ETA Mobile 2016 09

2016

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Celebrations Feature World’s Biggest

360 Degrees Real-time Tracking

SPECIAL FEATURE: Going Wireless PROJECTS: New Lighting For Iconic Buddhist Temple ENNOVATIONS: Yamaha Introduces TF-RACK For Further Versatility

Be bright, choose right.

Are you confident about your future investments?

Ranging from laser projection through to show control, image processing, 4K, and flexible LED solutions, we empower you to wow your audiences in new ways.

With a focused approach on events, Barco leverages its expertise to create technology you can rely on.

Be bright, choose right. Choose Barco.

F series projector

HDF series projector

E2 presentation switcher

Contact Barco for more information Barco Singapore Private Limited │Tel: +65 6587 7356│e-mail: SEA.Sales@barco.com

www.barco.com/events

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65 04 FIRST WORDS 07 NEWS 33 VIDEO FILES 35 ENNOVATIONS SPECIAL FEATURE 51 Going Wireless PROJECTS 65 SINGAPORE: Aurecon Helps Show Iconic Buddhist Temple In New Light 70 CHINA: Alcorn McBride Equipment At The Wanda Cultural Tourism City LIVE 72 SINGAPORE: National Day Celebrations Throws Up A Number Of Firsts

86 SINGAPORE: World’s Biggest Real-Time Tracking 3D Projection Achieved At National Day Celebrations 89 PHILIPPINES: Manila Major eSports Championships Powered

By Blackmagic Design 92 DUBAI: Protec At The Helm At NAS Sports Tournament Opening Ceremony 96 EVENTS LISTING

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ETA September 2016

The Battle Of The Light Source Companies It started with Philips getting into the entertainment lighting solutions with buy-outs of quite a number of reputable brands, specifically VariLite, Strand Lighting, Selecon and Showline.

It made sense. After all most of the lighting fixtures feature a Philips light source. Combining expertise will only lead to even higher quality light source and higher value lighting fixtures and of course protect market share.

It was a matter of time and Osram caught up with the buyout of Clay Paky, a brand that has been defined as one of the best in entertainment lighting solutions. And thus the recent announcement of Osram expanding further into the entertainment sector with the acquisition of certain assets from ADB TTV SAS should not have come as a surprise. ADB has been a top supplier of lighting solutions for theater and television studios for decades. These acquisitions at least ensure that Osram does not lose out in supplying the light sources to companies such as Clay Paky and ADB.

Both companies are financially strong and are historically associated with light sources. Both companies also continue to push the envelope in enhancing light source technology and still do supply their light sources to competing brands. Of course both companies also face

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challenges especially in the LED source sector. With LED as a light source improving its brightness and capabilities, and with Chinese brands giving a run for the money with their LED solutions, it will be an interesting road ahead for both companies to see how they will manage those challenges.

Enjoy the read:) To subscribe to Entertainment Technology Asia (ETA)click here:

http://www.e-techasia.com/subscribe/

Shireen Ho Assistant Editor shireen@spinworkz.com

RAM BHAVANASHI Editor, India And Middle East ram@spinworkz.com

DENNIS TOH Brand Engagement Specialist dennis@spinworkz.com

JULIE TAN Admin & Circulation admin@spinworkz.com

JIMMY CHIN Design And Production jimmy@spinworkz.com

ROSALIND TAN Editor, Digital Platform (Freelance) rosalind@spinworkz.com

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

DISCLAIMER

Entertainment Technology Asia is published 12 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 ETA September 2016

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Global Market Management To Represent Audix In Asia-Pacific

Bardy Hayes

APAC: Audix, has announced the appointment of Bardy Hayes and Alex Schloesser of Global Market Management, Inc. as exclusive representatives for the Audix product line in the Asia-Pacific region.

Chris Doss, Audix’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing says “We are excited about the addition of Bardy and Alex to the Audix team. Their industry experience and knowledge of the Asia-Pacific market is ideal to foster growth of the Audix brand in the region.”

Bardy Hayes is a veteran of the pro-audio industry with experience in regional touring, sound contracting, retail and distribution. He has managed export sales for top pro-audio brands for 20 years. Bardy shares “We are honoured to work with such a respected brand and company, and to further develop the foundation they have built in APAC.” Bardy is based in the company’s San Diego office.

Alex Schloesser owned a major rental, broadcast and sound installation company in Cologne, Germany for 28 years. His professional

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Alex Schloesser

background includes live sound touring, broadcast engineering, systems integration and product development. Alex comments “This is a really exciting opportunity and the timing is just right. I have known and used Audix microphones for the last 25 years and I truly love the sound they give me, even in challenging environments.� Alex is based in Singapore.

Bardy and Alex are supported by Jesse Hayes in the San Diego office. www.audixusa.com www.globalmrkt.com

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Philips Lighting Appoints New Head Of Entertainment Lighting INTERNATIONAL: Philips Lighting (Euronext Amsterdam: LIGHT), a global leader in lighting, has announced the appointment of Philips executive Colin Kavanagh as the company’s new head of its Entertainment lighting business.

Kavanagh will take on this new role as Head of Entertainment lighting with immediate effect, which will see him relocating to Dallas, Texas where he is tasked with growing Philips Lighting’s presence in the entertainment sector - specifically with lighting for theaters, festivals, experiential retail outlets, theme parks, arts venues, exhibition spaces, leisure venues, holiday destinations and the night club industry.

Colin Kavanagh

Kavanagh has extensive commercial and technical experience pertinent to his new role. He has a strong background in Design for Excellence (DfX), Concurrent Product Development (CPD), lean manufacturing and Voice of the Customer (VoC) in fast time to market industries.

“I am developing a sector-specific strategy that will greatly enhance how the Entertainment team works and take the business to the next level,” explained Colin Kavanagh. www.philips.com

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ETA September 2016

SGM IP65 Fixtures At Splendour In The Grass Festival

Photo credit: Kelsey Dabinett and Tao Jones

AUSTRALIA: Splendour in the Grass, a sold-out festival operated for four days and nights with over 30,000 festival goers each day. Besides having a star-studded music program, the festival also places a lot of emphasis on the artistic experience of the festival.

Following his 2015 work titled ‘Programme One’, Melbourne Visual Artist Sam Songailo was a major part of the festival with an installation suitably titled ‘Programme Two’. Evolving from the 2015 design, Programme Two involved an intricately painted structure covering approx 400 square meters, with 50 individual m x 4 m tall pillars placed in a Colosseum-like configuration. Taylor Chadwick from ETA (not to be mistaken with our magazine:)) was again recruited as Lighting Designer and based on last year’s success, he did not hesitate to use SGM fixtures. For this year’s installation, he deployed eight P-5 wash lights and one G-Spot in the design which brought the artwork to life each night of the festival.

Taylor elaborated on the design and choice of the SGM fixtures: “Sam’s works typically involve striking colours and bold geometric patterns. I required LED wash fixtures that could complement this

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at night, immersing the space inside of the work in deeply saturated colours, while also having the intensity to throw light over a distance, casting shadow outward as a continuation of the structural lines of the structure. The P-5 at a wide lens option fulfilled this design spec perfectly and operated flawlessly throughout the festival.”

Taylor also brought attention to the flagship product of the SGM range: “The G-Spot was deployed as a key figure of the artwork, acting somewhat as the epicentre of the entire area. Standing above the crowd atop a 5 m upright, we used the G-Spot as a searchlight which pivoted continuously on its pan, searching the doorways and crowd as they entered the artwork. The response was perfect – people were chasing and jumping the beam as it circled the artwork.”

Exposure to the elements of the outdoor festival was also a key consideration for the design team: “Based on our experiences from previous years, we had to ensure that the specified lighting fixtures would be able to withstand extended periods of heavy rain. Last year, the SGM units operated flawlessly despite the torrential rain, so it was a no-brainer to utilise the IP65-rating of these units again this year.”

The lights were supplied by Chameleon Touring Systems. www.sgmlight.com

Photo credit: Kelsey Dabinett and Tao Jones

Video from the art installation at night:

35 Years xy

d&b is 35. Yone is d&b.

Shinichiro ‘Yone’ Yonekura is Director of Business Development for d&b Japan. He’s been on board since 1998. “For nearly twenty years now d&b has been growing with wonderful people all around the world. It still impresses me and makes me proud to say that every single loudspeaker is made by hand by our colleagues in Germany.” In 35 years d&b has evolved from a small garage venture to a worldwide standard in professional sound systems. It’s people like Yone who make this story possible, and just that bit different from the rest.

Welcome to System reality.

NEWS ETA September 2016

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A&L And Sennheiser Conduct Wireless Microphone Training

The training conducted by Sennheiser’s Project Manager, Herman Suparman

MALAYSIA: The 21st of July 2016, saw Acoustic & Lighting System (A&L) together with Sennheiser conduct a wireless microphone training session. The Sennheiser Sound Academy initiated by Sennheiser was designed for end-users to gain a better understanding of the wired and wireless microphone system operation. Held at A&L’s seminar room in Puchong, the training saw a group of 55 participants coming from various industries and schools.

The training was led by none other than Sennheiser’s Project Manager, Herman Suparman. Herman who has years of experience in microphone systems shared his knowledge through 9 intensive topics, designed specifically for the training. The training lasted for 3 hours covering theoretical topics such as Chain of Transmission, Type of Transmitters, Radio Frequency, Antennas and Booster, Importance of Cables, Splitter Characteristic, Type of Receivers, True Diversity and Intermodulation. “It was a very informational training session, even though I have learned some of the topics before but it was like a refreshers course. I learned some particular areas that I overlooked,” commented one of the participants.

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Aside from the theoretical training, Herman also provided the participants a practical training session giving them the opportunity to experience real life situation of setting up a wireless microphone system. 4 participants were selected and paired randomly to setup the system from scratch. As participants set-up the system, Herman provided advice and guidance making sure they understood the process of setting up the system. “It was great, there were times I needed Herman to guide me through the pairing up of microphone to the receivers,” responded one of the participants who had the chance to experience the practical session.

“It was definitely something we enjoyed doing,” commented Rain, A&L’s Marketing Coordinator & Event Planner. “The outcome of the training session was great. We received an overwhelming response for the training session. We were glad we prepared a video live feed that connects to the second room for participants who did not manage to get a seat in the seminar room,” continued Rain. “We hope to have more of such events, allowing the public to learn more on not only Sennheiser products but to gain more knowledge on operating an audio system,” replied Rain. www.acousticlighting.com

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Mahajak Installs At BAM’s Convention Hall

THAILAND: Mahajak handled the AV installation for Bangkok Commercial Asset Management (BAM) convention hall which features two units of the newest Soundcraft Ui16 mixer and other related Harman products.

