Pro AVL MEA January-February 2019

LIVE SOUND LIGHTING RECORDING INSTALLATION AV BROADCAST POSTPRODUCTION January–February 2019

SHIP TO SHORE QE2 makes a new home in Dubai

INSIDE HOT SOAP STUDIOS GUNS N’ ROSES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Singapore: MICA (P) 033/06/2018

NO COMPROMISE DIGITAL 6000

www.sennheiser.com/digital-6000

TO LED OR NOT TO LED? GOING FOR GROWTH SLS eyes a bigger piece of the pie

YAMAHA MUSIC GULF FZE Jebel Ali Free Zone Dubai U.A.E. Tel : +971 4 8011500 http://mea.yamaha.com www.yamahaproaudio.com http://nexo-sa.com

CONTENTS

Volume 16 Issue One January–February 2019

NEWS NEWS RCF welcomes DPA Microphones, DiGiCo buys KLANG

4

EDUCATION PRO LAB commits to education

22

DISTRIBUTION Boujikian Bros to represent PMC

24

APPOINTMENTS Richard Ayres joins GSL, N&M hires Abigail Bates

26

NEW PRODUCTS The industry’s most comprehensive product news

29

FEATURES THE ELEVENTH HOUR Tackling last-minute changes at Jordan Festival

64

THE PERSONAL TOUCH Audio at Tehran’s first large-scale concert hall

66

ONCE IN THIS LIFETIME Guns N’ Roses finally arrive in South Africa

68

DISCO INFERNO HEC Pro turns up the heat at Club Inferno Bursa

70

COVER: SHIP TO SHORE The QE2 docks in Dubai’s Mina Rashid port

72

HOME FROM HOME CEZ maximises its appeal at Dubai Mall

74

HOT SOAP STUDIOS Cyprus’ new studio blends the best of both worlds

76

Editor’s note Our New Year’s resolution here at Blank Canvas Publishing is to once again increase and broaden the scope of our digital offerings.

Eagle-eyed readers may have realised that this is not the first time we’ve made such a pledge, and we hope you’ve enjoyed and valued the wealth of new video content to grace our website and social media pages over the last 12 months. We’ve certainly had a lot of fun jumping behind, and occasionally in front of, the lens. Our Industry Drivers video series was particularly interesting when it came to pulling back the curtain on the face behind the name and definitely a personal highlight.

At the top of our list was optimising our website to provide a smoother and more efficient platform capable of quickly delivering the industry’s latest news.

While I think our in-house team has done a fabulous job with the new site, I’d also love to hear your feedback and suggestions about ways we can continue to maximise its usefulness and appeal.

But fear not, traditionalists, this digital focus doesn’t mean we are abandoning our hard-printed copies of Pro AVL MEA. Throughout 2019, we will be slowly diversifying the spread of business coverage we provide in the latter pages of each issue, with a greater focus on the local market, together with more insight and expert opinions on the latest technology and business trends.

Whatever platform you are using to read Pro AVL MEA, enjoy the magazine!

BUSINESS Email: sluckhurst@proavl-mea.com COMPANY PROFILE SLS has its eyes on a bigger piece of the pie

78

LETTER FROM AMERICA Dan Daley discusses the rise of esports

80

LETTER FROM EUROPE Phil Ward debates the need for lists

80

TECHNOLOGY Are cinemas witnessing a new age of LEDs?

82

SHOW REVIEW We report from AES New York 2018

84

R&D Examining the design process behind DPA’s subminiature mics

88

ANALYSIS What’s driving future AV talent?

90

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COVER: QE2 in Dubai LICENCES: Singapore: MCI (P) 033/06/2018 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright owners.

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@ProAVLMEAMagazine January–February January–February2019 2019PRO PROAVL AVLMEA MEA 33

NEWS

RCF Group welcomes DPA WORLD: RCF Group has entered into a definitive agreement to wholly acquire DPA from American investors, the Riverside Company.

Based in Allerød, Denmark, DPA Microphones has grown over 26 years to become a leading, premium brand within the live, broadcasting, theatrical and studio sectors of the professional audio industry. The Danish Financial Times disclosed details that the Riverside Company intended to put its microphonemanufacturing asset up for sale during InfoComm 2018. As such, the speed of the acquisition by RCF Group has caught industry observers by surprise.

RCF Group has grown significantly under the companies RCF and AEB Industriale (dBTechnologies) since late 2003. Having bought out of Loud Technologies 15 years ago, RCF’s rise under the leadership of CEO Arturo Vicari has consistently recorded double-digit growth. The

RCF CEO Arturo Vicari only blemish during that period was the acquisition of lighting company SGM in 2009, which it sold three years later.

In 2017, two European private equity players, Palladio Holding and Amundi Private Equity Funds, invested with a minority stake in order to support and enhance

RCF Group with its ambitious growth plans. Generating more than 80% of its revenues in 120 countries outside Italy, RCF Group most recently welcomed fellow loudspeaker manufacturer EAW into its portfolio in September 2018. Coming just three months later, the acquisition of DPA

represents another important milestone to the group’s growth.

‘When DPA became available to purchase on the market, the timing was right as we were looking for a microphone company,’ commented Mr Vicari. ‘Having assessed DPA’s factory in Denmark, I was enormously impressed by the precision engineering and craft of their workmanship. Like any great audio brand, they apply art to their science. After meeting with the Riverside Company several times, we entered an auction bid and acquired the brand with a clear strategy in mind. Having always covered the speaker elements, RCF Group now covers audio from the source to the signal.’

Having overseen the launch of the d:screet Core 6060, 6061 subminiature microphones and the d:fine Core 6066 subminiature headset microphone at AES 2018, DPA Microphones CEO Kalle Hvidt Nielsen explained the rationale for the sale: ‘DPA has come a long

way. The share of sales coming from new products is up from less than 5% to more than 40%. Now we look forward to a bright future under new ownership in a group with an uncompromising qualityoriented approach to the pro audio business – just like ours.’

Chiomenti provided legal advice on the transaction for RCF Group, while New Deal Advisors delivered financial due diligence and Deloitte covered tax and legal due diligence.

As for the future of the expanded RCF Group, Mr Vicari hinted at further announcements: ‘I believe that when a company stops growing, it starts to die. Next year is our 70th anniversary and we are going public again. Until now, the brand perception has generally been lower than the actual size of RCF. Today, we have the right products and are changing that perception.’ www.dpamicrophones.com www.rcf-group.it

DiGiCo acquires KLANG Biamp acquires Cambridge Sound WORLD: Biamp has acquired Cambridge Sound Management (CSM) from Gladstone Investment Corp. The acquisition forms part of Biamp’s ongoing growth strategy combining organic product line and distribution expansion with entry into new markets via acquisition.

Rashid Skaf CSM is a manufacturer of sound masking solutions that reportedly makes up around 50% of that particular market with more than 20,000 installations around the world, including more than half of the current Fortune 100 companies. It differentiates itself by producing direct and in-plenum sound masking products.

As a result, Biamp will be able to offer sound masking

capabilities as part of its wider solutions.

‘The acquisition of Cambridge Sound Management unites two great brands in the professional audiovisual market,’ said Biamp president, CEO and cochairman Rashid Skaf. ‘It has been just one year since I led the acquisition of Biamp with Highlander Partners with the stated intent of leveraging it as a platform to build a respected provider of comprehensive audiovisual solutions. This transaction is the first evidence of that strategy being implemented but far from the last.’

CSM will initially form part of the Biamp product range. Over time, CSM’s business functions will merge into the Biamp brand.

Meghann Ellis, who now serves as general manager of CSM, commented: ‘We believe that Biamp is a perfect fit for our business and look forward to contributing to its continued success. Biamp’s broad reach into the professional AV world will help to enhance Cambridge’s leading position and presents us with access to significant new channels for growth.’ www.biamp.com www.cambridgesound.com

4 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

WORLD: DiGiCo has acquired 3D in-ear monitoring specialist KLANG:technologies. As a result, KLANG now resides beneath the Audiotonix umbrella alongside DiGiCo, Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiGrid and Solid State Logic.

The acquisition means that over time, the full KLANG immersive workflow will be integrated into DiGiCo consoles, while the German brand will benefit from the group’s combined R&D expertise and vast resources.

‘This is slightly different from our other acquisitions,’ explained James Gordon, CEO of Audiotonix.

‘KLANG is a brand that is very much still in its infancy and needs a lot of support to get it to where we want it to be, both in terms of sales support and manufacturing.

It made sense on the basis that KLANG and DiGiCo have been working together well on different

projects for about 18 months, and KLANG’s aspiration is very much to go into the touring, fixed install and house of worship markets.’

‘We have been partnering closely with our friends from DiGiCo for a while, working on deep integration between our products with the goal of giving engineers and artists the best workflows and sonic experience available – immersive in-ear monitoring,’ explained Roman Scharrer, CEO of KLANG. ‘During this process, it has become more and more obvious that philosophy, attitude and customer care, as well as support and the drive to innovate, are very much alike between KLANG and DiGiCo.’ The result of the merger, at least from a technology perspective, will be a greater level of integration between the two platforms.

‘What you’re going to see now is a huge level of integration and I

imagine you’ll start to see some of that in 2019,’ said Mr Gordon.

‘We want to move KLANG’s immersive workflow fully into the DiGiCo console workflow, so that the panning and the console automation work directly from the console surface. We’ll be trying to make it as easy as possible for monitoring engineers to mix in that environment and give the best results that they can to their artists.

‘If you’ve played with KLANG’s system, you definitely get a lot more space in your mix, allowing you to prioritise signals. By doing that you inevitably listen at a lower level, so it’s actually better for your artists’ hearing longer-term as well.’

‘Being part of the same team, which is renowned within the live market, brings our solutions to the forefront and improves support coverage,’ added Mr Scharrer. ‘Access to engineering and R&D knowledge and resources within DiGiCo and the wider Audiotonix Group will fast-track the development of innovative KLANG solutions. However, we will also continue to work directly with existing channels, ensuring continuity of business and allowing access to KLANG solutions for all console platforms and third parties.’ www.digico.biz www.klang.com

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NEWS

Yamaha and Nexo team up at DDF Tennis stadium MIDDLE EAST: Yamaha Music Gulf FZE (YMGF) recently held its first regional event in the UAE in partnership with sister brand Nexo. Taking place at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium, the event attracted approximately 120 guests from across the Middle East and Africa – a large amount from Nigeria, Egypt and Lebanon – and backgrounds including event companies, distributors and integrators. In addition to being the first event held with Nexo, it was also the first time that guests had the opportunity to get up close with the new Yamaha PM7.

The evening kicked off with presentations and demos on the PM7 by Yamaha’s manager of application engineering, Andy Cooper. This was followed by a similar presentation from Nexo’s Val Gilbert on the French manufacturer’s latest solutions.

‘We’ve basically put on a gig with a live band and a large PA system at a corporate event,’ said Mr Cooper. ‘Of course, we’ve got the various Nexo stacks and racks, but from the Yamaha side we’ve got the PM7 mixer at FOH and a Rivage PM10 at monitors. They’ve been linked with a TWINLANe fibre

Powersoft goes public on AIM Italia WORLD: Italian amplifier manufacturer Powersoft SpA has commenced the public trading of it shares on the AIM Italia (Alternative Investment Market).

The decision to go public was made to further facilitate Powersoft’s exponential growth and will allow the company to

optic ring and we’ve also got a little Dante card in there for live recording as well. This is the first time that most people have been able to get hands-on with the PM7.

But even beyond that, they’ve been most excited to get to hear it and simply amazed by the sound quality. Several people were blown away by how few plug-ins I was using to create the sound.’

Attendees were split into small groups for dedicated hands-on sessions before being treated to live band demos and a buffet dinner. ‘It’s nice to feel and touch the console,’ explained Sound On Stage Events’ general manager, Rawad Saad. ‘It’s one of those consoles where you can see everything and what all of the new options available are.’

Having also attended Dante training sessions earlier in the day, Nader Fathy Sadek Boulosh from Egyptian distributor, UTI, felt the event was perfectly organised: ‘All

of our suppliers and guests that we invited from Egypt have been very happy and we feel we achieved our goal. I think the compact size of the PM7 will probably make it a better seller in this region. The advanced and beginner’s Dante training we participated in earlier was also very helpful for our suppliers.’

