Entertainment Technology April 2019 by Sun Circle Publishers

www.entertainment-tech.co.za

April 2019

IN THIS ISSUE PROLIGHT+SOUND 2019 ULTRA SOUTH AFRICA ROCK ON THE LAWNS ARTSCAPE THEATRE

FEATURE

ED SHEERAN DIVIDE WORLD TOUR

BIGGER

BRIGHTER BOLDER

C ON T E N TS

6 MARTIN

www.entertainment-tech.co.za

ULTRA SA

ED SHEERAN THE รท TOUR

ROADSHOW

ABSEN FOR AFRICA

MEDIATECH AFRICA

ARTSCAPE THEATRE

THE CURE ON THE LAWNS

41 42 SENNHEISER XSW-D MICROPHONES

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EDITOR'S WORD

EDITOR'S COMMENT

AN ACTION-PACKED FIRST QUARTER OF 2019

reetings and welcome to the autumn edition of ETECH magazine. It is a gross understatement to say that we have had a frenetic start to the year and it is hard to believe that the first quarter of 2019 is already behind us. Over the past three months, the ETECH team has attended some truly spectacular live events – all made possible by the production, events management, technical supplier and rental companies that remain committed to delivering world-class shows across South Africa. To start with, I joined thousands of party-goers at Nasrec in Johannesburg for the Ultra South Africa Festival. Ultra is one of the largest events that Gearhouse services on an annual basis. The company outdid themselves this year by deploying a state-of-the-art communications solution for technical and production staff working on the event. My night on the dancefloor was shortly followed by a truly memorable day on the lawns at Carnival City in Boksburg. I was joined by several familiar industry faces at the second edition of Rock on the Lawns Festival, which AMP Events took to Gauteng and Cape Town in the middle of March. Headlining the show was renowned UK indie-rock band The Cure, supported by a contingent of highly-talented South African artists including Ard Mathews, Karen Zoid and Zebra & Giraffe, among others. Finally, we chatted with Ed Sheeran’s technical team ahead of his Divide World Tour, recently hosted at the FNB Stadium and Cape Town Stadium. Ed Sheeran enjoys a unique relationship with his crew, which is often described as a “family.” The majority of his team have worked and travelled the world with him for over a decade, and have developed

exceptional technical skills along the way. Production manager Chris Marsh, audio systems engineer Charlie Albin, and lighting director Matt Jones granted us the interviews that make up this edition’s feature. While all of these events have provided more than enough excitement, the undisputed highlight of the quarter was the team’s trip to Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, Germany. Simon Robinson and Claire Badenhorst joined hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees at the Messe Frankfurt between 2 and 5 April, where they had the opportunity to meet with the world’s leading manufacturers of technology for the entertainment and events industry. Prolight+Sound remains an international gathering place for professionals in the live events, entertainment and music industries. As such, the event offered the team behind Mediatech Africa, the region’s leading tradeshow for the broadcast, media, professional AV and events industries, an opportunity to network and draw inspiration for the upcoming edition of the show, to be held at the Northgate TicketPro Dome in July of this year. The number and range of products launched at Prolight+Sound are sufficient to fill a whole volume. We have, therefore, selected a very small sample of new technologies launched by the companies that have a firm foothold in our market for your perusal. A much wider selection of new products is featured on our website, and I encourage you to visit our page for a more comprehensive roundup of the show. I hope that you enjoy the read!

@etechza

@etechzaW

EDITORIAL Nicole Barnes – Editor editor@pro-systems.co.za +27 (0)66 489 3482 David Cornwell – Staff writer Cover photo: Ed Sheeran at the FNB Stadium.

Photo courtesy of Big Concerts

PUBLISHERS PUBLISHER Simon Robinson | simon@suncirclegroup.com

SALES

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DESIGN Trevor Ou Tim | design@suncirclegroup.com

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Sun Circle Publishers (Pty) Ltd Tel: +27 11 025-3180 Epsom Downs Office Park, 13 Sloane Street, Bryanston, Johannesburg PO Box 559 Fourways North 2086, South Africa

es Nicole Barn

INDUSTRY NEWS

L-ACOUSTICS ACQUIRES DELTALIVE UK L-Acoustics has announced its intention to purchase a majority stake in DeltaLive UK. L-Acoustics and L-Acoustics Group, a family of companies focused on the design, manufacture and commercialisation of L-Acoustics sound systems, recently announced the future acquisition of a majority stake in DeltaLive UK (Delta Sound Incorporated (UK) Ltd.), a specialist in audiovisual services and rental. This operation follows the November 2018 acquisition by L-Acoustics Group of HGP, a manufacturer of precision sheet metal, and its sister entity, API, specialised in powder coating. For the founders of DeltaLive UK, Paul Keating and Mark Bonner, this transaction coincides with the sale of their Dubai-based operations, Delta Sound LLC to PRG, heralding a turning point in the history and activity of the company. For L-Acoustics Group, the acquisition of DeltaLive UK vertically reinforces its expertise in all areas of professional audio, from conception through to manufacturing and operation in the field, widening the possibilities for fresh creative and collaborative approaches to the deployment of audio and visual technologies to enhance the audience experience. “Welcoming DeltaLive UK into the L-Acoustics Group of companies was a natural next step in our already

Christian Heil, president and founder of L-Acoustics with Paul Keating of DeltaLive

productive relationship, but DeltaLive UK’s positioning within the group and in relation to L-Acoustics Network of Certified Providers is totally unambiguous,” states Hervé Guillaume, CEO of L-Acoustics Group. “DeltaLive UK will continue to operate independently under the joint management of Mark Bonner and Paul Keating, with no change to the services or conditions of sale, rental and production that the company has been providing over the last thirty years."

Christian Heil, president and founder of L-Acoustics, relates: “Technologies are currently becoming more complex and often challenging for service companies. L-Acoustics is a pioneer in multiple audio-related fields and connected activities. We therefore need partners who are consistently in touch with end-users and can assist us in refining and validating our offer to better align with the escalating standards of high-level show production. DeltaLive UK brings a wide range of opportunities, and its geographical proximity to our UK offices in London will allow us to fulfill this mission." Commenting on the acquisition Paul Keating adds: “Delta has always had a strong professional relationship with L-Acoustics. This year is our thirtieth year and we felt it was time to move the business forward for the future. L-Acoustics is a great fit. With the company’s leading technology and reputation for the highest quality audio products and performance, we are excited by our next phase of development.”

GREEN-GO TO BE DISTRIBUTED BY ELECTROSONIC Electrosonic SA is pleased to announce that it has been appointed as the sole distributor for Green-GO Communications in South Africa. This innovative range of IP-based communication devices are a cost-effective and highly flexible solution for live events, theatre applications and fixed installed communication needs. “Along with our other world-class networking products like Luminex, we now have a complete IPbased offering for control and audio.” says Bruce Schwartz, the live events director from Electrosonic.

Emma Cupido (Green-GO), Bruce Schwartz (Electrosonic SA) and Silvio Cibien (Green-GO)

Green-GO’s global sales network amounts to 40 countries, as the brand continues to increase its market presence worldwide. Green-GO’s product range includes the Beltpack X, Multi-Channel Rack Station, Multi-Channel Desk Station and Extension, the Wireless Antenna

and the Wireless Beltpack X to name a few. “Our demo stock has arrived and we look forward to showing the amazing power and flexibility of the Green-GO collection to the industry,” concludes Schwartz.

SURGESOUND APPOINTED SSL PARTNER IN SA SSL recently announced that Surgesound will serve as its new live market partner in South Africa.

Jacques Mostert (brand ambassador), Andrew Rowan (managing director) and Ruan Joubert (technical director)

Solid State Logic (SSL) has evolved to become one of the world’s leading manufacturers of analogue and digital audio consoles and has established a firm footprint as a provider of creative tools for film, audio, video and broadcast professionals. As a leading distributor of class-leading international brands for the professional audiovisual market in South Africa, Surgesound specialises in amplification, loudspeakers, custom cabling solutions, software and services that are tailored to the needs of their customer base in South Africa and across the broader continent. “Surgesound represents some of the world’s leading professional audio equipment, so when we wanted to add mixing consoles to our portfolio, there was no question as to which brand we wanted,” comments Andrew Rowan, managing director at Surgesound. “Apart from SSL’s outstanding reputation on product and sonic quality, they also offer excellent support and customer service, which is extremely important to us as a distributor. Surgesound prides itself on providing outstanding service and training opportunities to the clients that we serve, so this partnership makes for an excellent fit.” Area sales manager for SSL, Jonathan Attard, is convinced that the company has found the ideal partner to develop its reach in the region. “Our Live range fits perfectly with the other brands managed by Surgesound” comments Attard. “Moreover, they have the field experience and technical know-how to make any client feel at ease. This is why Surgesound was clearly the right partner for us in South Africa.” In the weeks following the announcement, Surgesound has taken delivery of the recently released SSL Live. L350 console. Rowan has announced that Surgesound will be hosting free training sessions with senior support engineer, Richard Ward who will be demonstrating the L350 between 21 and 25 May. For more information contact www.surgesound.co.za.

PRODUCT LAUNCH LIGHTING FIXTURES

AN ALLURING NEW RA A NEW ERA

Electrosonic took to the road with the Martin Roadshow in March, to bring three innovative new LED fixtures to Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. ETECH spoke with Peter Dahlin, area sales manager for Martin by HARMAN, and Bruce Schwartz of Electrosonic about the new range. “We understand that not everybody is able to go to the big international trade shows where the majority of new products are launched,” explains Bruce Schwartz, director at Electrosonic. “We also understand that it is inconvenient for clients to travel across the country to see new products. As a result, we decided to take our products on the road to offer our clients the opportunity to see the fixtures in action, in their home cities for a more personal interaction,” Schwartz concludes. The Martin Roadshow featured three new products recently launched at Prolight+Sound in Frankfurt, which represents the very latest technology that Martin has to offer.

MARTIN ERA 300 PROFILE The first fixture to be highlighted during Dahlin’s product demonstration was the Martin ERA 300, a punchy unit that is designed to replace the ever-popular MAC 250 Krypton and Encore. “The MAC 250 range was an industry standard in the South African market for a number of years, and while many of these units are still working hard across the country, the time is defiantly ripe for an upgrade,” Schwartz points out. The Martin ERA 300 Profile is a compact profile fixture with an extremely efficient 260W white LED engine that produces a sharp gobo projection with a flat field and more output than typically associated with similar-sized and featured fixtures. This modern, everyday workhorse is designed to fit anywhere, is easy to handle and rig, and boasts professional features, including CMY colour mixing and 1:2 zoom and 9,500 lumens of output which is almost double the output of the 250 Series in a fixture of the same size. “Based on the feedback that we have received from the demos – people really love the unit, and it is a good fit for the South African market,” says Dahlin.

PRODUCT LAUNCH LIGHTING FIXTURES

ANGE FROM MARTIN AN ALLURING FUTURE

AN ELLIPSOIDAL EVOLUTION

MARTIN MAC ALLURE PROFILE

MARTIN ELP ELLIPSOID

The Martin MAC Allure Profile features a novel RGBW light engine with unique seven-segmented LED Module. With instant colour control and pixelated beam, the MAC Allure Profile enables dynamic projection and mid-air effects that were not previously possible. The proprietary light engine sets new standards in compactness and efficiency and, to ease programming and content creation, the lighting fixture is the first to incorporate Martin’s P3 control. “We have had a huge success with our P3 controller, and Sceptron LED bars in South Africa, and the MAC Allure is a natural add on to these technologies,” Dahlin explains. Schwartz concurs, stating that: “Martin is now putting video into a lighting fixture, and while we have seen other lights that incorporate video projectors, this is the first time that we are mapping different elements of video using the light fitting itself – which I believe is a first.” According to Dahlin, the MAC Allure is well-suited for the rental market, and he predicts that it will be well received on television sets and for filming.

