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Ultra Singapore 2.0
LIVE: Hexogon Solution At Gardens By The Bay
INTERVIEW: Marcel Fairbairn Of Gear-Source Inc
EXHIBITION REVIEW: PALM Expo India
Photo credit: Ashok Kumar
2017
With Claypaky Axcor Profile 900, users can finally choose the most powerful and digitally advanced LED Profile Spot on the market, without any sacrifices in terms of light output, features and effects.
AUSTRALIA - NEW ZEALAND SHOW TECHNOLOGY www.showtech.com.au
CHINA - HONG KONG A.C.E. (Int’l) co. ltd. www.acehk.com
INDIA DHAWAN STAGECRAFTS www.dhawans.com JAGMAG ELECTRIC www.jagmagelectric.com
JAPAN PRG K.K. www.prg.com/ja
PHILIPPINES RMB LIGHTS AND SOUNDS TRADING wek72@yahoo.com
SINGAPORE-THAILANDMALAYSIA-INDONESIA ACOUSTIC & LIGHTING SYSTEM www.acousticlighting.com
SOUTH KOREA TONGSUH TECHNOLOGIES & TRADING www.tongsuhtech.com
TAIWAN ACROPRO Ltd www.acropro.com.tw
VIETNAM ITCSTAR JSC www.itcstar.com
www.claypaky.it
INTHISISSUE: V O L
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04 FIRST WORDS 06 NEWS 24 VIDEO FILES 26 ENNOVATIONS INTERVIEW 36 ETA Catches Up With Marcel Fairbairn Of Gear-Source Inc. EXHIBITION REVIEW 40 Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO 44 PALM EXPO India PROJECTS 54 THAILAND: HARMAN Professional Solutions At The AVANI Riverside Bangkok Hotel
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62 AUSTRALIA: TDC Leads The Global Movement Towards Laser Projection As The New Industry Standard For Large Scale Projection 64 ABU DHABI: Islamic Art Awards 2017 66 SOUTH KOREA: d3 Media Servers Support Fan-Favourite K-Pop Stars 68 AUSTRALIA: JPJ Audio Service Hans Zimmer’s Australian Tour 70 SINGAPORE: Robe Helps Put the Sizzle into Singapore! 73 EVENTS LISTING
LIVE 56 SINGAPORE: Ultra Singapore 2.0 60 SINGAPORE: Hexogon Solution Lights Up Supertrees For Gardens By The Bay 5th Birthday
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PALM Expo India continues to grow in strength. The 17th edition hosted 225 exhibitors over 9500 sqm of exhibit space and according to the organisers attracted 21,506
Ram Bhavanashi Editor, India And Middle East ram@spinworkz.com
unique visitors over the three days. Interestingly during the exhibition, MA Lighting identified companies within the show floor offering and selling MA copies which led to the copies being
Julie Tan Admin & Circulation admin@spinworkz.com
banned immediately. MA Lighting also made it clear to the companies that it will not tolerate anyone selling or distributing copies, and that MA reserves the right to take legal action against anyone engaging in this practice.
Jimmy Chin Design And Production jimmy@spinworkz.com
Additionally, all companies offering MA copies were prompted to delete all catalogues, brochures etc. displaying or referring to MA copies. MA Lighting highlighted that this would not have been possible without the support given by the
Natalie Chew Writer natalie@spinworkz.com
organisers of PALM Expo Mumbai, as well as companies that use the original brand. Kudos to all involved as copy products are the bane of the industry.
Michael Mitchell MEDIA REP IN NORTH AMERICA Broadcast Media International Tel: +1 631 673 0072 mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv
Thomas Richard Prakasam
Publisher/Editorial Director thomas@spinworkz.com
To subscribe to Entertainment Technology Asia click here: http://www.e-techasia.com/subscribe/ PUBLISHED BY Spinworkz Pte Ltd, 51 Bukit Batok Crescent, #06-10 Unity Centre, Singapore 658077 Tel: (65) 6316 2716 Fax: (65) 63162715 www.spinworkz.com
Disclaimer Entertainment Technology Asia is published 12 times a year. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies. Please be informed that products and company names mentioned in this publication may be protected with tradenames, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Our non inclusion of such symbols is not an indication of us not recognising the copyright but rather to have a common look across our articles. Misuse of tradenames, trademarks or registered trademarks is strictly prohibited. It is the obligation of our readers to check if company names and products are protected with tradenames, trademarks or registered trademarks.
35 Years
xy
d&b is 35. Recky is d&b.
Recky Aflai is Managing Director of Dbox Technique, d&b Distributor for Malaysia. They’ve been on board since 2014. “d&b is a fun and trusted partner. Dependable sound, innovative and professional.” In 35 years d&b has evolved from a small garage venture to a worldwide standard in professional sound systems. It’s people like Recky who make this story possible, and just that bit different from the rest.
Welcome to System reality.
NEWS
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ETA July 2017
Dev Electronics To Showcase The Best In Pro Audio Technologies At THE AUDIO FEST 2017 INDIA: Dev Electronics, one of India’s leading professional audio solutions provider, has confirmed that it will showcase a plethora of industry favourite legacy pro audio products as well as state-of-the-art pro audio technologies from its vast portfolio of world class brands, at the inaugural edition of the highly anticipated ‘The Audio Fest 2017’. Dev Electronics has built an unmatched legacy in providing world class comprehensive pro audio solutions across application segments including live/rental, install (corporate, government, houses of worship, education, entertainment, cinema, retail etc.), DJ and music production. At The Audio Fest 2017, Dev Electronics will have on active showcase a variety of technologies from the reputed brands spanning product segments such as Point source loudspeaker systems, Line Array Systems, Drivers and Components, Digital Mixing Consoles, Power Amplifiers, Digital Processors, Install Sound Gear, and DJ Gear. The Dev Electronics management asserts that these two days will have some of the best deals on pro audio equipment in the country – ‘great technologies and products at the best rates available anywhere in the market today’. The Audio Fest 2017 will also feature several in-depth and extremely informative seminars and product training sessions conducted by highly reputed industry professionals. The show promises to deliver on an over abundance of positives and hence poses as a great opportunity for patrons and visitors to truly explore the best that professional audio has to offer – all under one roof, and all through one single source. Dilip Devjani, Director at Dev Electronics shares his comment about The Audio Fest 2017 saying, “The Audio Fest 2017 will truly be a festival of professional audio in every sense of the word. From live showcases of the best in pro audio technologies across application segments to intense knowledge sessions to serious and meaningful business networking – The Audio Fest 2017 will have it all. The show will cater to every single need of all industry professionals, and with the support of all our partners and
our dedicated clientele, we’re confident that it will turn out to be every bit as amazing as we’ve imagined it to be.” Dev Electronics represents some of the most renowned names in the pro audio industry. The company are sole distributors in India of world-class powerhouse brands PowerX and Wharfedale Professional. Dev Electronics is also the Authorized Regional Distributors for market leader brands like Pioneer DJ, Yamaha, Harman Group (JBL, DBX, Soundcraft, Crown, Lexicon, AKG, BSS), Narain Group (NX-Audio, Proton, Phonic, Satan Pro Lighting, Wegner Lazers, Raytech), Krystal Cables & Connectors, QSC, and Studiomaster. They are also Prime Dealers for industry favourite brands like Shure, Sennheiser Group, Behringer Group, Denon, Allen&Heath, P.Audio, Dynatech, Mackie, Bose, LBT Lighting etc. and a host of other leading options. The Audio Fest 2017 is conceptualized and organized by Dev Electronics and will take place in Mumbai at the Nehru Center on 19th and 20th July 2017 from 11am to 7pm. www.develectronics.com
NEWS
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15 Million Feet Of Ethernet Cable “We’ve used ProPlex Ethernet cables for many years, on countless gigs,” says Tony Thompson, Project Manager for Upstaging. “They’ve held up under rigorous use where other cables have failed us, because of inadequate noise resistance, poor data transmission, or flat-out breakage. They have maintained their excellent transmission properties even after many years of stresses, sometimes extreme, plus endless uncoiling, usage, coiling, and transport. We would not consider using anything else for our critical show data.”
INTERNATIONAL: TMB’s ProPlex Cat5e portable cable reached a significant milestone in May when total sales of the flagship product in the ProPlex data cable range, since its introduction at the turn of the century, reached 15 million feet. Enough cable to stretch from Los Angeles to New York and beyond!
•
• • •
TMB’s ProPlex data cables had their birth 30 years ago when TMB introduced the world’s first DMX cable specifically designed for the entertainment staging and production markets. Road-worthy, dependable, and data verified, ProPlex DMX portable cable continues to be trusted by lighting professionals worldwide. Fifteen years later, TMB introduced ProPlex Cat5e, the world’s very first durable Ethernet cable developed specifically for portable use. The cable has the ideal combination of Ethernet performance, noise rejection, low skew, durability, resistance to harsh conditions, and optimum handling characteristics.
TMB Sales Manager, Stephanie Kilburg asserts, “ProPlex Ethernet portable cables are available in CAT5e, and now CAT6a versions, in single and various snake formats. They are recommended by leading sound console manufacturers, including Digico and Yamaha, and they are the Ethernet cables of choice for the majority of leading industry rental companies.” Some of the leading rental companies that have ProPlex Ethernet cables in their inventory include: Lighting: 4Wall, Bandit, Lite Alt, LMG, Neg Earth, NMR, Premier Global, Solotech, Upstaging, VER, White Light, WorldStage. Scenic: All Access, Hudson, Scenic Technologies, Tait. Sound: LMG, Masque, NMR, Solotech, Sound Associates, VER. Video: LMG, NEP Screenworks, NMR, Pete’s Big TV, PRG Nocturne XL, Solotech, VER, WorldStage.
“All cables are not the same,” adds Kilburg. “Beware of ‘me too’ products. ProPlex is the standard to which all others should be compared.” The first to design and build custom, proprietary cables, connectors, and assemblies for the entertainment production and staging markets, and still the industry leader over 30 years later, TMB is exclusive worldwide distributor for ProPlex cables. Learn about ProPlex Ethernet cables at www.tmb.com/products/49-proplex-ethernet and other cables at www.tmb.com/cables. www.tmb.com
ZOOM
IN OUT
LedBeam 150TM Zoom
ParFect 150TM Zoom
www.150zoom.cz
LEDBeam 150 TM Zoom
ParFect 150TM Zoom
www.150zoom.cz
NEWS
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Christie Visual Solutions At Wanda’s Latest Theme Park In Harbin Flyover Heilongjiang flight simulation ride (Photo courtesy of Wincomn Technology)
CHINA: Christie together with its Chinese partner Wincomn Technology, are offering the ultimate visual experience to visitors at the new Harbin Wanda Cultural Tourism City, located in the capital of China’s Heilongjiang Province.
visitors. These include the Christie Roadster HD20K-J and Christie DWU851-Q projectors supplied by Christie’s valued partner Wincomn Technology, which are ideal for large venues and renowned for delivering superior, dependable visual performance.
Developed by Wanda Group, the 80-hectare cultural tourism investment project is the largest cultural tourism complex in northeastern China aimed at turning Harbin into a famous cultural tourism city. Among the cultural projects in the tourism city include a large theater, a movie technology park, as well as the largest cinema complex in Northeast China. In particular, the Harbin Wanda Theme Park features state-of-the-art multi-dimensional rides zones ranging from conventional 3D to immersive dome experiences based on Chinese cultural themes and popular folklore characters.
“We are very pleased to once again work with Wanda Group in providing the visual solutions at two of the biggest attractions at Harbin Wanda’s indoor theme park. Having gained invaluable experiences during our previous involvement in Wanda’s mega projects in Hefei and Nanchang, we are confident of delivering yet another top notch installation using Christie’s high performance and dependable projectors,” said Tony Chen, General Manager, Wincomn Technology. “I’m confident that visitors at Harbin Wanda Cultural Tourism City will be thrilled with the excellent visuals presented using Christie’s cutting-edge projection systems.”