‘I came in 2017 for the launch of the PM10 and was already very familiar with Yamaha – I have all of the series, the whole family,’ enthused Assem El Sayed, from Egyptian company, Midnight. ‘What I really liked about this event was the welcoming feel; Yamaha made us feel very at home and a part of the family. While the PM10 is a very sophisticated console, the smaller PM7 console is more appealing for me.’ mea.yamaha.com

our strong focus on R&D, which has been a key growth driver for this company since the beginning.’

Mr Lastrucci added: ‘As well as continuing to break new ground with our world-class amplifiers, the listing will also allow Powersoft to keep its

Powersoft founders from left to right: Antonio Peruch, Luca Lastrucci and Claudio Lastrucci drive forward its ongoing R&D activities, according to the firm.

Powersoft’s CEO Luca Lastrucci commented: ‘We have enjoyed great success in the last few years, which has been evidenced by the significant advances we have made over the last two decades, both technologically and territorially. In order to take the next step forward, we have decided to open ourselves up to a wider world. This will, in turn, give us more capital to maintain

place as a global leader in the provision of OEM solutions for some of the industr y’s leading loudspeaker manufacturers.

We are ver y excited about the new oppor tunities this move is opening up for both Powersoft and our customers, and we look for ward to maintaining the high standards that we have become known for over 23 years.’ www.powersoft-audio.com

www.nexo-sa.com

Harman shows off in Dubai UAE: Harman Professional EMEA recently hosted a two-day technology event with support from its regional distributors, GSL Professional and Martin Professional, at the Atlantis on Nasimi Beach, Dubai.

The showcase was attended by approximately 200 AV professionals from across the region, including engineers, techs, resellers and end-users, and served as the official launch for the JBL VTX A8 line array in the GCC region. While the company regularly hosts similar events across EMEA, this was the first time it had conducted a dedicated showcase for the ME region.

The event kicked off on the evening of 21 November with a networking party that also gave guests the chance to experience

Guest check out the new VTX A8 Martin Lighting and JBL audio products with the VTX-A12 being used alongside other touring products with entertainment from local band, Point of View.

6 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

The following all-day session expanded the showcase to cover the complete Harman solutions.

Guests were given business updates from the manufacturer

followed by discussion sessions and the opportunity to get hands-on with the new solutions. Supporting the event from the Harman EMEA office was GM and VP of Harman Professional Solutions EMEA Chris Smith, business development director Jonas Stenvinkel, regional sales director Mark Coombes and marketing director Helen Badger.

Presentations from the Harman VP and regional sales director accompanied individual product sessions on audio, video and control solutions.

‘The purpose of this showcase was to present an update to the region on Harman Professional solutions and share our solutions strategies, while developing partnership relationships with organisations across the region,’ said Ms Badger. ‘A dedicated

showcase such as this allows us to spend quality time with our customers and talk in detail at a technical level that a trade show often can’t provide time for.’

‘The feedback we’ve been hearing from our guests has been great,’ added Ms Badger.

‘The solutions we’ve showcased have really been piquing people’s interest – particularly the AMX Acendo platform, new VTX A Series elements and the Martin Mac Allure Profile. We heard from attendees that the presentations were enjoyable, informative and interactive, leaving them with a greater understanding of the broader portfolio of Harman solutions than they were previously aware of.’ www.harman.com

NEWS

LighTechAV shines brighter with Provision AVL

IAC Qatar invests in FreeSpeak II QATAR: Doha-based AV rental company IAC Qatar has expanded its inventory with the purchase of a Clear-Com FreeSpeak II wireless intercom system, including base station, beltpacks, antennas and splitters. It can be hired for use as a standalone system or as a combined wireless solution within a larger intercom system. The sale was facilitated by Edge Electronics.

‘FreeSpeak II was chosen because it can provide us with a wireless intercom solution that can easily enlarge the functionality of any communication requirement with a simple interface and easy connectivity,’ stated Elie Salameh, sales and project manager at IAC Qatar. ‘We had the pleasure of using our FreeSpeak II system for the first time, just days after taking delivery, at the Qatar International Food Festival, and it met expectations. One of the

best things about it is its ease of operation: we took it out of the box and it worked as expected with just a few adjustments needed for the show. The sound quality is better than the previous wireless systems we have used and we have much better coverage and range.’

Ndumiso Mkhize, IAC Qatar’s head of sound, explained that the investment in FreeSpeak II would ensure clear communications during events. ‘The system gives us more solutions to offer clients, from more dedicated channels (or groups) and better reliability. I’m always happy to work with Edge Electronics because of their full after-sales support, which also makes a difference.’

UAE: LighTechAV Dubai has added another 24 Chauvet Ovation F-265WW Fresnels to its existing inventory along with 12 pieces of the manufacturer’s new LED profile fixture, the Ovation E-260WW. Supplied through newly appointed local distributor Provision AVL, the equipment will be used to support the conferences, government exhibitions, weddings, concerts and gala dinners that form the bulk of LighTechAV’s business.

‘Stage lighting/face lighting is one of the most important aspects in almost all shows and

we were met with a challenge of going for either conventional or intelligent fixtures with our latest Fresnel purchase,’ explained Anugeeth Ashokan, head of lighting at LighTechAV. ‘Cost-effectiveness was also considered as we wanted to move from traditional dimmercontrolled Fresnels to an LEDbased fixture. After extensive research, we stumbled across the Ovation E-265WW. It was the only fixture that ticked all the boxes on our list of requirements. I was impressed with the colour temperature and lumens output at a required field

angle. It also has a selectable PWM which made it easier to work with cameras or live shoots. Now with the LED-based fixtures, power at venues is not a hurdle anymore as it gives us endless possibilities to light up the subject while using minimal power.’

However, the new equipment purchases are not likely to end with the latest Fresnels and profiles. ‘We do intend to increase our inventory further in the near future and Chauvet will be one of the brands we would like to get associated with,’ added Mr Ashokan. ‘We are thankful to Kevin from Provision AVL, with whom we have been doing business since the inception of LighTechAV LLC Dubai. With the addition of Chauvet to Provision’s profile, we hope to deal with them more often.’

‘The guys at LighTechAV have been investing in the highestquality AVL systems in every department possible,’ stated Provision AVL’s Kevin Boujikian.

‘It won’t be surprising to see them become one of the main leaders in the AV market here in the near future.’ www.chauvetprofessional.com www.lightechav.com

www.clearcom.com www.edgeet.com

Anugeeth Ashokan

www.provisionavl.com

www.iacqatar.com

Neumann&Müller moves home UAE: Neumann&Müller Event Technology has moved its offices and warehouse to new premises in Dubai Investment Park 1. In addition to being a strategic move to better serve its customers thanks to the central location between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the new facility is also nearly double the size of the company’s previous premises.

‘We had outgrown our old home of 11 years and it was important for us to respond to our clients’ needs and integrate them more in keeping with the type of work that we do,’ stated Rick Wade, general manager for N&M Dubai. ‘So we designed an office space that will enable our clients and our project teams to work together in a comfortable and creative environment. This move is part of the expansion plan that we have in mind as we take this business to the next level.’

With lots of new space to fill, N&M Dubai has also been busy upgrading its inventor y, recently investing in 1.8mm LED

8 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

screens and lighting fixtures.

Fur thermore, earlier in 2018, the company launched the system integration division, which is

also based in this new facility.

This unit is responsible for semi-permanent and permanent AVL system integration in

the region, targeting expo productions together with other global installation projects.

‘This new location is per fect for our business as we are not only in the middle of the two key Emirates, we are also just around the corner from the Dubai Expo 2020 site,’ noted Felix Erdmann, business unit manager. ‘This was a strategic step to suppor t and help realise expo projects with ease.’ www.neumannmueller.com

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NEWS SOUNDBITES VITEC ACQUIRES TELAIRITY WORLD: Vitec has acquired H.264 encoding workflow solutions manufacturer Telairity as it looks to strengthen its presence in the broadcast market.

‘The strategic acquisition of Telairity further strengthens Vitec’s position in the broadcast market,’ said Mark D’Addio, Vitec senior vice president, sales and marketing.

‘Vitec’s HEVC technology and streaming expertise address a growing need for broadcasters to reduce bandwidth requirements while maximising video quality.’

Telairity’s Matt McKee has subsequently joined Vitec as director of broadcast sales.

‘Telairity customers have been asking for a compelling reason to upgrade their broadcast links,’ he said. ‘Vitec HEVC solutions offer the highest levels of network efficiency, video quality and reliability, especially for Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG) and contribution applications.’ www.telairity.com www.vitec.com

GRAMDMA3 JOINS ECLIPSE INVENTORY UAE: eclipse has bolstered its lighting equipment inventory with the addition of MA Lighting’s newest flagship console, the grandMA3. In comparison to previous models, the grandMA3 promises smoother key strokes, less button pushes and an improved hardware layout.

‘This is the newest in control technology on the market,’ stated Craig Ralph, head of lighting at eclipse Staging Services. ‘eclipse has always endeavoured to remain at the cutting edge of the industry’s technology, ensuring the latest innovations have been incorporated into our shows, not just for our clients but also for our staff who are operating any new equipment released.

‘MA Lighting is the epitome of innovation and a company run by lighting people for lighting people,’ added Mr Ralph. ‘I’ve been a user of the products since the original grandMA, and it has been exciting to see just how far the advancements in the MA Lighting consoles have come while keeping themselves leaps and bounds, ahead of their counterparts.’ www.eclipse.ae

Adamson gathers its global network WORLD: Adamson Systems Engineering recently invited more than 120 of its global partners to its Canadian head office and manufacturing facility in Port Perry, Ontario. Over the course of two days, attendees were given previews of upcoming products.

Proceedings kicked off at the Flato Markham Theatre in the neighbouring city of Markham with a conference comprising presentations and demonstrations to highlight Adamson’s approach to product development and new technologies. Among the soonto-arrive additions to the product catalogue are new members of the S-Series and IS-Series. Guests were also given a peek at technologies to be formally announced in 2019.

The following day’s activities took

Live performance and demos took place in the new Adamson Education Centre place at Adamson’s headquarters.

A factory tour and breakout group meetings were followed by a look inside the newly built Adamson Education Centre.

‘Strong, standardised education is

paramount to Adamson’s integrated system offerings,’ explained Jeremiah Karni, Adamson’s head of education. ‘The Adamson Education Centre will be the epicentre of those efforts.’

That evening, Adamson hosted its third annual Winding Roads Country Festival in the grounds of its headquarters. Members of the local community joined Adamson’s partners for the sold-out event, which included performances by Canadian Country Music Awardwinner Madeline Merlo as well as local artists Ben Hudson and Brad James. All proceeds went to support the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of North Durham.

‘We’ve welcomed a significant number of new partners to the Adamson Global Network over the past few years amid a period of strong year-over-year growth,’ explained James Oliver, Adamson’s director of sales and marketing. www.adamsonsystems.com

:RUOG·V ODUJHVW interactive screen goes live for Saudi Railway KSA: Global AV integration company Trison has installed what it claims is the world’s largest interactive screen for Saudi Railways Company (SAR).

Having been awarded the project to connect the main towns in

KSA with the capital, Riyadh, and the borders of Jordan and the Persian Gulf, SAR chose to commemorate the project by constructing a building that would host the interactive display.

The curved shape of the building, with daylight entering against the videowall, in addition to the user-interactivity element, made this project ‘truly a challenge’.

The team installed a curved interactive screen measuring 37m x 1.2m (LxH) comprising 54 55-inch monitors placed at two

10 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

heights. Fourteen kinetic points distributed along the videowall were responsible for providing the interactivity of the screen, detecting the presence of people and showing them personalised content.

The structure supporting the wall, designed and made of steel in Spain, was transported to Riyadh together with the rest of the material. In total, the team spent more than 150 hours installing the 51,840 x 2,160-pixel canvas.

As one of the main features in the new building, the interactive wall provides a striking visual feature for SAR’s visitors, highlighting the great effort that went into developing the enormous railway network. www.trisonworld.com

Digitally steerable All Saints CYPRUS: Agion Panton (All Saints) Church has been equipped with a Renkus-Heinz Iconyx digitally steerable line array system. The system design and installation were carried out

by V Hypersound & Light.

The church, located in the village of Deryneia, features a blend of traditional Byzantine and modern architecture with a tiled roof dome and tall bell tower.