The Martin ELP represents Martin’s entry into the ellipsoidal LED market and offers innovative, industry-first features for precise, nuanced control and ease-of-use. Available in two versions, the ELP WW (Warm White) offers industry-leading colour rendering and brightness, while the ELP CL (Colour) delivers rich, saturated colours and class-leading output. Both versions can be configured with one of four Martin lens tubes in 19, 26, 36 and 50-degree beam angles. Plus, ELP can seamlessly integrate into existing inventory via convenient thirdparty compatibility with industry standard lens tubes and accessories. “The major advantage of the ELP is that it is fully compatible with all of the accessories and lenses for the ETC Source4. As a result, people are able to replace existing halogen fixtures with the Martin ELP and reuse their existing accessories,” Dahlin points out. "This is a particularly attractive option for the South African market because it means that clients can upgrade their lighting fixtures in phases with minimal wastages," Schwartz concludes.

ADVERTORIAL

ABSEN DELIVERS NEW SOLUTIONS FOR THE AFRICAN MARKET

As a leading global LED brand, Absen never stops innovating to meet the needs of its global customer base. Absen’s world-renowned DV series of LED cabinets has a worldwide distribution of 150,000 cabinets and has shown remarkable performance since it came into the market – including in South Africa. The company has now launched the PL series, which promises to outperform the DV series, delivering outstanding quality, cutting-edge technology and return on investment for clients across the world. SCREENS FOR AFRICA Unlimited Events, a leading turnkey events solutions supplier in South Africa, invested in an Absen LED screen in 2018 and has been extremely impressed with the unit’s performance. Marius van Rooyen, director of technical productions at Unlimited Events, comments that the company’s Absen screen has performed wonderfully in all environments – including smaller venues, where sometimes screen legibility can be an issue. “Ninety percent of our deployments of the screen are corporate events and conferences. It excels in situations where the client is

looking for high resolution at close viewing distances. Recently, we did an event for Fiat Chrysler in the Senate Room at Emperor’s Palace – which is a very short room. The client wanted a widescreen LED, but for everything to be visible to the people on the chairs at the front of the venue – which was no more than four metres from the screen. If we were running on a larger pitch screen, they would have just seen pixels – but in these presentations, they were showing Excel spreadsheets, and everything was clear enough for people to read them.”

NEW FRONTIERS Based on the outstanding success of the DV series, Absen has launched its PL series – a product that has recently been awarded The Best Entertainment/Live Events Technology at Integrated Systems Europe in Amsterdam. Absen’s Polaris LED series, which was first launched at ISE 2018, is packed with the latest innovations to meet the physical and visual demands of the live event and entertainment community. Absen Polaris offers ultra-high brightness and contrast levels, while ultra-wide viewing angles, superior colour and HDR (high dynamic range) support the perfect visual display performance. Mechanical advances including auto-lock, auto-eject and fast-switch curve locking systems simplify and speed up the installation and operating process, while technical advances such as HBB (High Brightness Black) common cathode technology delivers a superior experience for end users. Polaris has quickly become the product of choice for many of the most world’s prominent rental staging companies, helping to bring the power of LED to a new world of end-user applications. For more information, kindly visit www.absen.com

SHOW PREVIEW MEDIATECH AFRICA

MEDIATECH AFRICA 2019

STAYING AHEAD OF THE TECHNOLOGY CURVE

Black Box at Mediatech Africa 2017

What’s shaping the creative pulse of the media and entertainment industries? Attend Mediatech Africa 2019 and be first to find out

says Robinson. “The show line up, as is customary, is cutting-edge and promises to showcase the latest products and trends shaping the creative pulse of these industries. It will provide a glimpse into the future, and an unmatched view on how technology is transforming experiences. More than that, because almost every major player and brand features at Mediatech, the possibility for market intelligence to be gleaned from this event is incomparable – and this year will be no different.”

THE CUTTING-EDGE OF INNOVATION A trade show now in its 10th edition, Mediatech Africa attracts over 7,500 visitors and showcases close on 800 brands from about 150 global and local exhibitor companies. A biennial event, the organisers have announced that the 2019 show will run from 17 – 19 July at the Ticketpro Dome in Johannesburg, South Africa. As we power into the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the development of technology is gaining momentum and evolving at the speed of light. New trends and technologies are driving innovation, disruption and opportunities for growth in the media and entertainment industry and going forward. It’s safe to expect a period of exciting change. According to Mediatech Africa exhibition director Simon Robinson, in this age of exponential technology acceleration, keeping step with how breakthrough technologies are unleashing creativity has never been more important: just one of many verifiable reasons to be at Mediatech Africa 2019. “Those in the media and entertainment industry will benefit from the Mediatech Africa experience planned for 2019 in more ways than one,”

Everything about the event is at the forefront of innovation, and every touchpoint is designed to enhance the visitor experience. Live demonstrations, presentation zones and special events are again on the programme and other familiar favourites expected in 2019, include the Black Box, the Drone Technology Cage and the outdoor sound demos to list but a few of the returning highlights. “We also have a few surprises planned for the show this year. Visitors should expect the unexpected,” says Robinson. Speaking about the three-day event, Robinson says, “Mediatech is about allowing visitors to tap into the possibilities that exist now and in the future, using technology. The show attracts exhibitors who are leaders in their categories – shapeshifters of the highest calibre, and we are excited to see what tech trends they will showcase this year.”

SHOW PREVIEW MEDIATECH AFRICA

EXPLORING NEW FRONTEERS One of the broad tech trends that is sure to find its way onto the Mediatech conference programme is Artificial Intelligence (AI). Considering that China’s state news outlet Xinhua recently announced that it has, in collaboration with search engine Sogou, created the world’s first female AI news anchor, it’s obvious that AI will and already is changing the face of the broadcasting and entertainment landscape. Another example of AI’s impact on this industry is when IBM Watson generated highlight reels of what it thought were the best shots of the 2017 Wimbledon tournament. Anyone who viewed the highlights would be none-the-wiser that there was no human input; nor would they argue with the choices. Normally, this would take a large team hundreds of hours to accomplish, yet Watson could do all of this automatically using cognitive algorithms to analyse audio and video from the footage. From there Watson was able to identify shots and points that were highlight-worthy. “The media and entertainment landscape is in flux. From creative processes to content delivery – and AI is just one disruptive technology trend having a profound impact on the industry, and yet we have barely uncovered its true potential,” says Robinson. “That said, at this stage, there’s still the question of the creativity conundrum. Will a computer ever be able to match the creativity of a person? Clearly, there is still plenty of room for debate when it comes to where AI starts and ends and what better forum to unpack this than at an industry event like Mediatech.”

Beyond AI, there are many other trends and technology shifts that are expected to feature at the expo, including advances in projection mapping technology synchronized with dynamic soundtracks, drone technology, VR and lighting all of which can be used for creating compelling, immersive and memorable AV experiences. “No one would argue that piloting the changing landscape to find success in the media and entertainment industry is often a confusing, exasperating pursuit. To capitalise on the opportunities the changes bring, rather than being disrupted by them, is to play the game and win and that’s why Mediatech offers so much value. It’s an unbeatable source of education and a destination for the industry to come together and do business,” says Robinson. “Technology is increasingly the genesis of creative expression. Our show has become the hallmark for the expression of creativity and it’s about discovery, learning, being inspired and bringing ideas to life using the latest tech in niche verticals.” Registration for Mediatech Africa 2019 is now open, and delegates can sign up at no cost by completing the online registration form on www.mediatech.co.za before 12 July. For those who miss the pre-registration cut off, there is onsite registration – an option which costs R100. Rates for exhibiting at Mediatech Africa are R3,475 (ex VAT) per square metre for floor space only stands; or R3,740 (ex VAT) per square metre for shell scheme package stands. Sponsorships: options and pricing are available on request. For sales queries and bookings, contact Claire Badenhorst on +27 (0) 71 688 4065, or at sales@mediatech.co.za.

SHOW REPORT PL+S

PRODUCT HIGHLIGHTS

LIGHTING

PROLIGHT Prolight + Sound is one of the sector’s most important international

meeting places for technologies and services relating to entertainment, shows and events, audio-visual systems integration and content

STAGING

creation. ETECH joined thousands of exhibitors and attendees on the showroom floor in Frankfurt, Germany between 2 and 5 April, to see the latest product launches, attend dedicated events and training,

AUDIO

NETWORKING

DISPLAY

and meet with industry colleagues from across the world.

A total of more than 85,000 visitors from more than 130 countries made their way to Messe Frankfurt for the annual Prolight+Sound tradeshow between 2 and 5 April. The show illustrated the innovative strength of the entertainment industry with spectacular product presentations and an extensive professional development programme.

“In five days, we have revealed the direction the industry is taking: the trend is towards greater dynamism, diversity and digitalisation.” Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt.

The world’s leading manufacturers of equipment for the events sector brought an expansive and diverse range of products and solutions to the show. Despite the diversity of products on offer, a clear trend towards IP-based technology was evident, with network-based solutions dominating most of the exhibitor’s stands.

“The trend towards connectivity is gaining ground, opening up new perspectives for our sector.” Gunnar Eberhardt, head of Entertainment and Architectural Lighting at Osram GmbH.

T + SOUND

SHOW REPORT PL+S

An indisputable highlight of this year's show was the Immersive Technology Forum, where visitors could take part in lectures, and live demonstrations revolving around technologies for virtual and augmented reality, immersive audio, holography and 3D mapping among other cutting-edge entertainment trends.

“The Immersive Technology Forum was an excellent opportunity to show off L-Acoustics' immersive sound system.” Mary Beth Henson, head of Communications at L-Acoustics

Simon Robinson, exhibition director at Mediatech Africa, the continent’s leading trade fair for the sector, states: “Prolight+Sound presents a fruitful opportunity to connect with the world’s leading manufacturers of technology and solutions of the events sector."

"We are very excited to be hosting an impressive contingent of original equipment manufacturers in Johannesburg in July at Mediatech.” Simon Robinson, Mediatech Africa exhibition director

In the following feature, we present a small selection of products we saw at Prolight+Sound this year. This is by no means a comprehensive round-up, but rather a snapshot that may be of interest to rental companies, events companies, and the installation market – including houses of worship, theatres and venues across the country.

SHOW REPORT PL+S

ROBE iPOINTE Robe’s brand new IP65-rated iPointe combines innovative ingress protection with the spectacular effect features of the MegaPointe, making the iPointe a truly unique and incomparable all-in-one fixture. •

•

Perfect for festivals, concerts and outdoor events or any scenario needing to deal with inclement or unpredictable weather, the iPointe is a bright, powerful multifunctional luminaire that works equally well as a beam, spot, effects and wash fixture The iPointe’s impressive lightsource is a 310W lamp which has been specially developed for Robe by Osram, and which produces a brilliant, crystal clear, razor-edged beam, adjustable from a tight, punchy 1.8° to a wide 42° An inventive new effects engine can produce 12 varying beam and ‘flower’ effects, taking this winning combination of creativity and weather-resistance to new levels

www.robe.cz www.dwrdistribution.co.za

ROBE SILVERSCAN The SilverScan highlights 25 years of Robe lighting fixtures and their continuing evolution, resulting in new advanced technology while bringing moving light design back to its roots. This small, goodlooking, performance-based LED scan revisits the spirit and pioneering days of moving lights and combines it with the latest tech and best engineering available. •

•

The 350W white LED light engine provides over 9,000 lumens, giving an extra bright beam with an even flat field and an incredible 20 000 hours of operation Smooth colour transitions and vivid, radiant colours can be created using the CMY colour mixing system and colour wheel, with seven rotating or nine static gobos added for outstanding projections and mid-air effects The seamless zoom can go out to 27° at its widest, while the minimum 9° zoom produces a retina-piercing beam that can be trimmed with an ultra-fast stepless iris for even more potency

www.robe.cz www.dwrdistribution.co.za

MARTIN BY HARMAN ELP LED ELLIPSOID FIXTURES Featuring optic assemblies designed in Denmark by the team behind MAC Encore, the new Martin ELP Ellipsoid fixtures are designed to maximise efficiency and deliver a flat field of illumination for smoother blending and mixing between fixtures. •