Two highly-anticipated attractions, comprising an interactive theater and flyover theater at this venue have been fitted with over 100 Christie 3DLP and 1DLP projectors to provide the best possible visual and immersive experience for
Lin Yu, Vice President, Christie Asia Pacific, commented, “As the themed entertainment industry’s preferred brand for professional projection systems, Christie is
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USA ph: +1 714 236 8610 sales-us@christiedigital.com
CHINA-SHANGHAI ph: +86 21 6278 7708 ask-china@christiedigital.com
INDIA ph: +91 80 6708 9999 ask-india@christiedigital.com
KOREA ph: +82 2 702 1601 ask-korea@christiedigital.com
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JAPAN ph: +81 3 3599 7481 ask-japan@christiedigital.com
SINGAPORE ph: +65 6877 8737 ask-singapore@christiedigital.com
NEWS
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proud and honored to be chosen by Wanda Group to have our advanced visual solutions installed in the new Harbin Wanda Cultural Tourism City, the largest leisure development in China’s Northeastern region. Wanda is no stranger to our projection solutions, as a number of cultural and entertainment destinations developed by Wanda are already powered by our visual solutions. We’re very pleased to work closely with our valued partner Wincomn Technology on the installations and look forward to transporting visitors to exciting virtual worlds where they can enjoy vivid adventures in totally immersive environments.” Among the most anticipated attractions at Harbin Wanda Park is a spectacular new flight simulation ride named “Flyover Heilongjiang” that launches guests into a thrilling immersive experience that enables them to witness the four seasons and savor the sights at the most scenic spots of Heilongjiang Province. Featuring a domed screen measuring 20 meters in diameter and a height of 15.8 meters, the lifelike projections have been made possible by 24 Christie Roadster HD20K-J projectors. Another popular interactive ride, named after legendary tales in Chinese folklore, is fitted with 84 Christie DWU851-Q projectors to create a three-dimensional virtual environment where guests can interact with the projected
contents in seven themed zones and enjoy a highly immersive experience. With a brightness of 20,000 lumens and full HD resolution, the Christie Roadster HD20K-J is ideal for large venues and delivers the most natural color accuracy and stability with the next level of technology, performance and flexibility. The Christie Q Series, on the other hand, offers versatile, affordable and superior image processing, as well as ultraquiet operation and high performance trusted by customers around the world. Wanda Cultural Tourism City (Wanda City), a term coined by the Chinese conglomerate, is a cultural and tourism project that aims to create a safe, high-quality, diversified entertainment and leisure experience to consumers in China. So far, it has completed five Wanda City projects in China, including Changbaishan (in Jilin province in northeast China), Xishuangbanna (in Yunnan province in southern China), Wuhan (in Hebei province in central China), Nanchang (in Jiangxi Province in southern China) and Hefei (in Anhui Province in eastern China). By 2020, Wanda will unveil 15 Wanda City projects in China and five overseas. www.christiedigital.com
The highly immersive interactive ride (Photo courtesy of Wincomn Technology)
NEWS
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New CEO at beyerdynamic INTERNATIONAL: With effect from 1 June 2017, the Administrative Board of beyerdynamic GmbH & Co. KG has named Dutchman Edgar van Velzen as the company’s new managing director. Together with Wolfgang Luckhardt, long-standing managing director, he is now at the helm of the Heilbronn-based audio specialist. Most recently, van Velzen was CEO of Teufel GmbH in Berlin. ‘We value the extensive experience that Edgar van Velzen brings to the company and are delighted to have acquired such an accomplished audio industry executive – and someone who knows exactly how to handle the challenges of the digital age,’ remarks Professor Wolf Michael Nietzer, Chairman of the Administrative Board of beyerdynamic GmbH & Co. KG. ‘He is an expert in developing global distribution strategies and understands the importance of a strong brand. He is able to harness his knowledge in order to drive the company forward on the international stage with innovative product ideas and advance the business as a whole by means of strategically smart optimisations across the board. We look forward to a successful working relationship with Edgar van Velzen at beyerdynamic.’ Edgar van Velzen began his career in 1990 as a product manager at Sony Netherlands, moving to Sony Germany in the very same year. In 1996, he became Head of Marketing and Sales in the Mobile Electronics division of Sony Europe before taking on the role of VP Marketing/Sales at Harman Becker Automotive Systems in 2004. Most recently, he played a key role in shaping the success of Teufel GmbH as the company’s CEO. “I am highly motivated when it comes to driving forward the strategic development of the company. The great thing about beyerdynamic is that the company is a one-stop
Edgar van Velzen
Wolfgang Luckhardt
shop, with both product development and production under one roof. This is right up my street, as I am a product guy through and through and appreciate high-quality products. I love to work together on new product ideas and pushing forward innovations. I continuously challenge myself to get the very best out of a product, with the customer and their needs always coming first. I am full of admiration for what the workforce and managing director Wolfgang Luckhardt have achieved in the past few years,” said Edgar. “Teamwork is a top priority for me, as I believe that this is the key to success. I firmly believe that our partnership will be extremely fruitful. Together, we will provide our customers with the best headphones, microphones and conference solutions and ensure sustainable and profitable growth at the company on the basis of many new and innovative products. Stay tuned, you will hear of us.” www.beyerdynamic.com
NEWS
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Shure Axient Digital Launch
SINGAPORE: The 24th of May saw the launch of the Axient Digital in Singapore. Organised by Shure and its distributor in Singapore, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd and held at the Gallery Theatre located at the National Museum of Singapore the launch saw a very good turnout of nearly 100 guests including regional visitors. Holding the event during the same days of BroadcastAsia helped in the strong regional turnout. The afternoon event kicked off with the introduction of what benefits the Shure Axient Digital brings to the user. Axient Digital combines and upgrades Shure’s best technologies, resulting in a new industry standard with unparalleled RF and audio performance. The key is the improved RF stability and spectral efficiency, offering crystal clear audio.
Live streamed demonstration
To show the prowess and quality of the Shure Axient Digital a live demonstration that included live streaming was held with two personnel using the wireless system and walking out of the presentation space and across the Museum communicating throughout with the presenter in the room. Well seeing or in this case hearing is believing and the live demonstration clearly highlighted the truth in the Axient Digital’s claims. After the presentation, guests took the opportunity to talk with Shure and E&E representatives and see the system close-up. www.shure.com www.enepl.com.sg
NEWS
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Zepp@BIGBOX - New Concert Venue Complete With Equipment & Crew
SINGAPORE: A new concert venue has been unveiled – recently launched at BIGBOX Singapore, Zepp@BIGBOX Singapore is a joint venture between Zepp Hall Network Inc. and Big Box Investment Pte Ltd, and is the first ever Zepp-branded concert hall located outside of Japan.
crew,” says Teo Wee Kiang, Executive Vice President, Zepp@Big Box Pte Ltd.
Located on the third floor of BIG BOX in MEGA BOX Event Hall A, Zepp@BIGBOX is expected to hold up to 2333 people, and 4032 people when combined with MEGA BOX Event Hall B. One reason for Zepp’s location in BIGBOX Singapore is due to the West side of Singapore where BIG BOX is located, becoming more popular among consumers as a hub for shopping and entertainment alike. “Jurong is fast becoming the new point of conventions in Singapore, and for years ahead we are proud to be the pioneer in this region and be part of the music scene here. There are many talented artists in Singapore who will immediately benefit from this medium-sized venue completely equipped with audio visual equipment and
One of the biggest draws of the venue is that all equipment is already provided for musicians who are performing at the venue – all the equipment provided by the venue is standardised throughout all Zepp concert halls in Japan as well, making staging and equipment set-up easier and more effective for performers.
NEWS
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There’s even a spare equipment room that provides replacements for faulty equipment, or alternative equipment and technology for musicians. Equipment used in the venue includes MA Lighting’s GrandMA2 Lite console, which allows for full control of conventional and moving lights, as well as LED fixtures and media from a single console. The venue also employs the Yamaha CL5 and QL1 digital audio mixers for accessible mixing and sonic purity. Providing sound reinforcement in front-of-house are NEXO STM speakers. Equipment used in the front-of-house system includes: • Consoles – 1 x Yamaha CL5 and 1 x QL1 • Signal processors – 2 x Yamaha MY8-LAKE and 1 x SPX2000 • Speakers – 18 x NEXO STM M46, 9 x STM M28, 18 x STM B112, 28 x STM S118 • Amplifiers – 17 x NEXO NXAMP4x4 and 17 x NX.DT104 (Dante card for amplifiers) • Switch – 4 x Yamaha SWP1-16MMF Equipment used in the monitor system includes: • Console – 1 x Yamaha CL5 • Signal Processors – 1 x Yamaha SPX2000 • Speakers – 8 x NEXO 45N12, 8 x PS15R2, 2 x Alpha EF • Amplifiers – 7 x NEXO NXAMP4x4 and 7 x NX.DT104 (Dante card for amplifiers) • Switch – 2 x Yamaha SWP1-16MMF
The Yamaha CL Series audio mixer used by Zepp@BIGBOX.
According to Satoshi Seno, President of Zepp Hall Network Inc. and Director of Board & Corp EVP, Zepp@BIGBOX aims to attract both local and international acts. In fact, Japanese rock band RADWIMPS staged the venue’s opening concert as part of their Asia Live Tour – during their sold-out concert, the band performed their biggest hits, including songs from the hit animation movie Kimi no Na Wa (Your Name). Zepp@BIGBOX uses the Yamaha CL (far left) and QL Series
www.yamahaproaudio.com
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Thinking. Inside the box.
NEWS
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NEXO Initiates ‘STM PARTNERS NETWORK’ For Global Cooperation
GLOBAL: With more than 100 rental houses worldwide now offering the STM Series modular line array, NEXO is creating a special Partner Network for customers of its flagship sound reinforcement products.
the STM Series makes it uniquely suitable for collaboration between rental suppliers. It is easy for smaller companies to pool STM resources and be able to pitch together for larger festival and event contracts.”
Since 2014, the STM Series of high-performance configurable line array modules has achieved global acceptance. STM modules have been put into rental inventory in more than 50 countries, as well as being specified for installation in numerous theatres and auditoria, sports arenas and stadia. The arrival of the compact STM M28 main module has enabled many smaller rental companies to join the STM elite user group, and reap the benefits of the versatile modular design.
A major component of the Partner Network is the provision of high-level education, training and certification. A newly-designed ETC3 training course will provide advanced and highly focussed training in the STM hardware, and in NEXO’s proprietary software tools such as the NS-1 design and simulation programme, and NeMo remote system management. The ETC3 course produces Certified STM Operators, thus expanding the database of certified engineers around the world that the Partner Network can call upon when demand is high.
Aimed at the touring and rental sector of its business, NEXO’s new Partner Network will bring STM owners and users closer together in a programme for global cooperation, with NEXO and with each other. One of the primary reasons for establishing a detailed international database of users is to facilitate crosshire, subhire and collaboration between STM rental houses. The STM Partner Network programme is being overseen by Val Gilbert, NEXO Engineering Support manager for Touring and Rental. “The modularity that is the hallmark of
An exclusive communications channel with NEXO’s Engineering Support team will give the Partner community access to the manufacturer’s highest level of technical expertise and back-up. “There is no minimum entry requirement for our Partner Network,” continues Gilbert. “Any STM customer is automatically part of the club.” www.nexo-sa.com
VIDEO FILES
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Barco UDX 4K32 At Vivid Sydney
d3 At The Blue Dragon Film Awards
Technical Direction Company deploys Barco’s UDX 4K32 in a world-first large-scale laser projection at Vivid Sydney 2017 at the Museum of Contemporary Art for ‘Organic Vibrations’ a collaboration between Julia Gorman, an Australian, and Paris-based creative and artistic collective, Danny Rose. Check out the video of the projection mapping here.
The Blue Dragon Film Awards is an annual awards ceremony that is presented by Sports Chosun (a sister brand of Chosun Ilbo) for excellence in film in South Korea. The Blue Dragon Film Awards considers only blockbusters and popular movies of high artistic value released during the previous year. BasicTech used the d3 4x4pro & VFC cards for their impressive visual work on the 37th edition of the Blue Dragon Film Awards, held in Seoul.
ÉPIX Strip IP & ÉPIX Drive 2000 IP By CHAUVET Professional
Allen & Heath – dLive Installed Solutions Overview
The Épix Strip IP and Épix Drive 2000 IP were launched at InfoComm International. Épix Strip IP is an outdoor pixelmapping 1-meter LED strip, featuring 100 LEDs in a row, ideal for festivals, concert touring, and installations. Power and control it through the Épix Drive 2000 IP on Art-Net, Kling-Net, or sACN (streaming ACN). Here is an intro about the solutions.
dLive brings together the best aspects of audio management systems and live mixing consoles to create a complete audio solution for today’s multi-purpose facilities. From background music and presentations through to large scale live performances, the dLive system handles every aspect of audio life for schools and colleges, houses of worship, arts centres and more. The comprehensive dLive range provides the installer with the toolkit to create scalable, distributed, integrated systems, plus the control options to suit everyone from the casual user to the experienced audio engineer.
UDX will revolutionize the way we work, now and into the future. Danny Whetstone Founder and President, DWP Live
UDX.
