AV issue 16

issue #16 2011

$6.95 inc gst

You’ve got to ask yourself...

Why is it that Australia’s biggest church, Australia’s

biggest audio production company, plus one of Australia’s most respected AV companies all choose Adamson for their audio speaker systems? cmi.com.au

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Proud partner of the Australian Centre for the Moving Image

04

Editorial Up The Award Rate Although it only feels like a couple of weeks since we were handing out our first precious batch of AVIA plaques, it seems that the whole machine is beginning to gather a head of steam before rolling around again.

The inaugural AVIAs were a success, albeit a qualified success. By which I mean the awards are only as successful as how much you want them. They are a measure of how proud you are of your cleverness, and the way you innovate in your work, and how willing you are to take the risk of being rewarded for it.

If you haven’t previously thought about putting your work up for an award, let me remind you what the AVIAs are about. Simply put, we’re looking to recognise the bright and innovative people and organisations in this region’s AV industry. Whether you’ve found a clever way to achieve your goals with the minimum of resources, an innovative way to employ existing technologies or come up with something that didn’t previously exist, these are what can win you industry recognition through an AudioVisual Industry Award.

The AVIAs are not about the prestige or the budget of the nominated project or

technology — although some of last year’s nominated (but not necessarily winning) entries were big budget, some were high profile, and some were both. What swayed the judging panel every time were innovation and insightful uses of processes and products.

Since the first AVIAs, I’ve spoken to a few people who’ve suggested that they knew of, or even had been involved with, projects that were far and away better than those that won an award. The big difference of course, was that none of these allegedly more worthy projects were actually entered into the awards process, and thus had no chance at all of winning.

Let’s face facts: you stand absolutely no chance of winning a 2011 AVIA if you don’t submit your soon-to-be-available entry form.

Get in it to win it. Andy Ciddor, Editor Join the AV adventure. Dob in a friend. Drop a note to the editor Andy Ciddor andy@ av.net.au and tell him about your discoveries.

All The AV Industry Employment News Delivered to your IN box with AV Newswire Any time you want it at www.av.net.au

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Extron manufactures the most complete line of digital products available today. They’re engineered with the reliability, ease of installation, and ease of operation that distinguishes our products. Whether you need DVI, HDMI, USB, or multi-rate SDI, we have the digital products for today and tomorrow, with the high performance and value you’ve come to expect from Extron.

For your next digital video system design, give us a call. Our professional staff of application and system design engineers are ready to work with you to define and design complete, end-to-end digital AV systems. Need to learn more about the digital transition? We’ve created a complete library of training and educational materials, including white papers, technical articles, application profiles, and design guides; all written for the AV professional and available at no charge.

Visit www.extron.com/digitalthatworks for complete details.

Australian Distributor of Extron Products

www.rgbintegration.com

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+65.6383.4400

Crew For the past five years Matt has been the Marketing Coordinator for Lightmoves, which has exposed him to some of the most high-profile technology projects in Victoria. He is also a strong contributor to Melbourne’s independent theatre scene, having worked as a producer, director, actor, stage manager and more recently as a lighting designer. He is a produced playwright and budding screenwriter (although Hollywood doesn't think so... yet) and also freelances his reviewing skills to a number of online and print organisations.

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 Manager: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@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.

Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@av.net.au) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@av.net.au) Art Direction & Design: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Additional Design: Leigh Ericksen (leigh@alchemedia.com.au) News Editor: Graeme Hague (news@av.net.au) Accounts: Jen Temm (jen@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Manager: Mim Mulcahy (subscriptions@av.net.au)

Graeme Hague worked for the last 20 years in regional theatre venues as an audio, lighting and AV technician. Graeme is a regular contributor to AudioTechnology magazine and was the principal writer for the new Guerrilla Guide to Recording and Production (www.guerrillaguide.com. au). He owns a Maglite, a Leatherman and a wardrobe of only black clothing which proves he is overwhelmingly qualified to write on any technical subject.

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 © 2011 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. 9/3/11

Al Craig is an internationally respected sound engineer, producer and owner of Black Inc Recorders. Born in the USA, he studied music at Indiana University before moving to NYC to get his broadcasting career started. Whilst on tour in Australia in the early ‘80s with BS&T, he fell in love with Sydney and his future wife, vowing to have them both some day. On moving to Sydney in the late ‘80s he worked at SCEC, eventually becoming Head of AV. He was also Audio Producer for the Sydney 2000 host broadcaster.

Think inside the box!

Digital Signage without installation, maintenance, subscription fees or PC issues.

Fusion is SpinetiX’s new digital signage software application, designed to dramatically simplify the implementation of small-scale signage projects.

Fusion runs inside the HMPs and allows content to be managed via a web browser interface and can therefore be accessed either locally or remotely using a PC, Mac, Linux or iPad. To get Fusion now and upgrade your HMP call Madison on 1800 00 77 80 or email av@madisontech.com.au

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DME On Demand With DME On Demand, full-day training on Yamaha’s DME processors is available year-round by appointment.

To make an appointment for Yamaha DME On Demand training, call (03) 9693 5272 or email jason_allen@gmx.yamaha.com

MY expansion cards ensure that Yamaha’s extensive range of DME Series programmable DSPs, digital mixers and TXn Series power amplifiers are always compatible with the widest variety of audio formats.

So, if your audio network changes format, your Yamaha installation will be able to adapt by simply adding the required expansion cards.

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For more information on Yamaha’s digital mixers and processors, as well as Yamaha and third-party MY cards, visit:

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Issue 16 REGULARS NEWS News and the latest new product information

12

INFOCOMM NEWS Regional news from InfoComm

48

TERMINATION Will television ever catch up with the Internet?

50

FEATURES

26

BANK STATEMENT ANZ’s very Green new corporate HQ.

20

NOT IN MY BACKYARD Everybody wants to improve their back garden – but there are limits – or are there?

26

WORLD'S BIGGEST LITTLE EVENT Tropfest camps out in Sydney's Domain.

32

A PA OF BIBLICAL PROPORTIONS A brand new Adamson PA for Hillsong’s Baulkham Hills site.

36

REVIEWS

32

44

QUE AUDIO SNIPER KIT Inexpensive, lightweight location sound has arrived.

40

CLAY PAKY SHARPY The Clay Paky moving light, not the marker pen.

42

TUTORIALS PRACTICALITIES OF LIGHTING DESIGN Bringing a lighting design to life.

44

AUDIO PROCESSORS Compressors, Limiters, Expanders, Gates, Filters and Equalizers.

49

20

40

42

36

INFOCOMM BULKS UP INTEGRATE EDUCATION

AVIAS 2011: GO AGAIN

THE TENSION MOUNTS

Integrate in Association with InfoComm International has announced a broader, more comprehensive pro AV education program in 2011. Some of the world’s best trainers and educators are being engaged to conduct an additional six InfoComm Academy sessions in 2011 (30 Aug – 1 Sep). These sessions will augment InfoComm’s ever-popular ‘Super Tuesday – Future Trends’ program of the last two shows.