“This convention hall is used for seminars, conferences and other events. The hall can be split up in order to organize different meetings consecutively. BAM needed audio and visual systems that produced equal loudness and clarity for a total capacity of 200 persons for the Hall and the equipment for background music. For the visual aspect, Mahajak installed 3LCD projectors and two screens to support the previously installed three screens and a dome camera for visual processing. The additional screens and projectors enable different seating flexibility and division of the Hall. All the equipment were chosen for their suitability and durability,” said Rungrote Kerdpimon, Mahajak’s project engineer.

As for the audio installation, the sound system is divided into two sections – the convention area and a long corridor. The sound

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source comes from the convention centre’s own equipment such as microphones and CD players. Mahajak installed the latest technology digital mixer from Soundcraft, model Ui16 which has built-in wi-fi and the ability to be controlled by any connected device via a standard web browser. The BSS Blu-100 digital signal processor (DSP) installed, helps to combine or separate the sound system in the convention hall.

A Blu-3 is used as a wall panel controller providing level control and source selection or preset recall in a simple wall-mounted panel.

Apart from these, Mahajak also provided Crown power amplifier XTi2002 to drive CBT100LA-1 inside the convention hall and CDi1000 to power a group of JBL Control16CT’s along the corridor. The CBT100LA-1 provides clarity that is suitable for a MC in a seminar or a general meeting and the JBL Control16CT is appropriate for soft background music and public announcement.

BAM takes an important role as a public enterprise established for the purpose of carrying out the asset management in financial institutions and has many offices in the different provinces of Thailand. www.mahajak.com

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Electro-Voice In Manila Audio Conventions

EV at Music Manila

PHILIPPINES: Electro-Voice (EV), the leading professional audio brand, staged double appearances in the recently concluded pro-audio, video, lighting, and entertainment technology conventions - the PALMM Philippines and Musik Manila 2016. Through its distributor, EVI Philippines, Electro-Voice displayed its fascinating range of professional-grade speakers and microphones that captivated a wide array of sound professionals and dealers alike.

The X1 of the X-Line Advance Speakers took the spotlight in the PALMM Show convention at the SMX Convention Center. Known for its innovative and compact audio features, the X1 vertical line-array speakers system has a capacity of performing multiple applications that fit the needs of either large-scale worship houses or entertainment venues. Because of complete and top-of-the-line broadcast and pro A/V solutions that EVI Philippines showcased, the brand cinched the ‘Best Entertainment Technology’ award during the culminating event.

The X2 System on the other hand was the stellar product in the Musik Manila exhibition in the World Trade Center. The two-way vertical

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line-array loudspeaker promises a wide-coverage system for live sound that is perfect for arena-level acoustics. Through its R&D generated technology, the X2 excels in producing high-output for all vocal EV at PALMM Philippines and musical elements. The X2 stood out in the ‘shoot out’ segment – an outdoor listening program where the biggest brands in audio industry gathered to demonstrate the sound quality of their speakers.

EV visitors of both conventions were able to experience of the audio prowess of the X1 and X2 speakers through the danceable hits of EDM jockeys DJ Janice and DJ Ouch. EV’s portable speakers, the ZLX, ETX, ELX, EKX and the recently-launched ND-Series microphones were also showcased in the said events.

“The game-changing technologies of X1 and X2 line-array systems have truly set Electro-Voice apart in the pro-audio industry,” said Rowena Bonifacio, Bosch Philippines Country Sales Manager. “Our participation in trade conventions and exhibitions such as PALMM Show and Musik Manila gave us an opportunity to develop our footprint in the local industry so that everyone can gain access to our quality, forward-thinking audio solutions.”

After the Musik Manila, EV conducted a two-day training event for EVI Philippines’ key clients. The training focused on X-Line line-array systems design that included IRIS-net, the Line-Array Prediction Software (LAPS) and rigging and mounting of the speakers as part of the hands-on training. The training event was conducted by EV Regional Application Design & Support Manager, Ronnie Lai. www.electrovoice.com www.boschsecurity.asia

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DEV Electronics Strengthens The Audio Quotient At The Yoga Institute INDIA: The Yoga Institute was founded on 25th December, 1918 by Shri Yogendraji at ‘The Sands’, the residence of Dadabhai Naoroji in Versova, where he cured many people from various ailments through therapeutic yoga. Following this, the Yoga Institute found a permanent base in Santacruz, Mumbai, in 1948, where it has stood proud ever since.

Spread over one acre of land amidst nature, with three buildings dedicated to Yogic activities, this non-profit organization has been running on its own strength for 9 decades now, where approximately 1000 people visit the Institute every day for training, health benefits and consultations.

And in addition to the several rooms and facilities – each of which are dedicated to Yoga in some form or the other – the expanse of the Yoga Institute also encompasses the Shri Yogendra Museum of Classical Yoga which was inaugurated in 1987 by the then President of India, Shri Giani Zail Singh. With an array of indoor and outdoor displays, the Yoga Museum aims to show Yoga as a way of life, as the museum presents a historical and balanced view of Yoga, which is a necessity amidst the confusion that has spawned in Yoga activities in India and abroad.

With the expanse of the Yoga Institute housing dedicated facilities for each of the yoga activities, the management sought a precise audio infrastructure to help enhance the experience of practicing and imbibing yoga. And through the course of their search, they connected with Mumbai based comprehensive audio solutions provider Dev Electronics, who wasted no time in working on a precise audio plan for the facility.

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The audio infrastructure at the Yoga Institute features a total of 8 units of the supremely impressive PF8 compact high definition loudspeakers, along with 4 units of the ever dependable Control 28 compact loudspeakers from global leaders JBL, and 6 units of the industry favourite HP8A compact active loudspeakers from market leaders Dynatech. All of the above products have been spread across various sections of the Yoga Institute, thereby delivering crisp and precise audio reproduction at each of the desired sections. A total of 4 units of the Yamaha MG10XU compact mixing console forms the backbone of the audio signal chain at each of the desired venue sections, whereas multiple units of the TK Series performance microphones from JTS and the Beta series microphones from Shure, together form the adept microphone solution that adorns the YOGA Institute.

Ketan Shetty shares his input about Dev Electronics’ experience of being a part of the project saying, “It’s an honour for all of us to be associated with such a prestigious establishment. We worked hard towards providing the kind of solution that would perfectly fit the management’s requirements – in terms of design, performance, adaptability and of course, budget – and we’re extremely glad that they’re happy with the final design of the system, and with the performance of all the products. Our sincerest thanks to the entire management for their support and co-operation through the entire course of the project.”

A member of the inner management at the Yoga Institute shared his comment on the quality of the audio system and design integrated at the facility, saying “We were looking for a highly adaptable and accurate audio solution that would be high on performance and easy on costs and maintenance, and that’s exactly what we got, thanks to the efforts of the Dev Electronics team. We’re extremely impressed with the dedication they’ve shown and also with the high quality work that they’ve commissioned. The entire place sounds really good, and everyone here is extremely pleased with it. Cheers to Dev Electronics for a job well done!” www.develectronics.com

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d3 4x4pro Powers Extensive LED Displays At MYTH Electronic Music Festival In Shanghai

Photo Credit: Illuminate Productions for Live Legends

CHINA: d3 Studio partner Live Legends, under their Chinese brand United Live Creations, provided comprehensive creative and technical services for the MYTH Electronic Music Festival in Shanghai, that was held in May 2016. Using d3, United Live Creations handled everything from concept to execution for the two-day festival, which showcased 40 local and international DJs. MYTH, from organizers Modern Sky, presented a Sixth Element theme on the main stage in Shanghai’s Expo Garden Park. Live Legends’ creative director Daan Oomen was responsible for the show design concept, which brought the five elements – wood, water, fire, metal and earth – to life and introduced the sixth element – music – that takes us to a realm beyond.

Oomen’s innovative concept and set design immersed audiences in a total visual and audio experience showcasing each element in a different chapter onstage. He used a single d3 4x4pro media server to play six custom pixel-perfect timecode shows, one for each element, on giant LED screens.

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“The video set up was massive with 450 square meters of 3.6mm LEDs,” says Oomen. “Besides the six timecode shows we also needed the flexibility to quickly switch to one of the DJ inputs. The DJ inputs had a different, more light-weight pixelmap to make it workable for live performances. With d3’s ‘remappable’ set up we were able to provide a high-resolution pixelmap to the content creation team and a DJ pixelmap to our guest DJs early in the process. This gave the content team a huge time win.”

Additionally, “on some screens we mapped the live video input on top of the video content,” he reports.

Live Legends’ Bas Knappers was the lighting operator for the festival, Jim de Brouwer the d3 programmer/operator, and Dave van Roon and de Brouwer the d3 project set up team. Muen Hang from Illuminate Productions provided the d3 media servers. d3 Technologies maintains a network of partner studios worldwide dedicated to helping fulfil customers’ d3 requirements, from consultation and support to client demos and more. Live Legends & Live Legands Asia are a d3 rental partner as well as d3 Studio offering a full d3 workflow as its in-house solution for pre-production and production of live events across Europe and now the Asia Pacific. www.d3technologies.com

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ETA September 2016

Electro-Voice ND Series Microphones Launch In Singapore

Shirlyn Tan giving the ND microphones a workout

SINGAPORE: EV launched its latest ND Series Microphone in Singapore on 13 August 2016. The event attended by 30 guests was held in City Music, one of the more established music instrument retail stores in Singapore.

The launch event began with a welcome introduction by the Regional Marketing Director of EV, Johannes Huth. This was followed by the company’s Sales Manager, Gordon Lee, for a presentation and live demo of the EV portable loudspeaker range ZLX, ELX, EKX and ETX. Regional Marketing Manager Edward Chia took centre stage to unveil the new ND Series of dynamic wired microphones to the guest with a presentation and a live performance by Shirlyn Tan, a singer-songwriter and her band “The Expected”. Shirlyn and her band demonstrated the four vocal and four instrument microphones that is specially designed for stage and studio applications.

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The event was wrapped up with a lucky draw where a few lucky attendees walked away with the new ND microphone.

“I am extremely happy with this series of microphones.

It is as if I am hearing my real voice for the first time.

These microphones give me the confidence to not run out of steam during the show, and always give the best quality of the voice,” said Shirlyn. “With the support of City Music Singapore, I have officially joined the Electro-Voice Kelvin Kew, the Founder of Lila Drums Productions family! Thank you all who came down to check out the new ND series microphones. I am using the ND86 and ND96.”