Unbelievable You want to wow audiences with an unbelievable experience – today and into the future? Now you can. Barco’s new UDX projectors are the most compact high-brightness laser projectors with integrated cooling on the market. What’s in it for you? Quicker installation, lower costs, 4K performance … and an unbelievable audience experience! Start believing on www.barco.com/UDX
ENABLING BRIGHT OUTCOMES
ENNOVATIONS
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ETA July 2017
RCF: New HD Range Speakers The new D-Line MK4 speakers performance is boosted with brand new transducers, offering improved sound quality with the revolutionary FiRPHASE processing and a grill design that exalts the professional look. The vocals are natural, the sound is clear at long distances, and the SPL power is stable at very high levels. The concept of the HD-Line derives from the touring industry, bringing in an elegant and compact cabinet with all the experience of RCF professional sound with maximum reliability and strength for intensive use on the road. Users can connect their microphone, device or mixer to the active speaker and turn up the volume: real plug&go. Perfect as a main front of house in small PA systems, high powered floor monitoring or as an unobtrusive fixed installation. Three models are available: HD 32-A MK4, HD 12-A MK4 and HD 10-A MK4. http://www.rcf.it/it_IT/professional-speakersystems/d-line/hd-32-a-mk4 HD 32-A MK4
DiGidot: DiGidot C4 With Advanced LED Driver The DiGidot C4 is a small and powerful LED controller that has use in all kinds of applications. One device can drive more than 6000 single LEDs. The DiGidot C4 is an in-house development of DiGidot, based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. It works as a pixel controller, ArtNet node, show recorder and trigger device and can work standalone for smaller setups or collaborate in larger networks with third-party devices. Whereas users previously needed one or more ArtNet to DMX nodes in combination with a large number of DMX to SPI decoders to control a large number of LED pixel lights, the DiGidot C4 driver allows for easier configuration by daisy chaining through a built-in Ethernet switch. This means fewer devices, less cabling and less installation time. A built-in show recorder records up to 8 DMX universes, making the DiGidot C4 perfectly suited for applications in theme parks, museums, retail shops and architectural. It works with a variety of protocols and an intuitive app and web-based user interface make for convenient operation. www.digidot.eu
ENNOVATIONS ETA July 2017
Wireless Solution: W-DMX Micro Now Shipping The highly-anticipated battery-powered Wireless DMX transceiver with advanced new features to control any W-DMX receiver is available now. The W-DMX Micro F-1 G5 Transceiver is the smallest and most compact W-DMX unit. Capable of transmitting DMX and RDM data with the patent-pending and improved Adaptive Frequency Hopping technology, and with support for W-DMX Datasafe and Invisi-wire technologies, the W-DMX Micro F-1 G5 Transceiver ensures that your DMX or RDM control signal reaches its destination. The W-DMX Micro F-1 G5 Transceiver offers up to 200 metres transmission and with only 4 x AAA batteries the transmitter and receiver is able to work continuously for 8 hours. http://wirelessdmx.com/products/micro-f-1-g5
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ENNOVATIONS
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Dynacord: New Power Amplifiers Dedicated For Live Applications And Fixed Installations is also suitable for direct drive applications with 70V / 100V speaker lines, providing high flexibility for a variety of install scenarios. In addition, the amplifiers feature Euroblock connectors for convenient wiring, remote power-on delay, and GPIOs (General-purpose input/output) to interface with third-party controls. The efficient standby power mode reduces running costs and power consumption by up to 90 percent, leading to a very low total cost of ownership.
Dynacord has launched two new dual-channel power amplifier series: the L Series and the C Series. Coinciding with Dynacord’s 70th anniversary, these amplifiers will be available globally. Both amplifier series comprise a powerful linear amp design with a best-in-class feature set that brings real professional performance to a new, more accessible price point. A new, powerful and easy-to-use software tool allows full configuration, control, and supervision of sound systems with multiple amplifiers. The software will be available on Dynacord’s website. Sophisticated circuitry and bulletproof, high-performance voltage handling give the user peace of mind; the amplifiers and connected loudspeakers are protected from damage and will perform flawlessly – even in the most demanding environments. Four different models per series are available, with total output power ranging from 1300 W to 3600 W. Engineered for stability at 2 ohms, they represent the cutting edge of amplifier performance and reliability in their market segment. Dynacord L Series power amplifiers are engineered to provide sound reinforcement for demanding live music applications. They are ideal for performing musicians and production companies providing sound reinforcement for live performances in venues like music clubs, community hall events, performance centers, and sports venues. Dynacord C Series power amplifiers are designed for permanent installation applications, to provide background or live music in venue including bars, churches, restaurants, sports facilities, and performing arts centers. The C Series
Like all Dynacord amplifiers, both series offer high-quality components and truly professional processing power and performance characteristics. Their engineering and applied technologies enable exceptional sound quality with plenty of headroom. The onboard DSP (digital signal processing) includes multi-band PEQs (parametric equalizer), crossovers, limiters, and delay per channel. It also has true channel grouping control with extra DSP capabilities like PEQ, GEQ (graphic equalizer), and delay for each group. The L Series and C Series amplifiers utilize the advanced FIR-Drive feature to optimize original factory loudspeaker settings, yielding a level of performance unheard of at this price point. Both series consist of four dual-channel models, each with different output power specifications. www.dynacord.com
ENNOVATIONS ETA July 2017
Barco: 2 New 4K60p interface Cards Further Extends The Power Of The Event Master Screen Management Series With the introduction of these two new next-generation 4K60p video interface cards, Barco continues to expand the modular, future-proof Event Master platform. Consistent with the Barco promise of continuous enhancement and future-proof design, the new 4K tri-combo input and output cards add the latest generation of 4K60p video interface standards to the Event Master series. In addition to DisplayPort 1.2, HDMI 2.0 and 12G SDI, each card also supports 4x 3G SDI, for both quad 4K or multiple HD support. And, thanks to the modular design of the system, the new cards can be easily installed in the field, minimizing down time. www.barco.com
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Powersoft: Armonía v2.10 Changes The Concept Of Sound System Alignment
Armonía v2.10 brings an innovative and interactive tuning feature that not only improves the process of measuring and aligning a sound system – but enables the user to work without noise in the immediate surrounding environment. Armonía v2.10 is now fully integrated with Rational Acoustic Smaart v8 which can read real time, imported or shared location traces (smart, txt, csv, xml). The technology underpins the new interactive tuning plugin, opening up an impressive array of features to the user, such as offline manipulation with EQ, Gain, Polarity, Delay, Sum, Average, Merge amongst many others. The new work flow for quiet, offline tuning, requires just a single set of starting measurements before the process is completed in virtual simulation. Greybox Integration EAW Greyboxes have been integrated into Armonía. Once loaded as a path in Armonía options, the Greyboxes become available in the speaker configuration page complete with a comprehensive range of options is available to perfectly calibrate the sound of the speakers. Options include air-loss compensation and amplifier sizing. Equaliser Control Powersoft has included enhancements to the visualisation of EQ in this latest release. Alongside optimised graphics, automatic frequency-reordered filters keep the most-used filters always to hand.
Support for Quattrocanali and Duecanali The latest version of Armonía is also the first public release since the recent launch of the Quattrocanali 1204, 2404 and 4804, as well as the Duecanali 1604. As such, the software update fully supports the control and monitoring of the standard non-DSP versions of these models, giving access to control Gain, Mutes, MaxOutVoltage, as well as metering, faults and warnings, Further additions to the latest Armonía software version include an expanded preset library featuring, amongst many others, official presets from BOSE SM Series, DAS Aero Series, custom d&b Max12-15, and custom NEXO GeoT. Firmware for all supported devices will also be included in the installation package. Armonía will prompt the user to update device firmware to benefit from all the latest enhancements. The Armonía v2.10 software also supports multiple serial ports at once in the Communication Manager and provides minor fixes on the X Series, DSP4 and other models. The new release is ready to download from the newlylaunched dedicated Armonía website. The website – http://armonia.powersoft.it – offers users a quick overview of the main features of the software, as well as the latest Armonía tutorial videos. The download process has also been improved and registration is no longer required on the Powersoft website. www.powersoft-audio.com
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Allen & Heath: DX168 Offers More IO for dLive Range Allen & Heath has added the portable DX168 expander rack to its dLive digital mixing system, offering further remote IO options to the range. DX168 features 16 XLR mic inputs and 8 XLR line outputs, and communicates with the dLive system via Allen & Heath’s proprietary 96kHz DX protocol over CAT5e cable, allowing cable runs of up to 100m between the dLive system and the unit. In “Redundant” mode, dual cable redundant connections can be made to dLive S Class hardware as well as nonredundant single cable connections to S Class and C Class systems. Alternatively, in “Cascade” mode (available in upcoming firmware 1.60), up to 6 DX168 units can be connected to any dLive S Class or dLive C Class system allowing up to 96 remote inputs and 48 remote outputs. The DX168 comes in a robust stage box format, with hard-wearing rubber bumpers and a carry handle for direct
placement on the stage floor. An optional rackmount kit allows the unit to be mounted in a standard 19” rack. www.allen-heath.com
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MIDAS: New COMPRESSOR LIMITER 522 The COMPRESSOR LIMITER 522 brings state of the industry dynamics control to a compact 500 Series format processor that is good enough to wear the MIDAS name. When used in conjunction with the LEGEND L10, L6, or other standard 500 Series rackmount chassis, the 522 provides the ideal solution for users seeking the legendary MIDAS sound in a modular format that boasts upgraded, premium-quality performance. Fully variable dynamic presence feature preserves high mid-range frequencies for a more natural sound during compression. Additionally, the 522’s dynamic Presence control enables operators to add “air” to vocals without introducing noise or pumping effects and reduces the risk of feedback during live performances. http://www.music-group.com/Categories/Midas/Signal-Processors/ Compressors-Limiters/COMPRESSOR-LIMITER-522/p/P0C2F
HARMAN Professional Solutions: Introduces JBL AE Powered Loudspeakers
Designed for the most demanding applications, JBL AE Powered loudspeakers are equipped with the latest HARMAN amplification and DSP technologies, including Crown DriveCore front-end amplification, premium JBL user-configurable DSP and full HiQnet Network control. Comprised of two full-range loudspeakers and two subwoofer models, the AE Powered Series is ideal for performing arts facilities, theatrical sound design, auditoriums, houses of worship, music venues, dance clubs, sports facilities, entertainment venues and more. The AE Powered Series offers advanced network configuration, control and monitoring capabilities via HARMAN Audio Architect software. Rotatable waveguides allow designers to utilize the full-range system in both vertical and horizontal configurations while maintaining the same coverage pattern. Because the height dimension is the same as the two-way systems from the JBL AE Series, MTU-1 and MTU-3 U-brackets can be utilized for overhead suspension of the full-range loudspeaker systems. Looping PowerCon™ A/C connectors provide the capability to combine two or three loudspeaker systems without requiring multiple home runs to the main power source or additional junction boxes at each array location. All models are equipped with JBL patented Differential Drive® low-frequency drivers with 3” (75mm) voice coils. The full-range highfrequency section utilizes the highly reliable 2432H 3” (75mm) voice coil compression driver. The JBL AE Powered Series will be available in late summer 2017. www.harman.com
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Yamaha: New High-performance VXL Series Slim Line Array Yamaha Corporation announced a remarkably compact VXL Series slim line array speaker system that is capable of delivering high sound quality in small commercial spaces, at InfoComm 2017. The VXL Series is a surprisingly slim line array speaker system that provides outstanding sonic clarity for speech while simultaneously delivering ample low end for high-quality music reproduction. It is an ideal choice for offices, educational institutions, shopping malls, and other applications where space is limited. The lineup includes different models of different size and colour, plus a range of options that allow flexible setup in a wide range of environments. The VXL1-8 measures 480mm
vertically, whereas the VLX-16 and VLX1-24 measure 846mm and 1212mm respectively. All the models have a width of 54mm for easy configuration. The slim design blends easily with interior dĂŠcor and offers flexible coverage adjustment. Units can be connected vertically for wider coverage or connected side by side fore more focused dispersion. The VXL1-16 and VXL1-24 feature Vertical Coverage Switches that allow the lower vertical dispersion of the array to be easily expanded without having to angle the speakers. www.yamahaproaudio.com
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ECLER: New TRAIL103 Rail-mount Loudspeaker
ECLER TRAIL103 is a 3" lamp style loudspeaker cabinet, featuring an installation system which is compatible with ceiling light rails. Full mounting options include ceiling light rails, surface mount and truss/threaded bar adapter. High Impedance (15W and 30W taps) and Low Impedance (4 ohm) connections are included. The loudspeaker is available in white or black finish.
The loudspeaker can be used in a variety of applications such as in Shopping centres, Retail shops, PA distributed sound systems, Clubs, Cafes, Bars foreground/background reinforcement, Health and sports centres as well as Meeting and conference rooms. http://www.ecler.com/products/loudspeakers/ cabinet-loudspeakers/trail103-detail.html
QSC: New AcousticDesign Column Surface-Mount Loudspeakers QSC, LLC, has announced the addition of column surfacemount loudspeakers to its AcousticDesign (AD) Series. This premium line extensions, are ideal for a wide variety of foreground and background applications and solves reverberant issues in high-ceiling spaces. The new AD-S802T has eight 2.5” vertically oriented drivers while the AD-S162T has sixteen 2.5” vertically oriented drivers; both are high quality, 70/100V or 8 ohm bypass, full-range systems. They come equipped with a unique pan/tilt mounting system that offers multiple positioning locations, allowing the loudspeaker to remain close to the wall while offering the flexibility to deliver up to a -20° downward tilt. This makes installation even easier and reduces “live load” labour time while on the ladder. As part of the AcousticDesign Series, the new column surface-mount loudspeakers share a similar sleek unobtrusive design with the rest of the line, which allows them to blend with the aesthetics of any room. In addition, they exhibit the same robust environmental qualities
associated with all AcousticDesign surface-mount models making them ideal for indoor and outdoor usage. “The new column surface-mount loudspeakers represent a natural evolution of the AcousticDesign Series tool kit,” said Travis Nie, QSC Product Manager for Installed Loudspeakers. “For those environments that need a narrow vertical pattern such as large, high-ceiling spaces, these new loudspeakers help to improve intelligibility in reverberant spaces while offering the same consistency and outstanding performance of the AcousticDesign Series.” www.qsc.com
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Marcel Fairbairn On GearSource And Plans For Asia
Marcel Fairbairn with Don N. Chan
Gear-Source, Inc. was brought to life in October of 2002 by lighting industry vet, Marcel Fairbairn. GearSource.com has always sold more (predominantly) used product in professional Stage Lighting, Pro Audio, Video and Staging than anyone. A large majority of the company's customers are "dealers" including production / rental companies and resellers who typically buy at slightly lower prices than end-users. However the company also values its End User clients and always tries its best to improve their buying experience as well.