The InfoComm Academy sessions will focus on technology and best practices in the industry. AV professionals will leave these information-packed, idea-generating sessions with practical advice, expert solutions and technical education that is designed to be 100 percent applicable to the challenges of the Australian/NZ marketplace.

InfoComm International takes its education very seriously – forming one of the key pillars of its existence and its enduring strength and respect in the professional AV industry. These sessions represent a huge step forward for this region’s AV industry, providing training and education opportunities previously only available at the likes of the InfoComm exhibition in the US. We’ll provide you with more detail in coming issues of AV as it comes to hand.

Integrate: www.integrate-expo.com.au

Promoting Innovation, Rewarding Excellence: the Audio Visual Industry Awards are back! The awards successfully set sail in 2010, culminating in the AVIA’s announcement and presentation party at Integrate.

The feedback we’ve been getting was that Australia needs an awards program like this and you seem to like the fact that AV is adjudicating them. What worked: The AVIA format is solid. Provide us with the technical information we need and our hand-picked panel of judges will decide how innovative your work was. Smart ideas and innovation wins. What needs work: Winning an award is only worth something if you respect the judging criteria and you’re legitimately up against the best of the best. This is why we reluctantly canned a couple of categories late in the piece last year – through a lack of entries. This year, we’ve decided to combine the Education Installation categories and we’ve decided to push harder with the Staging/ Events category to ensure the crème de la crème are on show. Go to the AVIA website to download an entry form and review the rules, but essentially, the job in question needs to have been complete in the 2010 calendar year and be work done by an Australian or New Zealand company. Once again, the AVIAs will be awarded on the second evening of Integrate. We had fun last year and we’re looking forward to seeing you there again in 2011.

AVIAs: www.avias.com.au

Grandview has developed a solution for above-ceiling screen installations that avoids the dreaded wrinkled edges that can occur on drop-down screens. Featuring a premium dual-layer, front-projection surface with a low optical structure, Smart Combo screens have a side tab tensioning device with adjustable thumbwheels at each end of the dropper bar. The thumb wheels tune out any final distortions not removed by the tensioning. Available in 2690mm, 3048mm and 3810mm sizes with 16:9 aspect ratio, the Smart Combo screens are suited to residential and commercial theatres, and movie production rooms. The Smart Combo comes standard with dry contact Control, an IR remote with extension on the IR receiving eye and a 12V trigger input. This means easy onsite integration and no need to open up the screen casing. Vibration and sound dampening rubber joints are incorporated along the length of the in-ceiling box. The screen itself is already fitted onto the roller-tube and installed in the box, so there is no additional screen casing required for harsh locations.

Herma Technologies: (03) 9480 6233 or www.herma.com.au

NEWS IN BRIEF:

In the science of significant numbers, 70 million doesn’t have much of a ring to it, but you have to agree, it’s a lot. This is the number of processing chips that 3LCD has now shipped worldwide thanks to the boom in projection technology. Soon we might see Planet Ark drop-boxes in the post office with ‘Recycle your LCD Projector here’ rather than printer cartridges...

3LCD: www.3LCD.com

Riedel Communications has become a promoting member of the AVnu Alliance. The AVnu Alliance is an industry forum dedicated to the advancement of professional-quality audio/ video networking by promoting the adoption of the IEEE 802.1 Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) standards over various networking link-layers.

Riedel: www.riedel.net

Coming to a venue near you soon… Jands is hitting the road again with its Jands@ Home program which places management and product engineers for a week in cities around Australia for meetings with customers and end users.

There will be dedicated training seminars and, of course, the all-important drinks and nibbles session.

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

RMIT University has changed the way in which it integrates AV requirements across all of its campuses by engaging InSight Systems. This is a dedicated arrangement where InSight Service Teams reside on-site to offer an immediate response to fault-finding, assistance in operating gear and training. The first step was to complete an audit of over 900 classrooms already fitted with AV equipment.

Insight Systems: 1300 369 451 or www.insightsystems.com.au

Shure has acquired Informationsteknik of Denmark.

This includes Danish Interpretation Systems (DIS), which is responsible for the design, research and development, manufacturing and global distribution of DIS products.

The Project Division specialises in AV system integration and installation, and the Rental and Staging Division providing AV systems for events like AGMs, conferences, trade shows and world summits.

Shure: www.shure.com

3D POLES APART FROM THE REST Reading this might send you cross-eyed, but try your best. Lightspeed Design’s new DepthQ Polarization Modulator works to electronically switch the polarization orientation of light passing through it. Applied to a projector light source it allows for clear viewing of 3D images using passive stereo eye wear, effectively an alternative to active liquid crystal shutter glasses and emitters. Specifically, in combination with a polarization-preserving screen and a single-lens stereoscopic 3D projector this enables high-brightness, low-ghost viewing of the projected image using lightweight passive 3D eyewear. The modulator utilises a combination of separate liquid crystal elements bonded together to create a high polarization effect over visible wavelengths as well as fast transition switching speeds. Synchronised with progressive ‘page-flip’ stereoscopic data, matching polarized eyewear can passively block or transmit light to the viewer’s eyes at the appropriate moment.

It’s a bit like wearing polarised sunnies, using a laptop next to the pool and leaning over to pick up your beer – everything on the screen goes black (or is that caused by the beer?). Okay, it’s a little cleverer than that.

VR Solutions: (07) 3844 9514 or www.vrs.com.au

Staging solutions company ESG Australia, which was previously a subsidiary of the ES Group in the UK, has cast off the correctly rated and safety-tested shackles of the Mother Country and been acquired by its current managing director Ian Barclay. With Ian fully at the helm the company will now trade under its original (1999) name, Edwin Shirley Staging Australia Pty Ltd. All staff will be retained as will the existing supplier network for Mojo Barriers.

ESS: (02) 9666 9566 or www.ess-australia.com

Valé Malcolm Gregory: We learned with sadness that Wizard Projects’ universally-liked Tasmanian representative passed away unexpectedly on February 26th. Malcolm was competing in an outrigger-canoe race with his family when he was struck down by a massive heart attack. Almost the entire Taswegian AV industry attended his memorial service.

BARCO GET OUT OF SHAPE

BETTER THAN CLASSIC?

EXTRON LOSES THE JITTERS

Barco’s new HDX-W14 is a 3D projector with advanced image processing, increased and easy control options and a compact design. The HDX-W14 comes with a 14,000 lumens light output, a WUXGA (1920x1200) resolution and active 3D capabilities. It features controls through a user-friendly, built-in LCD screen with a preview mode and control options through wired and wireless IP. Alternatively users can control the projector through new technologies such as tablet PCs and smart phones. Although Barco has a strong association with digital cinema the HDX looks towards different applications with 3G protocol for video transmissions and native blending with geometry correction for projection onto unusual screen shapes and sizes. And while it is a heavy-duty three-chip DLP projector, Barco’s HDX platform is comparatively compact and consumes up to 30% less power. Its modular design, consisting of just five building blocks, was conceived for quick servicing.

