Entertainment Technology Asia November-December 2012

November - December 2012

MICA [P] 008/09/2012 KDN: PPS 1663/08/2013 [022991]

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Qatar National Convention Center’s Dynamic Dress Creating the audio ambience at Gardens by the Bay Chris B. Founder of the Underground

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Choose your brightness Imagine that you only need three projectors to generate any brightness from 10,000 right up to 40,000 lumens. With Barco’s brand-new HD projector series, the choice is yours. As you can fully tune the light output to your event, your Barco projector is everything you want it to be.

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Why Barco HD projectors?

Xenon lamp for richer colors Athena image processing scaler Extended wireless control options Modular design Rugged metal chassis

VIPER Coldplay, “Mylo Xyloto” European Tour Photo by Andy Rhymes

VERSATILITY! s 3TUDI s 3TUDIO READY 4OURING READY ss 4OURI s 4HEATRE READY s 4HEA

The MAC V Viper covers it all

www.martin.com.sg w

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FIRST WORDS

CONTENTS

VOL 13 ISSUE 6

MICA [P] 008/09/2012 KDN: PPS 1663/08/2013 [022991]

NEWS 08

Essential news from the industry

ENNOVATIONS 32

A round-up of new products in the market

EXHIBITION REVIEW 50

PALME Thailand

54

Prolight + Sound Shanghai

A recent discussion with the owner of a major rental & staging company

LIVE

in the region left me perplexed. When I touched on the subject of

56

Norwest Productions un-reinforce South Pacific

structured training for his employees, his take was that new employees

58

J Davis Prosound & Lighting at Nehru Indoor Stadium

will be trained on-the-job by the more experienced employees. Of

59

grandMA2 celebrates the Merlion

course it makes sense for them to be taken under the wings of an

61

LSC Clarity weathers the storm

experienced employee but the issue at hand is that the experienced employees in question, were similarly self taught or have acquired the

INSTALL

skills and knowledge on-the-job as well. This possibly creates a loop

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Qatar National Convention Center’s Dynamic Dress

pattern for bad practices to be passed on to the new employees.

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Creating the audio ambience at Gardens by The Bay

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Martin Professional at Mella Club Hong Kong

There is this often heard complain that those who have been trained

68

ILUMINARC Colours at the heart of MGM Macau

tend to leave for greener pastures thus making the training mute for

69

Novel Hall selects ETC lighting systems

the company that initiated the process. This is un-avoidable. What

70

Sydney Theatre upgrades with Nexo

companies should consider is that the higher amount of trained people

72

Royal Opera House Muscat relies on VARI-LITE

out there, the more professionalized the industry will become. Better

73

Adamson in the new ‘City of Film’

training also does equate to being more productive and this is the

74

The achieved project at Shih-Hsin University

bigger picture companies should look at.

75

LSC rules the roost at The Bird’s Nest

76

Electro-Voice powers up Riau Main Stadium

I must also state that I have come across companies who have proper

77

Club Lava @ CHIJMES

processes and consider training essential to their business. These

78

RE Series microphones impress at FM Inter-Wave

forward-looking companies will definitely reap the benefits in the long

79

D.A.S. Audio at Mumbai's Elite Royalty Nightclub

run and we can only hope that more will consider training an essential aspect of their business.

Thomas Richard Prakasam

VIEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE 80

Chris B. Founder of The Underground

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Dan F. discusses quality sound

Publisher / Editorial Director thomas@spinworkz.com

Publisher/Editorial Director Thomas Richard : thomas@spinworkz.com | Writer Rosalind Tan : rosalind@spinworkz.com | Writer Elissa Nadine : elissa@spinworkz.com | Admin & Circulation Julie Tan : admin@spinworkz.com | India & ME Editor Ram Bhavanashi | Design & Productions By Jimmy Chin : jimmy@spinworkz.com | Printed By : Print & Print Pte Ltd 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 6 times a year. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies.

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NEWS

AiVents first to bring Coolux Pandoras Box Quad Server to Singapore

Green Hippo’s PLASA treats Warren of AiVents with Sanjay of Total Solution

Singapore: AiVents Singapore Pte Ltd, an event consultant and professional technical solutions company, recently reinforced their video division by being the first company in Singapore to purchase the Pandoras Box Quad Server along with the Media Manager.

Director of Operations, AiVents, Warren Dragon, shared that after some market research, he made his choice with the Quad Server which is 'perfect for projects that require multiple outputs'. The QUAD’s great versatility, in combination with the additional inputs available provides him with total hardware and software events solutions.

Dragon was also very satisfied with the service and support rendered by Total Solution Marketing to AiVents. He added, “The name, Total Solution says it all! They have provided customers like me a total solution to all my needs with their excellent after sales and technical training. I am looking forward to making my next purchase very soon.”

Sanjay Jegatheesan, Assistant Sales Manager for Total Solution shared his delight, “We are pleased that AiVents has chosen the Pandoras Box. The Quad Server gives them the highest flexibility and compatibility for any multimedia show design with its real-time 3D compositing and rendering system. Their selection of Pandoras Box is a strong assertion that the Pandoras Box is quickly becoming the favourite choice Media Server for our industry.” www.aivents.com www.coolux.com www.tsm-int.com

With another successful year at PLASA, the Green Hippo team showcased a years’ worth of development at the fantastic 4 day tradeshow.

Previewing the latest version of the world’s favourite media server, everyone was welcome to explore the new features in the Hippotizer range with a number of pods showcasing a host of new features.

From distributors and lighting designers to students, technical managers and programmers, the stand was buzzing and everyone was able to get a sneak preview of the new features.

Incorporating the new RegionMapper projecting onto a cube in the middle of the stand, was one of Green Hippo's key features, the innovative VideoMapper, 3D. This was one of the biggest hits on the stand with people getting hands on time

with the Hippotizer and understanding Green Hippo's motto 'easy just got easier' with the new features making it easier to map, program, busk, control, manage and playback.

Head of Sales, Samantha Bailey, stated “The response from customers to the new release was fantastic, they are thrilled with the new markets and customers it opens them up to and are heading back to their respective countries with new jobs on the horizon as a result.”

From the friendly faces of the meet and greet team to the brilliant demos given by staff, old and new, a favourite memory was Green Hippo’s legendary ice-cream.

At this year’s PLASA Green Hippo received a great response and brilliant feedback. www.green-hippo.com

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NEWS

Ramesh Chetwani to lead PALM Expo India 2013 India: Diversified Communications India has announced the appointment of Ramesh Chetwani as Exhibitions Director for PALM Expo, India. Ramesh Chetwani brings experience in marketing, sponsorships, and show management, in a career of 10 years.

Based out of Mumbai during his entire career, he is familiar with the production of the PALM and the venue.

Matthew Pearce, Chairman, DCI, stated that the objective was to inject the PALM with experienced talent to strengthen the team that delivers one of the most reputed and productive pro light and sound events in the world. “Since Diversified acquired the PALM in 2010, the show has grown tremendously.

Today the PALM is twice as large and the attendance has grown to 11,000 visitors. It is our aim to attract international brands, and in building the many features and industry interactions at the show, Ramesh will lead

the PALM team to fulfill the industry’s high expectations,” he says.

Ramesh Chetwani continues, “I feel fortunate and excited I have an opportunity to work with Diversified. It’s a challenge for me to live up to the expectations of the management to ensure PALM has multi-fold success in coming years especially within the international market. In 2012, India has witnessed a staggering 25% growth in this industry. Which means it is the right time for the international manufacturers to represent their brands in India and the PALM is the destination. PALM provides all the opportunities for business development to delegates from leading companies that look to the PALM as the doorway to establish distributorship and brand awareness in India. I look forward to a fruitful career with Diversified and hope I am able to supersede their expectations.” www.divcom.in

Alcons Audio releases EASE GLL loudspeaker data International: Alcons Audio has announced the release of high-resolution measurement and simulation data for Alcons’ L-series proribbon line-arrays and Q-series pro-ribbon column-arrays.

The data is supplied in GLL (Generic Loudspeaker Library) format for use with the EASE 4.3 acoustic prediction program and the newly released ARC2 (Alcons Ribbon Calculator) array set-up tool, which is based on the EASE Focus 2 program.

Systems included in the Alcons GLL’s include: LR7 and LR7/90 micro line-arrays, LR14 and LR14/90 ultra-compact line-arrays, LR16 compact line-array, QR18 and QR36 linesource columns.

Due to the precise projection of the pro-ribbon transducers, the GLL data are based on very high-resolution, actual system measurements.

The QR systems are measured with 1° accuracy, the LR systems with 2° accuracy and the other systems with the standard 5° accuracy.

“We have included all of our system configurations and processing optimisations from the DDP digital drive processor and the new Sentinel amplified loudspeaker

Alcons PRESS ARC2 simulation screenshot

controllers. These, in combination with the very low manufacturing tolerance of +/- 1dB, allows GLL-based simulations to convert Alcons’ sound systems into true precision instruments and is another step towards our goal to deliver the most accurate sound reproduction possible,” comments Tom Back from Alcons Audio.

All systems include their accompanying bass cabinets, along with the QR18 and QR36 linesource columns, their QM low and mid array extensions, smaller systems of the T-series and the S-series general sound reinforcement systems. www.alconsaudio.com

THE SKY IS NO LIMIT

As tall as you wish, as powerful owerful as you wish, as flexible as you wish!

The new VERTUS active line array is a skyscraper er of sounds, ideal for live performances and also fixed installations

studioconti.biz 2012

s True line array modular technology in elegant enclosures with an aluminium extrusion design s An independent Class-D tri-amplification system with DSP and switch mode power supplies allowing great dynamics and power s Long distance sound projection and even SPL distribution towards the audience s A dedicated active subwoofer with a bass-reflex design and birch ply enclosure s Professional Neutrik XLR signal links and POWERCONN sockets s A rapid latching system that doubles or triples the speaker column, allowing an increase of SPL and vertical directivity

Possible configurations CLA 604A (400+100W) Active Line Array Speaker CLA 208SA (600W) Active Subwoofer

INEERED

www.fbt.it info@fbt.it

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A Tribute bu uttte to Excellence elleen nce n ce

NEWS

Sapphire Media Infinity wins coveted Innovation Award at PLASA 2012

Managing Director, Steve Warren, Ed Pagett, vice chairman of PLASA governing body, Lead developer Dave Green and Avolites Technical Director, JB Toby.

PR-8150 LED SPOT 400

International: During this year’s PLASA show, 47 products were judged, 'live' in front of show visitors, as an independent panel of expert judges toured the show floor, camera crew in tow, to view presentations about each product. Nominees were asked to demonstrate a new style of thinking, an improvement in technical practice, an aid to safety as well as energy-saving or sustainability benefits.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, Avolites Media’s Sapphire Media Infinity represents the next exciting step in Media Server technology.

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

www.acousticlighting.com

“The powerful unit contains an incredible 8 Full HD outputs and conveniently, each DVI output has an accompanying preview output. The Ai Infinity also includes internal EDID management, LTC and MIDI Timecode, Genloc Input, Multi-Server Framesync and Master-Slave remote control which all goes to produce an incredibly flexible video controller,” says Steve Warren, Managing Director of Avolites Media.

Seeing the Sapphire Media Infinity in action, the judges commented, "It's the first integrated video control surface dedicated to video. It's well thought through and well designed."

The Avolites Media Sapphire Media Infinity has already been put to spectacular use at the Olympics and Para-Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies. The Ai Infinity was used to help map and control the 70,500 mini pixel screens located in the stadium seating, which together created the world’s largest video screen ever.

Steve Warren, MD of Avolites Media, enthusiastically stated, “This is the start of a new era at Avolites and 2012 has been an amazing year for all within the Avolites team. As well as the Titan V6 receiving fantastic user reviews, we are filled with pride at our opportunity to amaze the world’s largest viewing audience ever with the Olympic Games audience pixels.

“At the same time, and overshadowed by the Games, we controlled a massive 800 sq. mt, high res LED screen and 12 mapped HD projectors for the Miss World Finals in China. The icing on this sensational cake was to receive the recognition and respect of our peers in the industry by being awarded a PLASA Award for Innovation!” www.avolitesmedia.com

ULTIMATE TECHNOLOGY UNIQUE ITALIAN STYLING

T E H Z I G I 1 G L 0 R 2 1 R E G U R N E YOCK - N JA

JODBLY L NA IEN

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ROR-LIGHT P A E

R r SUP O F S GE

N RAN O I T LU OOM

G I R

SO-WIDE Z L NA RA

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PRUOLTRA-BR r

JACK

3 fixtures in one (Beam / Spot / Wash)

In Hong Kong: D.T.S. Illuminazione Asia Limited Flat 5, 8/F, Harbour Industrial Centre, 10 Lee Hing Street, Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong.

Tel. +852 3113 4101 - Fax. +852 3113 4103 info@dts-lighting.hk

In Singapore: D.T.S. Lighting Singapore Pte Ltd 182 Gul Circle Singapore 629630 Tel:+65 68633400 - Fax:+65 68632280 www.dtslighting.com

NRG 1201

From PC Beam to very wide Wash projection

Head Office: D.T.S. Illuminazione srl Via Fagnano Selve, 10-12-14 - 47843 Misano Adriatico (RN) Italy - Tel. +39 0541611131 Fax +39 0541 611111 - www.dts-lighting.it info@dts-lighting.it

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NEWS

RCF D LINE

Singapore welcomes HDQ 2K40 Singapore: The intimate Barco Open House held at the Singapore Expo Centre on the 2nd and 3rd of October featured a range of well known products including the RLM-W12, HDX-W18, HDF-W26 and not forgetting the image processing matrix switchers and presentation switchers.

The bulk of the enthusiastic guests arrived earlier than planned and the number of attendees were well more than expected.

Which is not very surprising considering the highlight of the show, the HDQ 2K40 was being showcased for the first time in Singapore. The HDQ 2K40, is the first projector in the world to deliver a light output of 40,000 lumens.

By combining elements from the digital cinema market with image processing along with the ruggedness of the rental market, the HDQ 2K40 does not dissappoint. Not only does it support 3D projection, but it also allows for full wireless control through smartphones or flat panels.

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

www.acousticlighting.com

Senior Regional Sales Manager, Edwin Ramesh, says, “It's the Rolls Royce of projectors, people aspire to own it.

Together with the image processing, it will definitely bring you up to the level of the big boys.” And big is right, this 40,000 lumens projector is the biggest projector in the market to date and is ideally suited for large areas such as the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Another highlight was the HDX-W18, the largest format projector available in

Singapore. Speaking to a proud owner of this 18,000 lumens projector, Edwin Tan of AIMS Productions LLP, he calls it the “perfect projector offering a range of applications” and is the “perfect solution for companies,” being designed for wireless control users remain connected to the HDX at all times.

What's more, the HDX is the epitome of easy maintenance with only five building blocks that can be removed and replaced quickly hence saving the time it takes to service the projector.

Of the entire open house, Tan says, “Its very educational, i believe we as an industry need to work together, and once you do that, you'll see things that you've never seen before.”

With another successful open house under their belt and an array of mid/high range projectors, Barco definitely lives up to the title of a true leader in the industry. www.barco.com

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NEWS

Hear The Truth Live!

Singapore: As part of their commitment to the regional audio community, Mahajak SKM Electronics Pte Ltd (MSE) and Harman Professional co-hosted "Hear The Truth Live!" to mark the official launch of the JBL VTX V25 Series in Singapore.

It was a momentous event for both and was attended by a large number of the Mahajak Elite Club members ranging from consultants, equipment specifiers, installers, rental house owners as well as sound engineers from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

The full-day event was divided into two sessions, with the average attendance of each seminar around forty. The first session was a closed-door hardware training session for key staff of appointed Harman Pro contractors and owners of JBL VerTec systems. The well equipped training room on the fourth level of the MSE headquarters provided the venue for both the morning and afternoon sessions.

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

www.acousticlighting.com

The morning session was conducted by Stuart Dingwall, Applications Manager for Harman, who was assisted on the set-up

by MSE product specialists. The afternoon session was made open to all members from the local audio community and kicked off with a high SPL demonstration of the new VTX line array system in the building's open car park lot. Needless to say, the looks from everyone present was proof of the power and delivery from a single V25 Line Array System and low end support from G28 Cardioid-Arrayable Subwoofers.

Back in the training room, Dingwall continued with the introduction of the VTX series and what it is about and why the VTX V25 is an improved product to which JBL have done before. JBL boasts that the improvements are both evolutionary and revolutionary, in fact everything with V25, from the enclosure to its high frequency

driver, had to be worked out from scratch. Its evolutionary by getting a shorter enclosure (9 box VTX 25 array = 8 box VT4889 array), a deeper enclosure and greater LF port area (4" voice coils and increased LF power and extension), a refined R.B.I. (Radiation Boundary Integrator) waveguide, giving improved acoustics and better off-axis response, and even a new and improved suspension hardware for shorter setup time and fewer pinning steps involved. The VTX Series also has a revolutionary new D2 Dual Diaphragm High Frequency Driver technology (patent pending).

Dave Loh, General Manager of MSE, was pleased with the fantastic response he and his staff received from the Singapore audio community to attend the event. "In this event, due to space constraints, we had to turn down not a few but many requests to attend the product launch," commented Dave.

"Although MSE is only the distributor for the Harman Professional brands of products in Singapore, this event proves that we are working as a group to support the pro audio markets in the region."

The VTX V25 is a full size 3-way highdirectivity line array element. Featuring two 2000W 15" Differential Drive woofers mounted in die cast aluminum baffles, with four 8" Differential Drive midrange transducers and three of the revolutionary new D2 Dual-Diaphragm Dual-Voice-Coil Compression Drivers mounted on a 3rd generation waveguide and patented RBI – Radiation Boundary Integrator assembly.

Patented rigging, Crown VRack DSP and amplification, and JBL HiQnet Performance Manager configuration and control software complete the system package. www.harman.com www.mahajakskm.com

Employee of the Year Every time you put a K Family loudspeaker to work it comes home with cash. It doesn’t care how long it works or how often. It earns praise from your customers - reflecting well on you and your company. And, it’s willing to sign up for a minimum work commitment of 6 years.* And no, it doesn’t sweep floors or bring you tea.

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* K and KW Series 6-year extended warranty with product registration. © 2012 QSC Audio Products, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC and the QSC logo are registered trademarks of QSC Audio Products, LLC in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other countries.

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NEWS

Matrix Productions welcomes VARI*LITE VLX to WA to traditional moving lights. Being able to mix the pastel colours is really good too. What also impressed me was the white which is the whitest LED 'white' I have ever seen.”

Mick remarks that their clients have been noticing how fabulous their eight VLX perform and that many have commented on how great they are especially as they are so quiet.

“Their movement is fast, accurate and silent,” he added.

“We also find that the design of the VLX and its handles make it easy to rig the unit. The light can be mounted and operated in any position; there are no restrictions. That can be very handy.”

Vari-Lites at Kimberley Diamond Dinner

Australia: Matrix Productions has become the first production company in Western Australia to purchase the award-winning VARI*LITE VLX Wash Luminaire.

“The VLX wash marries the benefits of LED technology and the best characteristics of traditional automated luminaires,”

commented Mick Letchford, Matrix’s Lighting Designer.