What has been the greatest challenge in making GearSource a recognisable and reputable name?
A European office was opened in 2006 to further develop their presence worldwide and this month (July) an Asian office will make its presence headed by Don N.Chan. ETA speaks to Marcel about the company and its aspirations.
There are many platforms out there, what makes GearSource stand out from the competition?
Well, first - convincing the industry (both manufacturers and rental companies) that the used gear market needed some cleaning up. Companies and individuals were trusting their valuable gear to the dangers of Ebay, partly caused by the anonymity of buyers and sellers - hiding behind a computer. GearSource focused right from the beginning on building a platform that was first secure, then - could scale.
The “used gear� industry is primarily made up of roladex brokers. Folks who know people and therefore, found a way to do some business. These folks have proven to cause
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problems for both buyers and sellers who trusted them and were burned in one way or another. In a few cases, the “broker” collected money up front then disappeared. In another known case, a broker worked with an insider at a large production company and were diverting proceeds from the seller directly to their own accounts. At GearSource, our entire company was build on a reputation and trust. That has not changed, even as we have become a global leader in the used gear market. But also important - we have invested millions of dollars in a platform that is well above any competitor. Software and technology that makes the process of buying and selling much easier, safer and more efficient for the company’s users. This year, the company launched it’s latest massive platform revision titled G-Suite®. This suite of services empowers GearSource users to do more, faster - and to have analytics that help make decisions on pricing, timing, etc.
Are you able to share the number of transactions worldwide in a month that GearSource handles (this includes GearSource Europe) GearSource is a private company and do not share many of these details. However I can tell you we are currently processing upwards of 20 transactions on a daily basis when the industry standard is likely 3-5 transactions weekly.
How will the creation of GearSource Asia help your clients? The Asian markets are vital to our continued growth and will likely double our revenues in the near term as well. Our business in Asia has always been good, but we have felt strongly for 5 years that until we add a location within the territory, we will never truly maximize our opportunities there. The differences culturally and linguistically are tremendous, not to mention the different time zone, unique equipment and brand needs and more. This new location will prove a key turning point in the expansion of GearSource globally.
What are your expectations in relation to GearSource Asia? We’ve gotten to know the gentlemen behind this location and we are quite impressed by their knowledge, ability and passion towards our brand. We expect that within 3 short years, the Asian offices will surpass the revenues of both our N American HQ and GearSource Europe as well. The GearSource Asia website - www.gearsourceasia.com - will come live in mid July 2017. In the meantime if you need further information you may get in touch with the team from GearSource Asia as follows: Don Chan CEO/Technical Director: main: +65 6746 6797 direct: +65 66000866 Email: don@gearsourceasia.com Manoj ChmanLal Managing Director: main: + 65 6746 6797 Email: manoj@gearsourceasia.com Sharmila Kaur Admin & Operations Manager: main: +65 6746 6797 Email: inquiries@gearsourceasia.com
(L-R) Manoj from GearSource Asia with Marcel, Claudette Cyr, partner at Gear-Source, Inc, Don and Henry Kones, VP Business Development from Gear-Source Inc.
YOU BE THE JUDGE FOUR STAGES INTERNATIONAL BRANDS
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26 – 28 JULY 2017 MARINA BAY SANDS EXPO & CONVENTION
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4th Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO
T
he 4th Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO, considered Japan’s largest trade show for the live entertainment and media industry, took place from May 31 to June 2 at Makuhari Messe, Japan. The show saw another great year with record numbers of 442 exhibitors and 22,719 visitors during the 3 days show period. Exhibitors launched their latest services and technologies: LED display, pro-lighting, pro-audio and all other equipment/services for the concerts, sports events, musical plays and amusement parks sectors. The show has been supporting all genres of the industry for the past 3 years, and functioned this year again as a business arena for industry players from across Japan and the world. Advanced key technologies such as VR, 8K ultra-high vision display, projection mapping and drone footage gathered strong attention from industry delegates.
“It is our first time in Tokyo. The visitors are very professional, and the exhibitors are also very big companies and professional. All of the exhibitors are very serious companies. Next year we need a bigger booth to have more and more customers,” said a spokesperson from exhibition company Showven of China. “This show is growing larger and larger every year. Companies across various business sectors are now exhibiting.” said Michinori Mizuno, Chief Executive Officer and Representative Director, Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc. First time exhibitor DOX Drone from Japan added, “It is our first time at Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO. We are surprised by the good feedback by the visitors, and the number of visitors, both of which we didn’t expect at all before the show. We discussed business with a good number of prospects. We are satisfied with the outcome. There will be more new LED products and video
EXHIBITION REVIEW ETA July 2017
technologies in the market. We are also going to develop something new by the next show.” “More visitors seemed to be attracted to our booth as we exhibited actual products. We have had inquiries from TV commercial and music video production companies and various production directors. We expect our products will be highly useful for TV commercial production and sports related shootings. As Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO will be co-held with 1st Sports Expo TOKYO next year, we are looking forward to meeting with many more industry professionals including sports related participants,” said a spokesperson from Rocket (Japan). “This is the second time for us to exhibit, and quite a few people from theme parks and other commercial facilities visited our booth. We have exchanged approx. 300 business cards. We already have 5-6 new projects with fixed date and cost”, said a very pleased spokesperson from Creative Space Inc. (Japan). Visitors were also equally impressed with the exhibition. “Very interesting as you can see from these exhibitors what the current trends are, and what are packaged to be sold,” said Daito Manabe, Executive, Rhizomatiks Research. Naoki Shimizu, President, Creative Man added, “Simply interesting. If you are organising live events and festivals, everything you need is here.”
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Seminars by industry leaders attracted 9,876 attendees Welcoming 9,876 industry players as audience, the Conference took place next to Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO. Speakers included top managements from Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Japan, as well as Japan’s prominent staging director, event promoter, media art director and choreographer. They discussed the market trends and development, as well as advanced technology in the live entertainment & media industry.
The figures promise the future success of the Show Japan’s live entertainment market has been experiencing a steady growth for 4 straight years (2011-2015); the music market size reached a record high of JPY 340.5 billion (approximately USD3 billion) in 2015, jumped by 25.5% from the previous year, while the market for theater,
musical and other performances showed 11.3% increase for JPY 171.4 billion (approximately USD1.5 billion) in 2015. There is no doubt that 5th Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO will be a destination for both the suppliers and buyers to weigh a wide range of options, expand business and find connections in the growing market. For more details of the future show schedule, participation fee and the list of exhibitors/visitors, see the official show website: http://www.live-event.jp/en/, or contact the Show Team at live-expo.eng@reedexpo.co.jp. The 5th Live Entertainment Expo TOKYO will be held from 21 to 23 February 2018. The show is organised by Reed Exhibitions Japan Ltd. www.live-event.jp/en/
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PALM EXPO: Grows Big, Explores Newer Horizons Over 225 Exhibitors; >40 New Over 500 Brands; >25 New launches 27,000 Square meters floor Four Demo Cubes Exclusive Halls for Sound&Display, and Lighting Programming Versatility New tie-ups/associations >21,000 unique visitors; >27,000 visitors over 3 days Overall growth: 17.5%
PALM Expo 2017 – the 17th edition of India’s largest Pro Audio, Lighting and Music industries – held at the Bombay Exhibition Grounds recently – scored a resounding success by turning out to be the largest event in its 17-year history. With an impressive growth in all-round numbers of floor space, exhibitors, brands on demo, and, of course, more quality visitors, besides improvised programming offerings, the event appeared to be more buoyant than ever, posed a very positive intent - to explore newer horizons. An ETA exclusive: The PALM Expo 2017 – 17th edition of India’s largest Pro Audio, Lighting and Music industries – while making yet another successful outing, promised to bring more substance as it moves in time. Growing in size reputation, the event not only added two very specific new offerings, but also gave an Indication of its ambitious plans for the future.
With a view to making the event more attractive and beneficial to the exhibitors and the visitors, the organizers have come up with an exclusive space called the Lighting Designer space, and the PALM Connect, a buyer-seller interactive space focused exclusively on AV consultants for Integrated systems. The Lighting Designer Showcase was a space where the aspiring professionals and manufacturers from the Lighting industry can come together for sharing their expertise and experiences for the common good of the industry. Similarly, the PALM Connect has been ideated to be an interactive space intended to facilitate a connecting interaction between prospective buyers and sellers/solution providers from AV, display and projection systems segments.
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“The industry has been expanding, and so have been the expectations,” says Ramesh Chetwani of the PALM Expo. “Visitor profile has been widening year after year, they come with bigger expectations, and exhibitors too want more and more market-interactive opportunities on the show floor,” he explains. “As it is, it’s been a constant endeavour at PALM Expo to explore newer opportunities to bring more value-adds to the exhibitors and visitors; these initiatives are just part of the same endeavour.”
Anil and Ramesh
Says Anil Chopra, the Director of PALM Expo: “PALM is the ‘the platform’ for the Pro Audio, Lighting and Music industries in the region. It has always lived up to the production industry’s expectations, and it will strive to broaden the platform in display and projection segments as demanded by the growing community of AVSIs and Consultants. and we will address the wider ambits of the industry as we move in time.” There have been some incredible products on display, some of them coming to Indian market for the first time. More, there have been as many as six special product launch events organized by the exhibitors for their partners and potential clients, and there have been about a dozen new brand-distribution deals coming to the fore on the show floor. “PALM is getting better, the organizational perfection, and the quality visitors,” felt Naveen Sridhar, Director-Sales (SAARC), beyerdynamic. “It is the single largest platform for ProAudio industry, and coming here is a right step forward for the existing and the new comers as well.” “This event has everything that a Pro-Audio industry
professional can expect of,” opines Gareth Coleman, International Sales Director at OHM, UK. While the British audio major, that became part of Vardhaman Mega Tech last year, had been a regular at the PALM, Lavoce Italia, the Italian speaker major has equally been excited. Coming to the event and India, for the first time, through their newly appointed India Partner Narain Audio & Lighting LLP, Lavoce felt highly charged up and hoped for buoyant prospects in Indian markets. “Indian market is huge, and its growing; we believe it’s time we pitched in ourselves,” said Kevin Shone, business development manager at the Italian speaker company Lavoce.
Gareth Coleman of Vardhaman OHM
That the event organizers, this time, appeared cautious to monitor the footfalls, and figured that there have been as many as over 21,000 unique visitors was apparent from day one. Pleasantly, there have been a significant number of Professional AV Consultants, Integrators, Manufacturers and Academia Faculty who were otherwise not known to be PALM Expo visitors. Stage Sound and Lighting segments apparently constituted the biggest chunk of the visitor footfalls while Consultants and SIs looking for solutions across AV, Audio –for-Video, cinema accounted for the second highest share. Studio recording and music production solutions represented the third segment, and the mix for each segment was a healthy average between professional talent and business buyers. “ITE takes pride in ownership of this dynamic platform, infusing energy to the event entertainment industry in India,” said Gordon Payne, Asia Regional Director, ITE Asia Exhibitions Limited, who own ABEC the organisers of PALM Expo India. “We are committed to develop content to drive professional growth in India’s changing Stage Sound & light market,” he said, adding, “the show’s success can only be attributed to the enthusiastic attendance of
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trade professionals. ITE is happy to serve this dynamic community,” Keeping in line with its reputation, PALM EXPO did have its own share of new launches and partnerships coming to the fore. Some of the important things to watch out were: • Yamaha Music India’s taking of NEXO as the latter’s India Distributor • Sun Infonet’s bringing to India Belgian expertise Audio Focus • Modern Stage Service Pvt Ltd’s bringing in Australian LED solutions provider Enttec, besides launching the Farbe brand of AV control precision signal management solution • Modern Stage Service’s bringing in Dutch special effects solutions provider MagicFX, among others • Narain Audio’s appointment as India Distributor for Lavoce Speakers • Sonodyne launching new ceiling and wall speakers, besides new ranges from Avant • QSC, through its India partners introducing its K2 Series loudspeaker systems • Japanese Projection solutions major Epson taking to PALM platform “Indian market is vast, one of the rapidly growing in the region; and what better way to announce our coming here than a show like this,” says Nicoloas Moreau, Director of Enttec. We are excited about our partnering with Modern Stage Service Pvt Ltd’s through this platform.” It was equally so for Cars Dercksen, International Accounts Manager at MagicFX, the new partner onboard Modern Stage Service. “It feels great to be in a marketplace like this,” Cars said. “We see a huge potential for our solutions here, and we believe our coming to this show opens up all that to us.” Says Pratik Wadhwa of Modern Stage Service Pvt Ltd: “PALM EXPO is the biggest show, not just for us, but the whole Professional Audio, and Entertainment industry in Southeast Asia region; It makes a great business sense to announce our initiatives and new solutions from this event platform, which is what our booth and product demos are about.” Evidently, MSSPL once again accounted for one of the largest floor spaces of the event, with the booth segmented into three parts one of which included an expansive space for demoing latest solutions in 3D projection mapping.