To add on to Shirlyn’s comment, special guest on percussion for the live performance, Kelvin Kew, the Founder of Lila Drums Productions, commented: “As a percussionist I often have a variety of percussion instruments I use and the challenge is always trying to get a suitable microphone for the delicate sounding instruments. I’ve recently used ND44 to mic up my Udu drum and the result was a clean and sustained tone. I’ve never experienced any other microphone quite like this.” www.boschsecurity.asia

NEW International Exhibition of Professional Technologies and Services for the Entertainment and Creation Industry

31 October – 2 November, 2016 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre www.prolightsoundme.com

Let’s master it.

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A world of opportunity awaits you with a showcase of innovative AV technologies that cater to a wide range of indoor and outdoor applications. Come connect with the very best sights, sounds and services from an industry in constant motion.

Register online to visit at www.prolightsoundME.com/ETA

VIDEO FILES ETA September 2016

ROBE Lighting Spikie

Spikie, a small, super fast LED WashBeam, utilises a single 60W RGBW light source with a specially designed 110mm wide front lens producing a solid beam. The fixture quickly zooms from a soft wide 28° wash to a tight sharp-edged 4° beam with one of two new stunning air effects. Continuous rotation of pan and tilt gives new dynamic elements across the stage. Spikie is a very compact 7.3 kg fixture, which can be hung in any position.

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PR Lighting Product Showcase

This 2:19 video gives you a quick overview of PR Lighting’s following products that were released this year: The XRLed 1500W Spot features 750W power consumption with 2 rotating Gobo wheels. The Xled 4022 RZ features an OSRAM LED Light source with rotating front lens and countless vortex effects. The XR 250 Beam offers 13 Dichroic colour filters plus White and the Laser 5G has input voltages of 100-240 AC at 50/60Hz that has a power consumption of 300W@220V.

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ETA September 2016

Yamaha Introduces TF-RACK For Further Versatility TF-RACK, the newest model in the TF Series digital mixer lineup form Yamaha offers intiutive TF Series TouchFlow operation in Rack-mount form.

This space-saving model is accessible to a wide range of users, from beginners to seasoned engineers. The TF-RACK offers the same smooth, intuitive setup and operation that has made the TF series a popular choice for a wide range of applications, in a compact unit that is ideal for limited spaces.

Firmware version 3.0 for all TF Series models will be released simultaneously with the TF-RACK. Firmware V3.0 not only provides support for the TF-RACK, but also adds convenient features such as the ability to set up limited-access user accounts for each user, and additional QuickPro Presets™ developed in collaboration with Ultimate Ears.

Main Features: This all-in-one 16+1 stereo in, 16 out rack-mount digital mixer inherits easy, intuitive TF Series operation.

• Instantly load settings for any situation via a simple scene recall.

A number of scenes are preset to give new users a head start, and dual scene memory banks make it easy to organize scenes by music or event type, for example.

• 1-knob Comp, 1-knob EQ, and more advanced features that are highly valued in other Yamaha products make it possible to achieve a polished sound with minimum effort in the shortest possible time.

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• QuickPro Presets for specific musical instruments and microphones have been designed by respected engineers and manufacturers to provide quick, easy access to effective settings. … and other features that contribute to easy, efficient operation.

“D-PRE” Microphone Preamplifier and “SPX” Processors • Recallable Yamaha D-PRE microphone preamplifiers ensure that every nuance of the original sound is effectively captured.

• Powerful processing and effects featuring renowned Yamaha SPX processing provide a broad range of options for sonic manipulation.

Wireless Apps That Work Seamlessly with TF-RACK • A TF-RACK unit located in the stage wings, can be remotely controlled from an iPad, for example.

• An app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch allows wireless AUX mix control.

The Same Touch Screen as the TF Consoles • TouchFlow Operation™ combines Yamaha’s highly regarded Selected Channel and Centralogic™ interfaces with touch screen control for easy, efficient operation.

• Touch & Turn knobs allow more precise parameter adjustment.

Flexible I/O Expandability • A comprehensive range of I/O connections via the compact TFRACK rear panel.

• An optional NY64-D Dante I/O card and Tio1608-D I/O rack are all that is needed for a basic Dante network with high audio quality and low latency. www.yamahaproaudio.com

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Bring Your Live Programming Up To Speed With ETC’s Eos v2.4 Software

Eos v2.4 Fader Configuration Tools

A lighting console is an extension of the programmer’s brain, requiring quick, intuitive access to pre-recorded content and live-modification tools. ETC’s Eos® family consoles have always provided powerful, customisable lighting control for any environment. With the recent v2.4 software release, that control becomes even more dynamic, with a fader-configuration overhaul and new display options.

Progress on display Upgrades to the software’s displays help programmers keep tabs on what’s going on in the console – and what’s going on in the console’s tabs. Tabs now carry contextual labels. New configuration options also allow users to hide, show and re-order columns in the Playback Status Display (cue list) and more easily include informative notes on each cue.

The new software also introduces Scene Breaks, which can be added to cue lists to organise, navigate, and modify cues within specific segments of a production. Starting rehearsal from the top of Act II, Scene 3? No need to hunt for the cue number; Scene Break Direct Selects and Go to Cue Scene can take you there.

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Dynamic, nuanced control Busking is all about how you set up your face panel. Eos v2.4 opens up new options for fader configuration, allowing programmers to customise their live-playback workspace. More content types can now be assigned to faders, and users have the option to designate the functions of each fader and its associated buttons.

The software also allows targets to occupy more than one fader slot, meaning that programmers can take manual control of individual properties of an effect by assigning controls to separate faders. Want to play with an effect on the fly? Assign intensity to one fader and effect rate to another, and start busking away.

Navigating the world of playback ownership – which decides which of several competing controls gets to determine the current output – can be involved. When working live, a mistake can mean reverting to an unwanted strobe cue or plunging the stage into a blackout. Eos v2.4 gives programmers the option to make their own rules by assigning priorities and background priorities to content, increasing in dominance from one to 10. Now users have more control over how they build their live looks, and they can designate high-priority background states that take over when those layers are removed – ensuring a safe and predictable exit from any look.

Eos 2.4 also enables the use of the Eos Motorized Fader Wings, up to three of which can be added to Eos Ti®, Gio®, Ion® or ETCnomad controllers and Eos family RVIs or RPUs to create expanded playback surfaces. Not only do programmers have more options for fader configuration – now they have the option of more faders, too. With more flexibility built into the powerful Eos platform, live programming has a bright, dynamic future.

To download the Eos v2.4 software, manual supplement and release notes, visit www.etcconnect.com/Products/Consoles/EosFamily/Eos-Ti/Software.aspx

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JBL Professional By HARMAN Introduces the PRX800W HighPowered PA System With Wi-Fi

PRX800W is the first PA system in its class to offer complete wireless control. The PRX Connect mobile app for iOS and Android connects wirelessly to each unit in the system simultaneously, providing full control over the powerful DSP built in to each speaker. With control over 8-band parametric EQ, speaker delay, mute, gain and more, PRX Connect helps musicians achieve the perfect sound for their performances, faster than ever before. Users can walk around the venue during sound check and fine-tune the speakers for optimal sound quality. PRX Connect also makes it easy to configure shows offline and save presets for fast future setup.

Featuring integrated 1500-watt Class-D power amplification, PRX800W is the most powerful and efficient system in its class. Patented JBL Differential Drive™ woofer technology reduces magnet mass while increasing power handling. Updated tuning delivers flat frequency response and smooth off-axis behaviour. The all-wood cabinets feature durable tongue-in-groove joints, tour-proven DuraFlexŽ protective

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finish and dent-resistant 16-gauge steel grilles. PRX800W systems undergo a stringent testing regimen, including a 100-hour torture test, to ensure peak performance in any real-world environment.

The combined result is an ultra-reliable and remarkably lightweight system capable of delivering clear, pristine audio at extraordinarily high volumes.

PRX800W loudspeakers are packed with innovations from HARMAN’s industry-leading live sound brands, introducing a new level of flexibility, scalability and sound quality to the portable PA category. The redesigned Crown input panel offers XLR, 1/4” and RCA inputs plus XLR loop-through and professional outputs to provide plenty of options for input sources and routing. dbx Type IV™ limiting eases the system back to a safe level when any frequency band is in limit, ensuring that the sound is accurate and uncompressed, even at very high volumes over long periods of time. An intelligent variable-speed fan cools the system only as needed to ensure optimal sound quality during quiet performances. PRX800W systems can be easily scaled by adding additional speakers, and they offer seamless integration with other JBL powered PA systems.

The JBL PRX800W series is available now. The PRX Connect app is available via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store now as well. www.harman.com

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Tarm Two Released – Guaranteed 2.5W After Aperture

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With the release of the new tarm two, the Laserworld Group has set a significant landmark with a very attractive pricing and a laser that is designed for the professional market, and so are the specifications: Together with the 45kpps @ 8° scanners and the ca. 3mm/0.8mrad beam, the guaranteed 2.5W power after aperture with a balance of 680mW/638nm, 750mW/520nm and 1.400mW/450nm make the tarm® two suitable for professional to high professional applications.

Even at the maximum scan angle of 60° it does 30kpps. The compact, durable aluminium housing makes the tarm two suitable for fixed installations and mobile use alike. Night clubs, rental companies but also professional laser companies are customers for these laser systems. The tarm two laser can be controlled via standard ILDA interface. Several optional upgrades are available on request. www.tarm.com/en/laser-systems.html

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BlackTrax Releases Version 2.0

After more than a year and a half of extensive beta testing BlackTrax releases realtime motion tracking system version 2.0. BlackTrax 2.0 has the largest number of new features, GUI and workflow to date.

The new fixture calibration mode improvements on the BlackTrax solution ensure faster calibration. Multi-person calibration enables several people with several different beacons to calibrate their own selection of lights. Colour and gobo on the fixtures will automatically be cleared and BlackTrax will have control over zoom/iris. This will allow the user to jump in and start calibrating right away, without needing to create a special BlackTrax calibration pre-set on the console, thus giving the console programmer time to continue their work.

Improvements have also been made to the fixture programming.

BlackTrax now has unified multi-fixture settings and the ability to quickly view, select and apply settings to several fixtures from across multiple chapters. It also has new icon and table views for fixtures and trackables to display fixture setting information much faster than ever before.

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Additionally BlackTrax version 2 offers Rigid and Soft Frames for more flexible tracking operations and better object tracking. Frames combine a collection of tracking points from multiple beacons that make up an object. Rigid Frames allow the orientation of an object to be calculated and tracked. A soft Frame allows a flexible centroid to re-calculate position based on the visible Stringers at the same time.

Other BlackTrax 2.0 new and improved features: • Copy and paste trackables and fixtures between chapters and within chapters.

• Ability to create a new BlackTrax Project without first requiring wysiwyg information.