“I love the colour-mixing and ease of operation. The colours are very rich, since they are produced from an additive system, and have really good intensity. Colour changes are absolutely silent in comparison

Mick says that the cost of lamps is killing everyone in production hire so it made sense to go down the LED path. With a long-life source that considerably reduces maintenance, combined with low energy consumption and maintenance costs, the VLX wash is the obvious choice. www.jands.com.au

Mahajak SKM battles with AKG Beatbox Microphone Singapore: Mahajak SKM Electronics Pte Ltd earned its "street cred" when it became the official microphone sponsor for the Beatbox Battle which took place on the final day of the Singapore Beatbox Convention 2012.

Hosted for the first time in Singapore, a Beatbox Battle was staged at TAB, a live entertainment venue, restaurant, bar & club located in the glitzy Orchard Road district.

The contest was judged by the legendary Bruk Braders. Contestants were invited to come down and get dirty with Singapore’s best beatboxers with the top 3 winners being presented with a AKG BBB DFive Beatbox Microphone.

Co-founders and directors of 808 Pte Ltd Jacky Lam and Bryant Koh, were the organizers for the event.

"We are extremely pleased with the AKG BBB DFive microphones used during the entire event. Not just for the battles, but also for the performance. The microphone was built specifically for beatboxing, and it brought out the best in all the competitors and performers," commented Jacky.

Mahajak SKM General Manager, Dave Loh (second from right) with the organisers of the Singapore Beatbox Convention 2012

The crisp and clear sound of the BBB DFIVE microphone was especially created for human beatbox artists. In cooperation with BEATBOX BATTLE, the AKG team has developed a custom made microphone for the international beatbox scene to support the sound spectrum of all multi-vocalists world wide. www.mahajakskm.com

NEWS

Epicentrum Walk lights up with AZTEC solutions Indonesia: Epicentrum Walk situated within the Rasuna Epicentrum Kuningan super block in South Jakarta features indoor, outdoor and semi-outdoor choices of space for visitors to enjoy this amusement and lifestyle centre. Adding to the unique architecture design are the AZTEC LEDs that light up the facade of the shopping centre at night thereby creating a festival atmosphere for visitors.

The AZTEC LEDs were specified and installed by PT Monalisa Tunggal Jaya, who are also the manufacturers of the AZTEC LEDs. A total of 56 units of AZTEC LED Colour Beacon RGB units were installed with DMX control functions being handled by a Martin Professional Light-Jockey II console. The console's programme enables the LEDs to generate different lighting effects and designs such as flashing, fading, steady, seven colours jumping synchronously and other unique characteristics thus adding to the visual treat for visitors.

Each AZTEC LED fixture features 36 RGB LEDs taking up just 1 watt of power and producing strong wash effect lights. The IP65 rated fixture enables Dimmer functionality light output adjustment using the DMX system. The AZTEC LEDs have performed to expectations and continue to draw visitors to the centre with its vibrant colours. www.ptmtj.com

Total Solution Marketing brings Showtex stage fabrics to Marina Bay Sands Singapore: Total Solution Marketing (TSM) has recently equipped Marina Bay Sands' (MBS) MICE division with more than 2,300 sqm of ShowTex Black Molton CS stage fabrics.

Molton CS is an inherently and permanent flame retardant fabric which meets many worldwide flame retardancy standards (NFPM1, DIN-B1 & BS-2B). The fabric's composition also provides minimum shrinkage which gives great resistance for drapes against humidity & cleaning. The Molton CS also has sound dampening properties which are ideal for fine tuning the sound reverberation in a venue or onstage.

TG 1000 DIGITAL WIRELESS SYSTEM –––––– PROFESSIONAL AUDIO PRODUCTS MADE MA MAD IN GERMANY

This is not the first purchase of ShowTex Stage Fabrics by MBS from TSM. MBS MICE had previously purchased approximately 1,100 sqm of Showtex Wool Serge Panne Stage Fabric in 2010 and another lot of Molton CS stage fabrics were purchased in 2011 by the Arts Science Museum.

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

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NEWS

ZX family impresses at Electro-Voice Experience Day India: Electro-Voice (EV) hosted an “Experience Day” at ITC Fortune Hotel which featured the launch of the ZX family and live demonstration of EV’s wide product portfolio to the eastern region of India.

The event was well attended by 60 participants comprising government officials and personnel from the professional sound industry - including consultants, system integrators, distributors and end-users.

Through the presentation, the participants received an interesting insight to EV’s history.

The award-winning ZX family, which includes the ZXA1 speakers, was officially introduced to the audience by the renowned tabla maestro, Bikram Gnosh.

The event ended on a high with the live deejay blasting live music through the EV set-up. www.electrovoice.com

FBT on the road in Indonesia Indonesia: Following their recent participation at PALME Thailand, FBT have carried out a seminar tour in Indonesia, touching the cities of Solo, Yogyakarta and Serang. Roberto Mataloni, FBT export manager, along with Product Manager Remo Orsoni, Eric Haslim of PT Citra Intirama, FBT’s Indonesian distributor and the local dealers, greeted the many attendees to the events.

With an in-depth promotional tour FBT and PT Citra Intirama delivered to the most comprehensive information about the Italian manufacturer's history and facilities, product lines, unique selling points, technical highlights for optimal applications and a sound demonstration.

“On this occasion, I would like to express my sincere thanks to FBT for their visit to Indonesia and for providing plenty of time to deliver valuable seminars in several cities.

These have been very useful for all of us and especially for our dealers; I am sure these events have produced successful results with many valuable information about the FBT products and they will help to further develop FBT brand awareness and sales in the Indonesian market,” commented Leo Saleh, owner of PT Citra Intirama.

with several dealers for a better understanding of our reciprocal origins and know more about the market. We will surely come again and repeat another tour touching other parts of this immense country.”

Roberto Mataloni adds, “We have always felt very much welcome and could meet and talk

www.fbt.it www.citraintirama.com

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NEWS

Media Vision expands NEXO inventory with GEO S12 Thailand: Production equipment rental company Media Vision has taken delivery of a new NEXO GEO S12 compact line array system, further expanding an already substantial NEXO inventory which includes a large-format GEO D system.

MD Thanaruch ‘Joe’ Hongskule explains that Media Vision has been a committed NEXO user since 2006, satisfied with the performance of PS Series full-range loudspeakers and GEO D line array, and especially with the support provided by NEXO distributor Fuzion Far East.

“The relationship is the most important thing,” says Hongskule.

“We have always had excellent service and advice from Suhtat Kohkiat at Fuzion, which cements our decision to choose and use NEXO products, which deliver the audio quality demanded by our own customers.”

Media Vision has around an 80% share of the local market, predominantly corporate AV for events but also the concert scene for Thai artists. The purchase of the GEO S12 system fits the company’s requirement for a high-SPL compact line array which can meet

Joe Hongskule from MediaVision with Denis Baudier, Sales Director of NEXO

rider demand as well as practical requirements in both corporate and concert sectors. S12 will complement the 60x GEO D10 cabinets which comprise the main concert sound inventory, used in tandem with CD18 subs. www.nexo-sa.com www.mediavision1994.com

Adamson & Team 108 host Energia Seminar Singapore: Adamson and Team 108, Adamson's exclusive distribution for Southeast Asia, joined forces to host a 2-day Asia Pacific Energia seminar and demo in Singapore.

The seminar included extensive technical presentations on Project Energia, Blueprint Software, the T21 sub and a sneak peak at Adamson's new COAX series. Jesse Adamson,

Director of Marketing & Sales and David Dohrmann, Adamson Europe’s Applications Engineer hosted the event. The second day of the seminar included a complete handson setup of a 24 cabinet E15 system with companion T21 subs in an arena environment.

The demonstration also included preset management and system alignment overview.

Team 108's Kevin Nair comments, "Project Energia is a groundbreaking approach to concert touring and when people see it for the first time, they are inevitably impressed.

The E15 has incredible horsepower with great fidelity and definition. The response from our region has been fantastic."

Jesse Adamson adds, "Sound engineers know how great a big PA will sound in open air, but proving how fast it goes up and how it will deliver in a harsh environment is what separates the modern touring system. We aimed to provide a real scenario for a large format system with both playback and multitrack options on a Digico SD11 console." www.adamsonsystems.com

NEWS

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The Elites of Audio-Technica Singapore: A group of dedicated local musicians, supporting the Audio-Technica brand, The Elites of Audio-Technica, was formed early this year. Inspired by the highest end microphone series from Audio-Technica, the Artist Elite Series, each musician from the exclusive group was given an Artist Elite microphone for performance usage at their work place.

The local artistes currently consist of Regine Han, Pamela Khi, Julian Cheong, Anthony Kok, Jamiel Said, Rong Ting, Phoebee Ong, Rui Ang and the Singapore Char Siew Baos.

The microphones also brings about pristine audio quality and has been used by leading vocal performers as diverse as Metallica, Kenny Chesney, Linkin Park, Rush and the Oak Ridge Boys. The highlight of the AE series is its good response and ability to take high sound pressure level, offering good clear vocals even when the singer hits the crescendo. This holds true especially for Audio-Technica’s condenser microphones, allowing each individual to perform well in all situations.

Teng Shaokai, Assistant Sales Manager of the Pro-Audio & Regional Division of AudioTechnica (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd, believes that the success of this campaign and Artist Elite group will give support to the local musicians in order to bloom the local music industry in Singapore even further. He also added that it is the company’s philosophy to support local artistes and musicians. www.audio-technica.com.sg

The aim of the Artist Elites campaign was to raise public awareness for Audio-Technica’s high end microphones. The various artistes have had the opportunity to try out the AE series first-hand, giving them a choice over the common microphones.

The Artist Elite Series is a high-performance microphone line that extends the performance of a sound system. It brings clear sound, rocksolid durability, reliable performance and aesthetic design to every stage where artists and audiences connect to one another.

Kling & Freitag in tune with sound engineers all over the world

SEQUENZA 10

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NEWS

Christie celebrates Singapore’s 47th Birthday with colorful projection and powerful displays

Singapore: Christie celebrated Singapore’s 47th birthday with a colorful projection at its National Day Parade (NDP), through Hexogon Solution, a major partner of the national event. The extravaganza was held at the Float @ Marina Bay, a floating stadium comprising of a multi-purpose mass spectator event facility and floating stage.

that the organizing committee used compact enclosures to mount all the projectors on a standalone single stack,” said Adrian Goh, managing director of Hexogon Solution Pte Ltd.

with a palette of colors – enhanced the performances with lively visual contents of nation building, racial harmony and unity to heighten its theme of ‘Loving Singapore, Our Home.’

“For this setup, we had to overcome the challenges of air flow, exhaust and cooling of the enclosure without using any large external equipment such as fans or air conditioning.

We also paid extra attention to the wind load and resistance that may affect the alignment at heights of eight stories and higher.”

“We are proud to be chosen for the visual projection of the Singapore National Day Parade for three consecutive years,” said Lin Yu, vice president, Christie Asia Pacific. “As the population celebrated Singapore’s 47th birthday, Christie also shared the joy of the celebration through our colorful, clear and bright projection.”

4 x Christie Roadster HD18K and 22 x Christie Roadster HD20K-J were installed on the floating platform creating a digital floor projection on the stage and elevating it to synchronize with fireworks and other multimedia displays.

Goh said the weight of the enclosure – which was less than the projector – also posed image adjustment and alignment challenges. “We were particularly selective of the enclosure material used to keep it heat-proof and flame-retardant due to its close proximity to fireworks just two meters away. We are glad that we have overcome these challenges to bring forward the powerful visual display that imprinted the message of ‘Loving Singapore, Our Home’ on the minds of the Singapore population.”

“Moving away from big mounting structures used in past NDPs, this was the first time

With superb clarity and brightness, Christie’s signature projection technology – coupled

www.christiedigital.com

Total Solution Marketing appointed exclusive JB Lighting distributor in Singapore Jürgen Braungardt, CEO of JB-Lighting, says,”We are pleased to start a cooperation with TSM who are not only known for distributing top brands but also know how to build up a market for new and promising products.”

JB Lighting A12

Singapore: JB Lighting, the celebrated German based award winning leader in professional LED lighting technology has appointed Total Solution Marketing (TSM) as their distributor for Singapore. JB Lighting is a pioneer and specialist for the professional LED based wash light segment.

On the new JB Lighting and TSM working relationship, Mr Glenn Wong of TSM commented, “TSM is known in our industry for our top of the line products that stand out as technology leaders and our commitment to after sales customer service. We are delighted to welcome JB Lighting into our family as they share our beliefs in a superior service philosophy with leading technology products”.

TSM has committed to invest in demo stocks and the A8 as well as the A12 moving LED wash fixtures are now available in Singapore. www.jb-lighting.de www.tsm-int.com

JB Lighting A8

NEWS

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MUSIC Group commits $50 Million to new campus and hydro forming facilities and a total "cleanair" wood products and painting pavilion.

The company's already extensive agency test labs will be expanded with additional RF and TDMA facilities and an all-new two-story Anechoic Chamber will be built for acoustical testing. The campus will also offer on-site educational, child-care and health facilities.

China: MUSIC Group Founder and CEO Uli Behringer has revealed the company's plans to construct a massive new campus that will house its operations in China. Modeled on the corporate campus typical of Silicon Valley, the sprawling 50-acre complex will include R&D, manufacturing, a residential village and abundant green space cultivated around the site's natural wetlands and is to be completed by 2014.

The investment comes at a time when the company's current MUSIC Group City site is stretched to capacity with overwhelming demands for new products, including the transformational X32 Digital Mixer.

"This new home will bring together our people from several different sites, our world-class manufacturing and integrated logistics teams into one environmentally sustainable location woven into the natural local landscape. My goal is to make this a place where talented people can attain their life goals without compromise," announced Uli Behringer to the gathered employees and dignitaries.

The new campus will be home to nearly 5,000 employees and is to include over 3 million square feet of automated factory space housing over 100 surface mount machines, automated transducer lines, injection molding

MUSIC Group have commissioned international consultants to advise on site development, livability and environmental concerns to ensure long-term satisfaction for workers and minimal impact to the surrounding Eco-system.

Working with Chinese officials, the company aims to make this facility energy efficient and minimize its carbon footprint; something of a revolutionary concept in the industrial province of Guangdong.

The stated mandate is to deliver a community where people can live, work and enjoy a quality of life that is as stimulating as it is rewarding. www.music-group.com

Platinum - The power to light your creativity.

Antwerp, Belgium

If Platinum has the power to light a concert stage for a major artist, could this compact system also turn a street performer into a pop star? www.philips.com/lighting/entertainment

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NEWS

Mata Elang expands ChainMaster hoists inventory

This is the third major purchase of ChainMaster hoists by Mata Elang in the last 12 months.

The ChainMaster hoists are widely used in the various international live concerts or spectacular events undertaken by Mata Elang.

hoists have since performed brilliantly for us without any problems. It is lightweight, easy to service and never breaks down! The number of international live concerts touring in Indonesia is increasing and we have never faced any complaints from their rigging crew when they know we use ChainMaster hoists. Everyone knows that the precision engineering credentials and standards of ChainMaster products are second to none.

Hence, we decided to buy more last year and now we are very happy to purchase more.”

Hendra Lie founder of Mata Elang commented, “We purchased 24 pcs of ChainMaster hoists from Total Solution last year and the

www.mataelang.com www.chainmaster.de www.tsm-int.com

Indonesia: Mata Elang, the industry leader in Indonesia’s live concert scene has recently expanded its ChainMaster hoists inventory by adding 40 pcs of 1 ton electric chain hoists.

This deal was concluded via ChainMaster Asia partner Total Solution Marketing.

HARMAN’s JBL supports Olympic Festival at Birds Nest National Stadium The sound reinforcement system design featured four ground-stacked JBL VTX line arrays each consisting of four V25 line array elements and two S28 subwoofers for main VIP area coverage. Twelve additional groundstacked VerTec line arrays, each containing three VT4889-1 line array elements and two VT4880A arrayable subwoofers, provided supplemental coverage for the lower seating areas and to cover the upper tribune of the stadium, eight line array clusters were hung, each consisting of eight VerTec VT4888 midsize line array elements and two VT4882 arrayable subwoofers.

China: Filling the Bird’s Nest National Stadium in Beijing with fans, athletes, and musicians, BMW China held a festival to cheer on the Chinese Olympic Delegation before the 2012 games in London. The event featured more than 100 BMW vehicles throughout the venue, with multiple performing artists and Chinese Olympic figures including Lang Ping, Yang Wei, Wang Liqin and Li Xiaoshuang.

Bejing TianYin CaiYun International Culture & Media Co., Ltd deployed HARMAN’s JBL VTX

line array system and VerTec line arrays to provide uniform sound coverage throughout the stadium. Mixing the event were Jin Shaogang and Ma Xin, who were responsible for mixing the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Olympic games and therefore already familiar with the venue and its demanding coverage requirements.

Additional technical support for the event was provided by Advanced Communications Equipment (ACE), the largest HARMAN distributor in China.

Crown I-Tech HD series amplifiers with builtin DSP processing powered the PA system.

With Crown and its industry-leading flexibility, delay and equalization was easily adjusted during the event. At the front of house position was a Soundcraft Vi6 digital console, while Vi6 and Vi1 digital consoles were utilized for monitoring.

System design engineer Joe Rao of Bejing TianYin CaiYun International Culture & Media Co., Ltd commented, “This was the biggest production in the Bird’s Nest since the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Preparations for the one-night show took two weeks and it was a great event with superb sound quality and excellent coverage.” www.harman.com

NEWS

FBT and Star Electronic Sales & Service Co Ltd hold seminar in Thailand

Thailand: Taking advantage of the 2012 PALME Thailand exhibition, Star Electronic Sales & Service Co Ltd together with their principal, FBT Elettronica Spa held a seminar at the Impact Convention Centre on 20th September.

Star Electronic Sales & Service Co Ltd, who were appointed as the sole distributor for Thailand by FBT in late 2011, organised the two hour seminar that saw more than 30 attendees participating.

Export manager Roberto Mataloni started the proceedings by highlighting to attendees the company's 50-year history and its various solutions.

This was followed by a presentation by product manager Remo Orsoni who explained the technology and components that are incorporated in FBT's speaker systems touching on the Modus, Mitus, Vertus and Qube line array systems as well as the Verve and HiMaxX, ProMaxX, Jolly and Amico models. Remo also spoke to attendees about the DLM digital processors.

company to the Thai market as well as jointly present the seminar with their appointed distributor.

Both FBT and Star Electronics felt that the seminar was a great success as it enabled them to reach out, promote and interact with the participants as well as showcase the leading edge technologies of FBT's products. www.fbt.it www.starelectronic.co.th

Visit

This was followed by a topic on on how to install and use EASE Focus simulation software.

“To get the best out of our speaker systems, we recommend the application of EASE Focus beforehand to create optimised stable coverage with presets,” he added.

Participants were very pleased with the fact that the entire seminar was translated from English to Thai and vice-versa which made it more compelling for the attendees. Senior VP of marketing for Star Electronics, Saengchai Chavanaittinant, provided the translation.

According to Roberto, it was important for FBT to be present at PALME Thailand as it offered them the opportunity to present the

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NEWS

MTJ fulfills requirements of Pekanbaru Wushu Stadium Indonesia: Pekanbaru took centrestage as the venue for the 18th Indonesia National Games (PON) that saw 8000 competitors from 33 of the nation's provinces compete in 39 events with 600 gold medals up for grabs.

The National Games (PON) which was held in September saw Jakarta come up tops in the medal tally.

In preparation for the games, Pekanbaru got busy with building of new venues for the various competition. One of the venues was the GOR Chevron Wushu stadium that saw wushu exponents battle it out in the Indonesia National Games (PON). PT Monalisa Tunggal Jaya (MTJ) was called upon to install the indoor LED Display and PA sound system at the Wushu stadium. MTJ fulfilled the requirements with its own brand of solutions.