Inside, the hard surfaces that surround the 950m2 space along with the high ceiling and dome cause an acoustic nightmare.

The dome amplifies and projects sound waves.

‘At Agion Panton Church, our team decided to work with Renkus-Heinz IC16-8-RN digitally steerable line arrays to cover the main area of the church,’ explained V Hypersound & Light technical manager, Vassos Mouzouras.

‘Renkus-Heinz beam-steering technology is perfect for dealing with the high reverberation time

that resulted from the 30m-high dome.’

The IC16-8-RN’s ability to direct individually shaped beams allowed the V Hypersound team to aim sound towards the congregation, while keeping reflections away from the hard surfaces and the dome. ‘The loudspeakers that our team installed sounded great and created a balanced-sounding area, with no dead acoustic spots.’

While the IC16-8-RN cabinets form the main FOH setup, they were not the only speakers installed. ‘We used a RenkusHeinz CX41 compact, coaxial, 2-way loudspeaker to cover a small area for the priest,’ said Mr Mouzouras. ‘This is a miniature point source loudspeaker that provides a fullrange response, so we were able to provide clear, accurate sound for the priest with minimal visual intrusion.’ www.hypersound.com.cy www.renkus-heinz.com

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NEWS

Zorlu Performing Arts Center goes IP with Exterity TURKEY: Istanbul’s Zorlu Performans Sanatları Merkezi (Zorlu Performing Arts Center) has selected an IP video system from Exterity in order to better support the large-scale performances from international artists that it hosts.

number of genres, from Broadway and West End musicals to jazz and opera. In order to continue offering arts lovers a powerful live experience, Zorlu recognised it needed a system that would allow its employees to better manage

The new system was installed by systems integrator Atempo and was chosen to provide the core IP video technology for the site-wide IPTV infrastructure. The solution complements broadcast systems including professional sound, public address and intercom systems that include simultaneous interpretation, stage lighting, automation and video systems.

The Zorlu Performing Arts Center is one of Istanbul’s most prestigious and influential cultural destinations, with a capacity of more than 2,000 people. The venue has established itself as a magnet for a diverse range of artistic talent and showcases a

the distribution of video throughout the venue.

The new installation at Zorlu enables the streaming of TV and HDMI content to the backstage areas of the main theatre and drama stages, as well as management offices. This enables managers at the centre to control both live and scheduled content across the site, including recording of live TV for later playback and Video on Demand.

Additional benefits include the distribution of CCTV footage to the main monitoring room.

Sound Creations provides ACCES KENYA: Sound Creations served as the technical sponsor for last year’s Conference for the Annual Collaborations, Exchange and Showcases (ACCES) in Nairobi at the Kenya Cultural Centre and the Alliance Française. The event is organised by the Music In Africa Foundation and gathers members of the global music industry to a different African city each year.

ACCES comprised panel discussions, exhibitions, workshops and networking booths during the days, while performances from local and international artists took place during the evenings. ‘We delivered a professional, pan-

African event for music industry players from many corners of the world, to exchange ideas, discover new talent and create links in the music business,’ said Eddie Hatitye, director of Music In Africa.

The sound setup supplied by Sound Creations included Allen & Heath SQ-7 and ZED-16FX mixers; Shure SM81, SM58, Beta 98HC and SM57 microphones, as well as a BLX14/CVL lavalier wireless system; dBTechnologies Flexsys FM12 stage monitors, IG2T and B·Hype 10 speakers, and Sub 18H subwoofers; Focal Alpha 80 active studio monitors; a Focusrite Clarett 8Pre audio

interface; with cabling from Sommer Cable. Sound Creations also provided a range of musical instruments, such as a Tama Silverstar six-piece drumkit and Korg synthesisers.

The partnership between Sound Creations and the Music In Africa Foundation was established at last year’s KigaliUp festival, where respective managing directors Nipul Shah and Mr Hatitye first met. ‘It’s a great opportunity for our industry and we are pleased to participate,’ commented Mr Shah. www.musicinafrica.net www.soundcreationsltd.com

Audio Engineering adds Absen visuals to inventory SOUTH AFRICA: Cape Town-based live sound rental and production company Audio Engineering has taken delivery of its new Absen LED screens. The screens were acquired through DWR Distribution, with which Audio Engineering has a long relationship, having previously added Robe, Prolyte, Quest and DiGiCo systems to its inventory.

‘I said from the start that if ever I bought another LED screen, it would be from DWR,’ said Marcel Bezuidenhout, owner of Audio Engineering. ‘I have realised that the first thing you need, above anything else, is back up and service.’

As Audio Engineering had an immediate need for the Absen equipment, comprising 84 panels, four senders, two scalers and flying gear, it was shipped straight to the site of its first project: the Lamborghini dealership in Century City for the launch of the car manufacturer’s Lamborghini Urus.

DWR Distribution’s Bruce Riley and

www.atempo.com.tr www.exterity.com www.zorlupsm.com

L-Acoustics acquires HGP

The Absen panels in action at the Lamborghini Urus launch Bradley Bruchhausen were on site to help the Audio Engineering team set it up for the first time.

‘The training and set up went very well,’ confirmed Mr Riley. ‘It was easy thanks to Marcel’s extensive knowledge in all technical aspects.’

‘Absen works on a Novastar system which is user-friendly and powerful,’ added Mr Bezuidenhout. ‘It definitely has more features to what we are

12 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

used to, which makes it easier and more effective. The quality is fantastic and our clients have been super happy. When we did some strange aspect ratios and needed a bit of help to understand, it only took a phone call to Bruce at DWR and we soon had it figured out.’ www.absen.com www.audioengineering.co.za

WORLD: L-Acoustics has acquired HGP and its sister brand, API. HGP manufactures precision sheet metal, while API specialises in powder coating. The acquisition came about as part of L-Acoustics’ ongoing R&D strategy to optimise its operations, as precision sheet metal is used in rigging and internal loudspeaker components.

‘This operation represents a new and extremely positive step in augmenting our R&D and production capabilities,’ explained Hervé Guillaume, managing director of L-Acoustics. ‘This alliance will allow us to improve our technical skill set and market

intelligence regarding precision sheet metal, a vital technology in our professional audio solutions.

HGP’s expertise and savoir-faire are highly complementary to our own, enabling us to better comprehend the constraints and specificities of the trade at every stage.’

Bertrand Bounoure, president and commercial director of HGP, commented: ‘This constitutes a natural extension of a decadelong, successful supplier–client relationship between two growing companies.’ www.hgp.fr www.l-acoustics.com

NEWS

CT keeps fans in the know at DP World Tour Championship UAE: Creative Technology (CT) was enlisted to deliver all video aspects for the recent golf DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

The four-day event saw fans flock to the Jumeirah Golf Estates for the final stop of the tournament, which also marked the tour’s 10th anniversary, to see the two Ryder Cup teammates Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood, go head to head.

Outdoors, CT supplied four ROE Visual CB5 screens to ensure spectators could follow the event no matter where they were. ‘The ROE CB5 is a great product; the high refresh rate and high NIT levels makes it ideal for outdoor viewing, even in daylight,’ CT’s Dubai project manager, Barry Collins, explained.

‘The custom-detachable touring frames are specifically designed with outdoor applications in mind and has been wind-rated to provide structural rigidity while providing a lightweight solution.’

CT’s 21m2 outdoor screen offered a view of the action for the Champion Village, where attendees could relax, enjoy live music performances and even get a free golf lesson while the tournament was taking place. The driving range was also a popular place for fans as they watched pro golfers warm up and practise. Here, CT’s 10m2 outdoor screen was deployed. The course had high footfall around the 18th green, leading CT to place two screens – one 21m2 outdoor screen faced the 18th hole grandstand and one 60m2 outdoor screen was directly opposite the 18th green and hospitality areas.

Inside, CT opted for Absen’s A3Pro indoor screen, with a 21m2 A3 Pro indoor screen in the media centre to allow the press to follow the action in real-time while providing a customised scoring graphical wrapper, in addition to an 11m2 Absen A3 Pro indoor screen located in the championship hospitality chalet.

‘The indoor screen in the hospitality chalet has never been done on any touring event before and it was a great success,’ noted CT’s London account manager,

scoring, player information, stats, social media and sponsor advertising. For the first four hours of each event day, CT also supplied Sony HDC 1500 camera channels to offer coverage of every shot on the first hole and provide a live feed for the TTV programme before the World Feed went live.

‘This year’s event, as always, was a great success, with crew and kit coming from both the Dubai and London offices. It’s a real global team effort and an event I always look forward to,’ concluded Mr Smith.

Richard Smith. ‘We have received nothing but positive feedback.’

In addition to the LED screens, 59 IPTVs ranging from 15–65 inches were strategically placed in various locations and used to display CT’s customised Tournament Television Programme (TTV) that comprised live feeds, highlights, interviews,

www.ct-group.com

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Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 13

NEWS

Electrovision conquers Gilan

IRAN: Tehran-based systems integrator Electrovision has completed yet another corporate AV installation in the Gilan Province, this time to equip several auditoriums for Gilan Building Engineering Organization, an NGO established in 1995 to implement building construction laws and monitor all construction in the province. The Electrovision installation comprises four auditoriums at branch offices in Rasht, Langarud, Sowme’eh

Sara and Talesh, all of which included audio, video, lighting and decoration.

‘The challenge here was to completely change the direction of all seats by 90° to correct the seating arrangement and also to completely replace the hall’s stage – our guys had to move some of the hall’s main columns and rebuild the seating gradient. It was a complete construction process but the result just amazed the client,’ said Arash Sadri from Electrovision.

The organisation’s main auditorium in Rasht is now wellcatered for with Electro-Voice EVU-2062 and ZXA1 cabinets and powered by an EV CPS2.6 amp, taking inputs from wired and wireless beyerdynamic mics.

Control is via a Dynacord CMS-100 mixer. The visual system includes three Datavideo PTC-120 HD PTZ cameras, a Datavideo RMC-190 remote control, an SE-700 digital video mixer, an HDR-70 HD recorder and a Panasonic PT-VW350 projector, together with a 3m x 3m projection screen. The lighting equipment, decoration material and seating were all sourced from the local market.

The auditoriums in Langarud and Sowme’eh Sara feature almost identical setups, substituting the loudspeakers for EV ZX1i models,

the audio mixer for a Dynacord PM-502 and the cameras for Sanyo PTZs. The final branch in Talesh opted for a combination of a Dynacord PM-600 mixer and Electro-Voice ZX1i speakers, matched with a Datavideo HD-70

installations simultaneously, so we needed a great communication line between our project sites and also a pervasive oversight by our project managers. This was not easy considering the distance between these cities.

digital recorder and a Panasonic PT-VW350 projector.

‘This project had great importance for us because our client was a construction organisation and so their auditoriums should achieve the highest quality both in AV solutions and decoration,’ said Mr Sadri.

‘In this project, our challenge was to carry out all four auditorium

‘We believe that this project and our previous projects in Gilan have built a great reputation for us and that now almost all organisations and NGOs in this province know we are a professional company at equipping auditoriums and conference halls.’ www.electrovision.ir

Dubai Mall hits 10 Shure passes the baton to the visually impaired with Delta UAE: Celebrating the 10th anniversary of Dubai Mall, a light and sound spectacular was presented by Lune Rouge, a new live entertainment company based in Dubai and created by Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil. To support the show, Delta Sound provided full audio distribution across all three levels of the circular atrium with supportive wire comms for the crew.

Titled Talisman, the show is the company’s first ever in the Middle East and describes itself as a visually stunning and immersive, multimedia, eight-minute spectacle that plays nightly.

It showcases video content, lighting, lasers and world-first special effects to tell a poetic story of a dream come true, from sand to city, from vision to reality, blending multimedia and storytelling technologies.

Delta developed the specifications for the venue with the producers to create an immersive experience using a circular formation of 12 L-Acoustics Kara on the ground floor and a series of 48 HK 108 hung around the three atrium balconies. The show utilises

Delta’s timecode to trigger the light and laser show and visual displays.

‘The set up and operations were tricky,’ explained Delta’s sound engineer, Mahesh Ramdin. ‘Coordinating access for installation machinery and equipment was a challenge, particularly due to opening hours of the venue and the heights of the balconies. We have been able to produce a multifaceted and immersive experience which is unlike any other.’ www.deltasound.ae

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WORLD: Shure has shown its support for The Baton Project, an initiative to develop a new conductor’s baton that sends wireless signals to wearable vibration devices, enabling visually impaired musicians to play as part of traditional orchestras.