• Send BlackTrax/wysiwyg changes directly without needed to export.

• Improved Beacon reporting for how fresh radio status is and individual LED reporting in table view.

• Ability to have multiple Books of Chapters, useful for having more than 255 DMX controllable chapters and for organizing Chapters into different categories/scenes. http://cast-soft.com/blog/2016/08/blacktrax-releasesversion-2-0/

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RCF Launches Active High SUB 9006-AS Find the right low punch with SUB 9006-AS, RCF’s most recent active high-power subwoofer that adds more power, lower profile and RDNet control.

Loaded with two 18” long excursion neodymium woofers with 4” voice coil, it contains a powerful 7200W peak amplifier (3600W RMS), which jointly powers the two drivers. The SUB 9006-AS is not only designed to drive the sub-frequencies down to 30 Hz, but it has been equipped with RDNet. This will enable users to boost the pattern control as necessary.

The SUB 9006-AS has been designed to render effortless low frequency transients with a very fast response. As a self-powered

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system, the transducers, amplification and DSP control electronics of the SUB 9006-AS are designed to optimize performance and maximize its power. The SUB 9006-AS’s low tuned cabinet houses two RCF Precision new back-vented long-excursion high-power 18” inch cone drivers, providing a fast and controlled reproduction of the bass frequency range. It features a four-layer 4” inside/outside voice coil to minimize power compression and extend the life of this product.

The SUB 9006-AS would fit in perfectly in the following environment: Live sound, Rental, Portable PA, clubs, ballrooms, live theatre, House of worship, Club sound, DJs. http://hdl50a.rcf.it/sub-9006-as.html

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Elation’s ZCL Series™ Of ACL-type Effects With Zoom Now Available

Elation Professional’s new ZCL Series™ of high-output ACL-type LED effect lights with zoom is now available.

First shown at the Prolight + Sound trade show in April, ZCL Series fixtures combine a highpower RGBW multi-chip with a 4° to 44° zoom that gives dynamic effect lighting an added degree of flexibility.

ZCL 360 Bar The high performance Zooming Collimator Lens system produces a homogenized 4° colourchanging beam from each lens. Strobe effects and full-range electronic dimming with dimming curve effects add to the design possibilities.

Perfect for high-performance effect lighting for stages and night venues, the ZCL Series consists of the ZCL 360 Bar™, a versatile continuous rotation moving bar effect luminaire with zoom; the ZCL 360i™, a single-beam continuous rotation moving effect luminaire with zoom; and the ZCL BAR Z300 IP™, a versatile IP65-rated bar effect luminaire with zoom.

ZCL 360 Bar The new ZCL 360 Bar is a versatile moving bar effect luminaire with zoom featuring five individual 60W RGBW LEDs and the new advanced collimator optic lens. It features fast and precise 16-bit continuous 360° pan and tilt rotation and houses DMX and power in/out connections along with a 7-button control full colour 180° reversible menu display.

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ZCL 360i The new ZCL 360i™ is a single beam moving effect luminaire with zoom featuring a single 90W RGBW LED and the new advanced collimator optic lens. It features fast and precise 16-bit continuous 360° pan and tilt rotation and houses DMX and power in/out connections along with a 7-button control full colour 180° reversible menu display.

ZCL Bar Z300 IP The new ZCL Bar Z300 IP™ is a versatile IP65-rated bar moving ZCL 360i effect luminaire with zoom featuring five individual 60W RGBW LEDs and the new advanced collimator optic lens. It houses IP-rated DMX and power in/out connections along with an LCD menu display with four touch button control panel. A frost filter and glare shield is included when the moment calls for an even softer wash effect and the fixture comes with an adjustable yoke / floor stand.

Common Features All fixtures in the ZCL Series can be controlled via multiple DMX channel modes and are RDM protocol ready (Remote Device Management). Multiple unit power linking makes for quick installation and customizable setups. All ZCL Series units operate flicker free for use in TV and other broadcast applications www.elationlighting.com

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Going Wireless

Katy Perry using a DPA microphone

In this issue of ETA, we talk to some of the key microphone manufacturers about the trepidation felt by many users when it comes to going wireless, and what production companies need to be aware of, for a successful wireless event. We also do a quick round up of the available wireless microphone solutions from the participating brands.

Brands participating in this feature: beyerdynamic, DPA, Mipro, Sennheiser and Shure.

What are the general concerns by users about going wireless for live events?

“When going wireless for live events, most users are concerned about the RF performance and audio quality. A stable RF performance and exceptional audio quality are always critical for live sound application with zero tolerance for failure. In addition, users may also look for wireless systems which are easy to set up and control,” says Shure’s Andy Fong, Senior Manager, Pro Audio All the brands agree that users are generally concerned about RF performance, reliability and audio quality. “In relation to RF, users are also generally concerned about potential interferences during

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live events,” highlights Daniel Ku, Senior Sound Technical Consultant, MIPRO beyerdynamic’s Dipl.-Ing. Michael Altermark, Senior Product Manager, Microphone Stage/Studio/ Broadcast offers an extended version of the concerns, “The major concerns for using a wireless microphone on live events are: Will I get enough frequencies/channels for my show?; Does the battery have enough power to run the complete show?; Will I get any drop outs during the show?”

Vince Tan, Head of System Solutions, Sennheiser Asia, adds, “Other than those mentioned above, users are also always concerned about what is the maximum operating distance between the transmitter and the receiving antennas or vice-versa for wireless in-ear monitoring systems?. The other aspect would be of course frequency density which may lead to a congested RF environment.”

How does the user allay these concerns?

Daniel states, “Most users have a wrong concept that the stronger the transmitting power output is, the longer the receiving distance will be. They ignore one element that high power output will also affect the stability and reliability of the whole system, even affect other equipment. That’s why every country has strict regulations for the radio transmission, particularly the wireless microphone systems.

Therefore, a system with excellent receiving design technology will contribute to the RF stability and reliability. This is something that the user must be aware of.”

Ken Kimura,Managing Director, DPA Microphones Ltd (APAC), states the the choice of microphone should also not be under-estimated with regards to reliability concern. “A wireless microphone system consists of two parts: the wireless transmission electronics (transmitter and receiver over an RF link) and the microphone, which converts acoustic energy into an electrical signal. In terms of budget and selection, both parts are important but as the microphone is the first link in the audio

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chain overall sound quality will only ever be as good as the electrical signal fed from the microphone into the wireless system.

It is furthermore important that the microphone suits the performance because there is no such thing as a microphone for all applications.

Differences in pick-up pattern, maximum SPL constraints and noise floor all need to be taken into account during the selection purpose.�

Vince suggests that users should have a standard process in place to gauge the space and what it will require. He suggests the following: 1. Pre-show assessment on the RF conditions at the venue to determine the appropriate frequency band that should be used as well as the possible antennas positioning.

2. Frequency coordination and allocation discussion with the organiser will be appropriate as there could be other equipment (i.e. wireless video and/or lighting systems) that may be employed during the event and contribute to wireless interferences.

3. Propose an appropriate wireless configuration based on the preshow assessment of the venue and the users’ needs for the event.

4. Ensure that batteries are fully charged prior to the event and prepare adequate spare (rechargeable or primary cell) batteries.

5. Constantly monitor the RF conditions at all times - before and during the event.

What are some of the fundamental issues one would need to look out for when it comes to using wireless?

Ken comments, “The first issue is the choice between analogue and digital. Analogue systems tend to compress the audio signal, which can reduce the overall quality of the sound. On the other hand, digital systems can introduce latency, which is uncomfortable for artists and

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Sammi Cheng on a Shure Axient wireless microphone

can cause problems for those designing the PA system. The advantage of a digital system is that you can encrypt the signal to make it secure – an important consideration for venues hosting large corporate or political summits.

There is also the issue of frequency and channel selection. In densely populated areas, such as a city centre, many people may be trying to use the same frequency range and this can cause interference.

More expensive wireless systems will provide users with their own bandwidths so there is less interference and less constraint on the number of channels available.

If multiple wireless systems are being used at the same time, it is worth choosing a high quality microphone condenser capsule that is linear both on and off-axis as this will minimize setup time, reduce the risk of feedback on stage and make the artist or speaker sound natural. Microphones that feature a wide dynamic range also help reduce distortion and even signal clips under high sound pressure levels - something that can’t be fixed in the mix or in post-production.”

Michael, adds, “Fundamental questions the user needs to ask for example, would be the needed number of channels which have to be

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used at the same time. Another important topic is the needed working range. Both will influence the price of a system but also influence the frequency range which should be used. Due to physical effects a 2.4 GHz system cannot provide the same wide and reliable working range like an UHF system. Every license free range, like the 2.4 GHz range is very crowded which has the effect that you cannot operate with a large number of wireless channels at the same time and have less transmission reliability. That’s the reason why we recommend a range which requires a license for professional users. But if only 2 channels are needed with less working range a license free is also workable.”

“End-users and engineers should be aware of these factors when working with a wireless microphone system: Frequency allocation for each device to prevent intermodulation and correct placement of receiving antennas and transmitting antennas for beltpacks to maximise RF transmission,” states Vince.

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What are some of the common mistakes made when using wireless that makes it seem that it is not working properly?

Daniel provides a list of common mistakes: • Using entry system for professional venue applications.

• Antennas are not positioned in the angle of 90 or 45 degrees. No front antenna installation when the receivers are inside a rack case.

• An antenna divider is not used to simplify antennas configuration in multiple receiver installations.

• Not using external antennas to improve receiving efficiency.

• Not using the antenna booster correctly and cause intermodulation interference.

Michael reiterates the importance of antenna placement. “If the antenna placement isn’t done correctly a fundamental thing for wireless system has been made wrong. The easy rule is to create a line-of-sight connection between the transmitters and the antennas of the receiver. Another important topic is Diversity. A good working Diversity is necessary to use a wireless system without drop outs.

Therefore a receiver has to be operated with two antennas of the same type. This could be external antennas, like directional antennas but these antennas have to be placed maximum 3-5- meters away from each other and minimum 1 meter.”

Ken adds, “Other common mistakes are not level matching the output stage of the microphone with the input stage of the transmitter.

Wrong microphone selection or positioning, wrong connector wiring and incorrect impedance matching. Correct microphone placement will help to obtain the best possible sound and using factory developed adaptors for microphones to connect to specific wireless systems ensures optimal audio performance, whether it be via handheld or body-pack transmitters.”

Vince states that the RF conditions differs from venue to venue. It is a

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common practice for end users to skip a pre-show scan to help select the right frequency prior to the event. This is probably due to the short amount of turnover time during bumping-in. And in some cases, the wireless system could face interference as soon as the microphone channel is ‘live’- this makes it seem like the wireless systems is not working.