Taking pride of place at the indoor stadium was the 4 x 2 metre AZTEC LED Display.

Featuring a 10mm pitch with an AZTEC built-in processor the system was perfect to showcase results and announcements in full colour.

In addition, MTJ was also responsible for the sound reinforcement that saw the company install a combination of over 100 units of PA Speakers, Ceiling Speakers and Horn Speakers thereby ensuring audible coverage across the stadium. www.ptmtj.com

HARMAN Professional promotes Adrian Curtis International: In a move to consolidate, streamline and improve its European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) sales operations, HARMAN Professional has announced the promotion of Adrian Curtis to Senior Director, EMEA Regional Sales Operations (RSO).

Curtis, a 21-year veteran of HARMAN Professional, previously served as Head Of Sales for the company’s Soundcraft and Studer brands. In his new role he will lead sales operations for all of HARMAN’s professional brands and will report to Scott Robbins, Executive Vice President of Sales, of HARMAN Professional.

“With Adrian Curtis, our channel partners, distributors, team members and customers get the best of both worlds — they have access to the experience, stability and expertise that comes with twenty years sales leadership

coupled with Adrian’s product knowledge, energy and can-do approach,” stated Scott Robbins.

In his new role, Curtis will continue to be based at HARMAN Professional’s Potter’s Bar, United Kingdom offices.

“I am very pleased to take on this new role and the accompanying responsibilities. With its winning array of brands, unmatched R&D firepower, packed with passionate and skilled engineers and executives, I believe that HARMAN Professional has a unique and compelling sales proposition that pervades technology, integration and support. I look forward to working with my team and our customers to ensure we’re serving those customers more comprehensively and effectively than any other manufacturer in the EMEA region,” shared Curtis. www.harmanpro.com

NEWS

MAC Viper makes its show debut in Australia Australia: Resolution X took delivery of the first Martin MAC Viper Profiles in Australia (via Martin distributor Show Technology) and the new units didn’t spend long in their new warehouse before making their debut appearance on the AFL Footy Show Grand Final Edition.

The show, an Australian sports television program dedicated to the Australian Football League, was broadcast live from Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena with a TV audience in the millions, but that didn’t stop lighting designer Rohan Thornton from debuting a product he’d never used before.

Rohan had seen the MAC Viper at the Entech tradeshow and heard how it was going to be the replacement for the MAC 2000 so he was very interested to see how it would perform.

“All these new lights come out with flashy bits but the workhorses are the backbone of the industry and I wanted to have a play with what could potentially be the next workhorse,” he remarked.

“I wasn’t disappointed! I found them to be excellent; optically they were very, very good, the choice of lamp is excellent, the color temperature was very consistent, the gobos are good as is the zoom range – in fact there was no feature I didn’t like. I loved everything about them.”

The Vipers were positioned on moving trusses upstage and were Rohan’s primary profile light and source light on the stage from behind.

Also over the stage were Martin MAC 700 Profiles, MAC 700 Washes and 24 x MAC TW1 fixtures, which Rohan adores.

“I love them, always have and always will!” he said. “I’ve used them on just about everything I’ve done. I like to add a bit of tungsten into the arc profile spots – it’s a nice differential color temperature.”

On the vertical trusses rear of stage were 34 x MAC Auras, which Rohan was curious to use on a televised show.

“I think most TV lighting folk don’t like the pixel look of LED moving lights but the idea of having a soft fresnel lens and being able to color separately looked promising so I was keen to give the Auras a good go on a TV show,” commented Rohan.

96 x Martin MAC 301 Wash LED fixtures were used around the arena to light the audience and were so successful that for the first time Rohan did not have to use any conventional lights. www.martin.com

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NEWS

Chad Batchelor joins LOUD Technologies Singapore: LOUD Technologies Inc. (“LOUD”) has announced Chad Batchelor as the new APAC Director of Sales, Mackie & Ampeg.

Based out of the Singapore command center, Chad will partner with all APAC Mackie and Ampeg distributors to leverage these partners’ strengths, and LOUD resources, to continue the brands’ region-wide growth.

“Chad’s a real powerhouse with 20 years’ experience in live and recording engineering, distribution, service and support. Backed by our APAC support team, and HQ resources, Chad will bring a new level of sales support, planning and creativity to our partners’ marketdevelopment efforts.”

“As Mackie & Ampeg continue to grab more share with innovative products, our partners need more support from us to manage this growth,” explained Davwinder Sheena, LOUD’s APAC Managing Director.

Prior to joining LOUD, Batchelor managed Ampeg, EAW and Mackie brand distribution in Singapore; earlier he built distribution and retail footprints for such brands as Denon, Sennheiser, Innovason, Neumann and Turbo Sound. www.loudtechinc.com

CHAUVET Professional introduces high-res video panels to add to VIP Series:PVP S5 and PVP S7 Trusted manufacturer of professional lighting and video products,CHAUVET, has announced the release of two solid, indoor high-resolution video panels to its VIP Series: PVP S5 and PVP S7. These lightweight additions to the video panel line operate seamlessly with the media systems, drivers, signal distributors and signal processors found in the VIP Series.

Designed for touring and permanent indoor installations, each high-resolution panel uses black face, tri-coloured SMD LEDs. This type of LED increases contrast, while the tight pixel pitch (PVP S5 at 5.2mm and PVP S7 at 7.8mm) decreases the viewing distance, making these video panels ideal for high-resolution graphics and live-action video. Replete with an integrated auto-aligning housing for precise pixel alignment and with four additional M10 mounting points, each panel’s modular nature and solid construction allow for fast and easy setups and long-lasting installations. An optional PVP Rigging Kit is also available for hanging from pipe or truss. The fixtures work together interchangeably to create large wall designs of mixed resolutions, and can easily be rigged by a single person, minimizing loadin time and labor costs.

Secure Neutrik powerCON and etherCON connectors add to the panels’ design compatibility.

For easy transportation, PVP S5 and PVP S7 measure 500-by-500 cm and are available in eightpiece packs with road cases included. www.chauvetlighting.com

NEWS

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Sennheiser show their support at World Music Shanghai 2012

China: World Music Shanghai 2012 (Autumn Festival) was successfully held from October 1 to 6 which featured vibrant, original sound from Benin, India, Romania, Inner Mongolia and Yunnan from China.

The festival titled "Nature, Music and Home" featured outdoor as well as indoor concerts. Sennheiser supported the festival by providing all wired and wireless stage microphone system, in-earmonitoring system and K-array speaker system.

During the six-day music event, five music groups gave open concerts and workshops at the Shanghai Concert Hall for the opening ceremony on the second day of the festival and then at four neighbourhoods in Baoshan, Minhang and Huangpu Districts and Pudong New Area.

The total six-day event gained over 12,000 audiences who really stayed at various venues for the music. www.sennheiser.com

The first day of the festival celebrated China’s National Day, which was held at the Century Square on Nanjing Road, Huangpu District with more than 3000, who made up the audience with a 100,000 more who viewed from the pedestrian areas.

LA312 PCC. Active Dsp

managed via software horn loaded Line Array Software control screens

Distributor for Indonesia: PT. MTJ. P: +62 (0)21 6007069, 6290170

ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS FREQUENCY RESPONSE: 58 Hz - 19kHz Âą 4 dB, measured on axys.

SENSITIVITY: 105 dB (1w/1m) CALCULATED MAX SPL: 138 db continuous.

POWER HANDLING: *4800 W continuous.

ACTIVE SPEAKER: 4Class D amplification, Tecnare PCC Technology DSP built inside, software controlled, real time networking, EQ, delay, crossover, compressors, gain, phase, analyzer, etc. * Power calculated on rated minimum impedance.

Manufactured by:

www.tecnare.com P: 34 918 170 110 34 918 171 001

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ENNOVATIONS

The AT2031 Condenser Microphone now available in S.E.A.

Audio-Technica’s primary goal has always been to provide products that truly satisfy its customers as well as benefit society. And the recently introduced Audio Technica’s AT2031 condenser microphone fits that goal perfectly. The switchable 150Hz 6db/octave high-pass filter allows for the reduced pickup of low frequency rumble and the microphone’s cardioid pickup pattern allows for good isolation of the sound source from its environment.

It has been praised as the ideal microphone for stringed instruments and live applications. The AT2031 permanently polarizes elements offering extended frequency response with a slight rise in the high frequency range for a more detailed sound. Its low self-noise and high SPL handling capability offer a wide dynamic range, perfectly suited for the most demanding applications.

Designed to bring out a definite tonal character of an instrument, the AT2031 is able to respond to quieter instruments with

its incredibly low noise-floor of 17dBSPL. It also copes well with louder sources due to its maximum sound pressure level response of up to 141dBSPL before clipping. It also brings out the articulation and nuances in string instruments thanks to its excellent transient response.

Since 1994, Audio-Technica has continued to meet and identify new market environments, customer needs and technological advancements. This is best reflected in the superior sound quality delivered by the various series ranging from wired and wireless microphones to headphones. www.audio-technica.com.sg

ENNOVATIONS

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Powerful, portable speaker system with legendary Cerwin-Vega! Bass Cerwin-Vega!, part of the new Gibson Pro Audio division, has revealed its new P-Series professional PA system, which delivers a new standard in power and bass punch.

It is suited for any sound reinforcement application, from live performances to public speeches. The P-Series family includes two active speaker products: the P1500X and the P1800SX. At the center of the P-Series is the P1500X, a two-way, bi-amped, full-range bassreflex speaker. It employs a 15-inch woofer and high-frequency compression driver, powered by a custom Class-D amp. With a rating of 1500W, the P1500X is the most powerful PA product in its price class. A proprietary hemi-conical horn provides enhanced sound clarity over an even and wide coverage area. A built-in mixer with I/O connections allows for simple and fast setup, while enhanced EQ, VEGA BASS boost and high-pass filters enable exact tuning and exceptional performance for any event. The P1500X is a versatile product that can be used as a single speaker for a small venue, set in pairs for a larger venue needing more coverage and SPL, or side mounted as a floor monitor for a band.

The P1500X’s lightweight, robust polymer enclosure includes a two position pole cup with an adjustable mounting point, as well as comfortable ergonomic handles. These features provide users with versatility and comfort. Built-in rigging points and remote volume port make the P1500X ideal for suspended installation.

TOUCH THE

FUTURE TIGER TOUCH

The muscle of the P-Series is the P1800SX, a powered subwoofer, employing an 18-inch woofer with a custom 2000W Class-D amp.

The large woofer and amplifier are enclosed in a hardwood cabinet, the combination of which provides a high level of bass punch and extreme low end response, both Cerwin-Vega! trademarks. Like the P1500X, the P1800SX has frequency-shaping controls, a VEGA BASS boost, and a highpass filter switch (as a built-in crossover).

This ensures that the user has the right amount of bass for a particular venue.

While designed for use with the P1500X, the P1800SX can be used for bottom-end extension with competitive products.

Additionally, the THRU and MIX output options allow for system expandability and fast daisy-chain connections between components.

The P-Series, launched this year, comes with the suggested list price of $1199 USD for a P1500X and $1499 USD for the P1800SX. Designed in the pursuit of dynamic, accurate sound reproduction since 1954, Cerwin-Vega! products are distributed throughout the world via a network of distributors and dealers in more than 75 countries www.cerwin-vega.com

POWER CUBE

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

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

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ENNOVATIONS

Performance without compromise: DYNACORD presents the CMS 600-3 mixer

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

DYNACORD presents the latest member of its exclusive mixer family, the CMS 600-3. It is versatile, lavishly equipped, and provides a no-compromise approach in its design and production quality. The CMS 600-3 is suitable for a variety of professional applications – live performances, recording studios, or fixed installations. The light (only 5.8 kg) and compact design makes it easy to carry.

The high-quality equipment of the CMS 600-3 includes ultra low-noise and low-hum, electronically balanced XLR microphone inputs (with an extremely low distortion factor, typically < 0.002%), a nine-band stereo equalizer in the master section, and switchable low-cut filters that intervene at 80 Hz. An integrated USB 2.0 digital interface of studio quality is suitable not only for live recordings but also the

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

www.coolux.com

playback of recordings and interval music.

In addition to the classic six mono and two stereo analogue inputs, the CMS offers two stereo digital inputs via USB. Each channel boasts three sends – FX (post-fader), AUX (switchable globally pre-/post-fader), and Monitor (pre-fader) – as well as a Balance/ Pan control, a Mute and PFL switch, and a volume fader with Peak and Signal display.

The CMS 600-3 is equipped with two separately editable effects units with 2 x 100 factory presets optimized for live performance and 2 x 20 user presets covering the widest range of live and recording needs. The effects are switchable remotely (via MIDI or foot switch), while a large, contrast-rich OLED display allows user-friendly operation.

A rack-mount kit for integration into 19inch racks is available as an option, as is a made-to-measure bag for safe and easy transport.

“We have equipped the CMS 600-3 exclusively with high-end components,” said Martin Traut, DYNACORD’s Senior Product Manager. “ALPS faders and potentiometers, low-noise and low-hum XLR inputs, and high-quality microphone preamps provide a foundation upon which the highest pro-audio standards are met.

For me, there isn’t a single mixer in this price category that can touch it for the quality of its feature set and the excellence of its sound.” www.dynacord.com

ENNOVATIONS

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Coda Audio launches ViRAY ViRAY also features a user-selectable horizontal dispersion pattern of 120° / 80° or asymmetrical 100° (60°+ 40°) or (40°+ 60°). This allows for very accurate audience coverage and reduced possibility of reflections, all resulting in outstanding system intelligibility. Vertical coverage is array dependent from 0°-10° in 1° steps.

The system design allows for a vast increase in ground-stacked configurations, as well as in flown arrays. It has a frequency response of 55Hz - 22kHz and, for extended bass response, is complemented by the optional SCV-F, which utilises Coda Audio’s award winning Sensor Control technology to turn the two elements into one unified system.

SCV-F may be used in Omni or Cardioid formats and can be flown in curved arrays, allowing full system flown applications to be completely coherent in all respects.

Coda Audio has never been a company to rest on its laurels. Always seeking to design and manufacture systems that deliver the very best possible audio quality, the company’s latest mission has been to design the first truly compact three-way line array.

That mission is now at a successful end with the launch of ViRAY. Designed for both touring and fixed installations, ViRAY has been created to deliver a system that is without compromise, fulfils the exacting needs of today’s global markets and surpasses the expectations of both user and listener.

With a maximum hang of 24 cabinets, ViRAY’s compact, high output enclosures can be used as single units as well as in multiple arrays, maximising the efficiency of the product and allowing it to be equally at home at FOH or as a sidefill / infill system.

With all components designed and manufactured in-house, as with all Coda Audio products the design began with the key components, and ViRAY incorporates Coda’s all new DDP Dual Diaphragm Planarwave-driver Technology. This patented new double diaphragm transducer is a result of extensive research and development, which has resulted in dramatically improved dynamic response, clarity and transparency. It seamlessly balances with two 8” neodymium ultra low distortion cone drivers for the LF section, which feature high flux linear motors with triple demodulation rings, reducing ultra low distortion and providing increased power handling.

ViRAY can also be fully integrated with Coda Audio’s RC Power/DSP management racks, making it a truly complete system. It can be used in passive or bi-amp configurations, with six ViRAY elements run from one amplifier channel in passive mode and maximum engineer control available in bi-amp mode. Another advantage is the integrated rigging system, which allows quick and easy flying or ground stacking.

Arrays may be built straight or curved to obtain the desired vertical coverage. Coda EASE Focus simulation software allows calculating the perfect curving setup for every application.

The ViRAY multiplex enclosure is finished with a Polyurea coating for extreme durability and water protection. A complete accessory suite includes flybars and dollies (which allow cabinet angles to be set before use and transported without change), weather resistant protection covers and flight cases.

“ViRAY incorporates a complete suite of new components and creative designs that have been brought together to produce something very special,” says Coda’s Mick Anderson. “It is the result of a perfect combination of technical innovation, excellence and real-world experience, which we believe have produced a system of such high quality and flexibility that it will be used in all kinds of venues, from the smallest clubs, through theatres and houses of worship, through to major arenas and concert halls.” www.codaaudio.com

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ENNOVATIONS

Focusrite introduces the Scarlett 2i4 Multiout USB 2.0 Interface

Focusrite has launched its Scarlett 2i4, a two-in, four-out USB-powered interface featuring two Focusrite mic preamps. This is the latest in the company’s series of highquality USB 2.0 bus-powered interfaces designed for Mac and PC. Scarlett 2i4 is packaged in an elegant, rugged unibody aluminium chassis and features a pair of Focusrite’s award-winning mic pres with mic, line and high-impedance instrument inputs. It has precision converters — with up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution — and delivers a real-world dynamic range in excess of 105dB on record and playback.

Some of the key features include, two award-winning Focusrite’s mic/line/ instrument preamps which ensure pristine quality, dual TRS/XLR front-panel inputs which easy connection for both TRS and XLR with combi-jack connectors, precision, superb-quality conversion full 24-bit/96kHz resolution and a superb dynamic range of over 105dB on both recording and playback: the best sound in its class.

And because it is totally bus-powered no power supply is required, even when using phantom power, making it ideal for recording instrument-and-vocal or stereo pairs. Inputs include a switched 10dB pad, enabling the interface to handle virtually any input level with distortion-free quality.

The Scarlett 2i4 shares several features with the existing 2i2 model, with the addition

of two more outputs and enhanced zerolatency monitoring — making it possible for an engineer to create separate monitor and artist mixes, or a DJ to cue up mixes while sending the main mix to a house mixer.

Instant access and convenience are important aspects of the Scarlett 2i4, from the front-panel headphone socket and universal connectors for XLR and jack inputs to the unique “halo” indicators around the input controls, which light up green when the level is good and red if it gets too hot.

Similarly, the monitoring controls feature a single large knob for monitor level plus a simple blend control mixing the input signal with the DAW output – with the ability to monitor either pair of outputs.

The input monitor can be switched to mono if desired, for example to hear an instrument or vocal in the centre of the monitor mix. The interface also includes MIDI in and out, making it easy to connect a digital piano to your music software or send and receive MIDI from a sound module.

Overall the Scarlett 2i4 is a powerful, versatile and effective addition to the Scarlett range of USB 2.0 interfaces, combining an elegant, rugged exterior with superb audio quality, thanks to its Focusrite preamps and class-leading digital audio conversion. www.focusrite.com

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Wireless done right!

Funktion-One introduces new additions at PLASA 2012 Funktion-One took PLASA as the prime opportunity to launch the F215 Mk2.

Offering an amazingly well defined bass from a compact enclosure; the F215 MK2 brings a new power, clarity and output to an important yet often disregarded area of the frequency spectrum. Utilising similar bass loading technology to Funktion One’s highly regarded F218, with a Funktion One high performance driver specification and an overall tuning for more impact, the F215 Mk2 delivers outstanding mid/upper bass performance. It can be used as a main stand-alone bass enclosure for smaller systems or combined with other Funktion One bass enclosures to form the beating heart of larger systems. The vertically stacked arrangement of the two horns, birch ply construction and optional robust wheels make for a durable, convenient and high performance package.

Also joining the Funktion-One family is the F1201, made for the small speaker range.

Using the ever-popular combination of a 12”

driver and 1” compression driver the F1201 offers exceptional clarity and level over a wide range of frequencies. With Funktion One’s exceptional enclosure tuning and driver optimisation, no processor or system equalisation is required; maximising the fidelity, performance, natural simplicity and cost effectiveness of this product.

