Photo credit: Ashok Kumar
2017 A U G U S T
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The Making Of the Spectra Multimedia Show
© Steve Nield
LIVE: Justin Bieber Maiden Concert In India
PROJECTS: Q-SYS At The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
IN THE BIZ: Team Grey Ups Its Efficiency And Productivity
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04 FIRST WORDS 06 NEWS 28 VIDEO FILES 30 ENNOVATIONS IN THE BIZ 40 Team Grey Ups Its Efficiency And Productivity USER PERSPECTIVE 42 Electrocraft Braces Up With AVID VENUE S6L 46 TDC Uses d3 At The Heart Of Its Biggest Installations Across Australia PROJECTS 48 SINGAPORE:The Making Of The Spectra Multimedia Show 52 SINGAPORE: Electronics & Engineering Called Upon To Integrate For Spectra 55 THAILAND: Symetrix Prism Provides Flexibility For Major Thai Venue 56 INDIA: Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall Features d&b Audiotechnik Y-Series 58 CHINA: Q-SYS At The Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
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LIVE 60 INDIA: Justin Bieber Maiden Concert In India 62 CHINA: Rightway Audio Consultants Create 360° L-Acoustics Sound System For Hong Kong’s God Of Song 64 AUSTRALIA: Australia’s Favourite Wombats Return 66 NEW ZEALAND: Staging Connections Ensures ‘Opportunity Knocks’ At New Zealand Convention 68 AUSTRALIA: Colourblind On The Road With Hog4 And Green Hippo 70 SINGAPORE: Enjoying The Garden Beats 72 AUSTRALIA: Avolites Ai Media Servers Map Day Of The Dead Down Under 74 EVENTS LISTING
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ETA August 2017
There is a slight delay with this issue of ETA but it is worth the wait. We were waiting for approval for our cover story which is about Spectra the light and water show at the Marina Bay Sands. We got an exclusive interview with Steve Nield who was heavily involved in this project and provides us with interesting insights to the project. Electronics & Engineering was the systems integrator for this project and also provide us with some of the challenges that they had faced. It is worth the read and we hope you will enjoy it as much as us. In this issue we have introduced a User Perspective which gives a viewpoint from users of a particular product and why they are sold on it. We hope to continue this column and are open to your contribution. Just send it to my email. Finally I would like to point you to a very interesting solution resolution by Mike Pedero of Tracks acoustics in the Philippines. A client had issues with spillover conversations and noise at their space and decided to install acoustical treatment. It did not quite work out. Mike was called in. Mike investigated the matter, gave some solutions and then hit the nail on the wall with this particular solution. Read about it in this link: https://goo.gl/QALWwb You need to log in to your Facebook account before clicking on the link to read the post. If you have come up with a solution that you think is helpful or unique or even out of the box, let us know so that we can share with the industry.
Ram Bhavanashi Editor, India And Middle East ram@spinworkz.com
Julie Tan Admin & Circulation admin@spinworkz.com
Jimmy Chin Design And Production jimmy@spinworkz.com
Natalie Chew Writer natalie@spinworkz.com
Michael Mitchell MEDIA REP IN NORTH AMERICA Broadcast Media International Tel: +1 631 673 0072 mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv
Happy reading:) 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.
bring big ideas to life. d3 Designer is the ultimate software to visualise, design, and sequence projects wherever you are. Install and use d3 Designer as a powerful toolkit for winning pitches, developing storyboards, creating camera fly-throughs, testing technical setups, and designing entire shows. Download the trial now for free: d3technologies.com
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Allen & Heath Increases Focus On Installed Sound GLOBAL: Allen & Heath has signalled an increased focus on installed sound by deepening the integration of its dLive digital mixing systems into multi-purpose venues. A raft of new releases, control options and expanders adds to the dLive ecosystem to create a distributed, integrated, scalable and accessible solution, handling every aspect of a venue’s audio world from simple boardroom tasks to a full scale live show. A new dLive MixRack targeted at distributed audio scenarios, the DM0, has been added to the family. DM0 is a 4U mix engine, housing Allen & Heath’s XCVI FPGA Core and providing enough processing power for 128 channels and 64 buses at 96kHz with a latency of just <0.7ms, in keeping with the existing dLive MixRacks. Interfacing to audio networks for access to hundreds of sources and destinations is provided by DM0's three 128ch I/O ports, accepting cards for all major audio networking protocols, including Dante and AES67. Other new products include a new DX Link I/O card and DX Hub ½ rack unit, which now enable a dLive system to connect up to 48 audio IO devices, located up to 100m apart to meet the needs of the largest venues. A new wall mount expander, the 16 in / 4 out DX164-W, joins the recently released DX168 stage box and the modular DX32 in the DX expander range. Integration with third party equipment has also been enhanced with the unveiling of a new GPIO unit, allowing dLive to control lighting, curtains and more. Remote control options have been extended with the introduction of the programmable IP1 wall plate remote control, giving non-technical users control over functions such as music source selection, level control, or preset
recall. Up to 96 IP1, IP6 and IP8 remote controllers can now be added to a dLive system via standard TCP/IP networks, in addition to console style mixing surfaces, tablet and laptop control, offering a multi-user, multi-point control architecture over wired or wireless networks. “What we’re doing with dLive is bringing together the best aspects of audio management systems and live mixing consoles to create a 360 degree solution for today’s multi-purpose facilities. If you look at environments like schools and colleges, houses of worship or arts centres, they need to handle everything from background music and meetings right through to large scale live performances: until now there really hasn’t been one system that can excel in all situations,” said Nic Beretta, Allen & Heath’s Head of Product Marketing. “With this extension of dLive and upcoming software features focused on installation, we’re allowing our customers to create incredibly powerful systems, and yet make these accessible for all levels of users, from the fitness instructor to the AV professional.” To know more about dLive in the installed environment view this intro video: https://youtu.be/HeaWHpJDe44 www.allen-heath.com
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Claypaky Brings Theatrical Lighting To Encore Dunhuang Photos©Xu Dong
CHINA: A range of Claypaky moving head fixtures created the responsive theatrical lighting for immersive Chinese theatre production ‘Encore Dunhuang’, a unique ‘walk-in’ theatre show that debuted at the first Silk Road Dunhuang International Cultural Expo.
“An Encore theatre is different from a standard theatre,” explained Wang Yugang. “Depending on the needs of the scene, it is built to be a flexible space that meets all the regular theatre construction specifications, whilst being configurable to realise each individual scene.”
The event’s theatrical lighting design was created by lighting designer Wang Yugang, who specified the Claypaky Scenius Profile, Claypaky Alpha Profile 1200s and Claypaky Sharpy Wash 330s to meet the demands and the scale of the production. Mr Wang Yugang singled out the Scenius Profile specifically for its superior colour rendering.
One of the main challenges was in lighting the vast, 1000 square meter performance space, which is divided into four zones and through which the audience walk. It was a task which required well-planned equipment selection and lamp positioning. “I need to design for many different scenarios, which increases the difficulty of the lighting design process.”
“In the flying scenes, I chose to base the look around the Scenius Profile,” says Wang. “The colour reproduction on clothing and characters is extremely good, and the consistency of light is far more than the other brands of fixtures available.” The 90-minute performance guided audience members on a journey through time, providing them with an immersive experience of some of the key events and characters from the 2,000-year history of the city of Dunhuang, once a key trading point on the historic Silk Road.
The fixtures, supplied by Claypaky’s Chinese distributor, ACE, played an important role in Wang Yugang’s delivery of the design, bringing a number of qualities which he was able to utilise to his advantage. “Clay Paky is very reliable,” says Wang Yugang. “Especially the powerful light output of the fixtures, and their consistency is commendable.” www.claypaky.it
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New Audio Solution At The Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre AUSTRALIA: The Olympic Park Aquatic Centre provides facilities for competition level athletes and meets the recreational needs of the wider community. The venue hosted various events for the Sydney 2000 Olympic and Para-Olympic Games and continues to host large international events, national and community competitions. The P.A. People first assisted the centre with their AV system requirements for the 2000 Olympics and have completed a number of upgrades to the various systems in the building over the last 17 years including this latest upgrade. The latest audio upgrade included replacement of the grandstand rear fill speakers. These are now upgraded to the new BOSE LT series. The amplifiers were also replaced across the whole of the site with Crown DCi series multichannel amplifiers. This resulted in better sound, more rack space and a streamlined system. www.papeople.com.au
First Allen & Heath dLive C Class In India Keeping to tradition the dLive C Class gets a blessing before it is put to work
INDIA: Mumbai-based PA company, Audio Genetics, has become the first owner of Allen & Heath’s dLive C Class C3500 system. The company already has a GLD Chrome mixer in its hire stock. “We kept running short of inputs, so when I discovered GLD, I was amazed with the features on offer. When the business grew and it was time to expand the hire stock, there was only one brand in the picture,” comments Audio Genetics owner, Nitish Phanse. The dLive system debuted at a Laxmikant Pyarelal Concert at Dinanath Hall Parle Mumbai, and was inaugurated by Pyarelal Sharma, renowned Music Director for Bollywood Music Industry. “There were 40 musicians, 8 singers and 2 conductors. Set up and soundcheck for the show was easy and speedy, all thanks to dLive’s workflow,” concludes Phanse. www.allen-heath.com
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grandMA2 For Mall Of Qatar
Photos©Stephan Floeren
Qatar: The Mall of Qatar is a shopping centre that opened in December 2016 in Doha, Qatar. The mall, which is the equivalent size of 50 football pitches with over 500 stores, is the nation’s largest mall. It also features mall-wide live entertainment with a professional live theatre and 360 degree acts and shows performed on a multi-lift rotating stage. For the stage’s lighting control, 1 x grandMA2 light, 1 x grandMA2 replay unit, 1 x MA onPC command wing, 1 x MA VPU plus MK2 (Video Processing Unit), 4 x MA Network Switches, 2 x MA NPUs (Network Processing Units), 12 x MA 2Port Nodes and 2 x MA 4Port Nodes are used. The technical design was completed by LichtUnit GmbH with Stephan Floeren as lighting designer, assistant LD Udo Rath and operator Desimir Skoracz.
“All in all, the lighting design is based on a multifunctional set-up that can light every scenario that might happen on the stage. So we had to deal with musical performance, theatrical production, the genres of music and dance as well as kids shows and the requirements of TV!” concluded Floeren. Premium Projects, Berlin, was the customer for the project. The lighting equipment was delivered and installed by AVT, Dubai. www.malighting.com
Floeren explained the product choice: "As reliability and easy show control was crucial, MA Lighting was our first choice. Especially because the video content is integrated into the lighting showfile which makes the work a lot easier for the operator. And, of course, MA was chosen because of its overall networking and control features.” “The so called ‘main shows’ are a mixture of dance, live artist and music and were programmed in our LichtUnit
studio with the use of a grandMA2 light, an MA VPU and an MA NPU. The shows are timecoded and each last between 35 and 45 minutes. Because detailed preparation was needed, on site we only had to make small amendments. The biggest challenge was that the show takes place on a 360 degrees stage with audience positions on three different levels. The task was to make it incredible to watch for every spectator in the house! And naturally each actor / artist has to been seen clearly from every seat, so it was sometimes a demanding exercise to set the lights for them.”