“Other common mistakes with wireless systems at live shows include allowing musicians to toggle with the microphone’s mute switch. There may be times when the singer may accidentally mute him/herself live on stage and that may be beyond the sound engineer’s control from the front of house. It is recommended to tape or cover the mute button so musicians will not have access to it,” adds Vince.

On a final note in relation to frequency spectrums available in SouthEast Asia. Andy, highlights, “In some South East Asia countries, like Thailand and Singapore, the spectrum for wireless systems is very limited while 2.4 GHz frequency band is not popularly used. It has limited the number of channel count to be used simultaneously, imposing constraints and inconvenience to users. This is of course considerations users will need to understand about each respective country’s constraints before investing on a wireless system.”

WIRELESS SOLUTIONS All the brands offer a range of wireless solutions. We picked one solution each from the brands for this article. To check out the full range of wireless solutions from basic to top-end, we encourage you to visit their website.

beyerdynamic: TG 1000 Digital Wireless System TG 1000 is beyerdynamic´s first 24-bit digital wireless system, which covers an impressive 319 MHz of the UHF bandwidth (470–789 MHz).

With these two features alone, TG 1000 is a hugely flexible system which can be used in a wide variety of venues worldwide, competently and reliably. The TG 1000 has a wealth of user-friendly features designed to enhance performance. The receiver offers intuitive

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beyerdynamic TG1000

OneButton navigation and CrystalClear display so reading from any angle is a breeze. The microphone transmitter synchronisation with the receiver is below one second and achieves an extraordinary line of sight range of up to 300 metres. The TG 1000 Beltpack offers an excellent dynamic range of 128 dB making it ideal for both vocal and instrumental use. www.beyerdynamic.com

DPA Microphones: d:facto™ Vocal Microphone DPA Microphones doesn’t make wireless systems. Instead the company focuses on creating a range of live sound microphones that can be used with any wireless system on the market, including Sennheiser, Shure, Lectrosonics, Line 6, Wisycom, Audio Technica, beyerdynamic, TOA, Zaxcom and Mipro.

Amongst a range of high quality microphones produced by DPA, is the linear version of the award winning d:facto™ Vocal Microphone, which is already the vocal microphone of choice for artists such as Sting, Stevie Wonder, Kate Bush, Jess Glynne and Ellie Goulding. d:facto™ Vocal Microphones are entirely modular – the capsules can be removed and replaced with any other d:facto™ capsule to suit

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Danish singer Lukas Forchhammer, the frontman of the band Lukas Graham, is delighted with DPA’s new d:facto™ Linear Vocal Microphone

different recording or performance requirements. Using DPA adapters, they can also be transformed from a wired version with a handle to a handheld wireless microphone capable of seamless integration with all leading wireless solutions. www.dpamicrophones.com

MIPRO: ACT 70 Series Mipro’s ACT 70 series is a wideband true diversity wireless system that helps enhance multiple compatible channels. In the case of top-end wireless sound reinforcement, the antenna systems are vital and necessary to ensure the signal stability and enhance the transmission range to achieve optimal receiving performance. Should you be working with multiple receiver systems, be sure to use Mipro’s active parallel antenna dividers like AD-707a or AD-708 to simplify the antenna installation by sharing a pair of antennas – 2 to 4 sets of UHF diversity receivers can operate from a pair of antennas.

Particularly AD-708, it has a built-in auto gain controller which can detect the signal-loss of the cables between antenna and divider, and then automatically control the gain to compensate for the signal loss precisely.

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Mipro Wireless solutions were used extensively at the 2015 SEA Games that was held in Singapore

Should long-distance reception be required in a live stage or high signal interference environment, using external antennas is necessary to obtain better and complete reliability for signal transmission, such as Mipro’s AT-70Wa Omni-directional Antenna, AT-90Wa Log Antenna and AT-100a Circularly Polarized Antenna.

Finally, Mipro ACT-707SD Analog Receivers PC management software enables the user to monitor and manage multiple systems with ease.

The interface provides real time monitoring and remote control of up to 64 receiver modules simultaneously from distance of up to 300 meters away from the PC. www.mipro.com.tw

Sennheiser: Digital 9000 Wireless Microphone System The Digital 9000 is Sennheiser’s flagship solution. Its unique uncompressed digital audio transmission offers artefacts free sound with great dynamics

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Sennheiser’s Digital 9000 wireless microphone system was recently used at the Singapore 51st National Day celebrations

The use of extremely steep filters allows a very narrow set-up of the respective radio frequencies within the available frequency range without risking intermodulation. With its intuitive handling and comprehensive feature list, including e. g. 12 different microphone heads to choose from, the Sennheiser Digital 9000 system not only delivers a unique sound quality but also lets its professional users experience a whole new kind of flexibility.

With its outstanding intermodulation safety the EM 9046 receiver allows the highly efficient use of the available frequency range. Its switching bandwidth covers the range from 470 – 798 MHz making it a future proof investment.

The handheld transmitter SKM 9000 is compatible with all capsules of the evolution wireless and 2000 series, as well as with the Neumann capsules KK 204 and 205. Furthermore there are four new high-end capsules from the 9000 series available, fit for any repertoire.

It is small, light-weight, and easily hidden under your clothes. But the SK 9000 body pack transmitter delivers a sound, which is definitely full-sized: uncompressed with maximum dynamics.

The antennas of the Digital 9000 system dispose of eight highly selective filters, which allows only the frequencies of a frequency

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window that can be selected remotely, to pass. Cable losses are compensated automatically by the system – saving precious time at set-up, guaranteeing an optimal calibration. The antennas AD 9000, A 9000, AB 9000 compensate losses of up to 14 dB.

The Axient Family

www.sennheiser.com

Shure: Axient Wireless Management Network Axient is the first wireless system which not only detects interference but can do something about it by automatically changing frequencies, undetected by the user, to avoid interference. The foundation of the Axient system is a suite of inter-related spectrum management tools that integrate spectrum analysis, channel allocation and device management in a seamless, network-based platform.

Axient receivers continuously scan and automatically detect interference and move to a clear, compatible frequency in a fraction of a second, without the need for user input. The system’s Dual Channel Receivers continuously monitor two identical signals sent from a Frequency Diversity transmitter to provide optimized audio on a single channel. The Axient Spectrum Manager is designed to continuously monitor, evaluate, prioritize, queue and assign compatible UHF frequencies. Axient’s ShowLink Remote Control provides engineers with the ability to make real-time remote adjustments of all transmitter parameters without ever leaving the control booth. www.shure.com

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SINGAPORE

Aurecon Helps Show Iconic Buddhist Temple In New Light

New lighting helps draw closer attention to the Temple’s intricate design and detailing

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he Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum is one of the most striking landmarks in Singapore’s Chinatown district, and a place where Buddhists attend a range of daily services. Opened in May 2007, and consecrated in 2008 as a Chinese Buddhist temple, the Tang-styled Temple has particular importance to Buddhists as it is home to a religious relic: a Tooth of the Buddha. This artefact is the centrepiece of the building and sits in the Sacred Light Hall on the Temple’s fourth storey.

Global engineering and infrastructure advisory firm Aurecon was appointed by the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum, to provide specialist lighting consultancy services for a significant upgrade of its lighting system. The work was carried out to better enhance the visitor experience for both tourists and worshippers, and to draw closer attention to the Temple’s intricate design and detailing. This included a full overhaul of the Temple’s interior and exterior lighting sources.

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Aurecon’s Principal Lighting Designer, Angela Woo-Scott, said the potential for creating a transformative lighting set-up was immediately apparent on arriving at the venue.

“It was clear to us on our first visit to the Temple that we had to strike an important balance between maintaining the serenity expected of a place of worship while also creating a system that would best highlight the incredibly detailed design of the building along with its array of culturally-significant artefacts. Lighting can play an important role in defining how people will behave within a given space and this project was an opportunity to use that to maximum effect.”

Upgrade And Improve Aurecon proposed a new lighting system for all the public interior and exterior areas. In particular, emphasis was placed on improving the exterior lighting of the Temple’s façade and landscape, as well as its lighting control systems which were suffering functionality issues caused by wear and tear. The Buddha Tooth Relic Temple is instantly recognisable in its neighbourhood, but much of its beauty lies in the detail, so the lack of adequate exterior lighting meant visitors and passers-by were not able to fully appreciate the intricacy of the building. For the team at Aurecon, this was one area of work where immediate improvement could be made.

The client’s initial request was to perform simple re-lamping or replacement of faulty exterior light bulbs. There were also no plans to change the halogen light sources that lit the Temple’s interior.

However, following a full site inspection, Aurecon discussed a proposed new lighting system, to be installed in both public interior and exterior areas (excluding the Temple’s museum).

Rather than simply update what was in place, Aurecon was able to show the client how a new lighting system would improve the ambience and overall experience for worshippers, visitors and staff.

The aim was to enhance the immersive experience within these spaces to create better overall appreciation of the building. Aurecon supplied detailed plans, drawings and more to demonstrate how the

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new lighting system would improve the experience for those attending the Temple.

The final lighting installation for the exterior featured approximately 160 units of linear wall grazers, along with column uplighting. For the bulk of the façade uplighting, from the mezzanine to the fourth floor, the lighting equipment used is the surface-mounted IP66 linear wall grazer luminaire, 60W per 1200mm module. A mix of 300mm, 900mm and 1200mm modules were used to suit the mounting details. There were also 3W and 19W LED surface-mounted spotlights to uplight the columns and highlight signages.

One key aspect with exterior lighting especially with LED is to ensure uniformity. Angela comments, “Our original specification was for high-quality LED fittings with robust housing. We considered these to be cutting-edge for our desired application. However, they were not available, so Aurecon, together with the contractor and client, deliberated over alternative solutions, using mock-ups to aid us in selection. Eventually, all parties were satisfied with the quality of the alternative LEDs, and the manufacturer assured us that the LEDs would be able to meet our tolerance range for colour inconsistencies (less than 4-step SDCM).”

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Working In A Culturally Sensitive Manner Aurecon’s project team approached the execution phase with sensitivity, given that the facility would be operational during the upgrading work and out of respect for the religious landmark. In particular, the Chief Monk was initially unsure about upgrading the interior lights, having grown accustomed to the existing set-up within the building that is both his place of worship and his place of residence.

Constant dialogue with the Temple’s facilities management team was equally important. Aurecon ensured a consistent flow of information as the project team reviewed and assessed the management team’s diverse responses while they adapted to new controls and multiple light programming. By ensuring such clear and frequent dialogue, adjustments could be more easily and accurately tailored to accommodate preferences and to improve the system further.