The trapezoid shape combined with an HF horn that can be easily rotated through 90° facilitates simple horizontal or vertical deployment, as well as being part of horizontal and vertical arrays for larger dispersion.

The F1201 works as a stand alone PA or for use in small clubs and bars, and is ideally suited for use with Infrabass 218 and F121 bass enclosures where low bass extension is needed. www.funktion-one.com

• Industrys most reliable wireless DMX/RDM system • Automated Cognitive Coexistence • Is not disturbed by and will not disturb other systems • Lowest latency in the industry at 5 ms • Link range: 500-1000 meters line-of-sight • Advanced 128 bit encryption • One button takes care of all setup

F215 Mk2

For more information about LumenRadio’s wireless control products, please visit www.tsm-int.com

F1201 www.tsm-int.com • Phone: +65-62879878 • sales@tsm-int.com

They’re all grown and ready to hit the road.

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ENNOVATIONS

THE LITTLE ONES ARE NOW SHIPPING At less than 61 cm tall and only 20 kg, the VLX3 LED Wash boasts 6,000 lumens using 3 x 120W replaceable custom RGBW LED chipsets with a 10,000 hour source life, all with individual LED control.

Coming in under 64 cm tall and only 25 kg, the VL400 Spot provides 9,000 lumens of output from a 400W MSR Gold 400 Philips MiniFastFit ůĂŵƉ ĂŶĚ ŚĂƐ ϭϰ ĮdžĞĚ ĐŽůŽƌƐ ŽŶ ƚǁŽ independent color wheels.

All created under 64 cm tall and only 25.5 kg, the VL440, VL770, and VL880 Spot luminaires are complete with a 3-wheel CYM color assembly for rich, saturated colors. The VL440 uses a 400W MSR Gold 400 Philips MiniFastFit lamp to produce 9000 lumens of output, the VL770 has a 700W MSR Gold 700 Philips MiniFastFit lamp which produces 15,100 lumens of output, and the VL880 is complete with a 800W MSR WŚŝůŝƉƐ WůĂƟŶƵŵ ϯϱ ůĂŵƉ ƉƌŽĚƵĐŝŶŐ 19,000 lumens of output.

For a complete list of product features visit www.vari-lite.com.

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

HARMAN’s Soundcraft Si Performer Console provides an enlightened option for rental and staging companies It takes something completely different to make a digital audio console stand out from the crowd, but Soundcraft has done exactly that with its Soundcraft Si Performer range of mixers, which, thanks to the integrated DMX functionality, adds lighting control options to an already impressive and powerful audio feature set.

With the new console from HARMAN’s Soundcraft—the first audio console ever with integrated lighting control—rental system providers can elevate their services to a new level of performance with one desk, one interface, and support from a single manufacturer.

“At Soundcraft, we work very closely with our customers in the rental and staging market, and are always committed to identifying and meeting their business needs, which includes unique innovations, reliable and high-quality performance, ease of use and strong customer support,” said Keith Watson, Marketing Director, Mixing, HARMAN Professional. “The Si Performer not only dramatically simplifies the tasks of audio and lighting control by integrating the two mediums into one simple-tooperate user-interface, but also enables the engineer to link functions across both lighting and audio worlds, for instance cues, saving time and improving workflow are the end result. The Si Performer builds on the unmatched sound quality for which Soundcraft is known, and offers a compact desk that is significantly more affordable than the combined costs of owning,

transporting and operating separate audio and lighting consoles.”

The Si Performer has an input capacity of 80 audio inputs to mix on all models and the built-in I/O does not disappoint: Si Performer 2 with 24 mic and eight line inputs, and the Si Performer 3 with 32 mic and eight line inputs, plus the four FX return channels. The provision of two option card slots allows I/O expansion via any of the Soundcraft stageboxes and option cards from the Soundcraft ViSi Connect range, giving the possibility of patching up to 80 inputs to mix, or from CobraNet, AVIOM or AES inputs via the appropriate cards.

The unique integration of a DMX512 port offers core lighting control. The first release of software provides four scene masters (A-D) with associated slave channels on the ALT fader layers, individual colour intensities or parameters are set on the slave faders with an overall master level fader, which itself may be assigned to any of the main fader layers for simultaneous access to audio and lighting levels. To automate the process, DMX settings may be stored alongside audio settings in the snapshot system, so both may be recalled automatically by a single button press or via an external MIDI command. With selective isolation, snapshots with just audio or lighting parameter changes may be recalled. www.harman.com

ENNOVATIONS

Electro-Voice presents the ZX1-Sub Precision-engineered components, high power-handling capacity, and powerful, well-balanced sound: the passive ZX1-Sub is the latest member of Electro-Voice’s compact and lightweight ZX loudspeaker family. Electro-Voice presents an optimal combination of performance, portability and efficiency, the ZX1-Sub is well suited for both mobile applications and fixed installations.

Its EV-engineered 12” EVS-12S woofer operates in the 42 Hz to 200 Hz (-10 dB) frequency range and boasts a frequency response of 53 Hz – 125 Hz (-3 dB). The nominal impedance of the subwoofer is 8 ohms and its maximum sound pressure level is 127 dB. A robust, 15-mm-thick internally braced wooden enclosure with two side handles, a structured coating and a sturdy steel grille ensure both reliable performance and rugged durability in dayto-day use. The ZX1-Sub’s two recessed Speakon NL4 (2) connectors are wired in parallel, permitting the input signal to be looped through and making it possible to operate full-range loudspeakers such as

the ZX1 together with the ZX1-Sub using a single amplifier channel. With its compact dimensions (40 x 44 x 46 cm), the latest member of the ZX series weighs-in at just under 20 kilos.

Product Marketing Manager ProSound EMEA, Markus Schmittinger, is delighted with the new arrival: “It has never been

easier to give a solid foundation to a compact PA,” he says. “The ZX1-Sub was conceived primarily for configurations involving EVID, ZX1 and EVU systems, but it will also optimize system performance when paired with loudspeakers from other manufacturers.” www.electrovoice.com

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IT’S THE REAL STAR BE A FAN.

ENNOVATIONS

KLARK TEKNIK brings innovation and dedication to engineering and sonic quality.

100% Excellent Italian Technology

Signal processing master KLARK TEKNIK launched its pioneering DN9610 AES50 multichannel digital audio network connector at PLASA 2012.

Self-powered subwoofer equipped with two 12” custom built long excursion neodymium woofer with 3” voice coil and a class-D amplifier (1500W) which provides high power and built-in stereo x-over in a very light weight. Birch plywood cabinet, finished with anti-abrasion paint.

100% made in Italy. You gotta listen to how it sounds.

www.montarbo.com | www.palcoplus.com

The DN9610 is a solution for extending AES50 multichannel digital audio network connections (Cat-5e/Cat-6 cabling) to greater distances than previously achievable and was showcased for the first time at MIDAS’ impressive PLASA stand. Housed in a rugged, compact, alloy case, and enclosed in a shock-absorbing silicone sleeve, the DN9610 will fit almost anywhere, being no larger than many D.I boxes.

Each DN9610 is capable of extending two AES50 streams by up to 100m (330ft).

Provision is made for dual redundant power supplies, with automatic, seamless recovery in the unlikely event of a power supply failure. Power supplies are multi-

region and feature locking DC connectors to ensure against inadvertent disconnection.

The DN9610 is capable of both 24-bit 48 kHz and 24-bit 96 kHz operation, and can operate its two AES50 streams at different clock rates simultaneously! Through-unit latency is an astounding 0.03ms. Multiple DN9610’s can be connected in series, allowing transmission of AES50 over considerable distances.

Discrete LED status indicators are provided for power, AES50 input 1, AES50 input 2, AES50 output 1, and AES50 output 2.

The four RJ-45 sockets are roadworthy Neutrik EtherCON connectors. The DN9610 operates with ANY AES50-compliant devices. midasconsoles.com klarktecknik.com

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VTX-LZ-K Laser Accessory Kit for precision alignment of VTX Series Line Arrays HARMAN’s JBL Professional has launched the VTX-LZ-K Laser Accessory Kit, which facilitates the alignment of JBL VTX Series line array loudspeakers for optimum performance and audience coverage.

The VTX-LZ-K includes two VTX-LZ laser units and one rechargeable VTX-LZ-PS power supply. The VTX-LZ employs a Class 3R green laser (less than 5 mW, 532 nm wavelength) and is approximately 20 times more visible than a red laser for maximum visibility over long distances indoors or outdoors. The VTX-LZ laser units connect to the VTX-LZ-PS power supply by means of a standard XLR cable and multiple lasers can be daisy-chained (up to 10 units powered from a single power supply).

All VTX-LZ-K components feature rugged aluminum and high-impact plastic weather-resistant construction for longterm durability. The laser units are factorycalibrated, weather-resistant and feature fan-cooling and on/off cycling for extended laser life.

VTX-LZ laser units attach to the VTX enclosure suspension frame and are secured using a quick-release locking pin.

Lasers can be mounted on either side of the enclosure by changing the orientation of the VTX-LZ mount tab and since the laser is centered on the middle of the enclosure, it provides an accurate site angle reference in accordance with JBL Line Array Calculator II (LAC II) software predictions.

When mounted on the top enclosure of a VTX line array, the VTX-LZ laser provides a visual reference to confirm the on-axis vertical site angle of the array while also providing an azimuth indication so that relative horizontal pan angles can be matched for FOH left-right arrays. With reference to LAC II software, the normal installation procedure is to attach a tape measure to the lower front corner of the bottom VTX enclosure as a reference for setting array trim height. Once the array trim height is set, the front motor is turned off, the VTX-LZ is turned on and the rear motor is manipulated to adjust the array site angle while visually referring to the laser to ensure that top enclosure is pointed at the rear of the desired audience location.

For advanced system tuning, multiple LZ lasers can be deployed to serve as site angle references for individual array

The new JBL VTX-LZ-K laser kit includes two VTXLZ laser units (right), rechargeable VTX-LZ-PS power supply (top left) and AC adapter (lower left).

circuits, assisting in physical measurement microphone placement to correspond with virtual measurement microphones shown in LAC. Using JBL HiQnet Performance Manager control software and with reference to measured spatial response, circuit level gain shading and JBL Line Array Control Panel (LACP) frequency tapering adjustments are performed as a first step in system tuning.

This initial step is referred to as array calibration and JBL LAC II / LACP simulations provide a good starting point. For the actual real world installation, VTX-LZ lasers mounted on array circuits can be used as a reference for microphone placement to verify and further refine the starting point gain shading and tapering parameters that were pre-determined in JBL LAC II / LACP and Performance Manager.

Once SPL and frequency response has been optimized on a circuit level, global equalization can then be applied to the entire array to compensate for roomrelated effects. For this step, array equalization can be based on the spatial average of all measurement microphones that were placed throughout the audience area with reference to VTX-LZ laser aiming locations. This patented approach to system measurement and tuning has been specifically designed into the workflow of Performance Manager (US patent 2008/0170729). www.harman.com

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ENNOVATIONS

CHAUVET announces revolutionary line of architainment lighting solutions variable speeds, the trapezoidal 14-position (plus open) colour wheel allows for better split colours and seamless transitions. Also featuring variable speeds, the gobo wheel has 17 gobos for inspiring effects.

The stand was further highlighted by the Q-Wash 436Z-LED, a zooming LED wash powered by 36 x 10W quad-coloured RGBW LEDs. With a versatile zoom of 17 to 39 degrees that makes this unit appropriate for a wide variety of applications. Five sections of LED control and built-in colour macros deliver stunning eye-candy effects and flicker-free dimming allows for on-camera use.

CHAUVET Professional, showcased new fixtures at PLASA 2012 and introduced its line of architainment interior and exterior lighting solutions ILUMINARC. The captivating stand featured a lighting design created by Knight of Illumination award nominee, Tom Sutherland, and the CHAUVET Professional team hosted a panel discussion on LED lighting with Richard Pilbrow, Rick Fisher, Fred Foster and Jeremy Hoare. Additionally, CHAUVET was one of the sponsors for the fifth annual Knight of Illumination Awards, organized by STLD, ALD.

F-165WW delivers over 1,500 lux at 5m (13 degrees) without a significant temperaturerelated drop off. The fixture has an easily adjustable motorized zoom and barn doors to aid in glare reduction and beam shaping.

The line also features the Ovation E-190WW which is powered by 19 x 10W LEDs, styled after the ellipsoidal spot fixtures and delivers over 2,600 lux at 5m. Both fixtures feature a colour temperature of 3100K, a beautiful flat field and selectable dimming curves, blending easily into existing systems. The E-190WW also has standard beam shaping shutters, a gobo/effect slot and lens barrels that are interchangeable with other ERS fixtures.

Next was the Legend 230SR beam which is a compact, lightweight, intensely bright moving head beam luminaire, built for touring, live events, television sets or clubs. The Legend 230SR beam has a tight 2.25-degree beam angle and houses an Osram Sirius 230-watt lamp, which makes this fixture strikingly bright at 96,000 lux at 15 meters. The incorporated high-quality glass optics and eight-facet rotating prism with zoom capabilities and motorized focus contribute to flawless hardedged beams and energizing aerial effects accentuated by haze or fog. Operating at

First up was the new line of theatrical fixtures, Ovation. This included the Ovation F-165WW which is the first Fresnel-style fixture in the new line. Powered by 16 x 10W LEDs, the Ovation

To sum up the stand were the Colours. The Colourdash Par Quad-18 and Colourdash Par Quad-7, both are LED PAR-style fixtures, compact, durable and convenient to install.

The Par Quad-18 has 18 quad-coloured RGBA LEDs, while Par Quad-7 has 7. Amber LEDs not only produce any variation of white, but also create stunning saturated colours. Both lights have a split yoke that eliminates the need for floor stands and feature 3- and 5-pin DMX connections, a locking IEC power input and Edison power linking.

Also from the dash family, the Colourdash Batten Quad-6 is fitted with six quad-coloured RGBA LEDs housed in a durable, linear-style fixture. The included hanging bracket and floor trunnions to make setup quick and easy. Capable of individual pixel control, the fixture’s LEDs are properly spaced to maintain even pixel pitch when fixtures are lined up end-to-end or stacked in an array.

And not wanting to be left out of the limelight, the Colourado Deco Quad-1 Tour loads a single powerful 10-watt quad-coloured RGBW LED into compact and robust housing. The incorporation of white in the quad-coloured LED provides a truer white spectrum and an overall boost in colour output for more subtle pastels and higher CRI. This fixture is perfect for warming narrow gauge truss, or accenting plants and architectural features. www.chauvetpro.com

ENNOVATIONS

Martin VC-Grid 25 now shipping Martin Professional’s new LED video module, the VC-Grid 25, is now shipping from the company’s Danish factory to Martin partners and end users worldwide.

and quality we bring into the equation using our P3 technology and advanced calibration is definitely changing the game.”

The VC-Grid 25 is a true LED video panel in a compact and lightweight form (200 x 200 mm) that enables more creative integration of LED video into stage designs, interiors, set elements and custom-shaped LED video screens. Driven by Martin’s award-winning P3 System Controller Family, the VC-Grid 25 is fully calibrated to the same standards as Martin’s popular EC and LC Plus Series LED video screens.

The VC-Grid 25 is supported by the P3 PowerPort 1500, an integrated power and data processor with flexible installation options, and is available in RGB, warm white, medium white, cool white or custom variants. www.martin.com

“The response on the VC-Grid 25, as well as the customized products derived from it, has been extremely positive,” comments Martin Product Manager for LED Video, Wouter Verlinden. “Offering a product that enables integration of LED video in various elements of stages and buildings is not something new, but the simplicity

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ENNOVATIONS

Philips Entertainment launches Showline and more @ PLASA 2012

Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing for Philips Vari-Lite, Bob Schacherl, draws the winners of a commemorative poster and bottle of Rioja on stand at PLASA

The 2012 PLASA Show, saw the teams from Philips Entertainment brands Vari-Lite, Strand Lighting and Selecon each introduce a number of exciting new products to the industry. In addition, Philips Entertainment launched Showline, a range of dynamic feature rich, LED luminaires providing professional performance, exceptional feature sets and one common user interface.

“Showline is a range of super-efficient, professional entertainment LED fixtures created specifically for a broad spectrum of events from concert touring to Theatre and TV to corporate shows and cruise ships,” explains David March, director of European Sales for Vari-Lite. “We had an excellent response at PLASA to Showline. The products were well received by designers and rental companies alike. Showline is destined to become a leader in entertainment LED Luminaires and will receive the same worldwide sales, service and support as our other luminaires ensuring that Showline products enable any production to be successful every time.”

Today, the LED luminaires from Vari-Lite, Selecon and Showline offer consistent colour matching, dimming and operation along with intuitive set up. Lighting designers and technicians are now free to plan their production, safe in the knowledge that they can achieve consistent light and colour across the full Philips Entertainment range.

On show from Showline were the SL BAR 640 and 660, the SL BAR 520 and the SL PAR 150.

PLASA also saw Vari-Lite celebrate 30 years since 50 of its first automated luminaire, the VL1, rolled onto the stage in a Barcelona bull ring for the Genesis "Abacab" Tour. Tapas and Rioja were served on stand to PLASA show visitors, and a prize draw saw three lucky entrants receive a commemorative poster and bottle of Rioja from Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing for Philips VariLite, Bob Schacherl.

Elsewhere on the stand Selecon launched a new range of professional LED luminaires including the PLFRESNEL-1 and the PLPROFILE-1. The company also showed off the prototype PLPROFILE-4 and the new PLCYC-2, both of which received excellent feedback from professional lighting designers and technicians visiting the show.

All fixtures are designed to complement Philips Entertainment’s existing range of LED luminaires - the Selecon PL3, PL1, PLCYC1 and the Vari-Lite VLX range. Together, this comprehensive palette of lighting tools offer a high level of creative expression to those working in the theatre, small studio and display lighting sectors.

“A key benefit of the PLFRESNEL-1 and PLPROFILE-1 is that it’s no longer necessary to change lamps or colour filter,” says Graham

Eales, general manager for Selecon. “Both luminaires combine the superior control and light quality of a Philips Selecon Fresnel and Profile with the ability to seamlessly fade between colours. Lighting designers now have a new performance lighting tool while less power consumption and no dimmer circuits make the PLFRESNEL-1 and the PLPROFILE-1 an obvious choice for a range of applications.”

“The new PL products use the same proven LED engine as the Philips Selecon PL3, PL1, PLCYC1 and the Philips Vari-Lite VLX ranges, which means colour matching in a multifunctional rig is entirely simplified,” adds Grant Bales-Smith, sales manager for Strand Selecon Europe. “In addition the user interface is the same for all luminaires, which ensures intuitive operation across the whole Philips Entertainment range of LED luminaires.”

The full breadth of Philips Entertainment luminaires were powered by a Strand Lighting Wall Rack and Relay Panels, and controlled through the intuitive Palette VL16 console.

This enabled Strand Lighting to show off its dynamic, new iPad controls for the Palette lighting control consoles alongside the evolution of the popular Strand Series 200 console, the Strand ML250. www.philips.com

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XR series line from PR Lighting raises the bar with brilliance and versatility

Its compact construction, silent operation and low power consumption makes it an ideal tool for use in TV, theatre and corporate events — as well as countless other demanding applications.

wheel, with 17 gobos (plus white), while other effects include a prism/frost wheel, with CTO, frost filter and 8-facet prism (plus white), with a linearly DMX-controlled zoom from 0%-100%. There is also a double shutter strobe, offering between 0.3-20 fps.