Photos©Stephan Floeren
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HARMAN Helps JK PARTY & KTV Deliver An Immersive Karaoke Experience
CHINA: JK PARTY & KTV has become Xingyi City’s hottest new entertainment club since it opened earlier this year, and the establishment attributes part of their success to the implementation of a complete HARMAN audio solution by Jiangsu Teana Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. Instead of relying on gimmicks and trends, JK PARTY & KTV attracts guests with refined taste by providing an understated-yetsophisticated atmosphere, and discrete customer service. With over 10,000 square meters and 103 uniquely themed rooms, the venue provides guests an opportunity to enjoy an evening of karaoke with friends in a comfortable, private environment. “At JK PARTY & KTV, our business philosophy is healthy, stylish, joyful and casual,” said Zhao BiDong, General Manager, JK PARTY & KTV. “Our goal is to achieve that by providing customers with a place to enjoy a satisfying, sensory experience with close friends, in an immersive karaoke environment. Sound quality can make or break that experience. We trust HARMAN, an industry leader in commercial audio, to help us deliver an unforgettable atmosphere to our guests.” Designed specifically for karaoke market needs, JBL KP4000 Series speakers are specially tuned for reproducing the human voice. Integrated with a JBL KP Series subwoofer, the system provides each room with full bass and smooth treble, helping singers confidently find the rhythm and key
of a song. JBL Ki80 Series speakers are also optimized for this application, providing guests with a natural and relaxed singing experience. Crown ComTech DriveCore Series amplifiers deliver reliable power to keep up with the intense demands of constant operation. “Because of the large numbers of rooms and decoration styles, we had a limited timeframe to complete installation,” said Zhao. “With opening day approaching quickly, it was important that all audio equipment worked properly when tested, because we had little time for troubleshooting. Our choice to use HARMAN products ensured a successful grand opening with amazing sound in every room, and allowed us to achieve our original goal—a first class karaoke experience.” www.harman.com
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grandMA2 Performs At Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts
CHINA: The Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts, located at the Olympic Sports Center in Jiangsu Najing, is the largest modern theatre in China second in size only to the National Grand Theater located in Beijing. It was designated as a world-class exhibition of works of art, the international exchange of arts activities platform and a public education platform for the promotion of arts. Its Opera Hall is equipped with 2 x grandMA2 full-size, 2 x grandMA2 light and 2 x grandMA2 fader wing whereas its concert hall relies on 2 x grandMA2 ultra-light and 2 x MA 2Port Node as well as 2 x MA DMX Booster. Xu Zhi Yong, project manager for ACE – Advanced Communication Equipment Co Ltd., MA Lighting’s exclusive distributor in China, commented: “The choice for MA was
an easy one. Not only is it a well-known brand in China, it has a great reputation to be extremely stable and reliable. For this project we had to meet the different requirements of the Jiangsu Centre for the Performing Arts. They need to be really flexible to host performances of operas, ballets, dramas, symphony concerts, folk arts and large variety shows. The grandMA2 is simply the best solution thanks to its flexibility and networking possibilities.” Zhejiang Dafeng Industry Co., Ltd delivered the lighting equipment for the Opera Hall, Beijing North ACE Digital Technology Co., Ltd. the lighting equipment for the Concert Hall. www.malighting.com
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New Recruit Strengthens Green Hippo Global Training Team GLOBAL: Green Hippo has announced a key addition to its training team, further bolstering its ability to provide invaluable guidance to Green Hippo users across the globe. Annalisa Terranova joins as Senior Training Manager and will provide training at Green Hippo’s London HQ, as well as taking sessions, including ‘HippoSchool’ Hippotizer training meets, across the rest of the world. Annalisa comes equipped to deliver immediately effective Green Hippo sessions, bringing extensive experience of the Media Server technology, including projection-mapping projects. She has most recently worked with M.I.A. on the singer-rapper’s world tour. Annalisa programmed and operated a Hippotizer Media Server for the live show using a timeline and timecode. Ms. Terranova will be teaching the below Basic and Advanced sessions: HippoNet, HippoLauncher, Configuration, Output manager, Media manager, Mixes/Mix master, Viewports, Custom Layouts, DMX2, and Visualiser, Timeline, Multicontroller, Videomapper, Pixelmapper, ScreenWarp, HippoSnapper, Pinbridge, & Shape. Educated at the Academy of Fine Arts of Palermo, where she obtained a degree in Stage Design, Annalisa also possesses a Masters Degree in Performance Design and Practice from UAL’s Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design. Since graduating she has worked all over the world, including time spent back a Central Saint Martins as a guest lecturer. Commenting on her appointment, Ms. Terranova said: “It’s so exciting to join the Green Hippo team as Senior Training Manager. I really look forward to helping people on their journey with Green Hippo’ s range of powerful products. I
have relied on Hippotizer Media Servers for shows and feel honoured to now be part of the team behind this cuttingedge technology.” James Roth, Head of Sales and Marketing at Green Hippo, added: “We are very happy to welcome Annalisa into the Green Hippo family, and look forward to her helping ensure that Green Hippo users, far and wide, get the absolute best performance from our technology.” www.green-hippo.com
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Prolyte Group Expands Production To Support Its Growth INTERNATIONAL: Following continued growth, Prolyte Group has solved its need for additional production capacity by expanding its new production site in Piatra Olt, Romania, which was opened in 2016. With this expansion Prolyte has completed an additional 4400 m2 production space to the already impressive facilities. Consolidating all its European manufacturing capacity into an approx. 10,000 m2 facility, Prolyte Group can boost to have one of the largest and most modern production facilities for the manufacture of truss systems. And there’s room for further growth with expansion possibilities till 16,000m2. The new factory involves an investment of 3,5 million euros, which was funded partly with support from the European Union and the EximBank.
created fast lanes for non-standard products, enhancing the production flow of these products.
The complete production facility is accommodated with brand new automated production equipment and state of the art product lines. In addition, the building contains industry-leading employee welfare and environmental systems, as well as an in-house training facility for welding personnel. The complete bespoke factory, including all equipment, procedures and personnel has obtained a EN1090 certification in the highest execution class III and is further ISO 3834-2 certified.
“We have also created a special department to train our welders, to ensure we have a constant flow of skilled and certified welders” continues Mihai Hlihor, “It’s of high importance to gear up whenever that’s needed, in peak seasons or when you obtain a large order. In our industry delivery times are crucial. We have ensured a constant production volume by looking for customers outside the entertainment industry, who require high-end, certified, aluminium welding”.
As Lambert Bouwmeester, CEO of Prolyte Group states: “Our main purpose was to have all our production facilities on one site. We still operated from our previous production location in Slatina for some parts of the production, which we were now able to transfer to Piatra Olt. This will provide us with more efficiency as well as flexibility in the production process”.
Lambert Bouwmeester concludes: “We started the plans for this second production facility almost directly after we opened the factory, which gave us the opportunity to think ahead in our needs and capacity issues. Opening this facility in such a short timescale from opening the first is an exceptional accomplishment of the team involved”.
Mihai Hlihor, COO of Prolyte Group adds: “This second production facility gives us the opportunity to organise our production process with much more efficiency. We now have easy access to our materials. Furthermore, we have
With the second production facility in place, Prolyte Group fortifies its market position by growing its capacity and keeping delivery times in sync with customer demands. www.prolyte.com
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Fohhn Audio appoints CMI Music & Audio
Graeme Mitchell (CMI), Uli Haug (Fohhn) and Peter Trojkovic (CMI)
AUSTRALIA: Fohhn Audio AG has announced the appointment of CMI Music & Audio Pty Ltd as its first ever distributor for Australia. The new partnership agreement, which was signed, sealed and announced at this year’s Prolight & Sound in Frankfurt, results from three years of discussion between the two companies. “At Fohhn, we select our distribution partners very carefully, as it has to be right for both parties” says Sales & Marketing Director Uli Haug. “As CMI were also undergoing some restructuring, we decided to go ahead only when the time was completely right. It has, however, been worth the wait as CMI are not only thoroughly professional, but also have an honest, open-minded team who share our passion for audio.” The distribution appointment enables CMI to respond to the growing demand for loudspeaker systems with Beam Steering technology – that is to say, high performance systems with the capacity to reproduce live music and
deliver excellent levels of speech intelligibility. “Having thoroughly researched the market back in 2014, we knew that Fohhn Audio with their Linea Focus series offered those criteria and more,” says Peter Trojkovic, CEO and Director of Audio. “However, we decided to resist jumping in so that we could restructure our technical department by adding qualified personnel to better accommodate the Fohhn brand.” Founded in 1978, Melbourne-based CMI Music & Audio is one of Australia’s largest and most respected distributors of professional audio products, music technology products and musical equipment. Its three strategically developed divisions (Entertainment Technologies, High Performance Audio and Musical Instrument Products) have all become leaders in their own right within the various Australian market sectors. www.cmi.com.au www.fohhn.com
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Jerad Garza Joins Ayrton’s Growing Sales Team International: Ayrton is extremely happy to announce the appointment of Jerad Garza as the latest member of its growing International Sales Team.
growth and success,” he says. “Ayrton is a brand with a great reputation and I am looking forward to playing my part in upholding that.”
Originating from Texas, Garza entered the industry as show technician with Gemini LSV in Dallas where he spent 17 years learning all aspects of show production, before progressing to the position of Sales Director and Project Manager. Roles in European & International Sales followed, firstly with Solaris and, most recently, with High End Systems. Garza now brings this wealth of technical, sales and global experience with him to Ayrton.
“Jerad has a great understanding of the needs of the international market, an exceptional technical knowledge, and a great affinity with the tenets at the heart of Ayrton,” says Ayrton Global Sales Director, Michael Althaus. “The energy and enthusiasm he brings to Ayrton and his determination to ensure our customers receive the best service, means he will be a great addition to the Ayrton team. We are looking forward to having him on board.”
Based in South Germany, Garza’s role will be to focus on supporting Ayrton’s existing international clients, in addition to establishing and growing new ones, and will have additional responsibility for selling demo and excess stock worldwide. “Now is an exciting time to join the Ayrton team, and I cannot wait to meet our partners and contribute to their
Garza’s appointment commenced as of 1 July 2017. He can be contacted at: Jerad Garza Email: jerad.garza@ayrton.eu Telephone: +49(0)152 568 28625 www.ayrton.eu
ROBE Announces New Australian Distributor AUSTRALIA: ROBE lighting s.r.o. has announced the appointment of Jands as the Australian and New Zealand distributor for ROBE and Anolis lighting brands. Jands is an Australian owned company founded in 1970 that manufactures and distributes some the world’s most recognised lighting, audio and staging products primarily for the entertainment and exhibition industry. Jands can be contacted locally on (02) 9582 0909. With headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Sydney, a factory in Melbourne and offices in Brisbane and Perth, Jands employs over 120 people across Australia and is ideally located to deliver the superlative service for which they are renowned. Jands also has an excellent international reputation and worldwide industry recognition for its award-winning range of lighting consoles, among other products.
For Robe’s Australian customers who have been actively designing orders with Robe’s past distributor, the orders will still be finalised through that company. Customers who do not have orders “in the pipeline” with the past distributor should contact Jands for all their needs. www.robe.cz www.jands.com.au
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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Yamaha Rolls Out NEXO GEO M10 & Updated RIVAGE PM10 SINGAPORE: Class was in session at Republic Polytechnic, during Yamaha's recent launch of the RIVAGE PM10 digital mixing system – with a newly-developed Hybrid Microphone Preamplifier and analogue section, the PM10 represents the Yamaha Natural Sound concept in an advanced form, and with evolved Yamaha VCM digital modelling technology recreates the characteristics of Rupert Neve Designs transformer circuitry and SILK processing.
cabinet using a single, integrated ball lock and cable tie, and a guide to hole alignment. The launch event also showcased the MSUB15, which is the same width as the GEO M10 main cabinet and 50% higher. Measuring 426mm wide x 531mm high x 700mm deep and weighing 40Kg, the MSUB15 employs a single 15″ diameter / 3″ voice coil Neodymium driver in a high-efficiency band pass cabinet design with a quadratic shaped profiled port, and can be deployed in Omni or Cardioid modes.
The PM10's channel EQ and dynamics have been upgraded as well, offering expanded capability for expressive sonic control. Parts selection, mechanical construction, circuit layout, power supply, and grounding have also all been reviewed and refined in the RIVAGE PM10. However, the highlight of the launch event was undoubtedly the GEO M10, which combines patented technologies with advanced DSP control and integral “no loose parts” rigging, and is easy to deploy in flown arrays or groundstacks.
An attentive crowd during the launch
The equipment was used at the main festival showcase for Republic Polytechnic's recent IGNITE! Music Festival, held on 28 and 29 July – the festival's aim is to create awareness for youth volunteerism through music. The stage setup included eight LS18 speakers, as well as eight M10s and two MSUB15s on each side of the stage.
531mm wide and 21kg in weight, the GEO M10 partners a 1.4″ titanium diaphragm HF driver with a single, Neodymium-magnet 10” driver, and is twice as powerful as its sister-system, the GEO M6, making it ideal for speech and music events with larger audiences. All GEO M10 cabinets use the TÜV-compliant AutoRig integral rigging system with no external or loose parts. The rigging can held in the ‘open’ position, locking closed when the next box is located, making it easy for one pair of hands to configure systems straight out of the cabinets' flightcases. A total of nine rigging angles are available, which can be set quickly and easily from the rear of the
The stage setup for Republic Polytechnic's IGNITE! Music Festival
www.yamahaproaudio.com www.nexo-sa.com
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Powersoft at Zouk
Zouk, a much beloved institution in Singapore that helped to redefine the entertainment scene in Singapore and globally recognised as one of the best nightlife spots, moved to its new home at Clarke Quay, a nightlife and entertainment precinct in Singapore, in the early part of this year. Zouk has retained the original sound system that was custom created by the renowned late audio engineer, Gary Stewart. One element however that was changed was the employment of new amplifiers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Powersoft X4. This video gives you an insight as to the decision by Zouk to go with the Powersoft amplifiers.
GLP: JDC1 We wrote about this remarkable product in our PL+S Frankfurt review. The JDC1 is a hybrid LED strobe that doubles as a high powered blinder. The JDC1 from GLP delivers power in excess through a versatile and highly creative design, the likes of which has never been seen before. This is the first fixture with pixel mapping pixel for strobe. This short intro video will shed more light (pun intended) about its features.
EK Lighting: K3 Spot
Airstar: Limitless possibilities
The K3 Spot features the latest state-of-the-art high-power LED source. The fixture has been conceived and designed with the most advanced optical system that allows uses to harness its power. According to EK the fidxutes offers sharp focus, crisp gobos, smooth Iris, flawless dimming, precision movement in a compact design. Check out the K3 Spot in action here
This video is a corporate video on Airstar solutions. We decided to put this up here to get your creative cap working for your next event. Airstar is a world leader in designing and producing inflatable technologies for all industries from lighting to aerospace or architecture. The company creates all shapes and sizes of lighting balloons. Take a look at the video to understand the possibilities.