The manufacturer has supplied its PSM900 in-ear monitoring systems to transmit the vibration signals from the baton directly to a wearable device worn by the visually impaired musician, allowing them to receive signalling and direction for their performance.

‘The Baton Project represents a huge step forward in accessibility for musicians that serves to further enrich our enjoyment of music,’ said Marc Henshall, senior marketing specialist at Shure. ‘It is widely understood that when one sense diminishes, others often heighten. Orchestral music could soon see an influx of incredible new talent thanks to this noble project, and we think that’s an exciting prospect for the future of music.’

The first trial concert using the ‘Haptic Baton’ saw more than 50 invited audience members witness a performance from 12 musicians from the Paraorchestra and Friends in the UK and Korea’s Dominant Agency.

‘The vibrations and buzzing of the Haptic Baton had a sensation that we could react to like magnesium,’ said visually impaired pianist, Rachel Starritt.

‘All of a sudden we were in this liberating universe, connected as one unity rather than the beats providing a rhythmic obstacle that we had to face.’

Working closely with programmer and developer Charles Matthews, Vahakn Matossian built on his

father Rolf Gehlhaar’s original prototype, Beat Buzz, with gesture sensitivity and a zero-latency stereo haptic response.

‘All the testing has been so revealing, it either flies or it doesn’t,’ Mr Matossian said.

‘There’s no half way. Latency is out of the question, and crystal radio transmission is the backbone. Shure has provided an unparalleled system. It really helps to work with exceptional gear. This is a world first. No conductor has ever wirelessly transmitted simultaneously to both visually impaired and sighted orchestral musicians with the same baton.’ www.shure.com

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NEWS

eclipse gets to the point at GM Conference 2018

GM Conference UAE: eclipse was recently called in to supply all technical elements – audio, video, lighting, power and lasers – for the recent GM Conference 2018 taking place in Dubai. The crew was enlisted due to its experience in providing invenue technical production services on a wide range of interactive and

immersive projects. ‘We had an ultra-wide, ultra-high-resolution LED screen, distributed audio system and an incredibly versatile lighting rig,’ explained eclipse Venue Services project manager, Chad Smith. ‘We also added in lasers with the support of our sister company, Laser FX, to assist

with the opening sequence’s wow factor and add something new to the standard corporate format. The challenge was in sourcing sufficient mains power supply and electrical distribution throughout the venue, ensuring all elements of the 1,500A on a three-phase power spread could be met.’

While the biggest challenge was in providing power, the biggest component was by far the videowall deployed. The eclipse team used a pair of Green Hippo Boreal media servers for displays, programmed to a grandMA2. A Green Hippo Taiga was at FOH for content management and the four Analog Way Ascenders – controlled by a Vertige console – played a pivotal role in delivering the video requirements. ‘The backend processing was incredibly complex,’ recalled Mr Smith. ‘To put it into perspective, with over 550 panels

of 2.6mm LED, the total pixel count is well over 20 million, so we had to run full redundancy on all backend elements to ensure that there wouldn’t be any issues.’

For audio, the team used a combination of d&b Y-Series and T-Series loudspeakers, coupled with V-Series subs and powered by D80 and D20 amplifiers. Control was from a DiGiCo SD9 mixing desk. With the LED screen taking up almost the entire back wall of the ballroom, it wasn’t possible to erect line array hangs, therefore the main PA comprised of four flown Y7Ps, with four flown T10s per-side for delays and a further four T10s for front-fill. Four more V-Subs were placed out wide and a pair of Y-Subs in the centre of the stage for low-end reinforcement. For comms, eclipse selected a mixture of ClearCom’s FreeSpeak II wireless and HelixNet systems.

Finally for lighting, a combination of 30 Clay Paky K10 fixtures serving as washes were paired 12 Robe Pointe on and around the stage for the low, tight beam work, while 24 Clay Paky Mythos filled in the profile movements needed to tie the lighting together. Stage wash was taken care of by 20 1.2K Fresnels to ensure that the presenters were precisely lit for the live broadcast fed to the IMAG .

‘This was a large production to put together in 28 hours from the initial load-in until the first round of rehearsals,’ concluded Mr Smith.

‘The preproduction planning is always key to ensuring a welldelivered show, in any venue, but that’s not nearly as important as having the right people on the job. The crew that delivered this production worked tirelessly.’ www.eclipse.ae

L-Acoustics adds versatility to MGG SOUTH AFRICA: South African rental company MGG Productions has invested in a range of equipment from French loudspeaker manufacturer L-Acoustics in recent months through DWR. This includes bolstering its stock with a complete Kara system, an Arcs system and X Series monitors that have already been used on several productions.

‘The system is very versatile when it comes to different applications and configurations,’ explained Konstant de Vos, head of audio at MGG, of the Kara solution. ‘From a small, 100-person breakaway to a 3,000-person conference, we have had the ability to make it all happen without any problems.

Set up is quick and painless, and even the software was easy to

MGG’s Konstant de Vos and Kulani Baloyi

figure out. The voicing and clarity of the Kara are phenomenal and the entire system gets even more interesting when paired with the SB28 subs which we invested in.’

This sentiment has been shared by the MGG technicians unanimously. ‘The kit has been very busy and goes out on countless gigs,’ added Mr de Vos. ‘As a result, it’s sometimes hard

to get it booked on the system.

This has been a good investment for the MGG audio department and, with our total box count sitting at more than 70 cabinets at the moment, I am excited to see what the future holds.’ www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.l-acoustics.com www.mgg.co.za

Leopards roar at the TUT Arts Festival SOUTH AFRICA: The main stage at the inaugural Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) Arts Festival, which took place at the university’s arts campus in Tshwane, was sponsored by Solid Rock Projects and Events and Prosound, leading to a full Meyer Sound solution being deployed for the duration of the festival.

Solid Rock Projects and Events supplied the Meyer Sound main PA, which comprised 12 Leopards and six 900LFC subwoofers with processing from Galileo Galaxy, in addition to a Yamaha M7 desk and rack, which ran the show. A Meyer RMServer system was also provided for remote monitoring.

Paul Van Zyl from Solid Rock was on hand to man the RMS system, ensuring that the audio was well looked after. Aside from the PA, Solid Rock also supplied Eurotruss PA lifters for the event.

Prosound supplied all of the stage monitors and microphones for the event, calling on a range of Electro-Voice powered boxes,

entertainment industry experience.

The production team from TUT reported being very impressed with the Meyer system, as well as the support they received from Solid Rock and Prosound.

‘What I got from the Meyer Sound Leopard was the best,’ commented Mr Malesa. ‘They are on point and responsive; the warm sound that you get is unbelievable. I used some of our old lapels which were

A Yamaha M7 ran the show such as the ELX200, ZLX12p and ETX12p, together with EV’s ND series microphones.

Lee Brune from Prosound liked the idea of using different speakers in different monitor positions as it demonstrated to the students working on the production the ‘reliable, distinct and warm sound’ produced by the EV range. Hardus Koekemoer, with assistance from Freddie Malesa – both from

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TUT’s entertainment technology department – took charge of managing production for the festival. Both were on hand to make sure the programme ran smoothly as well as evaluate the second- and third-year students that made up the rest of the crew.

The PA and stage set up, as well as stage management and strike, were all undertaken by the students to form part of their live

The TUT main stage setup

not great but what I got from the Leopards is the ability to get flat EQ response with just a touch of HPF roll-off 100Hz, nothing more.

The floor tom sounded like it would in a studio. I would highly recommend the Meyer Leopard system.’ www.prosound.co.za www.solidrock.co.za www.tut.ac.za

NEWS

Ross Video products merge with Aneman

Leader rasteriser in operation at Nebras Films, Riyadh

Nebras Films purchases Leader rasterisers SAUDI ARABIA: Nebras Films has adopted Leader LV7390 and LV7770 rasterisers at its new postproduction studios in Riyadh.

Delivered by Leader’s distributor, Jigsaw24, the rasterisers will be used as master reference test instruments in the facility’s colour grading, editing and compositing suites.

‘We are fully up and running with eight full-time post staff, supplemented with talent

from Europe and the Middle East,’ explained postproduction supervisor Cian McLysaght.

‘Our entire operation is filebased, centred around ROOT6 Technology’s ContentAgent, which functions as a coordinating hub.

The Leader rasterisers enable our editors to check the signal quality of video and audio content at any point in the workflow. Each LV7390 is equipped to support 4K/UHD programme production and post

as well as 4x3G HD-SDI.’ Leader’s European business development manager, Kevin Salvidge, explained how the rasterisers offer the ability to inspect waveforms, colour vectors and signal levels. ‘Five instruments have been delivered, comprising two LV7390 and three LV7770,’ he said. www.jigsaw24.com www.leader.co.jp

WORLD: Ross Video and Merging Technologies are collaborating to integrate the former’s products, such as the Bach Liberty, into the latter’s Aneman audio network management solution. Both manufacturers will create an open network control and monitoring framework based on the Aneman engine, which will be hosted on GitHub, allowing workflows to be developed by independent contributors. This will ultimately create a ‘full-stack’ solution enabling manufacturers using the Dante Brooklyn II module to address new markets requiring full AES67 and ST 2110 compliance by combining the Back Liberty module and Aneman.

‘I believe that many markets have been thirsting for this integration of open technologies, and I expect that we can build on this project to ultimately create a platform that is to the live media networking world what Linux has been to the world of computing,’

said Nestor Amaya, VP of infrastructure at Ross Video.

‘We are delighted to see Ross Video join the Aneman network management ecosystem, which will allow all main open AES67based solutions to interoperate on a unified software platform,’ added Claude Cellier, CEO of Merging Technologies. www.aneman.net www.merging.com www.rossvideo.com

Wild & Marr makes a digital Impact SOUTH AFRICA: Harman brands distributor Wild & Marr recently held its Impact Tour across three South African cities – Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban – to showcase how solutions from JBL Professional, Crown, Soundcraft, Lexicon and BSS Audio integrate with each other. The events were attended by a mix of freelance engineers, audio educational institutions, educational institutions, houses of worship, systems integrators and rental companies.

Gabriel Le Roux of Audiosense, a respected monitor and recording engineer in the industry and also Soundcraft’s brand ambassador in South Africa, brought to attention that the goal of the tour was to showcase a high level of audio integration, which was achieved by utilising an audio infrastructure where all source and playback audio remained in the digital realm. JBL Professional, Shure, Crown, Soundcraft and BSS Audio were the pillars of the system, supported by products from DirectOut, Avid Pro Tools, RME and TASCAM. Various technologies were used in the integration and connection process including Dante, MADI, AES3, Blu Link and MIDI triggering, all aligned with timecode and clocking.

Gabriel Le Roux ‘The Soundcraft Vi1000 digital mixing console was the centrepiece and the scenes on the console were triggered via MIDI which was programmed on the Pro Tools timeline,’ explained Mr Le Roux.

‘Timecode was used to trigger lighting cues. It’s key to note that we didn’t use any analogue inputs or outputs, therefore all audio originating from Pro Tools was transported digitally via MADI coax to MADI fibre to Dante to Blu Link to AES3. We used Shure Axient Digital and Shure ULXD4D receivers that were integrated via Dante, allowing for the Shure metadata to be brought onto the console, for monitoring and controlling various Shure features.’

‘The attendees were impressed by the main speaker system consisting of two JBL CBT1000 and two JBL CBT1000E bass-extension arrays,’ observed Juan Soothill of

18 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

In-Harmony Productions. ‘Subbass was augmented with two JBL VTX G28 subwoofers to create a very well-balanced and cohesive frequency response.’ JBL’s premium dedicated stage monitors, the JBL VTX M22 and M20, were demonstrated in a stereo configuration. For the purposes of the demonstration, they were set up in passive mode and reportedly received high praise for their performance.

Harman’s business development manager, Lyle Tarby, added his thoughts on the day: ‘I think the session had a good turnout and presentations were seamless.

The attendees were very engaged, asked lots of questions and were

Andrea Granata impressed overall. The JBL VTX A12s were well-received and the audience was impressed with the ability to rig them and adjust them to varying degrees.’