•

Martin ELP fixtures are available in two versions: ELP WW (Warm White) offers industry-leading colour rendering and brightness, while ELP CL (Colour) delivers rich, saturated colours and class-leading output The ELP WW delivers 7,000 lumens of output and an industry-leading 97 CRI at 3000K colour temperature, for the truest colour representation on any surface. The ELP CL fixture offers an impressive 6,900 lumens and a CRI of 85 in High Output mode, and 5,900 lumens and 90 CRI in High Quality mode, with a colour temperature of 6,000K (open white) ELP also offers 16-bit dimming with four selectable curves, and 26 colours pre-set that match industry-standard colour filters

www.martin.com/en-US www.electrosonic.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

LIGHTING

MARTIN BY HARMAN ERA 300 PROFILE The Martin ERA 300 is an ultra-compact profile fixture with an extremely efficient 260W white LED engine that produces a sharp gobo projection with the flat field for which Martin fixtures are known. •

•

The Martin ERA 300 boasts a full suite of professional features not commonly found in other fixtures in its class, including CMY colour mixing, 1:2 zoom, 9,500 lumens of output, electronic dimming and strobe, colour wheel, two layers of gobos, iris, rotating prism and pan/tilt Fully electronic dimming ensures extremely fast strobing, instant intensity control, and a flat, consistent field that can be maintained down to zero percent Onboard CMY colour mixing offers wide-ranging versatility from subtle pastels to deep, vibrant, colours – and with 13 to 28 degrees of zoom, the ERA 300 Profile is perfect for various trim heights and is wide enough to ensure great coverage on smaller stages

www.martin.com/en-US www.electrosonic.co.za

ELATION ARTISTE MONET The Artiste Monet is a 45,000-lumen, full-featured LED profile offering outstanding projection quality, a comprehensive FX package, dynamic framing and a wide array of colours via an innovative SpectraColor engine. •

• •

The efficient 950W 6,500K LED engine makes the Artiste Monet the ideal fixture for any application requiring superior output, bright and powerful beams, quiet operation, as well as stunningly precise gobos and colour SpectraColor uses traditional CMY colours but adds variable RGB flags for rich and vibrant primary colours In combination with variable CTO colour correction, the Monet produces colours that were previously impossible to achieve, from theatrical pastels to the purest reds, blues or greens ever produced by a colour mixing system

www.elationlighting.com www.productionwarehouse.co.za

CHAUVET MAVERICK MK3 SPOT AND PROFILE LEDS “These are the brightest lights ever in the Maverick line,” said Albert Chauvet, CEO of Chauvet. “We listened very carefully to the designer feedback we received at an invitation-only private showing of fixture prototypes last year to refine and develop the features that fit the real-world needs of touring LDs.” • •

•

Both units feature one of the most powerful single-source LED engines in any moving head fixture currently on the market Delivering all the brightness needed for any arena or stadium application, the two 820W LED fixtures are nevertheless surprisingly user-friendly in terms of their weight and dimensions The two fixtures are also rich in a wide range of performance features, including fully-loaded static, rotation and animation effects. Both fixtures also have a 6° to 54° zoom angle: the widest Chauvet Professional has ever offered

www.chauvetlighting.com www.audiosure.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

CLAYPAKY XTYLOS The Xtylos is the first moving head light with a laser light source, and – according to Claypaky – this opens up new, surprising prospects for the development of the entire entertainment lighting world. • • •

The Xtylos is an innovative, compact beam moving light making use of a tailor-made laser source It features RGB additive colour mixing, where coloured light beams are as bright as a white light beam Claypaky have announced that the patent application for this unique technology has been filed

www.claypaky.it/en www.dwrdistribution.co.za

ETC RELEVÉ SPOT Prolight + Sound 2019 witnessed the launch of ETC’s first automated fixture in over a decade, the award-winning Relevé Spot. •

•

Specifically designed for theatre, this moving light boasts a calibrated four-colour additive mixing system and a unique Ani-gobo wheel which creates textures like never before The calibrated four-colour additive mixing system builds on the success of the ColorSource Deep Blue array offering brighter reds, more vibrant greens, and deeper blues than typical event-focused automated luminaires Features a smooth, controllable iris and 18-54° zoom, as well as a dynamic, customisable five-position rotating gobo wheel

www.etcconnect.com www. apexpro.co.za

HIGH END SYSTEMS TURBORAY The highly-anticipated TurboRay by High End Systems made its debut at Prolight + Sound and was the central feature of the popular Hog Factor Competition. •

•

Offering a classic retro look with its radial diffusers, TurboRay brings a distinctive appearance to any lighting rig Used as a punchy narrow-angle washlight or as a powerful hard edge beam that produces beautiful aerial and other effects, the fixture is truly versatile TurboRay’s soft edges, homogenised colour and smooth intensity fall off make for a spectacular wash

www.highend.com www. apexpro.co.za

Always on.

24 hour technical support. visual environment technologies | etcconnect.com

SHOW REPORT PL+S

MA LIGHTING GRANDMA3 LIGHTING CONTROL SOLUTION At this year’s Prolight + Sound festival, visitors had the chance to experience the latest preview version of MA Lighting’s grandMA3 software, as it continues to progress towards the V1.0 launch later this year. •

•

Recent developments include new ways of colour control, visual phaser controls, enhanced 3D visualisations and networking protocol implementations The new open-protocol GDTF (General Device Type Format) – jointly developed by Vectorworks, Robe Lighting and MA Lighting to replicate the real-world physical components of the most complex fixtures – was also introduced The new MVR (My Virtual Rig) file format was also exhibited. MVR is a file format used to share scene data between a lighting console, a visualiser, a CAD program or similar tools, and is based on GDTF technology

www.malighting.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

OBSIDIAN CONTROL SYSTEMS ONYX ONYX is an easy-to-learn and fun-to-use powerful lighting control platform designed for industrial hardware consoles and PC systems. •

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When installed on PC systems, ONYX offers the full power of the platform with no feature restrictions. It calculates all processing internally and does not require the use of costly external processing nodes ONYX provides automated network settings for EtherDMX and X-Net, getting you started on programming the show right away ONYX supports up to 128 Universes of DMX calculations straight from the internal processor. Access 255 Universe slots and assign your outputs right in the patch

www.obsidiancontrol.com www.electrosonic.co.za

ETC COLORSOURCE LIGHTING CONSOLES Available in two sizes, ETC ColorSource consoles provide hands-on control designed for the latest technology. These affordable, portable desks specialise in streamlined, plug-andplay setups. •

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The onboard fixture library makes traditional patching easy, and the console can recognise RDM-capable devices in the rig and auto-populate them in patch. Simply use the onboard touchscreen to drag each fixture into place on a customisable stage map, and you’ll be programming in minutes Whether you’re recording cues or working on the fly, these consoles have you covered, with faders that can be used to play back looks and effects or to mix the perfect colour in your LED lights

www.etcconnect.com www. apexpro.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

LIGHTING

CHAMSYS QUICKQ RACK VERSION; UPDATES TO MAGICQ SOFTWARE Chamsys unveiled a new addition to its popular QuickQ lighting console series, as well as some updates to its MagicQ software system. • •

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The QuickQ Rack is a rack-mountable version of the QuickQ system ideal for installations Updated MagicQ software features include a new timeline and the ability to MIDI-trigger based on note, tone and sound frequency The enhanced software will be available on all Chamsys consoles, with the beta version releasing later this year

www.chamsyslighting.com www.productionwarehouse.co.za

HIGH END SYSTEMS HOG 4-18 CONSOLE Although released at the end of February this year, the Hog 4-18 Console featured prominently at the 2019 Hog Factor Competition at Prolight + Sound. •

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The Hog 4-18 console upgrades the popular Hog 4 with 18.5” touch screens, and an updated industrial design with aluminium encoder knobs and integrated accessory mounts Outputting 8,192 channels (expandable with DP8K processors), Hog 4-18 has eight XLR-5 DMX outputs, sACN and Art-Net, MIDI and dual etherCON connections for HogNet and FixtureNet The desk features five high-resolution parameter encoders, built-in tri-axis backlit trackball and ten master playbacks with motorised faders and master control keys. Up to three external display port monitors or touchscreen monitors can be used

www.highend.com www. apexpro.co.za

GREEN HIPPO HIPPOTIZER V4.5 SOFTWARE The Green Hippo stand was fully equipped with the latest Hippotizer+ Media Servers, enabling guests to experience the company’s world-leading solutions for real-time media playback and 3D projection mapping. • •

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Hippotizer V4.5 responds to user feedback, further upping the software’s appeal for those operating systems at live events And one of the key new features is Object to Output, Hippotizer’s entirely new method of output mapping. Undoubtedly set to become an invaluable live events tool, Object to Output maps content to outputs directly inside SHAPE’s 3D workspace, and so ingeniously simplifies the management of large numbers of displays Using Object to Output, users can expect to seamlessly integrate moving set elements, map a single video across many displays as well as easily dynamically adjust the perspective of content

www.green-hippo.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

KINESYS VECTOR CONTROL CONSOLE The new Vector Control Console from Kinesys provides a comprehensive control solution with a dedicated in-built PC running its well-established Vector software. •

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Users can program, edit and run automation cues via dedicated console buttons plus all the advantages of having a 15.6-inch backlit LCD with capacitive touch screen, rate-wheels, joystick and dedicated and illuminated stop/start buttons A dimmable backlit keyboard makes working in low light more practical, and there is a trackpad for direct access to Vector’s core features The hardware provides functionality including RFID login, integrated Estop and DMH/Enable bar, a dedicated media server output, two external monitor outputs and two USB sockets for backing up data to memory sticks and connection of external devices

www.kinesys.co.uk www.electrosonic.co.za

BLACKTRAX WYSIWYG SOFTWARE RELEASE R42 BlackTrax provided demonstrations of the new version (Release R42) of their popular wysiwyg software. •

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wysiwyg means “What You See Is What You Get.” True to its name, the software relies on the largest and most accurate 3D library with over 25K precise lighting fixtures, trusses and accessories wysiwyg single-handedly changes the way lighting is pre-visualised, designed and pre-programmed, saving countless hours of design and operation wysiwyg is used by lighting designers across the globe and acts as a valuable learning and teaching tool for students and academics in over 300 schools around the world

blacktrax.cast-soft.com www.electrosonic.co.za

MDG WPE SERIES OF HAZE AND FOG GENERATORS With its new black version on show for the first time in Germany, the WPE Series of rugged, non-stop, variable output, IP55-rated haze and fog generators from MDG includes the ATMe WPE haze generator and Me1 WPE and Me2 WPE fog generators. •

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The WPE Series has been designed to encase all the benefits of standard MDG haze and fog generators in a sturdy, yet discreet, black housing that can blend unobtrusively into a stage set up, indoors and outdoors The WPE Series provides the ideal fog and haze solutions for theme parks, outdoor laser shows and the enormous number of outdoor festivals around the world The company also debuted a number of accessories, including the award-winning Round Floor Pocket

www.mdgfog.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

PROLYTE UNIVERSAL LED STACK SYSTEM The Prolyte Group introduced their new LSU series, a range of products to facilitate the safe erection or suspension of LED systems. The sheer dimensions of LED systems often result in either unbalanced loading or unstable LED walls. •

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The LSU series consists of three solutions to suspend your LED system: H40R, H40V-MB, S52SV-MB The trusses with middle beam are both compatible with the regular truss series and one universal solution to build LED walls comprised of different manufacturers, the LED Stack system All systems offer sound constructive solutions and user safety

www.prolyte.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

STAGING

SHOW REPORT PL+S

BEAMZ PHANTOM 12000 The Phantom 12000 has a guaranteed output power of 11W and a max output power of 12W full colour Red, Green and Blue. This show laser light provides an analogue modulation, which means better colour fading . Combining that much power with its precision 40K graphics scanners, whereby accuracy and beam shape is extremely advanced. • • •