The DMX-controlled head offers movement of 540° (pan) and 270° (tilt), with auto positioning of the head, while the beam angle is 0°-4° linearly adjustable.

Constructed in modular fashion for ease of service, the chassis is made of composite plastic (IP20-rated) and the entire fixture weighs 16kg and measures 412mm x 510mm x 336mm (WHL).

QUALITY

To tantalise your taste buds, we start with the XR 800 which is not only versatile and silent but also uses he latest Philips MSR Platinum 35 lamp — and 800W light source that not only produces an extremely bright light, but a wide zoom range from 7.5° to 50°.

Finally, the new Philips Platinum 5R beam moving head, the XR 200 beam. Sturdy, compact and with a highly developed optical path, the fixture offers enormous brightness in a compact form factor, with a weight of just 16kg.

Other features include an advanced colour system, with smooth CMY colour mixing and macros, seven dichroic colour filter wheel (plus white), half colour effect, with vari-speed, bi-directional rainbow effect, step/linear colour change and linear colour temperature correction.

It has a fully featured effects library including a rotating gobo wheel, with seven interchangeable gobos (plus white), fixed gobo wheel, with seven interchangeable gobos (plus white); 1x3 facet vari-speed prism (bi-directionally rotatable), frost wheel, animation wheel and dimming (0100% linearly adjustable), iris (5-100% linearly adjustable) and shutter (0.3-20fps strobe).

To top it off, it is constructed in 100% composite plastic, and IP-20 rated, weighing in at 30kg and measuring 410mm x 710mm x 349mm (WHL).

Next up, the new XR 300 beam is an intelligent moving head fixture, with a rotating body, which uses the 300W Philips MSD Platinum 15R (8,000K) as its source.

Featuring a colour wheel, with 14 dichroic colour filters, a fixed gobo

At the same time, PR Lighting has worked considerably on the design and structure so that in addition to its weight advantage the movement is also faster and the running much quieter, while the legendary colour, gobo and prism/frost filter wheel ensures that it is fully featured. In fact, like the XR 300, the colour wheel boasts 14 dichroic colours, the fixed gobo wheel, and the prism/frost wheel as well. The fixture offers 540° pan and 270° tilt, with a beam angle of 0°-4° (linearly adjustable). Although the lamp is rated at just 189W the output is far greater, and the lamp life is given as 2,000 hours.

The XR series is certain to find favour as a true value for money line with amazing features. www.pr-lighting.com

LIKE THE AFFORDABLE LINE OF i-LINE PRODUCTS WWW.PROLYTE.COM

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ENNOVATIONS calibre, helping us win more pitches. Let's take the example of a televised rock 'n' roll event: in the venue, as the event is being filmed, the cameras are hardly operated in a manner that keeps them perpendicular with the stage – they are rolled and pitched frequently to add dynamics to the shoot. Now if you can represent this in your animation and show precisely what the film will look like when it hits the TV, then you're much more likely to secure the business.”

Even though the 6D Camera alone would be enough to justify the upgrade for most WYSIWYG users, the innovative enhancements don’t stop there – CAST’s addition of Shaded View Selection has made the process of selecting fixtures and changing characteristics while in design mode, infinitely quicker and easier.

WYSIWYG experts heap praise on new R29 The industry's response to the brand new version of CAST Software’s industry standard pre-visualisation suite, WYSIWYG R29, has been overwhelming. Professionals have hailed the release as a triumph for productivity and accuracy in event design.

The R29 was first released to members only and has quickly received widespread commendation for the variety of new features that expand the software’s potential. Particular attention has been paid to the breakthrough Six Degrees of Freedom Camera and Shaded View Selection – acknowledged as having the power to help WYSIWYG professionals ‘raise their game’.

The addition of another three degrees of freedom to the WYSIWYG cameras is of huge importance because it means the orientation

of the camera is no longer restricted to a slightly robotic three dimension. Users are now able to position the camera absolutely any way they choose – mirroring the complete freedom of movement that they would have with a physical camera in a live situation.

WYSIWYG's greatest asset has always been that what you see on screen is exactly what you get at the event on the day, and the 6D camera takes this even further by allowing you to see not only exactly what you're going to get, but to see it from any imaginable angle.

"One can now get a much more 'lifelike' experience when playing back animations in WYSIWYG,” explains video designer and lighting visualisations specialist, Miguel Ribeiro. “This takes the professional quality of animations to a whole new level and makes for presentations that are of the highest

Nick Calthrop of Calthrop Design explains: “The introduction of the Shaded View Selection is going to speed up every Wyg user’s design mode work flow rate by at least 10 to 20 per cent. Being able to select individual or multiple fixtures in shaded view has eliminated the need to work in either quad view – with a small shaded view window showing how the fixtures are reacting – or flipping between the main wireframe views and the shaded view window to select fixtures as required.

“In the short time that I have been using the Shaded View Selection, it has changed the way that I work in Wyg. I am spending less time switching between screens and more time getting the looks that I want within the shaded view. This has made me significantly more productive with the limited time I have available.” www.cast-soft.com

Ultra light for high standards, Studiomaster Professional brings us ARIA 12 With a vision to provide professional audio solutions that deliver exemplary performances, and a mission to bring high performance products that have a hallmark of legendary reliability, Studiomaster Professional has proudly introduced the ARIA 12. A high performance passive speaker system, specially designed for applications that need a high standard of audio reproduction.

This ultra-light-weight compact enclosure is designed to be stand mounted, arrayed or even used as a floor monitor. The loud speaker features a 12”LF + 1.75” HF housed in a heavy duty plastic molded cabinet with a rubberized

easy grip handle for easy transportation. The enclosure has an incredible SPL of 126dB, sensitivity of 96db, a frequency response of 50Hz-20KHz & a wide coverage area of 120° x 30° x 45°. With its high output, punchy low end and extended high frequency response the ARIA 12 is the perfect solution for both music and speech for indoor & outdoor, stage, studio, house of worship, DJ & just about any application. www.studiomasterprofessional.com

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Martin Professional offers M-PC Lighting Control Software without restrictions

Martin Professional is proud to be able to offer a new version of its powerful M-Series lighting controller software (M-PC) with an unrestricted free universe of DMX. With an ever-growing M-Series line of controllers like the M1 and the new M2GO, demand to learn Martin’s M-Series has grown tremendously. The M-PC Free Edition allows users to access all of the same functionalities of Martin’s M-Series range of consoles via the Windows-compatible M-PC for free.

The Free Edition of M-PC was designed to open the M-Series platform to a wider audience and allows educational environments, or anyone with a limited budget, access to a leading professional lighting control system via a simple download.

There are 3 ways to run M-PC for free: -Using any Art-Net compatible device, Universe 1 is accessible for free -Using any Martin Universal or Duo DMX device, Universes 1 and 2 are accessible for free - Additionally, Martin has partnered with ENTTEC to support their popular range of USB-DMX converters for the M-PC Free Edition, including the new ENTTEC USB-DMX Pro MK2 that was introduced at LDI The M-PC Free Edition can be downloaded at: http://www.martin.com/product/product.asp?product=m-pc www.martin.com

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ENNOVATIONS

Robe reveals new additions Designed for theatrical and television lighting, the DL range is the result of extensive R‘n’D by Robe using the latest technologies to perfect the precise ‘white light’ requirements of the specialist areas.

The ROBIN DLS Profile is the latest product in the DL range of luminaires that use the Robe RGBW LED module. The DLS adds a system of 4 fast, smooth, framing shutters within the optical path design of the proven DLX Spot format. There is individual control of each shutter blade position and angle, together with rotation of the complete framing module. As well as providing a sharp precise or soft frame for the projected image, the system produces a new series of effects through preprogrammed shutter

blade shape and movement sequences. As with all models in the Robe DL luminaire range, the multiple shadows normally associated with an LED source have been eliminated.

The Robe RGBW LED light source reproduces both rich and pastel colours at output levels normally associated with 1200W discharge fixtures as well as pure whites at preselected 2700, 3200, 4200, 5600 and 8000 kelvin colour temperatures. The tungsten emulation function allows the fixture to be integrated seamlessly into lighting schemes with existing traditional lanterns.

Also joining the DLS Profile is the ROBIN DLF Wash. A perfect companion to the ROBIN DLX, the ROBIN DLF Wash is based on the same RGBW LED module. With a perfectly smooth output via the front fresnel lens, this fixture has been optimized for those wanting an even light output with no shadows (RGB breakups and shadows are not present even when on closely positioned trussing or other objects).

Mechanical features include a newly designed linear motorized zoom of 5.5°- 60° and a diffusion filter for extension of the zoom up to 75°. The fixture uses a beam shaping module for DLF Wash creating different shapes, which also simulate barn door effects.

The module consists of four individually controllable blades and is rotatable by plus or minus 90 degrees.

Advanced software features include RGBW or CMY colour mixing, a set of calibrated whites, CTO, tungsten lamp emulation (amber shift) and more. www.robe.cz

DLS Profile

High End Systems launches Hog4 Family High End Systems announced the Hog4 family at the LDI 2012 trade show in Las Vegas. The new range of control products includes four platforms, all running a brand new Hog4 operating system (Hog4 OS), a Playback wing and a Master wing.

The Hog4 flagship console is joined by the all new Full Boar 4, Road Hog4, Nano Hog4 and Hog4 PC, creating a broad range of control products suitable for productions in a local theatre to large arenas and tours. All products are immediately available for order, with most of the family already starting to ship in November. Leaving only the Road Hog4 and Master Wing4, which will be available for shipment in January 2013.

All of the consoles feature wide screen displays, solid state hard drives, all new User Keys, a unified Hog4 OS and extremely fast boot and show load times. There are 43 new features currently shipping at launch time.

High End Systems has retained the industry acclaimed layout of its console range, which allows users to move to the new platforms with minimum delay. Even the Hog4 PC has had additional value added in the ability to output Art-Net and sACN protocols directly from a computer running Hog4 PC, when a DMX widget is attached.

Compatibility is a key of this launch. Hog 3 OS shows will load into the Hog4 OS platforms seamlessly, and all current Hog 3 peripherals are compatible with the Hog4 family of products.

Chris Ferrante, Hog Product Manager added, “Our focus with this launch was to provide a range of products that can fit the needs of a wide variety of customers. The entire family runs on the same operating system, enabling show files to be portable across all platforms.

Our long time users will immediately notice a 100% increase in performance

responsiveness. The console boot-up process takes about 23 seconds and show-loads are virtually instantaneous. In addition, we have added features like 'user kinds' which will give operators extreme flexibility controlling complex fixtures and significantly reduce show programming steps and time.”

The new Road Hog4 deserves special mention as well. It comes standard with an industry leading 22” multi-touch wide screen display and is High End's most competitively priced Hog in history. Having listened to customer feedback, this console is able to network, expand and grow with users' needs. www.highend.com

More information under

www.coolux.com

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EXHIBITION REVIEW

PALME THAILAND After a six year hiatus, IIR Exhibitions (now known as Informa Exhibitions Pte Ltd), brought back PALME to Bangkok, Thailand.

This year, the event was held at the IMPACT Exhibition and Convention centre whereas previously it was held in a more centralised location. The reason for this is that IIR Exhibitions in its valiant attempt to offer vertical market end-users to the industry, tied in the PALME Exhibition with five other vertical market exhibitions and thus located the exhibition at IMPACT to take advantage of this.

PALME Thailand did attract the local industry and even some from South-East Asia. Overall the show, as always, was touted as a local show for the regional players. Visitor numbers were not available at the time of this report but over the three days, it was a fair turnout.

There were as expected, mixed reactions from exhibitors.

For a few like Analog Way, Bosch and Deco 2000, it was a branding exercise which they felt was achieved successfully. On the other

hand Createled's Mark was disappointed with the show but then again there were also companies like Mahajak and One System Global who were very pleased with the exhibition.

William Roddes of Analog Way comments, “Our primary objective was to widen our network of contacts in Thailand and we have seen quality visitors come by.”

As for D.A.S. Audio, they took the opportunity to present their systems with a live band performance. “It was a great opportunity for us to do something different and present our solutions in a different way. With the live band performance we were able to showcase our solutions as well as create brand awareness,” says Eduardo Lopez.

In fact to showcase the abilities of the Aero50 and Aero12, D.A.S. Audio engaged the help of Works International, a large rental company based out of Phuket to help them with the systems.

And as for the performers, the band was specially flown in from Colombo. The band

was really good! “We are happy with our concept for the booth and we have had good response. It was also a good tool for our dealers and distributors as it presented them the opportunity to showcase our solutions to their customers.”

Kramer's rep in Thailand, Guntapong Boonyanupong felt that it was a case of quality over quantity. “Many of those who dropped by the booth knew what they were looking for. A lot of the visitors were knowledgeable and I believe the exhibition provided us with a platform to handle their queries face-to-face.”

Sivakumar Pichai of Bosch in Thailand states that his objective was to further the brand awareness. “We have a full line up of quality solutions for the audio segment.

We have been seeing double growth over the last 3 years and we want to keep up the momentum. This exhibition highlights to visitors our local presence and also provided us the opportunity to invite resellers to view the products.”

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

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dnp Denmark showcased its screen solutions at their exclusive distributor booth, Deco 2000. dnp's Anjum comments, “For us this exhibition helps us bring awareness that Deco 2000 is the appointed distributor for dnp.

More than that it also enables us to show and educate visitors on how screens have impact and that there are differences between screens and displays.”

Ponsakorn of Mahajak Development says that the show was better than expected. “We saw good turnout of dealers and customers.

In addition the one day seminar by Harman's Stuart Dingwell that was held in conjunction with the exhibition attracted over 100 participants.”

Veera of Acoustic & Lighting adds that he was very pleased and satisfied with the show.

The booth saw a good number of visitors on all three days. “I believe it helps that we are a pure distribution company. Integrators do not see us as competition and this helps our business in Thailand very much.”

Howard of One Systems Global was very pleased with the booth location. “Our booth design and the fact that we are showcasing well known and established brands helped draw the crowd. We met our current

Total Solution Marketing booth

The D.A.S. Audio booth featuring band from Sri Lanka

Chris Sifton of Oracle... no longer selling toys... now buying them

Mahajak booth

customers and potential new customers as well.”

Visitors to the exhibition were also pleased with the event. "INSTALL / PALME Thailand 2012 offered me a wide range of the latest technology and new product showcases on Lighting, Systems Integration and Installation Technologies," said Pakawat Buaphan, Event Lighting system Product Manager, Lighting and Equipment Public Company Limited.

Total Solution Marketing booth

"INSTALL / PALME Thailand 2012 is a very good trade show. I am very pleased to have visited the event and experience a lot of the new broadcasting technologies and I will not miss the opportunity to visit INSTALL / PALME Thailand again," said Somkiat Sammasit, Technical Support Satellite & Post Production, Workpoint Entertainment Public Company Limited.

Quad Pro

The Outdoor Line Array Demo set-up by T.P.S. Sound System

Hmmm… wonder what he wants to buy?

The Acoustic and Lighting booth

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EXHIBITION REVIEW

The Bosch booth

Analog Way team

The Bosch booth

The One Systems Global Booth

Kramerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guntapong explaining the Kramer solution to visitors

The Pioneer DJ Competition

The ABtUS team with their Thai Distributor

The Harman seminar attracted huge participation

The Deco 2000 booth

Shure Booth

One of the seminars held at PALME Thailand

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

South East Asia’s Leading International Professional Audio, Lighting, AV, Systems Integration, Music Software and Entertainment Technology Exhibition

17 – 19 July 2013 Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Book Your Booth Space NOW to enjoy Early Bird Rates!

Please contact Ms. Anna Cheong at +65 6411 7777 or email at anna.cheong@informa.com

www.palmeseries.com/asia (Formerly IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd)

Tel: +65 6411 7777 | Fax: +65 6411 7778 www.informa.com | www.informaexhibitions.com/sg

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EXHIBITION REVIEW

Prolight + Sound Shanghai ends on a high note As the tradeshow drew to a close on 14 October 2012 in Shanghai, show organizers, INTEX Shanghai and Messe Frankfurt, were pleased to report an increase in number of exhibitors and visitors.

Over the four-day period (October 11 - 14), Prolight + Sound served as a marketplace for manufacturers, suppliers, industry leaders and the media to discuss trends and news from the fields of audio technology, lighting, theatre and stage technology, systems integration, production and broadcasting.

The show comes in line with the Chinese Government’s recent efforts to stimulate the performing arts and entertainment industries

– which observed an immense increase in the number of performances taking place in Eastern China.

Prolight + Sound Shanghai attracted 20,039 visitors from 76 countries and regions who viewed the latest pro-audio, lighting, entertainment and event technology industry products presented by 414 exhibitors from 20 countries and regions.

This year’s exhibition was also a visual extravaganza with its large-capacity booths and elaborate lighting displays. www.prolight-sound.com

EXHIBITION REVIEW

EXHIBITORS & VISITORS’ CORNER “Since our first edition in 2003, we have grown steadily over the years but in the last few years we have seen the Chinese audio, lighting, entertainment and events industries expand dramatically due in part to large scale events in China and the government’s 12th Five-Year Plan.

However, we are no longer just a fair that attracts Chinese buyers and exhibitors, we are one that major international brands with their high-quality products make sure they attend.” – Evan Sha, General Manager, Messe Frankfurt (Shanghai).

“The show’s scale and influence in the stage technology industry has increased immensely over the past 10 years. You can find buyers and people engaging in serious business discussions everywhere during the show. I hope this show continues to be a professional platform for international stage industry people to reach the Chinese market, as well as new markets such as South America and South Africa.” – Lu Weizhao, Marketing Manager, CR Photoelectric Technology.

“We want to expose our brand to the international market and show the world that as a Chinese domestic supplier, we can offer products which are competitive to Western suppliers.” –Maggie Xiao, Account Manager, LAX. “China is an important market for us and visitors are asking more and more for high quality and durable products, which is the strength of Sennheiser. Prolight + Sound Shanghai is always a good opportunity to meet business partners and professional visitors from all around the world.” – Marc Vincent, President of Greater China, Sennheiser (Beijing).

“We think it is a remarkable purchasing platform. We can find everything from LED / laser pro lighting, to fog machines and cables. It is also good to see what is new in the industry and how the trends will go.” – Gabriel Menashe, Xstatic Pro Lighting.

The next Prolight + Sound Shanghai will take place 10 – 13 October 2013.

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Norwest Productions

un-reinforce South Pacific

Rodgers & Hammerstein musical, South Pacific, is the first Lincoln Center Theatre production to ever tour Australia. It also marks the coming together of Australia’s largest performing arts company, Opera Australia, with Australia’s largest commercial theatre producer, John Frost.

Considered one of the finest musicals ever written, the score includes Some Enchanted Evening, I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair and There is Nothin’ Like a Dame. With a cast of 40 and an orchestra twice the size of most musicals, this international hit and landmark production dominated the 2008 Tony Awards picking up seven of the coveted awards.

One award recipient was sound designer Scott Lehrer and so the pressure was on for Norwest Productions to deliver a sound solution to ensure the Australian production lived up to its heritage!

Norwest’s Adrian Riddell was appointed Associate Sound Designer and it was his task to translate Lehrer’s design to the Australian production. Lehrer has made no secret of

wanting a quieter, more intimate show than is typical of most musicals preferring to use available technology to make the audience perceive the sound as more natural than most musicals.