With respect to the interior lighting, Aurecon simply replaced the mostly halogen lamps with a more energy-efficient and lowmaintenance solution. So all the front-of-house lighting was replaced with LED sources with high CRI.

Creating Unique Solutions To Technical Challenges Taking into account that the Temple was a finished structure, lighting replacement required extra careful handling to ensure no damage was caused to the building’s polished surfaces. Special attention was paid to work that needed to be done close to Temple finishes, which could not be altered to match lighting fixtures.

Running new electrical cables in many areas proved impossible. In response, Aurecon’s project team showcased their creative versatility by developing bespoke, onsite solutions to adjust the output and beam angles from light fittings to suit each space.

A Lutron lighting control system operates both the interior and the exterior lighting. As the new luminaires had to reuse the existing

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power cables, the zoning was dictated by the existing circuitry.

The interior lighting incorporates timed scenes whose programming can be overridden so that the lights can operate for extended hours on days when events require it.

The exterior lighting was zoned according to floors but operates as a whole.

Throughout the project, the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple remained fully operational from morning to night, and also on many nights when religious ceremonies were taking place – sometimes up to midnight. Work in the Temple’s public spaces had to be conducted in the early hours, when the building was closed. Tasks such as light testing, commissioning and turning were also performed then. Rope access could be used at these times too, to facilitate facade lighting replacement work.

Commenting on the project’s success, Angela, added, “Visitors and worshippers at the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple & Museum now have a better experience overall and are able to enjoy the facility’s beauty in an environment that pays respect to the importance of the Temple while still showcasing its wonder. Overall, the client was happy with the new lighting; many spaces in the temple are brighter and lighted correctly with the proper tuning and adjustment of light levels and aiming. The façade lighting has helped the temple display its magnificence at night as a significant landmark. Maintenance requirements have also been reduced; it is now easy to control lighting in all spaces. After the final site inspection with the Chief Monk, he was very pleased, as the temple’s fine and intricate details are now highlighted better than they have ever been before. Additionally, through the use of LED technology, the electricity consumption of the temple has also decreased, thus making an important contribution to the sustainable and responsible use of resources.” www.aurecongroup.com

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CHINA

Alcorn McBride Equipment At The Wanda Cultural Tourism City

Wincomm integrates Alcorn McBridge solutions for Show Control, A/V and Lighting

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he Wanda Cultural Tourism City complex was opened in Nanchang, China, in May 2016. Spanning two square kilometers and boasting a theme park, movie park, aquarium, hotels and retail stores, it is expected to attract 10 million visitors a year to this south-eastern Chinese city.

The Flying Theater and Interactive Theater in the Wanda Movie Park and the Domed Theater in the Wanda Aquarium feature Alcorn McBride A/V, lighting and show control equipment. The gear was provided by Beijing-based Wincomm, a company with more than 20 years experience in professional A/V distribution and installation.

Wincomm is an Alcorn McBride technology partner and past recipient of Alcorn McBride’s Distributor of the Year Award.

Wincomm had previously selected Alcorn McBride gear for the Wanda Movie Park in Wuhan, China in 2013. The equipment’s reliability,

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stability and ease of use at that venue made it the logical choice for the new Wanda project in Nanchang.

The Flying Theater, which features a flight simulation experience, uses two Alcorn McBride V16Pro show controllers and two ShowTouch 10 touch panels in its two main halls. One V16Pro synchronizes A/V systems, the lighting system and a large-scale motion platform for the 72-person simulator. The second V16Pro and ShowTouch, working with Alcorn McBride’s LightCue Pro, control the lighting system of the main show halls, pre-show and queue area. The Flying Theater also uses an Alcorn McBride A/V Binloop HD and an Alcorn McBride 8TraXX, both installed for the theater’s pre-show and queue areas.

The Interactive Theater is a dark ride with multiple 3D interactive shooting games. A V16Pro controls audio, video, lighting, projectors and monitors in the attraction and communicates with the games’ shooting system. An A/V Binloop HD plays the video in the pre-show area and safety instructions in the queue area. A dedicated 8TraXX handles background music.

Two LightCue Pro’s control the general lighting and specialty lights in the theater. A ShowTouch10 touch panel in the rack enables operators to monitor the video and projection systems and control the A/V and lighting systems.

Another V16Pro controls several laser projectors and media playback servers in the The Domed Theater. Visitors are immersed in a 360º 12-meter screen, which showcases deep-sea exploration from a panoramic perspective. www.alcorn.com

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SINGAPORE

National Day Celebrations Throws Up A Number Of Firsts Technical team meets challenges head-on to offer a memorable experience for the audience

• Celebrations features World’s Biggest 360 degrees real-time tracking 3D projection mapping to date.

• The most extensive use of lasers for any show in Singapore.

• Saw the inaugural use of Pixmob’s new Wristband X. It has been 10 years since the last National Day celebrations was held at the National Stadium. The Stadium now part of the Sports Hub was torn-down and built back as a modern state-of-the-art venue designed to hold a variety of events. Holding the 51st National Day celebrations at the stadium also meant that more people could watch it. About 50,000 spectators packed the stadium to immerse themselves in the spectacular celebrations, in this dome-shaped roofed venue.

Unlike the past 10 years, where the celebrations were held in an open space, the closed roof of the stadium meant that there were

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opportunities to create a different type of experience for the audience.

Indoor Fireworks, 3D Projection Displays, Unmanned Technologies such as Drones and Dynamic Aerial Performances were just some of the new elements that were part of this year’s celebrations. This, however, also meant that there were unique challenges that the technical team had to sort out.

As in every major celebration, there was a theme to work around.

This year’s theme was “Building a Singapore of Tomorrow”. This was enacted through story telling which started with the “Singapore Stone”. Altogether the 6 Acts plus the finale show lasted around 50 minutes. The Creative and Production Team for NDP16 started work in September 2015, helmed by Creative Director Beatrice Chia-Richmond and Technical Director, Kenny Wong. From the onset there was close collaboration within the team from concept to development to production. This spirit of collaboration between the creative and technical eventually carried through to the contractors as well.

Through this culture of collaboration, plus a sense of adventure, the show that resulted featured quite a few ground breaking elements for Singapore, the region, and even the world.

Set & Props One of the stunning set piece is a gigantic boulder, measuring 13.5 metres across and 7.2 metres tall, which was suspended over the main stage. This boulder ‘exploded’ and split into 8 fragments at the start of the show. Due to the limitation of what the stadium roof can hold, all the flown elements needed to be lightweight. The lightweight solution for the boulder was made out of inflatables with a digitally printed skin.

Nestled within the boulder is the Stone, an enlarged replica of the Singapore Stone, which was constructed with an aluminium frame skinned with moulding cloth. This option was chosen in order to accommodate lights within which internally illuminated the inscriptions on the Stone. These two items were fabricated by Stage One Creative Services (UK).

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The other jaw-dropping set piece was the Sky City, which was made up of 15 clusters of buildings, that rose from the stage and eventually floated Boulder on cablenet above it. Each cluster had an average footprint of 5 metre square and the buildings went up to 35 metres in height. The challenge of the Sky City is that it not only needed to be lightweight but each of the building cluster had to be able to collapse into a cart that is no taller than 70 centimetres. So in order to achieve this, the Sky City was constructed primarily of fabric with aluminium and carbon fibre frames. The Sky City was fabricated

by Showtex (HK).

The other large scenic item was the pair of tree trunks which ‘grew’ out from the stage floor. These were inflatables that had a controlled inflation system that made them look like they are growing rather than being inflated. These tree trunks helped transform the Sky City into a giant Tree, with some help from projection. This was also fabricated

by Stage One. One of the iconic moments of the show was when a Unicorn flew across the stadium. This Unicorn is a life- size automaton prop, clad with a skin of over 14,000 LEDs. Both the motion and LEDs

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The Sky City was made up of 15 clusters of buildings that went up to 35 metres in height with projection mapping from Hexogon Solution.

were controlled via wireless DMX. This prop was constructed by Q’s Advertising (SG).

Aerial Flysystem The bespoke fly system installed by Stage One (UK) consisted of a cable net system and a series of point hoists. The cable net had 8 catenary lines anchored onto the stadium roof, each line carrying a trolley hoist, plus 2 point hoists in the central hub. Another series of 15 point hoists were suspended off pulleys bridled to the stadium roof.

The trolley hoists allowed the technical to suspend and move the boulder fragments horizontally. One of the trolley hoists was also used to fly the Unicorn across the stadium. The 15 bridled point hoists had the job of lifting the Sky City of 15 clusters of buildings up in the air.

The combination of the point hoists and some of the trolley hoists enabled the flying of 20 aerialists simultaneously. All of these axes, plus 6 slide trap doors and the 2 inflatable tree trunks were controlled

by Stage One’s Q-Motion automation system.

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“We had to check back with the consultants for the Stadium, ARUP, to ensure that all our weight demands on the roof were within limits. This also meant we had to choose materials where possible that were lightweight but also able to be used to create the impact that we were looking for and mapping friendly.”

Technical Director, Kenny Wong Main Stage

The creative team decided early on that a stage was needed instead of using the entire field-of-play. The 60 metre diameter stage provided the audience with an area to focus on. The stage being raised 2.5 metres above the ground provided an understage from which elements could be introduced on stage through a series of traps.

The stage and 7 hydraulic drop traps, were built by Pico Art (SG). An additional 6 slide traps by Stage One were incorporated into the stage.

Projection Mapping 3D Projection Mapping added another dimension to the Large Boulder and the Sky City. This made the already impressive scenic pieces more dynamic. There were two huge challenge to achieving this. Firstly, the projection mapping needed to be 360 degree and the object being projected on was not monolithic – it was made up of 15 independent clusters which cast shadows on each other. Secondly, the challenge was that each of these objects did not hang perfectly still. Each cluster of the Sky City was suspended off a single point which meant they could spin and sway.

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VYV (CA) was engaged during the conceptual phase as a consultant on the feasibility of the concept. What resulted is the largest scale 360 degree real-time tracking 3D projection mapping project. Hexogon Solution (SG) helped achieve The Robe BMFLs were rigged on three layers this. The system included 66 of trussing running along the stadium roof, Christie Boxer 4K30 digital both sides of the FOP projectors, 12 Photon Media Servers, plus 250 tracking beacons with 40 tracking cameras.

Lighting & Laser The principal considerations for the lighting design was firstly, being bright enough for broadcast; secondly, providing a backdrop for cameras and lastly, lighting for a 360 degree live audience. With these considerations in mind, the The DTS Raptors were deployed on the floor lighting design team decided facing the VIPs and the broadcast cameras, helping to create a major memorable picture on the following inventory: 400 Robe BMFL Blade, 100 Robe BMFL Spot, 100 DTS Raptor, 72 Martin Viper and 12 DTS Wonder. 12 Haze Master were also deployed. The control was two Grand MA 2 Full Size – one main and one back-up.