Shure solutions were also showcased at the events and Andrea Granata, systems

solutions manager at Shure EMEA, introduced the Axient Digital wireless microphone system. A focus was the ability to enable Quadversity mode, which allows for extended coverage of a microphone channel. The Axient Digital systems were complemented by Shure KSM8 dual-diaphragm capsules.

‘The tour was successful. Most of the interest was derived from the very basic foundation of Shure with its reliability when it comes to wireless microphone technology,’ noted Mr Granata.

‘The Soundcraft Ui24 digital mixer coupled with the Shure PSM300 system and Shure SRH840 headphones, with touchscreen control via the Sharp Professional touchscreen display, was intuitively operated by the attendees at the listening station, who got to compare a range of Shure microphones.’

Summing up the tour, Wild & Marr’s sales and marketing director, Gary Furman, concluded that ‘the response has been very positive. What really got the attention of the attendees was the fact that we are not running any analogue audio between the various devices.’ www.wildandmarr.co.za

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NEWS

Robe enjoys successful roadshow in SA SOUTH AFRICA: Robe CEO Josef Valchar headed to South Africa recently to present demonstrations as part of the DWR-hosted Robe Roadshow. The roadshow made stops in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg.

Taking place from 10am–5pm each day, five to six demos were conducted at each location. ‘The response was impressive. We had close to 50 people in Cape Town, 40 in Durban and over 100 in Johannesburg,’ noted Mr Valchar, who was accompanied

by Robe sales director Harry von den Stemmen. ‘It was great to hear all the feedback and see the reaction firsthand to the products.

Obviously, the main attraction was RoboSpot and the T1, but people also liked the iParfect and everyone got to see SuperSpikie for the first time. It’s a Spikie on steroids – bigger, bolder, brighter.’

‘It was a successful roadshow and I think it’s wonderful that

Robe still care about all their users and potential users in Africa – even if some of them are small businesses. That’s important and means a lot to us,’ added DWR’s Duncan Riley.

‘That’s one of the differences with Robe. They actually care about the market no matter what the size is.’

Having been launched at the LDI expo in Las Vegas, the T1 was the star of the show and the roadshow offered interested guests the chance to get up close and personal with the new fixture.

‘We were pleased to get a good response both to the roadshow and to the products, from our clients.

Everyone loved the T1 but they also liked the iParfect,’ furthered Mr Riley.

‘I like to be in the frontline and be exposed to questions from people because I want to hear directly what they have to say rather than only relying on others telling me the responses they receive from customers,’ concluded Mr Valchar.

‘This firsthand information helps me make the right decisions. I’ve been doing this from the beginning, and think that it’s the best approach for me.’

on-air graphics and IP autoscript prompters. Production team members are able to communicate via an AEQ CrossNet intercom system over a Dante network.

In postproduction, editors rely on Avid’s MediaCentral UX web-based editing system, which creates streaming proxies from highresolution video and allows up to 15 users to edit at the same time.

It also provides the ability to work from a PC in the office, or remotely.

Transcoding and file movement is with an FFAStrans server farm that allows the whole operation to be expanded as needed, while scheduling and planning is done

20 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

EMEA: TOA Electronics Europe recently invited its EMEA customers and distributors for a partner meeting at its headquarters in Kobe, Japan.

While TOA Europe hosts regular partner meetings in the EMEA region, the goal for the 2018 event was for visitors to be able to better understand the company and its place of origin.

a seminar room and demonstration room, participants witnessed the technology in the AM-CF1 integrated audio collaboration system – namely its automatic steering array microphone – via a web conference with the TOA Europe headquarters in Hamburg, Germany. TOA’s IP-1000 and IP-3000 Series IP-based audio management systems were also

The event began with a presentation about the group’s mid-term management strategy and the future plans of TOA Electronics Europe. Multiple presentations were given during the morning session in the XEBEC Hall, which is annexed to the TOA head office.

In the afternoon, customers had an opportunity to experience newly developed products, some of which will be appearing in the European market in coming months. In the exhibition area, TOA engineers introduced products under development or recently released. The MX-6224D digital mixer amplifier drew great interest, as did the TU-660 driver unit with a newly developed ‘ring diaphragm’ that is credited with improving speech clarity. Also equipped with the ring diaphragms, TOA’s middlesize horn array speaker HA-2040/ 2060 that aims to provide greater intelligibility to distant locations was also exhibited.

‘I was thrilled with the audio quality that TOA has achieved with this new horn driver,’ commented Nadeem Shingeti from Naaz Electronics in the UAE. ‘The once typical tinny sound of a horn is history with this driver.’

Also highlighted were the VX-3000 voice alarm system in its wallmounted version, new ceiling speakers, the N-SP80 SIP intercom system and the new DM-880 hypercardioid microphone. In the XEBEC studio that serves as both

introduced with some specific applications.

After enjoying product displays and seminars, customers headed back to the XEBEC Hall again for speaker demonstrations conducted using the HX-7 variable dispersion array speaker and SC-61 horn array speakers. The following day, TOA products were showcased at several completed projects in Japan. Participants then took the Shinkansen high-speed rail to the Acous factory where many of TOA’s products are manufactured. The visitors reported being particularly impressed by the high-quality standards and the underlying permanent quality inspections at each individual assembly step.

‘We have been hosting this partner meeting for many years in changing European cities and have often been asked to host the event at TOA headquarters in Japan,’ concluded Volker Scheid, export sales manager of TOA Electronics Europe. ‘So this year everybody was very excited and curious to see where our products come from. Our goal was to show the spirit of TOA and its Japanese origin in three days by visiting the headquarters, a factory and a showcase project. At the same time, we enjoyed Japanese culture, hospitality and food. The positive feedback during and after the meeting shows that we achieved this goal.’

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

Switching on Switch TV KENYA: Switch TV recently launched in Kenya, based in a purpose-built HD television studio in Nairobi. Broadcast Solutions and its Hungarian team served as the main contracting partner.

At the heart of the studio is a Ross Video Ultrix-FR2 hybrid router with integrated multiviewer and 12G functionality. The hybrid router simplifies the studio’s glue infrastructure and provides flexibility for the audio department, which uses an Allen & Heath dLive mixer.

‘It was very easy to design and build the system with the Ultrix router,’ said Tibor Samarjai, Broadcast Solutions’ project manager. ‘By getting rid of several additional components like the external multiviewer and glue products, it made the complete setup compact, yet very powerful.’

The studio is equipped with Sony HSC-300RF and BRC-H800/ AC cameras. A Grass Valley Kula production switcher handles video mixing, while a NewTek TriCaster TC1 is used for the green-box shots. Ingest and playback is managed from Avid AirSpeed 5500.

Switch TV is a non-profit subsidiary of the Kenya Red Cross with a wide variety of programming targeted primarily at the 18–35 demographic. Its news programmes are produced with an Octopus Newsroom system that offers control for the playback of clips,

TOA Europe heads to Japan

with Commlaude’s PlanAir channel management system. Recorded shows are played back from Playbox AirBox Neo channel-in-a-box servers, with all content backed up in a Promax LTO archive.

Broadcast Solutions also installed a custom-made IPTV system that processes SDI, DVB-T and DVB-S inputs allowing Switch TV staff to monitor the channel.

For on-location shoots, Switch TV deploys Sony PXW-X320 cameras with Mobile Viewpoint 4G live streaming units.

All systems were tested, configured and pre-installed in Budapest before being sent to Nairobi, enabling a smooth on-site installation. The overall planning and implementation, from assignment to going live, took six months. www.broadcast-solutions.de

www.toa.eu

NEWS

Setting the vibe at Gotha Dubai UAE: Having already made waves in the French city of Cannes, Gotha’s second branch is aiming to be the hottest nightclub venue in Dubai.

Helping it fulfil that dream on a technical level was PRO LAB, which supplied all of the PA, lighting and video effects equipment.

Dubai is not short of nightclubs, and so standing out from the crowd and offering something unique is the key to success. Located inside the Radisson Blu Dubai Waterfront, Gotha frequently hosts famous talent, singers and rappers, among them big names like P Diddy, Steve Ayoki, Ludacris and the cast from the hit series Empire to name a few. But that’s not the venue’s only draw. The technology at Gotha Dubai sets the vibe as soon as you set foot inside. Staying true to the chain’s design concept at the original Cannes nightclub, AV consultant Gerard Giraudon from Colorsonic France conceptualised the new space in Dubai, which needed to somewhat mirror the

French branch while adapting to its present location. Adding colour-changing VLED series from Vision Pro Lighting elevated the Gotha panthers hanging on every wall in the main area, while the dancefloor setup was engineered to accommodate 1,000 people.

For the audio system at Gotha, Mr Giraudon chose TW Audio T24N, T20 and T30 main cabinets with B10, B18 and BSX subwoofers.

Burton goes portable with Bose UAE: Design and production company Burton Live LLC has purchased new portable Bose systems from local distributor NMK Electronics.

The sale includes a pair of Bose’s F1 Model 812 flex array loudspeakers and F1 powered subs, as well as three pairs of L1 compact PAs. The company stocks a range of lighting, audio, rigging, set and stage equipment in-house to support its projects.

‘We’ve had a long-standing relationship with NMK through all our ventures for over 15 years and their service is second to none,’ commented Burton Live founder, Steven Burton.

‘The Bose L1 and F1 have been a great addition to our everexpanding inventory. The impact of the F1 is extraordinary and we

Vera S33, M10 and M32s provide fill in the gaps to provide consistent coverage. ‘TW Audio invited me to Germany for audio sessions and we at Colorsonic were seduced by their systems that allow us to achieve the high level of quality audio we

wished to have,’ stated Mr Giraudon of his decision to opt for the German loudspeaker manufacturer.

Control of the signal chain is handed to a Midas M32 console, while Powersoft X Series amplifiers provide power throughout. ‘It’s comforting to know that however much power we demand from the X Series amps, they are always able to deliver everything we need and more,’ said PRO LAB managing director, Rami Haber. ‘Not only that, but the user interface in Armonía for configuring the amplifiers is particularly intuitive, allowing us to create multiple groups for each channel to quickly adjust many settings on different groupings of speakers as required.’

The lighting and special effects play a big part in helping Gotha Dubai achieve its distinct vibe.

Central to this is a large kinetic 16 x 16 grip on the ceiling, from which 256 spheres hang. The spheres rise and fall to within almost touching distance, enabling the club to change the mood of the space at the flick of a switch.

They can play any colour and effect, slow or fast, and change the shape of a room from a high-level club to a small space. The spheres, from Vision Pro Lighting, are backed up by 144 b.dots between them, with a narrow beam angle and precise lighting. The visuals technician from Gotha requested a ChamSys MQ500 to operate the lighting and effects, and control the video triggers. All the trusses are hung using Movecat Pluslite series dual break motors. www.prolabllc.com

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particularly like how discreet the L1 is – we’ll definitely be putting another order in shortly.’ www.burtonlive.com www.nmkelectronics.com

Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 21

EDUCATION 352 /$% GHPRQVWUDWHV FRPPLWPHQW WR HGXFDWLRQ UAE: Dubai-based AV distributor PRO LAB recently held a variety of training sessions for five of its exclusive brands – ChamSys, Midas, Turbosound, Movecat and Dataton. The sessions were predominantly held at the distributor’s Dubai demo room and featured speakers and presentations for all the brands in order to help customers better understand and get the best usage out of their products.

The training kicked off with ChamSys in Dubai before moving on to Beirut for the first time ever.

A presentation on the MQ series was given by ChamSys international business development manager, Aziz Adilkhodjaev, together with an introduction to the new QuickQ series. This was followed a week later by two Midas sessions at the PRO LAB Dubai office, where Music Group’s Daniel Paine gave the attendees an in-depth

gave an overview workshop on the manufacturer’s various lines, focusing on methods of use and performance comparisons.

The next workshop, for kinetic equipment manufacturer Movecat, saw the company’s CFO Oliver Nachbauer and guest speaker Oliver Leigers give a brand overview and a safety course followed by two informative case studies. Finishing off a busy few weeks of training was a certified two-day Dataton Watchout workshop presented by Dataton senior product specialist, Michael Ena. The course covered knowledge about the brand and its uses, as well as hands-on exercises.

The sessions reportedly attracted an ‘outstanding number of attendees’ and positive reviews from all involved.