“There are four separate vocal zones on stage so wherever the main speaking is happening at a particular time we will route the audio into that particular zone which changes the delay times into the speakers,” he explained.

"I always thought it should be done as quietly as possible, to keep the focus on the storytelling," Lehrer said.

“So wherever you’re sitting the delay time in the speakers will change to give you the perception of the sound coming from that particular area. It’s quite a different technique which we’ve never done before but it works well.”

"It's the difference between the audience being pushed back by the sound and being drawn in."

“Scott never wanted a fully amplified sound but rather a reinforcement of the acoustic sound of both the principle actors, chorus and orchestra,” commented Adrian.

“His comment to us was, the audience really needs to lean in to listen rather than sit back and it be fed to them.”

There were spatial techniques used throughout the show so as the actors moved across the stage, a sound processor changed the delay times in the loudspeaker system to give the feeling of movement.

There was a requirement for sound effects to be generated from moving set pieces (radio telecommunications radios) through out the show and they were required to be cable free. This was achieved by having 12v battery powered car amplifiers to power the speakers and RF Beltpacks to receive the audio signal.

“There is a speaker on each desk so that rather than the sound coming out of the main PA system, it comes from the desk giving the audience the perception the sound is really coming from there,” added Adrian.

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“We do the same in Act I with the telephone ringing on the desk; the phone has a battery powered amplifier hidden in the desk.”

The PA system is a fairly standard set up with both d&b audiotechnik and EAW boxes driven by d&b and Crown amplifiers. Lehrer favors d&b audiotechnik C7 speakers, which comprise the centre cluster.

The actors employ headworn DPA 4061 lavalier microphones with Shure transmitters and receivers. When Lisa McCune, who plays Nelly, sings I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair whilst in the shower, a Countryman B3 water-resistant microphone is deployed.

“They're incredibly neutral, beautifulsounding speakers.” He also chose d&b Q-Series amps for left/right and main delay systems.

“Countryman makes a lavalier that is very water repellant,” Lehrer is quoted as saying.

“So we have two transmitters on her, both with Countryman lavaliers, which resist water much better than the DAP 4061s. At least one of them generally works when she comes out of the shower.”

Lehrer also double-mikes the character of Emile, an operatic baritone, with a second lavalier on his chest to capture the rich bass frequencies that the head-worn mic does not pick up.

“This means that when the lead actor is talking it sounds like she is coming through a really old PA. Rather than using a digital effect, we actually sourced a really old PA to get that sound. Unfortunately those particular horns are as rare as hen’s teeth, bigger too, but we eventually found some in a friends garage in New Zealand!”

of the conductor by those onstage and backstage. Added to that are surveillance cameras for the automation operator.

“With the floor moving backwards and forwards there were certain pinch points in the stage that could be a potential hazard,” explained Adrian.

“If a cast or crew member was standing in the wrong spot they could be crushed so we provided surveillance cameras so the automation operator can see if the coast is clear before he moves anything.”

“These are my favorite speakers to use,” Lehrer says.

“When we get to the scene with the Folies stage at the beginning of Act II we decided to put a couple of Altec Lansing 511B spectral horns on top of the stage” said Adrian.

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At FOH, mix engineer John Watterson uses a Digico D5T for mixing with a couple of Qlab Replay Machines, a Big Ben Word Clock Master and a TC6000 Reverb Engine also in use.

As well as the audio, Norwest Productions was also responsible for the communications providing all of the comms and the video system, including monitors allowing viewing

Following a sell-out season at the Sydney Opera House, the show has extended its Melbourne run by three weeks, and the producers have announced that this production of South Pacific will return to Sydney Opera House in 2013. www.dbaudio.com www.eaw.com

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J Davis Prosound & Lighting provides sound reinforcement for Legendary MS. Vishwanathan MS. Vishwanathan performed for the first time in Tamil Music history with his 100Pc orchestra at Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai, on August 29, 2012.

to 4 hours to setup the entire orchestra with line checks and song rehearsals,” shared Santana Davis, Chief Sound Engineer of J Davis Prosound & Lighting.

The live concert was a legendary hit, involving notable artistes SP Balasubramanium, Vani Jayram, P. Susheela, AL Raghavan, Haircharan and Anuradha Sriram, along with the country’s top percussionist Sivamani.

“L-Acoustics V-DOSC System was definitely a great tool for such a large ensemble and people were really amazed with the sound quality it delivered, leaving them wondering if the orchestra is really performing or it’s a CD playback,” continued Santana.

L-Acoustics Arcs and SB 218 Subs were used as sidefills along with a few JBL VRX boxes for the orchestra.

A total of 9 V-Dosc Boxes per side with 4 SB 218 Subs were deployed as main PA, with 4 L-acoustics arcs to fill in the centre audience area. A Stacked 4 Box a side L-Acoustics V-DOSC were further used for the extreme left & right of venue to cover the side audiences.

The complete system was amplified by L-Acoustics LA 48A amps. The main PA, centre fills with the side arrays were controlled by Dolby Lake controller, while L-Acoustics were controlled by a BSS Omnidrive FDS 366 on stage.

J Davis Prosound & Lighting were chosen to provide the sound reinforcement for this historical event.

“It was quite easy for us to handle the event as we had done the same magnitude of event twice with Illayaraja earlier. It only took us 3

In total, 24 monitors were used on stage – 8 x LE 1500 & 8 x LE 2100 Martin Audio monitors, along with JBL SR series monitors were used.

The FOH consoles consisted of 2 x Avid SC 48 Ch Digital Desks while 1 x Yamaha PM5D RH and 1 x Yamaha LS9 32 CH Board controlled the MOH. “Overall it was a phenomenal musical event and I was really happy with the way the event went and helped us add another milestone to our company,” concludes Santana. www.jdavisprosound.com

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grandMA2 celebrates

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the “Merlion”

Singapore’s mythical mascot the “Merlion” just celebrated its 40th anniversary. The show “Merlion & I: An Inspiring Journey” was designed to trace how the Merlion has evolved into a well-loved Singaporean icon over the past four decades.

Lighting designer Andrew Gardner and programmer Fares Aljunied chose a grandMA2 light to control the lighting equipment that was supplied by Showtec Singapore.

“The grandMA2 is my console of choice especially in projects like this, where the range of fixtures could only be made available last minute. So with the preset flexibility of the grandMA2, very fast programming was possible. The grandMA2 could also easily adapt to changes in control concepts with regards to Timecode and media server integration,” explains Aljunied.

The Merlion is a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. Its name combines "mer" meaning the sea and "lion".

It is of great importance to the country also, as Singapore’s name derives from the Malay word ‘Singapura’ which literally means “Lion City”. www.malighting.com

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LSC Clarity weathers the storm “Clarity has a really good way of editing timing within cues,” commented Lyndon.

Tantrum Theatre, in association with the Australian Theatre for Young People, recently staged Grounded, a commissioned piece set against the backdrop of one of the most intriguing events in Newcastle’s recent history, the grounding of the Pasha Bulker. Playwright Alana Valentine was commissioned to create this new work, which celebrates Newcastle’s identity and the significance of the working harbour to Newcastle’s culture.

Lighting designer Lyndon Buckley has been a user of LSC Lighting’s Clarity software control for four years now and naturally chose to use it for this production.

“I’m very comfortable with Clarity and it was particularly ideal for this production,” he said.

“I purchased Arkaos Media Master Pro to use alongside Clarity as it integrates seamlessly.”

Lyndon also used Clarity to trigger audio cues explaining that the production had a composer who created a fantastic soundscape that followed the show. Hence it was easy to embed a lot of the audio cues into the lx cues in fact some lx cues did nothing but play audio.

“With Clarity it was really easy to incorporate lighting, projection and audio into the one control solution,” confirmed Lyndon.

“This was perfect for me as I was the only operator touring with the show.”

“With the tight schedule we had, Clarity was the quickest to make changes or adjust. In fact I’ve just done another show with Clarity where the schedule was so tight I actually plotted during the dress rehearsal!”

Lighting equipment for the show included one LSC Clarity VX20 Wing, two Martin MAC 250 Entour, eight LED PAR cans, a HZ500 Hazer, ten ETC Source 4 Juniors, twenty 1.2kW Fresnels, twenty-two 575w and four 650w Profiles.

The show played a two-week season at The Civic Playhouse in Newcastle before transferring to Studio 1, at the Australian Theatre for Young People in Sydney a week later for a shorter season.

For the scene of the Pasha Bulkers' actual grounding, a storm was created on stage using projection, lighting and sound effects for which Lyndon used the advanced timing capabilities of Clarity.

“I’ve always been able to get quick support from LSC and their forums are a great resource for people needing to ask questions about Clarity. Richie almost always has an answer to any questions I may have!”

Touring equipment, transport and support was supplied by Silhouette Sound Studios, Newcastle. Consumables supplied by Clearlight Shows, Melbourne. www.lsclighting.com

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INSTALL

Qatar

Qatar National Convention Center’s Dynamic Dress

Photo Credit: Lee Prince

Part of the Qatar Foundation's Education City campus, Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC), designed by Japanese architect Arata Isozaki and RHWL Architects of Berlin, is one of the finest convention and exhibition centers in the world, and the largest in the Middle East. Located in the fast-developing city of Doha, its myriad of facilities - theatre, three auditoria, conference hall, 40,000m2 exhibition space, nine halls, and plethora of meeting rooms – are of the highest standards with a technical specification that is world class.

fixtures and Alien color changing downlights for the venue’s spacious entrance hall and VIP foyer.

The VIP foyer area, a huge 280-meter long and 32-meter high space, features a stunning visual centerpiece in the form of a 250-meter long, curved steel structure whose shape is inspired by the Qatari Sidra tree. The tree symbolizes the Qatar Foundation's three key

pillars of education, science and research, and community development. Lee has given it a dynamic drape of color and pattern using 280 x MAC 575 fixtures, which are mounted in the ceiling on truss hoists.

“As it’s a large glass-fronted building and passers-by can see the two huge Sidra trees from the highway, the interior lighting scheme is also the exterior lighting scheme,” Lee says

Although QNCC opened in December of 2011, Lee Prince, Director of lighting design consultancy firm Light + Design Associates of London, has been involved with lighting the multi-use facility since 2004.

“The brief was to create a dynamic, changing environment for the various activities that take place at QNCC such as conferences, conventions, music, lectures, banquet events, etc. We’ve done that by using dynamic gobo projection and color change to slowly change the atmosphere and set the mood,” he shares.

Lee specified Martin Professional MAC 575 pattern and color changing moving head

Photo Credit: Lee Prince

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of the view from the Dukhan Highway through the glass façade that stretches the length of the building.

“We create different moods with light from the MAC 575 fixtures dappling through the Sidra trees and onto the floor and walls in a slow undulation that fills the space. After a lecture for example, lighting changes to a warm evening sunset with reds and oranges then changes again with moonlight shades through the branches of the trees.”

Various other lighting programs can be triggered including projection of Islamic patterns, i.e. tapestry on carpets, or an intense saturated red light complete with heartbeat sound effects. Another captivating lighting scheme involves a blue and white projection with stars that alludes to the birth of time.

“I chose the MAC 575 for its versatility and the quality of the lamp,” states Lee, who also points to the importance of the fixture’s compactness, as well as having various colors and gobos in one package.

The facility’s 2,300-seat, multi-level theatre has been securing dates for top theatre productions like Shakespeare's Richard III. Outside the lyric theatre is a unique, patchwork mosaic wall 32 meters tall with pinprick LEDs that look like stars. Here, Martin Alien color changers are used to cast even shades of color across the wall, saturated red

Photo Credit: Bob White

for example punctuated with blue pinpoints of light. The effect is a visual treat.

The MAC 575 and Alien lighting fixtures were supplied for the QNCC project by Martin Professional Middle East, with whom Lee has been familiar since 2005.

He stated, “It was a very good experience with Martin Middle East. They were very useful on

this project and supported us at several stages along the way, including assistance on the lighting control.”

With the Education City educational campus, Qatar seeks to be a global hub for ideas and innovation by providing a first-class educational and research facility in the Middle East. The country is already hosting a series of high profile events, with more planned in the future, of which the Qatar National Convention Center is pivotal.

Truly ground breaking in terms of a public building, the Qatar National Convention Center has set new standards as a world class facility and has emerged as the talk of the Middle East.

Light + Design Associates has demonstrated how dynamic lighting can be used to tastefully create eye-catching visual impressions and create moods on a largescale project.

“I’m extremely pleased with the results of the project,” Lee concludes. “The response from the client and patrons has been very positive.” www.martin.com

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Singapore

Creating the audio ambience Gardens by the Bay brings to life NParksâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; vision of creating a City in a Garden. The Gardens capture the essence of Singapore as the premier tropical Garden City. The entire park spanning 101 hectares comprises of three gardens: Bay South, Bay East and Bay Central. Located in the centre of the city, the gardens feature more than a quarter of a million rare plants as well as some of the most famous flora and fauna from various parts of the world. Bay South, which is the first phase of this unique attraction, opened its doors in June 2012 featuring the Supertree Grove, the Cool-Dry Conservatory as well as the CoolMoist Conservatory.

The unique Supertrees are vertical gardens that measure up to 16 storeys in height. There are twelve Supertrees at the Supertree Grove, while the remaining six are placed in clusters of threes at the Golden and Silver Gardens.

The Supertrees are not just aesthetic features; they also collect rainwater, generate solar power and act as venting ducts for the parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conservatory.

The Flower Dome also known as the Cool-Dry Conservatory replicates the cool-dry climate of Mediterranean regions like South Africa, California and parts of Spain and Italy. Home to a collection of plants from deserts all over the world, it showcases the adaptations of plants to arid environments.

The Cool-Moist Conservatory also known as the Cloud Forest, features a 35-metre tall mountain complete with indoor waterfall covered in lush vegetation. The Cloud Forest portrays plant life from about 2,000-metres above sea level at the top of the mountain to around 1,000-metres at the bottom of the ravine.

EAW SMS4 weather resistant outdoor speakers

Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd was appointed to install the sound systems within the conservatories and Supertrees as well as the Event Hall. You may not even notice it but there are about 200 weather resistant outdoor loudspeakers and subwoofers within the conservatories and 18 Supertrees.

80 units of EAW SMS4 weather resistant outdoor speakers within the conservatories are spread out and placed within the

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at Gardens By The Bay landscape conspicuously to help create a natural sound ambience. Low level ambience sound is played via the speakers creating a subtle yet natural sound to enhance the experience of the visitor, â&#x20AC;&#x153;transportingâ&#x20AC;? them to the forest and mountains featured at the gardens. Digital Signal processing for the EAW SMS4 speakers is handled by a Symetrix 8x8 DSP processor.

More than 50 EAW MK8196iWP weather resistant speakers have also been installed throughout the Supertrees, with four in each of the ten smaller trees and six in the larger two, and an EAW SB180ZPWP subwoofer in each tree and two in the larger ones. The system is configured into 48 channels and powered by Powersoft M20D, M30D and M50Q amplifiers.

The control room houses a Green Hippo GrassHopper media server and Tascam X-48 HD multi-track player with Symetrix 8x8 DSP to handle and network the variety of audio sources being played in the outdoor area.

Crestron touch panel control system allows operators to select audio sources throughout

EAW MK8196iWP weather resistant speakers have been installed throughout the Supertrees.

the area, while a mobile rack provides outdoor control. Kilometres of Belden cable connect the installation, and LED lighting in the trees provides the visual appeal.

E&E also supplied a Tascam X-48, a 48 channel hard disk multi-track audio recorder for audio playback. To make it easier for the technical team at Gardens by the Bay, the company also configured and supplied wireless touch panel control systems. This enables the technical team to control audio or playback any specific track easily and from anywhere thus improving productivity and ease of use.

Event Venue

In addition to helping create the ambience sound, E&E was also commissioned to set up the sound and visual system for the Jubilee

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EAW SB180ZPWP subwoofer installed at the Supertree

The Jubilee Hall

Hall. Housed within a uniquely sculpted dome that overlooks the Marina Bay waterfront, the Jubilee Hall sets the scene with an extraordinary backdrop for any event. Nestled within a Mediterranean garden setting, it is the perfect premiere event venue that can host up to 1,000 guests.

CIS400 ceiling speakers that are in white so that they blend in easily with the ceiling. With this configuration, E&E ensured that the audio system provided an even coverage throughout the venue with clarity.

lens in the front with another Panasonic 4000 lumens projector placed at one side of the venue to maximise viewing possibilities. Two custom made Remaco motorised screens were also installed.

The frontal speakers are driven by a 2 channel Powersoft M30D amp with the subwoofer being driven by a 2 channel Powersoft Duecanali 3904 amp. The ceiling speakers are amplified via a Powersoft M30D unit.

An Extron 8x8 HDMI Matrix switcher, complemented with an Extron RGB and Stereo Audio to HDMI Scaler, Kramer HDMI Twisted Pair transmitters and receivers help ensure smooth visuals. Once again wireless touch panels were configured for the technical team for the ease of managing the various systems.

For the main sound system, E&E configured the speakers to be hung on the left and right of the main “stage” area. The configuration consisted of 2 units of EAW MK2396 frontal speakers placed on the left and right of a EAW SB180z 18” Subwoofer each on either side of the stage. This is complemented by 34 EAW

As video projection is now a mainstay in events, E&E also installed a Panasonic 7000 lumens projector with Short Throw Zoom

www.enepl.com.sg

The Panasonic projector and the motorised Remaco screen

The EAW CIS400 ceiling speakers are in white to blend in easily with the ceiling.

2 units of EAW MK2396 frontal speakers placed on the left and right of a EAW SB180z

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Hong Kong

Martin LED colour impresses at Mella Club in Hong Kong

Following a demo of Martin Professional’s MAC 101 and MAC 350 Entour LED fixtures, Charles Chau of Mella Club in Hong Kong, responsible for lighting design and decoration, was so impressed by the fixtures’ rich and variant colours that he immediately placed an order.

Located in the heart of Hong Kong’s central district, the Mella Club is the newest resident in the city’s busy Lan Kwai Fong nightlife scene.

Opened in July, the club’s focus is on design with an impressive dance floor light show courtesy of the MAC 101 and MAC 350 Entour fixtures supplied by Martin Professional Hong Kong.

In a raised VIP room at one end of the club, customers overlook a spacious dance floor lined with compact MAC 101 wash lights. No

matter how fast the music or colour changes the 101s match it beat for beat.

Encircling the club’s streamline bar counter, the MAC 350 Entour LED profiles splash gobos and ever-changing colour onto adjacent walls and floors with the occasional provocative projection onto customers seated at the bar.

In a competitive after-hours environment where bars and clubs are continuously opening and closing, Mella Club has done it right, with a top quality dynamic lighting installation that has proved popular since its opening. www.martin.com

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China

ILUMINARC Colours at the heart of MGM Macau Though the five-star MGM Macau is architecturally striking, reaching up to 154 meters, it is the domed courtyard at its heart, the Grande Praca, that sets it drastically apart from other world-class luxury resorts.

The Grande Praca is lit by nearly 100 of CHAUVET's ILUMINARC wash lights and covered by a dramatic glass dome. The 1,088-square-meter court has a distinctive Old World feel, inspired by Portugal’s Central train station in Lisbon and has been deemed the “soul” of the resort by MGM. Matt Levesque, lighting designer and founder of First Circle Design, LLC, was recently tasked to improve the power efficiency, practicality and aesthetics of the lighting system. “The ownership posed the challenge of a design using only the power already available, with enough remainder for an added theatrical lighting system during special events,” Levesque said. “All luminaire locations had to be within reach of the facility’s boom lift and the quantity of lighting positions was limited.”