Barco: (03) 9646 5833 or sales.au@barco.com

We see this a lot ‘round these parts. A company describing its products as ‘classic’, then having to explain how subsequent releases offer improvements.

DPA Microphones will stick to its guns launching a new modular series of microphones at Prolight & Sound 2011. The Reference Standard mics take DPA’s Standard and Compact types a step further building on the company’s commitment to providing clear, transparent and precise sound and improving on classic DPA microphones that already enjoy a solid reputation worldwide. The new models offer increased flexibility, sound quality and cost-effectiveness. The range includes the Reference Standard 4000 Series and the new Twin Diaphragm Capsules. Accessories that are also available will increase versatility and will allow for future upgrades or new applications.

For those forever wary of the Chinese manufacturing boom, you’ll be pleased to know that all DPA microphones and components, classic or otherwise are made at the company’s purpose-built factory in Denmark.

Amber Technology: 1800 251367 or www.ambertech.com.au

Extron Electronics has released the DVI 110 signal regenerator for single link DVI-D signals. The DVI 110 retimes and reshapes marginal or noisy DVI signal such as those occasionally encountered on the output of consumer-grade graphics cards or notebook PCs, or when passive DVI couplers and wall-plates are utilised within the signal path. The DVI 110 helps to eliminate noise and reduce jitter at the output of the source ensuring a strong, stable digital signal and improved system performance. The DVI 110 can be used in conjunction with the Extron DVI 101 or HDMI 101 cable equalizer for optimal picture quality on a long cable run. It can also be used with DVI or HDMI products equipped with input cable equalization such as the Extron SMX HDMI and DVI Pro matrix boards or DXP Series, DMS Series, and DCX Series digital matrix switchers. It is HDCP compliant and is fully compatible with HDMI signals when used with the Extron DVIHDMI adapters. The DVI 110 is housed in a compact 250mm high, one-eighth rack width enclosure.

RGB Integration: (08) 8351 2188 or www.rgbintegration.com.au

NEWS IN BRIEF:

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is bringing its popular Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander gallery to life with the purchase of a 103-inch Panasonic hi-def commercial display panel selected for its size, image quality, durability and clean design. However, the display isn’t designed to be permanently in the ATSI gallery and the ability to easily shift and reconfigure the panel was a crucial factor in its choice.

Panasonic: 132 600 or www.panasonic.com.au

Symetrix has six new apps for its ‘zero learning curve’ Jupiter audio processor. Modelled after smartphone technology, the Jupiter system is comprised of hardware units that users program with apps that they download from the Symetrix website. The apps instantly program the Jupiter hardware to perform a multitude of common audio processing tasks. Then the user only needs to tweak the settings to meet the needs of the particular installation.

Production Audio: (03) 9264 8000 or info@productionaudio.com.au

Thinklogical’s VelocityT-Series is a rack space saving KVM extension solution. The first model, the 1U-size Velocity T-4200, supports two Single-Link DVI displays as well as PS2, full duplex stereo audio and serial (RS232). Model options feature either USB 1.0 HID (only), and/or USB 2.0 device ports as well as a variety of video features.

VR Solutions: (07) 3844 9514 or www.vrs.com.au

Monash University in Melbourne has just taken delivery of a Williams Sound Infrared Hearing Augmentation System for three of its lecture theatres. Twelve TX9 IR emitters and 101 receivers with neckloops make this the largest Williams Sound infrared hearing augmentation system installed in an educational institution in Australia. The project was completed by the B&H Group of Victoria.

Hills SVL: (02) 9647 1411 or nsw@hillssvl.com.au

LifeSize has announced HD video content streaming on mobile devices using its Lifesize Video Center facility. Organisations can benefit from greater communications and flexibility by using HD video streaming, recording and auto-publishing to make video content available on mobile devices to teams working remotely. The number of tablets being used in this kind of business application is expected to go up to 49.1m in 2015.

LifeSize Communications: (02) 9238 1947 or www.lifesize.com

INFOCUS IN146 IS OUT InFocus Corporation announced the release of the IN146 short-throw projector. With native WXGA (1280x800) resolution to project widescreen notebooks and HD video without scaling, the IN146 offers large images in tight spaces. It can be easily installed on a wall, ceiling or placed on a media cart to project a 1.5 metre image from as little as 750mm away. As with all short-throw designs the small distance between the light-source and screen means shadows caused by tabletop objects or presenters are virtually eliminated. The IN146 is future-ready with 3D capability and an HDMI input. It can be turned into a wireless and networked display with the optional InFocus Liteshow III wireless adapter and its RS232 port allows connection to Creston, AMX or any other room control system. Expected lamp life is up to 6000 hours with filter-free DLP technology. The projector has a five-year limited warranty.

Revolution Technologies: (07) 39028051 or sales@revolutiontechnologies.com.au

Staging Connections Group has sold Bytecraft Entertainment to entertainment technology giant, Production Resources Group, for $15m. The sale will enable STG to focus on its core integrated event services, further reduce debt levels and augment working capital. MD Stephen Found will continue in his role. Staging Connections has also announced the national roll out of its Webcasting service, building on the successful launch in Melbourne and Sydney during 2010. The national launch of Webcasting as part of Staging Connections’ new range of Digital Event Services will also see the service provided in New Zealand.

Staging Connections: (02) 9556 8880 or scgl@scgl.com.au

ULA Group has been appointed as the new Australian and NZ Distributor for ArKaos products and has launched the new range of show and lighting media server products with a roadshow.

ULA: 1300 852 476 or www.ula.com.au

1/MR SQUIGGLE RETRENCHED

2/ KRAMER DOES THE TWIST

3/NEXUS: MAKING LIGHT WORK

This puts Mr Squiggle and Blackboard out of a job in one go, the bastards. Vaddio, a plainly evil Minneapolis-based specialist in robotic PTZ cameras and camera control systems has launched its own Squiggle – a Video Whiteboard Kit designed for videoconferencing, educational and corporate training facilities. Capable of being installed alongside almost any existing whiteboard, the Squiggle converts whiteboard notes into an HD or SD video signal. In addition to HD/SD outputs, data can be captured and stored as a JPEG image onto any USB flash drive. An EZTub with a Digital Control Panel attaches to the wall on the left side of the whiteboard and can run power and USB data over a single Cat5 cable up to 30 metres from the whiteboard back to the Video Whiteboard Quick-Connect Interface. The kit includes all the above plus one black marker, one marker sleeve and an electronic eraser. But what if the drawing’s upside down...?

