AV Issue 33

BRING YOUR ‘A’ GAME: ANZ STADIUM’S $3M D&B PA SHOCK!: ARCHITECTS WORK WITH UNI AV DEPT – FULL STORY INSIDE REVIEWED: SONY VPL-FHZ55 PROJECTOR & BLACKMAGIC DESIGN’S HYPERDECK RECORDERS

issue #33 $6.95

ELEGANT DESIGN, LIFELIKE AUDIO. MicroexTM Wireless Systems Enterprise-scale Microphone Solutions for Managed AV Environments ™

Microex Wireless systems bring vivid, lifelike audio to meetings, panel discussions, teleconferences and other applications in managed AV environments — from signature boardrooms and concentrated multi-room environments to networked corporate campuses.

• • • • • • •

Flexible mic options – Gooseneck, boundary, bodypack and handheld microphones Modern, low-prole designs – Fit comfortably into diverse AV environments Dante™ digital audio networking – Low latency, multichannel audio over Ethernet networks Advanced rechargeability – Smart lithium-ion batteries enable remote monitoring Browser-based control software – Comprehensive system setup and real time control Automated frequency coordination – Ensures clean frequencies for every wireless channel Encrypted wireless – AES-256 protection for secure over the air wireless audio

Distributed by

www.jands.com.au

Take a closer look

Images used for illustration purposes only.

www.samsung.com/au/business it.sales@samsung.com

The New Samsung Solution Displays Line –up with Smart Signage Platform

The new Samsung ME-C, MD-C,PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series LED*BLU offer great new features for digital signage applications, video wall set ups and information sharing. The Samsung Smart Signage Platform (SSSP) is designed to eliminate the need for external PC media players, helping to streamline display and content management. Combine with MagicInfo™ Premium S software, to create, schedule and deliver content to either a single display or multiple displays over a network. **^ New Features common to the ME-C, MD-C,PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series include: • DP1.2 Daisy Chain for sharing content to compatible displays.# • Content/ Image Rotation • HDCP support thru DP1.2 for up to 7 compatible displays# • MagicInfo™ Premium S**^ software • DDP1.2 UHD Loop Out for 2 x 2 video wall configuration^^ • Magicinfo™ Videowall S**^ software • Auto Source Switching and Recovery • Onboard Memory for Content

ME-C Series

MD-C Series

• Edge Lit LED*BLU • 32, 40, 46, 55 & 75” • Slimline design • Low glare surface • 450 cd/m2 brightness

• Direct Lit LED*BLU • 32, 40, 46, 55 & 65” • Low glare surface • 350 cd/m2 brightness

(ME75C - 550 cd/m2) • 5000:1 CR • ME75C includes WiFi Embedded and WiDi 2.0 • Optional adaptive touch module

• 5000:1 CR • MD65C includes WiFi

(MD65C - 450 cd/m2)

PE-C Series • Edge Lit LED*BLU • 40, 46 and 55” • Usage up to 24/7 • Low glare surface • 700 cd/m2 brightness • 4000:1 CR

UE-C Series

UD-C Series

• Edge Lit LED*BLU 240Hz • 46 and 55” • Slimline design • 5.15mm bezel for video • 500 cd/m2 brightness • 5000:1 CR • Advanced Colour

• Direct Lit LED*BLU • 46 and 55 inch” • Premium Video Wall • Combined bezel 5.5mm • Usage up to 24/7 • Low glare surface • 700 cd/m2 brightness • Advanced Colour

Management Support

Management Support

wall applications

Embedded and WiDi 2.0 • Optional adaptive

touch module

National Solution Displays Team

New South Wales and A.C.T. Mark Malcaus 0439 416 157 Quad Samsung, 8 Parkview Drive, Homebush Bay NSW 2127 Australia m.malcaus@samsung.com

Western Australia and South Australia Wayne Standen 0447 414 627 Garden Office Park, Level 1, Building E 355 Scarborough Beach Road, Osborne Park WA 6017 w.standen@samsung.com

Victoria and Tasmania Paul Turner 0424 320 254 Unit 3/270 Ferntree Gully rd., Notting Hill, Vic. 3168 Paul.turner@samsung.com

Queensland and Northern Territory Gavin Lamb 0437 814 650 747 Lytton Rd, Murarrie, QLD, 4172 gavin.lamb@samsung.com

Images used for illustration purposes only * Samsung LED BLU Commercial Displays use LCD display panels with LED back or edge lighting. ** MagicInfo™ Premium S software is included with displays for stand-alone applications only. For network applications, server licenses are required at additional cost. MagicInfo VideoWall requires one licence at additional cost per display in video wall plus console software at additional cost. ^ Internet connection required. Data and subscription charges may apply. Usage may be subject to third party service provider agreements ^^DP1.2 cables sold separately. Content delivery device must be able to deliver UHD content via DP1.2. # DP cable required, sold separately.

www.samsung.com/au/business it.sales@samsung.com

The new range of Samsung Commercial Displays

The new Samsung ME-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series LED*BLU displays have all received important upgrades from the previous models, offering great new features for digital signage applications, video wall set ups and information sharing.

The new Samsung Smart Signage Platform (SSSP) with MagicInfo™ Premium S**^ Enabling web based multi-display signage networks without the need for external media players! Included with the latest ME-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series displays, SSSP is designed to eliminate the need for external PC media players, streamlining display and content management.

Combine with MagicInfo™ Premium S software, to create, schedule and deliver content to either a single display or multiple displays over a network**^

DP1.2 Ultra High Definition Loop Out for 2 x 2 Video Wall Configurations^^ The new Samsung ME-C, UE-C, PE-C and UD-C series displays utilises DP1.2 technology to help enable delivery of UHD content across 4 separate displays (each display sold separately) when set up in a 2 x 2 landscape video wall configuration. Simply loop out of the first display with a DP1.2 cable, daisy chain the displays and they are ready to accept Ultra High Definition (3820 x 2160) content.

Easy Image Rotation – use the display settings to rotate your content The image rotation feature enables simple rotation of screen content using display menu functions. This feature is designed to allow content to be reoriented without losing its aspect ratio, and can also be delivered to multiple screens via DP1.2 loop out (daisy chain)#, eg. to expand landscape content across 3 displays in portrait mode (as shown).

HDCP Support using DP1.2 loop out# The new ME-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C Series, now offering the DP1.2 loop out, also offer HDCP support through DP1.2 loop out for up to 7 daisy chained compatible displays.

This helps to overcome HDCP compliance issues for multi screen deployments or video wall applications where you need to deliver protected content from one device to multiple displays.

Share Content to multiple displays with DP1.2 Loop Out daisy chain*

The new SSSP, streamlining content and display management

*HDCP up to 7 displays.

Easy content rotation

Create, collaborate, communicate

Images used for illustration purposes only * Samsung LED BLU Commercial Displays use LCD display panels with LED back or edge lighting. ** MagicInfo™ Premium S software is included with displays for stand-alone applications only. For network applications, server licenses are required at additional cost. MagicInfo VideoWall requires one licence at additional cost per display in video wall plus console software at additional cost. ^ Internet connection required. Data and subscription charges may apply. Usage may be subject to third party service provider agreements ^^DP1.2 cables sold separately. Content delivery device must be able to deliver UHD content via DP1.2. # DP cable required, sold separately.

www.samsung.com/au/business it.sales@samsung.com

XTP CrossPoint 3200 Modular Matrix Switcher

XTP CrossPoint 1600 Modular Matrix Switcher

XTP T UWP 202 Transmitter

XTP T USW 103 Transmitter

XTP R HDMI Receiver

XTP T HDMI Transmitter

XTP T VGA Transmitter

XTP SR HDMI Receiver

Extron XTP Systems Extron XTP Systems™ provide a completely integrated switching and distribution solution for multiple digital and analog formats.

Ethernet, and power up to 330 feet (100 m) over a single CATx cable.

Easy to Set Up box to save you time and money. Intuitive control software complicated programming.

Performance XTP Systems deliver extremely high switching and transmission performance to support a wide range of video formats, including the highest resolution DVI and HDMI future-ready AV integration solution.

Australian Distributor of Extron Products

Free Call 1800.EXTRON

Reliable XTP Systems deliver robust system reliability and dependable switching of video signals through EDID and HDCP key management. Featuring advanced 24/7 system monitoring and hot-swappable modular components, XTP CrossPoint matrix switchers are built for continuous, trouble-free operation in the most critical applications.

Flexible System Designs XTP Systems let you easily integrate digital and analog devices into your system design. Connect and switch between local devices, or extend to remote locations up to 330 feet (100 m) away using just a single CATx cable that carries, video, audio, RS-232 or IR control, Ethernet, and power.

www.extron.com

+65.6383.4400

08

Editorial AV in a Post-IT World The battle between AV and IT, if it ever truly existed, has been over for quite a while now. There are clearly a vast number of compelling reasons why it makes sense to take a slew of different analogue signals, convert them into an onlyslightly-aliased digital format, then distribute them everywhere and forever over homogeneous data networks. Eventually the original analogue signal is reconstructed without too much further degradation for the benefit of the humans who will receive it. Indeed, with the relatively-minor exceptions of MIDI, and serial control in the form RS-232, RS-422 and RS-485 (which includes DMX512), pretty much everything else in the audiovisual world begins and ends its life as it always has: as an analogue signal.

Years ago it became obvious that converting everything into the digital domain for distribution and storage was a an idea whose time had come.

We had reached the point where UTP (CatX) cable had become way cheaper than single-pair shielded mic cable, or a single RG-59 coax for composite video, much less the contents of audio-multicores and RGBHV video cables that could be carried on a digital network. Alongside that, network distribution hardware had become a commodity item, available from K-Mart, BigW and the local Post Office shop – a far cry from the specialised unity-gain distribution amplifiers required to spread analogue audio and video around an installation. It just made sense to move this into digital network distribution via the readilyavailable TCP/IP family of protocols over the

cheap-as-chips Ethernet network infrastructure.

This was the point where almost everyone got caught up in the confusion between IT and AV. I’ll put my hand up for being one of them.

I got pretty seriously into IT (then called Electronic Data Processing) in the early 1980s as a result of my interest in applying computer technology, and CAD in particular, to my activities in lighting, video and production management. Along the way I became a software developer, taught IT and CAD, then accidentally wound up as the IT manager for the university faculty where I lectured (the WA Academy of Performing Arts).

You see, coming into IT from a lighting, audio and video background, it was exciting and logical to meld these together for what seemed an obvious development of these technologies. So while others in AV were struggling with the transition, because I had already seen the light (so to speak), I was a strong advocate for the move and worked towards helping others to enlightenment.

What we failed to see was that the less technically knowledgeable in the upper layers of management (which is usually most of them), couldn’t tell Visit us At stAnd XX the difference between the AV people creating, capturing and distributing content that just happened to travel over a digital data network and the IT people creating, storing and moving digital data over an identical data network. They just saw one bunch of people with blue wires standing in the same wiring closets as another bunch of people with blue wires and decided that there was no difference between them. Sure,

plumbers and aeronautical engineers both use screwdrivers and wrenches, but it would be folly to confuse them.

The IT people had been doing this blue wire stuff for longer, and kept assuring management they were much better at it than the AV people, many of whom did feel uncomfortable leaving behind analogue distribution, which was usually easier to troubleshoot than a data network (if you’ve grown up with them, oscilloscopes and multimeters are more intuitive than TDRs and packet sniffers). The upshot of this was that many AV departments got absorbed into IT departments and were then slowly shed from the IT departments because their culture of information production and communication wasn’t as technically-focussed as the traditional information technologist.

IT has indeed won the battle, but the vanquished aren’t really the people of AV. The vanquished are the AV consumers who are being told what they want by the people who transport the data, because the people who know what the data ought to contain and the best ways to capture and reproduce it have long since left the building.

AV’s marketing of what we offer has to focus on our knowledge of the content and the analogue I/O end points like sounds and pictures, whilst we leave the network specialists to truck that content around packed in nice uniform TCP/IP datagrams.  Andy Ciddor, Editor: andy@av.net.au

Winner

2013

MEET US AT INTEGRATE BOOTH: I34

WATC H O U T P R E M I U M PA R T N E R AUSTR ALIA, N EW ZE AL AN D I NTER AC TIVE CO NTRO LS P h o n e: + 61 ( 0 ) 2 94 3 6 3 0 2 2 inf o@int era ctive cont rols.com.au w w w. i n t e r a c t i v e c o n t r o l s . c o m . a u

we are family

be a part of our family over 60 products across 13 series of projectors, panels and touch screens

pro.sony.com.au

Crew Starting out in life training as a dentist, Stuart soon saw the error of his ways. Instead he started up an AV company in London in 1984, and has been in AV ever since. His expertise is in vision for live events, from 35mm slide to videowalls, projection, and more recently, blending and multi-projector systems. He has worked as technical director for touring television shows and corporate events of all sizes, and has spent the past 10 years as General Manager at Haycom.

Cover Image: James Morgan Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086

Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353

Editor: Andy Ciddor (andy@av.net.au) Publication Director: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@av.net.au) Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@av.net.au) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@av.net.au)

Marcus has worked in the entertainment industry for over 15 years. He has lit everything from TV to tours, corporate to circus, galleries to garages, and yet he’s still smiling and always up for a joke. He spends much of his time looking after a large client base for Melbourne lighting company Resolution X. He is currently a committee member of the Australian Lighting Industry Association, a member of the AVIAs judging panel, and has a continuing passion for lighting in all fields.

Art Director: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Graphic Design: Leigh Ericksen (leigh@alchemedia.com.au) Additional Sub Editing: Jen Temm (jen@av.net.au) News Editor: Graeme Hague (news@av.net.au) Accounts: Jaedd Asthana (jaedd@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Manager: Mim Mulcahy (subscriptions@av.net.au)

Paul is a freelance lighting designer based in Sydney. Struggling to find work in his homeland, Paul spends much of the year in far flung places in perpetual search for the perfect breakfast and good coffee. With a love of lights, gadgets and a good story, Paul makes an admirable effort to bring to AV reviews of products and events from around our small and wondrous globe.

alchemedia publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright Š 2013 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title AV is a registered Trademark.

Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication. They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy. 22/7/2013

Derek is an audiovisual consultant with AVDEC, specialising in tertiary education projects. Starting in broadcast TV and radio at the ABC, he bounced between event AV and video production before settling for 12 years at the University of Queensland. He is past president of the Association of Educational Technology Managers and has been a regular judge of the AVIA awards.

He now divides his time between consulting, writing and the occasional video production assignment.

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AUSTRALIA’S FIRST ISF CERTIFIED SCREENS

Galleria Novares Series Worth staying home for.

LP Morgan Galleria Novares projection screen now has the official stamp of approval for visual excellence from the Imaging Science Foundation, the only Australian product to have been awarded this certification.

With Galleria Novares screens you can be assured of the Real Home Cinema Experience. Use it with 2D or 3D projection for stunning results or combine it with the newly released Panamorph DC1 anamorphic lens for the ultimate in immersive and engaging home entertainment. www.imagingscience.com Herma Technologies is a division of Hills SVL

For more information and where you can see a Galleria Novares visit www.lpmorgan.com.au or call 1300 730 025.

Issue 33 REGULARS NEWS 12 AV Industry news, includes news from InfoComm 2013 in Orlando.

22

INFOCOMM ASSOCIATION NEWS A letter to the AV industry from InfoComm’s CEO.

56

INFOCOMM 2013 SHOW REPORT A look at some of the trends and highlights from the industry’s biggest show.

17

TERMINATION Teeing off about the latest technology.

58

FEATURES

38

46

KING HIT The making of musical theatre’s 2500-pound gorilla of a show.

22

FINDING ATLANTIS Space shuttle Atlantis returns to Kennedy Space Center for the last time.

32

COLLABORATIVE COLLABORATION UWA shows what can be achieved when the design team indulges in some collaboration.

38

TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME Is the $3m upgrade to ANZ stadium’s PA raising the bar or just playing catchup?

46

TUTORIALS DEFINING THE MODERN NETWORK Components and transmission systems.

32

57

REVIEWS BLACKMAGIC DESIGN’S HYPERDECK RECORDERS SSD-based record/replay systems.

SONY VPL-FHZ55 PROJECTOR Sony’s first laser-powered projector

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54

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NEWS

CONFERENCE GOING IN CIRCLES?

A BRIGHT IDEA

CISCO TAKEN FOR SUCKERS

Polycom has unveiled the industry’s first 360° panoramic 1080p HD video collaboration solutions custom-built for Microsoft Lync 2013. The Polycom CX5500 and CX5100 Unified Conference Stations are designed to deliver an around-the-table experience for all participants, whether they’re in the room or thousands of miles away. The Polycom CX5500 delivers enterprise-grade video and audio collaboration capabilities in an easy-to-use system that can be plugged into a USB port on a laptop, and it also doubles as a SIP audio conference phone. The Polycom CX5100 provides the same HD panoramic USB video experience for customers who don’t require standalone conference phone connectivity.

The new additions deliver more than twice the HD video image quality, double the frame rate for lifelike motion handling, and Polycom’s HD Voice for the highest quality audio while adding a new interface and design, and a privacy cap.

Polycom: 1800 355 355 or www.polycom.com.au

Brightline has introduced its newest, smallest, fixture, the cME personal video light that conveniently works anywhere you are and easily transports wherever you go. The cME, a natural evolution of Brightline’s i-Series of desktop teleconferencing luminaires, is a professional-quality LED light fixture that is optimised for video. Its five mid-range LEDs are available in 3000K or 5000K with a colour rendering index of 82. The cME’s lens configuration results in a softly spread light that is easy on the eyes. The fixtures have an Off/On two-level switch and run on three AAA batteries. The fixture’s small body has a light, retro feel and is available in white, black and silver finish. cMEs mount easily to your laptop, smart tablet and smart phone, providing light to enhance the quality of your video image. Also included is a height adjustment rod of brushed aluminium. Both the housing and the mounting clip are made from tough, injected-moulded plastic.

Brightline: www.brightlines.com

iRobot Corp announced it has signed a joint marketing agreement and is working in close alliance with Cisco to bring the new enterprise-grade iRobot Ava 500 video collaboration robot to market. The robot blends together iRobot’s autonomous navigation with Cisco’s telepresence to enable people working off-site to participate in meetings and presentations where movement and location spontaneity are important.

It’s also designed to enable mobile visual access to manufacturing facilities, laboratories, customer experience centres and other remote facilities in a supply chain. In other words, no more site inspections by a gaggle of management executives looking silly with high-viz jackets over their Armani suits, and hardhats with cryptic initials. Instead they will be sending in the remote-control robots, steered from the safety of the boardroom. It all sounds a bit much but it’s worth noting that iRobot is responsible for the highly successful Roomba robot vacuum cleaners. Vacuum cleaners and executive board meetings: very similar.

Cisco Systems Australia: (02) 8446 6000 or web-help@cisco.com

NEWS IN BRIEF:

AMX has announced the addition of Amit Singh to its team in Australia as senior account manager (WA). Singh brings with him a background in telecommunications and IT, as well as several years’ experience deploying Tandberg’s videoconference technology. In South Australia, Jared Walley has been promoted to senior account manager for the company. Walley has been with AMX Australia since 2011 and previously held the role of sales engineer for the southern region.

AMX Australia: (07) 5531 3103 or www.amxaustralia.com.au

Jands Pty Ltd, has stuck two new feathers in its cap. Jands has begun distributing conferencing products manufactured by Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS), a division of Informationsteknik Scandinavia Group of Copenhagen, Denmark (which Shure acquired in February 2011). Jands is also now the Australian distributor for Studer.

Both DIS products and Studer consoles will be on display at the Integrate trade show in Sydney during August.

Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au

BenQ has launched its first flicker-free monitor onto the Australian market with the release of the GW2760HS VA display. Featuring a slim design, innovative flicker-free technology, powerful energy-saving solutions, reading mode, 3000:1 native contrast and a true eight-bit panel, the GW2760HS is a 27inch (685mm) monitor. Monitor flicker has been elininated by using a variable continuouscurrent, rather than the more traditional pulse width modulation technique for controlling LED backlight brightness.

BenQ Australia: (02) 8988 6500 or www.benq.com.au

Crestron has appointed Stuart Craig as its new executive director of Crestron Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

Based in Sydney, he will be responsible for leading the sales and marketing efforts in the Asia Pacific area. He was involved with the Crestron brand prior to this as general manager of Hills SVL (plus general manager of both Crestron and Australian Monitor), where he established the Crestron brand in this region.

Most recently Craig has had a three month stint at Panasonic as director of their Australian Business Systems Group.

Crestron: (02) 9737 8203 or www.crestron.com.au

Norwest Productions, a provider of audio services in Australia and New Zealand, has acquired Australian specialist event services business Cairellie. The deal gives Norwest the ability to broaden its range of services and products for clients in Australia to incorporate lighting, video, staging and communications, something the Norwest group is already doing in New Zealand.

Cairellie founders Stephen Knight and David Gleig will retain their existing roles in the Cairellie business and will join the Norwest board.

Norwest Productions: (02) 9737 8522 or www.norwestproductions.com

DXW-2 Series 2-Gang HDBaseT Input Wall Plate Switcher

DXW-2EU DXW-2E DXW-2

LATEST CLEAR-COM CANS Clear-Com has released its RS-701 Beltpack, the first model in a new line of RS-700 Series of wired, analogue partyline beltpacks. The construction of the units was based on Clear-Com’s RS-500 Series beltpacks but with a contoured design. The RS-701 is a singlechannel beltpack equipped with a XLR-3 line connector, swappable microphone options and built-in limiters in the headsets. All 700 Series beltpacks feature recessed rotary volume controls as well as Talk and Call keys that are guarded against accidental activation. An LED off mode is available for instances when the user requires complete darkness. A concealed DIP switch on the back of the beltpack allows you to select audio and key options such as switching between electret or dynamic headset mic options, and setting a minimum or off level for headphone input and mic output. Call with talk operation and latch or non-latch keying are also available. The beltpacks are fully compatible with all Clear-Com legacy partyline systems and protected against damage from accidental connection to other systems.

Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au

VIDEO. AUDIO. NETWORK. CONTROL. POWER. EXTEND UP TO 600FT OVER ONE CAT-X CABLE*

* 600ft over one CAT 6a cable (1080p 60Hz 24bit)

Features Visual computing software provider Mersive has announced the appointment of Image Design Technology (IDT) as a distribution partner. IDT will introduce Mersive’s visual computing software solutions to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Image Design Technology: 1300 666 099 or sales@idt.com.au

Milestone AV Technologies is opening an Australian corporate office in Brisbane. The company is transitioning the business from its former distributor, Home Theatre Group, and will operate directly in the Australian market with a range of consumer products under its Sanus brand. Milestone’s commercial brand Chief (racks & mounting solutions) will continue to be distributed through Image Design Technology, and its Da-Lite projection screen brand will remain with Wilson & Gilkes.

Milestone AV Technologies: (07) 3276 1355 or www.milestone.com

Correction In our feature on RMIT's new Swanson Academic Building in AV issue 32 we incorrectly identified Revolabs HD series wireless mics as operating in the 2.4GHz wi-fi band. Of course they actually operate in the 1.88Ghz - 1.90Ghz DECT band, well clear of the toxically -overcrowded 2.4Ghz area.

The real embarrassment with this error is that we actually corrected it during editing, but it mysteriously snuck back in during layout. Sometimes editing articles on a Mac in Ballarat from a PC in Hobart just goes a little pear-shaped.

• • • • • • • • • •

1 HDMI input with audio for DVI 1 VGA input (can accept YPbPr, S-Video, & Video) All inputs converted to HDMI at the wallplate HDBaseT 600ft extension 1 IR receiver (40ft range) 1 LAN pass-through connector (2E and 2EU only) Auto-sense, buttons, RS-232 for source select Low depth for floor and table boxes Remotely or locally powered Connect direct to HDBaseT compliant displays

Made in the USA For all product enquiries, demos or quotes, please contact us: jands.com.au

info@jands.com.au

016

NEWS

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1/ ADDER EXTENDERS

2/NODE TAKES THE LOAD

3/ AMX OFFERS RETRACTION

Adder has launched its ALDV100 range of HDMI point-to-point and point-to-multipoint extenders.

The new technology can interrogate its own network to determine if specific content is being displayed on connected screens, enabling advertising networks to offer payment structures based on an accurate proof of display basis, as well as saving maintenance costs as display errors can be inspected remotely over an IP link. With a 50-metre (150ft) extension distance, rollout using the technology is a simple procedure. The extenders are line powered so no additional power cabling is required at the receiver points. The pointto-point system supports HDCP and full EDID passthrough ensuring continuous correct operation. Used as a professional signage technology, the ALDV100 is designed to work silently and continuously. The four-way transmitter unit, ALDV104T, also features automatic failover, allowing two digital playback machines to be connected and automatically switched if the video output from one unit should fail.

KVM Australia: 1800 222 898 or www.kvm.com.au

Christie apparently also thinks meeting rooms are overdue for a thorough cleanup. The days of passing cables and adapters across meeting room tables, installing additional software, rebooting laptops, and apologising for delayed or bungled presentations have supposedly ended (let’s not hold our collective breath just yet) with its launch of the Christie Brio, a new meeting presentation and collaboration solution.

Brio enables multiple attendees at meetings to run audio and video presentations from their own devices via wired or wireless connections and automatically share multiple presentations showing simultaneously on either one or two meeting room screens. Whether participants use Apple or Android phone and tablets, presentations can be added to a meeting instantly by using a single, low-cost hardware Brio node that can add up to five presentations to that room’s displays.

Once the content is processed by the node it can also be made available to other Brio nodes via a shared network.

Christie Australia: (07) 3844 9514 or www.vrs.com.au

AMX has responded to what it describes as the market’s frustrations with clumsy, retractable cable designs and messy conference room tables. The new AMX HydraPort Cable Retractor Modules were designed to work smoothly and seamlessly, require no adjustments and ensure second-to-none video and audio fidelity.

AMX has also announced two new HydraPort Dual USB Modules that offer the convenience of two USB modules in a single HydraPort unit size for connecting to a network and/or charging devices. Early in the design phase of the new Retractor Modules, AMX realized the answer to a better solution was the cable itself, and designed new cables that ensure efficient, trouble-free retraction and AV fidelity. Each of the four new Retractor Modules supports a specific AV format (HDMI, DisplayPort, Ethernet and RGB with audio) and can be installed in any of the 600, 900 or 1200 HydraPort base assemblies. AMX is also making these same flat cables available for use under carpets or wherever else flat cables are required.

AMX Australia: (07) 5531 3103 or www.amxaustralia.com.au

5/ SOUND DEVICES PIX UP ITS GAME

6/ QSC IN THE FAST LINE

7/SAROS SPEAKERS

Sound Devices, has showcased its new PIX 260i Production Video Recorder with expanded filetransfer capabilities. PIX 260i features 32 tracks of audio record and playback plus full device control from network-attached computers and tablets. It records QuickTime files in either Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD video formats. Files recorded in these intra-frame codecs are ready for editing directly from the recorder in common editing environments such as Avid, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere. The device supports Apple ProRes 4444 through its 12-bit, 4:4:4 3G-SDI I/O. Users can also play out files from the PIX 260i for real-time applications. The new version 1.02 firmware, available for free for all PIX 260i users, provides numerous enhancements to performance and recording.

John Barry Group: (02) 9355 2300 or www.johnbarry.com.au

QSC Audio Products has introduced two new amplifier families, the CXD Series for installed sound applications and the PLD Series for portable and live sound reinforcement. QSC’s Flexible Amplifier Summing Technology (FAST) provides better power allocation by actively distributing the total amplifier power across one, two, three or all four outputs, enabling amp channels to be combined for maximum current or voltage output with the largest models capable of up to 5000W. Housed in a 2U rack-mount configuration, CXD and PLD Series amplifiers feature new QSC proprietary class-D power devices. QSC agrees there’s been a misconception the company was moving away from power amplifier products and focusing its attention on loudspeakers and DSP, and the new lines should well and truly dispel that rumour.