Suitable for professional applications Red (3000mW), green (2500mW) and blue (5500mW) powerful laser Sound activated with adjustable sensitivity

www.tronios.com www.tvaudio.co.za

EILON ENGINEERING WEIGHING SYSTEMS LTD RON STAGEMASTER 8000 HOIST LOAD CELL The Ron StageMaster 8000 Hoist Load Cell turns any hoist into a smart hoist. Smart hoists are expected to make a significant impact on the hoist market and are an important part of industrial automation, allowing for motion control, safer handling of complex loads, advanced data acquisition, increased productivity and reduced downtime. The Ron Stagemaster 8000 fits any hoist, entertainment or industrial, any brand and any capacity, and is compatible with Ron StageMaster 6000 / 5000. • • •

Low cost High accuracy Fatigue rated

www.weighingreview.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

L-ACOUSTICS ARCS A15 AND A10 SYSTEMS The new ARCS A15 and A10 systems and companion sub KS21 deliver renowned L-Acoustics concert performance and reliability for audiences from 50 to 5,000 in an approachable, compact format that offers unlimited versatility and ease of use. •

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The ARCS family comprises four constant curvature enclosures – A15 Focus, A15 Wide, A10 Focus, A10 Wide – and a dedicated subwoofer, KS21 ARCS enclosures offer flexible coverage options, achieving a throw of up to 45 meters, and an impressive maximum output of 144 dB Mounted on a pole, stacked, or flown in a vertical or horizontal line source array, the new ARCS family comprises modular, plug-and-play ease and international market acceptance

www.l-acoustics.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

d&b AUDIOTECHNIK B8-SUB d&b audiotechnik introduced the B8, an ultra-compact subwoofer. •

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Standing only 170 mm tall, the B8-SUB keeps a remarkably low profile yet boasts an exceptionally high performance to size ratio that provides a low-frequency extension down to 43 Hz The B8 pairs with the established d&b xC, xS and E-Series loudspeakers, with dedicated models for mobile (B8-SUB) and install (Bi8-SUB) Fitting comfortably in the tightest of spaces, the B8 is ideal for corporate environments, cruise ships, small venues and more

www.dbaudio.com www.stageaudioworks.com

MEYER SOUND ULTRA-X40 Having debuted the product at ISE 2019, Meyer Sound brought the highly-acclaimed ULTRA-X40 point-source loudspeaker to Prolight + Sound. •

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The speaker’s innovative concentric-driver configuration couples two 8-inch cone drivers to a rotatable waveguide surrounding a 3-inch high-frequency compression driver, to deliver smooth response across its entire range and directional control down to 400 Hz The ULTRA-X40 breaks new ground in power-to-size performance, thanks to its ultra-efficient 3-channel Class D amplifier that provides peak output of 1,950 watts with a max sustained current draw of just 1.3 A (230 V AC) Two horn options give you total flexibility in system design

www.meyersound.com www.prosound.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

AUDIO

EASTERN ACOUSTIC WORKS (EAW) KF810 LINE ARRAY SYSTEM The KF810 line array system offers best-in-class output, true broadband pattern control and integrated 3-way performance, hallmarks of the legendary EAW KF series. •

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The KF810P incorporates specific design features tailored for the installation market: clean aesthetics offered in black or white, invisible wiring, and concealed 3-point rigging. A weather rated option allows for long term permanent installation in demanding environments backed by EAW’s full warranty Engineered for a wide variety of applications, the compact KF810 module is comprised of dual 3" voice coil high frequency compression drivers, four 5" mid-frequency transducers and two 3" voice coil high power 10" LF drivers The output of these sources unites through an integrated horn that occupies nearly the entire forward face of the speaker enclosure, delivering up to 145dB with accurate pattern control to 250Hz to master the most challenging acoustic spaces

www.eaw.com www.surgesound.co.za

BOSE PROFESSIONAL DESIGNMAX LOUDSPEAKERS First introduced at ISE 2019, the new range of DesignMax loudspeakers combine the legendary quality of Bose audio products with impeccable aesthetics. With ten loudspeakers and two subwoofers to choose from – including ceiling-mounted, surface-mounted, and outdoor-rated options – the DesignMax range offers great flexibility without compromising on style. • •

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DesignMax loudspeakers range from 2-inch low-profile models to 8-inch high-SPL compression-driver loudspeakers Elegant form factor surface enclosures, sleek, minimum-bezel grilles and removable logos allow DesignMax loudspeakers to blend with any corporate or office décor Surface-mounted DesignMax loudspeakers feature hidden U-brackets and the unique design holds the loudspeaker closer to the wall, providing a much cleaner appearance, while for installers, unique QuickHold mounting mechanisms on each DesignMax loudspeaker make the installation job easier

www.pro.bose.com www.alpha-tec.co.za

POWERSOFT X4L AMPLIFIER The latest addition to Powersoft’s already-enviable range of amplifiers, the X4L has been created to drive modern high-SPL woofers that require a very high voltage to deliver their full potential. •

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The product is specifically designed to deliver up to 300V (peak) to the loudspeakers, which translates to more audible impact from the music itself The X4L also has versatility on its side, with five output connectors to allow easy connection (without adapters) for many expected configurations Even in applications where high output voltage isn’t required by rental staging professionals, the X4L remains an extremely attractive product. This is illustrated by the product’s ability to deliver the same or more power per loudspeaker while driving more cabinets in parallel when compared to other amplifiers, which will save users both money and truck space on portable applications

www.powersoft-audio.com www.surgesound.co.za

SHOW REPORT PL+S

QSC AP-4122M AND THE AP-212SW SPEAKERS QSC’s AcousticPerformace range of speakers was expanded, with the addition of two new models: the AP-4122m and the AP-212sw. • •

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The unique capabilities of both models make them the perfect fixed installation loudspeakers The AP-4122m is a 12” two-way coaxial system perfect for use as a monitor box with 40- and 60-degree wedge angles. Other features include a handhold, M10 fittings and a pole cup. Fidelity is ensured by the DMT (Directivity Matched Transition) system that matches directionality and crossover to the natural conical performance of the woofer In contrast, the AP-212sw is a dual 12” subwoofer which can be combined with any of the loudspeaker models from the AcousticPerformance range. Four handholds make it easily portable, and – at 15” – the sub is also an optimal size for flexible mounting

www.qsc.com www.stageaudioworks.com

FBT HORIZON VHA 406A Developed to meet the increasingly diverse needs of rental companies and systems integrators, the HORIZON VHA (Vertical Horizontal Array) series by FBT delivers optimal audience coverage. HORIZON VHA represents a step forward in flexible sound reinforcement technology with exceptional sound quality. • • •

Bi-amplified 2-way line array Neodymium B&C compression HF driver with 36mm (1.4”) spout and 64mm (2.5”) coil Side suspension hardware with integrated setting pins, inclination between adjacent cabinets from 5° to 20° in 5° steps. Possibility for vertical and horizontal installation through dedicated flybars

www.fbt.it/it www.tvaudio.co.za

SOLID STATE LOGIC LIVE L550 CONSOLE Solid State Logic has expanded its Live console range with the release of SSL Live L350 and L550 consoles. The L350 and L550 replace the L300 and L500 Plus in the current SSL Live console range and are showfile compatible with all other SSL Live consoles. •

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The L550 features a total of 288 processing paths, 36 Matrix outputs and 48 VCAs, assignable to any of the 36 + 2 faders on the control surface The L350 features a total of 216 processing paths, 36 Matrix outputs and 36 VCAs in a compact 24 + 2 fader frame Both consoles can be augmented with USB Remote Fader Tiles or connected to remotely from another console, a laptop running SOLSA remote control software or tablet running the TaCo control app

www.solidstatelogic.com/live http://surgesound.co.za

DIGICO MUSTARD FOR QUANTUM 7 DiGiCo revealed Mustard, a new set of algorithms and options for channel strip processing for Quantum 7 that offer enhanced flexibility and choice when extra control and creative adjustment is needed within a mix. • •

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Mustard makes full use of the Quantum engine’s new seventh generation FPGA infrastructure The Mustard channel can be used in conjunction with the standard SD processing to add pre-amp, filters, EQ, gate and a selection of compressor types to any existing channel strip The Mustard Tube options include a fully controllable Pre-Amp Modeller which gives you access to every aspect of your front-end drive, while the Mustard Dynamics include Vintage VCA and Optical compressor types that emulate some of the best-known devices available

AUDIO

SHOW REPORT PL+S

www.digico.biz www.dwrdistribution.co.za

YAMAHA UPDATES TO TF SERIES OF DIGITAL MIXERS Yamaha highlighted the latest updates to its TF Series of digital mixers, which take the TouchFlow Operation of the TF5, TF3, TF1 and TF-RACK to new heights. •

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The V4.0 update adds a Selected Channel View, which provides access to the main parameters for the currently selected input channel in a single display. Combined with the mixer’s Touch & Turn knobs, the new view provides even more intuitive, efficient operation It also adds a scene fade time function that offers added flexibility for scene management, particularly in theatrical applications, plus four extra mute groups which can have any input assigned to them The TF StageMix iPad app is also upgraded, allowing control of playback from and recording to a USB storage device connected to the mixer

www.yamaha.co.za

ALLEN & HEATH dLive WINGS SYSTEMS Currently in use with many international touring artists, Allen & Heath’s dLive Wings systems have rapidly established themselves as one of the most popular options for compact touring. •

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Central to the dLive Wings concept is the compact C1500 surface, which allows engineers to manage upscale shows from a 19” console, using its 12” touchscreen, 19 assignable SoftKeys and 12 faders over 6 layers Paired with any of the dLive MixRacks, the C1500 is a top choice for fly-dates, bus tours, support slots and other scenarios where space and weight are at a premium. For scenarios where users are seeking an even more compact solution, the company also showed off an elegant, surfaceless dLive system

www.allen-heath.com www.audiosure.co.za

NETWORKING

SHOW REPORT PL+S

GREEN-GO TRAINING EVENTS FOR GREEN-GO CONTROL SOLUTIONS Prolight + Sound attendees were given hands-on training on Green-GO’s innovative, multi-award winning Ethernet-based digital intercom system for event production and broadcast applications. •

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“The Green-GO system is really quite different to other intercom systems,” says Silvio Cibien of Green-GO, “because it’s all on the network, the backbone or central station doesn’t exist, and each unit has its own matrix. This all means you have to begin the training by saying, ‘Everything you know about intercom – please forget it!’” The Beltpack X and Wireless Beltpack X have an identical intercom engine capable of 32 channels, a program audio channel and an extra channel for direct user communication The Green-GO Wireless Antenna integrates the Wireless Beltpack X into an existing wired network

www.greengodigital.com www.electrosonic.co.za

LUMINEX GIGACORE RANGE OF NETWORKING SOLUTIONS The Luminex displays at Prolight + Sound 2019 were focused on the new GigaCore range of networking solutions. •

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The GigaCore range provides users with an excellent time-saving solution to deploy complex AV networks without the need for any IT knowledge Because the switches are fully pre-configured and validated by other key manufacturers in the industry, you can just plug-and-play your favourite application GigaCore flawlessly supports all the main protocols and standards such as Dante, RAVENNA/AES67, ArtNet, sACN, MA-Net, Q-LAN, HogNet, REAC, RTTrP-L (BlackTrax) and PTP V2

www.luminex.be www.electrosonic.co.za

ABSEN ARIES SERIES As part of its Fine Pixel Generation campaign, Absen gave centre stage to its headline touring product – the Aries Series. •

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Absen’s new Aries Series is the company’s first NPP range that has been specially designed to meet the growing demand for sub-2mm fine-pitch LED in rental staging applications such as auto shows, high-end conferences and live broadcasts Supporting HDR10 (high-dynamic-range) standard, the new AX1.5 model allows for a much broader range of colours, while being road-rugged thanks to its corner edge protection Featuring the latest in Integrated Matrix Device (IMD) and Common Cathode (CC) technologies, the new Aries Series (featuring the 1.5mm pixel pitch AX1.5) provides over three times the strength as traditional LED screens while consuming 20% less power

DISPLAY

SHOW REPORT PL+S

www.absen.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

ED SHEERAN LIVE EVENT ED SHEERAN WORLD TOUR

Photo courtesy of Big Concerts

THE TOUR Ed Sheeran

÷ Tour at the FNB Stadium, Johannesburg

AN UNDIVIDED SUCCESS The Divide (÷) Tour is the third world concert tour by British singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran, which opened in Italy in March 2017 and is set to end in August this year. The tour has been an unmitigated global success, breaking several music tour records over its twoyear run. According to Billboard, an American entertainment media brand owned by the Billboard-Hollywood Reporter Media Group, the Divide Tour was the eighth highest-grossing tour of 2017, selling 1,408,681 tickets and accumulating $122 million. It went on to

become the highest-grossing tour of 2018, with total earnings amounting to $429 million, setting new records for the highestgrossing solo tour and highest year-end gross, ever. Ed Sheeran enjoys a solid following in South Africa – as was evidenced by the enthusiastic response his performance received at the FNB Stadium during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 late last year. When Big Concerts announced the tour late in 2018, tickets sold out almost immediately for both the Johannesburg and Cape Town dates – and South African fans were not disappointed, as Sheeran delivered a stellar show on all three occasions.

