy Osbourne and Bob Dylan. He has also been The Rolling Stones' LD and creative designer since 1982. I would also count my 2 buddies, Jay Neil and Andrew Warren, from EHQ Projects as my inspirations.

E-Tech: What is your weapon of choice and why?

Nagesh: Without a doubt, it would be the GrandMA line of consoles. They are userfriendly, powerful and do amazing things that I doubt other consoles can do. Even my daughter is starting to play with it and she is only 6.

E-Tech: If your path in life had been diﬀerent, what would you be today? Nagesh: Who knows? Maybe an Electrical Engineer?

E-Tech: You list touring as one of your personal future goals. Who would you want to tour with and why?

Nagesh: I would like to tour with Metallica one day because they have been my favorite band since I was a child.

E-Tech: What has been the most creative show you have ever done? Nagesh: I must say, the SHOUT AWARDS 2013.

E-Tech: Lastly, what advice do you have for those on the ground just joining the entertainment industry?

Nagesh: Passion is the key for this industry. Be humble, creative, trust yourself, set a goal and go for it. With Gods grace, you will be the champion. To find out more or get in touch with Nagesh, send him an email at: nageshvl@yahoo.com Know an interesting personality that we should know? Send us an email at elissa@spinworkz.com

#SPOTTED May - June 2014

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HARMAN MIXING WITH H H P PROFESSIONALS S WORKSHOP W Were YOU ? #SPOTTED? ! Let us know

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Y B CLAY PAKY B-EYE S.E.A. DEBUT

Christie Visual Solutions Preferred Choice for Brisbane’s Royal International Convention Centre

Christie installed four Christie Roadster HD10K-M and three HD20K-J 3-chip DLP® projectors at the Royal International Convention Centre in Brisbane, Australia.

Christie® and its Australia partner Microhire installed four Christie Roadster HD10K-M and three HD20K-J 3-chip DLP® projectors at Brisbane’s Royal International Convention Centre in V ViÀÌ Ü Ì ÌÃ Õ µÕi Vi } }À ` ÃÞÃÌi q Ì i wÀÃÌ v ÌÃ ` æÕÃÌÀ> >° / Ã i >L i` Ì i

i ÌÀi Ì µÕ V Þ LiV i ÀiV } âi` >Ã > Ü À ` V >ÃÃ Ûi Õi Ì >Ì ì ÛiÀÃ vÕ VÌ > > ` yiÝ L i V Ûi Ì Ã«>Vi Ì }À Õ«Ã >Ã >À}i >Ã Î]äää «i « i° 7 i Þ Õ >Ài Ì i i>ìÀ Û ÃÕ> «À iVÌ ] Þ Õ >Ûi Ì i Ã ÕÌ Ã Ì iiÌ Ì i ÃÌ V > i } } ÃiÌÌ }° À Ì i Ã > iÃÌ v iiÌ } À Ã Ì Ì i ÃÌ Ã « ÃÌ V>Ìi` Û ÀÌÕ> Ài> ÌÞ > ` Ã Õ >Ì ÃÞÃÌi Ã] À ÃÌ i ì ÛiÀÃ Ì i À } Ì Û ÃÕ> Ã ÕÌ Ã L>V i` LÞ Ì i LiÃÌ VÕÃÌ iÀ ÃiÀÛ Vi° - ` ½Ì ` L>V Þ ÕÀ Û Ã ° À ÃÌ i Ü i « Þ Õ w ` Ì i À } Ì Û ÃÕ> Ã ÕÌ v À iÛiÀÞ « ÃÃ L i > ` Ãii } Þ « ÃÃ L i V>Ì > ` >«« V>Ì ii`° www.christiedigital.com USA ph: +1 714 236 8610 sales-us@christiedigital.com

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