Technical Audio Group: (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au

Crestron has rounded out its line of commercial loudspeakers with its Saros range, a complete line of speakers designed for faster, easier installation, and multi-purpose use. With custom-designed features including dual-stage toggle clamp ceiling mounts and zero-bezel magnetic grilles, Saros speakers offer professional grade performance, solid construction and high-end components. Ideal for background or foreground music, paging and sound reinforcement systems, they are engineered to achieve smooth, even coverage, high output and clear, natural sound quality through the employment of horn-loaded titanium dome tweeters, high-efficiency damped-cone woofers, ported enclosures and precisely-tuned crossovers. The units are available in pendant, in-ceiling and surface mount configurations.

Crestron: (02) 9737 8203 or www.crestron.com.au

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8 4/HANGING FROM THE CEILING Chief, a specialist in mounts, racks and interactive solutions, recently introduced Fusion Ceiling Mounted Menu Board Solutions. Designed for digital signage installations, the new mounts offer precise TV positioning and flexible adjustments. Features include a single horizontal extrusion to keep screens aligned, ControlZone Leveling for micro-height adjustment at all column intersections, Centris tilt for easy adjustment between +5 and -20 degrees, tool-free screen engagement and an optional padlock security. The mounts are available in 3 x 1 and 2 x 1 configurations with portrait and landscape options, with back-to-back versions in portrait and landscape to follow. The FCAX extension bracket makes it possible to install larger screens. The mount is compatible with traditional 1.5-inch (38mm) NPT (National Pipe Thread) and Chief’s new CPA pin connection column system and ceiling plates.

Image Design Technology: 1300 666 099 or sales@idt.com.au

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8/WIRETAG, YOU’RE IT Dataton has introduced its Wiretag transponder. Plugging directly into a Watchpax solid-state media server, which runs Dataton’s Watchout show-timeline, media control and image-manipulation software on a built-in, compact embedded computer, the Wiretag transponder allows audience members equipped with Pickup audio guides to access the audio of a Watchout show relevant to their location of the display and still remain in perfect sync. Wiretag isn’t proprietary to the Watchpax system so the integration of Wiretag and Pickup can also be incorporated in existing audiovisual systems that deploy Watchout and associated computing hardware. Wiretag plugs into the Watchpax via the latter’s USB connection and requires no separate power supply.

The transponder can then be affixed to a display or other visible unit using the supplied self-adhesive pad. Pickup users can be as much as eight metres away from the Wiretag and still receive the correct audio. As well as acting as a means of integration with Watchout shows, Wiretag can also be used as an externally powered alternative to Dataton’s Microtag system.

Interactive Controls: (02) 9436 3022 or www.interactivecontrols.com.au

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NEWS

019

InfoComm 2013 From the resolution revolution to telepresence Daleks, this is the show roundup.

Text:/ Andy Ciddor

InfoComm 2013 was the usual full-body culture shock for me. Walking across the tarmac in Hobart to board my first flight of the day through a crisp 4° morning was quite a contrast to the next time I felt fresh air some 30 hours later, at 3am in steamy 33° Orlando, Florida. More than the weather, though, is the contrast of the sheer scale of the InfoComm Show.

The previous week, with my Light+Design editor’s hat on, I had been at the SPARC show at Sydney’s Overseas Passenger Terminal in Circular Quay. Affiliated with the Vivid festival, this was a busy tradeshow focussed on commercial lighting with a very heavy influence of LEDs. It attracted 74 exhibitors and some 3000 visitors. This entire show occupied about the same floor space as the combined area of the Christie and Crestron stands at InfoComm, and of course there were another 930 or so stands in the Orange County Convention Center to visit. Although the Orlando show usually attracts fewer visitors than the Las Vegas version, this year’s event saw a record 35,000 attendees, an indication of returning US business confidence (although there were only half the number of Australians who visited Las Vegas last year).

On top of that, there were probably a further 3000 people in red InfoComm shirts.

4K & 6GIGS

Following on from the trend seen at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show a couple of months earlier, everything video is now in the process of being upgraded to 4k resolution (which of course can mean anything from around 2160 horizontal lines and 3500 vertical lines upwards). Video signal transport and processing is rapidly moving to uncompressed 4k, hence the need for signal bandwidths of 6Gbps (that’s 6 gigabits per second Gb, not the 6GB – 6 gigabytes per second that’s seen in so many hastily-typed media releases). It looks like 4k capture and production for cinematic, signage and production purposes is well and truly upon us and should be reasonably priced and reasonably available once all the products announced in the last few months start to roll off the production lines later in

the year (or maybe early next year).

On the consumer display front, boring old 3D is a thing of the past (or more correctly, a thing of a future that failed to materialise) so this year’s big idea for selling more product to aspirational consumers is that any screen over about 55-inches (1.4m) really needs to be at least 4k resolution to look acceptable.

While some of us have been installing 4k (and beyond) high resolution systems in the appropriate industrial, commercial, museum, educational and research environments for years, it’s quite a leap of faith to buy a TV for a format for which there is no standard distribution medium for either pre-recorded material or live streams. The 4k landscape looks even stranger when you consider that here we sit, several years after the availability of digital HD (1k) broadcasting, and there is approximately zero 1080p material being transmitted. And that’s for a medium where distribution and transmission standards are in existence. Does anyone want to suggest a date when a full 4k end-to-end footy match will be broadcast to your lounge room?

AVB PROGRESS

Everybody’s favourite new networking standard, Audio Video Bridging (AVB), is a group of network protocols for the distribution of time-synchronised and low-latency audio and video streams over Ethernet networks. AVB currently provides for three core protocols, which offer timing and synchronisation, bandwidth allocation and traffic shaping to ensure that low priority data does not interfere with AVB content.

Each year at InfoComm the AVNu Alliance (the keepers of the AVB flame) demonstrates the progress being made by its members to produce interoperable products that communicate via AVB. InfoComm 2013 was the first time we have seen any evidence of the V in AVB. Barco and Arrive Networks both showed working models of devices that stream fully synchronised low-latency audio and vision across a busy AVB network. Another interesting development was the use of the XMOS microcontroller to implement a number of advanced AVB features in a

single device. Of particular interest was the configuration of the microcontroller as a dual-port device that enables a daisy chain of devices instead of the switch-based star topology that is the hallmark of modern Ethernet networks.

And on the subject of daisy chains, it’s becoming increasingly common to hear AV technical people lamenting the topology of TCP/IP-based AV systems running on UTP (CatX) and fibre. Certainly having everything from machine control to CCTV, audio, email, web browsing and beverage ordering on the same network means you have a much smaller inventory of cables to stock and few worries about adding new data streams to the installation, but modern Ethernet (anything faster than 2Mbps) is locked into a star topology, based around the central network switch. While the star is an acceptable tradeoff for many applications it’s a damned nuisance for many of our ‘traditional’ AV applications such as distributed video monitors, background music and announcement systems and particularly for the far-flung outposts of digital signage installations.

HDBASE-T

While by no means an open standard (in fact the technology is closely guarded by its developer Valens Semiconductor) HDBaseT has become a much sought-after technology.

There are now more than 60 companies signed on to the HDBaseT Alliance to develop products around the technology that squeezes HD video (up to 4k of course), audio, 100Mbps Ethernet, a bunch of low-bandwidth control signals plus 100W of power down a single run of Cat5e/6 UTP cable.

At InfoComm 2013, in addition to the growing number of point-to-point HDBaseT data transmission products and its everincreasing adoption in matrix switchers and similar signal distribution applications, we saw the first round of single-cable HDBaseT devices such as projectors, monitors and an AV receiver from Pioneer, the newest member of the alliance. Gefen has taken the pointto-point process several steps further by releasing a pass-through HDBaseT receiver

020

NEWS

for digital signage applications that replicates the signal down an eight-step daisy chain with an 800m maximum run. This technology is really gathering a lot of momentum and there is more real product shipping all the time.

TOUCHY SUBJECT

Touch applications have really hit the mainstream now, with interactive devices and applications springing up wherever you look. The wide range of nascent large-screen touch technologies we saw at InfoComm shows a few years ago has gone through a bit of a shake out, with the main players being the increasingly more accurate and sophisticated (often retrofitted) IR LED bezel systems using a couple of different technologies, and the through-screen camera system from Finnish company MultiTouch. Because the through-screen system is entirely behind the panel and capable of easily being tiled to produce arbitrarily-large interactive multi-touch panels (such as those in the QUT cube featured in AV Issue 30), the MultiTouch panels in 42-inch, 55inch and, since InfoComm, 84-inch panels have come to the forefront of the interactive exhibit market in museums and retail.

Even more than the hardware, multi-touch display development tools are an ever-expanding sector, with a lot of players attempting to fill the growing demand for interactive systems.

Like digital signage development before it, this sector looks set for a wide range of offerings with very different approaches to interactivity and a shakeout process that will leave just a few area-specific approaches with the majority of the spoils. It’s still way too early to even guess who those players will be, much less pick a winner.

COLLABORATIVE IMPERATIVE

More than ever before this InfoComm show was abuzz with the imperative of collaboration.

Everything from an interactive whiteboard to a note-taking app for mobile phones has been dragged in under this umbrella.

Videoconferencing in particular has become a critical part of the unified collaboration that all AV must participate in if we are to survive.

If the world really does need even more expensive video collaboration suites that only seem to be used to watch the running of the Melbourne Cup, that’s fine by me. I had mistakenly come to the conclusion that cheap, simple, always-ready, desktop conferencing systems that cost much less to own and operate, provided a ready means of collaborating with all the people who aren’t in my building. It seems I’m not entirely wrong, as most UC strategies that you buy for seven-figure sums usually include a desktop/mobile device client in the mix.

Most noticeable at InfoComm 2013 were the wide variety of meeting room collaboration ideas being offered by everyone, from projection companies to control and integration companies.

While each of the products I saw allowed the participants in a meeting to share ideas between their laptop or tablet screens, there were a surprisingly diverse range of approaches to connecting devices, becoming the focus of attention, annotating content and publishing the results of the meeting. Now, while the world could comfortably work without the tyranny of a single overblown Word processor, it probably doesn’t need the present diversity of meeting collaboration applications with so many different underlying architectures and thought processes.

One of the more surprising technologies to make an appearance at the show was the remote telepresence videoconferencing robot. I know the idea has been around in various real and imagined forms for many years, but what shocked me was that there were four companies offering versions of a motorised box that can run around your office equipped with a video conferencing station mounted on a stick at head height.

I like the idea of a video conferencing trolley you can wheel into an office or meeting room and use for a meeting with a remote party at the drop of a hat. What I’m not convinced of is why you would need the trolley to be robotic and able to go up to someone’s desk or catch them unawares in the corridor for a teleconference. And these devices are seriously capable robots from the likes of iRobot (the Roomba people) in conjunction with Cisco and Suitable Technologies – a spinoff from the Willow Garage robot works. The price of the BEAM from Suitable Tech is quoted as US$16k, which is a lot of airfares and taxi vouchers you would have to save to make the purchase even vaguely economical. But it’s not the economics or even the technology I find unfathomable; it’s the mindset that could see this as even vaguely practicable. All of the people who you would need to contact from your converted NORAD office located deep under Cheyenne Mountain would have to be located on the same level in rooms without doors. I learned this from watching what happens when Daleks try to climb stairs to ‘ex-term-inate’ Doctor Who. I’ve recently been having nightmares about being invaded in my office by a telepresence robot shouting ‘COLLAB-OR-ATE - COL-LAB-OR-ATE’. 

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2013

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2013

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AMX Australia AMX Wows Market with Enzo, the Simplest, Fastest Way to Access, Present and Share Information during Meetings AMX will be unveiling Enzo™ at Integrate, a revolutionary meeting room solution that makes presenting and sharing information easy, quick and completely painless.

Imagine being able to access, present and share information in mere seconds rather than having to go through the painstaking obstacle course of powering up the PC, logging in, accessing the network, and so on. And when your meeting is over, with Enzo, there’s no logging out, no system updating to wait on and all files are instantly purged so there’s no chance of them being left on the machine or accessible to someone else. That is the promise that Enzo delivers.

Contacts: www.amxaustralia.com.au sales@amxaustralia.com.au +617 5531 3103

STAND C30

SAMSUNG Electronics Australia The new Samsung Smart Signage Platform with MagicInfo™ Premium S Enabling web based^ multi-display signage networks** without the need for external media players!

Included with the latest ME-C, MD-C, PE-C, UE-C and UD-C series displays, the Samsung Smart Signage Platform eliminates the need for external PC media players, streamlining display and content management. Combine with MagicInfo™ Premium S** software, to create, schedule and deliver content to either a single display or multiple displays over a network**^ *Samsung LED BLU Commercial Displays use LCD display panels with LED back or edge lighting. **MagicInfo™ Premium S software is included with displays for standalone applications only. For network applications, server licenses are required at additional cost. ^Internet connection required. Data and subscription charges may apply.

Usage may be subject to third party service provider agreements.

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STAND G30

2013

in association with

Just Lamps Australia Ltd In April of this year, Just Lamps Australia, the leading projector lamps distributor, launched a new division - ‘Just Lampless’. As the name suggests, the new division will be exclusively focussed on the distribution of lamp-less projectors. Encompassing LED, laser and hybrid technologies, Just Lampless will provide much-needed knowledge and expertise of the new projectors along with all the specialist support services necessary to help AV dealers across the country to adopt them into their portfolios and profitably sell them.

At Integrate 2013 we will not only be showcasing the very best in lampless technology, but will be on hand to discuss what is happening in the traditional lamp market. We have a very cool pico projector to give away in a card drop draw. The only problem is that anyone with kids will never see it again.