LIVE EVENT ED SHEERAN WORLD TOUR

Renowned singer and songwriter, Ed Sheeran, performed in South Africa for the first time during the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 in December last year. Thanks to Big Concerts, Sheeran and his technical team returned to the country with the Ed Sheeran Divide (÷) Tour in March, performing two shows in Johannesburg and one in Cape Town. ETECH had the opportunity to attend the Johannesburg leg of the tour where we were treated to a full technical tour of the FNB Stadium ahead of the show.

ED’S A-TEAM Most bands have the advantage of multiple performers on stage, as well as a backline or dancers to add to a tour performance. Despite the impressive rig that constitutes the Divide Tour, the heart of Sheeran’s performance remains his phenomenal vocals, acoustic guitars and a custom loop pedal – with sound, video and lighting being looked after by a highly skilled technical team. While many touring artists rely on local rental companies to supply the bulk of their riders while on tour, Sheeran takes most of his rig around the world with him. The Pantec trucks that accompany Sheeran and his team around the world carry a state-of-the-art Meyer Sound LEO Family reinforcement system, lighting and sound consoles, lighting fixtures and a custom-designed stage designed by TAIT, in addition to Sheeran’s guitars and customised loop pedal. Working in close collaboration with his production designer, together with stage design agencies, equipment suppliers, lighting and video directors and sound engineers, Sheeran has succeeded in elevating what is essentially a one-man show, rooted in the pubs where Sheeran found his first fans, into a grand arena-sized production. Sheeran started working with Mark Cunniffe, an award-winning lighting and production designer, when he first started to perform as a solo artist in larger venues in 2011. Cunniffe has been instrumental in designing all of Sheeran’s tours, including the Plus (+) Tour, the Multiply (X) Tour, and the most recent Divide (÷) Tour, which is proving his most successful to date. Cunniffe designed a dramatic set for the Divide Tour, centred upon a 63-foot-wide main stage where Ed Sheeran performs alone in front of a massive, 55-foot-tall goblet-shaped LED video structure, which displays Cunniffe’s custom-designed video content throughout the show. TAIT built the LED video goblet with a curved touring frame that houses numerous LED video screens, four lighting pods and scenic fascia. Cunniffe’s brief was to make the stage space really dynamic for the Divide Tour, so he developed a versatile and dramatic lighting rig that includes 142 moving lights and 17 LED strobes, together with two MDG theOne stadium hazers and 10km of DMX-controlled RGB LED tape. “I worked with production manager Chris Marsh on this, along with Jeremy Lloyd of Wonder Works, who did all the technical drawings. Turning our concept into reality was Tait Towers, who fabricated it. We used a number of 5mm Roe Carbon tiles that go together with Tait touring standard and custom frames for the curved portions of the set,” Cunniffe explains in an article featured on PLSN.

In addition to the support that he has enjoyed from his production team, Sheeran has developed a close working relationship with his front of house and production manager, Chris Marsh, who together with a cracking crew from Major Tom, a leading audio supplier and solutions provider in the UK, manages all of his audio needs when performing live. “Chris Marsh has been integral to everything that Ed does live. Even when he started out working with Ed in 2011, he was vastly experienced, so it’s great that we’ve all been able to grow together and achieve everything that we have so far,” says Sheeran’s agent, Jon Ollier, in a 2018 interview with IQ Magazine.

ED’S TEAM SHARE THEIR JOURNEY In the days ahead of the Divide Tour in Johannesburg, the ETECH team had the opportunity to speak with Sheeran’s crew about their journey on the Divide Tour. David Cornwell spoke with Matt Jones about his role as lighting director on the tour, as well as Phil Mead, who takes care of Cunniffe’s original video content. Charlie Albin, Sheeran’s audio systems engineer, spoke with Nicole Barnes about the demands of the tour and the technology that makes it possible.

ETECH would like to thank Ed Sheeran's technical crew, Major Tom, the Meyer Sound team and Meyer local distributors, Prosound, for making this feature possible. 29

ED SHEERAN:

A SOUND SUCCESS

Photo courtesy of Big Concerts

LIVE EVENT ED SHEERAN AUDIO

Ed Sheeran has cemented his long-standing relationship with Meyer Sound, with the LEO

reinforcement system delivering outstanding results for his Divide World Tour at the FNB Stadium and Cape Town Stadium in March.

A SOLID SOUND TEAM With three chart-topping albums and a string of world tours behind him, English singer and songwriter Ed Sheeran has established himself as one of the world’s most successful solo artists. Sheeran sets himself apart as a musician through his single-minded dedication to his craft – of which he is an undisputed master. Sheeran started his career as a student of music at the Academy of Contemporary Music in Guildford while peddling his skills at pubs across the UK. While the artist has without a doubt grown both as a performer and songwriter over the years, Sheeran has remained true to his identity and, despite being in a grand arena with thousands of other fans, the Divide Tour still feels like an intimate and organic music experience that is hard to forget.

Chris Marsh, who has served as Sheeran’s production manager and front of house engineer since his first headline tour in 2011, explains that he has tried to keep Sheeran’s shows an “up close and personal” sonic experience, which he has achieved with outstanding success, thanks to the support received from leading audio solutions provider Major Tom and Meyer Sound. “Major Tom and the Ed Sheeran production team have a very strong relationship, which began with Ed when he was starting out playing clubs, and has continued with him into stadiums worldwide,” Marsh points out. “The key to the longevity of the relationship is a mutual desire to continually evolve, and provide the best sound. Major Tom is heavily invested in Meyer Sound products and the response from Ed’s family, friends and team when we originally

LIVE EVENT ED SHEERAN AUDIO

Ed Sheeran in action at the FNB Stadium, Jhb

LEO COMES TO AFRICA switched to the LEO system was an instant observation and acknowledgement that we had changed something — the difference in sound was palpable.” Charlie Albin joined Ed Sheeran’s crew in 2011, and has served as audio systems engineer since 2014. Albin states that: “Ed’s an incredibly talented musician, at heart – and he’s also a pretty astonishing songwriter. He has only improved in the time that I have been doing the show, but he was unbelievable to start with.” Speaking about his working relationship with Sheeran, Albin explains: “Ed trusts his audio team implicitly, but is still very hands-on when it comes to the production aspects of his shows. What you hear at an Ed Sheeran concert is exactly what he is playing – we don’t use backtracks or over-engineer the sound. As a result, every show is different and achieving outstanding sound quality remains our highest priority,” Albin remarks.

At the heart of the audio rider for Ed Sheeran’s Divide Tour is the Meyer Sound LEO Family linear reinforcement system, supplied by UK-based Major Tom Ltd. The foundation of the system is formed by four arrays of 18-each LEO line array loudspeakers with low end augmented by 42 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements: two flown arrays consisting of nine speakers each and two end-fire arrays of twelve speakers on the ground. Eighteen flown 1100-LFC low-frequency control elements supplement the 24 in the end-fire floor arrays and twenty-four LINA loudspeakers supply front fill. Typically, the MILO line array loudspeakers are deployed on four delay towers, however in South Africa Gearhouse SA supplied the delay towers utilising their existing rental inventory. “Ed, pretty much, entrusted production to me since the beginning of our relationship,” says Marsh, “and one thing that we’ve proven over the past four years is that the Meyer Sound LEO Family is the way forward.”

LIVE EVENT ED SHEERAN AUDIO

Charlie Albin, Ed Sheeran's audio systems engineer at the DiGiCo SD7 console

As FOH engineer, Marsh depends on the system’s long throw and uniform response. “Consistency is absolutely key with Ed, and with the Meyer system, I am entirely confident it will sound the same everywhere.” Marsh mixes Sheeran’s sound on a DiGiCo SD7 console and supervises all aspects of the tour’s technology as production manager. “As production manager, I was able to specify a stage only 40-feet wide,” Marsh adds. “That’s plenty of room for Ed, but it gave us space to place end-fire arrays with three by three stacks of 1100-LFC (low-frequency control elements) at either end. With Ed, I need frequencies around 50 Hz to be really punchy and uniform everywhere, and this design works extremely well with the 1100-LFC. They are fast and responsive where some other subs can get slow and ‘phasey’ in that region.” Marsh’s partner in fine-tuning the tour’s massive LEO Family rig on a daily basis is Charlie Albin. According to Albin, another departure for team on the Divide Tour is running the main arrays full range, rather than splitting bass off into a separate aux send. “I’ve discovered that letting the LEO boxes go all the way down really assists in delivering a tighter low end consistently around the auditorium,” he says. Ed Sheeran’s technical crew accompanied him on his last trip to South Africa in December 2018, when he performed as a part of the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 line up. “It has been really great to return to South Africa with Ed’s full tour – especially as this is the first time that the Meyer Sound

LEO system has been rigged in this country. We have the LEO system with 1100 subs out here, it’s the biggest box in the new family, and we’re using some LINAs for the front fills, which are the smallest of that range.” Renowned South African sound engineer and technical director at Prosound, Mark Malherbe, points out that the Ed Sheeran tour has provided a rare opportunity for the South African market to experience the power and unique flexibility of the larger systems in the Meyer stable. “Meyer has traditionally been associated with the theatre and installation markets in South Africa, and few in the country are aware of Meyer’s outstanding large-format offerings,” comments Malherbe. “We invited several of our clients to visit front of house and see the system in action ahead of the Ed Sheeran concerts in Johannesburg and Cape Town – and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive,” he concludes.

CREATIVE SOUND Unlike the majority of touring bands, Ed Sheeran is a solo artist that has based his entire show on acoustic guitar and vocals. Sheeran’s incredible skill with looping adds depth and complexity to his performance and is made possible thanks to the technical ingenuity of his audio team and Meyer Sound equipment.

LIGHTING ED LIVE EVENT PROFILE

Matt Jones throws some light on touring with Ed Sheeran

Photo courtesy of Big Concerts

By David Cornwell

Ed Sheeran performs at the FNB Stadium, Jhb

ETECH spoke with Matt Jones, who serves as lighting director for the Divide Tour about his career, experiences on the show and some of the technology used on the set.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND AS A LIGHTING PROFESSIONAL

I started lighting professionally in Australia, doing corporate and television work. I then went to the UK, and did some work for a company based there – working as a network and systems technician. I then met the lighting designer of Ed’s shows, Mark Cunniffe. I was fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time, and I was asked to come in as the lighting director. From there, I ended up on the Divide Tour, and I’ve stayed involved for the last three years.

WHAT HAS THE TOUR SCHEDULE BEEN LIKE? We started in Turin in March 2017, and we did an arena-sized tour through Europe, the UK, the US, a bit of South America and a bit of Asia. And then in 2018 we took the show to the next level – made it a bit bigger – and then did a stadiumsized show through Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe, the UK, the States and Canada. And this year, before coming here, we just finished up in South America.