J&C Joel is expanding! A fantastic opportunity has arisen to join our experienced sales team and work from our new purpose-built facility in Vietnam. J&C Joel has become renowned as one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading manufacturers and suppliers of flame retardant fabrics, flooring, drapery and stage engineering to the entertainment and event industries. With offices in the UK, Europe, Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australasia, J&C Joel is perfectly placed to provide the inspiration behind any performance.
ASEAN Sales Manager Based: Hanoi, Vietnam Salary: On Application (Plus excellent benefits) Qualifications Or Experience: 5 years of external sales experience A minimum of 2 years industry experience
Based in Hanoi, Vietnam and covering South East Asia, the ASEAN Sales Manager will further the awareness of J&C Joelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s products and services, increase sales revenue, and improve levels of customer satisfaction. As a J&C Joel Ltd representative in the field, the successful candidate will be the face of the company to existing, old and new customers. This will require an ability to judge the nature of the contact and to liaise with the contact accordingly. The role requires flexibility in every sense and will require frequent and multiple overnight stays away from home.
To apply please send your CV to joanne.wheelwright@jcjoel.com for more information regarding this position please visit our website
www.jcjoel.com
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Soundcraft Si Impact v2.0 Firmware Update Enables 80 Channels To Mix HARMAN Professional Solutions has announced the availability of Soundcraft Si Impact v2.0 firmware – the free update now expands the mixing capabilities of the Soundcraft Si Impact digital mixing console by enabling a total of 80 channels to mix. The 2.0 firmware update – along with the new Mini Stagebox 32i and 16i, and free updates to ViSi Remote and ViSi Listen tablet control apps – double the creative options for Si Impact users. Examples of new configuration options include: • Users can now combine 40 mix inputs on the Si Impact console, plus 32 USB inputs, totalling 72 channels to mix • Users can add a Mini Stagebox 32i or 16i as additional input sources for up to 64 mic channels to mix • Users can add a second MADI option card to the Si Impact console, and two Mini Stagebox units for up to 96 microphone preamps, 136 total inputs and 80 channels to mix • Users can add the Dante option card and work with 64 Dante channels to mix
New versions of the ViSi tablet applications are also available to support the expanded Si Impact channel count – ViSi Remote 3.4.3. and ViSi Listen 1.1.1 are now available at the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Si Impact v2.0 firmware is now available as a free download here. www.soundcraft.com
ProAudio Technology Introduces Vertical Linearray VT16 ProAudio Technology has introduced the newest addition to their product family – the new 58cm-wide VT16 Line Array loudspeaker was first showcased at Prolight+Sound 2017 The two 8” high-excursion low-mid drivers are arranged symmetrically around the horn-loaded 1.4” HF driver, providing a distinctive full-range behaviour down below 50 Hz. All three drivers work in parallel, providing essential headroom with a compact music programme. The VT16 weighs 21kg and boasts a horizontal dispersion of 90º. The impedance of 1 x 12 ohms allows an economical drive with up to six elements per channel of a 10.4-DSP or 20.4-DSP system amplifier. A system with 2 x 6 VT16 and 2 x 4 SW18 can therefore be driven by only one 4-channel amplifier on a single 230V / 16 A Schuko outlet and needs only two cables per side.
By using ProAudio Technology's lightweight flying frames (weighing only 10kg), 11 VT16s can be hung on a 250kg motor. The fully integrated 3-point flying equipment of high-grade steel allows vertical angles between 0° and 8° in consistent 1-degree steps and arrays of 16 VT16 loudspeakers in vertical arrays. www.proaudio-technology. com
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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PR Lighting's Phantom Now A Reality PR Lighting has announced the release of Phantom, a new hybrid moving head that was first previewed at this year's Prolight+Sound Show in Frankfurt. As an upgraded version of the XR 440 BWS, it contains a full designer's toolkit in a single unit. Utilising an Osram Sirius HRI 440W discharge source combined with PR Lighting’s advanced optical system, it delivers a solid beam, with 60° wide wash and an even varied spot. The fully featured fixture brings a number of advantages, including a fixed gobo wheel with 18 fixed gobos plus open, a rotating gobo wheel with seven rotating gobos plus open; a prism wheel, with 8-facet prism and 4-facet linear prism as well as an independent 8-facet prism; an independent
frost filter; an interchangeable animation wheel, bi-directionally rotating at variable speeds. Other features include mechanical dimmer (0-100%); double shutter blades (0.3-25 fps); motorized linear focus and zoom. The Phantom also boasts variable beam angles: 0°-2.8° (in Beam mode), 5°-60° (in Spot mode) and 5°-60° in Wash mode, all linearly adjustable. It offers Pan 540º (pan) and 270° (tilt) with auto position correction; DMX512 control with 22 channels in short mode, 30 in standard mode and 34 in extended mode. There is also a wireless control function. The fixture is now in full production and shipping. www.pr-lighting.com
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Martin Audio’s New Product Line Up Starts To Ship Back in April, Martin Audio chose Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt as the platform to announce and preview its ambitious line-up of 10 new products across multiple categories including Line Arrays, Stage Monitors and Amplifiers. With pre-sales running high, Martin Audio has announced that many of these new products have now started to ship. First out of the gates was the XE Series, bringing engineering innovation to high performance stage monitoring. Featuring unique Coaxial Differential Dispersion technology with a patent pending third static waveguide, the XE series is designed to deliver perfect monitor sound with a defined coverage pattern that allows the artist freedom of movement, while reducing overlap with adjacent monitors. Also shipping is the latest LE Monitor Series, scaling down the technology found in the XE Series to bring engineering innovation to everyday stage monitoring, while at the same time delivering exceptional performance and controlled coverage at a price point not previously possible for a truly professional monitor. Both the LE100 (1x12” LF) and LE200 (1x15” LF) started to ship at the end of May. The Wavefront Precision Series is also set to ship this month. Both the WPC (2x10” LF) and the WPM (2x6.5”LF)
are new generation of multipurpose line arrays designed to bring Martin Audio’s signature sound, coverage consistency and control to a broader range of live events, permanent venue installations and budgets. Combined with the newly announced iKON multi-channel amplifiers, iK42 and iK81, Wavefront Precision is designed to be uniquely flexible, upgradeable and financially accessible. Finally, the two new high performance subwoofers the SX118 and SX218, a single 18” and double 18” respectively, have also started to ship. www.martin-audio.com
RCF Art MK4 Speakers Now Shipping
The integrated DSP manages full loudspeaker processing, FiRPHASE filters, crossover and EQ, soft limiter, and dynamic bass boost.
RCF's new ART3 MK4 speakers boost performance with a new series of transducers, improving quality with FIRPHASE processing, an advanced FIR filtering technology conceived for delivering transparent sound and clarity. The ART3 MK4 series' Class-D power amplifier's technology packs a huge performance operating with high efficiency into a lightweight solution, featuring a solid mechanical aluminium structure which stabilises the amplifier during transportation and helps with fan-less heat dissipation.
The woofer delivers a fast and accurate reproduction of the mid-bass frequency range and controlled deep bass, while the compression driver offers a very open and natural midrange sound and extreme precision in high frequencies reproduction. The ART3 MK4 series evolve the concept born decades ago of the first RCF two-way loudspeaker in a composite cabinet, and are suitable for live sound reinforcement and stage monitoring as well as distributed sound systems for clubs, music venues and corporate events. www.rcf.it
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CAST Software Announces wysiwyg R39 CAST is introducing wysiwyg Lighting Design Software Release 39 – created with the lighting designer in mind, the R39 packs improved security as well as a rich new feature set for every wysiwyg mode: CAD, Data, Plots, Reports and Previsualization and more. Highlights include: • Panorama / 360º Image export – users can now export 360º Spherical images of their design, and with the help of VR goggles can step into their virtual design and experience it firsthand. • Alpha Beam Shadows – wysiwyg is considering the colour and Alpha percentage in textures, as well as altering the beam's colour and intensity as it passes through a surface. • Library Insertion Points – users will be able to select from different insertion points when adding a Library item into a drawing, helping to place the object correctly and avoid repositioning. • Library Additions – 220 new fixtures are now available in the Library, with new accessories, gels, gobos and many old fixture corrections and updates.
• Software UI Translations – wysiwyg can be translated into different languages, starting with French, and more languages will be available soon. • AutoCAD Importing Improvements – improvements have been made for importing DWG/DXF files. With the new wysiwyg R39, users will be able to be more creative and dynamic in their lighting design workflow from the design and presentation to clients as well as on site. www.cast-soft.com
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Amate Audio Launches NÍTID Ultra-Compact Active Speaker Series generation Class-D bi-amplification and on-board digital signal processing technology.
Amate Audio is introducing the first model in a new ultracompact performance loudspeaker series – the NÍTID. Weighing only 18kg, the N12SM employs the latest digital amplification and processing technologies in symbiosis with advanced acoustic design and engineering. Performance is characterised by its highly musical, pristine sound reproduction – with outstanding vocal intelligibility – ultra-low distortion and 128 dB SPL. These performance capabilities derive from the synthesis of advanced 12dzLF and 1.75dz HF neodymium drivers, integral 700 W 3rd
Extensive system control capabilities are accessed from the comprehensive control interface with SensitiveTouch keypad; a no mechanical component or moving part capacitive sensor technology, that is highly responsive, weatherproof and durable. Control settings include a selection of plug & play active power and DSP system presets that enable the N12SM to be configured for performance in mere seconds. The low profile form factor measures just 459 x 364 x 570 mm (approx. 18 x 14 x 22.5 inches), and can be deployed in either a nearfield or front-of-stage monitoring profile. Distinguishing details of the cabinetǯs fully professional design and construction specification includes the speaker grille. www.amateaudio.com
Barco Medialon: New Manager Functions, Showmaster Firmware, Updated Plug-Ins Barco Medialon is now introducing a newly-updated version of Medialon Manager – version 6.6.0. The new version of Medialon Manager includes several functionalities such as tracing information before a device is loaded, network error traces that have been improved in Webpanel, and several bug fixes. Besides the update to Medialon Manager, new Showmaster firmware has also been introduced. The new Medialon Showmaster Editor Version 2.6.0 now includes new functionalities such as tracing information before a device is loaded, as well as other bug fixes. The Showmaster Firmware Version 2.6.0 improved network error traces in WebPanel, as well as bug fixes.
Associated plug-ins have also been released and updated for Manager and Showmaster, with a new MXM released, and updated MXM and MRC plug-ins. www.barco.com
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Elation's New Fuze Wash 575 Optimized For Exhibit/ Auto Show Market When companies present their newest products at exhibitions, aesthetics are crucial and lighting plays a key role in their presentation. Auto shows place especially high demands on lighting, and that was the impetus behind development of Elation Professional’s new cool-white Fuze Wash 575 LED PAR moving head luminaire with motorized beam control. The new Fuze series is outfitted with single-lens COB LEDs that project a homogenised, flat field of light required for exhibition purposes. The Fuze Wash 575 uses a high-output 350W Cool White / Daylight COB LED engine with a colour temperature of 6800K that is ideal for highlighting the details of an object. With a high CRI of 95, the Fuze Wash
575 also has the ability to accurately reflect an object's true colour. The Fuze Wash 575 also offers many features that designers often ask for, including a smooth 16-bit pan and tilt movement, and a smooth and fast 11º to 40º zoom for precise beam control, which is unique compared to traditional daylight moving par lights. With the Fuze series, Elation has improved on the pixelated face of ordinary LED PAR fixtures by using single-source COB LEDs to project a single homogenous beam of light – the evenlylit lens of the Fuze Wash 575 then appears as one shade instead of individual LED bodies. www.elationlighting.com
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Cameo ZENIT B60 Now Available The Cameo ZENIT B60 battery-powered PAR spotlight is on its way, with the first production run of the two models already sold out. Boasting IP65 classification and W-DMX control, this spotlight is available in black (CLZB60BLSD) and chrome (CLZB60CLSD) versions. When fully charged, the powerful lithium-ion battery from LG Chem delivers a reliable operating time of up to 24 hours in RGBW mode. In single colour mode, the run-time can be up to four whole days,. An intelligent batterymanagement system protects against overcharging and deep discharging. With a service life of 50,000 hours, four 15-watt RGBW Cree LEDs deliver an extremely bright 1,900 lumens, facilitating the creation of brilliant, consistent colours with a precise beam angle of 11°. Two specially developed diffusers are supplied with the ZENIT B60 to extend the beam angle to 25° or 40°, without compromising light output. The unit can be controlled via DMX (seven modes), RDM, the included infrared remote control, or the display on the
spotlight itself. The ZENIT B60 is also equipped with a 2.4 GHz W-DMX receiver for wireless control. With the iDMX CORE WiFi and W-DMX converter (available as accessory) and the free controller app, Cameo provides the optimal control unit for convenient use. If a specific beam angle is required, the Cameo ZENIT LSD 6010 diffuser can create a round beam of light with an elliptical beam area of 60° x 10°. www.cameolight.com
Penn Elcom Keeping Quietly Cool This allows the equipment to operate safely and optimally while remaining within the protection of its flight casing, whether stationary or in transit.