Contacts: 07 5449 9483 info.au@justlamps.net www.justlamps.net

STAND J21

Production Audio Video Technology Diversity of products will be the theme for PAVT this year - with products and technology including Wireless Collaboration, Dante Networked Audio, Digital Beamsteering Microphone, and “Anya” - The most technologically-advanced sound system ever created.

For the first time in Australia, visitors will have the chance to meet “Anya” in person, the much anticipated supermodel from EAW. Anya brings control and refinement in a distinctive package.

We are delighted to have Dr Dinesh Tripathi with us from WOW Vision to officially launch the new Collab8. This networked collaboration unit allows Windows, MAC,

iOS and Android users to wirelessly display to their screen. Users can create and edit a common document together, and associates can also join the session via Skype and can even capture an external video device such as a PTZ camera, Bluray, or apple TV. As has become a feature of the PAVT stand, a live band will be performing through the new highly-focused EAW QX300 loudspeakers, and complemented with local Sydney boutique beer.

Factory experts from Powersoft, Symetrix, EAW, Klotz & RDL will be on hand alongside the PAVT team to answers any questions, see you there!

Contacts: 03 9264 8000 sales@productionaudio.com.au www.productionaudio.com.au/

STAND B2

2013

in association with

024

King Hit The making of musical theatre’s 2500-pound gorilla of a show.

Text:/ Marcus Pugh

I was first introduced to King Kong back in 2011 while delivering some lighting equipment to the Creature Technology workshop in West Melbourne.

In one corner of the 9000sqm warehouse sat a scale model, one quarter of the size of the gigantic silverback gorilla which is now wowing audiences in Melbourne’s Regent Theatre. Back then the warehouse was occupied by a weyr of dragons waiting to be unleashed on the world in the How to Train Your Dragon arena show. By the time I was aware of Kong as an upcoming theatre show, the team at Creature Technology (who make the creatures) and Global Creatures (who produce the shows) were already three years into the journey of bringing the gorilla to life on stage.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR GORILLA

King Kong Live on Stage represents one of the most ambitious, expensive ($30m according to rumours) and longest pre-production periods for a show in Australian theatre history. It was Global Creatures experience in large-scale animatronics like Walking with Dinosaurs and How to Train your Dragon which made them the only company with the ability to bring a 1.1-tonne, 6m-tall primate with an 8m arm span to life right in front of a live audience. The production design has also brought together some amazing technology from each of the technical departments.

Just like the secondary characters (the humans) from the 1933 film, King Kong has been an ambitious journey for the team from Global Creatures to tame a supernatural beast. While they didn’t have to travel to Skull Island (although they will hopefully be travelling to another island in the Hudson River) they did amass a world class team of designers and technicians at the forefront of their disciplines, to embark on this adventure. … ALL THE KING’S MEN

The idea of a live stage version of King Kong was first conceived 2008, but the serious business of design and development didn’t kick into gear until 2010.

Creature Technology headed up by Sonny Tilders and his team of 50 specialists drew on their experience with building dinosaurs and dragons to help create the star of the show. The ‘eighth wonder of the world’ is brought to life through a unique mixture of stage automation, animatronics and marionette operation.

Technical director Richard Martin commenting

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on the differences between Kong and their previous monsters “We use the automation (pre-programmed actions) to do all the gross moves around stage, including lift/lower and rotate, while the marionette work (undertaken by the puppeteers known as the King’s Men) bring his limbs alive, and then we layer in the animatronics (voodoo) to do all the finessing required to endear the creature to the audience”. The voodoo system is a live control method that Creature Technology have developed over the years as a means to manipulate the many moving parts in their animatronic creations, to add more live and organic movement to the performance. It works through the operators, who each have a custom 3D-printed control platform (kind of like a very complex video game controller), which controls particular parts of the creature. Kong has three voodoo operators: one who controls his chest, another for his shoulder movements and the third for his face.

GORILLA IN OUR MIDST

“we allow the voodoo operators access to the controls so they can constantly keep Kong alive”

Photo: James Morgan

It is a difficult mix to create a monster capable of scaring the audience with his size, but at the same time has sufficiently subtle facial expressions to make the same audience empathise with his plight as the story progresses. Kong’s facial expressions are created by 15 industrial servomotors (the same ones used on NASA’s Mars Rover) and two hydraulic rams which are all controlled via the voodoo system. The stage automation is by PRG (Production Resource Group) and the Kong apparatus which allows him to move about the space is by Stage Technologies from the UK. The final design of Kong was arrived at after building four models of differing scales, plus two previous fullsize versions. One of these was fully-automated and completely controlled via automation and a voodoo system, but director Daniel Kramer wanted an even more organic and ‘live’ approach to the movement and this was the point in the development that the more traditional puppetry was integrated into the to the design. At one point Kong has 10 of the puppeteers known as the King’s Men, onstage controlling different aspects of his 50 points of articulation.

APE STATS: SIMIAN TO THINK ABOUT

Kong’s skin and musculature is made from many different materials layered over his main aluminium skeleton. The muscles and joints are created by a mix of bean-filled and inflatable bags which makes the outer skin wrinkle and stretch in a more realistic manner. The giant simian contains over 300 metres of cable with 1500 connection points and 16 microprocessors, plus a silent German-built hydraulic liquid-cooled compressor at his core. While his main torso and head is supported by a welded steel frame flown from the custom apparatus above, his arms are made rigid by aluminium ‘bones’ which makes them light enough to be manipulated by the King’s Men while still appearing to weigh much more than their mere 60kg each. Richard Martin again: “On Kong we allow the voodoo operators access to the controls so they can constantly keep Kong ‘alive’. You never want to see a creature onstage that is not moving.

He must keep breathing, moving, and have life.”

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In late 2012 it was time for Kong to journey from his birthplace in West Melbourne to his current home; the Regent Theatre in the heart of Melbourne, which has undergone some amazing transformations of its own.

Most large musicals take time to load in and there are inevitably some alterations needed in the venue, but King Kong took this to the next level. It took six months to load in, the longest ‘in’ of any live theatre production staged in Australia. To accommodate this show, the team removed the orchestra pit, all the under-stage offices and the entire stage surface. Overhead they removed all bar a handful of fly lines, giving a total of 23m of vertical space for Kong to play in. They installed an entire new gantry level which extends out over the stage leaving a hole for Kong to hang and move through. This gantry is the launching point for all of the flown talent (there are 50 harnesses used in the show) and also supports most of the lighting rig.

Twenty tonnes of steel work was installed to support the production and they discovered during the load in that they had max’ed out the existing 1200A mains feed and still needed to find a further 400A which was sourced through another feed from the basement.

Custom rigging was supplied by PRG USA and HES (Hoisting Equipment Specialists) from Melbourne. The auditorium seating has been raised for an improved viewing angle and in the process they converted an unused area under the seating into the band room and rehearsal space. While it will take some time after Kong vacates the Regent to get it back to its original state, this production will be leaving a legacy of improvements that will benefit future productions.

MORE THAN A MONKEY

Not to be outdone by the massive monkey, the projection, sound and lighting departments all bought some pretty impressive tricks along for the adventure, even the 36-station Leon cue light system is running custom software. All these elements work together

FEATURE

through what is called the ‘show control backbone‘ which sends SMPTE timecode and MIDI signals to each of the consoles to allow accurately synched cueing. This is a system that Global Creatures has been perfecting since Walking with Dinosaurs. “And I think we have finally worked out the best way now with Kong,” commented Production Electrician Ken Roach.

Projection design was in the hands of by Berlinbased Frieder Weiss and encompasses an impressive 12mm pitch, 27m wide by 8.4m high LED screen which is just under 4.5 megapixels. This LED screen forms a 180° curved cyclorama upstage, reinforcing the overall set design. The curved LED screen is used to create virtual scenery for Kong to move through and creates the illusion that Kong is covering great distances while ‘running’. There are also four Panasonic 20k HD projectors and two 8k Panasonic projectors in the projection design. The projectors and the LED screen are mapped and controlled by EyeCon, a video motion sensing system designed and marketed by Weiss himself.

This system is fed information from infra-red lights on an independent DMX universe and cameras that track Kong and the other actors within the space. This all means that the projection in the fore and back ground is constantly adjusting to the movements of the cast and gives Kong the flexibility to adapt his performance each night. Weiss has superimposed a digital layer over the traditional theatrical experience and says: “It is a trajectory into the 21st century. That’s how people live now. They have a reality that is extended by a virtual world with electronic communication”.

AUDIO CHEST BEATING

The sound design for King Kong Live on Stage leaves nothing behind in technology or innovation and has been designed by Grammy, Tony and Olivier awardwinner, Peter Hylenski. The hardware includes 180 speaker cabinets, predominately Meyer Sound. There are also subwoofers positioned under the seating to

Left: The view over Kong’s head shows the overhead gantry system constructed for the show after removing most of the house flying system. Central to the system is the Kong Apparatus built by Stage Technologies, a complex circular array of winches, motors and cables that allows Kong to be animated and make gestures while moving around the stage space.

Right: Kong in repose with no automation, puppeteers or voodoo operators to disturb him.

Photographer: James Morgan

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make the audience literally shake in their seats to Kong’s footfalls and bellows. There are 190 inputs running into the Studer Vista 5 desk, while band foldback is taken care of by a Yamaha CL5. QLab is used for the video and music playback and generates the timecode running through the aforementioned control system backbone.

To keep Kong sounding as lifelike as he looks, the Global Creatures team designed a bespoke system that takes live voice acting from one of the voodoo operators and mixes it with samples to create a dynamic, living vocabulary for King Kong. The producers sourced music from an eclectic mix of modern artists including The Avalanches, Massive Attack, Sarah MacLachlan and Justice.

LIGHTING CHALLENGE

Peter Mumford, the lighting designer for King Kong has a long history with Daniel Kramer the show’s director.

He has tackled many large productions in the past but Kong is the largest from a technical standpoint.

Mumford was presented with a difficult challenge: due to the use of infra-red cameras he was limited to what fixtures could be used in different sections of the show. More than two thirds of the lighting rig is moving lights: Clay Paky Sharpies and Alpha 700 Profiles; and Vari-Lite VL3500s, all supplied by PRG. Peter turned to the new generation of Source Four LED profiles with their ability to colour mix, which meant a reduction in number of fixtures required. Every fixture in the rig is DMX-controlled, so while virtually no dimmers are used, it means they are running 28 universes of DMX. The lighting system is controlled by an ETC EOS linked to the show control backbone for triggering some cues and positions. “Lighting is, in many ways, the last creative act in the process of theatre making because it is melding surface design with performance,” asserts Mumford.

Ken Roach, the production electrician and Global Creatures regular, certainly has had his work cut out for him on King Kong. The set has over 1500 Philips iColor

FEATURE

Flex LED Pixels, a pair in every rivet of the Times Square Walls set (more individual set LEDs than the Priscilla bus - but who’s counting). Ken commented: “The director wanted to have a strobe language in the show which extended to the guns and cameras (one minute they are taking pictures of the monkey the next minute they are shooting him). He wanted them to be as bright as possible and also to fire in sync with the sound effects”.

Ken knew that this wouldn’t be something that he could just go and buy, so he built his own. Each gun strobe has 25 Luxeon Rebel LEDs in it, plus a microcontroller and a wireless modem, with a Mac Mini as the main controller. The Mac listens for a MIDI signal from the sound operator on the show control backbone, and fires pre-programmed sequences in the guns in perfect time with the sound cues. The Sharpys are also controlled in the same fashion and used as ‘firearms’ during the iconic final sequence (spoiler alert!) when Kong is being shot at while climbing the Empire State building.

Ken also oversaw the atmospheric effects for the show: “We have tons of smoke machines, fans for days, a pile of low smoke generators and a very attractive fog curtain custom developed for the show” all of which are used to great effect, with the show working its way through 950kg of CO2 per week. The fog curtain provides a shifting surface for Peter Mumford to integrate into his lighting design.

THEN WE TAKE MANHATTEN

King Kong Live on Stage takes the audience on an adventurous journey with the ‘eighth wonder of the world’ from Skull Island to New York and just like Kong being bought to life by a synthesis of ancient and new theatrical techniques, this show is brought together by a mix of the old and the new. The adventure continues for the 75 crew on the show, with Global Creatures looking at a long run for the Regent Theatre and much interest coming from Broadway and Germany to pick up the show. The whole show is testament to a sense of adventure and ambitious ideas paying off in a big way. 

Aside from all the monkey business, King Kong Live On Stage is a big, bold full-on musical with an automated set that undergoes constant transformations.

Photographer: Jeff Busby

More Information: King Kong Live on Stage: kingkongliveonstage.com Global Creatures: www.global-creatures.com Creature Technology Company: www.creaturetechnology.com PRG: www.prg.com Stage Technology: www.stagetech.com Hoisting Equipment Specialists: www.hesgroup.com.au

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Features of AV-iQ Data Management Program AV-iQ is a universal industry product communications center that centralizes all data in a single database and standardizes data categorization for the AV industry.

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For information For information about theabout manythe participation many participation opportunities, opportunities, sponsorships sponsorships and listings andwith listings AV-iQ with globally, AV-iQ contact globally,Philip contact Spencer Philip Spencer at at +61 (0)2.9986.1188 +61 (0)2.9986.1188 or philip@alchemedia.com.au. or philip@alchemedia.com.au.

Magazine presents the fourth annual Audio Visual Industry Awards — the AVIAs The AVIAs are this region's only independently adjudicated professional AV awards program, and a celebration of Australia's best and brightest in the spheres of Commercial AV Installation, Education, Museums & Display, and Event Production.

ALIA

Join Us!: The AVIAs 2013 will be presented after the InfoComm International Keynote Address at the end of Day 1 of Integrate. The ceremony will be a brief and informal gathering with refreshments kindly provided by InfoComm International.

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FEATURE

Just like the recently-reported Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka (MADE), the latest attraction at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida is a single-object museum with a great deal of peripheral material to make a visit a worthwhile experience. The experience aspect of the exhibit is very important when you’re asking punters to invest considerable time and effort in travelling to see the show.