Pro Lab training understanding of the M32 console on the first day and a Certified

Midas Digital User Course on the second. Next was Turbosound’s

6KXUH·V 6$, LQWURGXFHV ,QWHJUDWHG 6\VWHPV &HUWLÀFDWLRQ WORLD: The Shure Audio Institute (SAI) has added a new syllabus: the Integrated Systems Certification Programme. The programmes comprise two levels and are aimed at Shure’s channel partners as well as AV technicians, systems integrators and audio engineers.

Level 1 and Level 2 offer separate certifications; however, those who wish to take part in Level 2 must first complete Level 1.

Each course can be taken in person or online.

With a focus on sales, Level 1 includes courses such as Audio Basics for Meetings and

Conferences, Wireless Basics, Integrated Systems Portfolio Overview and Best Practices for Interacting with IT Professionals.

Meanwhile, Level 2 is more technical in nature with modules including Shure Wireless Master Course: Wireless Best Practices and Techniques, the two-part Networking for AV Professionals course, Conference Room Design Basics, and Dante Level 1 and Level 2 certification administered

by Audinate.

‘As the market continues to expand and technologies evolve, certifications have become the industry standard, ensuring AV professionals fully understand the product prior to being in the field,’ said Dave Klein, global director of the Shure Audio Institute.

‘Through the Integrated Systems Certification Programme, we have developed content that offers sophisticated training to deliver consistent technical and product instruction, all with the goal of increasing customer loyalty and trust.’

turn, and Music Group’s director of solutions EMEA, Howard Smart,

www.prolabllc.com

576 ODXQFKHV online training WORLD: RTS Intercoms has released an online training platform as par t of the Bosch Academy.

The interactive eLearning courses are available for free and can be accessed on a computer or laptop, as well

as on mobile devices such as tablets and smar tphones.

‘Ever y product is unique and so are each of their functions,’ said Sven Bindels, global lead trainer and systems engineer at RTS. ‘In order to suppor t the learning process for our devices, we are delighted to announce that our brand-new eLearning courses are now available on the Learning Management System (LMS) of the Bosch Academy.’ www.rtsintercoms.com/training

www.shure.com

Term begins at Yamaha Audioversity WORLD: Yamaha sales subsidiaries around the world have consolidated their training offerings. All Yamaha training initiatives will now be conducted under the new Audioversity banner.

‘With the breathtaking pace of change in the pro audio world, manufacturers have a responsibility to do much more than simply release new products,’ said Yoshi Tsugawa, general manager of Yamaha Pro Audio (Japan). ‘Through our Audioversity initiative, we

will be able to provide ongoing added-value for the systems our customers need and depend on, and, hopefully, in cooperation with ever yone involved in the pro audio industr y, play a role in driving the industr y for ward into the future.’

The manufacturer states that more than 80 specialists based in 19 regional offices around the world deliver education and training tailored to the needs of their specific locations. The Y-DACC (Yamaha Digital Audio Creative Center)

22 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

was established in Tokyo in 1990, allowing customers to gain hands-on experience with products. This was followed in 2000 with the opening of similar sites across Asia, Europe and America. Yamaha product specialists are also regularly deployed to dealers and venues to conduct practical training workshops. The company has more recently expanded into web-based online seminars to reach a wider audience. Through all of these types of activities, Yamaha has delivered training

to approximately 100,000 people in more than 50 countries.

The new Audioversity branding has been designed to symbolise a more involved era of education and training.

This, Yamaha anticipates, will result in increased customer confidence and satisfaction when using its products.

‘Having met Yamaha customers from more than 40 countries around the world, I know that Audioversity will meet the needs of many sound

engineers, systems designers and operators at professional, enthusiastic amateur and beginner levels, not only with face-to-face sessions, but also with new remote learning and web-based content,’ said Andy Cooper, Yamaha Audioversity trainer. ‘All our skilful and experienced trainers, writers and presenters are ready to reach more people with more helpful technical materials than ever before.’ www.yamahaproaudio.com

NEWS: EDUCATION

NAMM 2019 education unveiled NMK sessions on camera audio

WORLD: The educational programme on offer at the 2019 NAMM Show has been revealed. Each day of the show will start with a NAMM U Breakfast Session. On Thursday 24 January, Joe Lamond will host Breakfast of Champions, providing insights alongside music product pioneers. Friday’s session will see Daniel Burrus explore What’s Next in music retail and supply. On Saturday, marketing, sales and branding expert Scott Stratten will address the disruption factor and, on Sunday, Frank Alkyer and a panel of retail store owners will share their favourite products from the show floor.

Following each Breakfast Session, NAMM U continues in the NAMM Idea Center, which will be located in the lobby of the Anaheim Convention Center and will host more than 40 different sessions.

More than 250 pro audio seminars and workshops will

be hosted during the show. TEC Tracks will explore a vast array of topics, from building a profitable home studio to the future of music. Chris Lord-Alge will deliver the TEC Tracks keynote address.

The AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium: Live & Studio returns for its second year.

It will offer seven training academies with sessions on line array technologies, microphones for studio and stage, live-sound mixing consoles, wireless systems and studio environments.

A3E (The Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange) is dedicated to the future of advanced audio applications and new music technology. How are advanced audio applications transforming the music industry, production and performance?

A3E aims to answer this question among others.

During Thursday and Friday of the show, Audinate will be offering its Level 2

Multilingual dot2 training

Dante certification course.

Furthermore, ESTA (the Entertainment Services and Technology Association) will be curating the Pro Production Sessions, hosting four tracks in lighting and electrical, lighting networking, rigging and safety that each offer free Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) renewal credits. These sessions will also provide in-depth looks into iconic project designs and the future of production technology during a range of keynotes, single speaker and panel presentations.

UAE: NMK Electronics recently hosted training sessions at the National Store Training facility in Dubai as part of the Canon Academy. The sessions focused on audio recording methods and tools and was presented by NMK’s Rocky Solarta.

The audience was a group of freelance photographers as well as students from the Emirates Falcon Photography Studio, who enjoyed

www.namm.org/thenammshow/ 2019/education

exploring Shure’s Lenshopper, VP89, Shotgun and Motiv solutions in detail.

‘Education is an integral part of NMK’s business philosophy,’ said NMK Electronics’ Maleeha Riaz. ‘We are constantly seeking collaborations with complementary brands to demonstrate valueadded solutions.’ www.nmkelectronics.com

Unprecedented Control

Altea Features

1/2 PAGE Island

- Compact multipurpose system with monitor position.

- Ultra lightweight Class D amplifier with SMPS.

- DASlink™ all-in-one app for Altea 700 powered systems.

- DAScontrol™ interface with 24 bit DSP and 3 band EQ. - 5 presets: Live, Dance, Vocals, Bass Boost and Monitor.

- HD streaming in stereo for Altea 700 powered systems.

- Standby-Mode w/ adjustable time for energy efficiency.

Katlego Moloisane, Maria Monyela, Ole Boinamo, Pusa Maetle and Mbhali Mathibela demonstrate their dot2 certifications

- Encoder lock to prevent tampering.

- Two-channel mixer with mini jack AUX input.

SOUTH AFRICA: DWR Distribution’s Ole Boinamo recently hosted an MA Lighting dot2 training session at the distributor’s Johannesburg office. Not only was this Mr Boinamo’s first time hosting such a training seminar, he also presented it in both English and Tshwana.

‘With most delegates residing in Pretoria, I presented the course in both Tshwana and English,’ confirmed Mr Boinamo.

‘It makes a huge difference in understanding the functions of the console when you are being taught in your mother tongue.

Learning becomes quicker and, more impor tantly, it creates an environment where students feel confident to ask any questions.’

The training was held at the request of rental company MGG Productions for crew based at Sun Arena’s Time Square in Pretoria – where MGG is the in-house technical supplier – and Tshwane University of Technology students taking par t in work experience and training at MGG. www.dwrdistribution.co.za

- Durable polypropylene enclosure for reduced weight.

- Integrated rigging points and stand mount socket.

- 4 ergonomic handles for ease of portability.

The new Altea powered systems give you maximum control over your sound.

Impressive looks, the latest in pro-audio technology and an extraordinary ser of user-friendly features.

Go ahead, take control.

Contact us or a dealer near you.

www.malighting.com www.mgg.co.za

Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 23

DISTRIBUTION Boujikian Bros to represent PMC LEBANON: UK manufacturer PMC has appointed Boujikian Bros to distribute its complete range of studio monitors in Lebanon.

The distributor, which already represents FBT, Solid Stage Logic, Clair Brothers, beyerdynamic and Audio-Technica among others, has been a supplier of all kinds of electronics accessories since being established in 1984 and currently offers a range of audio, lighting, video, rigging and staging equipment, as well as design, technical and support services to customers in the Middle East and Africa.

‘PMC is a well-known brand in Lebanon and one that is renowned for its high-quality products that can fulfil most market demands.

This was a key reason why we wanted to represent the brand in Lebanon,’ stated Gary Boujikian, GM of Boujikian Bros.

‘We see plenty of opportunity for the brand in TV companies, production houses and studios, and we already have a number of sales lines to facilities in Lebanon.’

The studio monitors will now be incorporated into Boujikian Bros’ demo facilities where they will be

Gary Boujikian

shown alongside SSL consoles and other pro audio products.

‘We are excited to be working with such a dynamic company in Lebanon,’ added PMC business development manager, Chris Allen. ‘Boujikian Bros are wellestablished, having served high-profile clients for many years, and it is a pleasure to be able to offer our monitor products through them. I look forward to developing a long and fruitful relationship with Gary and his team.’ www.boujikian.com www.pmc-speakers.com

Audix joins the DWR ZeeVee grows distribution network Distribution roster EAST AFRICA: ZeeVee, a manufacturer of video and signal distribution technology for pro AV and IT applications, is expanding its global presence with the appointment of new distributors.

One of these is Technet EA Solutions, better known as Pro AV Africa, which will serve as ZeeVee’s East African distributor.

With headquarters in Kampala, Uganda, Pro AV Africa is an authorised distributor of several renowned pro AV manufacturers, including Audio-Technica, QSC, TOA and Yamaha UC. ‘ZeeVee is constantly looking to add quality pro AV and IT integrators to our rapidly growing international network,’ stated

Bob Michaels, president and CEO of ZeeVee. ‘Our newest distributors, each providing toptier sales and technical support in markets where there is a growing movement towards IP-based video distribution, are examples of the high-quality, skilled and reputed partners we are seeking.’

Alongside the announcement, the manufacturer highlighted the strength of its technical support for distributor, Signal.

‘The Signal programme launch has generated tremendous marketplace interest in joining the ZeeVee team,’ added Mr Michaels. ‘We welcome additional inquiries from smart, skilled and entrepreneurial organisations seeking to affiliate with our bestof-breed and proven marketplace solutions.’ www.proav.africa www.zeevee.com

SOUTH AFRICA: DWR Distribution has added a microphone brand to the growing list of pro audio manufacturers in its portfolio.

Audix has appointed the South African distributor as the sole representative of its handheld vocal, instrument, wireless and installation microphones in the country.

‘Over the past two years, our company has seen tremendous growth in the audio products we offer to the industry,’ said Robert Izzett from DWR. ‘The one thing we did not have was microphones.

Audix is one of the leading brands across the globe, and what makes the company special is their passion for the end-user. By investing in research and development over the past 30 years and listening to their customers’ needs, Audix has developed innovative and performance-driven microphones.’

DWR’s pro audio catalogue first opened when it took on the distribution for mixing console manufacturer DiGiCo in 2016. This

DWR Distribution’s Robert Izzett, Richard Smith, Duncan Riley and Bruce Riley grew in 2017 with the addition of Quest Engineering loudspeakers and L-Acoustics during the first half of 2018.

‘We are excited to have DWR represent Audix in South Africa,’ said Cindy Bigeh, interim director of international sales. ‘DWR Distribution represents a wide variety of products to several industries and a wealth of clients.

From lighting to theatre, schools to places of worship and even restaurants, including installation and service, DWR can meet the needs of almost any customer.

DWR also hosts training as they are focused on supporting their clients.’ www.audixusa.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za

Luminex takes NMK deeper into AV networking GCC: Belgian manufacturer Luminex has named NMK Electronics as its newest partner for the GCC region. The decision was reportedly made after conferring with leading rental companies and consultants, with NMK stating that ‘Luminex’s commitment to ease the deployment of a professional AV network, even without the need of any IT knowledge, syncs per fectly with NMK’s philosophy’.