Modern Stage Service, on the other hand, demonstrating its range of products in Hall No.5, made a big splash of its entertainment solutions. Regular majors like Ansata, Harman, Hi-Tech Audio, Narain, and Sun Infonet made their routine big presence on the show floor with their latest. “PALM 2017 welcomed 225 exhibitors across five halls and two demo grounds,” said Manish Gandhi, Director and COO of ABEC Exhibitions & Conferences Pvt. Ltd., the organizers of the event. “This is the largest (PALM) expo replete with latest technology from leading brands from across the globe, exhibiting a huge diversity of products,” he explained. “ABEC is proud to serve the Pro Sound & Lighting industry in this remarkable expo that saw over 30,000 trade visitors this year, and which we shall build bigger and better in 2018.” The most significant factor of PALM EXPO this year was the planning that went into segmenting the exhibitors. The main exhibition hall, or Hall No. 1 housed the Pro Audio, and Video/control solutions exhibitors, Stage Sound, Trussing and Rigging, and Lighting Design etc. were exhibited in Hall No. 5. This did provide for elimination of the regular apprehension of ‘noise’ on the show floor, though it did prop up occasionally. Nevertheless, it was remarkably cool, and provided for some serious business interactions. The 18th edition of the event – PALM Expo 2018 – is scheduled to be held from 31 May to 2 June 2018.
From the Show Floor: Majors rule the roost The event regulars such as Harman, Hi-Tech Audio, Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES), Modern Stage Service Pvt Ltd, Narain, and Sun Infonet accounted for a majority of floor space. On the other hand, Yamaha India in Hall No. 2 turned out to be the largest exhibitor of the event with large floor space.
International Exhibition of Professional Technologies and Services for the Entertainment and Creation Industry
17 – 19 October, 2017 Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre
Let’s master it.
Make the AV connections that matter in the Middle East The 2017 edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East will showcase the latest and greatest AV products as well as cutting-edge know-how, impactful education and intelligent market insights. Presenting for the first time ‘The Events, Technology and Entertainment Development `Forum’, it’s where industry experts will share their outlook, expectations and strategies for the future. Be a part of the action! To Exhibit, email us at prolightsound@uae.messefrankfurt.com To Visit, pre-register at www.prolightsoundME.com/ETA
• ProAudio • Lighting • Multimedia • Staging • Conference
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Making arguably the most attractive visual splendour on the show floor, Modern Stage Service Pvt Ltd showcased solutions for entertainment and medical training purposes; a large curved screen with pulled out object images providing the ‘depth’ perspectives; a restaurant dining situation with digital surfaces for home or leisure entertainment purpose; and interactive mapping wall.
MSSPL also launched its new brand – Farbe brand of AV control precision signal management solution. Explains Pratik: “Aimed at mid-range segment of entertainment industry comprising live events, rock shows, and even conferences, the system is a rugged and reliable, costeffective solution doing every signal control management. We intend to market it across the SAARC region.”
“It is an intense and ingenious amalgamation of technologies that we made here,” explains Vijay Sabhlok of MSSPL, who apparently played central to the 3D mapping booth creation. “It is an interaction of IP protocols, edge blending projection, and content mapping, with WatchOut 6.0, the industry standard for server 6.2, playing at the heart of the lot.”
On the other hand, in Hall No. 5, Modern Stage Service – headed by Varinder Wadhwa and Kartik Wadhwa – demonstrated a huge array of stage lighting and trussing solutions that comprised new launches from its PrincipalsMA Lighting and Showlite besides others.
L-R: Pratik (MSSPL) with Niolas Moreau (Enttecc), Sasha Xiong (PR Lighting) and Dawinder Wadhwa (MSSPL)
According to him, the show was all about technologies that can be used in real life - both for entertainment and recreation, as well as for educational training. Mannequins can be used for training in healthcare/medical places, or for retail and fashion places, while the restaurant dining can be a WOW factor for fun dining. The interactive play can be used for diverse real time situations depending upon the requirement. Adjacent to this, MSSPL displayed a wide array of its latest solutions that were highlighted by their newest addition Enttecc. The Melbourne, Australia-headquartered LED systems major decided to explore its Indian fortunes through MSSPL. “Their domain expertise and marketing competence, coupled with their service network are what made us partner with them,” explains Nicolas Moreau, Director at Enttec. “Our solutions make situations like events, night clubs, and restaurants, and architectural places look stunningly different.” With an award-winning technology innovation, the Enttec solutions can be the best choice for any lighting designer, he maintains.
From MA Lighting, the company launched the new Network Switch designed to simplify the set-up and management of today’s lighting networks. A simple and intuitive web browser based user interface allows network optimisation with a few easy steps; it doesn’t require specific networking knowledge. Standard lighting terminology is used allowing most common lighting protocols to be filtered via a web interface designed specifically for lighting technicians. Operational procedures can be standardized with these protocol filtering presets. Experienced network engineers can also access advanced functionality in the tiered interface if needed. This ensures better production preparation while on-site solutions are available via a simple preset assignment. The Switch is housed in a typically robust 1RU chassis, with colour coded group indicators front and rear. It provides a local display for port status, applied filters and recognised MA equipment. All connectors are Gigabit Ethernet via Neutrik etherCON plus two optional heavy duty fibre optic connectors from Neutrik or Fiberfox. The Switch ensures maximum performance by full throughput of all Gigabit ports and a bandwidth measurement system available
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via the front display to monitor the MA network switch performance. The MA network switch is compliant with IEEE 802.3ab Gigabit Ethernet and can be merged into existing Ethernet networking infrastructures. The ability to define port filtering with the common entertainment protocols combined with standard Ethernet protocols like IGMP and RSTP allow the switch to perform best in fixed installation as well as in temporary installations. From Showlite, the new launches comprised Raiden 1000 RGB LED colouring strobe, meant for colourful strobe effects and uniform RGB mixing system, and Vulcan 400 (LED blinder).
highlighted by its versatile U-Control UMX 610 keyboard controller while Tannoy had its TKT122 and 102 two-way loudspeakers o show. beyerdynamic India exhibited a wide range of solutions that comprised beyer’s legendary studio headphones DT 770; 880; and 990, TG Series wired microphones, and the TG 1000 Digital Wireless System.
Kartik Wadhwa with Cas Dercken of MagicFX
However, the highlight of the company showcasing was the demo of MagicFX product range from the Dutch special effects solutions provider that partnered with MSS for India distribution. “The MagicFX virtually produces magical effects- meant for any special occasion, private or official,” explained Cas Dercksen, International Accounts Manager with the Dutch company. “We partnered with Modern Stage Service owing to their competence in the field, and strong network presence across the country,” he said.
“While the whole DT Series headphones come with unique qualities, the DT 770 has been the best seller in India and globally too,” explains Naveen Sridhar, Sales DirectorSAARC for beyerdynamic, with a live demo of the system. Drawing the viewers’ attention among the TG Series wired microphones was the ribbon microphone – beyer being the only manufacturer in the world to make the system – it carries those unique characteristics that the competition cannot. “The M88 unit is truly special and legendary,” explains Naveen for its high SPL, and sophisticated functionalities. The company displayed the units with full drumkit to facilitate discerning professionals to experience it live.
Alphatec, the Kolkata-based audio distributor brought to show a wide range of solutions from its principal the Music Group. The company displayed a whole big range from all its brands- Lab.gruppen; Midas; Klark Teknik;Tannoy and Behringer. The Lab.gruppen’ range included power amplifiers D10:4L; D20:4L;d40:4L; E2:2; E5:4; E10:4; Lucia 60/22 and 60/2M2. Midas range included a 12-input and 18-input digital mixers MR12 and MR18 while the Klark Teknik range included the DN 200 Active DI box, and DM8000 Advanced Digital Audio Processor. The Behringer range was
The TG 1000 Digital Wireless System was another special exhibit on beyerdynamic’s booth. The unique feature of the system is that it is region agnostic- in terms of its frequency or spectrum stipulations or limitations. It can be configured
Vietnam
New Market. New Insight. New Opportunities. Vietnam Pro-AV
25-27 October 2017 ICE, Cultural Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam
Learn more about the Fair at
www.proavlight.com
Steering Organization ： Organizers
：
Ministry of Information and Communications Vietnam (MIC) Center for Press and International Communications Co-operation - Ministry of Information and Communications (CPI - MIC) Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Vietnam Exhibition, Conference & Advertisement Joint Stock Company (VCCI) CP Exhibition
Booth Sales Partner ：
Baobab Tree Event
& Lighting Fair
2017
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in any region in the world, taking the region’s frequency. More, the system comes with low latency, better flexibility yet beautiful design while being rugged. Bose Professional highlighted its exhibits with its latest ShowMatch DeltaQ loudspeakers and ControlSpace boardroom conferencing solution.
eight line outputs and eight AES I/O (mono). The SD5 has 124 input channels; 56 configurable busses, plus up to 5.1 master; a 24 x 24 fixed matrix; DiGiTubes on every channel, buss and output; 24 assignable Dynamic EQ; 24 multiband compressors; 24 stereo effects; 32 Graphic EQ; 10 x 4 (40) RGB backlit macro buttons; plus the ability to add a Waves upgrade. After taking a big gap, Hyderabad-based H Audio brought the British premium audio brand VOID to Palm 2017. “We have seen the market growing phenomenally in recent years; and there is a growing chunk of discerning buyers wanting premium/luxury audio experience,” reasoned Venkat, the Director of H Audio, the India distributors of VOID Acoustics. “We have had some exciting success stories in recent months, and we believe platforms like this will contribute to furthering the brand across the premium seeking buyers,” Venkat noted. Hi-Tech Audio Systems brought to place its prestigious DiGiCo SD5 digital mixing console, along with the DiGiCo SD12, a smaller variant of the ambitious SD5. The SD5’s work surface is a low noise, heat dissipation surface benefiting from Hidden-til-lit (HTL) technology, yet its five digitally driven full colour TFT LCD screens, three of which are touch sensitive, have a new configuration that allows easy access to single or multiple users. There are also two interactive dynamic metering displays (IDM)) and instant access ‘quick select’ buttons which are positioned conveniently down the left side of the two channel screens for fast and intuitive navigation. As standard, the SD5 comes with a 2Gb fibre optic system, which is capable of running 448 channels of I/O at 96kHz, plus 56 console-to-console tie lines, allowing connection to up to 14 of the SD-Series racks. There are three redundant MADI ports and local I/O includes eight microphone inputs,
The other highlights of Hi-Tech exhibits included the RCF HDL30-A amps, and L-Acoustics’ Syva segment source system. Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES) exhibited a vast range of solutions from Avolites, Powersoft, Titan and Martin Audio. The highlight of the ranges on show, was, the CDD Live 218 dual driver, direct radiating powered subwoofer coming to the show as the latest launch from Martin Audio. Narain Audio, the Mumbai-based audio distributor brought to show its latest principal Lavoce Italiana speakers, among a host of other solutions. Kolkata-based audio manufacturer and distributor Sonodyne International, keeping in line with its tradition, introduced a range of speaker solutions for both Pro Audio and Cinematic applications. The new launches included ceiling and in-wall products meant for high quality installations. The key innovations in this range are new transducers magnetic grills, and new moulds across the range. For the installed space, Sonodyne launched a complete new range of wall mount speakers fettering new moulds, and transducers. More, augmenting the Sonus range from Avant, Sonodyne introduced new kevlar woofers, the 2.5 way crossover for improved transparency, and overall SPL. The new enclosure
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Vardhaman Mega Tech, the Mumbai-based audio major that made headlines last year when it bought out British audio company OHM, highlighted its Palm presence with OHM’s new line array system, the CORA. The system is said to be a revolutionary product in its line due to its unique characteristics- weighing just 23.1 kilograms with compact dual band 8-inch spread, yet boasting as much as 143 dB of SPL.
design is a timeless one, with double braced MDF cabinets in both white and black, semi gloss. A separate silver front baffle provides a unique design element. The magnetic grill adds to the modern fit and finish. The new range features a 2.5 way new tower speakers, a 3 way centre speaker and 2 new subwoofers. Delhi-based Audio major Sun Infonet made a big splash with its partnership announcement with the Belgian audio maker Audio Focus, besides highlighting the recent additions from its bigger principal Shure. Audio Focus, while it had been familiar with Indian market, having worked with a South Indian distributor for two years now, chose to partner with Sun Infonet- due to the strong market competence and domain expertise that it brings to place.