Transitions Systems Australia: 1300 864 835 or au.transition-asia.com

Kramer Electronic’s TP-123-od transmitter and TP124-od receiver are a high-performance twisted pair solution for sending computer graphics video, unbalanced stereo analogue audio and unidirectional RS232 control command signals over long distances with advanced EDID handling capability and ‘Overvoltage Defense’ EMP protection built-in. Both models are HDTV compatible and support computer graphics video resolutions up to WUXGA and HDTV resolutions up to 1080p. The built-in EDID capture and emulation capability ensures the correct signal resolution is output to any monitor connected without the need for an external EDID capture device. System range for the devices is more than 100 metres and employs Kramer’s Power Connect feature where a single connection to the transmitter can power both the transmitter and receiver. The TP-124-od has trimmers to adjust the signal Level and EQ to ensure proper image quality.

Kramer Electronics: (07) 3806 4290 or www.krameraustralia.com.au

LSC has released a new range of Ethernet/DMX512 converters. Nexus provides the ability to convert between the two of the most common Ethernet protocols: ArtNet and Streaming ACN (SACN) and DMX512. Taking things further than just the conversion, Nexus allows users to merge two universes onto a single port on an LTP or HTP basis, soft-patch across multiple universes, auto-switch between two assigned universes for redundancy purposes and merge two universes to resend as a new ArtNet or SACN stream.

Three models are available: a single port portable Ethernet/DMX converter, a five-port rackmount Ethernet/DMX512 converter and a five-port trussmount Ethernet/DMX512 converter. Powercon power input connectors are available as an option on the fiveport units. The single port unit is powered via powerover-Ethernet. All Nexus products can use the free NexLan software with versions available for Windows, Mac and other platforms.

LSC Light Systems: (03) 9702 8000 or www.lsclighting.com

4/ NEWTEK ADDS NEW CONTROL

5/ SITUATION CRITICAL

6/AMX: SIMPLIFYING SIGNAGE

Quest Engineering’s HPI-110 is a high-powered compact speaker system that has a number of innovations to improve performance in theatre environments. The HPI system extends the ‘critical distance’ – the point beyond which reflections and delayed sound overpower the point source audio – with a custom HF waveguide that directs the sound away from the walls and ceiling.

This is achieved by the asymmetrical waveguide that provides 60° horizontal dispersion at the base of the flare and 30° at the top. Vertical dispersion above the box is limited to 15°. The horn waveguide can also be rotated 90° for horizontal installation. A custom flying system has been developed to suit the HPI speaker systems which are lightweight. An array of three HPI110 speakers has a combined weight of 47kg. Price: $1995 each.

Group Technologies: (03) 9354 9133 or www.grouptechnologies.com.au

Visitors to ISE 2011 experienced AMX’s Inspired XPert platform for large-scale digital signage deployments.

The new IS-XPT-2000 player easily fits adjacent to the display and replaces the existing rack mounted solution. This new player is paired with an enhanced version of Inspired XPert Composer content management software. With the 1080p-enabled ISXPT-2000, Inspired XPert can deliver HD multimedia content across a building, a campus or around the world.

Professionally developed, ready-made templates let users create layered, custom messages consisting of video, images, animation, online content, newsfeeds and advertisements. The templates allow users to place the video, text and images, independently, anywhere on the screen. In addition to its ease of use, Inspired XPert has capabilities that go beyond conventional digital signage by giving users the ability to orchestrate these with lighting, audio, and other triggered events through AMX NetLinx Control.

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

NewTek Inc have released its TriCaster TCXD850 CS, a hardware control surface for the TriCaster TCXD850 high definition (HD) portable live production system.

The TriCaster TCXD850 CS provides a physical connection to the 24-channel system’s functions and effects, allowing operators to make snap decisions with confidence and ease thanks to an intuitive control layout and features like backlit buttons and a threeaxis joystick. Sounding a tad irresponsible, Newtek claims that with TriCaster ‘anyone’ can simultaneously produce, live stream, broadcast, project and record HD and SD network-style productions. Sarah Murdoch might beg to differ, too (sorry, that was a dodgy audio feed). Otherwise, a single operator can switch between multiple cameras, virtual inputs and live virtual sets, while inserting clips, titles and motion graphics with multi-channel effects. TriCaster is widely used by broadcasters, schools, sports organisations, houses of worship and government agencies.

Adimex: (02) 9431 6060 or www.adminex.com.au

018

NEWS

MTV’s Snow Jam snow jammed.

MTV Snow Jam. – Tim Stackpool

For our European cousins, staging outdoor events in freezing, snow laden conditions is common fare. In that part of the world, we see soccer matches and stadium concerts proceed in rain, hail or sleet.

But for Australians, the story is a bit different. Often we struggle to keep concert systems alive by keeping them cool while operating under intense heatwave conditions.

There’s nothing better than a hot summer concert series in this country.

Consider then, the challenge of staging an international snowboard championship and outdoor concert on the Thredbo ski-fields 24 hours after the resort receives record snowfalls between the rig and the show.

Jo McArthur, the event manager from Starchild Productions pulled together teams from Cairellie, TDC, Butlers and Figure 8 Audio to stage MTV’s Snow Jam, a free live music event featuring local and internationally acclaimed acts Bliss N Eso, Operator Please and Queensland DJ Duo, Stafford Brothers.

Earlier in the day, a further international lineup of snowboarders competed in the MTV Big Air competition, also part of the event and included in MTV’s coverage.

While the broadcast systems and LED backdrop were supplied by TDC, the lighting, audio and communications were the responsibility of Cairellie, with all members of the team reminded of the fact that ‘it might snow’.

Cairellie began their bump-in on the Monday prior to the Thursday show in order to allow for a snowfall contingency extending the rig time. The weather did remain fine however, with much of the systems in place by the Monday evening. Broadcast bump-in began around 11am the day before the show, with all rigging pretty much complete by 9pm that night. “When we arrived on-site we had very little snow to deal with so the initial install was trouble free, with just minor cold being a factor. We were aware of the possible snow so where possible we ran our cables high,” said TDC’s broadcast technical director Olin Winton.

All cabling installed for the show was run approximately 900mm above the ground level by either attaching it to fencing, scaffolding, staging or up over the sides of the production marquee. “This proved worthwhile when it snowed,” said Cairellie’s Stephen Knight. “We could get to all the cable if we had to and it didn’t get stuck when we left. Everything had to be considered for ‘snow’ proofing. The concern was if it got cold enough, the cable could snap if moved.”

Two generators were used to provide clean power for the event, one dedicated for production power, the other for heating.

Initially the production company’s intention was to shut the generators down overnight to alleviate noise. The plan changed however, as it was decided to keep them running 24/7 in order to guarantee the continued operation of the technical gear in the cold conditions.

Also devised was a ‘warm room’, a marquee dedicated to keep critical equipment within operating temperatures.