Luminex produces data distribution equipment for professional lighting, audio and video applications that includes

a complete range of network switches, converters/nodes and DMX splitters, providing AV designers and technicians with technology to build a complete data distribution system for big events or large venues.

‘This brand gets me excited about the future of the AV

24 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

industry,’ said Darren Caithness, lighting business manager for NMK. ‘We will see more integration of combined networks and need a brand that will make this very complex task much simpler – that brand is Luminex.’

‘We are extremely happy to cooperate with NMK Electronics,’

added Dimitri Jannis, EMEA sales manager for Luminex. ‘After our first meeting, I immediately felt the great appreciation for our brand.

With the wide portfolio of pro AV brands and the validation from these brands, we are confident that we have added an excellent partner to the Luminex family.

Not only do they have very skilled staff, an excellent marketing team and a long history in the market, they also have adequate training facilities and are able to support projects on the job.’

Having also recently partnered with Audinate, NMK aims

to introduce the solution by demonstrating it with audio, video and lighting products that use protocol-based data transfer, for example, any products relying on AVB, Dante, QLAN, Art-Net, SACN and REAC. The distributor also hopes that the Lunimex products will be the backbone to a large number of Middle East projects and event-based work through their ability to ‘reduce set up time on location as well as reducing technical glitches during events’. www.luminex.be www.nmkelectronics.com

NE W !

DOES MORE. WEIGHS LESS.

E EV LX OL 20 VE 0 50

The ELX200 series combines real professional audio quality, precision control, and robust, EV-engineered components in an ultra-lightweight package – a truly potent blend of performance and portability.

• Wireless control and monitoring via the new Bluetooth®*

QuickSmartMobile app

• Perfect for both portable and installed applications

• Lightweight package with heavyweight performance • QuickSmartDSP provides best-in-class

processing via EV’s signature single-knob user interface with LCD • Electro-Voice-patented SST (Signal

Synchronized Transducer) waveguide design combines a more compact foot print with enhanced acoustic performance

S L E E K SOUNDS STU NNING

Designed to deliver an uncompromising combination of light weight, low-profile looks, and superior audio quality, the EVOLVE 50 sets a new performance standard for powered column systems.

• Clean, compact design, built to blend in

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High-quality Bluetooth * audio & wireless control and monitoring via the new Bluetooth®* QuickSmartMobile app

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*Bluetooth® is available in select countries. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Bosch Security Systems, Inc. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. ©2017 Bosch Security Systems

NE W !

EV’s signature single-knob user interface with LCD

APPOINTMENTS Richard Ayers named GSL technical BDM MIDDLE EAST: Richard Ayers has been appointed by GSL Professional as its new technical business development manager.

With a career spanning over 30 years in the pro AV industry, Mr Ayers brings a plethora of product, application and integration experience to the new role, from previous positions including international sales and product management at Harman Professional and, most recently, business development manager of professional solutions at Habitech UK. ‘With SMPTE 2110 making such an impact, now is a great time to be working with our suppliers,

integrators and end-users migrating solutions to the AVoIP world,’ stated Mr Ayers. ‘Beyond the cultural experiences of the region that make this an exciting

‘As EMEA sales manager, I inherited many long-standing relationships and distribution partnerships that my predecessor and good friend Martin Kelly worked hard to forge prior to his retirement, and I have greatly enjoyed the role to date,’ said Mr Watson. ‘The new role as international sales director will offer greater scope to further influence and develop our business in these segments, alongside our territory managers throughout the UK, EMEA, APAC and LATAM.’ www.martin-audio.com

of business development for North and West Africa at Newtec and as director of MEA business

26 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

to help drive the next stage of PMC’s continuing rise.’

Mr Ireland’s new role will see him in charge of the manufacturing and operations departments, sales and marketing, personnel and finance functions, plus the company’s US office in California. He will be responsible for managing the growth of PMC through continued

www.gslprofessional.com

NOA hires sales director for MENA MENA: AV digitisation and archiving solutions provider NOA has appointed Abderrahmane Bessaih as sales director for MENA and Asia. Mr Bessaih is tasked with developing and executing sales strategies while expanding and maintaining the company’s customer base across both territories.

Possessing more than 20 years of experience in the telecom and broadcast sectors, Mr Bessaih most recently worked as senior business development consultant at Netia, developing strategies for the MEA region.

He has also served as a director

WORLD: Tim Ireland has been named as the new CEO at PMC. Joining the company after seven years as CEO at Meridian Audio, and previously head of product management at Bowers and Wilkins, Mr Ireland is tasked with expanding the company’s product portfolio and global distribution network at a time when

proposition, I am looking forward to sharing and learning from others in the GSL team.’

0DUWLQ $XGLR·V ÀUVW international sales director WORLD: Martin Audio has promoted Bradley Watson to the new role of international sales director. One of the company’s longest-serving executives, Mr Watson was most recently sales manager for the EMEA region.

Mr Watson is described as instrumental in building Martin Audio’s domestic sales during the 2000s.

He left the British manufacturer in 2010, maintaining a close relationship with the company while working as an installer. In September 2016, he rejoined the company as the EMEA sales manager.

New CEO for PMC

development for Genesis Networks.

‘We welcome Abderrahmane Bessaih, who already connected with our team through his long-time passion for archives,’ commented NOA managing par tner, Christophe Kummer.

‘His knowledge and exper tise in dealing with the Middle East AV archive market will prove a great asset for our company.’

‘I have known NOA since its early days and have always been impressed by the quality of its products and solutions,’ added Mr Bessaih. www.noa-archive.com

Peter Thomas and Tim Ireland the privately owned business is experiencing sustained growth. As a result, co-founder Peter Thomas has taken up the position of chairman.

‘I have long admired the business that Peter and Adrian started and have watched the incredible rise in its profile, products and sales over the past few years,’ stated Mr Ireland.

‘What is immediately obvious to me is the dedication of all the staff and invaluable contribution they all make to the company.

This family spirit is the true essence of the company and one that sets it apart from most other businesses. It’s a very exciting move for me to join such a team and I am relishing the opportunity

improvements in products, quality and the speed and levels of service offered to customers.

‘The fantastic growth of PMC now requires it to have a dedicated CEO who can be focused entirely on the running of the global business,’ explained Mr Thomas. ‘With Tim in charge, I can now concentrate on suppor ting the board as chairman as we look to expand our manufacturing facilities.

I can also, finally, curate the PMC museum of landmark hi-fi products, of which we have a vast number, and I can take some time to listen to the ever-growing stack of 78s, 33s, 45s, CDs and files.’ www.pmc-speakers.com

Adi Itzhaki named TAG VP of sales EMEA

EMEA: IP monitoring and UHD multiviewers specialist TAG has named Adi Itzhaki as its new VP of sales in EMEA. In his new role, Mr Itzhaki will identify market opportunities, as well as ways to enhance the company’s regional channel network and further existing partner relationships.

‘We’re delighted to welcome Adi to the TAG team,’ stated TAG CEO, Abe Zerbib. ‘Bringing Adi aboard will not only ensure the continued acceptance and expansion of our all-IP multiviewer and monitoring solutions, but his in-depth knowledge, talent and support will be a major benefit to our current customers as well.’

Mr Itzhaki will also be responsible for leading and mentoring the sales team and driving the organisation’s message of ‘accountability, professional behaviour and high-performance standards’. He will additionally work with senior staff to align organisational objectives with sales strategies. www.tagvs.com

NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

New technical project manager for N&M Dubai UAE: Dubai-based Neumann&Müller Event Technology has named Abigail Bates as its new technical project manager. Having lived and worked in Dubai for the last seven years, Ms Bates joins the company with a background in both lighting design and technical management. She will be responsible for planning and managing projects for events and trade fairs in the industrial, service and public sectors.

‘This role definitely brings satisfaction and challenges at the same time,’ commented Ms Bates. ‘The complex work involved in project management is a

learning process every day. Being the technical project manager is certainly a step up, but it is great to be part of a well-established and systematic international AV company such as Neumann&Müller Event Technology. The systems and procedures that the company has been implementing are undoubtedly eye-openers.’

More specifically, Ms Bates’ new role will see her tasked with the detailed preparation of technical specifications and drawings, as well as construction schedules and staffing plans – overseeing the acquisition of resources and

materials as needed before and during projects, while monitoring project progress continuously and making adjustments to meet deliverables. She leads a team of internal and freelance specialist planners and technical managers.

‘Abigail Bates is our new technical project manager and one of several new members to our team,’ stated N&M Dubai general manager, Rick Wade. ‘We are very excited about these improvements and cannot wait to accommodate more clients here.’ www.neumannmueller.com

Buyiswa Mgedezi Lynx Technik welcomes becomes Prosound Stefan Gnann as CEO HR director SOUTH AFRICA: Prosound has promoted Buyiswa Mgedezi to human resources director. Joining the company 11 years ago, Ms Mgedezi has worked within most departments at Prosound, displaying an aptitude for each task that caught the attention of the current directors.

It was reportedly during the 2010 World Cup that Ms Mgedezi’s ability to adapt to stressful situations and deal with staff welfare and

expectations came to the fore. In recent years she worked formally as the human resources manager, with highlights including launching an education trust, headway made in empowerment initiatives focusing on training and establishing an essential business division.

‘I am looking forward to being part of steering Prosound to new heights,’ commented Ms Mgedezi. www.prosound.co.za

WORLD: Stefan Gnann is the new CEO of Lynx Technik. Former CEO Winfried Deckelmann will continue to serve as chairman of the company’s supervisory board.

‘One of my key roles at Lynx, backed by our global team, will be to drive product development and market share leadership to meet both the short- and longterm demands of our production, postproduction, contribution and content distribution customers,’ Mr Gnann explained.

Mr Gnann has extensive broadcast sector experience, which includes leading VTS Videotechnik Selhuber GmbH as managing director before overseeing the merger between VTS and sono Studiotechnik GmbH to form sonoVTS GmbH. ‘I want to personally welcome Stefan to the Lynx Technik team as our new CEO,’ said Mr Deckelmann. ‘He brings with him invaluable business acumen,

Winfried Deckelmann, chairman of the supervisory board and Stefan Gnann, CEO of Lynx Technik leadership, technology knowledge and experience having worked in the broadcast industry for so many years. Stefan has a clear passion for technology and innovation and is an excellent fit to lead our team and achieve the vision of Lynx Technik. We have

maintained a strong relationship with Stefan over the years, and his input as a customer and partner has been influential in a number of our key product developments.’

‘For example, our depar tmental heads will have the ability to enter their own data directly which will enable us to get a ver y accurate quote out to our clients in a matter of hours. The fact that there is involvement across all operational tiers from the outset also means that by the time we have completed the quote, much of the pre-event planning will already have been done and all par ties involved will know exactly what is expected of them.’

The Group’s CVC (Client Value Chain) approach has reportedly proven successful over the past couple of years as well, and is now being revisited nationally with educational workshops held company-wide highlighting the basics of ‘service delivery with a smile’ and the need for 100% delivery excellence. ‘Everyone has the same goal and we are focused on pulling in one direction to deliver for our clients,’ said Mr Smit.

www.lynx-technik.com

New GM for Gearhouse Group SOUTH AFRICA: The Gearhouse Group has appointed Charl Smit as general manager, with oversight across all three of the company’s regional branches. Mr Smit assumes the new position having previously managed the Cape Town and Johannesburg branches.

‘My mandate is to ensure that our standards around the countr y are exactly in sync,’ Mr Smit explained. ‘At times, our equipment utilisation and practices have been influenced

by regional conditions and we are now selecting the most effective methodologies from around the group to adopt countr ywide, with the aim of rationalising our processes and eradicating unnecessar y wastage.’

In addition, the company has recently invested in an extensive IT infrastructure and software upgrade as well as staff training. ‘Our people are being trained to multitask from the top down,’ added the new GM.

www.gearhouse.co.za

Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 27

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NEWPRODUCTS

INSTALLATION • AV • LIVE SOUND • BROADCAST • POSTPRODUCTION • RECORDING • LIGHTING A-Z CONTENTS

Operator View

Workspace

ArmoníaPlus efficiency Powersoft has built upon its Armonía platform to create a more efficient user experience in ArmoníaPlus HAVING PREVIOUSLY emphasised energy efficiency in its range of power amplifiers with the Green Audio Power initiative, Powersoft Audio has now set its sights on workflow efficiency.