“Sun Infonet’s strong support network and their experience in business is a big plus for any partner,” commended Alexandre Kostenko of Audio Focus. “We share same business philosophy- of keeping the customer in focus all through. Sun has a very strong customer support network that we value very high.” According to him, together with Sun Infonet, they stand to establish a strong customer base and business prospects in India.
“It’s something like physics re-written,” says OHM’s International Sales Director Gareth Coleman. The system is compact and yet sturdy and will be a perfect work horse like solution for any rental company or venue front of house set-up, Gareth explains. There have been other bigger and smaller exhibitors that included manufacturing majors like Harman and Sennheiser, and distributing majors like Ansata and Acoustic Arts, besides a host of stage sound and lighting solution providers from Hall No. 5 which was comparatively “noisy”. Nevertheless, PALM Expo 2017 turned out to be a successful event. Based on the energizing success, the organizers are apparently contemplating exploring the possibilities of adding new segments to be organized concurrently. www.palmexpo.in
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THAILAND
HARMAN Professional Solutions At The AVANI Riverside Bangkok Hotel
Mahajak Development provides top end integrated solutions to hotel
The Avani Riverside Bangkok hotel is a development by Chao Phaya Resort Limited, that features 245 rooms and suites that either overlook the river or the city skyline. The contemporary design of the hotel imbues a fresh, easy feel that offers guests a perfect setting for any occasion. Behind the scene, AV solutions supplied and integrated by Mahajak Development add to the guests’ memorable experience. Helming the AV specification and consultation for the project was Eric Wong of Ketakan Consulting Co., Ltd.
in their Meeting rooms and Ballroom, such as wedding ceremonies, seminars and other type of events. Their expectations were for a high quality integrated system with high reliability and good support from the integrator.
The key areas Mahajak was involved with included:
The Installation
• The Lobby area. • The Meeting rooms and Pre-Function areas and the Ballroom on the 10th Floor of the hotel. • The F&B spaces - Pantry at AVANI, Long Bar, Skyline and Lobby Lounge on the 11th Floor. • The Attitude Bar and Pool Side on the 26th Floor.
Audio
From the hotel perspective, they required solutions that would enable them to provide for a variety of events
Apisit Kruachaem, Project Sale Engineer, Mahajak Development comments, “Our goal was to meet the design brief from the consultant in the most cost effective way and of course to meet the objectives set out by the hotel.”
In keeping to a clean look preferred by the hotel, all the audio reinforcement installed and integrated by Mahajak featured JBL ceiling speakers of different models. The speakers are installed to provide maximum intelligible coverage in the given space. Networking and signal processing is handled via BSS BLU systems with the speakers driven by Crown amplifiers.
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The control room
JBL control speakers featured at the 26th Floor
The 10th floor comprises the grand ballroom and the meeting rooms. The Grand Riverside Ballroom welcomes 900 seated guests for banquets. Adjacent to the ballroom is the pre-function area that is ideal for cocktail receptions. The ballroom can be split and converted into four separate rooms; Lunar, Moon and Galaxy. Each of these rooms accommodates 240 guests for banquet. The Galaxy room can be further divided into Galaxy 1 and Galaxy 2 with the banquet capacity for 120 guests. Besides the ballroom, there are five different sized rooms: Air1, Air2, Air3, Wind and Sky catered for smaller events.
playback mainly being provided through AMX IS-SPX-1300 players.
For the Ballroom the JBL ceiling speakers are further complemented with six units of JBL STX818S sub-woofers.
Challenges
The Pool area including the Pool Bar on the 26th floor as well as the Attitude Restaurant at the same level being in an open area, features JBL Control indoor / outdoor monitor speakers. Mixing duties are handled by the compact and portable Soundcraft MFXi-20 consoles of which there are three units.
Video The Ballroom and the smaller meeting rooms feature different Panasonic projectors. Digital Signage solutions are also installed throughout the hotel with most of the signages being employed on the 10th level where the ballroom and meeting rooms are located. A mix of Samsung and LG panels are installed with content management and
Soundcraft MFXi-20 console
The backbone for the audio and video switching and distribution for the 10th level is managed by an AMX ENOVA DGX 16 digital media switcher with the appropriate video and audio input and output boards. AV Control duties are handled by AMX NX-3200 units with one each responsible for the Ballroom and the other meeting rooms.
“We did have challenges as in the system installation was delayed due to other contractors being late in handing over their part of the project. This required extensive effort on our part to try and meet the hotel’s opening dates,” added Apisit. “One other key challenge we faced with the ballroom was the large recessed screens. This required some ingenuity to install where an extensive redesign and rewiring during installation was required,” adds Apisit. Regardless of the challenges, the hotel has officially opened and has been operating smoothly for some months now with Mahajak Development continuing to provide technical and maintenance support. www.mahajak.com
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ULTRA SINGAPORE 2.0
SINGAPORE
Better planning offers audience a more awesome experience The second edition of Ultra Singapore was held on the weekend of 9th and 10th June. The two-day outdoor Electronic Dance Music Festival was once again held at the open field next to the Marina Bay Sands Hotel’s Tower One. According to the organisers, the festival attracted 50,000 concert-goers. As in the first edition held last year, there were three stages with the Main stage being the largest and hosting many of EDM’s renowned names. The Resistance stage which occupied near the mid space of the field showcased underground house and techno artistes whereas the Live stage which was at the extreme end of the field highlighted a mix of DJ-producers and live band performances.
Improved Experience One of the biggest bug-bears of last year was the long queues both inside and outside the venue. Outside the venue to gain entry and inside the venue to purchase food and drinks. So this year, promoter, Ultra Singapore, created two separate entrances for General and Premium General admission pass holders that made
access smooth despite more intense security checks. The organisers also introduce RFID wrist tags which made lines for payment at the food and beverage stalls move along quicker. This contributed to happier concert-goers.
The Technical Specs This year the Main stage featured mainly Meyer Sound speakers. 16 units per side of Meyer Sound Lyon were hung for the Mains together with six units of Meyer Sound 700HP Subwoofers per side. The Side Hangs comprised of eighteen units of Meyer Sound Leopard per side with eight units of the Meyer Sound Milo set-up as Front Fills. 24 units of Meyer Sound 1100LFC Subwoofers and 12 units of 700hp were ground-stacked. An AVID Venue Profile console was responsible for FoH mixing. Monitoring systems included 10 units of NEXO PS15 for downstage with three units of L-Acoustics Kara per side and one L-Acoustics SB28 subwoofer on either side for DJ Monitor. Monitoring console duties were assigned to the AVID Venue Profile. Sennheiser G3 units were used for In-Ear monitoring with Shure UHFR wireless microphones used for vocals.
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The majority of the lighting fixtures for the Main Stage were comprised of Robe solutions. These included 112 units of Robe BMFL Spots, 28 units of BMFL Beam Wash, 112 units of Robe Pointe, 16 units of Robe Color Strobe and 12 units of Robe Square. These were supported by 106 units of SGM P5, 25 units of Mac Aura and 239 units of LED Bar. 20 units of Le Matrie smoke machines helped with the effects. “The Robe fixtures were outstanding in terms of brightness and reliability. We did not experience any breakdown. Most of the models were not IP rated so we put up rain covers and despite the rain experienced during the event, they performed well,” said The resistance stage Technical Director for Ultra Singapore, Billy Magendran. “We also had great support from Jens Poehlker of the Robe Asia office. They ensured that they had stand-by units just in case. They also flew in their Business Development Manager for Touring, TV and Live Events, Bram De Clerck who spent his time talking to the various artistes LDs and ensuring that they were pleased with the outcome. That was really great service from Robe.” Adding on Jens Poehlker confirms, “We are really happy about this cooperation. Too often we are hear “Oh yes, big project, big budget, big sales, big support. How about my project?”. Truth be told, there was no additional sales
specifically for this project. We flew in stand-by units last minute on express airfreight once we were able to lay our hands on some. Every time someone approaches us for support we ask ourselves what the show will be like. What Billy has done is a remarkable job. He has taken us on a journey where we felt comfortable throughout, from Vision to Concept and Realisation. Billy with the help of Show Company and the whole Ultra team have been very forthcoming in sharing information so that we could in fact advise and prepare accordingly. We are very proud to have been part of the Ultra Event and are very much looking forward to extending our cooperation.” The Main stage also featured almost 400sqm of LED panels. The smaller Resistance stage also featured Meyer Sound speakers as Main systems with L-Acoustics speakers helping with monitoring duties. A Yamaha QL 1 console was used for mixing. This stage featured Shure microphones. The Live stage featured 14 units of Coda Audio Array speakers hung per side complemented with eight units of Coda Audio SC2F subwoofers. Side Hangs and Front Fills comprised of Coda Audio Viray with Coda Audio SCP subwoofers ground-stacked. Once again an Avid Venue Profile was assigned FoH mixing duties. Stage monitors comprised of 10 units of NEXO PS15 with DJ Monitors comprising of L-Acoustics Arcs Focus and L-Acoustics SB18 subwoofers.
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Grand MA
MA Lighting “This year we used 3 times the amount of lights compared to last year at the Main stage,” said Billy. “We had also run the signal on a full MA Network which meant that we were networked via fibre optics with the relevant NPUs and 8 Ports nodes.” Billy was keen to highlight the important role MA Lighting played this year at ULTRA Singapore. The lighting was controlled via a GrandMA Full size. “We had a specific MA console for pre-visualisation using MA’s software. We had sent to the LDs of the various artistes the stage set-up with the lighting fixtures in 3d to help them program their show. This was sent weeks before the event. On site they used the pre-visualisation suite to adjust their design. It all worked seamlessly.” “We also had the MA dot2 on site. The dot2 was used at the Main stage to control the special effects. However I want to point out how easy the dot2 is to use. The Tour Manager for Steve Angelo requested for a controller that he can operate during Steve’s set in relation to the lighting, smoke machine and the strobe lights. The request was made around 15 minutes before the set. We quickly
configured another dot2 system for him. He had never used the dot2 console but just took minutes to familiarise himself with the system. Needless to say they were very pleased with the outcome,” said an elated Billy. “MA Lighting was also very supportive. Franco Zaghini of MA Lighting Asia office provided solid support including back-end support. They also flew in an MA engineer to help us ensure that we got the maximum benefit from their consoles. It really helped us in ensuring a great show for the concert-goers.”
Better Technical Planning There were certain technical issues last year and this year Ultra Singapore wanted to ensure that there were less of such issues. Billy Magendran the appointed Technical Director worked on ensuring a smoother experience for all by working on the project since last year. “We started our planning last year. From October last year to January this year, we were working on the tender specs with thorough consideration about power, weight load and so forth,” said Billy.
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Promoter: Ultra Singapore Technical Management: Snipe Site Management: PICO ART INTERNATIONAL PTE LTD Roof Systems and Staging for Main Stage: Arina Hogan Sub-Truss at Main Stage: The Show Company Most Audio, all lighting and video LED: The Show Company Roof Systems and Staging for Resistance and Live: CSP
This year’s stage was much larger and stretched close to 100 metres. “The reason for this is we wanted to create a more majestic look and feel.” This year unlike last year, Billy adopted Steel structure for the roofing system compared to layher structure. “Steel structures occupy less space and also need less counter weights. The roof structure was custom made by Arina Hogan. The festival being held during an unpredictable weather period in Singapore where a sunny day can quickly turn into a windy and rainy day meant that we had to ensure that our main stage structure being so long had to be able to at least withstand winds at 80km per hour speed. This meant we had to ensure properly calculated counter weight measures. I am pleased to say that all the hard work I had put in during the tender spec that had all the calculations included, paid off.” “I had created a 3D drawing of the main stage that showed how the full set-up will look like. The promoters, the relevant government authorities who had to approve our set-up and even the suppliers had a much better idea of what we wanted to achieve as the 3D drawing allowed them to look at the stage and the set-up from different angles including how they were all going to be interconnected. I am pleased that I had put in the effort to create the 3D drawing because it certainly gives a better picture compared to the normal 2D drawing.” “We were also very thorough with the main stage schematic drawing for the fixtures where we had identified every single fixtures including how they were connected and every single power point indicated including total load so that we can trouble shoot any issue quickly as we would be able to identify the problem fast.” Billy felt that though the 3D drawing and schematics took up a lot of his time it was worth it as it was easily understandable by those who had to make decisions as well as those who had to install and integrate the systems.