Ballarat is an hour or so on freeways from Melbourne while KSC is an hour or so down a really boring concrete tollway from the theme parks and tourist ‘attractions’ of Orlando (but there are more alligators to see than on the drive to Ballarat).

At MADE the single object is the Eureka flag, a fragile object of inestimable value, while at KSC the new exhibit is somewhat larger, but valued at just a couple of billion dollars, which, when you think about it, is a reasonable price for a 28-year old vehicle that’s only been driven 33 times and has a mere 203 million kilometres on the clock! In both exhibits the central object doesn’t actually do anything of note, so all of the action has to be through the other exhibits which interpret and describe its meaning to visitors at a wide range of interest and comprehension levels.

SPACE RACE

Although the attraction was still a couple of weeks away from completion when Projectiondesign/Barco very kindly had a small group of us smuggled onto the construction site in hi-viz vests and visitors’ hard hats, it was very clear that this attraction was designed to engage everyone from bored parents to even more easily-bored little brothers and sisters.

As someone who’s been fascinated by all things space since the age of six, when my dad showed me the moving star that was earth’s first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, I was actually a bit saddened and disappointed by some aspects of the exhibit’s design concept. Don’t get me wrong, this is a truly world-class exhibition that uses some of the best techniques around for the presentation of ideas and interactive learning experiences. What upset me was the quarter-scale replica of the International Space Station (ISS) that’s used as a crawling tunnel to amuse the little kids, and the big slippery slide in the shape of the descent curve of the space shuttle returning to earth. I’m sure when I go back to KSC one day with my soonto-be-born grandson, I’ll appreciate being able to send him off to play on these things while I have a serious play with some of the interactive exhibits, but it just feels a bit tawdry turning all that astounding science and engineering into a slightly fancier version of the climbing frame thing at Macca’s.

Built at a cost of about $100m for Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts who operates KSC visitors centre for NASA, the 8500sqm space shuttle exhibit is the jewel in the crown of a site that is making the transition from being the base for the USA’s manned space program to yet another of the tourist attractions in the Orlando area, competing with Seaworld, Walt Disney World, Legoland and Universal theme parks.

SHUTTLE CHOOK RAFFLE

The history of the project is a bit unusual in that it dates back to 2010, when Delaware North and PGAV Destinations, in partnership with NASA, gave PGAV the brief to design and create a space exploration attraction at a time when they didn’t actually have an exhibit to build a museum around. There was a serious shortage of used space shuttles, because some 21 US institutions had put their hands up to be the homes for the four available shuttles: Discovery, Atlantis and Endeavour (the one built from spare parts) which had all flown space missions;

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FEATURE

The seven-panel ISS (International Space Station) touch wall allows visitors to track the ISS, follow its assembly process, watch live footage from the ISS and discover when the ISS will be most visible from their home town (if they live in North America).

Image: Courtesy of Unified Field

plus Enterprise, the flight-test prototype that never went into space.

In April 2011, amidst the flurry of politicking, lobbying and naked influence wielding that is a fine art in US politics, NASA eventually nominated the Smithsonian in Washington, the California Science Center in Los Angeles, and KSC as recipients of the space-faring shuttles, while the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York was allocated Enterprise.

The upshot of this was that over a year into the project not a single piece of building hardware had been purchased, nor a single exhibit been taken beyond concept stage, with only 27 months to go before the opening date: just before the 4th of July weekend in 2013.

Actually, they had taken a bit of a gamble and started on some site preparation, which could have been used for another exhibit. Another candidate, the Museum of Flight in Seattle had precipitously started building a wing to house their hoped-for shuttle that never materialised (they did eventually get hold of the full-body mock-up used for astronaut training). Once the announcement had been made, the development at KSC got into full swing, even before Atlantis had left the launch pad on its final mission.

EXHIBITION LAUNCHPAD

Once Atlantis returned to earth it was prepared

by NASA for its new life as a museum exhibit by the removal of a substantial proportion of its internal workings, including the extraction of all its pyrotechnically-operated systems, propulsion, batteries, fuel storage and handling, and the draining of a whole range of fluids from

The preshow auditorium uses 4 x Projectiondesign F35 (2560 x 1600) projectors for the main show and 16 x F32 (1920 x 1200) for projection-mapped coverage of the auditorium’s ribbed arches.

Image: Courtesy KSC

hydraulics to coolants. However, the museum doesn’t own Atlantis; it’s only on loan from NASA to Delaware North, who on handover had to sign a receipt for the loan of a $2b space shuttle.

Despite riding into space on a pillar of fire at almost-unbearable acceleration, moving huge pieces of cargo about in space and descending from orbit on layer of white-hot plasma, a space shuttle turns out to be a remarkably fragile vehicle when it’s on the ground and you want to put it on display. Designed as an orbital workhorse, virtually none of its systems were intended to work in the presence of gravity. The magnificent slender Canadian robotic arm which moved vast objects in orbit is too flimsy to even move under gravity – much less support a load – so the arm on display is actually a replica made from ordinary earthbound materials.

OPEN THE POD BAY DOORS HAL?

And so it goes with the cargo bay doors.

Whenever these doors were opened for loading before a mission, they were lifted and supported by a special hydraulic jig that kept all load off the hinges and the motors. For display at KSC, the doors had to be lifted open with winches using special support brackets, then carefully supported by a half a dozen static wire rope lines on each side to carefully distribute and support the load that in orbit is handled by something similar in size to a windscreen-wiper motor.

In common with many attractions, on entering the shuttle building visitors are corralled into a holding auditorium and subjected to a multimedia pre-show that provides the historical

context for the exhibits they are about to see.

Installed and commissioned by AV integrator and master contractor, Electrosonic, the Atlantis preshow uses four edge-blended Projectiondesign F35 WQXGA (2560 x 1600) projectors to provide an immersive experience, with content being served by individual, multi-head, customconfigured Delta media servers from 7thSense Design. To augment this experience, a further 16 (four groups of four) Projectiondesign F32 projectors in 1920 x 1200 mode provide additional edge-blended video content mapped onto the arches spanning the pre-show space. The show is synchronised via Medialon show control, with sound coming from a predominantly QSC multi-channel audio system and additional audio effects courtesy of TiMax. At the conclusion of the pre-show, the soundproof screen wall at the front of the auditorium retracts to reveal the space shuttle Atlantis in all its glory, backed by an impressive 37m wide x 4m high LED screen. The visitors then move out through the previously-hidden entrance into the main exhibition hall that houses the Atlantis in orbital mode, a full-scale replica of the Hubble space telescope, a fullscale replica of an ISS, about 60 interactive exhibits and the previously-mentioned items of space-themed play equipment.

SUITING UP

With a 70-tonne object that’s totally static and very fragile as the core of the exhibit, the Atlantis experience needs a lot of supporting material to engage visitors. Interactive exhibit designers Unified Field was contracted to produce a range

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FEATURE

The Atlantis version of the ‘Panoramic Navigator’ allows visitors to pan around virtual spaces composed of high-resolution images of the inaccessible crew and work spaces inside the fragile shuttle. Image: Courtesy of Unified Field.

of exhibits that include touch interactive, augmented reality and simulators. There are two large multi-screen interactive exhibits based around MultiTouch’s 55inch touchscreen panels. The six-panel Timeline Table provides an interactive history of the development of the shuttle and its various roles as a delivery system for the US space program, including the assembly of the ISS and launch and service the Hubble Space Telescope.

The interactive capabilities of the seven-panel ISS Wall include touch-interactive 3D models of the ISS, live and recorded video feeds from the ISS crew and interactive calculators to find the best times to see the ISS pass over the visitor’s home town. The simulators include: an opportunity for visitors to take an astronaut-guided, motion-interactive spacewalk to help assemble the ISS; move objects in space with the shuttle’s robotic Canadarm; dock the shuttle with the ISS; and land the shuttle back on earth.

The label ‘augmented-reality’ is being applied with wild abandon to all sorts of things at the moment, including some of the interactive devices in the Atlantis exhibit. Due to the fragility of the shuttle’s interior on the ground, especially because there is no reason to have a floor to walk on in a vehicle that only operates in the zero gravity of free fall, there is no possibility of visitors being able to physically visit the flight deck and crew quarters. What has been developed instead is a touch monitor on a mounting that allows it to pan and tilt, thus allowing the user to interactively ‘move’ the

displayed image around in a virtual space – in this case a series of 360° panoramic images of the shuttle’s interior, captured with NASA’s GigaPan camera, a device developed for Mars exploration. If this idea sounds familiar, it’s because we saw this done by the Melbourne Museum and Megafun with their 2010 Innovation AVIA-winning Panoramic Navigator developed for the Wild exhibition of some 700+ stuffed animals.

No stone has been left unturned in the effort to engage, inform and amuse visitors in this museum of the USA’s spacefaring past. Let’s hope it helps persuade coming generations in the US to once again become a nation with a spacefaring future. 

CONTACTS Kennedy Space Center: www.kennedyspacecenter.com Hills SVL (Projectiondesign): www.hillssvl.com.au or jason.coy@projectiondesign.com Interactive Controls (Medialon): (02) 9436 3022 or www.interactivecontrols.com.au Lightwell (MultiTouch): (02) 9319 0311 or www.lightwell.com.au Unified Field: www.unifiedfield.com 7thSense Design: www.7thsensedesign.com

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FEATURE

Collaborative Collaboration UWA has produced a showcase collaboration space showing what can be achieved when the design team indulges in some collaboration of their own.

Text:/ Derek Powell

Too often, architects and designers can see AV as the enemy – with ugly bits and pieces that need to be hidden away at all cost. And integrators and technical designers frequently arrive on the scene too late to do anything but squeeze things into the space left over. But it doesn’t always have to be that way. When the two camps get their heads together, sometimes true magic ensues.

The University of Western Australia (UWA) recently opened a new collaborative learning space that is itself a superb example of collaboration between architect, client and integrator.

The project comprised a $6m refurbishment of M Block at Perth’s Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre that created a technology-rich wet lab and three interconnected e-learning suites for two schools within the UWA Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences.

CLEAR BRIEF

The project started with a very clear idea from the schools as to the facilities they needed and early in the project Terry Coe (Manager, Teaching and Infrastructure Services within the Client Services section of UWA Information Services) brought together architect Lincoln Tuffin, from John Flower Architect and Ian Wornes, from Pro AV Solutions WA, so they could jointly wrestle with the demanding brief.

The university’s vision was to replace traditional ‘show and tell’ methods of teaching students about cell pathology with practical sessions that would see them work together to analyse data on real patient blood samples. To do this, collaborative

pods for six students needed to have two adjacent large-screen displays.

One screen would show data and images provided by the lecturer, while students could switch the experimental results from their own computers onto the matching screen, so their outcomes could be compared in detail.

The School had seen some commercially available ‘collaboration stations’ they thought might suit their application but Ian Wornes recalled that when he analysed the requirement: “… the relatively simple switch boxes available in off-the-shelf products were never going to do the job.”

To accommodate 174 students, there were to be three interconnected rooms with a total of 29 collaboration pods and three teaching stations.

Each pod needed to have input for six student laptops, plus two built-in PCs, plus an input from the lecturer’s computer. On the output side, each pod had to feed two large-screen monitors, as well as sending selected outputs back to the lecturer’s station.

To spice things up a little, the design had to allow for combined rooms, so any teaching point had to be able to feed any pod and the output from each pod had to be available for lecturers to send back to any group of pods for comparison.

PACKING THE PODS

While Wornes set off to find a solution to the switching requirements, Tuffin laid out the architectural constraints.

“Space was quite tight,” he noted.

“So the pods would have to be custom designed and there was not enough room for a rack-full of gear at each desk.”

FEATURE

Image: Andrew Prichard Photography

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FEATURE

“ The university’s vision was to replace traditional ‘show and tell’ methods of teaching students about cell pathology ”

Fortunately, Wornes came up with an amazingly elegant and simple solution based around the newly-released AMX Enova DVX3155HD all-in-one presentation switcher which allowed all sharing to be done entirely in the video domain. “Using the Enova,” Wornes enthused, “meant that each pod needed only one piece of AV equipment, plus a touch panel, to provide all the transmission, switching and control functions we needed!”

Here’s how it worked. Four of the six student laptop inputs were connected using the Enova’s multiformat Inputs 1–4. As a bonus, with a simple cable change, this ensured compatibility with any analogue laptops, which could only provide a VGA signal. The other two laptops, plus the two Mac Mini PCs at each desk used HDMI Inputs 5-8. Finally, one of the two builtin DXLink inputs provided a feed from the lecturer’s equipment.

Two of the HDMI outputs provided scaled outputs to the local Sony FWD42 LCD displays, while one of the DXLink outputs routed any selected student laptop back to the lecturer’s position for viewing or distribution back to any pod. An AMX seven-inch (180mm) X-series touch panel completed the picture on each pod, providing simple selection of monitor inputs.

In the ‘Blue Room’, there are no resident laptops and students effectively bring their own devices to connect, which may be a laptop, iPad, iPhone or a tablet. “Catering for all kinds of input resolutions could have been a huge nightmare,” observed Wornes. “But the inbuilt

scaling on the DVX-3155 handles anything we throw at it and still produces a great picture on the monitor.”

AROUND THE BACK

The more astute amongst you will have noticed the need for a substantial ‘back-end’ to handle room combining; routing of the lecturer’s PCs to the pods; and selection of any pod PC at any of the teaching positions. However, once again the solution was simple and space-efficient using a single Enova DGX32 matrix switcher operating in the DX domain. The switcher takes inputs via twisted pair cabling from the Enova switchers at the 29 pods and from a multi-format DXLink wall plate at each of the three lecturer positions.

It then distributes the chosen signals via DXLink back to the 29 pods and to a projector in one of the rooms.

“We even had two spare outputs!” observed Wornes, clearly pleased that the numbers worked so neatly.

Cable paths and standards are a vital consideration, so Terry Coe brought in Michael Reinhardt from the Networks and Communications section of UWA Information Services to collaborate on the cabling solution with the design team and with electrical and communications installation contractor Datatel. Using AMX DXLink greatly simplified the requirements as control, video and audio could all travel across a single Cat 6 cable.