Penn Elcom continues to innovate with the launch of the new CoolRac FT-80-Q-FC - a near-silent exhaust fan, specially designed for flight casing that requires efficient and quiet heat management. Setting new standards in flight case cooling, the total noise levels of the FT-80-Q-FC in operation is just 22.5 dBA (0.3 sone) and is a dramatic reduction to average fan noise levels. The fan provides thermal regulation for sensitive equipment such as lighting, AV, TV or musical equipment.
The lightweight CoolRac FT-80-Q-FCs weighs just 400g each and is engineered to the robust and reliable specifications common to all Penn Elcom products. The impeller aerofoil shape was specifically devised to minimise the noise levels and deliver more airflow and pressure. (Fans should be cleaned regularly to ensure optimum performance). The CoolRac FT-80-Q-FC is mounted in a recessed dish available in standard sizes for easy mounting to any existing style of flight case, just like fitting a standard socket or a handle dish. Fuss-free mounting - either horizontally or vertically – is quick and easy using a handy fitting template, which is included. www.pennelcomonline.com
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PR Lighting's Butterfly Dazzles Even More Spectacularly PR Lighting recently previewed the new Butterfly among a suite of new products at the Prolight+Sound Show in Frankfurt. The new Butterfly is known as the Butterfly II, and has five small plates added to the central disk, each containing 15 x 1W LEDs, to the existing 6 x 40W Osram RGBW 4-in-1 LEDs. The new de luxe fixture is thus now composed of 11 independently controlled or grouped LED engines all in one unit. The fixed centre 3.5° RGBW beam is surrounded by the five individual identical RGBW beams, all with tilt control, creating a flapping butterfly effect.
This fixture contains five white LED clusters that can be individually controlled or can work together to create either a white blinder strobe or random strobing effect. The entire unit can pan 540° and tilt 270° while the entire head can spin continuously through 360° and the outer LEDs can tilt 180°. The LCD touchscreen and WDMX control make operation and connection easy and intelligible. The fixture is suitable for concerts, clubs or any setting that requires precise movement, and is now shipping. www.pr-lighting.com
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Team Grey Ups Its Efficiency And Productivity
T
eam Grey based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is a fullfledged company that is involved in production, event management and lately integration services. The birth of the company started in the production field and it still remains as one of its core business. Envisioned by Kenneth Ang, Managing Director, the company was set up in 2003 and will celebrate its 15th Anniversary next year. Kenneth has a strong passion for the AV and events industries. This is actually his second venture after facing a failure with his first venture where the 1998 Asia financial crisis took a toll on his company. Not one to give up, he learned from his failed venture and embarked on building a more stronger and stable company.
all the facilities are under one roof. It is a one-stop hub that offers space for their inventory, servicing area and of course seats for the staff from the different divisions of the group, thereby providing much more synergy within the group. This of course has also increased their efficiency and productivity. However, there is one particular software that Kenneth had purchased that has truly helped the company both in terms of its efficiency and productivity. “The Flex Rental Solutions System is an investment I am most proud of. Though there is a service cost that needs to be paid per month, the benefits outweigh the cost. It has helped us tremendously. The system has actually helped us in closing deals more efficiently as our sales staff is able to view equipment availability, our calendar and offer the quote in a quicker turnaround,” said Kenneth. “As long as you have access to a browser and have internet connection you can get things done remotely as all the information is stored in the Cloud. We are also able to give access rights accordingly. For me this is great as I am able to call up what I need to know regardless of what time of the day or night it is and understand where we stand operationally. In the past all of the inputs were in different programmes and that was certainly not a seamless experience, as we needed to refer to different inputs to make sense.
The new office premises
Team Grey is now a group of companies. Not only are they involved in rental and staging but have gone on to offer Event management services as well as branching into providing installation and integration of AV systems. The most recent edition is their distribution division. Team Grey Distribution is the Main Distributor for CODA Audio in Malaysia. The company has 30 full-time staff as a group and most recently shifted their operations to a spanking new office so that
The Flex software
Our inventory productivity especially has improved tremendously. Previously we had to manually write the stock inventory. But now with the Bar Code scanner we can take stock far more efficiently and when our inventory leaves our premises we know exactly where it is.
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the service is not cheap but if we consider the money we save in being efficient and productive, it is well worth the investment,â&#x20AC;? said Kenneth. www.teamgrey.com.my
Warehouse
Finally the software is convenient and reliable. As humans we tend to make mistakes but the software generates reports, costings and revenue effectively for us. Of course staff still need to ensure that they put the correct input but they do not need to worry about calculations etc, as the software takes care of that. As we grow and being in a technology based industry, it is important for us to also embrace technologies that will give us a head up over our competitors. The cost output for
Team Grey providing the full solution for an event.
Team Grey.
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Electrocraft Braces Up With AVID VENUE S6L
Electrocraft’s inimitable technological prowess and rich experiential domain expertise is what makes them one of the top names in India’s list of elite sound rental companies that keep upping the ante of professional live sound reinforcement. And with the recent addition of two new fully loaded AVID VENUE S6L mixing systems to their inventory, the ace rental company have incorporated unparalleled dexterity and never before experienced power to their arsenal. The AVID VENUE S6L Over time, AVID’s VENUE S6L has asserted itself across the global live sound fraternity owing to its unmatched performance prowess. The flagship VENUE S6L delivers unprecedented processing capabilities with over 300 processing channels, and unrelenting performance and reliability thanks to its advanced engine design; owing to which, several leading rental companies across the globe have added the VENUE S6L as their principal mixing solution.
The Indian market too has acknowledged the prowess of the VENUE S6L, with the country’s most reputed rental outfits investing uninhibitedly into adding the system to their current inventory. And the latest name to this list is distinguished audio rental company – Electrocraft – who are widely referred to as one of the premier-most live audio rental solutions provider in the country today. Electrocraft has purchased not one, but two comprehensive VENUE S6L live mixing systems – a VENUE S6L 32D system and a VENUE S6L 24D system.
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About Electrocraft For over four decades, Electrocraft has been the audio rental solution choice for some of the biggest events to have graced the country - Michael Jackson, Enrique Iglesias, Mark Knopfler, Bryan Adams are just some of the names in this almost endless list of superstar events. And over the years, the company has commissioned every kind of event imaginable - from the largest EDM gigs and festivals to extremely elaborate classical music concertos to intense conclaves and summits. Through it all, the company has paid special attention to staying in tune with the latest technological developments in global pro audio, which is why they’ve maintained their position as industry stalwarts.
Favouring the S6L Dwayne Das – one of Electrocraft’s chief engineers – shares that the rental company quite identifies with AVID when it comes to foresight in revolutionary pro audio technology. The rental company has kept pace with AVID’s technological offerings to the live sound market, and drawing reference from this, Yohann explains why Electrocraft’s purchase decision of the AVID S6L was special and unique. He shares, “AVID has introduced state-ofthe-art technology – especially when it comes to their VENUE series of consoles. They’ve always been light years ahead of their time, and have been game changers in the way live sound mixing was perceived and executed. The same goes with the S6L. The amazing set of features, the solid build quality, and the unhinged power and dexterity is what makes the system incomparable, while the fact that it maintains the lineage of the previous VENUE series consoles makes the entire process of transition so simple and efficient. For example, anybody who’s worked on an SC48 would find it easy to familiarize themselves with the S6L, in terms of the workflow, features and even in some cases, the layouWORKING WITH THE S6Lt. And all of this while working on a system that’s unimaginably faster, more efficient and unbelievably versatile than anything else out there. We were impressed with the system the very first time we worked on it during a demo session. Hence, opting for the S6L was quite a natural decision in many ways. And to experience the complete extent of the S6L’s potential,
both in terms of feature sets as well as scalability, we opted to add the 32D as well as the 24D.” Other aspects of the system that influenced Electrocraft’s purchase decision to favour the S6L included the comprehensive delay compensation feature, customizable Stage 64 racks with I/O, power to support over 300 processing channels with real-time processing HDXpowered DSP engine, Ethernet AVB connectivity across all system components with ability to connect to MADI, Dante, or Thunderbolt devices, option to share the same I/O across multiple networked S6L systems without any loss of audio quality, direct support for AVID and third-party 64-bit AAX DSP plug-ins, and the system’s massive mix bus capacity.
Working with the S6L Electrocraft have already deployed the VENUE S6L 32D system for a few large scale events; one of them being the sold out concert of superstar Bollywood composer duo Salim-Sulaiman at Laxmi Lawns in Pune, which drew an attendance of approximately 10,000 people. Yohann Fernandes – who is also a chief audio engineer at Electrocraft – affirms that the show culminated successfully as expected, and his experiential feedback enumerates, “We were working an extremely tight schedule for this show, and this is exactly where we experienced how efficient the system really is in terms of setup and sound checks. A quick run through and we were pretty much
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Roger Drego, director of Electrocraft and iconic live sound stalwart in India stated, “We’ve worked with Leslie and his team at ANSATA several times before, and we’ve known them to be a company that has always maintained high standards; be it the great range of products that they represent or the sales experience or the impeccable quality of service and technical support that they render. In addition to the impressive pre-sales and sales experience, they also provided our team with extremely helpful training support. When you invest into next generation technology, it’s important that you work with good people who know their technology and are able to back you up on anything whenever needed. That’s what we opted for when choosing to purchase the VENUE S6L from ANSATA.” good to go. Working in action during the show, some key features like gain tracking really impressed us all. Plus, the systems extremely efficient layers and screens and incredibly efficient DSP engine made working through any scenario quite easy. Finally, the fact that the system sports AVID’s software that we’re all familiar with, made it an absolute breeze to navigate around the new surface. These according to me were the highlights of working with the S6L for the very first time in a live scenario, and it was quite the experience!” Aftab Khan – FOH engineer to Salim-Sulaiman, talks about his experience of working the S6L for the very first time as he comments, “This was the first time for me working on the S6L, and I was really impressed. Familiarizing yourself with the board is quite easy, especially if you’ve worked on any of the VENUE consoles earlier. That apart, the system is really adept and responsive; and the wide range of features delivers all the versatility that an engineer would ever need to recreate just the perfect sound. This really is a great mixing system.”
The Ansata connection While the long list of incredible features did play a key role in impressing the decision makers at Electrocraft to favour the VENUE S6L over the competition; another important aspect proved to be AVID’s representation in India, through Bangalore based reputed distributors ANSATA. Reputed for its high standards in sales/post sales service and technical support value, ANSATA has been recorded to definitively add great value to AVID’s presence in India.
Leslie Lean of ANSATA Computer Systems reciprocates the appreciation as he quoted, “With the purchase of the AVID VENUE S6L systems, Electrocraft has undoubtedly upped the ante for live sound in India. The VENUE S6L will help team Electrocraft in solving challenges of even the most demanding live sound productions, and deliver only the best sound quality, while enjoying familiar VENUE workflows with total show file compatibility. We’re extremely happy to note all the raving reviews about the new VENUE S6L consoles from Roger and his team at Electrocraft, and we wish them the very best to come."
Striding into the future with VENUE S6L Team Electrocraft exude a calm confidence about their newly acquired VENUE S6L consoles and the kind of role they will play in the future mix of things. As Yohann shares, “When you have the best of everything, you’re bound to have great quality results, and that definitely stands true with the VENUE S6L consoles for us. I guess we’ve only just about scratched the surface of what these consoles are actually capable of doing in the field, and I know for sure that there’s a lot more we can expect to come from using S6L in action in the near future.” www.electrocraft.net https://ansata.net/ www.avid.com
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USER PERSPECTIVE
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TDC Uses d3 At The Heart Of Its Biggest Installations Across Australia
TDC uses d3 at the ViVid event
The past year has been busy for leading visual solution experts, Technical Direction Company (TDC). The company has completed work for the ‘King Roger’ opera, ‘White Night Melbourne’ 2017 and received a Live Design Excellence nomination for their work on Vivid Sydney 2016. TDC has offices in Sydney and Melbourne, and has long been a d3 rental partner. Last year they also officially became a d3 Studio, building their creative space with a 180º curved projection-mapped wall and a d3 4x4pro living in the space. Here is a few highlights from what they have been working on in the last year. TDC have worked closely on the world’s largest festival of light, video and music, Vivid Sydney. For the last 5 year’s record breaking event, TDC managed Projection, Media Servers and Animation Systems using d3 for a number of their sites. Steve Cain, d3 Integrator and Advanced Trainer
adds, “two features that d3 offers is 3D visualisation and footprint features to show ‘hotspots’ and ‘coldspots’ in projection mapping areas. It makes my life so much easier. We can visually represent the object or building using a 3D fly-through showing how the projection will be laid out to the site to the millimetre of accuracy.” Vivid Sydney 2017 is currently lighting up the city until the 17th of June. TDC has also recently deployed the d3 pro range when Opera Australia presented Szymanowski’s 20th century opera, “King Roger,” in the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the famed Sydney Opera House. Previous UK productions of the opera had used d3 media servers, and the client asked TDC to provide technical continuity for the Sydney and Melbourne run. TDC used d3 4x4pros with DVI VFC cards and Barco projection to meet the needs of the opera’s unusual set design.