All photo credit: Ashok Kumar
Special Effects: Glorious Pte Ltd
Team Production Director: Ray Steinman Creative Director: Richard Milstein Technical Director: Billy Magendran Main Stage Production Manager: Alvin Heng Soo Heng Live Stage Production Manager: Rafael "Hollywood” Niemtschik Resistance Stage Production Manager: Charlie Canavan Assistant Production Manager Live and Resistance: Vijay Thaygarajoo Stage Manager Main Stage: Francisco Bergallo Assistant Stage Manager Main Stage: Kavin Prakasam Stage Manager Live Stage: Kevin Singarayar Assistant Stage Manager Live Stage: Muneer Sidek Stage Manager Resistance: Rames Pun Main Stage Technical Manager: Ridhwan Majid Live Stage Technical Manager: “BOTAK” Site Manager Main Stage: Eric Tay Site Manager Live and Resistance: Ian Fann Laser operator: Alan Tham SFX operator: Ronnie Wee Operation Manager1 Main Stage: Zubairi Bin Salleh Operation Manager2 Main Stage: Ahmad Khairil Bin Musa Audio Mon: Chandra Mohan Audio FoH: Uthaiyan S/O Kumanan DJ Tech Main Stage: Md Fadzly DJ Tech Main Stage: Cheng Chun Teng DJ Tech Resistance: md Taufiq Bin Sawal DJ Tech Live Stage: Ganesh Gopynathan Audio System: Jerome Soh Wenxi, Jon Sim Wee Peng Lighting Chief: Tay Kian Wei Lighting System: Nurul Hakim Bin Alias Video Chief: Foo Yeu Jinq Video System: Rick Goh Kang Ming Rigging Chief: Hazelan Bin Maseran Electrical: Wong Junqi
ultrasingapore.com
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SINGAPORE
Hexogon Solution Lights Up Supertrees For Gardens By The Bay 5th Birthday Mesmerizing projection mapping on eight Supertrees using Christie J Series projectors
C
hristie’s rental staging partner Hexogon Solution Pte Ltd created a spectacular visual spectacle that fascinated tens of thousands of spectators who turned up at Gardens by the Bay for an exciting multimedia showcase as part of its 5th anniversary celebrations on June 3-4. The stunning projection mapping performance was planned and executed by Hexogon Solution using 32 Christie Roadster HD20K-J 3DLP projectors. Titled “Gardens Extravaganza Special”, the highlight of this impressive show was none other than the vivid digital projections of flowers and bubbles across eight Supertrees – tree-like vertical gardens measuring between 25 and 50 meters in height with large canopies that dominate the 101-hectare nature park.
Photo Credit: Gardens By The Bay
Adrian Goh, Group Managing and Artistic Director, Hexogon Solution, said, “We are honoured to collaborate with Gardens by the Bay to stage this eye-catching visual performance as part of its 5th anniversary celebrations. Through the deployment of 32 Roadster HD20K-Js for projections on the ‘trunks’ of eight Supertrees, we hope to create a world-class projection mapping show for the enjoyment of local and foreign visitors to mark this special occasion.” Ong Chui Leng, Director of Programming at Gardens by the Bay said, "We are delighted to work with Hexogon Solution for Gardens by the Bay’s fifth anniversary celebrations. With their expertise in creating a captivating multimedia show, our visitors can look forward to a magical experience at the Supertree Grove."
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Photo Credit: Gardens By The Bay
The 20-minute-long projection extravaganza, which included dazzling images of numerous varieties of flowers and striking patterns cascading across the projected areas, were totally created in-house by the Hexogon team. As well, the team fitted more than 120 light fixtures, 24 flame projectors and executed some special effect installations for the multimedia showcase, which culminated in a highly engaging visual treat. According to Goh, most of the Roadster HD20K-Js were installed in custom-designed enclosures that enabled the projectors to continue operating even in wet weather, while the remaining projectors were set up inside a three-stacked container with proper air-conditioning and heat extraction. The entire installation process took the Hexogon team two weeks to complete. Elaborating on the challenges of projecting onto the foliageshrouded surface of the Supertrees, Goh said, “We had to apply almost three times the normal projection brightness to obtain a good light output. Moreover, it was difficult to get a perfect alignment on the landscape surface, so we had to make sure that the same stack of projectors was installed as close as possible. In terms of content, we had to ‘reverse’ the development process by throwing the colour pattern on the Supertree to get a sense of the actual colour variation, and then develop the content according to the formula.” Tapping on the valuable experience gathered during the company’s involvement in Singapore’s National Day Parades and the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, the South East
Asian sporting event in 2015 which accomplished a new Guinness World Records title for the greatest light output in a projected image, and the acclaimed “Christmasland in New Taipei City” event in Taiwan last year, the Hexogon team overcame the challenges to deliver a mesmerizing projection mapping show that charmed both young and old. “We’re pleased with the results. The contents were accurately presented on a very challenging surface, the projection brightness was sufficient amongst the hundreds of light fixtures, and the entire show was well-synchronized and coordinated. Ultimately, we hope that the show can create an enjoyable and memorable experience for all spectators, and allows them to appreciate these beautiful gardens that Singapore has to offer to the world,” Goh said. Able Liew, Deputy General Manager, Christie Singapore, commented, “We’re very pleased that our Roadster HD20K-J projectors have played an important role in delivering a superb projection mapping performance at Gardens by the Bay’s 5th anniversary through our valued partner, Hexogon Solution. As one of the most prominent rental stagers in the region, Hexogon Solution has constantly endeavoured to create and deliver outstanding shows, and this one is no exception. We are proud of Adrian and his team in using innovative projection mapping techniques to tell the story of the Gardens’ growth to become the iconic attraction it is today.” Ideal for large venues and events, the Christie Roadster HD20K-J is a 20,000 lumen, high-performance projector that provides unbelievably bright images with stunning detail and depth of colour, releasing pure power with purpose-built features. Designed with built-in handles, an improved airflow system and multiple rigging points, this powerhouse projector stacks up against the rigours and stress of rental/staging. Featuring high-quality optics, 10-bit image processing and a variable contrast ratio of 1600– 2000:1 for brilliantly crisp, detailed images, the HD20K-J is capable of delivering crisp, clean images with perfect color saturation and spectacular video. www.hexogonsol.com www.christiedigital.com
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AUSTRALIA
TDC Leads The Global Movement Towards Laser Projection As The New Industry Standard For Large Scale Projection Barco’s UDX-4K32 projectors deployed by TDC
T
DC - Technical Direction Company deploys Barco’s UDX 4K32 in a world-first large-scale laser projection at Vivid Sydney 2017 at the Museum of Contemporary Art for ‘Organic Vibrations’ a collaboration between Julia Gorman, an Australian, and Paris-based creative and artistic collective, Danny Rose. DC are also the first to take delivery of the UDX-4K32, 31,000 lumens Barco projectors in the APAC region. “When Barco previewed the technology at the ISE 2017 trade show, I knew that this was the way forward for the future of large-format video projection. Laser phosphor technology is the first significant change that we’ve seen
in over ten years, ever since the industry moved from CRT and LCDs to DMDs hailing a new era of projection technology. RGB laser had been used for cinema, however is not practical for the rental market,” said Michael Hassett, CEO of TDC. “The quality is quite unbelievable. Artists we have worked with are just amazed by its reproduction of blues, purples, and colours that typically can be a challenge to project. Its potential will excite artists to delve into the detailed animation that audiences haven’t experienced in the past.” The compact Barco UDX-4K32 projector uses a laser lamp source which gives the image more depth, richly
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development and was able to develop a product that was suitable for a lot of rental companies around the world,” added Hassett.
saturated colours, and uniformity. It produces images at 4K resolution, has a super brightness, lamp-free systems and low power consumption. It’s quiet to operate which is terrific for TDC projects, and the laser-based system lasts for around 30,000 hours. On receiving the very first units in May, the expert projection teams at TDC liaised with Barco R&D teams giving them valuable feedback on beta version software and hardware. “Barco liaised with us on product
Wim Buyens, Senior VP Entertainment at Barco and Chairman of the Advanced Imaging Society added: "This is just the latest step in our excellent working relationship with TDC. We see TDC as not just as a long-term customer but as a truly innovative partner that contributes very significantly to the development of our products thanks to their valued beta testing and feedback from their groundbreaking projects. Everyone who sees the projector will see precisely what we mean - it a stunning technological achievement." Looking into his crystal ball, Hassett concluded: “We are looking forward to Barco’s further development and hope to see these projectors being available in 60K lumens brightness versions within three years.”
Images: © TDC – Technical Direction Company www.tdc.com.au
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Islamic Art Awards 2017 ABU DHABI
LHP specify Robe fixtures to accentuate the event Lighthouse Productions (LHP) from Dubai created a unique visual design for the Islamic Art Awards 2017, staged at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre. Organized by the UAE’s Ministry of Culture & Knowledge Department, the Awards a poetry, calligraphy and ornamentation competition open to local and non-local poets from within and outside the UAE expressing themselves in classical and Nabati verse - is widely recognized as one of the most important Islamic Art events worldwide.
This year the visual theme was based around schematics. The team extensively researched classical and modern drawings, calligraphy and graphics, and assessed how they could present this physically in a stage design, also making an emotional connection between a place of worship and its architecture. The idea was that by removing the actual walls of a building and leaving an outline – theoretical or metaphorical – they could emphasise the importance of the human element in any given space.
The LHP team was led by Terry Miranda. When it came to lighting, he and Adrian Guzman specified 80 x Robe luminaires to be right at the centre of the aesthetic.
Lighting was absolutely fundamental to the design. Following through the notion of schematic drawings, the set – a skyline of elegant arched buildings and towers - was completely outlined in LED strips, with projection surfaces created and filled with ‘sketch’ content, all of which could be transformed with shifts in colour and images. The stage in front was treated with gobos. The idea of having a constantly morphing background was new to an Islamic Art event.
LHP has successfully been awarded the contract to deliver the event for the last 11 years, chosen for their understanding and appreciation of Islamic art, design and history, parameters which have been evident in all the different designs throughout the years.
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Terry, Adrian and the LHP team are very familiar with the National Theatre venue, so one of their main challenges this year was lighting the event for a 360 degree video recording and VR viewing, which required lots of specifics and plenty of testing beforehand.
The 300E Beams gave additional beam support and 16 x PARFect 100s proved ideal for back lighting the performers.
LHP drew on their expertise to ascertain how much and what qualities of lighting would work best with the 360 camera, how light was absorbed by it and how this was then displayed in the VR environment. As 360 degree cameras aren’t currently optimised for low light and event / show style lighting they wanted to ensure that the quality of the VR video matched their own award winning high standards.
LHP is a long term Robe user, and most of the lights used on this event have been a design-led purchase right from the start. They have all been chosen for their versatility and multi-purpose potential which makes them ideal for the wide range of LHP events for which they provide turnkey design and technical production packages.
The resulting short film cut can be viewed via a VR device or a tablet giving a 360 degree experience of the setup and running of the event while seated 10 rows behind the Royal / VIP enclosure. The main luminaires were arranged over three house LX bars. The first was rigged with 8 x Pointes, the second with 8 x MMX WashBeams and the third with 8 x Pointes. Two five metre trusses were added left and right of the set on stands, each rigged with three Robe 300E Beams. Upstage, ten CycFX 8 LED battens were positioned on the floor to add ambiance at the back, together with six MMX WashBeams. Downstage another twelve CycFX 8s and six 300E Beams were combined with six LEDWash 1200s positioned on the front of the balcony. The MMX WashBeams were used extensively throughout the show for wash and beam effects and for gobo work – all the tasks that make them a working favourite at LHP. The Pointes were used for strong punchy beams and gobo effects, while the CycFX 8s provided back-lighting upstage of the set and front illumination from the stage skirt area.
The LEDWash 1200s were the default stage wash lights coming in from front and sides.
The Robe rig brought “texture and enhanced the space during the performances, highlighting the artists and punching through with beam looks and gobos as required,” explained Terry, who also added two 7 Watt RGBW lasers flanking the stage to frame the set with alternative beam and pattern treatments. The project was hugely enjoyable in terms of producing a creative lighting design, and also the opportunity for the LHP team to take it from conception to completion, getting back their 2004 roots when the company was formed as a fresh, innovative lighting practice. Over the years the ideas have kept flowing and the visual disciplines involved have expanded to embrace video, sets and scenic, automation audio and rigging. Lighting for the 2017 Islamic Art Awards project including all the LED strips and Robe moving lights … were programmed and run via a Jands L5 console which also ran video content from an AI media server. The show was directed by Obaid Ali and was another major success for the Ministry of Culture and LHP. Photos : Copyright of Lighthouse Productions www.lhpme.com www.robe.cz
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SOUTH KOREA
d3 Media Servers Support Fan-Favourite K-Pop Stars LIVE-LAB weaves its creative magic with the help of the servers
time, directors are challenged to focus these elements towards a specific look. “d3, with LIVE-LAB in charge, is like a magician giving directors solutions and ideas,” said Lee.
Lee Juck’s “RESONATE” concert
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Chung explains that for Lee Juck’s concert, “hundreds of illuminations were transformed into various shapes by moving trusses. Each design had to make a proper picture through different set shapes and mapping. These processes were very easy to carry out, and it was possible to minimize the correction time in the field.”
he South Korea-based lighting and visual expression company, LIVE-LAB, who recently became the fifth d3 studio in the APAC region, and the first one in South Korea, recently used their d3 fleet for two K-Pop (Korean Pop) powerhouses; singer/songwriter Lee Juck and the iconic six member boy band, Shinwa.
In addition, “the mapping function was important for accurately sending out images to all the LED screens, including the illumination screen attached to the set and the projection screen for each design. This meant a single content image could be exported easily between the devices.”
LIVE-LAB designed on-stage and moving truss illuminations for Lee Juck’s “RESONATE” concert choosing three d3 servers to control illuminations, LED screens and projectors;
Lee Jang Eon liked how d3 simulation “showed my design ideas to me and the staff. Thanks to that, we could work with more pictures and effects, preparing for situations that could happen suddenly in the field.”