For broadcast services, the TDC crew determined they needed more than a mere marquee for TV operations. “We needed an OB truck for this event,” Olin said. “So we fitted out a truck and it worked really well, where we had both audio and video paths located in the one truck. The multi-tracking was done in a separate truck.”

To keep the gear safe and dry, any equipment not being immediately used was stored in the ‘warm room’. Outdoors, the TV cameras were covered with standard wet weather gear along with tarps for extra protection. “We held off from building the LED backdrop until three hours before the show,” Olin said. “This was done due to strong wind factors and we were also concerned about prolonged exposure of the LED to the cold. The LED performed flawlessly in these cold conditions, by the way.”

And the cold did come. By around 3am the morning before the event, Thredbo recorded a fall of snow reaching 55cm, a record for the previous 24 hours. Cairellie’s Stephen Knight was awoken with a phone call: “It was feared the roof of the Butlers stage was going to cavein due to the weight of the snow. Someone suggested a ‘great’ idea of turning on 12 Molefay Duets would magically melt the snow off the roof. It would have had little effect, but at least it alerted me to the conditions and we could attend appropriately to our gear. I then looked out the window of the accommodation and noticed snow up to waist height. The carpark had pretty much disappeared.”

Audio technician (and apparent survival expert) Alistair Munroe heard Stephen’s phone conversation and joined him in ‘wading’ across to the venue. “Driving was not an option at all,” he said.

According to Stephen, when they finally reached the outdoor venue, all the sub-woofers had disappeared under about 4 feet of snow, some of which had been shovelled off the roof by the staging crew. “The whole venue floor was about 400mm deep in snow. We spent about 2 and a half hours getting everything out

and clear. Al (Munroe) climbed the PA towers and cleared all the snow from the PA as I cleared the stage. We dug out a bit of the FOH cabling that was slightly undercover…we had already propped this up on timber the night before for this reason. Lastly the lighting on the FOH tower had to be cleared of snow as all the moving lights were sitting deep in it!”

MTV’s production manager Luke Shave agrees the conditions were certainly note worthy: “The record snow falls made it challenging to say the least,” he said. “No one expected to have to deal with the amount of snow that fell over that period. Walking down to the site in the morning and seeing the whole site, including the main stage just covered in snow was something that you don’t see everyday.”

For the broadcast guys, the drama was similar: “We shot this event using 4 triax based cameras and 2 ENG cameras, firstly shooting the Big Air contest, then resetting for the concert. Snow clearing machines were used to clear pathways, however these lawnmower type machines cut through two of our cables approximately half an hour before we were to begin broadcast,” TDC’s Olin Winton said. “Luckily we had a spare 400m

of triax to rerun to the FOH position from the OB compound. By the time bump-out started, our cables running to the Big Air event had been buried under a large amount of snow.

This was possibly the worst part of the whole show as these cables were dug out from under 1 metre of compressed snow and ice in –7° C temperatures at 10pm.”

During the event, the crew contended with challenges presented by the elements: “The Digidesign Profile started losing faders as it got colder, which was essentially caused by condensation on them. The computer subsequently thought we had our fingers on all these faders and therefore would not move when switching pages,” Cairellie’s Stephen Knight told AV. “But monitor control PM5D, all RF and splits and all amps and power for audio was all in an enclosed marquee stage left. Andrew McKeown (monitor system tech) basically lived in that room wearing what could have been shorts and a t-shirt. All the gear kept it warm.”

But considering the challenges, it’s obvious that the success of the event lies beyond the special effects, the fireworks and the equipment, with key personnel ensuring ‘the show must go on’. “It was great working

with everyone involved in this event,” TDC’s Olin Winton said. “Working under these conditions can be very trying at the best of times, but everyone pulled together to make this event happen…especially the riggers who worked all night clearing snow off the roof in difficult conditions.” MTV’s Luke Shaves shares a similar perspective: “All crew and support staff did an amazing job... We did have some ‘moments” but at the end of the day everyone put in a huge effort to make it happen. Although the snow was a nightmare to deal with, it made the on air show look amazing!” Cairellie’s Stephen Knight concurs: ”Without the staff we had there, this event technically would have been far more challenging that it already was. They were a great group of committed guys. Seeing millions of dollars of gear in that weather scared the heck out of me but we all worked together and got it all back safely after a successful event.”

MTV Snow Jam is an annual event and a regular production on the MTV calendar. It has been held previously in New Zealand, Falls Creek, Thredbo and Japan. The 2011 location will be announced shortly.

036

FEATURE

Hillsong fast-tracks the installation of its new Adamson PA Text:/ Al Craig

Here’s a little riddle for you: Where in Sydney will you find a 3500-seat venue that hosts concerts to packed houses several times each week? Answer: Hillsong Church in Baulkham Hills. It holds two youth services every Sunday morning, one on Sunday night, and sometimes other services during the week. The venue’s layout is somewhat reminiscent of the Sydney Entertainment Centre, in that there is fixed seating in a horseshoe shape, and a floor area with rows of portable seating. The tiered stage is considerably lower than your standard concert stage, as intimacy is a priority and security is not an issue. You’d be living in a bubble if you weren’t aware of the style and the power of the music that takes place at each and every service. And of course Pastor Brian Houston’s Countryman E6 mic is the most important mic in the auditorium.

Recently, I was invited along to hear the newly-installed Adamson speaker system.

I arrived on a Wednesday, at the tail-end of what you might call the commissioning phase, only to learn that an unscheduled service had been sprung on the crew, and was to be held that evening. Therefore, I only had an hour to talk with the principals involved before soundcheck was due to commence.

Why did Hillsong feel the need to upgrade its system? From what I could gather, the original system fell short on providing uniform coverage to every seat in the house. I also understand that some of the previous speakers (and amps) will be redeployed at other Hillsong venues and the balance sold off.

HARD CHOICES

Why did Hillsong decide on Adamson?

Systems from several manufacturers were invited to come to the venue and demo their wares. All of the staff and volunteer audio crew were on hand and asked to fill out a score card. The tech management folks then sat down and considered cost, rigging issues, sightlines, and factory support. At the end of the day, the Adamson system won the shootout. The most salient point from the

subjective listening tests was the coverage.

Factory support also rated very highly.

When I was there, the ‘factory support’ was Ewan McDonald who had flown in from Ontario on Monday night. Ewan designed the system using Adamson proprietary software known as Shooter and was onsite to ensure that the system was hung correctly and then to tune it, using WinMLS and Smaart.

The rig is essentially a four-way system and will soon be dead-hung from the rigging superstructure, which by the way, runs on tracks that allow the entire rig of screens, lights and speakers to be moved 12 metres downstage, for those occasions when the venue is made smaller and more intimate (similar to the Entertainment Centre’s ‘Lyric’ mode).