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“We had an eight meter fiberglass model head covered in mapped projection,” says Drew Ferors, TDC King Roger d3 Operator. “The head rotated with tracking projection; we had to follow the 3D angle of the head live by rotating a 3D model in d3. Projection mapping also covered the set pieces surrounding the entire upstage area. Whilst d3 was “very stable and easy to work on, running perfectly night after night without a single issue,” he calls d3 support “second to none.” TDC itself is one of a handful of companies worldwide with a certified advanced d3 trainer on full-time staff. TDC also used d3 4x4pros with DVI VFC cards and Barco projection to map the interior of the Latrobe reading room of the State Library of Victoria for Melbourne’s White Night 2017 festival. The 360º projection, spanning 114 x 25 meters, transformed the space into an underwater environment to showcase the astonishing sea life of Victoria. Says Peter Lynn, TDC Melbourne Project Manager. “d3 4x4pros were used for this event last year with amazing results,” says Cain. “The stability and power of d3’s features were needed to deliver this important project again in 2017. The ability to play back large texture sizes was a big advantage. The show had a long continuous run so having the failover feature was also an advantage – not that we needed to use it. But knowing that d3 would keep running in the rare event of a problem gave us peace of mind.” Becoming a d3 Studio has enhanced TDC’s production workflow, as Cain adds, “with 180 degrees of curved projection mapping and 4k displays, we do a lot of
pre-visualisation and concept proofing in the studio. For example, we’re now able to bring in TV producers to show them the set and screens in relation to blocking camera positions, allowing me to identify and solve anything ahead of the actual studio time.” The TDC team have also been using their studio for programming and as a place to teach students and staff about d3. As Cain concludes, “it’s been a great new asset for TDC and very well received with our client base and internal staff alike”. Another high profile production TDC is currently delivering is The Voice Lives TV Show, this broadcasts live on Ch 9 to a few million viewers every Sunday Night. “We use 2 x d3 4x4pros with DVI VFC cards to run all the graphics on this broadcast” Cain adds, “Stability, power and flexibility is what I need to deliver this ever changing show, combined with adding in NOTCH Effects, and control from Grand MA2, and chasing Kinesys, Timecode and Audio. It is the ultimate system for us to deliver this type of show”. The Voice is an ITV Studios Production. Sheree Marris and John Power were the artists for the White Night 2017 library installation. At TDC Pete Lynn was project manager and designer and Tim Jones d3 operator. Luke Halls was the projection designer for the Royal Opera in the UK and TDC’s Drew Ferors was the system designer and d3 show operator in Sydney. www.tdc.com.au www.d3technologies.com
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SINGAPORE
The Making Of The Spectra Multimedia Show The revamped show at Marina Bay Sands exudes energy and excitement Australia-based experience agency Imagination and Marina Bay Sands took two years to produce Spectra. A range of LED lights were installed with the underwater LED fixtures being specially developed to allow lights to show perfect whites and richer colours. The show is more than just about lights of course. Lasers, synchronised audio, high resolution projectors and the water screens come together to keep the audience enthralled. Lighting, visual design and direction was handled by Steve Nield who was appointed by Imagination for this project. ETA talks to Steve to better understand the behind the scenes work that had to be done to make Spectra a memorable experience.
ETA: What was your involvement? My involvement in the project started at the very beginning when we had nothing but a client and a blank canvas. Working in collaboration with the agency, Imagination Sydney, I was hired to design and direct Marina Bay Sands’ new Light and Water show. We were told to create an experience that would inspire feeling and emotion and follow less of a story line. The initial emphasis was to create something that people would walk away from leaving them with a “wow” which for me was the kind of design challenge I really enjoy. To make this kind of show really work a great music track is one of the most important elements of the production and I was very much on top of this from the very start. I put together a
few options on tracks that were bounced around at the initial stages but the result was very much brought to life by Singaporean music producer Kenn C. I had worked on many productions that Kenn produced the music for and I knew that he would totally get the need for textured music with highs and lows that would provide the backbone for a truly visual spectacular.
ETA: From the technical stand point what were the challenges in creating the vision of the story board? As every lighting designer knows, light is a very hard thing to sell to those who don’t fully understand it and clients these days expect to see glossy 3d visualizations to fill in the gaps of what they can’t see. For this project it was a mixture of light, lasers, projection and water. To fully demonstrate the real depth of effects was a little challenging. Initially the agency produced a few quality Cinema 4D renderings and while they portrayed water screen content well, it did not quite capture the bigger picture with all the elements of the show. The software Capture provided us with renderings of actual show cues but while being very accurate, it did not have the sparkle needed to help the client visualize the full potential of all the elements and their possible combinations, hence a hybrid of Capture and Cinema 4D was used to give highlights from parts of the show. Even with this great looking result, there are aspects of the show that you could only experience on-site – and they looked totally incredible
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when working with light and water. These included projection catching water jets, laser beams which appear to hang in water mist, and reflections and refractions on the water. I planned for pre-programming session last October at my studio that would allow us to set up the consoles and record DMX data for Capture to generate presentation renderings. After a few calls with Cedric Bigot from Aquatique, we planned how we would divide up the MA2 in terms of Patch, pages and pallets as the plan was to have him program the water cues at the Aquatique facility in Strasbourg and then share the show file back and forth to develop the show. While this plan was very effective and definitely worked, nothing beats a face to face meeting so I made a trip to Strasburg, where the Aquatique facility is located. Most large water shows like the Burg Kalifa and Bellagio are installed in less than a meter of water. The Marina Bay is some 5 to 7 meters deep which meant that all the technical resources had to be placed on floating structures and anchored to large concrete blocks. Marina Technology & Construction Pte Ltd, based in Singapore, came up with all the solutions to engineer the floating structures and anchorage systems.
As the project continued in the planning stages the Super Sharpy2 was launched and we upgraded the spec to those. Content was to be projected on three water screens as well as six petals of the Arts and Science Museum. Being a longtime Green Hippo user, I specified six Boreal media servers which were controlled via the MA2. Having the Hippo’s on the end of a MA2 allowed us to make minor tweaks Boreal Media Servers to the content on the water screens throughout the show to ensure that we got the best possible picture on the water. Other than triggering the clips that were projected on to the water screens, the Boreal’s were constantly changing some hues, contrast and brightness during the show.
ETA: What were some of the key things that had to be accommodated in order to create the show? Air space was a major concern with the show’s design and direction. A few meetings with the authorities resulted in a “Safe zone” of operation which had to be strictly adhered to ensure the safety of aircraft.
Clay Paky Sharpy2 lighting fixtures
ETA: Who specified the solutions? I was responsible for specifying all the lighting, video & control systems used for the show. At the time, the Clay Paky Super Sharpy was the most compact fixture with the highest output vs power requirement making them a great choice for beam work.
I decided to use Capture as the visualization platform for the show due to its ability to visualize water. We built a custom PC with all the biggest and fastest bits we could find along with a pair of GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPU’s to do the job. Capture was amazingly smooth with lights, lasers and projection but it did struggle with real time visualization of water jets once we started using more than 20 jets at a time. However, Capture has a record DMX feature that allows the storing of DMX data to be recalled and rendered out to a Quick time movie with stunning quality.
ETA: Being in an open area with water elements how are the equipment being protected from natural elements? The ability to have the equipment survive the elements in
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show. There were many elements that needed to be controlled such as lights, lasers, media servers, projectors, mechanical elements, hydraulics, water pumps, gyroscopic water fountains etc. Given the large area that the system must cover, a network control systems was the only way forward and naturally I turned to MA for all the solutions.
Singapore was a major factor in the design and probably at the forefront of my mind from the outset. Having been the Lighting Designer for three of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s National Day Parades and many outdoor events in the region, I am well aware of the weather in Singapore and what it does to entertainment technology that is not protected sufficiently. In a global search for the best Eco-Domes, we got in touch with Tempest from the US, makers of the Tornado dome and straight away I knew these were definitely the only enclosures for the job. Weather elements aside, just about all of the above water fixtures get a total soaking from the water jets and screens but the Tornado Dome keeps everything nice and dry and most importantly, working!
ETA: You had mentioned that the whole show is automated using MA consoles. Can you elaborate a little more. One of the key requirements from the brief was the need for an industry standard control system to run the entire
After I first sketched out my system design, I explored the possibility of the MA2 using an internal agenda to trigger a cue sequence that would fire the Tascam playback device which in turn played the multi track audio as well as sending timecode back to the MA to trigger all the show cues: a total hands-off concept. This concept proved to be a little too automated. In the end, we felt it was still important to have someone press the play button on the Tascam to start the show. The Show runs from a MA2 replay unit with a second as a tracking back up as there is no need to have a programming interface on a nightly basis. For the programming sessions, we managed with only two Grand MA2 Full Size and an On PC for odd bits and pieces. The main console ran automated lighting, media servers, triggered Pangolin and via AMX controlled the projector dousers and weather shutters on the projection barges. The second desk ran water pumps & jets along with all underwater lighting elements. The existing architectural fixtures had their own DMX/ Copper and fiber cabling infrastructure which was fairly easy to fit into my systems design by adding a mixture of MA Nodes at strategic locations throughout the property.
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All resources on and below the water were brand new and required a whole new cabling infrastructure to support them. A mixture of fiber and copper was sent to all the different locations along with power and other cables all encased in special gel filled casings protecting them from the water damage.
to gauge how effective the show is,On the official public launch night, it was very apparent it was going be a big hit.
The MA2 consoles controlled 1398 fixtures that had 12.058 parameters, 1278 cues and 30 universes.
http://www.marinabaysands.com/entertainment/spectra. html www.stevenield.com
ETA: Seeing the final product what ran through your mind? After two and a half years in the making, it was a relief to finally see things up and running as planned. I guess the most striking thing to run through my mind areall the other possibilities that have still yet to be achieved with the system. As the current show stands, I don’t think we could have made it any better. As with all kinds of shows, there is a risk of losing the edge with over programming and constant change. I think we “hit the nail on the head” with this one. As an industry professional, I scrutinize every detail across all aspects. I believe that it is this kind of attention to details that makes the difference between a good show and a great show. Ultimately, this show is for the public so I watch the audience for their reaction
The team involved were exceptional people and a real pleasure to work with, below are just a few of the many involved.
Details of the various teams involved Lighting / Visual Design & Direction - Steve Nield Programmer - Neil Trenell Programmer - Wee Cheng Low Programmer - Cedric Bigot Programmer - Maxime Gerhard Audio / AV Consultant - Barnaby Hall Production director (Imagination Sydney) - Trevor Smith Music Director - Kenn C Construction - Clarence Ng of Marina Technology & Construction Pte Ltd System Integrator – Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd Water System - Aquatique show International
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SINGAPORE
Electronics & Engineering Called Upon To Integrate For Spectra
E&E shows its prowess at handling challenging installation
Photo Copyright of Marina Bay Sands
B
ringing vision to reality for a mega show such as Spectra takes many types of expertise to be involved. The integration and alignment to ensure all the equipment works smoothly is a key element to the success of the show. With this in mind, an open tender was called upon by Marina Bay Sands for this multi-discipline project, which eventually saw the project awarded to Marina Technology and Construction (MTC) and Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E) who had partnered each other for the tender. The appointed AV Consultant for the project was Barnaby Hall of Sennen Design, who got involved in the project after the creative designs were in place, but before the heavy engineering works had started. Sennen Design worked with all the parties, in ensuring all elements of the audio-visual design were properly coordinated and installed before the creative crew came to site. Outdoor elements, works above and under water, coordination with the different organisations involved and exacting integration all made for a challenging project indeed.
Sennen Design’s Role Sennen Design was appointed as independent technical specialists to Marina Bay Sands, providing the AV infrastructure design and co-ordinating the technological aspects such as projection, lighting and audio with the architect, electrical and structural engineers. Sennen also conducted on-site inspection and contract administration before signing off on the project. “We were appointed at an early stage by Marina Bay Sands to assess the original light water show and advise on improvements that could be made,” said Barnaby. “Examples of major development during the project included upgrading the water screen projectors to 4K projector stacks and adding projection and enclosures for the ArtScience Museum mapping, which formed part of the overall Spectra experience. The main challenge was the delivery time frame. We had a moderate amount of time upfront in the design, but the final implementation needed to be a mix of existing equipment (such as water screens and projection pontoons), and the new AV technology. This included new cable infrastructure and fibre distribution, new projection enclosures and audio system.”
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Electronics & Engineering’s Involvement E&E’s involvement in this project involved the following aspects: 1. Installation and integration of the all the moving lights. 2. Installation and integration of the projectors on the three projection barges. 3. All audio installation and integration. 4. Installation of Control solutions within the control room. 5. Programming of the show.