Meanwhile, back at the architecture hub, Lincoln Tuffin got busy on another collaboration.

He custom-designed the stylish

Two Sony 42-inch LCDs at each pod allow sideby-side comparison of experimental data.

Image: Courtesy of Pro AV Solutions (WA)

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pod furniture to have built-in accommodation to exactly meet Wornes’s needs for the AV. The desks were prototyped and tested for functionality before being manufactured in-house by the UWA cabinet workshop.

COLOUR IT RGB

To prevent the array of 29 pods across three connecting rooms from becoming confusing, Tuffin’s final touch was to allocate a colour theme to each room, for which he designed unique blue, red and green patterned carpets. Students loved it and were able to navigate easily around the Red, Green and Blue rooms.

Not to be outdone, Wornes took the colour theme and extended it even further, working with Pro AV Solutions programmer Daniel Gavin to produce a sophisticated yet simple control system. In a stroke of genius, he colour coded each of the input leads on the pods. To select their laptop to the screen, students simply check the colour on the lead and touch the corresponding coloured button on the touch panel.

Brilliant! But more was yet to come.

FEATURE

The lecturers needed to be able to quickly do some fairly sophisticated routing to send their own PCs through to various pods and select the output of other pods to feed back to the group for discussion.

At the teaching station, Gavin laid out a map of the pods in each room on an AMX X-series touch panel over a background of Lincoln’s red, green or blue patterned carpet. The academic simply touches the pod he wants to display on the ‘input map’ screen, then swipes down on the control panel to the ‘output map’ screen and touches the pods he wants to send it to. Top marks again for intuitive design! But wait, it gets better.

Teachers can also do all this on the move, as the control functions are replicated on three Apple iPads which mimic the X-panel layout using the TP Control app.

As they walk between the rooms, lecturers simply swipe left or right to the correct colour background to control that room, then swipe up or down for other functions.

By comparison, the wet-lab next door seems almost routine.

Above: The pod touch panel layout is elegant and simple. Each coloured button corresponds to the colour-coded input cable.

Below: The Red, Green and Blue-themed collaborative e-learning suites can operate together or be divided by sliding glass partitions.

Images: Courtesy of Pro AV Solutions (WA)

FEATURE

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Equipment List

While there is only a single control point, the lecturer can use this to demonstrate the experimental technique required throughout the room. The eight wall-mounted monitors, plus a projector and screen at each end of the space are located to ensure every student in the lab has a clear sightline. Again, feedback from the students is facilitated with eight HDMI inputs mounted on pillars above the lab benches around the room.

I am a firm believer that proper teaching space design needs to start with a thorough understanding of the teaching goals, and progress to a consideration of how the technology will work with the architecture to achieve those goals. Sadly, this convention is too often ignored, leading to boring spaces badly suited to modern teaching methods.

However when architects, educators and technologists truly collaborate, and employ cutting edge equipment in an innovative design, as Lincoln Tuffin, Terry Coe and Ian Wornes have done at UWA, the results are quite simply sublime. ďƒ­

Eight monitors and two projectors provide clear sightlines to every bench in the adjoining wet lab. Inset: All power and data connectors are kept well clear of nasty fluids.

Image: Andrew Prichard Photography

Collaborative Rooms (Red Green and Blue) Pods 58 x Apple Mac Mini PCs (2 per pod) 58 x Sony FWD 42 II 42-inch LCDs 87 x AMX Hydraport table boxes (providing 6 x network, power and HDMI cables) 29 x AMX Enova DVX-3155 presentation switchers 29 x AMX X-series 7-inch control panels Control Points 3 x AMX X-series 7-inch control panels 3 x AMX DXLink multi-format input plate 3 x Lapel radio mics ElectroVoice ceiling speakers Interface to lighting and climate control 3 x Apple iPads (Plus projector and electric screen in the Red room) Rack Room 1 x Enova DGX-32 mainframe with DXLink input/output cards Biamp Nexia DSP Key Personnel Architect: Lincoln Tuffin: John Flower Architect Pty Ltd UWA: Terry Coe: Manager, Teaching and Infrastructure Services, Client Services, UWA Information Services Michael Reinhardt: Networks and Communications, Infrastructure and Operations, UWA Information Services.

Joinery: UWA Cabinet Workshop AV Design: Ian Wornes: Pro AV Solutions (WA) Programmer: Daniel Gavin: Pro AV Solutions (WA) Integration: Pro AV Solutions (WA) Cabling: Datatel (electrical and communications installation)

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FEATURE

Take Me Out To The Ball Game A $3m d&b PA upgrade: raising the bar or playing catchup?

Text:/ Christopher Holder Images:/ Scott Willsallen

ANZ Stadium — built for the Sydney 2000 Olympics — has recently spent around $3m upgrading its ageing PA. Justifiably, this is big news here and internationally. It’s the biggest contract d&b Audiotechnik has seen in its history; and with 208 of the installation version of its V series up in the air, it signals d&b’s crashing of the international stadium sound party.

But for the stadium’s General Manager of Assets, Simon Davies, the you-beaut d&b rig is another line item.

When I asked him if it was the biggest infrastructure spend of the year he had to pause and think for a minute. The new practice cricket wickets outside cost $1.5m and the wi-fi upgrades will put a $750k dent in the coffers… so yeah, the $2m PA will be the biggest infrastructure news this year.

“We’re competing with television for the guy who sits at home on his couch, enjoying a cold beer and all the stats and commentary that comes with the broadcast. Here, in the stadium, he gets the atmosphere of sharing the game with 80,000 other people, the big bright screen, and the sound of a high quality PA.” So, the PA is simply another component of giving the punter another reason to get out of the bean bag: “The new sound system is a massive step up for us, but sure, it’s another component in attracting people to the venue.”

STADIUM ROCK

When a stadium is looking to install a new PA, they generally engage a big consulting firm like an Arup or a Marshall Day to oversee the process.

The consultant will then generally put the job out to a design and construct tender. Whereupon an integrator with the requisite knowledge and experience will select a PA that meets

the performance criteria and install it.

ANZ Stadium represents a big departure from the accepted procedural norm. Simon Davies had worked with Scott Willsallen (AKA SWA, principal of consultancy Auditoria) on a number of occasions and rather dealing with the old-firm, big-venue specialists, he called him in instead.

Simon Davies: “We’d done a lot of work with SWA over the years. We first connected a number of years ago after a poor experience with a Rolling Stones concert. The touring PA wasn’t sufficient to fill the stadium and many people in the upper rows weren’t getting any direct sound. So we had a lot of people leaving, saying the concert experience in the stadium was rubbish – which affects our reputation and our ability to attract similar acts.

The next big concert we had through was U2. We engaged SWA to model the venue, U2’s stage and speaker positions, and identity where the holes in the coverage would be. We then provided additional speakers to ensure those holes were plugged — at our own expense. We had a fantastic response to the concert. SWA and I walked around the stadium about five times that night and the coverage was amazing. So his approach is to look at every seat in the house and make sure we have a sound system designed to address every one of those seats, rather than bringing in a PA and making the best of it.”

MULTI-OLYMPIAN

Many readers will know Scott Willsallen for his work as audio director on a bunch of opening/closing ceremonies — Olympics (summer and winter), Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Rugby World Cups, etc. It’s an end of the market where no expense

Sound Issues Tackled: The new system was installed one quadrant at a time without interrupting the working life of the stadium. The PA enjoyed an early hitout at Game 1 of Rugby State of Origin, just prior to system commissioning.

There are 24 arrays in total, six East, six West, four North, four South and four corner arrays.

FEATURE

“we’ve managed to deliver a PA that has twice the box count yet we’ve not run any more copper”

is spared to provide stadium audiences with an unparalleled live experience.

These ceremonies demonstrate, at one end of the spectrum, just what’s possible in a big reverberant stadium.

At the other end of the spectrum, many stadium house PAs are installed only to take care of announcements, while any other audio is bordering on the unlistenable. Increasingly, stadiums are beginning to realise their game-day PAs just aren’t up to scratch. What’s more, with these big marquee events, they’re aware of what could be.

SWA: It’s pretty clear that expectations are on the increase. Not just from the event producers but the audience. The battle between TV keeping people in their homes and venues trying to get them out, is fierce. The venues need to keep offering something more. For example, the screens are no longer scoreboards – scoreboards are there to inform, screens are there to entertain.

Audio needs to follow suit – it’s about engagement and entertainment. If we can’t deliver high performance sound then the reality is that we’re actually falling behind.

Many people think we’ve gone further than anyone else here at ANZ Stadium, but I’d counter that by saying: all we’ve done is catch up.

It’s now incumbent on other venues to follow suit. The expectation of what a big venue should sound like has changed.

CHOICE & PRAGMATISM

AV: How did the procurement process play out?

SWA: The goal was to present the stadium with options, based on their current and future presentation needs. A few years back they invested heavily in some of the biggest and best screens going around, so it was about bringing the sound system up to meet

049

that expectation in a financially and environmentally responsible manner.

AV: How do you mean ‘environmentally’ responsible?

SWA: It would be very easy to spend a load of money dragging extra cable through the building so we could have more loudspeakers. Our goal was never to spend money on copper cabling, there’s already a bunch of it in there. I’m really pleased with the fact we’ve managed to deliver a PA that has twice the box count ,yet we’ve not run any more copper from the amp room to the catwalks. Not a single strand. We’ve used all the existing copper, and all the existing loudspeaker positions. Taking that approach, from a budgeting point of view we knew what our costs were. Conversely, if we decided we could save $100k by having five arrays rather than six along the (long) East and West stands, that’d be possible from a system design perspective, sure, but then we’d have to find new points for those five arrays – we would no longer be using the existing points – which would involve extra engineering and steel work. And those are things we wouldn’t be able to get a quote on.

They’re unknowns... expenses based on a ‘do and charge’ basis.

AV: So the bedrock of any design was to use the existing number of points and amp channels.

SWA: Yes. We knew where our points were, what our weight limits were, and what our total copper count was.

And we came up with some designs that used that. Those constraints meant we couldn’t come up with 20 alternatives, we came up with a few.

CUTTING OUT THE MIDDLE MAN

AV: It’s a big contract. No doubt there was considerable interest.

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FEATURE

MORE ON THE INSTALL The system was installed by Sydney based contractors The PA People which has a long-standing relationship with the venue. The company designed and installed the original sound system in 1999 for the 2000 Olympics, undertook the system’s conversion in 2003 when the venue was renovated, and has maintained the system with a comprehensive service regime and provided PA system operators (as preferred Event Communications supplier to ANZ Stadium) for every major event since.

The company was contracted to install the new d&b V system speakers along with the substantial mechanical design and metal fabrication required, and continues to provide the venue with an ongoing service and operational commitment.

The system is based around the Stadium geometry with loudspeaker clusters suspended up to 45 metres high in the four quadrants, each served by its own amplifier room. Each of the quadrants was installed in a single week through May to enable the entire PA to be fully operational for weekend club matches. The fourway stereo design comprises 266 full-range line-array loudspeaker elements, 44 full-range loudspeakers and 64 sub-bass cabinets.

Top: One of the arrays comprising a line of 12 d&b Vi8 elements and a vertical pair of Vi-Subs either side along with the custom steelwork and rigging designed and built by the PA People. Precise geometry and calculation of each of the speaker cluster and frame elements was required in order to maintain the balance of the cluster, with some clusters weighing almost a tonne and measuring almost 7m in length.

SWA: There was, but the process upset a few people.

AV: How so?

SWA: The point of contention was my insistence on divorcing the choice of loudspeaker system from the choice of installer.

We all know that installers/integrators have their commercial preferences and alliances.

And those preferences make very good sense.

But it was important to me that our choice of installer was based on the best job that could be done and I didn’t want a PA that comes with that as a matter of course. I’d rather choose both independently.

AV: I can see how some noses would be out of joint – there’s no ‘reseller margin’, as it were.

So what was your first move?

SWA: Step 1, build an EASE model; set out the ‘facts of life’ and issue that to all the distributors and manufacturers; not the integrators – they’re not earning any money from the loudspeakers so it’s unfair for them to put any effort into the design.

We got lots of responses, and we shortlisted six of them. Then after a lot more modelling we whittled that list down to three good designs based respectively on Nexo Geo S, JBL Vertec and d&b V series. I wanted the stadium to buy into the decision as much as me at that point. I gave them three options: “we can work with any of these three. You choose.” And after a shootout they chose.

Their choice was based on their preference and the aesthetic difference – they didn’t want something that looked radically different to what they had.

AV: Doubtlessly you copped some static from the integrators/installers about cutting them out of the speaker sale?

SWA: Right. The stadium bought the PA

directly from NAS. The PA People won the install contract but didn’t see a cent of the speaker transaction. The PA People had to work hard to understand what their labour requirements were for the installation. Much more so than usual, because there was no risk mitigation available from the margin on the sale of the speakers.

AV: Which is what caused the waves.

SWA: Yes. Previously a venue would engage an integrator such as the PA People or Rutledge Engineering for their design and implementation skills. But I wasn’t after their electro-acoustic design skills, I was after their mechanical design skills for bracketry, etc.

So, yes, it was a bit confronting for those integrators. It was new to us all.

AV: And the distributors? I’m guessing they were more amenable to the change?

SWA: The distributors thought it sounded sensible. I also got some valuable perspective on where they thought the reaction might land in different parts of the market. After all, more and more, we’re seeing electrical contractors getting into AV effectively as skilled labour — a labour resource, and that’s ultimately what we were after. That and the mechanical design in the bracketry. But that’s a big change from the traditional ‘design and construct’ approach.

AV: You weren’t run out of town on a rail?

SWA: There’s been no death threats yet.

COVERAGE

AV: So what were the main challenges in attaining an even coverage?

SWA: Some seats are 30 metres away from the array and others are as much as 50m away.