Photos courtesy of Big Concerts

LIVE EVENT PROFILE

Ed Sheeran performs at the FNB Stadium

WHAT ASPECTS OF THE CURRENT SHOW APPEAL TO YOU AS A LIGHTING DIRECTOR? The main design element of the show is to bring the one person who is playing the guitar out to the thousands of spectators in the stadium – and making that one, small figure as visible as possible. That is why most of our show and the set is primarily Vizio screen. As well as the two IMAGs, you’ve got five columns of video strips that make this chalice-shaped structure – where everything starts at the top and flows down towards the floor, which gives this all-encompassing effect and ties everything back to Ed. On the technical side of things, I love working on Ed’s show because you can’t timecode him. It keeps me busy – I’m actually doing something at every show, rather than just sitting there and watching timecode numbers roll by, or doing the occasional stab. I actually have a show to run, and it’s all about keeping time and anticipating Ed’s moves. There are not too many artists that will do a show that’s not timecoded anymore. One of the things we always say on our tour is that every show is different – there are subtleties that Ed does in his performance, as he records things into his loop pedals, and so my job is different from show to show. I have to listen and pick up on those subtleties and adjust my performance accordingly. We also don’t often make a structured set list. We might have an idea – but then Ed could react to something, see a sign in the audience and decide to play that song, and then it’s up to us to keep delivering a highly polished, professional show, even for someone who is as improvisatory and spontaneous as Ed.

WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE TO WATCH ED’S PROGRESSION AS AN ARTIST? It has been interesting. You do notice, compared to when we started in Turin all those years ago, that the show has changed and evolved. Obviously, Ed has written new material but even the same songs have been re-structured and reworked over the years, always improving and building on things from show to show and tour to tour. And it’s been the same for me – I’m constantly doing tiny polishes, updates and tweaks. Nobody else will notice them, but I’ve watched the show nearly 300 times, and I’m always thinking of ways to tighten little transitions up or find moments where I can take a bit longer on the colour fade.

WHAT’S INSIDE THE LIGHTING RIG AT AN ED SHEERAN GIG? Our rig is primarily based around a Claypaky Mythos 2, with 136 of those fixtures integrated. They’re extremely dynamic fixtures, and go from pencil-type beams to really wide, flooded gobo washes – and with as many as we have, you can create some very interesting effects. The ability to do all that colour mixing – they’re very snappy, very quick and are very good at doing all the things on the creative side that we need to execute our show. We’ve also got a few Scenius Unicos: they’re not actually as visible, they’re hidden behind the set and their design element is to show that the chalice structure is 3D. They are tied in with the video, so you get stabs and pushes of colour and light from behind the video screens and behind the lighting set.

LIVE EVENT PROFILE

WHAT HAS BEING ON TOUR TAUGHT YOU ABOUT WORKING IN THE LIGHTING INDUSTRY? There’s a lot about touring that’s educational. It has its ups and downs – and it takes a certain kind of person to be able to tour. You’re away from home and your family and loved ones for such a long time, it makes it very hard to balance a social life with your working life on tour. Also the stress of putting on big shows like this night after night – that’s something I’ve learned to deal with over the years; you learn to get comfortable. But the most important thing, I think, is never to get complacent, to make sure you still love what you do – that’s the only way to keep making the show better and keep challenging yourself even when you’ve done the job hundreds of times.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS WHEN THE TOUR WRAPS UP IN AUGUST? It’s been a fantastic three years. Ed is a really amazing artist to work for and the crew is really like a family. When you’re on a tour as long as three years, the people you work with become your family – and it’s great that we’ve all been able to get along and work together while living in each other’s pockets for so long. But looking forward, I want to stay in live music – I love the buzz of doing a show with eighty, ninety thousand people watching on. It’s an exhilarating feeling, and – for me – you can’t beat it.

EXPERT EXPERT OPINION OPINION

EXPERT

OPINION by Rinus "Rhino" Bakker ‘BASKET UP’ – ON A TRUSS STRUCTURE In the previous blog, different possibilities were discussed in terms of setting up a Basket-type of hitch on a beam. From an entertainment rigging perspective, this means that the Basket faces downward from that structural component. If we have to lift a truss structure using a Basket hitch, the slinging method will face upward, away from the direction of gravity.

WHAT ABOUT A ‘BASKET DOWN’ WITH A SINGLE SHACKLE? Before discussing the ‘Basket Up’ approach, one more additional remark to the previous blog. Not shown in that particular diagram was a Basket, where just one single shackle is used, as demonstrated in figure 1. When using just one Fig. 1: Beam Basket variation with a shackle, it is a little bit cheaper single shackle. in investment on equipment. A) Increased hazard However, the actual use of of falling parts; such a setup during each B) Waste of precious application will result, for a load-in time. particular moment in time, in all four parts being loose from each other: sling, hoist chain, shackle body and shackle pin. This results in an increased falling hazard of multiple

objects, where Murphy’s Law is still present. A loose object might be ‘coming in’ from heights ranging from 10m to 25m, with technicians working on the floor underneath only having a hard hat as protection. Also, this ‘single shackle’ Basket method takes a lot more time compared to simply applying and closing the Basket. A higher risk and a waste of time? Not the preferred combination of circumstances in our business.

BASKET UP: WHAT ABOUT SHACKLES? However, when we are working at floor level of the venue, the whole Basket slinging game is changing. We work on floor level when slinging trusses. Open structures, like truss structures, allow for many more routings of a sling than solid beam cross-sections – but, for now, let’s stick to that Basket method. Any shackle pin falling by accident will ‘travel’ about one metre: in the worst case scenario hitting your own feet. Apart from flip-flops, almost any type of shoe will give enough protection. Using no shackle at all is close to madness, but just using one single shackle here is the best option. In fact, it makes it easier in getting the sling centred exactly over the centre of gravity (CoG) of that particular truss. Only when the pick-up point is over that CoG will the truss loading tables will be valid, provided that the load is balanced as well.

‘GOOD BASKETS VS BAD BASKETS’ To be able to tell if the combination of Truss and Basket is a proper and a safe one, there are about a dozen things that must be taken into account. The following list reveals the most important ones: Support points (slinging points) must be right In or Against the node points. Avoid placing the supports on the chord centres between the nodes. 1. The shackle should close the Basket, establishing the connection of both sling ends to the lifting machine. 2. The included angle (a) between sling parts should not exceed 90°, meaning that (b), the external angle with the vertical, does not exceed 45°. This prevents excessive forces in the sling and truss cross-section. Included angles of 120° cause each part of the sling to be loaded with the same amount of force as the load itself causes. 3. The sling routes should avoid an increase of force caused by internal angles inside the truss crosssection. 4. The load on the truss should be balanced, meaning each side of the cross section carries half of the total load.

Fig. 2: Avoid Baskets variations with internal crossing of the sling routes.

5. Additional wraps on the chords may help to stabilise the truss, but do not contribute to an increase of the overall truss capacity. 6. Avoid letting the sling rest against the diagonals, thus putting a side load on them.

As seen

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LIVE EVENT ULTRA SA

In this feature, ETECH chats to company director Nickolas Chapman about the formation of Showcom, the changing technological landscape in South Africa and the deployment of Clear-Com’s HelixNet and FreeSpeak systems at Ultra South Africa 2019.

THE BIRTH OF SHOWCOM Chapman explains that his personal history with Gearhouse stretches back many years. “I’ve been working in and around the Gearhouse Group since the mid-90s – when it was still a network with Gearhouse Dubai and Gearhouse UK – and I have an affiliation and a friendship with a lot of the people in the company.” He describes how he “moved from a live concert background into communications” while rigging “extravaganza shows – big, lavish opening ceremonies that were being held all the time as Dubai was transformed in the 1990s.”

Chapman first “got involved with Gearhouse South Africa a couple of years ago. Stuart [Andrews] is a really good friend of mine, and we worked together in Dubai in the 90s. I came and did a six-month contract with them – and I realised that communications represented a big gap in the events industry in this country. The comms side of the industry hadn’t evolved here – we were ten years behind the rest of the world. “I formed Showcom, and once it was up and running and I’d bought the key pieces of equipment the company needed, I approached the Gearhouse Group and asked them what they thought,” he continues. “It fitted under the Gearhouse umbrella very well, and it was a service they didn’t really specialise in beforehand – and so Showcom was born in the middle of 2018. We were really fortunate that the year ended off with some big shows. The internationally-renown Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100 was an amazing opportunity for us to make our mark as key players in the comms arena, by servicing an event of such stature and magnitude.”

LIVE EVENT ULTRA SA

The sixth edition of Ultra South Africa – the continent’s biggest dance music festival – was held on 1 and 2 March in Cape Town and Johannesburg. As well as some outstanding performances by leading international acts such as The Chainsmokers and Martin Garrix, this year’s festival witnessed the debut of exciting digital communications technologies powered by Showcom, the newest member of The Gearhouse Group of companies.

However, Chapman says that – even based on his short time in the country – he has noticed a positive trend towards greater professionalism in the industry beginning to take root. He ascribes this, in part, to the increasing value assigned to communications systems: “Even in the last year, the standards of professionalism have increased. Health and safety is becoming a far more serious concern, and we’re playing our part by putting serious comms systems into projects and jobs that didn’t have any before. Now, everyone on site can talk to each other: it’s easy to do. We can integrate comms with radios and other communications equipment – it’s all there if people want to bring in the technology. I remember when we started, some of our first clients were big government organisations, and they were initially reluctant to approve the communications budget. But after the first time they’d run an event with a comms system in place, they saw the difference – and now they come to us directly.”

ULTRA TECHNOLOGY

HEIGHTENED PROFESSIONALISM Reflecting on the importance of effective communications to the live events industry, Chapman says: “In other parts of the world, comms is a very serious discipline. It’s complex, and it’s a crucial part of operations. Essentially, in our business, we’re building shows – how can you do this properly if you can’t talk to each other? “It doesn’t matter how big or small the production is – every show needs good comms. I’ve noticed that often people can fall into comfort zones, or ways of working that aren’t necessarily the best way of working. In South Africa, particularly, I’ve noticed that quite often we’ll have a front of house contingent – a bunch of crew standing around the mix position – and just because they’re only one metre from each other, doesn’t mean they are communicating effectively. If it’s a show, then it simply demands coordination and queuing – and technology is on our side now, these systems are exciting and easy to use.”

Some of the “exciting new technologies” to which Chapman refers made their first-ever appearances in South Africa at the Ultra Music Festival at the beginning of March. Speaking during the lead-up to the show, Chapman shared that Ultra would be “the first time we’ll have digital intercoms in this country. The main network is a Clear-Com digital system called HelixNet – and we’re making identical systems for the Joburg and Cape Town events.” With 12 channels of full-duplex audio and program audio feed that can support up to 20 beltpacks on a single station, the HelixNet system operates on advanced I.V.Core technologies and provides a comprehensive communications solution. Chapman is almost incredulous to remember that, “If I go back even one year here, it was all one-channel comms systems, maybe two – old-school party line operations where everyone talks at once.” In contrast, as Chapman explains, “With the Clear-Com system, we can really go into detail about who can talk to whom, we can assign different groups and patches – we can program a lot of protocol into the communications system. This is great because there are different roles on any show: some people need to listen, but they don’t need to talk; some need to talk, but they don’t need to hear anything back. We try to break it down as much as possible to keep the comms clean – you can’t have 20 people all talking at once, that will create chaos. The show-caller, for example, needs to have silence when they talk – so we can program it. They will kill everyone else’s microphone when they talk. The lighting designer will have their follow-spots and dimmers set up with people to operate them – and, as they are the only ones who need to speak to these particular crew members, they will get a single ring just for this purpose, as will the other departments as required.”

LIVE EVENT ULTRA SA

EVOLVING MARKET

In addition to the HelixNet digital wired intercom system, Ultra also saw the South African debut of another of Clear-Com’s flagship products: the Freespeak II digital wireless system, “1.9 GHz deck technology that, for me, is the Rolls Royce of communications equipment,” says Chapman. He explains that the FreeSpeak II “is a multi-channel system that seamlessly latches onto the wired system – you wouldn’t know the difference in quality between the two, and its range can easily cover a football stadium. Ideally, we use the FreeSpeak II for all our festivals, band changes, line checks – all the ‘behind-the-stage’ stuff is run on this comms system. It’s so powerful to have a fully duplex wireless system in place because we do run around and sometimes we have to move quickly and urgently from our fixed locations.”