Challenges
“The initial plan was to reuse the original audio system. After assessing this, it was decided that we needed to replace the speakers. Mid-way through the design development, it was decided that there would be an additional set of special effects loudspeakers placed around the venue to provide a sense of movement with the sound,” said Barnaby. “With regards to the audio technical design, our options were limited in terms of loudspeaker placement. Loudspeakers could not be placed at an elevated height so we needed ground stacks on the water screens (where the original speakers were). We basically provided a one to one replacement, but using a system that would have higher power and a much greater frequency response and clarity. They also had to be completely weatherproof. Even the coverage area was a challenge as the audience area is 15m deep and nearly 90m long, and the loudspeakers are positioned 30m from a very shallow audience rake – where the area slopes downwards towards the water feature.
“One of the bigger challenges was the synchronisation of sound, video, lighting and all other elements that required close coordination and all parties’ agreement. Communication protocol for all elements needed to be coordinated carefully to ensure total compatibility. The coordination efforts, coupled with time constraints presented one of the most challenging and sophisticated task to our Project team,” said Gary Goh, Deputy Managing Director, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd.
Beam steerable line arrays – a type of mounted loudspeaker system - were placed at the rear to provide a low profile and highly directional sound system whereas the front loudspeakers had a very narrow vertical coverage with a fairly wide horizontal one” commented Barnaby. Facing the crowd are the water jet screens which act as a canvas for images to be projected on. The audio system consisted of JBL VLA901 HWRx acting as front main speakers complemented with JBL 7128 WRx subwoofers.
“One of the greatest challenge was in installing the projectors and lighting fixtures that were placed on barges, that floated on water. This required a high degree of installation methodology for our installation team. Using multiple boats and crew, these installations took extensive time to achieve,” commented Chen Shiuh Yang, Senior Project Manager, Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd.
The audio aspect of the show Electronics & Engineering was responsible for supplying the sound system as well as integrating the systems.
Media Tower
The two media towers which are placed on the right and left sides of where the audience will gather at the Event Plaza feature EAW QX594 speakers. “We went with the EAWs because the audio content producer needed powerful speakers to cover the entire event plaza in a tight space within the media towers. The EAW
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QX was chosen because it is the most powerful speaker available in that size.” Completing the audio immersive experience are the JBL HP-DS370 Vertical Steerable Column array speakers that are installed to blend in with the facade of The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands that faces the show. “These speakers were added as the show producers wanted to create a more immersive experience. The columns were specifically chosen as they were more aesthetically pleasing on the
retail facade. It also helped that we were able to steer sound towards the audience and away from the glass surroundings,” added Chen. “It was a very technically complex short term project in a difficult environment! Kudos to everyone involved in turning the vision into a reality,” said Barnaby Hall. www.enepl.com.sg
Key Solutions
Control Room
Control Room BSS BLU Networked Audio system CROWN Amplifiers POWERSOFT Amplifiers grandMA 2 MA LIGHTING NPU / RPU MA LIGHTING MA RPU MA LIGHTING Network Switch Lite Puter DMX Switch Pack GREEN HIPPO BOREAL Media Server LIGHTWARE Dual-Link DVI fiber extender ADDERVIEW KVM Matrix GREEN HIPPO BOREAL Media Server AMX NetLinx Integrated controller APPLE IPAD 9.7 FURMAN Power Conditioner LENOVO Tower Desktop MACKIE Studio Monitor RGB SPECTRUM Matrix Switchers TASCAM64-channel Digital Multitrack recorder TVONE 4-Window DVI_U Processor GRANDBRIGHTRack
Projection Barge (x3) Christie 4K30 Boxer Projectors ClayPaky SuperSharpy 2 lighting fixtures MA Lighting Port Nodes Lite Puter DMX Switch Pack TRENDNet Din-Rail Lighware Dual-Link DVI distribution amplifier Extron DVI DA distribution amplifiers Cisco Managed Switch Lighting Barge (x2) Clay Paky Supersharpy 2 MA Lighting Port Nodes Prism Barge Clay Paky Supersharpy 2 Clay Paky Mythos Waters Edge Clay Paky Supersharpy 2 Water Screens JBL Speakers Low / X-Barge JBL Speakers Media Tower (Left and Right) EAW Speakers MA Lighting Port Nodes Event Plaza JBL Speakers
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THAILAND
Symetrix Prism Provides Flexibility For Major Thai Venue
The Symetrix Prism works in tandem with Quest loudspeakers to achieve the venueâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objectives
well as replay background music throughout the hours of operation. "We knew we needed a large amount of DSP to handle all the processing requirements; there are a lot of delays in the configuration," explains Walters. "Symetrix is a brand we have specified successfully for a wide range of venues, and we were confident that it would offer the required number of outputs in a cost-efficient form factor."
A
lready one of the hottest tickets in town, the 8 on eleven club in Bangkok has rapidly become one of the must-visit highlights of the Thai capital's famously lively nightlife scene. Featuring bar, cafe/ restaurant and club areas, the venue aims to restore a little of the traditional Soi spirit "with a modern industrial twist." Overseeing the design and specification of the audio system for the venue was a team from AV consultants Fuzion Far East, led by Product Specialist & Project Manager Benjamin Walters. "The concept changed somewhat over time," he recalls. "Initially, we were going to design a massive nightclub system, but the hotel above the venue got involved and made some recommendations, so we ended up designing a [more modest] system that ensured there was minimal sound leakage into the hotel rooms above the second floor." Working in close cooperation with local install contractor Atkris, Walters and his team devised a system based around two of their most tried and trusted brands: Symetrix for processing, and Quest for loudspeakers and amplification. A single Symetrix Prism 12x12 (12in, 12 out) unit handles audio processing and management for four zones - two indoor and two outdoor - across two floors. Both floors have the capacity to host DJ sets as
The latest addition to the Symetrix line of Dante-enabled DSPs, Prism is designed to suit applications requiring powerful, advanced signal processing coupled with an industry standard network audio interface. It features the same high-end analogue and digital design found in top-ofthe-line Symetrix DSPs - making it possible to achieve state of the art processing at unprecedented price points. Walters reports that the club's owners are so pleased with the system that Fuzion Far East has been asked to expand the speaker system on the second level to give it additional dancefloor impact. "Several of the DJs have told us how much they love the audio system," he concludes. "Once again the Prism processor has proven its reliability and robustness, and is clearly the ideal choice for this job." www.symetrix.co www.fuzion.co.th
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INDIA
Ansata Plays Pivotal Role In Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall (SMVRCH) Choice Of d&b Audiotechnik Y-Series
Complemented with DPA Microphones the sound reproduction at the Hall offers pitcher perfect experience for audience
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he Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall (SMVRCH) – an initiative of the Madras Seva Sadan – is undoubtedly one of Chennai’s most revered live performance spaces that promotes, preserves and propagates all forms of art and culture - both Indian and international. Located at the bustling Harrington Road (Chetpet) area in the central part of Chennai, the plush SMVRCH complex consists of a comfortable two level air-conditioned theatre that boasts a lavish 1920 sq.ft. stage, an intriguing art school, a gallery / lounge in the basement and a coffee
shop for patrons to relax and unwind. As Krish Kumar, a key member of the managing committee of SMVRCH, shares, “The idea was to create a state-of-the-art facility that would serve as a one-stop experience for everyone who enjoys art and culture in its various forms.” The luxuriously furnished concert hall in itself has hosted some of the most elegant events in various forms of art encompassing music, dance, recital, playwriting and more - from solo performances, to street plays, to philharmonic orchestral ensembles – including the likes of events hosted by the U.S. Consulate, Alliance Francaise, Russian
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Cultural Center, in addition to noted gigs like the Hindu International Music Festival, the KongMyong, ICCR, and of course – the Ultimate Elton John and the Rockets tribute band performance in recent times. And a key reason for this impressively diverse event profile is the fact that the hall boasts a state-of-the-art audio architecture from global niche pro audio brand d&b Audiotechnik, which provides bespoke aural reproduction for live concerts, theatrical productions and lecture style presentations. Designed and installed by Ansata – the official distributors of d&b Audiotechnik in India – the adept audio system at the SMVRCH now features a total of 12 units of the Yi8 line array elements along with 4 units the larger format Yi10 line array elements together faithfully reproducing the ever crucial mid and high frequencies, while a total of 4 units of the actively driven Yi-Sub deftly deliver the low frequency impact that brings the performances to life. The entire loudspeaker setup is powered through 3 units of the sublime D80 power amplifiers. Krish comments, “The d&b Audiotechnik Y-Series offers a really smooth and clean sound, plus the power to really impress when required”, as he praises the quality and performance of the new d&b Audiotechnik rig. The concert hall is also equipped with state-of-the-art theatrical microphone systems from global leaders DPA, mainly comprising multiple models from the d:fine series of headset microphones and the d:screet series of miniature omnidirectional microphones; all of which were also provided for by Ansata. Speaking about the various aspects that influenced the SMVRCH’s buying decision, Krish asserts the one key factor that favoured d&b Audiotechnik’s the most is their partnership with Ansata. He says, “Our ideology from the get go has always been about top notch quality – commissioning the use of top notch products and technologies so that our audiences have nothing less than the finest experience possible. While we were quite pleased with the performance of the audio system that was previously installed here, we realized that integrating the space with d&b Audiotechnik would be far more beneficial to us, not just because of the technological superiority of its products, but mainly because of its stellar representation and service here through Leslie and his team at Ansata.
For me personally, that was the key. I believe great technology alone doesn’t stand for much by itself. But when great technology is backed by a great team of thorough professionals – that’s when you know you’ve got the best. And that’s what we’ve experienced in opting for Ansata and d&b Audiotechnik! Working closely with Ansata has been extremely important on this project, and having direct access to their product specific expertise and onsite support has ensured a smooth and timely system rollout to the complete satisfaction of everyone at the SMVRCH. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Leslie and his team.” Leslie Lean, Director of Ansata gratefully reciprocates the sentiment as he comments, “Firstly, we’d like to thank Krish and all of the committee at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall for choosing to entrust Ansata with the responsibility of commissioning the concert hall with the kind of effective, powerful and high quality audio system that it so richly deserves, and has finally found in the d&b Audiotechnik Y-Series. The leadership is extremely dynamic and very welcoming in matters of advanced technology, with a clear realization of how using world class technology can only result in positive outcomes, and we’re grateful for all the help and support that our team received from them during the entire process of commissioning. I believe that is why the end result is such a magnificent sounding hall. It has been an honour for us at team Ansata to have been of service to the SMVRCH. And while we look forward to being of service to them soon, we’re confident that their new d&b Y-Series system along with the DPA microphone inventory will live up to every expectation.” https://ansata.net
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Journey of Lights Parade CHINA
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
Every night on the island of Hengqin, in Zhuhai, China, visitors to the breathtaking Ocean Kingdom theme park are treated to one of the most spectacular nighttime parades of any entertainment venue in the world.
Challenges Named “Journey of Lights”, the parade represents a delicate meeting of art and technology. Dancers and other performers accompany the ocean-themed amusement park’s distinctive mascots on a series of floats as they embark on a 40-minute journey around the central lagoon. Covering 32 different zones, the result is an ingeniously choreographed son et lumière. With one of the floats involving more than 200 universes of DMX alone, the scale and intricacy of the lighting design is difficult to comprehend. The same can also be said, however, of the audio and control system which delivers the parade’s original musical soundtrack. The Q-SYS Platform from QSC processes and routes every audio element from every float, and triggers third-party visual controls while maintaining near sample accuracy as each float crosses from one zone to the next.
The solution was devised by primary consultant Evan Hall and programmer Brice Helman of Forward Thinking Designs, and utilizes Q-SYS to deliver audio and control for the individual floats as well as full integration with the parkwide audio system. One year after the completion of the installation, the Q-SYS Platform is working so seamlessly with the attraction that not a single support call has been made.
Solutions The investment in Q-SYS spans the entire Chimelong Ocean Kingdom site and includes multiple units of different Q-SYS Core processors, including the Core 250i and Core 4000. But for “Journey of Lights” the specification revolves around a standalone Q-SYS Core 110f processor located on each of the floats, facilitating the multi-track BGM playback that accompanies the show. Despite the Core 110f being the smallest Core processor in the line, the parade floats do not suffer from a lack of processing power or functionality. The Q-SYS Platform was designed with a singular software stack, which means all processors in the platform offer the same functionality
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and the only difference between them is the channel count. In fact, the Q-SYS Core 110f delivers a market-leading cost-toI/O ratio within a single 1RU chassis, which suits the requirements of the floats perfectly. It offers 24 available I/O (including eight flex channels, as well as 16x16 USB channels on a single product).
can also handle GPS location and wireless communication so we can achieve perfect synchronization of the audio and visual control as the floats cross from zone to zone, as well as other show elements. We were also struck by the user-friendly and easy-to-create graphical user interfaces. The Q-SYS Designer Software makes it possible to build user controls for touchscreen devices quickly and easily.”
“Q-SYS plays such a pivotal role in Journey of Lights,” explains Li Kai Wai, Technical Manager, Entertainment at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom. Li was confident that Q-SYS was capable not only of handling all the audio requirements on each float, but also as serving “as the show control system”.
The simplicity of the routing enabled by QSC was another important factor. “The use of name tags to route the audio and control signals is very user-friendly,” says Li. “This makes it easy to trace and identify signal paths when changes need to be made.”