The main array is flown as a stereo pair with each side made up of 10 x Adamson Y10s with 2 x Spektrix boxes slung underneath for downfill. The Y10 contains two Adamson NDL (10-inch Kevlar/neodymium) drivers, one Adamson YX9 (nine-inch Kevlar mid-frequency) driver and 1 x JBL 2451 high-frequency driver. The mid and high drivers are housed in Adamson’s patented Co-Linear Drive Module which has a co-axial entrance and a co-linear exit. The Spektrix boxes are made up of 1 x 8.5-inch mid-low frequency driver, another 8.5-inch unit that handles the midhigh frequencies, and 1 x B&C DE900 1.4inch HF driver mounted in a wave-shaping sound chamber.

Flown directly behind each of these arrays are 3 x Metrix subs in a cardioid arrangement that creates a low-frequency extension for the main arrays. The Metrix subs each contain two manifold-loaded 15inch Adamson Kevlar/neodymium drivers.

However, the main low frequency element of the system (and perhaps the most difficult rigging challenge), consists of six Adamson T21 subwoofers, which are flown in a cardioid arrangement directly above the stage. The T21 houses 2 x 21-inch Kevlar/ neodymium drivers, utilising six-inch dualcoil symmetrical drives.

COMPLETING THE COVERAGE

During the initial design it became apparent that a side hang would be required to hit the seats at the top of the horseshoe. The side array is hung next to the main fills and comprises 7 x Adamson Y10 cabinets,

The Co-Linear Drive Module Explained Brock Adamson’s patented Co-Linear Drive Module, is a co-entrant mid/high device, comprised of a high-frequency sound chamber inside a mid-frequency sound chamber. The nine-inch Adamson midrange compression driver fires into a concentric slotted phase plug. The conversion of the concentric rings to vertical slots in the midrange results in a flat wavefront.

The four-inch JBL high-frequency compression driver mounts coaxially to the back plate of the mid and fires energy through the pole piece of the mid and into a separate high-frequency chamber. The high chamber offers a series of cells that adjust both the path length and the vector of the energy within the wavefront at the exit. This reduces the curvature of the wavefront and ensures that all acoustic particle movement within the wavefront, is normal to the wavefront. This means that in the resulting hyper-directional horn-loaded mid/high system, the wavefront structure of the individual elements conforms closely to the shape of the overall array wavefront. There is very little of the scattered energy that causes vertical interference in other driver designs.

The drive module has three slots at the exit.

The centre slot is energized with high-frequency pressure and is then flanked by two slots energized with mid-frequency pressure. With such close spacing and patented processing techniques, the chamber virtually eliminates time smear and mid lobing.

FEATURE

037

038

FEATURE

subs are four of the new PLM 20000Q which are configured with two inputs and two outputs, with each output capable of 4400W into 4� .

All amps have Lake processing modules, each offering precise settings for gain, delay, crossover slope, equalization and limiting.

Signal distribution and processing control is provided by Dante, a self-configuring digital audio networking solution from Audinate.

All of the signal processing, distribution and amplification equipment was provided by Hills SVL and Cuepoint.

HE WHO HAS EARS… LISTEN UP

Left to right: Side hang of Adamson Y10s with underslung Spektrix downfills. Three Metrix subs lurk behind a main hang of Y10s with underslung Spektrix downfills (not visible).

again with 2 x Spektrix cabinets underslung.

In addition to all that horsepower, there are 2 x Metrix subs sitting left and right under the stage, partly to service the front rows of the portable seating area, but as a by-product, they give the musicians on stage, who are all on inears, some extra thump (possibly the biggest butt-shaker you’ll ever hear).

According to CMI Music and Audio boss (the Australian agent for Adamson), Peter Trojkovic, the system just described “delivers a very smooth and even response to all but the top two rows at the back of the horseshoe, but due to Hillsong’s brief that every seat in the house must be covered evenly and equally, the design team at Adamson added a delay system.”

There are four delay hangs, spaced evenly across the rear of the auditorium. The centre two clusters are each made up of 5 x Metrix two-way speakers and the outer two are each made up of 4 x Metrix two-way speakers.

The Metrix box encompasses a single ND8ML (8.5-inch Kevlar/neodymium) mid-low frequency driver and B&C’s new DE800 1.4inch HF compression driver with an Adamson high-frequency wave-shaping chamber. And

finally, the outer two delay hangs each have one Metrix W cabinet (same components, slightly different shape and a 15° vertical dispersion).

PULLING IT ALL TOGETHER – FAST

Can I stop right here for a moment and tell you that all of these speakers (and associated rigging) arrived at Hillsong on Tuesday morning and was pumping out tracks from a CD player by midnight. Mind you, all the amps, cabling and super-rigging had been prepared and/or installed earlier by Brad Law from Cuepoint (and the staff at Hillsong, led by production manager Steve Le Roux), but, there was a service on the previous Sunday evening, so nothing of the retiring system could be removed until Monday morning.

Moving upstream in the signal chain, all new amplifiers were also installed as a part of this system upgrade. A total of 18 x Lab. gruppen PLM 10000Q amps were utilised to drive the Y10, Spektrix and Metrix boxes.

For the most part, the amps are positioned in the grid, which reduces the speaker cable runs considerably. The PLM 10000Q is configured as a four-input, four-output device, capable of delivering 2300W into a 4� load. Driving the

Foldback is mixed on a Yamaha PM1D. While there are a few wedges hiding beneath grilles under the stage, for the most part, Sennheiser G2 wireless and Shure PSM wired in-ear monitors are the order of the day. All up there are 20 radio mics and 16 in-ear systems. The drum kit is surrounded by a Perspex cage and guitar amps are kept in utility rooms backstage.

Keyboards are all on DIs. All of which results in a very low ambient level which makes life so much easier for the engineers and results in a better sound for the congregation.

Front-of-house is mixed on a Digidesign Profile. What caught my eye was the lack of any outboard gear or patch bays. On this day, FOH was being driven by Andrew Stark.