“d3 has the best software to control complex stages,” said HaeJung Chung, Visual Lighting Designer of LIVE-LAB. “The stage was a mixture of screens, which had to be controlled as one. d3 allowed mapping and design of this complex configuration to be applied correctly and helped create the best picture in the field. We programmed d3 with a grandMA2 console; the timecode signal was received stably, and it was possible to play the exact image required for each song.” The increased use of multi-media, through video, illuminations, pyro and more, in concerts gives directors a broad creative palette, noted show director Lee Yoon Shin from in next trend (int). At the same
Chung notes that, “the parallel mapping function of d3 was the biggest advantage in designing a curve-topped stage topology – it’s what differentiates it from other media servers. Korea illumination fixtures are 1px type not DMX type. d3 was the best media server to control the video on the the curved 1px video fixtures. We could make unique pictures on this fixture with parallel mapping.” d3's expression scheme offered convenient programming with other devices and protocols. “We were able to create various designs for the moving screen with cues from the lighting console,” said Chung. “We could operate it in accordance with the movement
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of the screens by syncing with timecode and DMX. It was also very useful to be able to create DMX layers without restrictions and to use the mapping indefinitely.” d3 was used in pre-pro to identify the design of the moving set and prepare the programming for mapping and control. “The Sock Puppet feature enabled almost infinite layers of DMX,” said Chung. “It was especially helpful to be able to customize a DMX patch for each attribute value of the layer and control them with various expressions. The Hierarchy feature also allowed me to efficiently manage and change the screens that I wanted to control. Media management and various mapping management methods were also very convenient.” The d3 system worked “wonderfully well” for the concert, Chung reports, and “the support from d3 Technologies was very good. d3 has no limitations on how the designer uses it; throughout this concert d3 was a great inspiration for expressing a new concept and a shift in awareness of design.”
“Shinhwa has done a lot of new and bold things in concert over the years and their 18th anniversary concert was no exception,” said Lee Jang Eon, producer/director with Liveworks Co. “The main design of the stage was truss structures that transformed like a transformer. In the truss, the systems responsible for the visual effects of performances, such as lighting, laser, electric and LED were set. These systems expressed various effects for each scene with precise movement of the previously promised kinesys memory.” “d3 provided excellent scalability to accept and apply the signal to any external device,” said Chung. “The most difficult part of this show was the video and Kinesys program compatibility. d3, however, accepted the Kinesys signal without problems during the test.” d3 simulation played an important role in the overall stage design. “We designed the scene for each song first, then designed the shape of the screen to be transformed according to the progress of each song,” Chung explained. “We decided the final design by sharing and discussing ideas with the director and the designers of the truss, video and lighting. We could easily check the complex processes to make the various screen shapes and video through the accurate d3 simulation and create the best pictures. Since the scenes of the simulations were applied to the actual performances, it was possible to build complex systems in advance with a tight timeline.” The Art-Net IP Address Filtering feature, which was released in r14, came in handy for the Shinhwa show. “We were able to efficiently manage complex signal systems, such as the grandMA2 console, with this feature,” says Chung. “The ability to set Parent and Child was very convenient to arrange and change complex sets. We could quickly work with d3 Designer, and multiple editors could work together on a project at the same time.”
“Hero,” the 18th anniversary concert of Shinhwa
“Hero,” the 18th anniversary concert of Shinhwa, required LIVE-LAB to use two d3 media servers to video map changing LED screen shapes in time to the music and to program and design illuminations to match the video imagery.
Alvin Chu, CEO of LIVE-LAB calls d3 “a great system with no restrictions on the design and operation of any complex show. It gives users confidence in the ability to run any idea. And the d3 support team responded very quickly and with faithful feedback.” www.d3technologies.com
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AUSTRALIA
JPJ Audio Service Hans Zimmer’s Australian Tour The show was a massive challenge from an audio point of view
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egendary German film score composer and record producer Hans Zimmer brought his Revealed Tour to Australia with JPJ Audio tasked with supplying gear and crew for this complex production.
Nathaniel Kunkel is the Sound Designer for the tour and being based in L.A, Colin says he was the right person to do all the pre-production creation and programming for the show.
Since the 1980s, Hans Zimmer has composed music for over 150 films including The Lion King, for which he won Academy Award for Best Original Score in 1995, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, The Thin Red Line, Gladiator, The Last Samurai, The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, and Interstellar.
“Being more of a studio based engineer, he had the ability to refine the detail of the show before we got into rehearsals,” commented Colin. “Once I came on board for rehearsals and the tour itself, we worked very well together using my skills in the live sector, to adapt our work into a touring format.”
FOH engineer Colin Pink has worked with Hans for three years with this tour starting in April, firstly doing some dates on the West Coast of the States, before coming to New Zealand and Australia for five shows. The tour then heads off to Europe for twenty-six shows before returning to the States for another twenty-five shows finishing on the 18th August.
The show is a massive challenge from an audio point of view. There is a core band of twenty-two people, including six keyboard players who all double on other instruments. On top of this there is a choir of sixteen and an ‘orchestra section’ consisting of twelve string players and nine brass players. The total input channel count is 260 and there are 63 monitor mixes.
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“To control all of this we have a Digico SD7 at FOH and monitors, plus an SD11 to sub mix the orchestra and choir,” explained Colin. “The main reason for choosing the Digico consoles was their high channel count coupled with their flexibility and ability to ‘copy audio’ over the fiberoptic network. Even with the high channel count of the SD7, I was creating ‘stems’ of the playback and certain sections for Gavin Tempany at monitors, since he could not take all the inputs directly as he had a reduced input count due to his high number of monitor outputs.” As far as outboard and effects went, Colin has tried to keep it as simple as possible. At FOH he has a t.c. electronic M6000 doing vocal reverbs and uses an internal Tap Delay and some of the internal 'Audio Enhancers' inserted across the keyboards and electric cello. Although the show is quite FX heavy most of these are taken care of by the keyboard on stage and some by the playback rig. The show is performed with a full surround rig and a lot of the FX are presented in a surround format. “I think one of the most difficult - and interesting - parts of mixing for Hans is the way he uses many layers of sound to create interesting textures,” remarked Colin. “There are often thirty or so layers of keyboard tracks which combine to make a fluid texture. In the live environment it’s very hard to achieve the right balance between the component parts and keep track of who is doing which bit!” Colin stated that P.A systems had been very interesting on the tour so far, and for the first few venues he used ‘in house’ systems. “We started at The Microsoft Theatre in L.A and used their JBL Vertec System,” he said. “Our second show was at the
Coachella Festival on their L-Acoustics K1 system. Next stop was San Francisco using the new Clair CO12 system. Then we have a K2 system in Vegas and a d&b J Series system in Auckland!” Once the tour reached Australia JPJ Audio provided their Clair CO12 system for the entire Australian tour and this system will also be used in Europe. “It’s been great to have a few systems on the tour as a means of comparing them,” added Colin. “With the CO12 we ended up with 16 x CO12 a side as the main hangs, and 12 x CO12 as side hangs. As the content of this show has a very extended low end, we flew 6 x subs per side next to the main hangs and had another 12 x subs across the front of the stage. This gave us a very smooth coverage and plenty of headroom. Added to this we have a full surround system, it is soundtracks after all!” The mic setup was fairly standard, although on a large scale. All the strings had ‘clip on’ DPA’s and the rest of the orchestra and band had standard microphones. The important part of the mics on stage was that there were no wedges (with everyone on IEM’s) or guitar cabs. All the guitars are being run through ‘Kemper’ emulators, so the only spill into the orchestral mics was from the drum kit which is heavily screened. This allowed Colin a lot more control over the mix “JPJ looked after us for the whole of the Australian leg of the tour,” Colin said. “Their service was second to none. The efficiency of the JPJ Sydney crew of Joel and Alex meant I never had to wait for any part of the PA ahead of sound checks.” jpjaduio.com.au
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SINGAPORE
Robe Helps Put the Sizzle into Singapore! Expo AV-InSync supplies the lighting fixtures
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ward winning Lighting designer Yo Shao Ann was delighted to be using Robe’s brand new Viva CMY LED spots, Spiider wash beams and CycBar 15 battens on the recent production of “Tropicana the Musical” in Singapore. The much talked about show was produced by Tan Kheng Hua for Spare Room Productions and directed by Beatrice Chia-Richmond. The ten VIVA CMYs utilized in the show were part of the first shipment into the region of these brand new fixtures from Robe – just launched at the Prolight+Sound expo in Frankfurt. They were supplied to the production via rental company Expo AV-InSync, along with the Spiiders and CycBar 15s from their rental stock. The company headed by Gerard Rodrigues were the first in the region to invest in Robe Spiiders when that luminaire was launched late last year.
Jens Poehlker from Robe’s Asia Pacific office was involved in ensuring that all the new kit was available in time. Tropicana ran for two weeks at the Capitol Theatre – once the island’s first topless nightclub. The venue was carefully selected by actress and independent producer Tan Kheng Hua for its authenticity in relation to the story, - set in “sexy sixties Singapore” * - as well as for its heritage neoclassical architecture and central role in Singapore’s rich and varied entertainment culture. She explained in an interview** that Tropicana existed in Singapore between 1968 and 1989 and was South East Asia’s first entertainment complex to feature Las Vegas style cabaret, theatres, restaurants and clubs. It “embodied the creative spirit of the1960s” and she thought that this diverse melting pot for free-thinkers, dreamers and dream makers, eccentrics and larger-than-life characters … would be a good narrative for a musical.
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The production team was led by technical manager Denise Low, who commented that the “Fantastic support from Expo AV-InSync and Robe helped us to achieve a really ambitious design”. The requirement was for lots of vibrant and colourful lighting and movement to evoke the steamy, atmospheric ambience of the nightclub at the centre of the story, mixed with some serious mood and drama to accent the poignant moments encompassing a wide range of dynamics and emotions. Having the Robe fixtures to hand offered plenty of latitude for Shao Ann’s imagination to flow. The 10 Viva CMYs were rigged on the upstage house bars and used for powerful back lighting, for effects and texturing the stage and set designed by Tan Ju Meng with gobos and colours. Shao Ann liked the smoothness, the colour range and the definition of the pastel tones. The Spiiders were also positioned in the overhead rig and used for all the general stage washing and specials, their punchiness and quality of light were noticed by everyone on the production team.
The CycBar 15s were used as footlights. They tucked in neatly around the front of the stage and proved excellent for the close lighting of actor’s downstage area. It was Shao Ann’s first chance to use all these new Robe technologies together and as well as being suitably impressed himself, he reports that the costume designers, Saksit Pisalasupongs and Phisit Jongnarangsin of Thai fashion house Tube Gallery, were also really satisfied as “the costumes popped out in every scene!” even those where they were running some of the fixtures at 20 percent intensity. Gerard from Expo AV-InSync was really happy to be supplying the production, “it’s always good to be involved with new technologies and high profile productions together” he commented. When Jens from Robe Asia Pacific first saw the Viva CMY he knew Tropicana was upcoming and once he saw the spec, he realised the fixture would be ideal for this and other applications. He immediately ordered a quantity of Viva CMYs so they could be available for quick delivery, and the units actually arrived in the country on the day of the fit up at the Capitol Theatre. Once they started plotting, everyone realised that the additional effort and the good choices had been worth it. * http://www.tropicanathemusical.com/ ** http://sg.asiatatler.com/arts-culture/arts/ tropicana-the-musical-tan-kheng-hua
Photos : Jacqueline Chang www.robe.cz
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EVENTS LISTING 2017 Jul 13 – 15
October 11 – 14
Summer NAMM 2017 Venue: Nashville, TN Site: www.namm.org/summer/
Prolight + Sound Shanghai Venue: SNIEC, Shanghai Site: http://prolight-sound-shanghai.hk.messefrankfurt. com/shanghai/en/visitors/welcome.html
July 26 – 28 ProAVL Asia 2017 / Toursim Technology Asia 2017 Venue: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Site: www.proavlasia.com
August 17 – 19 PALMM Philippines Venue: World Trade Centre, Metro Manila Site: https://www.facebook.com/PALMMPH/
August 29 – 31 Integrate Venue: Melbourne Convention Centre, Australia Site: http://integrate-expo.com/
September 5 – 7 2017 Shanghai Smart Home Technology (SSHT) Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China Site: www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cn
September 26 – 28 InfoComm India 2017 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, India Site: www.infocomm-india.com
October 12 – 14 Broadcast India Show Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre Site: www.broadcastindiashow.com
October 17 – 19 Prolight + Sound Middle East 2017 Venue: Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre Site: www.prolightsoundme.com
October 25 - 27 Broadcast Indonesia Venue: Jakarta International Expo, Indonesia Site: www.broadcast-indonesia.com
October 25 – 27 Vietnam Pro-AV & Lighting Fair 2017 Venue: ICE, Cultural Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam Site: www.proavlight.com
November 17 – 19 Conference programme starts on November 13 LDI Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center, USA Site: www.ldishow.com