The result is that each of the eight floats in the parade features an on-board audio configuration of loudspeakers and amplifiers managed by a Q-SYS Core 110f. There is also an Alcorn McBride unit, which is triggered by Q-SYS custom Lua scripting. Q-SYS enables broader show synchronization by supplying an overarching control function for the entire parade system via a single Core 250i processor which is located in the main show operations area.
Site-wide Q-SYS integration means that audio can be shared to other areas of the park if required, via Coreto-Core streaming. In addition, the system can be scaled quickly and easily – Q-SYS Cores are software-based processors, built on standard IT networking protocols, so if Journey of Lights needs to grow, its Q-SYS backbone has the ability to grow with it.
The capabilities of the control interface and the ease of coding within Q-SYS through Lua were hugely beneficial, as Brice Helman, of Forward Thinking Designs, remarks: “The wonderful thing about Q-SYS from a control standpoint is the magic of the Scriptable Control component. The single block allows me to source all the controls for the user interface in the same place where the code base lives, which drastically cuts down on the complexity of the entire design. Moreover, the way Lua behaves allows me to do several clever things with data manipulation, which was crucial for handling constant data streams between multiple Cores.” The parade’s Q-SYS Core processors provide ease-ofintegration with the park-wide Q-SYS deployment – a primary advantage of their use for “Journey of Lights”, but only one of many, as Li reveals: “The QSC technology
Results
After a year of operation, both Hall and the park’s technical team are quick to emphasize that the Q-SYS system has more than proven itself as a solid platform for this application. In particular, Li praises the “stable network audio transmission and user-friendly audio routing” that Q-SYS has made possible. “Adding, changing, and deleting audio files on the fly is no problem at all, and there have been many positive observations about the wonderful GUI interface,” he says. As Hall observes, Q-SYS gives the team the “flexibility to do whatever is needed, whenever it is needed. They didn’t have to go out and buy lots of music servers and control systems. Despite sophisticated integration requirements on the floats, Q-SYS never made them feel boxed into a corner and that – in terms of control and future expansion – they have infinite possibilities.” www.qsc.com
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INDIA
Justin Bieber Maiden Concert In India
Harman Professional India’s Audio and Lighting solutions stimulate the sensory experience at the Concert
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op of the line production crew from Sound.com and Star Dimension along with the system engineering support from Harman Professional India together delivered the most spectacular sensory experience ever at The Purpose World Tour India edition – a worldwide production by Canadian singer Justin Bieber. It was a dream concert not just for all the “Beliebers” but also for everyone involved in the production as the one–of–a–kind concept demanded high production values of international standards, best of the equipment and top of the line crew. Production of this stature possess many challenges on the teams and The Purpose World Tour came with its own. Sunil Karanjikar, Application Engineer, Harman Professional India joined hands with Sound.com team and worked on the system design for the show. Commenting on the system design he said, “Working on a project this scale
with one of the top Touring artist presents its own set of challenges. The sheer size of the venue calls for a lot of precision as an error of a couple of degrees in the Horizontal and/or Vertical aiming of the arrays can literally put huge amounts of audience out of the coverage areas. The fact that Mumbai is extremely hot and humid at that time of the year meant that the Audio crew could only work through the night to execute this project. Although the PA design and positions were marked in CAD, we realized other elements such as scaffold for screens etc. had changed from the original design. We had to quickly re-map PA positions to ensure we were still getting the intended coverage”. He further added, “Working through the night made it much easier to execute the set-up efficiently. With 214 VTX and VerTec Loudspeakers and 170 Crown ITech HD Amplifiers used on the project, we had to design a robust and redundant network system to control the system
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keeping in mind the extreme heat during the day and time of the event. The production quality was top notch with a great display of lighting and pyrotechnics. Ken “Pooch” Van Druten is one of the best Mix Engineers on the circuit today and he ensured that the Audio System was used to the maximum with some brilliant Dynamics throughout the concert.” For the concert, the venue was deployed with a complete Harman PA solution with JBL VTX V25II used for the main powered by Crown amplifier T12000HD, Flown subwoofers VTX S28, ground Subs VTX G28, Front fills – VTX V20, Side fills LR – VT4888, Delay LR and Outer LR – VT4889. For the first time in India there was a side flown subwoofer rig to throw a lot of Bass into the stands and improved the low frequency extension right behind in the ground.
The dynamic lighting design for the show conceptualized by Nick Van Nostrand included fixtures from Martin Professional. Having the largest inventory of Martin Professional lighting in India, Star Dimensions – led by Ashish Mehta and Jay Mathuria took the baton of delivering the visual spectacle for the show. While acoustically the venue posed its set of challenges, the soaring temperature took its own toll on the crew and the power eating equipment especially lighting but the never say die spirit of the whole crew delivered a perfect show at the end! Martin Mac aura XB wash played a key role at the main stage, they were subtle yet impactful says Ashish and added, “Nick Van Nostrand, the lighting designer had mostly worked with Martin Professional
lighting on the purpose tour and was very happy with the fixture options we offered. It was a large set-up and the Martin lighting fixtures worked flawlessly even in soaring temperatures.” The Martin Professional inventory used for the show included 136 Mac Aura XB, 40 Mac Quantum Wash, 36 Atomic 3000 LED. Commenting on the successful show, Prashant Govindan, Sr. Director, Harman Professional India said, “It gives me immense pride in saying that we have broken all our previous benchmarks with the successful production of the show and added another feather to our crown. It is the dedication of our esteemed partners such as Sound. com and Star Dimensions, which never let them stop striving to outperform in their respective fields, and Harman Professional India is committed to support them in every execution”. www.harman.com
Equipment List: • • • • • • • • • •
64 JBL VTX V25-II used as Main PA LR and OUTER LR 24 JBL VTX S28 used for FLOWN SUB LR 36 JBL VTX G28 used for GROUND SUBS 24 JBL VT4889 for DELAY LR and 30 for DELAY LL RR 24 JBL VTX V20 for FRONT FILLS 12 JBL VT4888 for SIDE FILLS 172 Crown iTech12000HD amplifiers 32 MAC Quantum Wash Star Dimensions 132 Mac Aura XB 32 Martin Led Atomic 3000
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CHINA
Rightway Audio Consultants Create 360° L-Acoustics Sound System For Hong Kong’s God of Song
K1, K2 and Kara cover Jacky Cheung’s three-hour spectacle for audiences across China
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lmost 400 L-Acoustics cabinets were deployed as part of a mammoth PA system for Jacky Cheung’s 2017 A Classic Tour, which took in 21 venues, both indoor and outdoor, across mainland China at the beginning of the year, and continues through Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan. The show is performed in the round, with both complex stage machinery and the task of ensuring complete coverage of the audience offering a challenge for rental companies Haona, who supplied the system for the China dates, UnUsUal in Singapore and Taiwan’s Winly, who worked alongside L-Acoustics Chinese distributor, Rightway Audio Consultants to realise a complex design. A Hong Kong-born singer, songwriter and actor, Jacky Cheung is one of the city’s ‘Four Heavenly Kings’ – a term created by Oriental Daily News in 1992 to describe the four biggest male entertainment artists in Hong Kong. Over his 30-year career, his popularity has known no bounds - he even set a Guinness World record in 2011 for the largest combined audience for a live act in 12 months, with a total audience figure of over two million, for his Jacky Cheung ½ Century World Tour. For A Classic Tour, Cheung’s live performances were an electrifying three hours that combined his vocal talents,
which have earned him the moniker ‘God of Songs’, with elements of both the theatre and circus. Everything about the show’s production values were in keeping with his celestial reputation, from the four-sided stage - containing a central, sectional decagon which transformed with every song to resemble a three-tiered cake, a circular staircase, a rotating compass or a walled fortress - to the audio, video and lighting systems, which were suspended above the stage. For the outdoor venues and select indoor venues where weight loadings were an issue, the system was flown on a complex truss system, ground supported by four towers, one at each corner of the stage. “We based the audio design on the predictions we had made using L-Acoustics’ Soundvision 3D acoustic simulation programme,” explains Daniel Kwan, audio designer and Front of House engineer for the tour. “Soundvision is an incredibly useful tool, as it meant we could easily predict how the system would react when we moved from venue to venue. This was particularly useful when selecting the position and model of the speakers and meant that we could always ensure the entire audience area was fully covered.”
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The show design included a considerable number of moving elements for both lighting and staging, which had an influence on the number of cabinets used, and their position. “Due to the complex stage design, we decided to use six arrays of K2,” Daniel adds. In the case of the ‘ground up’ production, the weight of the speakers is a huge consideration. K2, being powerful and lightweight and with its stable horizontal polar response of 110 degrees, is the perfect choice to deliver great impact and coverage to every single member of the audience.” The overall system comprised 48 K1, 120 K2, eight Kara, 24 KS28 and 24 SB28 subs, with 24 X15 HiQ and 24 115XT HiQ providing stage monitoring, all driven by a combination of 96 LA8 and 12 LA12X amplifiers. “Our standard system for the Chinese leg of the tour comprised six hangs of 14 K2 suspended from the main truss, again with 110° horizontal dispersion to cover the venue. However, the tour went to some vast indoor venues and outdoor stadiums where we added four K1 cabinets on the top of the K2 hangs to reach the far rear area. For outdoor stadiums, we again used K1 to cover the upper area auditorium, with K2 covering the bottom level. Using Soundvision makes it much easier to work out an accurate quantity of speakers for each location we visited and the angles we needed to set.” Working with monitor engineer Mike Huang, Daniel ensured that any feedback issues were reduced to a minimum and that the system was properly balanced.
“By using this system, as well as ensuring great audio quality, both load in and out were very fast and convenient,” adds Daniel. The tour received rave reviews from both audiences and the media, with comments that it was the best sounding system they had heard. “We are proud to have been involved in such a successful tour,” Daniel concludes. “This is in no small part due to our L-Acoustics system. I am impressed with its sonic quality and predictability. It gives me full confidence that it will provide the best solution, as always.” www.l-acoustics.com www.racpro.net
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AUSTRALIA
Australia’s Favourite Wombats Return
FOH engineer Pete Bartlett gives his view straight up
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he Wombats are currently celebrating the ten year anniversary of their first album, touring Australia with Groovin’ the Moo and performing a few side shows. For the past five years FOH engineer Pete Bartlett has worked with the band as well as his other main act The Pretenders. The band members and crew were delighted to play a couple of shows at the Sydney Opera House, performing memorable and joyous shows. Let’s face it, it’s not often you witness six full-grown humans dancing around in wombat suits on stage whilst confetti guns spray over the crowd. JPJ Audio supplied a control package that included an Avid Profile for FOH and another for monitors. Pete was pleased to get everything he wanted! “I always use an Avid Profile as I have loads of plugins and I’m not a big fan of anything newer,” he remarked. “I’m
not a big fan of the new DiGiCo and Midas desks, and the Profile is just more reliable. In fact I’ve stood still for ten years with the Profile but it’s just so easy for me to use, plus you can get them anywhere.” Pete explained that he tries to turn his Profile console as much as possible into an SSL console. The reason why is that he admits to being an eighties kid who learnt all of his tricks from being in bands and sitting in studios behind eighties producers. “I stole all my tricks from eighties producers but hey, a lot of it is all cool again!” he laughed. “Effects-wise, I use a complete mix - TC reverbs, Eventide etc, because the reverbs that come with the Profile are pretty poor.” Pete commented that when he first started mixing for The Wombats, they had ten channels of playback so if they lost the tambourine channel, they’ve lost that instrument. He
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didn’t like that so he went into their studio for a couple of days to mix everything to left / right. “We mixed the tracks really well, just in stereo, so if you lost the left you’ve still got the right,” he added. “It makes life so much easier. They run quite a complicated keyboard set up so it’s all run from Ableton and their keyboards just Midi into the whole thing, so I keep the keyboards separate. Essentially the band are a simple three piece of guitar, bass and drums … but they all sing and all play keyboards too.” During his time in Australia Pete had a variety of PA systems, including L-Acoustics and d&B audiotechnik, but that didn’t faze him. “Whenever I get a new PA to work with, I’ll first ask the system guys what they have done to it,” he explained. “Maybe they’ll show me a Lake EQ, and I’ll ask them to turn it off, as I like to do it myself. The last gig in Australia at Bunbury was fantastic because they had done very little to the system. Often I go into a venue to find the audio
guys have hacked the PA to death. I’d rather they leave it flat so I can pull out whatever I don’t like. I don’t need anyone to EQ it, as long as it’s all time aligned and it’s correct, I’ll EQ it.” Pete has had a deal with Sennheiser for the past eleven years after he used them with Bloc Party, in fact he is still using many of those original microphones as they’re still going strong. “Basically we don’t have many microphones onstage that cost more than $300, they’re all cheap mics,” he said. “A lot of people listen with their eyes and use something funky and expensive. People wander around backstage saying how clever the mic setup looks, but you go out front and they sound terrible.” Pete commented that the JPJ Audio crew were fantastic and gave a brilliant service, saying that they made his job very easy. www.jpjaudio.com.au
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NEW ZEALAND
Staging Connections Ensures ‘Opportunity Knocks’ At New Zealand Convention
An immersive LED screen set-up creates the wow factor for attendees
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taging Connections powered an inspiring day at Barfoot & Thompson’s Annual Convention, with 2,400 staff attending the world class event themed Opportunity Knocks on 12 May 2017, at the Vodafone Event Centre, Manukau in New Zealand. Achieving great success in the delivery of technical production for Barfoot & Thompson’s Annual Convention every year since 2012, Staging Connections was entrusted to deliver audio-visual requirements for the 2017 event – the biggest to date and held in a new venue this year for Barfoot & Thompson. The event was a vibrant, colourful, energetic celebration from start to finish. The theme was designed to inspire the team to look for, and take advantage of, the opportunities that come their way.