So what you’re trying to achieve is only ever going to be a spatial average. The d&b D12

amps address the V Series array in two-box increments. Within that constraint we can do some adjustments from the mids up, but in the low/mids and lows that array works as a single point source. The configuration naturally has lobes dictated by the spacing and timing difference between the boxes. If you try to take one frequency lobe away, it’ll just reappear somewhere else. The line length isn’t long enough to control the lows. The length of the line is as much about the circuits we have available and our budget as it is about good electroacoustic practice. So it really is a juggling act: a balance of many things.

AV: Okay, so ideally, you’d have more boxes in each array to address that 130° vertical chunk of air?

SWA: That’s right. Ideally, you’d use intercabinet spacing to optimise your amplitude coverage (getting the same level to every seat). But with so few elements (because of the scarcity of circuits) we had to use some amplitude shading – which effectively means adjusting the amplifier levels to those twobox pairs to achieve something like the same level to every seat.

Saying all that, what I like about these top tier products we’re dealing with is the variations in the coverage area might be about the same as the cheaper products, but for the listener the variations are just different shades of good. It’s not: ‘that’s acceptable’ or ‘whoa, that’s appalling’. And the design allows for some overlap of sources. So if there’s anything missing – if any significant information is missing in one position – it’s not just the reverberant field that’ll help colour it in, it’s the adjacent arrays to some degree.

AV: What have you’ve done with the subs?

SWA: There are two V-Subs either side of an

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052

array – spaced 2.5m apart. The original thought was to do four subs in a line. There is good reason to do that: with four we could have ‘tapered’ the array a little more. So rather than optimising the control to one particular frequency, we could have tapered the array in the frequency domain, to have that directivity work over a greater range. But mechanically (the steelwork required to hang it) the four speaker sub array would have been far more expensive.

AV: What about final tuning?

SWA: We have a four-band parametric equaliser (EQ) in each d&b D12 amp that we effectively operate on an array basis. We don’t tune elements individually. We don’t have any desire to put eight bands of Lake EQ over every element.

For commissioning we had three clear days available – empty stadium, no distractions, no sharing lifts with catering… all to ourselves. In that time we measured each array 14 times from the lower bowl, 14 from the middle bowl and 14 from the upper bowl – 42 measurements in all for each. We then averaged out the measurements in WaveCapture and EQ’ed the array to meet a consistent target curve.

The curve wasn’t an absolute frequency response target that we devised beforehand. We did the measurements on Arrays 1 and 2 for each of the four quadrants (which collectively accounts for about a third of the audience area), and took an average of all those. Effectively we picked a curve that sounded good and was achievable using the four D12 parametric filters.

That’s not a lot of filters but was sufficient. And the work we were doing was more general shaping.

We gave the system a gentle push from 2kHz up, for example, and some attenuation in the low-mids (thanks to the build up you get from a string of V Series 10-inch drivers in a row). We boosted the sub output as well by about 3dB on the main arrays.

FEATURE

NO POINT & SHOOT? AV: Given the interesting geometry of stadiums, conventional point and shoot loudspeakers normally reign supreme. But you’ve gone with something you’d normally see on a touring rider.

SWA: We had a few ‘point and shoot’ alternatives to look at.

In fact, the EAW QX design was in the six-strong shortlist.

That design looked good. But the disadvantage of the more ‘American’ loudspeaker design approach is that it’s very circuit heavy. And one thing we weren’t overly endowed with was circuits, and I didn’t want to blow all our money dragging cable up to the catwalks. If we did that we’d need more amplifiers and more power in the amp rooms, which would cascade into a bunch of stuff the audience would never hear.

The ‘European’ approach from the likes of Nexo and d&b is not circuit heavy. The Geo S12 is a passive-12 box. With the box count and number of circuits, it’s a lot easier to string multiples of those. The d&b V8 is a three-way passive product, driven in pairs. In terms of circuit count it worked really well within our existing infrastructure. Yes, we had to cover 130° in the vertical plane — which is hard to achieve in a line array and much easier to achieve with conventional boxes — but if you have to run three circuits to each box, well, you very quickly run out of circuits.

CROWD RAW

Prior to the system being commissioned I was able to get along to ANZ Stadium for the first rugby State of Origin match. Timomatic was singing over a backing track and Vince Sorrenti was fanning the flames of interstate loathing with some ‘did he really say that?’ humour. The stadium was full, the crowd in full voice, and so was the PA. It’s truly an experience, and certainly not one that can be replicated in the rumpus room – regardless of how big the telly is.

Will the average punter immediately apprehend the sonic differences of the V Series PA over the 14-year-old Bose system it replaced? No. But the PA is a key piece of the event puzzle. The cold beer, the hot pie, the comfy seat, the ease of transport in and out, the big Panasonic LED screens, and the gameday pyrotechnics, all contribute to getting people out of the living room and into the venue.

Oh, and the NSW Blues won. And I think that’s what the marketing department of Mastercard might call… ‘priceless’. 

CONTACTS Auditoria: www.auditoria.com.au National Audio Systems (d&b): 1800 441 440 or www.nationalaudio.com.au The PA People: (02) 8755 8700 or www.papeople.com.au TOTAL d&b BOX COUNT: 208 x Vi8/12; 64 x Vi-Subs; 42 x Ti10L; 32 x Ti10P; 8 x Qi7; 4 x Qi10; 2 x E8; 96 x D12; 1 x D6

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REVIEW

BlackMagic Design’s HyperDeck Recorders Text:/ Paul Collison

The BlackMagic Design range of HyperDeck disk recorders are incredibly useful pieces of kit. I would go as far to say that my HyperDeck is the one piece of gear that I have used on every project I’ve done over the last two years. I’ve used it as a recorder, and as a replay device. I use it constantly in various ways and have only just realised how integrated it has become in my professional life. So we thought it might be fun to review the range and see how they stack up.

If you’re unaware of the BlackMagic Design HyperDeck range, they are basically modern day VHS recorders, albeit slightly more sophisticated and sans RF tuner. The decks take an SDI feed and will automatically sense the flavour of SDI and set the record resolution to suit. It would be great if you could down-convert during the record process, and record an HD signal at an SD resolution, mainly for the purposes of saving space, but it appears that this is not currently possible.

There are three models in the HyperDeck range. The Shuttle, which is the portable model, and the two 1U rack-mountable versions: Studio and Studio Pro. The Shuttle is designed for use primarily in the field with onthe-go camera crews, often where racks of equipment aren’t prevalent. On the Studio and Shuttle model, audio can only be recorded if it is embedded in the SDI feed, the Pro version has an XLR timecode input and also allows you to record from an analogue source, which unfortunately wasn’t the case at the release of the product, but following software updates have now fixed this. It can be frustrating trying to merge audio with your SDI feed using third-party boxes, so if your setup doesn’t allow for embedded audio from the start, the Pro would be the way to go.

REVOLUTION OF RESOLUTION

With 4k (or Ultra HD as many seem to be calling it now) being the newest/coolest thing, it makes sense that the

Pro allows for a resolution up to 3840 x 2160. Though 4k might be a long way off (in terms of general usage), it is future-proofing the product to an extent. The jury is still out as to whether paying twice as much as the Studio is worth it. Although having the analogue audio inputs on the Pro does mean you’re covered for almost any situation. The Pro version also allows for analogue component video and 6G-SDI and adds a Thunderbolt connection into the mix.

The front faces of the Studio and Pro models are virtually identical. There are two solid state drive (SSD) slots. Being aware that SSDs aren’t all the same, BlackMagic has a small list of SSDs that are approved to work with its devices. Underperforming SSDs simply stop working and cannot keep up the speed required to handle higher resolution video. The slots are hot swappable and the off-line SSD can be replaced while the other is playing back or recording. This effectively means you can keep recording all day and night and not miss a second. As long as you can afford to keep buying decent SSD drives, you can keep recording. The SSD can be formatted for Apple’s Hierarchical File System (HFS+), the format used in Mac OSX or in exFAT, a modern version of the old FAT32 format which can be read by both OSX (Snow Leopard and later) and Windows (Vista SP1 and later).

To the right of the drive slots are the playback and record buttons. The standard Play, Record, Track Change, Fast Forward/Rewind buttons are there. The glaring omission for me though, is the absence of a Pause button. Stop seems to work as Pause would, but in general AV usage, Stop would also take you back to the head of the track. So it seems odd to me there is no Pause button. I’m guessing this is a throwback to the tape machine days, where Stop literally meant stopping the tape transport, but in this digital age, the difference between stop and pause is quite obvious.

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REVIEW

The small LCD monitor to the right of the buttons is a genius feature. The user can monitor incoming and outgoing signal easily. The VU meters are clear enough to indicate if you’re receiving audio and the timer lets you know how long you’ve been recording or playing back for. The jog wheel on the far right allows for scrubbing through your clips and finding the right point. Again, genius; as it transforms the Studio and Pro models in to an acceptable replay device.

OUT THE BACK

All the signal connections are at the rear of the unit. All versions have an HDMI input. The Pro has an built-in power supply with an IEC connection for power. Why in this day and age we are still using this type of connector in a professional environment I have no idea. Powercon would be more suitable for a professional unit like this.

The Studio and Shuttle versions have external power supplies. All SDI connections are BNC as you would imagine, plus there is an RJ45 for TCP control of the devices. This opens up a cool world of control from external applications such as Pandoras Box Widget Designer. Ultimately this means that you could record and playback from your own custom interface on a remote touchscreen, from an iPad app, or even from a lighting console.

SO WHAT’S IT FOR?

What does a lighting designer need one of these for?

I use my Studio version on broadcasts all the time. I record the often-limited rehearsals and then play them back later to help me tidy up programming – usually when everyone else is off at catering. This might not sound like a big deal, but it means a lot when I can go back in my own time and see exactly what we did in a rehearsal, and improve my end product. Ultimately this

means I’m doing a better job.

Being a lighting designer these days often means being heavily integrated into the video world, so playing back video to a screen surface is not uncommon. In the Channel 9 London Olympic studios in 2012, we ran a HyperDeck Studio alongside the plethora of broadcast EVS machines. The HyperDeck would record incoming feeds. I could then easily drop the SSD in a drive bay to edit said footage and transfer in to the media replay system. We also used the HyperDeck to free up EVS machines for playback of packages or still images in to the screens.

Hillsong Church in Sydney has a mobile rack of four HyperDeck Studios. The rack is used to iso record (record an isolated feed) all cameras on various external events and DVD recording sessions as a means of backing up those precious pictures and allowing editors to go back and fix shots and update the edit. In the new Doody Street campus in Alexandria, a further four are used to iso record events for future editing.

In other words, whatever your place in the AV industry, there is a way that one of the HyperDeck family can improve your workflow and results. Admittedly, HyperDeck might not look like a life-changer but it has proven to be a real workhorse, and is undoubtedly priced attractively to be in reach of anyone with a need for such a device.  RRP inc GST HyperDeck Shuttle: $385 HyperDeck Studio: $1085 HyperDeck Studio Pro: $2175 New Magic Australia: (03) 9722 9700 or sales@newmagic.com.au

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REVIEW

Sony VPL-FHZ55 Projector Lamp-free flexibility. Ladder optional.

Text:/ Stuart Gregg

A few years back when we started to hear about the potential of laser-based projectors I got all nostalgic for the early ’80s when I had the dubious privilege of working with a Dwight Cavendish laser projector.

At the time the unit was revolutionary and while it was on the edge of impracticality due to an enormous thirst for water-cooling and power, it showed huge potential for development and the future. Unfortunately, it went the way of a lot of UK inventions of the ’80s: nowhere.

The latest laser-based projectors use a different methodology to those early machines and in the case of the FHZ55, Sony has gone back to its CRT roots and employed excited phosphor to produce the image/light.

mercury and reduced power consumption.

Lamp-free is probably the biggest selling point but for me clearly in second place is the projector’s flexibility. This FHZ55 can be mounted at any angle and in any position without compromising projector life or image.

Based on its physical design, lens functions and running cost claims, the FHZ55 is targeted at the install and digital signage market. It is a very clean and tidy looking unit and would be unobtrusive mounted in classrooms, meeting rooms or retail environments. Its relative small form factor for a 4000 lumen unit is also a plus.

The FHZ55 comes with just the one lens option with 1.6x zoom, according to the product literature.

LASER FIRE

HANDS-ON FUNCTIONS

Sony has taken what appears to be an already proven projector chassis and ‘simply’ replaced the lamp module with a blue laser module. The laser is fired at a spinning phosphor disc, which in turn produces enough white light through the three WUXGA LCD panels to generate the claimed 4000 lumens output.

For us, this means 20,000 hours of maintenance-free operation when using the auto light dimming feature, which when enabled, drops the light source by approximately 15 per cent after 10 seconds of a static image. In testing, it is fair to say it was not very noticeable and for long-term installation and 24/7 operations, I would probably leave it enabled.

Removing the lamp also reduces the amount of heat generated and consequently the number of fans required to cool it, resulting in a very quiet unit. Other ‘green’ claims include no

All the lens functions are manual so ladders are required to zoom and focus. The projector does allow for horizontal and vertical shift but, again, this needs to be done manually by using the adjustment dial on the front of the projector.

Vertically you can shift your image optically up to 60 per cent, and horizontally by 32 per cent.

We ran a series of signal formats and signal types including MAC and PC sources, BluRay and cameras. The FHZ55 acquired all signals cleanly and simply, and the resulting images were very good at both native and scaled resolution.

Colour reproduction was as good as you would expect from a three-LCD unit, with the full range of colour displaying true. The image was bright and colorful, though I would not describe it as punchy or dynamic.

We only had the unit for a day so we didn’t

get to spend hours in the menus. That said, every digital and analogue signal we put into it came up first time and looked fine.

STOP MOTION

The motion, however, was so good that two of our crew had to be pulled away as they sat watching the test movie for too long.

Menu navigation and structure was simple and easy to work and the projector comes loaded with extras such as advanced geometry correction, edge blending, picture-by-picture DICOM simulation (for medical imaging), and horizontal and vertical keystone.

With only one unit we could not truly test the edge blending but we did work through the geometry correction and it was okay for basic corrections. I would use it in a tricky install situation but probably not for creative purposes such as curved screens.