The design and programming began a full month before the lighting team moved into the stadium using Light Converse visualisation software. The lighting system was provided

by Showtec Communications The Light Converse visualiser working in (SG). tandem with the Grand MA 2

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LED Costumes controlled individually via Wireless DMX micro receivers

Mac Chan, from Lighting Design team adds, “The Light Converse is a real time visualiser and the quality of rendering is excellent. It helped tremendously in letting us understand how our designs would look in real life.”

As for the Robe BMFLs he states, “One key factor in us specifying the BMFL is due to its brightness. As the lighting had to compete with the LED Walls and projectors, we had to ensure that it did not get pushed to the background. It is one of the brightest fixtures available in the market currently.”

The BMFL Blades were rigged on three layers of trussing running along the stadium roof, both sides of the FOP, with the 100 x BMFL Spots located on four trusses, two at each end of the stadium roof. The BMFL Spots on the four end-trusses mainly illuminated the stage area, which featured most of the acting, story-telling and ceremonial action played out by a cast of several thousand.

At an early stage, the lighting design team decided to employ lasers to provide an added dimension to the lighting design, in keeping with the futuristic concept of the show. It was also part of the original

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concept to use laser projection on the floor of the stage. Therefore, a total of 12 units of Kvant Atom 20 RGB Laser units were flown to project images on the stage floor; while another 24 of the same units were deployed on the ground providing beam and wave effects, plus projecting images on the roof. This is the most extensive use of lasers for any show in Singapore.

There was also an extensive use of Wireless- DMX transmitters and micro receivers. Items controlled included the lights in the Stone, the LEDs and movement of the Unicorn and more than a hundred LED costumes.

Kenny Wong, Technical Director, highlights, “About 120 LED vests that the performers wore, we controlled with a W-DMX micro receiver.

So every vest had a unique address and transmitter. We had to work closely with the costume side to ensure that the transmitters fitted in proper onto the vest and the choreographer to switch on the right colour at the right moment. These costumes had more colours than the basic LED costumes. They helped to create a different feel to the whole performance.”

For this event, Mac roped in Michael Chan for the lighting design. “I started the practice of working as a pair two years ago. I find the collaboration process very interesting as each party brings something to the table.”

Michael adds, “For me it is a great experience to work with someone of Mac’s experience. It is not just the dialogue between us but also the sharing of ideas and mindsets.”

Sound The National Stadium, with its dome roof, poses an enormous acoustic challenge. To address this highly reverberant environment, the design was for speaker clusters with very focused dispersion and to only have the minimal amount of foldback speakers in the field-of-play, which is only used for the parade segment. All performers in the show segment were furnished with FM receivers as monitors.

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26 Arrays of CODA Audio were strategically flown throughout the stadium

The Show Company (SG) set out orchestrating an intricate setup based on their comprehensive inventory of CODA Audio. At a glance, this consisted of 138 AiRay modules, 44 ViRay modules, 38 SC2 bass extenders, 32 G715 speakers, 110 Linus10 amplifiers, 6 Linet Masters and 12 Linet Switches, culminating in 26 arrays strategically flown throughout the stadium. At the helm is an AVID Venue S6L with much welcomed 96kHz sampling. Over a kilometre’s worth of heavy 6mm speaker cables were made specifically for this massive show to ensure consistent and stable sound over long cable runs.

LED Screens This year’s NDP proved to be significantly different from previous years, at least in the video department. While a considerable amount of LED found its way to the stage design, majority of the whopping 2200 LED panels went into four huge IMAG screens securely tucked in four corners of the stadium. Measuring 16 by 9 metres, these big screens underwent multiple alterations to fit snugly in their respective corners while maintaining the largest possible viewing area, almost coming close to reaching the roof beams of the stadium! Four 32-metre curved stage “fascia” LED screens clad the sides of the stage. The multimedia control comprising of four fully utilised Coolux

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Seen here 2 huge IMAG Screens at the sides that was set up for the celebrations with the Stadium’s permanent LED screen in the centre

quad-output media servers and three 17x17 Lightware matrices provided reliable distribution to each screen. The Show Company provided the LED screens and the multimedia control.

LED Wristbrands & Prop One of the challenge for creating a show with audience surrounding the action in 360 degrees is that there is no ‘backdrop’ to the performances.

Therefore, to create a ‘backdrop’, each of the 55,000 audience was Remotely controlled LED wristband given an LED wristband which was remotely controlled. This turned the audience into a sea of LED lights. This also helped make the audience feel very much part of the show. Pixmob (CA) provided the show with its infra-red controlled solution - Pixmob Pro. The choice of using infra-red, instead of RF, also helped ease the already crowded RF environment at the event. NDP 2016 saw the inaugural use of Pixmob’s new Wristband X, which is more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly than their other LED objects. In addition to the audience wristbands, Pixmob also supplied and controlled the LED props used by 600 dancers to create a variety of images onstage.

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Communications The backbone of any show is the communication system. Riedel Rental (DE) provided NDP2016 with a comprehensive show communication system based on their Artist Digital Matrix Intercom platform. This allowed seamless integration of intercom panels, wired and wireless beltpacks and walkie-talkie radios. Riedel also provided the Mass Cast FM system for performer monitoring.

Fireworks Glorious (SG) designed and delivered all the indoor pyrotechnics and outdoor fireworks, including the confetti venturi effect and flame projectors. Working closely with the lighting and laser design team, Kenny Wong, Technical Director Glorious designed the largest indoor pyrotechnics spectacle Singapore has ever see, in addition to the fireworks fired from Kallang Basin outside and the roof of the National Stadium.

Final Analysis Kenny Wong, Technical Director comments, “It was a challenging job. I am pleased with the dedication, commitment and especially collaboration amongst the different stakeholders to make this work.�

Photos courtesy of NDP Technical Committee, Hexogon Solution, ROBE Asia Pacific and ETA.

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CREATIVE & PRODUCTION TEAM Creative Director BEATRICE CHIA-RICHMOND Technical Director KENNY WONG Music Director DON RICHMOND Multimedia Director BRIAN GOTHONG TAN Stage & Set Designer SEAH CHEE HUANG (DPA) Props Designer GERALD LEOW Costume Designer TUBE GALLERY Lighting Designers MAC CHAN & MICHAEL CHAN Sound Designer SHAH TAHIR Chief Choreographer JEFFREY TAN Aerial Choreographer ABIGAIL YEATES

Associate Stage & Set Designers YAP JIA HUA, AMIRULLAH HARTONO & LIM YIN CHAO (DPA) Production Manager (Technical) CHEW YONG FA Production Manager (Scenic & Aerial) MARC-ANDRE THERRIEN Production Manager (Audio & Power) CHANDRA MOHAN (MDC) Production Manager (Costume) MELISSA CHIN Technical Manager (Multimedia) MELVIN LEE Show Caller JURAIDAH RAHMAN Technical Caller & Associate to TD DENISE LOW

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CONTRACTORS Stage & Groundwork PICO ART INTERNATIONAL www.pico.com

Sky City SHOWTEX www.showtex.com

Automation STAGE ONE CREATIVE SERVICES www.stageone.co.uk

Inflatables STAGE ONE CREATIVE SERVICES www.stageone.co.uk

Lighting SHOWTEC COMMUNICATION www.showtecgroup.com

Unicorn Q’S ADVERTISING www.qs.sg

Sound THE SHOW COMPANY www.show-company.com

Giant Skirts P’ART 1 www.part1design.com

LED Screens & Multimedia Control THE SHOW COMPANY www.show-company.com

Fireworks & Effects GLORIOUS www.glorious.com.sg

Projection HEXAGON SOLUTION www.hexogonsol.com Projection Consultant VYV www.vyv.ca Multimedia Cameras & Control 3818 VISION www.3818vision.com

LED Wristbands & Prop PIXMOB www.pixmob.com Communications RIEDEL RENTAL www.riedel.net

Christie Projectors Deliver Rich and Colorful Visuals to Honor One of India’s Most Respected Folk Heroes

Christie Roadster S+22K-J projectors display spectacular visuals for the outdoor multimedia show titled Dharti Aaba at Kanke Dam in Jharkhand

Christie’s India partner Tricolor India Schauspiel used four Christie Roadster S+22K-J 3DLP® projectors to create a mesmerizing projection mapping performance that pays tribute to one of India’s most honored folk heroes, Birsa Munda, in his home state of Jharkhand.

The projected images, almost the size of a football field, are displayed on the face of a hill overlooking the scenic Kanke Dam. This is the first permanent projection mapping installation using Christie projectors in the state of Jharkhand.

When you are the leader in visual projection, you have the solutions to meet the most challenging setting. From the smallest of meeting rooms to the most sophisticated virtual reality and simulation systems, Christie delivers the right visual solutions backed by the best in customer service.

So don’t hold back your vision. Christie will help you find the right visual solution for every possible and seemingly impossible location and application need. www.christiedigital.com

USA ph: +1 714 236 8610 sales-us@christiedigital.com

CHINA-SHANGHAI ph: +86 21 6278 7708 ask-china@christiedigital.com

INDIA ph: +91 80 6708 9999 ask-india@christiedigital.com

KOREA ph: +82 2 702 1601 ask-korea@christiedigital.com

AUSTRALIA ph: +61 (0) 7 3624 4888 ask-australia@christiedigital.com

CHINA-BEIJING ph: +86 10 6561 0240 ask-china@christiedigital.com

JAPAN ph: +81 3 3599 7481 ask-japan@christiedigital.com

SINGAPORE ph: +65 6877 8737 ask-singapore@christiedigital.com

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SINGAPORE

World’s Biggest Real-Time Tracking 3D Projection Achieved At National Day Celebration Technical team meets challenges head-on to offer a memorable experience for the audience

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exogon Solution achieved World’s Biggest Real-Time Tracking 3D Projection Mapping in celebration of Singapore’s 51st National Day at the new Singapore National Stadium.

The brief by the National Day Parade Multimedia Committee was to provide 360 degrees real-time tracking 3D projection mapping onto two objects – a large moving bolder that will be split into 8 pieces, and Sky City that is made up of fifteen collapsible fabric structures which stands 20 meters tall and 60 meters in diameter. The Sky City, hoisted to 35m above the central stage was the highlight of the show, which represented the future and dreams of modern Singapore in the spectacular grand finale. A total of 40 tracking cameras, 66 Christie Boxer 4K30 (30,000 lumens, 4K resolution) digital projectors, 250 tracking beacons, 12 Photon Servers and together with VYV tracking solutions were deployed for this task. This event also marked the

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debut of the Christie Boxer 4K30s at the National Stadium since the completion of this state-of-the-art sports facility in 2014.