Wendy Alexander, CEO of Barfoot & Thompson kicked off proceedings, entering through the stage door to perform a rendition of Adele’s “Hello” to tumultuous applause. Inspiring speakers rounded out the theme, with one of the motivational speakers being Cam Calkoen, who shared his story of living with cerebral palsy, and how he has overcome his challenges. The day included an awards ceremony to celebrate the company’s high achievers and culminated in an opportunity for colleagues to mix and mingle over drinks and a live band. Central to the proceedings was the main stage where an impressive 12 m x 4.2 m LED screen was hung via a truss, above four ground stacked 1.2 m x 2.4 m LED panels on
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each side of the stage that at times projected doors to cleverly incorporate the ‘Opportunity Knocks’ event theme. One of the ground stacked LED panels was an actual door that opened, enabling each guest speaker to appear on stage in dramatic fashion. This made an enormous impact on the audience, who were entertained by the theatrics.
the entire crew’s dedication and ability to deliver," said Mr Anna.
A state-of-the-art audio system was installed on-site to deliver crisp, whole-hearted audio and the important desired impact of the opening video audio.
"Collaborating with the Staging Connections team ensured the rations and dimensions of the content we developed was correct for the LED screens and therefore we could produce a seamless display of all visual elements. Our content looked fantastic on the immersive LED screen set up, and we have received numerous compliments on the event from the client, our staff, and event attendees," said Mr Sharpe.
Clever theatrical lighting using beams, 700’s for stage lighting effects and wash lighting tied the entire space together. Anil Anna, IT Manager of Barfoot & Thompson, was highly impressed with the Staging Connections teams’ commitment, professionalism and know-how. He expressed admiration of their ability to problem solve and develop ideas on the fly. "Staging Connections have been the ultimate professionals, ensuring the delivery of a wonderful conference this year. Nothing was too hard for the team and we greatly admire
Creative agency, Bunker, produced the opening video and graphics. Luke Sharpe, Director at Bunker commended Staging Connections’ work on the event.
Staging Connections delivered all audio-visual requirements for the 2017 Barfoot & Thompson Annual Convention, including lighting, audio, and vision for the main arena, as well as two breakout sessions and after-5pm drinks and entertainment. www.stagingconnections.com
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AUSTRALIA
Colourblind On The Road With Hog4 and Green Hippo Both solutions offer flexibility and creativity
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elbourne-based lighting and production company Colourblind are having a huge 2017, with lighting director Nicholas Beachen out on the road using High End Systems Hog 4 on the Hot Dub Wine Machine tour through March and April, and the company’s new Hippotizer Karst and Portamus Media Servers joining Melbourne hip-hop artist Illy as he traverses the country at the same time. DJ Tom Loud’s genre-and time-spanning Hot Dub Time Machine has been a regular gig for Colourblind’s Nicholas Beachen for three years. But December 2016 saw the birth of a new concept from the artist – a curated, boutique festival that debuted at Serafino Winery in South Australia’s McLaren Vale. Gloriously named ‘Hot Dub Wine Machine’, the concept of combining a bill of bands and DJs with gourmet food and wine and a strictly limited number of tickets in an idyllic setting was a huge success. So much so that a mere two months later, a national tour was underway. Starting in Tasmania’s Huon Valley on March 4 and ending in Western Australia’s Swan Valley on April 8, Hot Dub Wine
Machine takes in five of Australia’s iconic wine regions, accompanied by party-starting acts like Pnau, Confidence Man, and Miami Horror, all culminating in a two-hour Hot Dub Time Machine set. Nicholas is running the whole light show on High End Systems flagship Hog 4. “I find the Hog 4 easy to use because of things like the Rate Wheel – that changes everything completely,” Nicholas reported. “I’m running the latest software with the new speed control ‘Batches’. Having two screens with the 48 Soft-Keys around them makes doing the things you need to do a lot easier. I will always try use a Hog 4 full-size console first.” “I have a Hog4 show file I’ve been using on multiple different hot dub tours for the last year or so, every once in a while, I will start this file again,” Nicholas continued. “Tom (Hot Dub) plays roughly 350 songs in his set. I’ve programmed the whole show before and it was actually quite confusing, but now I ‘busk it with intention’. It’s a heavy show to operate; he plays for two hours on this tour. When I get to a show, I know the things I need for Hot Dub cues, and I can create them very quickly with the Hog. People get too caught up in the tech and the tricks of consoles, and can lose sight of the end result. I try to focus
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on getting the lights looking good, and the Hog 4 helps me achieve that quickly and easily.” When on tour, Nicholas is accompanied by Colourblind’s High End Systems Nano wing and MiniWing 4, the portable control unit that he connects to Hog 4 PC via USB. “I travel with it everywhere I go,” confirmed Nicholas. “So I can use it to do previs in my hotel room or use it to control smaller shows that I can’t get a console for. Who really wants to be on site late at night programming anyway?” Meanwhile, Colourblind have purchased Green Hippo Karst hardware Media Servers and Green Hippo Portamus software. Their first outing was on ARIA Award-winning rapper Illy’s ‘Two Degrees” Australian tour, kicking off in Fremantle 25 March, and ending five cities later in Brisbane on April 8. The 2-RU Hippotizer Karst includes two HD-SDI outputs and DisplayPort 1.2 connectivity, giving Colourblind
the ability to drive 4K displays with a single cable. Green Hippo’s Portamus software is designed to run on an Apple Macbook Pro, with all the tools necessary to perform worldclass events, and includes all the well-loved features from the Hippotizer V4 range. They were also then used on the Australian Logie Awards in April. Colourblind enjoy a close relationship with Australian and New Zealand High End Systems and Green Hippo distributor Lexair Entertainment, backed by their unbeatable pre and post-sales support. Lexair Entertainment is the exclusive distributor of Green Hippo products for Australia and New Zealand. www.lexair.com.au www.green-hippo.com
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Enjoying The Garden Beats SINGAPORE
Craig Burridge includes an interesting mix of Robe products on his plot
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ighting for the second Garden Beats Festival organised by Sunshine Nation and staged in the pastoral green environs of Fort Canning Park in Singapore … was designed by Craig Burridge. He included an interesting mix of Robe products on his plot including 24 x Linees, six ColorStrobes and six LEDBlinder 148 LTs, all of which contributed to a lively and colourful scheme for the one day event for which the lighting vendor was locally based CSP Productions Pte Ltd. Craig’s main objective was to have a flexible and adaptable rig to provide good general stage, set and audience lighting for the line-up of dance orientated artists – with a few surprises up his sleeve! The 9 x 8 metre stage was fitted beneath a 10 x 9 metre ground-supported roof structure with 10 metres of headroom ... and this had to be squeezed in between a selection of heritage trees which grace the park, allowing the organisers to maximise the audience space. The stage and DJ booth was clad in wood pieces and other natural materials which took the light well, and the view
through the stage to the back was of one specific heritage tree that Craig knew would look awesome. The client brief specifically requested that the lighting NOT resemble a club as they were keen to emphasis the whole Garden Beats event as a unique once-only ‘for-the-moment’ experience, rather than something that can be repeated and replicated. The general theme and mood of the festival is bright and colourful, so Craig took that into account. He also wanted to use a full LED rig to keep the power requirements low and the carbon footprint expedient, so there were just two conventional source beam lights dedicated to the mirror ball. Twelve of the 24 x Linees were rigged onto four 3 metre high vertical truss towers, with the other 12 on the front and mid over stage trusses. In each case they were outrigged from the trusses to maximise the effect of their continuous pan / tilt rotation. The wide slice of light emitted from the fixture or the single pixel beam looks gave Craig plenty of variation.
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“The Linee gives a completely different shape which is a nice change from classic spots and beams and as we were looking for something different for this gig, they worked brilliantly,” he confirmed. The stage was illuminated with LEDPARs from the trusses which were focussed directly downwards, leaving latitude for the Linees to work as effects. The ColorStrobes and LEDBlinder 148s were also positioned on the front and mid trusses, where they were ideal for colouring the audience. The ColorStrobes added a punchy wash fixture to the tool box as well as their more obviously ‘standard’ functionality as a strobe.
Craig programmed and ran lighting for all the artists himself, assisted by JoAnne Yee. He first specified and used Robe products around 10 years ago in the house installation at the St James Power Station music / nightclub venue …. And has been a big fan of the brand ever since. “Robe has some great products,” he commented adding that he’s recently lit some shows utilising BMFL Blades which he also loves. www.robe.cz
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AUSTRALIA
Avolites Ai Media Servers Map Day of the Dead Down Under
IKONIX uses Ai Media Servers to create a mix of bright, bustling 3D content
IKONIX video mapped skulls using the Avolites Ai RX8 media servers at Cinco de Mayo event.
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ustralian audio-visual production company, IKONIX, recently used one of their Avolites Ai RX8 Media servers to video map a Cinco de Mayo event (Day of the Dead) at Melbourne's top trending event space, Peninsula. The Mexican-themed event marked the end of the five-day 37th Australian Dental Association (ADA) Congress 2017 with 700 guests in attendance. "For the Cinco de Mayo event we worked with our client to choose a selection of 3D models that we could projection map on to," says Richard Saunders, co-director of IKONIX along with partner Zachary Burton. "We had a small 3D model printed for demos and testing before moving forward with larger custom-built models made from foam and plaster."
Focusing on the Mexican theme, IKONIX's animator, Daniel Tabacari, created a mix of bright, bustling 3D content that Burton mapped across multiple three-metre high 'Day of the Dead' skulls at the event. "Daniel did a fantastic job of working to the theme," says Burton. "He made up some great content inspired by the traditional painted Day of the Dead skulls, using multiple layers and blending them using alpha transitions." IKONIX ran two outputs with a canvas resolution of 1080 x 1080 for the projection, using Ai's Auto Map feature to automatically calibrate their projector positions and warp the content onto the models. Burton utilised remote access to fine tune the projection with a laptop. "Using the Ai Auto Map feature, we were able to get in close
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and do final touching up using the model vertices on the output page," says Burton. "Auto Map works really well and is a really fast way of programming and tweaking. Having features like Auto Map made our bump in quick which helped with a tight bump in schedule"
"We visited the Avolites HQ in London in early 2016," says Saunders. "Meeting the team and having one-to-one training on Ai made us love this product even more and we couldn't wait to implement Ai on exciting projects back over in Australia."
The Auto Map feature, popular with designers and programmers, allows the user to visually map content using a digital model. The digitally mapped model can then be transitioned to the real-world model using a simple key point selection process on screen, meaning that designers can map visually without the need of complex mathematical formulas.
IKONIX has since used the Ai RX8 servers on a myriad of projects including; Queensland Training Awards and John Paul College's production of The Whiz, and will be turning the servers to use on the upcoming Creative Generation State Schools Onstage 2017 event next month in Brisbane, Queensland.
IKONIX stocks Avolites Ai Media Servers exclusively for use on their bespoke video-mapping projects across Australia. The team also own two Miami Dongle based servers and an Avolites Quartz console.
www.avolites.com www.ikonix.net.au
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EVENTS LISTING 2017 August 17 – 19
October 12 – 14
PALMM Philippines Venue: World Trade Centre, Metro Manila Site: https://www.facebook.com/PALMMPH/
Broadcast India Show Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre Site: www.broadcastindiashow.com
August 29-30
October 17 – 19
Musik Manila Venue: World Trade Centre, Metro Manila, Philippines Site: http://www.facebook.com/MusikManilaPH
August 29 – 31 Integrate Venue: Melbourne Convention Centre, Australia Site: http://integrate-expo.com/
September 5 – 7 2017
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
Shanghai Smart Home Technology (SSHT) Venue: Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China Site: www.building.messefrankfurt.com.cn
October 25 – 27
September 26 – 28
November 17 – 19
InfoComm India 2017 Venue: Bombay Exhibition Centre, India Site: www.infocomm-india.com
October 11 – 14 Prolight + Sound Shanghai Venue: SNIEC, Shanghai Site: http://prolight-sound-shanghai.hk.messefrankfurt. com/shanghai/en/visitors/welcome.html
Vietnam Pro-AV & Lighting Fair 2017 Venue: ICE, Cultural Palace, Hanoi, Vietnam Site: www.proavlight.com
Conference programme starts on November 13 LDI Venue: Las Vegas Convention Center, USA Site: www.ldishow.com