In summary I would look to use this projector in any 24/7 signage operation that suited its specifications, or a boardroom install.

The low maintenance, running cost and heat generation are a big plus in those situations.

The build quality and aesthetics are good and it produces nice images. The only criticisms I have are the limitations around lens and the manualonly adjustment.  RRP (inc GST) $6,999 with a five-year or 4000 hour warranty.

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058

NEWS

InfoComm News

Message from InfoComm Executive Director & CEO

Dear AV readers, In 2014, InfoComm will be celebrating its 75th anniversary. I am very proud that our members have supported the association and our programs through all these years. Even as our technology and business climates have changed you have been there — driving us to be better, to be current, to be a part of your daily commerce.

Because of you, InfoComm International has never been in better condition than it is today, but we must redouble our efforts to remain meaningful and successful — both as an industry and an association.

WHAT WILL THE FUTURE BRING? Commerce will continue to change dramatically as the very nature of technology-mediated human communication evolves in response to new needs and emerging technologies. Traditional presentationfocussed modes of communication will give way to connected, collaborative, social, visual, mobile and virtual communications. Time, geography and group structure will no longer remain the barriers to effective communication that they are today.

In order to accommodate new expectations and technology architectures there will be massive shifts in the business models of the InfoComm community across the entire value chain, including product distribution, software, service delivery and licensing.

The InfoComm community will need to broaden and welcome new, as well as continued, interaction among varied technology provider constituencies. We must provide thought leadership and practical guidance to support our community and its allies in the development and application of innovative technologies, processes and services that enable the transformation of human communications.

Stakeholders who manage facilities or events that use AV will be expecting high-quality communications experiences for their audiences that will excite, motivate, improve productivity, and create valuable results through interactions that are transparent, more vivid, have greater clarity and are more interactive. The solutions the industry provides will need to be delivered collaboratively through a consultative process that not only focusses on technological solutions, but also on the role of enhanced communications in formulating and executing organisational strategies. To say it plainly — the focus will not be on the technology; it will be on the results. And to truly differentiate ourselves at the table we’ll have to help everyone see the strategic role we can play in improving those results.

HOW CAN WE PLAN? The InfoComm Board of Directors and I have jointly developed a three-year strategic plan for the association that will serve as a guide to help navigate us on a path that will make your association the most effective for each of you. The board’s vision is that to best serve the InfoComm community, we must provide leadership to drive the transformation of human communication by creating exceptional experiences through technology.

That’s a big deal. It’s not about making technology work better; it’s about transforming the way people connect. Why take this on? Because the future of our industry is dependent on becoming customer-focussed and putting ourselves in the shoes of the people who use our technology. Our customers have higher expectations for how their rooms and buildings will operate. And they need to know why they should invest in videoconferencing systems and sound reinforcement when they already have tablets, Skype, iPods and smart phones. We need to change the conversation again to help the decision makers see what’s possible.

WHAT ARE OUR GOALS? Our three-year goals will position the association for the changes that are coming in the next decade. These goals include: Thought Leadership Cement our position as a major thought leader for the audiovisual industry.

Exceptional Experiences Define exceptional AV experiences and identify and share examples.

Workforce Development Assist in driving qualified hiring prospects to member companies.

Globalisation Grow our value and presence in key global markets.

Community Expansion and Engagement Expand membership and participation within the community of a more diverse group of related organisations and end users.

InfoComm’s Brand Amplify our brand identity and experience in recognition of our envisioned future.

HOW CAN YOU HELP? Now that you understand the roadmap, how will you be part of our association’s transformation? We’re talking about effecting change at a massive scale and we cannot do it with the InfoComm staff and volunteer leadership alone — we need you.

Is your organisation a member of InfoComm? The cost, given the benefits, has never been so reasonable.

Select online classes including Quick Start to the AV Industry, AV Technologist Test, Essentials of AV Technology and CTS Prep Online, are free for all member employees. So is admission to all regional roundtables and trade shows around the world. Free standards and discounted education, certification and market research round out the benefits. But beyond the dollars and cents is the larger value proposition of being part of something that is bigger than just you and your

organisation — and the strength that industry derives when we all come together.

If every firm and individual that is part of this industry were to align on the goals and aspirations outlined in our strategic plan, the vision is achievable.

Pick an area you feel expert in and volunteer your assistance. Look at how the goals and direction we’ve staked out for the association align with your company’s goals or challenges. I’ll write more on each of our themes and specifics about related programs in the coming months but you don’t have to wait. The Integrate show is quickly approaching – share your interest when we see each other there.

Regards,

David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD Executive Director & CEO InfoComm International

InfoComm International to Support AVIAs InfoComm International is pleased to support the AV Industry Awards at Integrate 2013 in August. The awards ceremony will take place immediately after the Integrate keynote address is delivered by InfoComm International Executive Director David Labuskes, CTS, RCDD, at 6 pm on 27 August. Ceremony attendees will enjoy refreshments, served courtesy of InfoComm.

“InfoComm has elected to move our traditional member reception to the AVIA celebration,” said Jonathan Seller, Regional Director, InfoComm International. “It makes sense to consolidate the number of competing social events and show support for the AVIA awards, which represents the best that the industry has to offer in our region.”

InfoComm once again joins the Association of Educational Technology Managers (AETM) and the Australasian Lighting Industry Association (ALIA) as a supporting association of the AVIA program. While InfoComm staff will not be participating in the judging, two of our members, Matthew Loupis, of InnovaTech Consulting, and Paul Van der Ent, CTS of Wizard Projects, joined the four esteemed panellists from AETM and ALIA. “It is a pleasure for InfoComm to join these other allied organisations in promoting this important industry recognition program,” Seller said.

059

TUTORIAL

Defining the Modern Network Components and transmission systems.

The following is an excerpt from InfoComm International’s new Networking Online class.

To register contact Jonathan Seller at jseller@ infocomm.org A network can be made up of anything that is interconnected in a netlike manner. You can have a network of beads connected by string, or a network of people connected by shared acquaintance. In the IT world, network is generally short for ‘computer network’ or ‘data network’. Whenever you see the word network in this tutorial, think in these terms.

Glossary: Network (Computing)

A network consists of two or more nodes interconnected so that they can share meaningful data.

All networks have two main parts: nodes and connections.

The nodes are the devices sharing the data.

A node could be any active device that sends and receives network data. In the early days of networking, a node was basically a computer.

Today a node could be a computer, a mobile device, a video server, a projector, etc.

The connections are the physical means by which data travels from one node to another.

Again, the connection could be any physical signal transmission medium: RF, copper cabling, light, etc. Passive devices such as patch panels also fall into this category.

Practice Quiz: Nodes and Connections

Identify each item on the list below as either a network node or a network connection (answers at the end of this tutorial).

1. Fibre optic cable 2. Wi-fi radio-frequency signal 3. Mobile phone 4. Projector 5. Patch panel 6. Switch Hint: All active devices that send and receive data on a network are network nodes.

The precursor to all modern computer networks was the ARPAnet, created in 1969. The ARPAnet was commissioned by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), a United States government organisation dedicated to practical science and technology research. The original ARPAnet had

four nodes. Each node was produced by a different manufacturer. The ARPAnet project engineers had to find a way to enable four computers from different manufacturers to successfully talk to each other simultaneously. The network they designed would eventually grow up to become the Internet.

These four computers weren’t the first electronic devices to ever share data over a long distance – people had been using telephones and fax machines for years. ARPAnet’s revolutionary new feature was the use of packet switching instead of circuit switching. This new technology allowed several devices to use the network at the same time.

CIRCUIT AND PACKET SWITCHING Glossary: Circuit Switching

Circuit switching is a method of data transmission in which a dedicated communication channel is established between any two nodes prior to data transmission.

A circuit switched network sends data in a continuous stream. No other devices can use the channel while the connection continues. The public switched telephone network (PSTN) is a circuit switched network. A dedicated connection is made between two phones. Even if no one is actually talking (i.e. no data is being sent), no one else can use that channel. Circuit switched networks provide reliable, dedicated links. But if you have a large number of devices that need to communicate with each other, they’re really inefficient.

Glossary: Packet Switching

Packet switching is a method of data transmission in which data is divided into small individual units (i.e. packets) before it is transmitted.

The process of dividing data into smaller chunks allows several nodes to send information on the same channel at the same time. No one device can monopolise the connection. Put another way, a circuit switched connection is like a railway between two cities. A train (data) can travel from one city to the other, but nothing else can use the railway at the same time. A packet switched connection is like a highway with many entrances and exits. Cars (packets) of various sizes can get on and off the highway at different points.

Zacker, Craig: Networking: The Complete Reference Osborne/McGraw Hill, Berkeley, CA; 2001

WHY USE A NETWORK?

The audiovisual industry has been successfully integrating systems for years without the benefit of packet-switched networks. Why have they become so popular and important? After all, networking does have disadvantages. If there is no existing network infrastructure, initial installation costs can be high. Pulling new cable and fibre through an existing facility is expensive.

Managing and protecting the network requires trained technicians and specialists, adding more cost. If the network connects to the internet, security is an issue. You have to block worms, viruses, and malware from using the network as a path into the organisation.

Today, however, most organisations do already have existing network infrastructure, and the staff or resources to support it. The capacity of packet-switched networks is such that you can transport a lot more data over a single cable than you can by any other signal transportation means. Packet switched networks are flexible and scalable – a well-designed network will grow with your organisation. They also give you the ability to share resources among devices. In the long run, then, networking lowers overall operating costs. It also increases productivity.

How much more efficiently can you manage and troubleshoot a device if you can access it from your desktop? Finally, networking of devices enables communication across distances, which is ultimately what the AV industry is all about.

Advanced Concept: Using Existing Data Infrastructure

Using existing data infrastructure may be easier said than done. Depending on the technologies employed, you may have to integrate the AV system. Network infrastructure technologies and AV specific network protocols are covered elsewhere in the course.  Answers: 1. Network connection 2. Network connection 3. Network node 4. Network node 5. Network connection 6. Network node

060

Termination Teeing off about the latest technology.

Text:/Graeme Hague

I’ve had this problem since my late teens and it’s kind of embarrassing that in the decades following – yes, decades – I’ve never really been able to do anything about it. It involves a certain lack of length and a rather alarming bend to the left. Lately, against my better judgement, I began perusing the internet for possible solutions and although it’s something you’d expect in this day and age I was still staggered, in fact truly amazed, at the number of websites, Facebook pages and online stores dedicated to the subject.

Golf is, after all, only a game – albeit one that originated sometime in the mid1400s. Feel free to imagine Mel Gibson wearing a striped face and a kilt, hurling his putter into the water hazard in rage, screaming, “They won’t take away our handicap!” I guess too it shouldn’t be so surprising, given the game’s popularity, that it commands so much internet real estate, but still...

I’ve always been something of a weekend hacker (a bit like Julian Assange these days) and golfers like myself are allowed to assume a kind of immunity from our failings. We’re not taking the whole thing that seriously, right? We laugh joyously at tee-off drives that barely pass the Ladies’ Tee or slice at right angles across two adjoining fairways. It’s all fun... Fun, fun, fun.

However, in the interests of oiling the ever-increasing creaks in my bones and stretching muscles quietly planning for retirement behind my back – literally – I’ve started pursuing the dimpled ball on a more regular basis and discovered that I’ve never improved at playing golf over 30 years, which is quite an achievement in itself.

IMPROVEMENT: IN THE BAG

On a whim, sneaking away from my wife and avoiding a hospital visit to

my mother-in-law, I wandered into a professional golf shop to innocently enquire as to whether investing in new technology might solve some problems.

It took a mere 12 minutes to see me loading a new (well, second-hand, but new for me) set of golf clubs into the boot of the car. Each club is the equivalent of an F/A-18 fighter-bomber on a stick. The fairway drivers alone were developed by NASA on its days off. Or at least this is what the chap in the shop assured me.

So instead of taking the effort to improve my skills on the course, I bought some.

It’s a common approach to solving issues and, not surprisingly, not one the AV manufacturing industry is going to discourage any time soon. Still, it’s a fine line between equipment and software not being able to do something – and the operator not being able to make that equipment or software do it, which is different. The easy answer is to buy something that will do it for you and take the middle man (that’s you) out of the equation. Like software with a zillion presets and hardware with one-button settings that do all the thinking for you.

Just last night I was helping a friend decipher her new PA system. She had barely a clue how it all worked but that didn’t matter because there were contour buttons on the speakers to make the sound perfect and DSP inside the mixing desk for anything else – and she already had PA hire bookings including herself as an operator. Frightening.

SLICE OF THE ACTION

My wake-up call was playing with the new Pro Tools 11. Pro Tools software has had a serious overhaul and PT11 rated an in-depth investigation of even its familiar, long-established functions and as always, comparisons with its latest competitors. As I dug around inside the various DAW innards it was

an interesting reminder of just how much we don’t know about the gear and software some of us use every day.

I know I’m not alone here. Menus we never access, features we’ve never used – and very likely ones that are really useful since the manufacturers and developers have given these things a lot more thought than we have. That mixing console last night had me stumped too, and I’ve been using these things almost as long as I’ve been playing golf (badly).

Explaining some signal routing, it occurred to me the process didn’t make sense with regards to how I imagined the routing could be applied... Ah, I won’t go into it here. Fortunately my friend was too confused about everything to notice I was confused about something.

Reputation intact.

So the moral of this story (as usual, you can hear the editor’s sigh of relief that there actually is a moral) is that before we consider investing in new technology to fix a problem or lack of functionality, we should always determine whether we’re attempting to solve that problem or somehow avoid it – or maybe bypass it is a better word. Because the latter will always come back to bite you. I don’t want to discourage buying new gear at all. I’m only suggesting make sure you have a full understanding of the failings of the old gear and that the primary fault isn’t yours truly. At worst, you’ll have a better idea of what you need new or at least, which expert to ask.

Like that bloke in the golf shop. Has he solved my problems? Technically, yes.

I now slice the ball 30 metres further into the bush. 

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