Adrian Goh, Group Managing Director of Hexogon Solution highlighted, “We are immensely honoured to be part of Singapore’s National Day Parade for the 5th consecutive year. The challenges faced at this National Day Parade were firstly the constraints of having to map on empty space without actual objects in the initial mapping stage and secondly the short turnaround time allocated for calibrating and alignment on the complex structures after they were erected.”

He added that, “the unpredictable on-site wind conditions played a significant factor, as it caused the fabric structures to move and deform as we mapped onto the structures. This issue was greatly resolved through our sophisticated state-of-the-art VYV tracking system as it instantaneously calibrated, rendered and mapped onto the uneven moving surfaces.”

Adrian also commented on the Christie Boxers, “The Christie Boxer 4K30 is easy to handle and it allows us to spread the projected image without compromising the result. With strong features such as 4K resolution, 30,000 lumens, a significantly smaller footprint

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and omnidirectional capability, it was a breeze (no pun intended) to position the projectors in different angles to cover the whole Sky City structure.”

Beatrice Chia-Richmond, Creative Director of 2016 Singapore National Day Parade commended, “Hexogon Solution has delivered world-class projection mapping for this 51st National Day Parade, and together we are elated to claim a World Record for the Biggest Real-Time Tracking Projection.”

Hexogon Solution continues to remain at the forefront of digital projection and will continuously strive to break records. www.hexogonsol.com

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PHILIPPINES

Manila Major eSports Championships Powered By Blackmagic Design

Biggest gaming Championships in eSports delivered using a live solution built around Blackmagic Design products

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he six day tournament, which saw sixteen elite eSports teams battling for a $3,000,000 prize pot, was produced by PGLeSports and took place at the Mall of Asia Arena, with thousands of spectators at the venue and many more watching sports channels or online.

The scale of production at the event was huge, with 28 cameras and dozens of computer screens in action at any one time, so the PGL team developed a solution that split the video production into four hubs, including delivering in game content, or capturing player and commentator reactions, with content from each hub.

Each of the four production hubs featured an ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K switcher for localized production, while a centralized switcher and Smart Videohub 40x40 were used to bring the action together. Signal management was monitored and standardized using the Blackmagic MultiView 16 and Teranex Express.

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Vlad Petrescu, head of broadcast for PGL explains that the ATEM’s creative features are integral to the way in which the team helps fans follow the multiple storylines unfolding through the various battles on screen. “As well as traditional picture in picture effects, we also created a ‘Tri Lane Cam’, with two screen wipes alongside the main camera shot, so fans could follow the three paths in the game simultaneously.”

Signals were also combined with PGL’s own graphic production, which used DeckLink capture cards for player statistics and scoring overlays.

All camera, computer and CGI inputs were standardized using Teranex Express processors to PGL’s default 720p5994 format, before being taken into a central video router.

Signal monitoring was managed with a package of Blackmagic hardware including SmartView HD preview monitors, Blackmagic Audio Monitor and three MultiView 16. “Blackmagic’s MultiView 16 is a crucial

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element in delivering onstage coverage of the players; we couldn’t monitor ten player cameras and ingest all of the various live graphics feeds via the ATEM alone. Having separate hardware multiviewers made monitoring all of that action a lot less painful,” explained Vlad.

The final live program mix was screened throughout the arena on four 16x9m large scale LED screens and streamed out to a global audience through Twitch.tv and mainstream broadcasters including TV5 in Manila and VIASAT in Poland.

“Capturing those special plays that differentiate a great player from a casual one, and complementing this with the live audience reactions is so important,” concludes Vlad. “Achieving this in eSports is far more complex than in traditional sports broadcasting. Blackmagic’s hardware has allowed us to develop a very robust solution for live production, but in a way that is really easy to operate in a highly pressurized live environment.” www.blackmagicdesign.com

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DUBAI

Protec At The Helm At NAS Sports Tournament Opening Ceremony

Protec depends on full set of Clay Paky lighting fixtures for ceremony and BlackTrax to track robot, video and lighting

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he technical genius of Protec, working with its client and creative production agency HQ Creative, helped to kick off the fourth annual Nad Al Sheba Sports Tournament with a spectacular opening ceremony. For the very first time, the ceremony was hosted by NASO, a 40 cm high, walking and talking robot.

The main multi-purpose indoor arena at the Nad Al Sheba Sports Complex was the venue once again for the Opening Ceremony of the annual NAS Sports Tournament. Held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council, it was opened by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of the UAE Olympic Committee.

For the fourth year running, it was Protec who supplied the lights, audio and AV equipment to create a vibrant and energetic setting for the ceremony that featured a variety of acrobatic performers on hover boards, playing Futsal and with a Tesla inspired show from The Lords

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of Lightning. Project Manager, Simon Travis was faced with some tricky challenges. “We know this venue pretty well which is always beneficial when designing a rig for this type of event. The roof clearance was our first issue. We can only get 14m of height in here and that can create difficulties for floor projection and motion tracking which was a major part of the show. The nature of the performances from both the Lords of Lightening and the sports performers also meant we needed to maximise the height of the rig as much as possible. The lack of space meant that conventional followspots were not really an option so we used Clay Paky Mythos fixtures instead and they worked excellently.

The combination of a sprung floor and height restriction also means that we had to think carefully about isolating cameras and projection from ambient movement.’

“The show was rigged with 73 hanging points (the maximum allowed) and we used over 350 metres of trussing so the overall weight had to be closely monitored. The lighting was all Clay Paky: Mythos, K20 and K10 B-Eyes, Sharpys and Super Sharpys plus a few VL3000s. Apart from their speed, brightness and great effect features, the Clay Paky fixtures are all low in weight which really helped with the gross loading of the rig.”

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A major ingredient of the show was the use of BlackTrax motion tracking. HoD at Protec Lighting and BlackTrax engineer, Aaron Russ explains the details, “There were 16 performers that we needed to track with motion video and lighting. The performers had video content projected around them and the first 8 performers were tracked with video and Clay Paky Mythos fixtures using UV filters to work on their ‘glow in the dark’. They needed to ‘pop out’ but we didn’t want to flood the room with UV too much so we used UV filters and the Mythos to track them - like a moving followspot. We used the Mythos as followspots for the hoverboard performers as well.’

‘Nine Blacktrax cameras were used to start off with and we used one beacon pack stitched into the performers’ costumes with two infra-red cameras for each,” continues Russ, “So one beacon with two stringers per performer was stitched into their costumes; the basketball players had it on their shoulders and the performers on the hover boards on the front and back. Those beacons allowed for lighting and video to track them. During rehearsals we were able to adjust or add the beacon markers on the performers to ensure they could be tracked whatever sort of acrobatics or body angles were presented to the cameras. We also used a beacon for the little robot presenter so BlackTrax could track the robot and keep all the cueing in time.”

Russ was acutely aware that the combination of moving sets and trusses alongside tracking cameras and projection is not a good mix and the crew went to great lengths to isolate the two by planning cable runs and truss layout very carefully. He used his experience of the room and previous shows to populate the lighting rig. “I knew it had to be a high impact show and in your face, lots of texture and brightness as well as having some old school theatre. Lots of different elements using different angles and heights – backlight, sidelight, floor light – making the room look bigger and filled up the space for the cameras for every angle so there was always depth to the stage no matter what angle they were at. We chose the fixtures based on what was required on previous ceremonies and knowing what the client was looking for, above and beyond what was on the original brief.”

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“The Mythos are super fast and perfect for the BlackTrax,” continues Russ, “Whereas the VL3000 may be slower but works in a more theatrical way and functions better for the more corporate, static part of the show. Loading some of them with custom gobos helps give the event a uniquely branded feel and look. The Clay Paky B-Eyes enabled us to create a futuristic look for the other part of the performance; the multiple patterns and effects offered in the K-10 and K-20 are perfect for that.”

Planning for the derig began before a single point was rigged as Travis concludes, “We knew the venue was needed for games as soon as this was over so we built in infrastructure to allow for speedy load out. The kubuki system that we used for the drapes meant everything could be dropped into hampers immediately; everything on the floor was set on a rolling riser so it was simply a disconnect and go. Despite the issues with the roof height we were able to get enough clearance to lift the flown rig out of the way of the next event; we were out in less than twenty minutes!”

Photo Credits: Protec www.productiontec.com

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EVENTS LISTING 2016 Aug 31 – Sep 03

Oct 26 - 29

Broadcast Indonesia/ Communic Indonesia 2016 Venue: Jakarta International Expo Site: www.broadcast-indonesia. com

Prolight + Sound Shanghai 2016 Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai China Site: www.prolightsoundshanghai.com

Sep 01 – 04 PALM Expo 2016 Venue: China International Exhibition Centre, Beijing, China Site: www.palmexpo.net

Sep 12 – 14 InfoComm India Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai, India Site: www.infocomm-india.com

Oct 31 – Nov 02 Prolight + Sound Middle East Venue: Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Dubai Site: www.prolightsoundme.com

Dec 06 -08 InfoComm Middle East and Africa Venue: Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai Site: www.infocomm-mea.com

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EVENTS LISTING 2017 Jan 19 - 22

Mar 23 – 25

NAMM Show 2017 Venue: Anaheim Convention Centre, Anaheim, USA Site: www.namm.org/exhibit/ WN17

China Content Broadcasting Network (CCBN) Exhibition 2017 Venue: China International Exhibition Center, Beijing, China Site: www.ccbn.tv/EN/

Feb 07 – 10 Integrated Systems Europe 2017 Venue: Amsterdam Rai, Amsterdam, Netherlands Site: www.iseurope.org

Feb 22 – 25 Prolight + Sound Guangzhou 2017 Venue: Area A, China Import & Export Fair Complex, Guangzhou, China Site: prolight-sound-guangzhou. hk.messefrankfurt.com/ guangzhou/en/visitors/welcome. html

Feb 27 – Mar 02 Guangzhou Entertainment Technology (GET) Show 2017 Venue: Poly World Trade Centre Expo, Guangzhou, China Site: www.getshow.com.cn

Apr 04 – 07 Prolight + Sound Frankfurt 2017 Venue: Frankfurt am Main Site: pls.messefrankfurt. com/frankfurt/en/aussteller/ willkommen.html?nc

Apr 12 – 14 InfoComm China (IFC) 2017 Venue: China National Convention Center (CNCC) Site: www.infocomm-china. com/en/

Apr 22 – 27 NAB Show 2017 Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center, NV, USA Site: www.nabshow.com