Between him and Mush (the monitor engineer), they took an extra long time to go through each of the instruments in turn, as this was the first time they had a chance to ‘play’ with the new system. Once each instrument had been checked, the band was cut loose and played several songs. For the most part, there was a core rhythm section, and all manner of front line took to the stage in the two hours I was there. When I got the chance, I asked Andrew if, on first impression, he had any regrets about the new speakers. His response: “None” So how does it sound? Well, for a system that was hung, tested and tuned in 30 hours (and under the caveat that further fine tuning will no doubt take place over the course of several weeks) I was impressed. The coverage was indeed smooth and even. Front-to-back, side-to-side it all sounded pretty much the same. At around 85dB SPL, the system felt like it was idling, but it had plenty of punch and presence. In order to reduce the slap-back coming from the rear of the venue, they have hung large panels of absorptive material. And Pastor Brian’s mic delivered. If you want to hear it for yourself, there is nothing stopping you from attending a service. Ó MORE INFORMATION: Adamson: www.adamsonsystems.com CMI: (02) 9335 2244 or www.cmi.com.au Cuepoint: (02) 8006 1486 or www.cuepoint.com.au

HAIRSPRAY’S LED STAGE BLOW AUDIENCES AWAY THE X FACTOR VIDEO & LIGHTING STEALS SHOW $6b CASINO’S LASER & LIGHT EXTRAVAGANZA OLYMPIC PARK WINNER: WORLD-FIRST BIAMP VOCIA INSTALL FIRST EVER SPINETIX FUSION REVIEW ALSO REVIEWED: MITSUBISHI XB6100 & TASCAM DR680 LOCATION RECORDER

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Taking 3D to the World

biggest audio production company, plus one of

ACMI SCREEN WORLDS: A MOVING STORY OF AV

Australia’s most respected AV companies all choose Adamson for their audio speaker systems? cmi.com.au

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THE ELECTRIC CANVAS: DEBUNKING THE PLUG ‘N’ PLAY MYTH BLEND ME SHAPE ME: MEDIA SERVERS EXAMINED issue #15 2011

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InfoComm News News from the Oceania Region.

ASIA-PACIFIC COUNCIL We welcome the appointment of the new Chairman of the AsiaPacific Council Mr. Zane Au, CTS-D of Shen Milsom Wilke, in Hong Kong. Zane’s appointment by InfoComm’s Leadership Development Council comes at the end of the term for the former Asia-Pacific Council Chair, Mr. Peter Swanson, CTS of AMX Australia. Peter served as Asia Pacific Council Chair for 2 x 1 year terms. At this point I would like to pass on our thanks to Peter for the hard work that he has put into the council and for way that he has promoted the Association and its works to the broader Audiovisual Communications Industry.

For those that are not aware of our Councils and Committees, Councils are representative InfoComm membership networking groups that; • Provide members an opportunity to pursue common goals for their industry segment or interest.

• Provide a voice to the concerns of its members and make recommendations to the Board that affect their constituency.

• Serve as conduit to the Board via staff and the Membership Committee.

Following on from a recent InfoComm board meeting, the first task of the council will be to re-apply to the InfoComm board for approval to operate. Part of this process will be to seek more members willing to participate in the work of the council and to set some goals for the term ahead.

If you are interested to find out more about the Asia-Pacific Council or any of the other InfoComm Member Council and Committees please contact Jonathan Seller at oceania@ infocomm.org As a member driven organisation, the councils and committees provide the InfoComm board and staff with valuable input to helping the Association provide benefits to members.

INFOCOMM ACADEMY AT INTEGRATE 2011 IN ASSOCIATION WITH INFOCOMM INTERNATIONAL Planning is well underway for the InfoComm Academy program at Integrate 2011 in association with InfoComm International.

The 2011 show will see a return of the Super Tuesday program, focusing on Future Trends in Audiovisual Communications Technology. The day will conclude with a Keynote presentation from Randal A. Lemke, Ph.D, Executive Director and CEO, InfoComm International.

In addition to the Super Tuesday program, the InfoComm Academy will present two half day conferences and six InfoComm Academy seminars. The half day conferences will focus on Digital Signage and Collaborative Conferencing. The seminars will be 60-90 minute standalone topics. The call for presenters has just closed and we have received some great topic submissions.

To ensure this program is a success for everyone, we have formed an Educational Advisory Group. The group has three functions; • review the submissions for relevance to the local market, • suggest topics to be covered based on needs in the industry and • suggest speakers that would be of interest and benefit to the industry.

This significant increase in Educational offerings at Integrate 2011 in association with InfoComm International reflects

the ever-increasing importance of the show to the local audiovisual communications industry. It’s also reflective of the increased involvement in the show by InfoComm International and the strength of the relationship between InfoComm and Alchemedia events.

Please mark your calendar now.

30th August Super Tuesday – Future Trends in Audiovisual Technology Headroom Theatre – Royal Hall of Industries Open and Welcome at 10:20am Sessions from 10:30 to 4:45pm with a 1 hour break for lunch (not included) Keynote Address from 5:00pm to 5:30pm Collaborative Conferencing, Conference InfoComm Academy Training Room (above Café in RHI) Open and Welcome at 10:20am Conference Concludes at 1:30pm.

InfoComm Academy Seminars Day 1 InfoComm Academy Training Room (above Café in RHI) Seminar 1 at 1:30pm Seminar 2 at 3:15pm InfoComm Member Reception InfoComm Academy Training Room (above Café in RHI) Drinks and Nibbles served to InfoComm Members & Guests from 5:30pm to 6:30pm.

Please come to the InfoComm Booth (RHI F28) to collect your tickets to the function.

31st August, 2011 Digital Signage Conference InfoComm Academy Training Room (above Café in RHI) Open and Welcome at 10:20am Conference Concludes at 1:30pm.

InfoComm Academy Seminars Day 2 InfoComm Academy Training Room (above Café in RHI) Seminar 3 at 1:30pm Seminar 4 at 3:15pm 1st September, 2011 InfoComm Academy Seminars Day 3 InfoComm Academy Training Room (above Café in RHI) Seminar 5 at 10:30pm Seminar 6 at 12:30pm Please Note: All registrations for the InfoComm Academy programs are being done through the Integrate Expo website, www.integrate-expo.com Future Dates InfoComm Roundtables.

Melbourne, 29 March Sydney, 31 March Canberra, 7 April Brisbane, 12 April InfoComm International Show IC11, Orange County Convention Centre Orlando FL. Conference 11-17 June, 2011 Expo 15-17 June, 2011 Please see the InfoComm website for details.

Audio Processors Compressors, Limiters, Expanders, Gates, Filters and Equalizers: what they do in your audio system.

This is an excerpt from the Audio Section of the newly revamped GEN106 Essentials of AV Technology Online. This course is a comprehensive, introductory overview of science and technology for audio, visual and audiovisual systems integration with more than 240 lessons, quizes to help professionals assess their understanding of the material, and section tests to help students demonstrate understanding of essential AV technology. Content from this course is the basis for the InfoComm-Recognized AV Technologist Test. Learn more about this exciting new education certificate program at www.infocomm.org/avtechnologist.

To refine an audio signal, there are numerous types of processors available. Which type of processor is needed is determined by the intended use and listening environment. Some common processors include limiters, compressors, expanders, gates and filters.

Compressors, limiters and expanders are dynamics processors. They either decrease or increase the overall dynamic range of the signal.

The term dynamic range refers to the difference between the loudest and quietest levels of a signal. A signal level which varies greatly between the loudest and quietest parts is said to have a wide dynamic range.

Compressors and limiters operate in the same way but are different in their uses.