Speaking about the unique difficulties of rigging a comms system for an event such as Ultra, Chapman says: “Every gig has its challenges, but for Ultra – which is all about loud dance music – it’s about minimising noise pollution in the comms system, keeping the background noise down wherever possible. It’s also about discipline because it’s a long show – so you need to make sure every member of the team maintains that concentration and they don’t leave microphones on when not in use.” Looking beyond this exciting deployment of Clear-Com equipment at Ultra 2019, Chapman is excited about the outlook for communications technologies in the evolving South African market. “What I love about South Africa, right now, is that professionals in the live events industry are moving down the automation route in a big way: moving sets, big LED rigs, mechanised elements. But, it’s precisely when you have these big moving pieces that need to be coordinated that comms become so important. When you’re dealing with light, darkness and loud music – you need to be in control of these elements. The more dynamic the show, the more crucial it is that you have clear, dependable channels of communication,” he concludes. For more information, please visit www.showcom.co.za

Venue Technical Management

TOTAL TECHNICAL EVENT SOLUTION

Photo by S Barnes

LIVE EVENT FESTIVAL

THE CURE ON THE LAWNS Only in its second edition, Rock on the Lawns has already established itself as a festival of choice for South Africans who enjoy the warm sun, great food and good old fashioned rock ‘n roll on offer. This year, AMP Events did not disappoint – headlining UK indie pop-rock band The Cure in Johannesburg and Cape Town in March.

The Rock on the Lawns Festival, presented by AMP Events, is a one-day outdoor celebration of rock n’ roll, featuring both local and international artists. The inaugural event, held at Sun International’s Carnival City and the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens in Cape Town in 2017, set the bar high – with 90s rock icons PIXIES delivering their first South African performance to sold-out crowds in both cities. In August last year, AMP Events announced that The Cure would be featuring as the headline act for the 2019 edition of the festival, which was held on the Festival Lawns at Carnival City in Gauteng on 16 March, and at Kenilworth Racecourse in Cape Town on 21 March.

LIVE EVENT FESTIVAL

FINDING THE CURE

A WINNING TEAM

Billed as one of the best-loved indie rock bands of all time, The Cure has released 37 singles, including ‘Friday I’m In Love', ‘Close to Me', ‘Love Song', ‘Boys Don’t Cry', ‘Just Like Heaven’ and many more. Their criticallyacclaimed album, Disintegration, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and is considered one of the most important albums in music history. The haunting voice and eccentric presence of lead vocalist, Robert Smith, has cemented the band’s reputation as a formative influence of the gothic subculture that gained popularity in the 90s and inspired many fans to don black PVC and larger-than-life hairdos on the lawns in both Cape Town and Johannesburg. According to Mandy Scanlen, who serves as production and artist tour liaison for AMP Events, MacPherson and the AMP Events team have been working for the past two years on bringing The Cure to the country. “Andy [MacPherson] knew exactly who he wanted to headline the 2019 edition of the festival, and it took two years of negotiating to make it happen. Ultimately, he succeeded, which is a massive feat when you consider that they are also headlining Glastonbury Festival this year, and have just been inducted into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame.” AMP Event’s list of achievements includes bringing some of the world’s most celebrated niche acts to South Africa, including Symphonic Rocks, PIXIES, Myles Kennedy, +LIVE+ and Kings of Chaos featuring Steven Tyler and Slash, among others. “We have spent the past decade perfecting the craft of staging boutique music events, of creating one-on-one experiences with the music and the artist, of making memories that last a lifetime,” states MacPherson. There is little doubt that Rock on the Lawns featuring The Cure delivered on all accounts. In addition to the headlining act, Rock on the Lawns provides a platform for local rock bands to perform on a world-class stage to both Johannesburg and Cape Town audiences. This year’s lineup featured some of South Africa’s favourite artists, including Zebra & Giraffe, Karen Zoid, Ard Matthews and Fokofpolisiekar, among others.

Since its inception in 2010, AMP Events as established a solid reputation for delivering curated, boutique experiences for South Africa’s musicloving public. At the helm of the company is Andrew MacPherson, a talented musician in his own right, who turned his attention to the production and promotion aspects of the music industry after a successful career as a performing artist and a good few years as a crew member. “I have been in the industry for many years, and crewed myself before launching my own venture,” MacPherson explains. “As such, I am able to draw on my own experience and my considerable network in the crewing business to put together outstanding technical teams for the shows that we produce and promote.” At the heart of MacPherson’s team for Rock on the Lawns is Gavin Taylor, who served as production and technical manager on the event. “Gavin Taylor has been AMP’s production manager on every single concert, tour, and event that we have ever done – and the Rock on the Lawns Festival was no different,” says MacPherson. “He single-handedly oversaw all of the technical negotiations and planning with The Cure’s production team, Gearhouse and various other stakeholders to bring the show together. It was Gavin’s job to make sure that we had a festival set up that worked for all nine artists, which he accomplished with stellar results,” he concludes. As with the 2017 edition of the festival, AMP Events called on Sven Hansen of 4 Plus 3 Productions to manage the site, whose job it became to ensure that all elements of the layout, implementation and management of the site run smoothly. Hansen and his crew worked in close collaboration with AMP Events in the months leading up to the show, and were instrumental in ensuring that Taylor’s designs and plans were implemented to the letter. In the weeks leading up to Rock on the Lawns, MacPherson, Taylor, Hanson and Scanlen pulled on their considerable joint networks to put together a crew that comprised some of the most experienced and respected technicians in their respective fields.

LIVE EVENT FESTIVAL

guitar, bass guitar and drums – which made change-overs relatively simple throughout the day. Also, the team loaded in the rig well in advance, and we had two days of soundchecks ahead of the show. As a result – it was a pleasant day at the office for the crew.”

"A massive thank you to you and all your team for looking after us all so well on our first trip to South Africa – it was a hugely enjoyable and truly memorable experience for band and crew alike – the Rock on the Lawns shows were wonderful – the warmth and enthusiasm of the fans genuinely inspiring – and the organisation and The Cure performs at Carnival City during Rock on the Lawns 2019

TECHNICAL JOY Gavin Taylor worked closely with Gearhouse SA and The Cure’s production team in the months leading up to the festival to design a stage that would accommodate all nine artists. “The production requirements set forth by The Cure were quite demanding – especially on the lighting and AV fronts,” Taylor points out. “I worked in close collaboration with Travis Smith and the Gearhouse team, and after considerable negotiations, we were able to provide all of the equipment required, locally – which is a huge testament to the high standards that Gearhouse maintains as an international-level rental and technical services provider,” Taylor says. In keeping with the spirit of the festival, Taylor placed a lot of emphasis on sound quality, which was achieved using a K1 L-Acoustics line array on the main stage, together with delay towers strategically dispersed around the festival grounds to ensure even coverage across the beer gardens and dining areas. Revel Besalga, who served as senior sound engineer for the festival, states, “The setup for Rock on the Lawns was perfect for our needs. We had two Avid Profile consoles on the show, one for front of house and another for monitors. We had a very basic threeway split between the festival crew, the sound crew that came with some of the other artists, and The Cure – who basically took care of themselves.” “From a technical perspective, Rock on the Lawns is, actually, one of the easier festivals – despite the number of artists who perform during the day,” Travis Smith reflects. “The majority of the show is good old fashioned rock n’ roll and, therefore, very few bells and whistles are needed,” he says with a smile. Festival stage manager, Michael Spaan, echoes Smith’s views: “Even though we had a lot of acts on the lineup, the show was not difficult to manage. Because the show is primarily old-school rock, the bands are predominantly three- and four-piece ensembles, with lead vocals, lead

accommodation during our ten day visit was never less than excellent...the scenery wasn’t too bad either! We look forward very much to our next visit." – Robert Smith (The Cure)

INSTALLATION THEATRE

AN ENLIGHTENING JOURNEY FOR THE ARTSCAPE THEATRE

By Stephen Simm

ETECH recently met with Nicholas Tilney, Faheem Bardien and Kendrah Link, who collectively represent three generations of lighting technicians, at the Artscape Theatre Complex in Cape Town. The Artscape Theatre Centre in Cape Town was one of the first theatre complexes to be built by the South African government in the 1970s, and has remained a vibrant, multifunctional creative arts centre and major cultural hub for more than four decades. The centre spans roughly 14,000 square meters, and includes a fully-equipped opera house and two theatres, as well as a piazza, gardens, and rehearsal rooms and continues to stage a wide range of international and local theatrical productions, including dance, opera, musical theatre and drama, among other genres.

REFLECTIONS ON THE PAST In February this year, senior lighting technician at the Artscape, Nicholas Tilney, celebrated his fortieth anniversary working at the theatre. Tilney has had the unique experience of witnessing the dramatic effect that developments in lighting technology have had on theatrical lighting throughout his career at the Artscape. “I arrived at the Artscape Theatre in 1979, and almost immediately went into the lighting department,” Tilney states. He recalls working on the lighting crew in the early days of his career: “Back in those days, there were very tight changeovers at the theatre, as we would stage a ballet one night and an opera the next. We had what we called a ‘grid cloth’, which was

a grid painted on a piece of canvas the size of the stage,” he says. He goes on to explain that the technical team would spread the grid cloth out on the stage and lower all the spot bars down to four metres, and then draw the lighting grid on paper, marking where all the beams hit the floor. “When it came to doing a changeover, the rig would be reset using the grid cloth that we had made before striking the show. This process could take four to five hours, and typically required a lot of muscle and resulted in many burnt fingers and missing fingerprints,” he muses. When asked about the biggest innovations that he has witnessed during his tenure, Tilney identifies moving head lighting and LED technology as the biggest game-changes. “Our theatre stage is one of the busiest in the region, staging weekly or sometimes daily shows. We used to spend so much time focusing and refocusing lights that it was an almost insurmountable task, requiring a much larger staff contingent and longer changeover periods. Now that we have LED and moving head fixtures and digital control, we have a static lighting rig, and we only need to work on the board for changeovers – it is a radically different and far more efficient process.” The implications have been transformative for the theatre, as more productions can be staged with fewer human resources and in a fraction of the time, which has a direct effect on the financial sustainability of the complex.

INSTALLATION THEATRE

EMBRACING CHANGE

Faheem Ba rd i e n

and

Ken dra

ink

"We used to spend so much time focusing and refocusing lights that it was an almost insurmountable task, requiring a much larger staff contingent and longer changeover periods. Now that we have LED and moving head fixtures and digital control, we have a static lighting rig, and we only need to work on the board for changeovers – it is a radically different and far more efficient process.”

The current head of the lighting department at the Artscape Theatre, Faheem Bardien, joined the team 23 years ago and has remained at the helm during the LED revolution that has radically changed theatrical lighting over the past two decades. Bardien reflects on the moment when the first Martin MAC 2000s were included in the lighting rig at the Artscape for a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats in the early 2000s. “The introduction of Martin LED moving head fixtures was a real game-changer for the lighting department,” says Bardien. He goes on to add that ten out of the twelve original MAC 2000s are still operational, a testament to Martin’s commitment to making work-horse lighting for the theatre environment. In 2004, the Artscape lighting department added four Martin MAC Performance units to the rig, which Bardien describes as “the grandfather and benchmark for theatre moving lights.” Bardien goes on to state that: “Moving lights have drastically simplified things like gobo washes and specials, and have resulted in quicker changeovers and focusing times, which has had a very positive effect on the theatre’s ability to stage multiple productions with tight changeovers.” More recently, the Artscape deployed a radical upgrade of its lighting rig to replace all of its old tungsten fixtures with LED engines, relying on state-of-the-art lighting technology by ETC. Bardien states that aside from ensuring the theatre’s lighting reflects current industry standards, it has also allowed designers and technicians to play with more colours and achieve a much higher level of artistry on stage. In addition to the new ETC Series 2 Lustr fixtures, the Artscape has expanded on their original Martin inventory, with the inclusion of MAC 700, MAC III and MAC Quantum Spot units and the theatre’s older wash lights have replaced with Martin MAC Quantum Washes. While the team have embraced LED technology whole-heartedly, the old fixtures have not been discarded and are still kept in the stores should a designer call for tungsten lighting on a particular production, adding flexibility to the theatre’s in-house lighting inventory.