Levesque selected 95 colour-changing Ilumipanel 180 IP wash lights to downlight and sidelight the plaza’s manicured landscape, pathways and the building facades surrounding it. The lights are mounted on the existing skylight structure via a quick-release clamping system. The casings were painted to match the colour of the architectural truss structure.

This addressed “the stylistic challenge” of “providing a cohesive overall design with distinct visual identities,” Levesque said. The lights are discreet enough to allow for an uninterrupted skylight vista with minimum visual contrast during the day.

Another challenge was to secure “a lighting control system with the flexibility necessary for large live performances and festival events,” Levesque said. For this, Levesque used the Ilumicode Addresser from ILUMINARC to set DMX addresses, calibrations levels for colour corrections and fixture personalities.

The lights were programmed with Pharos Architectural Control software. Powerful and bright, the Ilumipanel lights are dimmed down to work at 25-30% intensity.

Ilumipanel 180 IP is both an interior and exterior wash light solution, featuring full spectrum colour mixing and integrated wireless DMX512 receivers. “These luminaires have incredible output,” Levesque said.

“They give an outstanding colour.” For safe exterior use, Ilumipanel 180 IP has an ingress protection of 67, a humidity-controlling GORE valve and is built with 316 stainless steel screws to protect against corrosive environments. www.iluminarc.com www.chauvetlighting.com

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Taiwan

Looking to the future, Novel Hall selects ETC lighting systems Located in the Taiwanese district, Xinyi, the newly renovated Novel Hall for Performing Arts stands proud. This privately-owned midsized venue includes a 935-seat auditorium for productions like the annual Novel Hall dances, Chinese opera, and a variety of touring shows.

Reopened on the 23rd of September this year, the renovation of the multi-functional venue included upgraded stage lighting control by ETC in the form of an ETC Element console, as well as the ETC Sensor+ dimming and power control.

This technological and aesthetic transformation plans to take Novel Hall’s production value to a new level. Stage Manager, Fang Lu Yun, says that ETC's lighting systems were chosen based on the company’s established international reputation and product quality: “With years of experience in this field, ETC is widely recognized for the excellent scalability and stability of its lighting systems.”

It is because the lighting-control console vocabularies and input methods adopted

by ETC are industry standard, Fang says the Novel Hall’s technicians will be able to learn and work faster on their new Element desk, with fewer challenges.“The Element’s

multiple fader controls will also give theatre staff the flexibility to deal with impromptu programming situations in which there may not be adequate time to set up the stage,”Fang adds.

Chinese trusts combined to build the new hall, dedicating it to the people of Taipei in 1997 in the pursuit of modern arts and the preservation of treasured stage traditions. The recent renovation continues that history.

The Novel Hall for Performing Arts will also employ a full ETC Net3 Ethernet-networked system to integrate DMX signals from different equipment via a simple Four-Port ETC Gateway -- accommodating more multipurpose and multimedia uses of the lighting system.

Says Fang: “We hope that all people who use the venue -- not only audiences but technicians behind the scenes -- will enjoy their time in the new theatre. This adoption of ETC's lighting systems marks a further step to our goal of making Novel Hall for Performing Arts better for the future.”

For dimming and power control, Novel Hall benefits from ETC’s Sensor+ dimming, the first such system enabled by ETC dual-module processors, introduced in Taiwan. “In addition to the Sensor’s distinguished performances in dimming curves,” says Fang, “we also expect the two-way communication between the console and the networked dimming will make the system more user-friendly.”

Novel Hall has had many lives -- originally under Japanese control in 1897, then under Taiwanese direction as “Taiwan’s New Stage” during the continued Japanese protectorate in the early 20th century, only later to be destroyed by Allied bombings in World War II. Eventually, Taiwanese and mainland

www.etcconnect.com

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Australia

Sydney Theatre upgrades with Nexo

The Sydney Theatre Company (STC) has been a leader in the Australian Arts Industry since it was established in 1978. Housed at Pier 4/5 on Sydney Harbour’s Walsh Bay, STC is a performing arts company that develops its own productions in-house whilst managing three rehearsal spaces and three theatres (Wharf 1, Wharf 2 and Sydney Theatre) as well as a newly refurbished bar at the end of the Wharf (suitably named 'The Bar at the End of the Wharf').

Building on the impressive legacy of STC, the latest Wharf 2 PA upgrade starred Nexo front and centre. Given that the Sydney Theatre venue had recently been refitted with Nexo, when the time came to upgrade Wharf 2, Nexo was a simple choice. Ben Lightowlers, Sydney Theatre Company's Head of Sound, was kind enough to provide some insight into the decisions behind choosing Nexo.

"With STC reaching the 30 year mark, we found that a lot of equipment was not as efficient as it could be so this led to the decision to upgrade our systems while supporting

STC’s commitment to its comprehensive sustainability program, Greening The Wharf.

With Nexo’s NXAMP4X4 system processor/ amplifiers only drawing 150watts at idle they are considered a good choice when considering energy efficiency.

The Wharf 2 is known as a ‘black box’ space which can seat up to 200 people. Its reputation for versatility has seen it play host to traditional drama productions, play readings, writers forums and live broadcasts.

"For the Wharf 2 refit, I consulted a number of our regular sound designers and found a common request for a centre channel. Since Wharf 2 is a wide theatre space in relation to the seating bank with a major architectural beam that obstructs the last two rows of seats so sound designers would often call on the ability to add a set of delay speakers. Naturally rear surrounds were needed and while we were at it, why not put a serious sub in there, too. I commissioned a left centre right PA system with the Nexo PS15 R2's, 2 x PS 8's for delays and 2 x PS 8's for surrounds plus the RS18 sub,” says Lightowlers.

"There were a few challenges. Firstly I wanted to eliminate fan noise in the bio box so we took advantage of an upstage crossover mezzanine position that had become available due to the relocation of the lighting dimmer room. This would effectively reduce the ambient noise for the operators in the bio box but in order to achieve this we needed to redirect/redo the entire speaker cabling for the venue. The upside is we now have a fully re-commissioned venue and peace of mind that all the speaker, signal, power and data runs are fully isolated and protected with conduit ducting.

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“I also took advantage of this opportunity to enlist Bass Electrical to install our own dedicated audio power points around Wharf 2 and to furnish the venue with a 120KVA 3phase UPS which allows us to run off the grid for 13 minutes at full tilt, or as much as 8 hours with no load.

“In brief, Wharf 2 has benefited from a total overhaul thanks to improvements to the signal patching, speaker patch points, upgraded data distribution, the addition of Coda Audio's famous isolated splitter/distribution system and a killer Nexo PA upgrade to top it all off."

Compelled by hearing Nexo in action at Sydney Theatre, Ben knew that Nexo was the way to go.

"To be honest I was initially considering a fully self powered speaker system upgrade, but we recently refurbished the Sydney Theatre across the road with the Nexo PS15R2's with excellent results and so I was convinced. My colleagues agree that the Nexo PS R2's have a much higher threshold plus the added ability

to rotate the asymmetrical horn is hugely advantageous given the many varied set and sound designs we encounter here at STC.” “The first company that worked in Wharf 2 after the upgrade were Belgium's Ontroerend Goed with their incredibly humbling production 'A History of Everything'. This company had a track record of running Wharf 2's system to the limit (they blew one of the FOH speakers during their last visit) but this time they didn't even touch the sides.

"There are many to thank for helping bring it all together: my 2nd in charge Bede Schofield and STC sound technicians Luke Davis, Louis Thorn, Dave Bergman, Michael Toisuta, Hayley Forward. The sound designers who kindly offered up their expertise; Steve Francis, Paul Charlier, Basil Hogios, Kingsley Reeve, Max Lyandvert, Stefan Gregory and Adam Iuston.

STC's technical manager Barry Searle and GM Patrick McIntyre. Coda Audio's Daniel Clinch, Adrian Grigorieff, Bass Electrical's Mark Brinning and Scott Jamieson from Soundcorp.” www.grouptechnologies.com.au

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INSTALL Turandot, as well as performances by operatic greats Jessye Norman and Roberto Alagna.

During the opening season, Carmen was lit by the largest VARI-LITE rig yet. Last season the venue hosted thirty-four separate companies, whereas this season, it will welcome fifty-two in nine months.

“The VL3500 Spot fixtures are ideal for opera, they're very quiet, yet deliver an excellent punch,” says Cox. “The VL3500 Spot, VL1100TS and AS’ are engineered to offer smoothness and quietness while the VL3500 Spot and the VL1100 offer a four-blade shutter for extra precision. The VL3500 Wash allows for both Fresnel and Buxom options and feature internal zoomable beam optics, plus the exclusive VARI*BRITE mode, enabling intense beams of light from any zoom position.”

Oman

Royal Opera House Muscat continues to rely on VARI-LITE luminaires for all conditions The Royal Opera House Muscat is one of the Middle East’s most prestigious arts venues and has made a point of stocking a variety of VARI-LITE luminaires since it opened three years ago. These include VL3500 Wash and Spot plus VL1100 TS and AS luminaires. Head of lighting Donald Cox explains: “We are just about to go into our third season and VARILITE is still the most requested luminaire by our incoming lighting designers.”

Bin Said’s cultural vision for Oman. Cox’s admiration for his working environment is clear: “It’s more of a palace than an opera house,” he enthuses. “When you walk around the front of house and you see the decoration, you can’t imagine building something like this in this century anywhere else - it’s a jewel.”

The venue attracts companies from all over the globe; last season the program included full-scale operas such as Carmen and

David March, director of European Sales for Philips Vari-Lite, concludes: “The Royal Opera House Muscat is equipped with some of the finest lighting equipment on the theatrical market. Therefore, we are delighted and honored that Donald has settled on Vari-Lite luminaires to meet both the highly demanding creative and technical requirements, in this unique and stunning venue.”

As a leading designer and manufacturer of premiere automated lighting systems, Philips Vari-Lite provides equipment and services to the entertainment industry, serving such markets as concert touring, theatre, television, film, cruise lines, housesof-worship, and corporate events. VARI-LITE automated lighting systems are available through a worldwide network of independent professional dealers. www.vari-lite.com

Even though the Royal Opera House Muscat is a spectacular building, housing a number of venues, each of which embrace an arsenal of state of the art entertainment technology and equipment, this opulent façade sometimes belies challenging and harsh conditions.

“Oman is primarily a desert country, and this can be challenging for a number of reasons,” Cox, who previously worked at the Royal Opera House, in London, explains. “The main issue is that there’s a lot of sand and dust in the air and we therefore need lighting fixtures which are robust, easy to clean and reliable. Cox goes on to say that the VARI-LITE luminaires have become the lighting workhorses in these sometime adverse conditions, providing a flexible and feature-rich rig.

The Royal Opera House Muscat represents the pinnacle of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos

From the left: Head of lighting, Donald Cox and the Royal Opera House Muscat Lighting Team / Donald Cox – Head of Lighting at The Royal Opera House Muscat

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Korea

Adamson installed in the new ‘City of Film’ Dureraum, also known as the Busan Film Center, is the dedicated theatre that hosted this years Korean Film festival - the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF). Located in the Haeundae District of South Korea, the newly constructed architectural wonder was built on a 32,137 square meters site, utilizing a design by Coop Himmelblau of Austria and Heerim Architects & Planners of Korea, both were selected in an open competition.

The center is composed of three buildings Cinema Mountain, PIFF Hill and Double Cone, varying from four to nine stories high with a combined total floor space of 54,335 square meters. The essence of Dureraum's beauty is its super-sized roof known simply as the 'Big Roof'. It is the longest roof of its kind in the world, about one and a half times the size of a soccer field 163m×61m (535ft x 200ft), and it almost seems alive as it soars over the main plaza with its underside being a series of LED screens which provide splendid lighting and a variety of video effects. Dureraum is expected to become the landmark of Busan's aspirations as a ‘City of Film’.

The nine-story main building, Cinema Mountain, accommodates a multipurpose performing arts hall named the Haneulyeon Theatre or ‘Open Sky Theatre which acts as the main theatre of the Busan Cinema Center hosting a variety of film screenings. There’s also a medium-sized cinema with 431 seats,

a small cinema with 212 seats and a cinema preview place. The ‘Big Roof’ also features under its cover an open-air theatre with 4000 seats, used for special public screenings in the summer.

The design and installation for Haneuleyon Theatre was handled by Kang-dong Media in Busan with sound design support provided by Adamson’s Korean Distributor Sound Solution.

The consultant for the installation was Sohn Gun Ho Director Kang-dong Media. Ewan McDonald, Adamson’s Applications Engineer, flew in to be in charge of the tuning process.

The selection of Adamson for the Theatre was based on the performance of the system first and foremost, but according to Sound Solution the marketing and continuous support also played a role in the selection process.

The main system consists of 9 SpekTrix 3-way enclosures hung below 4 SpekTrix double 18” subwoofers, with a 3 SpekTrix W 15-degree box underhang, placed the at left and right

of the main screen and stage. The location of the speakers was changed from the original design to about a meter wider on each side, as there was an issue caused by reflection of the bass from the acoustic treatment used in the interior ceiling. The slight adjustment in positioning of the main hangs resolved the problem in the initial design.

The center cluster features 7 SpekTrix with 2 SpekTrix W underhang. Four SX subs are placed on the ground, and are mobile. 12 pcs of Point 8’s supply fills on the balconies, and 4 M15 monitors are used on the stage.

All Adamson speakers are powered by Lab. gruppen FP10000Q, FP6000Q’s and FP4000’s, processing is handled by XTA DP products. The FOH console was a DiGiCo SD7.

Applications Engineer Ewan MacDonald describes the results, “The team at Sound Solution did a very professional job with this installation in what is a world class facility.

After some time was spent commissioning the system, we ended up with a very nice sounding system with no more than +/-0.5 dB variation (A weighted SPL) throughout the floor and the mid balcony, which was a testament to the great work the design team at Sound Solution do.” www.adamsonsystems.com

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Taiwan

The achieved project – Shih-Hsin University The Shih-Hsin University(SHU),established in 1956 is a private university in the Wenshan District of Taipei. Being named one of the “Teaching Excellence Universities” by the Republic of China's Ministry of Education for five years in a row, the university aims to continuously strengthen itself as an institution emphasizing both liberalism and humanism. With four colleges, housing 19 departments and 3 graduate institutes, it was the performance hall that caused most of the hassle. Within the 20 years of its use, the audio and video equipment had been improved many times, but there was still something missing. It was just not quite right.

So came the plan once again to try and improve the the quality and performance of the audio and video performance. Super Light Technology was selected for the job due to the

Equipment used included:

high praise on the audio and video business from business partners.

Because of limited budget, it was suggested to use powered line array speakers in the hall which can hold up to 600 people with the width being bigger than the depth. It was decided that QUBE QSA112A x 3 pcs and QSA118SA x 1 pc line array speakers would be hung on both sides of the hall; Left/right front fill speakers were McCauley 15” 2-way bi-amp speakers which were originally equipped and used for 15 years. During the initial testing of the system, one of University's staff said that she had never heard such amazing sound in the performance hall. www.shu.edu.tw www.qubeaudio.com

• QUBE QSA112A powered line array main speaker • QUBE QSA118SA powered line array subwoofer • QUBE HSA112 line array rigging frame • LA AUDIO EQ231G house equalizer • YAMAHA MG24/14FX mixing console • MIPRO ACT727 dual channel wireless mic • PANASONIC PT-EX12K 13000 lumens projector

6 pcs 2 pcs 2 pcs 1 set 1 set 3 sets 1 set

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Australia

LSC rules the roost at The Bird’s Nest A state-of-the-art black box theatre, complete with retractable seats, motorised truss systems, operable walls, an impressive digital sound and lighting system, recording studio, dressing rooms, and box office are just a few of the features of Redcliffe State High School’s new 260 seat blackbox theatre ‘The Bird’s Nest’.

The Queensland School will now be able to engage their students through the performing arts as well as through vocational education with students able to complete a Certificate II in live production theatre and events, as well as technical operations, and a Certificate II in set production and prop making.

As a blackbox theatre, The Bird’s Nest has the flexibility to host any kind of performance, ranging from traditional theatre set up, theatre in the round, or they can run conferences.

The lighting installation was installed by Macrosphere. The system consists of Clarity (VX20) and a single 12 channel Redback dimmer (controlling low wattage conventional lighting), an LSC Delta DT12/10A suppling power to LED par cans, an MDRR distributing DMX, and a Redback Patch system for 96 channels.

“Clarity seemed the ideal choice from a user point of view,” commented Ian Tucker,

Technical Co-Ordinator at Macrosphere.

“The venue has a mix of incandescent lighting and digital DMX-driven lighting so Clarity was perfect. Students can use the software on multiple computers simultaneously to commence their own program before connection to the system. No more large groups of students crammed around one console.”

However according to LSC’s QLD Sales Consultant Greg Hughes, it became quickly apparent that something was amiss with the mains power supply.

“Conventional lamps were only lasting a matter of hours and then prematurely failing,” reported Greg.

“Power related problems were also apparent within the sound system. At this point, investigations into the mains supply were commenced by the Electrical Engineers who designed the building, the Electrician that installed the power throughout and me.”

For LSC’s part, Greg measured approximately 255 volts from both the three phase outlets and normal GPO’s. It was found that the conventional lighting when plugged directly into GPO’s, failed within twenty minutes.

This overvoltage was confirmed by both

the Electrical Contractor (who reported this to Energex) and Energex themselves who measured voltage at the transformer (not inside the building) at 251v and pronounced the supply “within parameters”.

Whilst there is a movement to standardise mains supply in Australia at 230v and most states have endorsed this, the exception is Queensland where the mains voltage parameters are 240v + or - 6%. This means that voltage can be as high as 254 volts and still be perfectly acceptable to Queensland (Energex) standards.

Unfortunately, in the realms of filament lamp manufacture, overvoltage equals reduced lamp life. Theatre lamps are manufactured to 220v, 230v or 240v standards and no matter which of these voltages are used, feeding 254v will dramatically shorten life.

Fortunately, the LSC Redback dimmers came to the rescue as they have a minimum / maximum setting. So by limiting the dimmers output to 80%, the Redback Dimmer now supplies lamps with sub 240v - the result being that premature lamp failure has not since occurred! www.lsclighting.com.au

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Indonesia

Electro-Voice powers up Riau Main Stadium With a capacity of over 40,000, the ultramodern, multifunctional arena took over 2 years to build and is designed for both major sporting events and concerts.

The Riau Main Stadium satisfies the very highest international standards for ‘elite stadiums’ and was designated as the main venue for all home matches of the Indonesia National Games in 2012. On top of that, it is the first stadium in the country qualified enough to host international competitions, such as the recent AFC Finals held in July, 2012.

Among the criteria prospective ‘elite stadiums’ need to satisfy, sound systems quality is one of the most important. What they required were a large number of speakers to be distributed proportionately around the entire stadium to ensure quality and audible sound at any part of the stadium.

They also needed perfect control, ease of operation and hassle-free maintenance of the sound systems. Due to the size of the project,

overall cost played an important factor – not only must the solutions be value for money, the maintenance costs had to be low as well.

Riau Main Stadium’s decision to go with Electro-Voice solutions was the evenness of the coverage, the high level of intelligibility of the systems, the ability to supervise and control each loudspeaker cabinet individually and the numerous world-class references Electro-Voice was able to provide.