Limiters: LImiters limit the level of all signals above an adjustable threshold. In other words, they prevent high amplitude signals from getting through. Limiting is used to prevent damage to components such as loudspeakers. Limiters are triggered by peaks or spikes in the audio signal (like a dropped microphone), and react quickly to cut them off before they exceed a certain point. The amount of limiting above the threshold is determined by a more aggressive ratio than a compressor reduction ratio. The reduction limits the variation between highest and lowest signal levels resulting in a limited dynamic range.

Expanders: Expander are more properly called ‘downward expanders’. Expanders reduce the level of all signals below an adjustable threshold.

The amount of reduction below the threshold is determined by an adjustable ratio. The signal level reduction increases the variation between highest and lowest signal levels resulting in an increased dynamic range. Expanders are used for reducing unwanted background noise.

Gates: can be thought of as an extreme downward expander. They mute all signals below an adjustable threshold. Signal levels must exceed the threshold setting before they are allowed to pass. Gates can be used to automatically turn off unused microphones.

DYNAMIC PROCESSORS

Compressors: Compressors reduce the level of all signals above an adjustable threshold. In other words, they keep loud signals from being too loud.

The amount of reduction above the threshold is determined by an adjustable ratio. The reduction reduces the variation between highest and lowest signal levels resulting in a compressed (smaller) dynamic range. Compressors can be used to prevent signal distortion. Extreme compression is called limiting.

Graphic Equalizers: A common graphic equalizer is the 1/3-octave equalizer. The 1/3-octave graphic equalizer provides 30 or 31 slider adjustments corresponding to specific fixed frequencies with fixed bandwidths, with the frequencies centred at every one-third of an octave. The numerous adjustment points allow for shaping the overall frequency response of the system so that the sound system sounds more natural. The graphic equalizer is so named because the adjustments provide a rough visual, or graphic, representation of the frequency response adjustments.

Parametric Equalizers: A parametric equalizer offers greater flexibility than a graphic equalizer.

Not only will the parametric provide boost or cut capability like the graphic, but it also allows centre frequency and bandwidth adjustments.

Semi-Parametric Equalizers: A semiparametric equalizer can be found on the input of many audio mixers. While it still allows adjustment of the centre frequency, it does not allow bandwidth adjustment.

Filters: will filter or remove certain frequencies from a signal. A notch filter ‘notches out’ a specific frequency or band of frequencies. Low/ high-pass filters pass the low-frequency content of a signal while high-pass filters pass the highfrequency content.

EQUALIZERS

Equalizers: (or EQs), are frequency controls which allow you to boost (add gain) or cut (attenuate) a specific range of frequencies. The simplest equalizer comes in the form of the bass and treble tone controls found normally on your home stereo or surround receiver. The equalizer found on the input channel of a basic audio mixer may provide simple high, mid and low frequency controls.

Going beyond the home stereo and basic input channel equalizers, you will find two common types of sound system equalizers – graphic equalizers and parametric equalizers.

Equalizer Summary: As you can see, many different types of equalizers are available, ranging from simple tone controls to fully parametric equalizers. Some mixing consoles offer a combination of fixed and semi-parametric controls. Graphic and parametric equalizers are used for system-wide adjustments and can be separate components, built-in to powered audio mixers, or included in a DSP (Digital Signal Processor) unit. 

050

Termination Will Television ever catch up to the Internet?

Text:\ Matt Caton

“Streaming is the Internet’s dirty little secret at the moment”

When the iPhone revolutionised the world of hand-held devices I wasn’t surprised. I’d predicted it years ago. I don’t mean that I’m some sort of IT oracle; far from it. It just seemed very obvious to me, when you saw people walking around with iPods, mobile phones, personal diaries, calculators and pedometers that eventually all of this would be rolled into the one device.

I’ve also been thinking the same thing about televisions, DVDs (or Blu-ray), stereos, gaming, personal computing and Internet access. And, in all reality, these ‘all-in-one’ devices do exist. Well, sort of.

I have no doubt that many of the techsavvy readership of AV have all sorts of computer networks hooked up in their home, allowing iTunes linkup, Internet gaming and television to stream into every LCD and plasma in your house. I myself have a very basic all-in-one PC, which is my HD television, My Blu-ray player and my music player as well as being my main PC. The use of the Windows Media Centre makes this a very smooth transition, but it still doesn’t cover everything, but it sure does take up far less space than the old setup of TV, DVD, stereo and computer.

So as you can see, the technology is there, it currently exists and many are utilising it. What doesn’t exist, is a ‘Media Centre’ that is marketed as a Home Entertainment

product, rather than a computer, and allows us unrestricted web streaming through a web browser.

When the iPhone first came onto the market, it wasn’t presented as a music device or hand-held PC with a phone attachment. No, it was marketed and sold as a phone, and available for purchase in the mobile phone section of stores. Think about it; Microsoft (for example) could quite easily build a massive LED screen with an built-in computer and sell it in the TV section of Harvey Norman. It could run on a somewhat modified version of Windows, which runs and stores every single bit of entertainment in your lounge room in the one box – an extension of its current Windows Media Centre platform of sorts, just a little less restrictive. This would also give you Internet access and the opportunity to view emails and Facebook on a 52-inch screen (not the most appetising of prospects, granted). And again, this type of thing exists: Apple TV, Google TV, TIVO, the Telstra T-Box and many of the new consumer-brand televisions are allowing us to have restricted Internet access on our home telly. But it’s all limited to certain specific-built programs and channels (which always seems to include YouTube). Why aren’t we getting easy and unrestricted access to the Internet?

The answer has to be the increase in

television streaming sites we see on the Internet. The increased data speeds and online storage capability has allowed HD streaming to exist on a massive scale; which essentially is the beginning of the end for commercial television stations.

Streaming is the Internet’s dirty little secret at the moment; a tricky and grey area with the law. Direct, unlicensed streaming is illegal; but it’s not illegal to simply store a file or open a link to a live feed, nor is it illegal to ‘link’ to a site that just happens to have said file stored there. So between a few host and a few feeder websites, the practice is able to exist.

If we all had Firefox, Chrome or even (shudder) Internet Explorer on our televisions, we’d have no real need for freeto-air or Pay TV… or DVD players. And boy, you’d be glad if you owned YouTube.

Unfortunately, technology has totally surpassed what the world of cyber-media law is able to handle at the moment, and it will be some time before it all catches up... with itself.

Until then, current affair shows are safe; I mean, who’s really going to choose to stream A Current Affair when you have a choice of every TV show in the world?

And for the record, I don’t illegally stream television or movies over the Internet. I only know so much about it, because, well, I have this friend of a friend, you see... 

ExpEriEncE MorE .: CONFIDENCE :.

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• Voice detection — Microphones are voice-activated in automatic mode

• Flexible & easy to modify — Microphone and camera settings can be controlled by PC

• Simultaneous interpretation — Use up to four channels for multi-language meetings

More information? Contact your Audio-Technica dealer or TAG info@tag.com.au Ph. (02) 9519 0900.