– Nicholas Tilney 45

INSTALLATION THEATRE

“ Wo r k i ng on a lighting rig no longer requires hard muscle, and now calls for finesse, creativity, attention to detail and good communication skills. I feel that, as a woman, I am uniquely qualified in this regard, and am confident that I will continue to be successful in my chosen field.”

Reflecting on the migration from Bardien adds that they tungsten to LED technology, have enjoyed a longBardien comments with a smile: “I standing working relationship – Kendrah Links think Eskom are very happy with our with Electrosonic, who have consumption now.” In line with an energysupplied the majority of the LED conscious mindset, the theatre has recently lighting fixtures and some consoles at installed generators, so that if there is an interruption the Artscape over the past 20 years. in municipal supply, the entire venue can be run on backup “Electrosonic has built its reputation on after-sales power, ensuring that the show will go on – even during load shedding. service, which has influenced our decision to purchase our equipment In line with the adoption of LED and moving head technology, lighting through them. If a light goes down, we can count on Electrosonic to control at the Artscape Theatre Complex has migrated to ETC’s lighting either fix it on the same day or supply us with a loan unit so that the show consoles, which are the only lighting desks that are custom-designed for always goes on.” theatre applications. The opera house is currently using an ETC Eos Bardien states that the Artscape has always prided itself on being a Titanium lighting console and the theatre an ETC Gio. “Both the theatre world-class theatrical institution, and is reflected in how Bardien sums up and opera stages are much more versatile, thanks to ETC control. We are the recent upgrades. “We believe that the equipment in our theatres able to adapt our lighting to accommodate whatever genre comes to represents the best fixtures and consoles available on the market, and as the stage with minimal fuss and almost no change-over time,” such, an international cast and crew can perform on our stage using the says Bardien. same technology as anywhere in the world.”

A CHANGING FRONTIER Kendrah Links started her career in theatrical lighting as a student at the Artscape theatre and, following graduation, was offered an internship position at the theatre. According to Bardien, Links has been a very welcome addition to the lighting department and exemplifies the future generation of lighting technicians in the industry. While Links has developed her skills as a lighting technician using state-of-the-art LED fixtures, moving head lights and digital control, she recalls an instance during her internship where she was required to stand ready at a lighting fixture to quickly swop gels during a scene change in a ballet. This experience has sensitised Links to the enormous transformative power that the technology presents for her as a woman in the technical field. Reflecting on Tilney’s recollections of the manual labour involved during changeovers in the 1970s and 80s, Links acknowledges that modern lighting technology has made it possible for her to enter a field that has traditionally been dominated by men. “Working on a lighting rig no longer requires hard muscle, and now calls for finesse, creativity, attention to detail and good communication skills. I feel that, as a woman, I am uniquely qualified in this regard, and am confident that I will continue to be successful in my chosen field,” Links states. Bardien points out that The Artscape prides itself on promoting empowerment through skills development, diversity and transformation, and says of that: “What we need in our department is motivation and a willingness to learn the craft – irrespective of age, gender or ethnicity.” Theatre management’s dedication to skills development has seen many young technicians that have honed their skills at the Artscape go on to have successful careers internationally and at home. Working with a diverse team that spans several generations means invaluable sharing, dialogue and learning. As much as Links appreciates working for such experienced veterans, they see the value of her bringing fresh ideas or discoveries to their attention.

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LESS TO DO MORE A CLOSER LOOK AT SENNHEISER’S XSW-D RANGE OF WIRELESS MICROPHONE SOLUTIONS

By David Cornwell

Sennheiser’s XS Wireless Digital (XSW-D) series provides a brand-new plug and play solution for musicians, mobile journalists and budding videographers looking to enter the wireless microphone market. 48

PRODUCT LAUNCH MICROPHONE

Replacing cable systems with rechargeable transmitters and receivers, the XSW-D range works on the 2.4 GHz frequency range for global license-free operation and offers robust, versatile and affordable connectivity for those looking to upgrade to a digital wireless audio solution.

THE PURSUIT OF PERFECT WIRELESS SOUND As James Futter, general manager of Sennheiser South Africa explains: “Sennheiser started with wireless products in the early 1960s, and their target from the get-go was to produce a system where the sound did not degrade from an ordinary cable solution. They’ve built on that, to the point now where you can’t really run a truly professional production with cords and cables – it’s just not possible anymore. “This comes down to the technology that Sennheiser has developed,” Futter continues. “Their receivers and transmitters are so well tuned, that you don’t get any drift off your carrier frequency – it’s absolutely spot-on. This does separate Sennheiser from other companies: the company’s motto of pursuit of perfect sound was applied to wireless technology at an early stage, and the results speak for themselves.” As mentioned, the Sennheiser XSW-D range employs digital transmission in the 2.4 GHz range and makes use of the acclaimed aptX Live codec. The receivers have antenna diversity, while the transmitters work redundantly, transmitting all data packages twice to ensure reliable transmissions. In case of interference in the frequency

PRODUCT LAUNCH MICROPHONE

range, the (paired) transmitter and receiver units will seamlessly migrate to an available frequency. Audio latency is below four milliseconds, and up to five systems can be used simultaneously, with a range of up to 75 metres. Operation of the XSW-D system could not be more simple: pressing a single button will power up and automatically link the transmitter and receiver units; clicking the button on either unit will mute the audio signal; and pressing and holding both buttons will power the system down. For supreme convenience, the units can be charged via a USB cable, providing a full five hours’ of operation on a single charge.

EASY VERSATILITY As well as being extremely simple to operate, the XSW-D range distinguishes itself with its versatility and its range of possible applications. The transmitter is connected to either a handheld mic, a lavalier mic or an instrument (all three options are available), while the receiver can be directly connected to a mixing desk, an amplifier, or the mic input of a DSLR video camera. The Vocal Set, best for singers and solo performers, comes with an XS1 dynamic cardioid microphone; the Lavalier Set, great for presentations, vlogging and ENG applications, with an ME 2-II clip-on microphone; and the Instrument Base Set (for guitars and basses) with a 6.3 mm (1/4”) output jack. Pro sales consultant at Sennheiser South Africa, Earl DevereuxQuicke, explains that XSW-D solutions “have industry-standard XLR or jack options, so they interface with any sound desk or mixer, and you can plug any dynamic microphone into the transmitters. This is part of what makes these products so attractive: their efficiency in design. You don’t need extra components and accessories – the units are simple and multi-functional. You need hardly any equipment to achieve a good-quality output.”

Futter expands on this point, providing an example of this multi-functionality: “You could use the instrument mic to effectively run a cordless speaker system. You plug the receiver into a speaker, while your transmitter is somewhere else connected to a PC – and there you go, you’ve got a cordless speaker system. Now, that’s not what it was ‘designed for’, but it demonstrates some of the versatility and compatibility options the XSW-D system provides.” Futter continues: “Another attractive element is that you can always add on to your XSW-D range – you can buy an extra receiver, for example, or add a lapel mic to your instrument set. This is why these microphones are perfect for small gigs and houses of worship: you just need one receiver per transmitter, and you can expand or shrink your rig as necessary. The only limitation is that you have six channels available, which is enough for the vast majority of smaller applications.”

THE DRIVE TOWARDS DIGITAL As Devereux-Quicke points out, transitioning to a cable-free setup can provide huge benefits to audio engineers and videographers. “You don’t have to worry about the cost of replacing cables, or cable noise – those unpleasant buzzes and hisses become a thing of the past – and the freedom of movement of being cable-free on stage brings a special element to the performance.” Futter agrees, explaining that “cable systems have inherent inefficiencies to them. This is because they need to pass across multiple connections, and the system experiences losses and degradation at every one of these points. Basically, with a wireless system, you need less to do more – it’s so much easier to interface with your other equipment. It’s not A to B to C to D – it’s A to D, you’re working straight from analogue into the digital domain, and that’s it.” In terms of the South African digital audio market, DevereuxQuicke says that – in recent years, as our buildings, homes and venues have started to become ‘smarter’ and increasingly automated – “more and more people are starting to express an interest in digital audio over VHF or UHF. While before, people didn’t have a reference for digital, we’ve started to see more interest in this space.” Futter agrees with this outlook, saying: “Wireless technology is growing significantly in the consumer market. The availability of decent-quality Bluetooth devices these days is one of the factors driving that. Specifically, in terms of microphone technology, we do not yet see an increase in the demand for wireless microphones per se, but we are seeing our own market share increase on the back of these new wireless products.” Perfect for musicians, production houses, pastors and presenters, Sennheiser’s new XSW-D microphones offer truly customisable, high-fidelity plug and play audio solutions, and will appeal to those looking for maximum performance with minimum hassle.

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SPOTTED AT PL+S Germany

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Robert Grobler (Gearhouse), Leigh-Ann Bullen (Fogtech) and Robert Izzet (DWR) at the Prolyte party

Simon Robinson (Exhibition director at Mediatech Africa)

On the train to the Messe Frankfurt to represent South Africa at Prolight+Sound

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South Africans boarding the Beat The Street party bus on their way from PL+S to the Robe factory in Czech Rebublic

CLAYPAKY FACTORY TOUR Italy

Massimo Bolandrina, Robert Izzett, Christopher Bolton, Nico Andre Siebert and Claire Badenhorst

Nico Andre Siebert, Christopher Bolton, and Robert Izzett

Nico Andre Siebert, Christopher Bolton, Claire Badenhorst, Simon Robinson and Robert Izzett with host, Massimo Bolandrina

Nico Andre Siebert, Robert Izzett, Christopher Bolton and Claire Badenhorst

A-list Drummer Derrick Wright

Derrick Wright is a busy man. Whether he is producing a new project, building a new studio or touring with Adele as her drummer and musical director, Derrick does not have time for second best. His choice of microphones to deliver great sound night after night: Audix.

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STUDIO ELITE 8 (STE8) A compelling array of eight drum microphones th for on stage and in the studio. This collection of mi engineers to accurately capture every nuance and d of instrument or genre of music. Includes two SMT2 rim mounts, and mic clips. SCX1

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STUDIO ELITE 8 (STE8) A compelling array of eight drum microphones that will suit a wide variety of needs for on stage and in the studio. This collection of microphones enables artists and engineers to accurately capture every nuance and detail, regardless of the type of instrument or genre of music. Includes two SMT25 shockmounts, four DVICE rim mounts, and mic clips.

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ULTRA-COMPACT MODULAR LINE SOURCE Packing a 138 dB wallop, Kiva II breaks the SPL record for an ultra-compact 14 kg/31 lb line source. Kiva II features L-Acoustics’ patented DOSC technology enhanced with an L-Fins waveguide for ultimate precise and smooth horizontal directivity. WST® gives Kiva II long throw and even SPL, from the front row to the back, making it the perfect choice for venues and special events that require power and clarity with minimal visual obtrusion. Add to that a 16 ohm impedance for maximized amplifier density and a new sturdy IP45 rated cabinet, and you get power, efficiency and ruggedness in the most elegant package. www.l-acoustics.com

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OFFICIAL DISTRIBUTOR FOR sOuth SOUTH africa: AFRICA: Official DistributOr Name of company fOr DWR DistributiON Block Unit 1, Kimbult Industrial Park, 9 Zeiss Road, Laserpark, Honeydew, 2170, Johannesburg DWr c, unit 1, Kimbult industrial 9 Zeiss road, laserpark, honeydew, 2170, Johannesburg NO.DISTRIBUTION Street/P.O. box - Cityblock and zipC,code and Country - Park, Telephone/E-mail - Website Tel: +27 11 794 27794 11 794 | sales@dwrdistribution.co.za + 27+11 57025702 | sales@dwrdistribution.co.za IT’SallALL ABOUT THE people It’s about the people tel: +27 11 794 50235023 | Fax: | www.dwrdistribution.co.za | fax: | www.dwrdistribution.co.za