64 x EVA-2082S/PI Line Array and 24 x EVID 6.2T compact surface-mounted loudspeakers

were installed, which were powered and processed by 8 CPS 4.10 power amplifiers and supervised by IRIS-NET software as well as the UCC-1 CAN Bus Controller.

The speakers were positioned at strategic areas of the stadium so that there was even coverage around the entire facility. The IRISNet software also allowed for a multitude of possibilities for the configuration, operation and supervision of the system. www.boschsecurity.asia

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Singapore

Club Lava @ CHIJMES

In May this year, La Cave Holdings decided to renovate its venue at the popular CHIJMES entertainment complex in Singapore and give it a new lease of life and direction. The management decided that their renovated venue will feature live band performances and DJ music to target the late 20's and early 30's crowd. Thus, Club Lava was borne in late July offering patrons a new venue option to party the night away. The 5329 sq.ft. singlefloor, 350-capacity venue also features a fullfledged kitchen that offers Asian and western cuisine. The club operates seven days a week with Sundays offering only playback music.

One of the key elements to look out for was quality sound. With that in mind, Electronics and Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E) was called in to provide the sound solution for the venue to match the ambitions of the owners.

Challenges included the short depth of the venue as well as the low ceiling.

Group GM Bob Khan states, “We have worked with E&E for some time now and I knew that they will be able to deliver an ideal solution.

For a club venue, sound is a very critical issue and we had to ensure that we had a system that sounds good, provides good coverage and does not annoy our customers.”

E&E proposed and installed ceiling suspended loudspeakers at the stage area. This comprised of an EAW QX596 and a KF394 each in left and right configuration supported by four EAW SB1001 subwoofers that were flushed against the stage. The speakers are driven by two units of Powersoft Digam K2 and two units of Powersoft Digam K10 DSP amplifiers. Speaker management is handled by an EAW UX8800 processor.

Mr Khan is fully satisfied with the sound installation and highlights that feedback from patrons have been very positive.

The Rack room

The fairly large stage occupies a space of 12m in width x 7m in depth, to accommodate the band. E&E integrated the systems with some of the existing equipment that the management had previously purchased thus ensuring that the venue was able to make the most of its past purchases.

For instance, Club Lava's sound technician, Gibbs, mixes on a Soundcraft Si1 console that was already in the venue.

“As the sound technician, my main objective is to ensure that the musicians sound tight and the patrons have an enjoyable time.

The EAW speakers are powerful and need to be managed properly and that is my area of expertise.”

The refurbishment also features a small dance floor in front of the stage. Thus lighting for the band performance as well as for the dance floor was essential and in this regard the objective was to ensure a versatile lighting system that would require low maintenance.

Club Lava turned to Synergy AVL for this aspect. It was quickly decided that the fixtures should feature LEDs to keep in line with the objectives.

Synergy AVL installed four lighting bars at the stage with an additional two above the dance floor. The bars accommodated a total of 10 units of ACME MS50 LED 50W moving heads, 8 units of Colorbeam CP-50 LED cube wash lights and 8 units of ACME CP64 LED Par Cans. A unit of Antari HZ500 hazer machine was also supplied for effects. The lighting fixtures are connected to a SRS Light DST8 DMX Signal splitter with lighting control duties handed off to a DASlight PC based lighting control software.

Working closely with Gibbs, various lighting scenarios were created thus making it a breeze for Gibbs to operate the lighting fixtures.

“The lighting fixtures met our requirements and the easy-to-operate lighting control software meant that Gibbs could easily handle both the audio and lighting aspects for the club,” says Khan.

Gibbs with the Soundcraft Si1

www.enepl.com.sg www.synergyavl.com www.clublava.sg

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Japan

RE Series microphones impress at FM Inter-Wave Inc. FM Inter-Wave Inc started broadcasting in 1996 and serves the community in and around the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Even though English is their primary language, public service announcements are broadcast in a multitude of other languages such as Mandarin, Korean, Tagalog, Spanish and Portuguese to ensure that the international community living in the area is well informed.

Other than the usual music and shows, FM Inter-Wave Inc is also listed as an official media of the Fuji rock Festival and Grammy Awards.

Being in the business of broadcast, the requirements were very high. First being that the end-user needed the voice of the disk jockeys to be clear and audible, which meant that microphones had to capture critical details of their voices. To add to this, the jocks are required to move around their desks quite often, hence the microphones had to deliver a smooth and linear sound even while the jocks were on the move. And to deliver the best experience to the listeners, the sound also had be free from any scratchy noises of the microphone due to possible EMF interferences from the environment.

A total of 4 EV RE20, 3 EV RE27N/D and 13 EV RE320 microphones were installed in the

studio. The RE series Variable-D technology provides balanced and uniform frequency response of up to 180 off-axis, which results in stable and linear tonal performance even when the sound source moves around the microphone. Coupled with the ability to capture critical details in the voice, the technology allows the studio to broadcast the jocks’ voices with a smooth and natural tone.

Also, the microphones are equipped with a humbucking coil technology, which stops EMF interferences from nearby sources and helps deliver sound free from any sort of hum and buzz. The end-users were delighted with the way the microphones were optimized for broadcast and recording, and the popularity it has already gained with their jocks. www.eviaudio.co.jp

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India

D.A.S. Audio at Mumbai's Elite Royalty Nightclub Bandra, in west-central Mumbai - the city’s trendiest suburb - is home to Mumbai’s most fashionable pubs, bars and nightclubs. Enter Royalty, a Banda nightclub that mixes European renaissance and Indian royalty décor with a top-of-the-line D.A.S. Audio sound system and Mumbai’s best dance music.

Sound technicians rolled out six Aero 38 line array systems to take care of the job. The Aero 38 were paired with six LX-218CA high performance subwoofers for low frequency support, while five Avant 12A systems were used for side-fills, providing superior sound pressure.

Under the new ownership by Bollywood actor and director Sohail Khan, Royalty is the new name in luxury - guests get the royal treatment with an extensive choice of designer drinks and oxygen-pumped air, while a mezzaninelevel member’s VIP area, a Baroque-style cigar room, and the Royalty VVIP lounge overlooks the club - catering to the guest’s every whim.

Both compact and light, the Arco 4 loudspeakers are small, powerful and blend seamlessly with the opulent décor in Royalty’s most private, luxurious area. Three D.A.S. Audio DSP-4080 signal processors were also installed along with eight H-4000 amplifier units to power the loudspeakers.

Royalty is the nightclub in Bandra, Mumbai, synonymous with luxury, class, and the city’s best dance music. The new D.A.S. Audio sound systems are an extension of the club’s ornate luxuriousness, and help to create an elegant yet exciting space that attracts India’s A-listers week after week.

However, the luxury doesn’t extend to just the décor. The club also boasts a new state-of-theart sound system.

Local sound reinforcement company Sound & Light Professionals headed the Royalty install, and after analyzing the space, SLP technicians were convinced that D.A.S. Audio systems would be the perfect fit for Mumbai’s highest profile club.

To ensure that the sound reached all corners of the club, the technicians installed four Arco 4 systems in Royalty’s VVIP lounge.

Headliners like DJ Ameyth, DJ Willy, and DJ Loyd have all performed at Royalty, where Avant 12A powered 2-way loudspeakers were placed into service for the DJ monitors, paired with Avant 18A for extended base response.

With every whim catered to and surrounded by superior sound provided by D.A.S. Audio systems, guests at Royalty truly receive the royal treatment. www.dasaudio.com

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VIEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE

CHRIS B.

Interview by Audrey Anne Felix

Founder of The Underground

Chris, you’re a musician, event promoter, runs The Underground in Hong Kong, a mother of twins and a wife. Have I left out anything? How would you describe yourself professionally?

Professionally? How about founder & boss of The Underground HK ;) I create, organise and manage live music events. I've started creating events for corporates too under the same umbrella.

Let’s go back in time a bit. How did you start out in the music business in Hong Kong and what made you decide to start The Underground?

I've been playing in bands since 1989 and from 1991 to 2001 I was in HK's most successful all girl band "Sisters of Sharon", I was lead

guitarist and co-lead vocalist. When the band split up, I started to play music with other musicians. The Underground was mostly a sequence of events, it was 2004, post-SARS, I was in a new band (Flowers of Babylon) and we had a set of original songs that was 20 minutes long. In those days, venues only wanted bands that could play 3 sets of 45 minutes so we decided to get a couple more bands, invite some reviewers and start doing an event called "The Underground" :) I started The Underground with Mike (Flowers of Babylon was his band) after a few months, he left HK and I realized I wanted to keep doing it as I love organizing the shows and of course I love seeing bands perform live music and that there was a definite niche for someone with my experience to create more opportunities for HK musicians. Over the years, I've managed to create a great team to work on our events and the team comprises mostly musicians as they understand my dream and trust my direction. I do think Hong Kong musicians see The Underground as very supportive of music and musicians.

Most people know Hong Kong for Cantopop but as we know, it is only one part of the music business here. What are your hopes for Hong Kong’s musicians today and how has The Underground changed and supported local bands?

My hope is for more venues for HK musicians to perform in and I don't just mean bars or gig venues. Music is important part of life and there are a lot of emotions attached to music and not everyone needs or wants to go a bar to enjoy live music.

Photo credit: Steve Schechter

I think The Underground has helped creative HK musicians realise that people do want to hear their heart-felt lyrics, their lovingly crafted songs and that we understand that need to perform. We have also helped to find the audience that craves to be part of the growing live music scene and getting to hear and know the bands. People often find our events and/or our website and say, "OMG, I knew there had to be a live music scene, thank you"

Is Hong Kong ready to become the music hub of Asia? Over the past decade we have seen Taiwan and Korea explode and gain massive recognition and following across the region.

Will Hong Kong ever match those countries in musical acknowledgement and recognition?

I'm the ever optimist who takes action and I believe that it is very very possible for HK to become the music hub. In some ways the people living here perpetuate that myth that "oh its so expensive here and people are too focused about money, so no real culture happens" <-- that is all BS. London is expensive, New York is expensive, and they have giant financial focus, YET you will still find loads of live music venues and lots of creative musicians and a large audience in both these cities. It takes conscious effort to create events and conscious effort to encourage people to attend the shows. I think what many HK musicians could do is work harder at - a) writing better songs (it really starts with this - without this forget the rest) b) connecting with their audience and talking to them (instead of hiding in the green room, find out why people are there at your show, why they like your band etc.) c) Promoting your band (one band I booked for a show said "oh we couldn't possibly tell people we're a really good band" - I pointed out, all I needed them to do was TELL people they had a show, which is an awareness issue rather than an ego issue. d) Put on a good live act - play tight, talk to your audience in-between songs, be genuine (if you like to move on stage, move - if you don't, then don’t!), tell the audience, your band name if it's not printed on the wall behind you (they cannot find out more about your band if they don't know who you are) You’ve worked with musicians from all over the globe. Which are some of your most cherished moments and why?

Cool question, I've never been asked this! A few that comes to mind * When a Nepalese guitarist told me, he loves what I do, because I don't have any racial divide in The Underground, I treat all musicians as equal, I thought that was a beautiful moment :) * When I was a new mother, I had a show (Underground 34) and I had managed to get a brilliant line up with 5 great HK bands. I got my doorman ringing up saying "Over 500

VIEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE

people here at The Edge, police just arriving" I thought this is a good sign for the future for myself to continue with The Underground whilst learning about motherhood, definitely another cherished moment. * Underground 2, which was at Joe Bananas, when Headhunter got on stage (a gothic industrial band) complete with gas masks and exposed nipples, I thought "OMG, I want to discover bands like these" hahahaha *Underground 100 earlier this year was the result of 2 years of hard work and planning and the best part was getting members of The Underground team (who all work on the events) to create a "cover" band and cover one song from each of The Underground's Compilation CDs. Most recently you’ve begun shifting gears and moving into working with pro audio manufacturers and suppliers to allow them to extend their reach to your audience. How has your business evolved in this regard?

It's been a learning curve (for me) and also an essential move forward for us. When I first started in the music industry we HAD to go to studios to record our music, as recording at home was just a dream except for the very wealthy. Nowadays gear has become affordable and also there are more choices for musicians and along with that, more confusion, so it's great when we can work with pro audio manufacturers and suppliers and discover great products and are able then to recommend or offer them to musicians.

The Singapore government has put a lot of resources into developing the Singapore arts and music scene and appreciation has grown to allow for regular concerts by international artists, they have world-class venues and regular outdoor concerts. Does the lack of government support in Hong Kong frustrate you? Or are things changing?

I'm feeling that things are changing. A year ago, I was invited to the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority’s live house design focus group, and the Government had invited other show organisers, record labels, radio DJs etc. to come and talk about what a "live House" would need. I think we were able to convince them that a 'round' shape would be a disaster and that also there is currently a niche for the 500 - 1000 standing capacity venue. When Lady Gaga had 4 nights of sell out shows in HK, the audience was quite clearly not only HK residents and was an example of how international artists can be profitable for HK. I do think the Singapore Government is more supportive however the HK Government has a number of premises it owns that it could open up to use for Hong Kong promoters with subsidies from the HK Tourist board to encourage the growth of the HK music industry and make HK far more economically viable to run events in HK. In fact there are Government funds that could be tapped however they seem very hard to apply for and require a lot of paperwork :( If you could be in charge of the policies for outdoor entertainment in HK and introduce new rulings, what would you do? What kind of change would you introduce?

I would use money from the HK Tourist board to subsidize events, so that we could grow the music business by making it more costeffective for promoters to put on shows.

Look at how many people come to HK for the Rugby Sevens; surely we could do the same for music?

I would also allow live music entertainment to take place in locations that are not normally 'gazetted' for music. Not every show needs a 500 or 10,000 capacity :)

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You have worked with Social Media Week via The Underground and Digital Music events here in HK and in Singapore. You are always at the forefront of technologies and its uses within the music business. How do you keep up and why is Social Media and supporting Digital Music important?

I've always been a bit of a geek! Back in the day, I even bought the components for a computer and put one together, cause I was told you can. I dabbled with C++ and love the fact you could communicate with your fans with a lot less outlay and more focus on your core audience (Sisters of Sharon used to write, design, draw & then print, then manually stuff & stamp envelopes and post fanzines to fans) via creating a website, then email, then mailing lists etc. So as a musician and promoter, I've grown with the Internet, and yet can still remember that all those people behind Twitter, Facebook etc, are still people, who have the same needs to connect and want more of your music, why you write songs etc. Digital music is so important; it's so EASY to share a great song with a friend these days, and you don't have to be in the same room or at the same gig. Band members can share song riffs, lyrics and work on songs, even when not in the same country! There could be more musicians creating like Imogen Heap who truly engage with her fans to write songs and lyrics.

If you were to write your own Epitaph, what would you want it to say at the end of it all?

Chris B - Founder of The Underground HK, changed the music scene in HK forever by bringing youth culture to the forefront, loved by her husband, children, grandchildren & all her friends.

OR "At the gig last night, a guy said to me "Chris B & The Underground changed my life" www.undergroundhk.com

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VIEWS FROM THE OTHER SIDE

What are you listening to?

By Dan F.

The Bar, Midnight & Co.

the story (and we think you should): David throws invitation-only house parties, the main purpose of which is the collective enjoyment of recorded music on his extremely highquality sound system. At the time, there was no beatmatching (although there were two turntables), nor was the night confined to just one genre. It was an immersive trip though a pile of records between midnight and sunrise, with a DJ in control of the proceedings.

Dan F started a movement with the opening of his first bar Yumla which shaped the growth of underground electronic music in Hong Kong between 2003-2012. His second bar, Midnight & Co. continues in the same fashion and presents nothing but the finest non-commercial house and techno music from leading local and visiting international DJs. His continued efforts to push the boundaries in underground electronic music has given many local DJs a platform to showcase their talents and have earned his club followers from around the world. Dan F is an audio engineer and music producer who has worked with many top DJs.

This is where clubbing began, in New York, at The Loft: A few guys fanatical about superhigh-quality sound and music who wanted to share that experience with others. And the experience had a profound effect on those present – Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Francois K, Larry Levan and many more were all in regular attendance. These guys later became DJs who evolved and distilled the concept in other similarly famous venues, all with legendary sound systems, and the spark flew to Detroit and Chicago where fundamental changes to the music began to solidify. But it all started with Mancuso and his cohorts.

Ahead of the opening of new Hong Kong club Midnight & Co., local music producer and audio engineer Dan F discusses the fundamental importance of quality sound.

Global clubbing has become a distorted behemoth that can be defined in numerous – positive and mainly negative commercial – ways, but there is always one unbreakable thread that connects today’s scene back to its roots: A unified crowd of individuals, one DJ and a large, enveloping sound system. And just to really spell it out clearly: The sound system is what connects everyone together in the room.

There’s listening to music, there’s background music and then there is clubbing. Bars and clubs in Hong Kong – due in part to their transient nature – tend to skimp on sound equipment when they’re sketching out their business plans. Between 2003 and 2006, whenever I was asked to quote for a sound system at a local venue, I’d receive budgets that would barely cover wiring and labour costs, let alone any of the necessary equipment. And this was from venues professing to host DJs. Here we are in 2012 and thankfully most DJorientated venues in town have adequate sound systems installed by knowledgeable engineers. Not necessarily house, techno or even music aficionados, but by skilled engineers nonetheless. On paper and in practice, the average sound system in Hong Kong is still, well, decidedly average. But if you look back to the birth of clubbing, you’ll find it was audiophiles who got the ball rolling.

Rewind to 1970s New York and we find ourselves in the loft apartment of highfidelity enthusiast and all-round music freak David Mancuso. If you don’t already know

Before you point out the obvious, let’s hear from Mancuso himself: “It [The Loft] was basically a rent party. Private: By invitation only. It was NOT a club … not a membership … none of that stuff. I made it very clear; this was an invitation and you made a contribution.

The money only came into it because I had to do it. When the money came into it, I didn’t want it to spoil it. I wanted to maintain the integrity of the party and provide as much as I could – and it worked.”

Now there’s an important thought: Everyone present makes a contribution. That is – in my humble opinion – the definition of a “scene”.

Some people provide, some people consume, but everyone chips in. And if the linking element is music, this demands a quality sound system – and they don’t come cheap or, sadly, fall out of the sky.

By definition, a “sound system” is the entire

path music must take from the medium to the listener. It’s the shape of the room, the acoustics, the speakers – naturally – and the wiring, the electrical system, amplifiers, crossovers, limiters, gain controllers, the recorded source material and the wide array of equipment utilized by present-day DJs. There’s much more than simply the badges glued to the speaker cabinets – you could compare putting great speakers into an untreated room to drinking vintage Dom Perignon out of a paper cup while congregating around a dumpster.

It’d be a massive understatement to say I’m excited by great sound. Great sound is inspiring. Crappy sound might be enough to get you dancing, but dancing doesn’t quite get the imagination firing as much as the experience of being completely immersed does.For as long as I can remember, clubbers and party-goers in Hong Kong have been dripfed a fairly low-grade listening experience. So is it any wonder that a home-grown producing and electronic music scene has yet to flourish?

There are numerous DJs in Hong Kong – a large percentage of whom are absolutely first class – but it’s only in recent years that a few have started to make tracks, taking DJing into more of a live sphere or simply grabbing the sound of other people’s house music and making it truly their own. All of the elements are here – the only thing missing is the glue.

Listening as defined by the experience shared with a crowd of people, collectively enjoying music: The daily routine, the normality of life, is utterly forgotten for a few hours. And that’s where great sound systems come in. www.midnight.hk www.facebook.com/midnight.hk

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