Powersoft’s R&D redesigned its Armonía remote control and monitoring software solution with the aim of building ‘the most efficient audio design environment on the market’. The result is ArmoníaPlus, The new ArmoníaPlus interface is described by the Italian manufacturer as ‘loudspeaker-oriented’ and has been developed to mimic the real-world and the physical process of audio design with a workflow approach that is both simple to use and easy to navigate. A simplified, guided workflow, created from the ground up, leads users through the entire process, from system design to showtime using intuitive hotkeys and easy-to-read icons.

A single window offers four main views: Workspace, System List, Operator View and Events. Workspace is the interface’s main display, allowing systems engineers to plan and work.

The Workspace view is divided into two

parts: amplifiers occupy the left-hand side of the screen while loudspeakers are located on the right. A variety of functions become available to users as they progress through the four main steps: design, configuration, tuning and show. As soon as the link function is completed, further operations can then be carried out at the loudspeaker directly. The Powersoft development team has also made the process of auditioning presets as simple as selecting which loudspeakers to control.

This means that their applications can be changed via the Tune:Preset page.

The layout and all control mechanisms have been designed to appear visually intuitive. This visual intuition impacts the workflow greatly, as amplifiers can be added directly to a rack, while loudspeakers can be grouped together, vertically and horizontally in ArmoníaPlus as you would expect them to be in the real, phyiscal world. In addition, arrays of loudspeakers can be grouped together so that when linking amplifiers, an algorithm in the software will automatically select the next item, based on proximity, model and position

UE OR R T DO TION T OU TEC O P R etherC ON® T

p owe r C

on® TR

on the screen. This function has been included to help avoid manual errors.

ArmoníaPlus also provides users with the ability to create advanced groups of loudspeakers, making it possible to adjust gain, delay, polarity and EQ. The GUI has been programmed to deliver information in a way that is easy to absorb. Meanwhile, the inclusion of a new page, Tune:EQ, facilitates monitoring of the overall curve applied to each speaker or group. A headroom meter adapts its LEDs based on the limiters of the speaker, allowing users to see how hard the speakers are being driven at a glance.

With simplicity and workflow efficiency at the heart of Powersoft’s intentions, ArmoníaPlus is designed to be free from sub-menus. Every function is available via either a right-click or a hotkey. For example, to set amplifiers to static IP mode, users can simply select the corresponding devices and the software will assign the available addresses progressively, starting from the desired one.

ADAM Audio Studio Pro SP-5/AX skins Airstar Cinestar/Neo AJA Kona 5/IPR-10G2-HDMI and IPR-10G2-SDI Allen & Heath SQ V1.3/SQ Waves card Altman Lighting AP-150 Amate Audio X212AF/X218WF Amphion FlexBase25 AMS Neve Neve Genesys Processing Plugin Antelope Audio Edge Solo/Edge Duo/Edge Quadro API 1608-II/2448 Apogee Jam+ ArKaos Adds NewTek NDI to products Atlona Omega Series Attero Tech D2FLEXio/Zip4 Audient iD Mixer Audio Limited A10-Rack Audio-Technica ES954/BP28/BP28L Avid Maestro Engine/Maestro PowerWall Avolites Ai Q3 Ayrton Bora-S/Khamsin-S Bittree DSFB124NL Series Blackmagic Design Blackmagic RAW Broadcast Pix BPswitch RX BroaMan Mux22 FrameSync8/Optocore for Mux22 devices BXB MT-2/HDR-731 CEDAR Audio Cambridge v12/Cambridge Silent 1 Celestion CDV1-1757 Christie D4K40-RGB/UHD861-LT Clear-Com InSite/V-Series Iris Panel/Mentor CX Community R.35-3896-EN Dejero EnGo updates/Core 5.1 update Digigram IQOYA X/Link-MPX DirectOut Prodigy.MC Elation Rayzor 760/TwinkLED/Artiste Van Gogh ELC Lighting DLN8GBXSL Electro-Voice ZLX-12BT/ZLX-15BT Extron NAV Series/TLS 1025M/TLP Pro 725C/IN1804 GLP impression E350 Heritage Audio HA-73 EQX2 iZotope RX 7/Insight 2 JVC BR-DE900/DT-U and DT-G series KLANG:technologies Kos 3.1 L-Acoustics/QSC Plug-in for P1 and Q-Sys Lawo A__Line WAN edition/vm_udx/Power Core Lynx Technik AIR (All Independent Remote) Processing Merging Technologies Pyramix 11.1 NewTek NDI Software Developer Kit/NC1 Studio I/O module Next-proaudio Audio Tool Software NTP Technology Dante expansion card Pascal L-PRO2S/S-PRO2/U-PRO2S/U-PRO2SD Peerless AV PJR250/RMI3-Flip/SR560-Flip Powersoft ArmoníaPlus PreSonus CDL-series QSC CP Series/Q-Sys NS Series RCF TTL 4-A/TTP 4-A/E Series Robe SuperSpikie Rohde & Schwarz CMWflexx/SpycerNode Ross Video Carbonite Ultra/Ultritouch/PivotCam-SE RTW Speech intelligibility technology Schoeps M/S and Double M/S updates sE Electronics sE7/DM1 Dynamite/sE2300 Sennheiser 300 Pro series/SK 6212/Ambeo AR One Solid State Logic Fusion Sommer Cable SC-Mercator Cat.7 Sonifex AVN-CU2/AVN-CU4 Sony HXR-NX200/HDC cameras/BVM-HX310 Sound Devices MixPre Series Stage Tec Aurus Platinum version 4.7 Studer Micro Series V2.0 Studio Technologies Model 391/Model 374A/Model 5422 TASCAM IF-E100 Tasker C726 PUR/C728 PUR/T42 PUR/C128 PUR Telos Alliance VX Enterprise/VX Prime+ Vaddio PrimeShot 20 HDMI Vinten flowtech 75/ceiling track system Williams AV Blue Pod/Blue Pod Air/Presenter Hub WyreStorm EX-70-G2 version two Yamaha MMP1 Version 1.1 Zylia ZM-1/Ambisonics Converter/Studio v1.7.2/Pro v1.3.1

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www.powersoft-audio.com

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OP

NMK Middle East FZCO

NMK Electronics Enterprises

T: +971 4 266 5244 F: +971 4 262 6682 E: info@nmkelectronics.com W: www.nmkelectronics.com

T: +971 4 266 5244 F: +971 4 262 6682 E: info@nmkelectronics.com W: www.nmkelectronics.com

X L R TO P Neutrik True Outdoor Protection (TOP) series of products encompasses the powerCON TRUE1, etherCON and XLR product groups.

These TOP series products are IP65 rated and UV-light resistant. They are designed to provide maximum performance under the challenging conditions created by moisture, particulate pollution and sunlight. In addition to utilizing high-impact, UV-resistant materials per UL, TOP serie products are certified to connector standards IEC 61076-2-103, IEC 60320, UL 1977 and UL 498, as well as UL 50E.

NMKElectronics

nmkelectronics

nmkelectronics

Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 29

PRODUCTS

Line and point source options from RCF DESIGNED TO be deployed as either a line (L) or point source (P) speaker system, RCF is shipping the TTL 4-A and TTP 4-A active 2-way systems.

Both models include RDNet remote control, dual 800W RMS Class-D amplification, 4-inch HF compression drivers, dual 10-inch neodymium LF woofers with 2.5-inch voice coils and FiRPHASE 0° phase technology.

Rated to operate within a 45Hz to 20kHz frequency range, the line source version provides 100° x 25° coverage, while the TTP 4-A model extends to a wider 100° x 50° area.

The TTP 4-A point source variant can also be used as a

single module with a 100° x 50° coverage or as a horizontal cluster of two or three modules in either stacked or flown configuration for enhanced throw and SPL. The TTP 4-A waveguide can be moved and rotated to the centre of the cabinet, enabling it to be used as a single horizontal module, in clusters of three or as a down-fill for TTL 4-A clusters. Likewise, the TTL 4-A can also be used as a single module offering 100° x 25° coverage or as a line of multiple modules in stacked or flown column configuration. Comprising rigging solutions, a solitary cabinet can be used for 100° x 25° homogeneous coverage or stacked in a column. The 90°

rotatable waveguide can be moved from the upper to the central position, allowing the speaker to be arranged in constant curvature clusters with up to six modules.

Meanwhile, the Italian manufacturer has unveiled the E Series of mixing consoles consisting of the E 24 (24 channels), E 16 (16 channels) and E 12 (12 channels). The E 24 includes 18 54dB gain range mic preamps with combo connectors and three stereo line inputs. The E 16 provides 12 mic preamps and two stereo line inputs, while the E 12 incorporates six mic preamps and three stereo line inputs. All three models also include two line inputs that are switchable to Hi-Z

Amphion extends its bass options FOLLOWING IN the footsteps of its low-frequency BaseOne25 and BaseTwo25 extension systems, Amphion has created the FlexBase25 stereo bass extension and management system incorporating a separate LFE-channel input that has +10dB sensitivity compared to the main channels but no builtin, low-pass filtering. The LFE channel can be linked between several units which then allows building 7.2 and upward systems.

The crossover frequency can be adjusted within a wide range of 35–260Hz. According to the manufacturer, the ability to control the mono/stereo spread ensures that the sub integrates even when a higher crossover point is used. FlexBase25 combines a subwoofer with two back-to-back, 10-inch

TTL 4-A input and a stereo return. On the E 24, channels 1 to 8 are equipped with a single-control

processor, on the E 16 this is the case for channels 1 to 6 and on the E 12 it’s channels 1 to 4. The 18 mono channels on the E 24 and the 12 mono channels on the E 16 are provided with 4-band EQs, including shelving high and low bands and two semi-parametric mid-bands (mid-high and midlow) with frequency selection and switchable Q choice (wide or narrow). The six mono channels on the E 12 are provided with 3-band EQs, including high and low bands and one semi-parametric mid-band.

On all three models, the stereo input channels are provided with 3-band EQ. www.rcf.it

EV adds to ZLX series ELECTRO-VOICE HAS expanded its ZLX series with two Bluetooth audio streaming models: ZLX-12BT (12-inch/2-way) and ZLX-15BT (15-inch/2-way). Ideally suited for music playback or accompaniment, both models include the characteristics of their ZLX counterparts, such as QuickSmart DSP processing, which provides users with four presets, sub/top system match, 2-band EQ, five user-programmable presets, visual

monitoring of the limiter status, input level control and meters, and master volume control for optimising gain structure.

The speakers include 1,000W Class-D amplifiers that deliver up to 127dB peak SPL and the company’s patented Signal Synchronized Transducers waveguide design. The three-handle design is incorporated into a rugged composite enclosure. www.electrovoice.com

FlexBase25 with FlexAmp500 woofers together with cabling and electronics. The system is powered by an external FlexAmp500 amplifier which also

integrates a filter module within its 2U rack enclosure. www.amphion.fi

The ZLX-12BT and ZLX-15BT

Point source meets line array COMBINING THE attributes of both point source and line array technologies, PreSonus has released its CDL-series loudspeakers for both portable PA and installed sound applications.

The CDL12 Constant Directivity Loudspeaker comes with a companion subwoofer – the CDL18s Active Subwoofer. Both are Dante-enabled, powered enclosures that can be flown as a vertical array or combined for ground-stacked applications to

create a complete loudspeaker system.

The CDL12 consists of eight 2-inch drivers aligned in a segmented circular-arc, highfrequency array centred in front of a 12-inch woofer and is ideally suited for a broad range of venue sizes. With the sound projected from the centre of the enclosure, the controlled 120° horizontal coverage pattern is maintained, while the vertical coverage is expanded by 20° per box deployed.

30 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

The result is a system that can be scaled from 20° to 120° of vertical coverage. The low 420Hz crossover frequency is said to minimise

comb filtering. As a line array system for fixed installations, the ability to fly five enclosures under one or two companion CDL18s

subwoofers provides flexibility when addressing room size. The CDL12 includes an integrated 500W x 500W Class-D power amplifier with onboard DSP presets.

The CDL18s features a port configuration, four triangle-shaped ports and a custom 18-inch, low-frequency transducer with a 4-inch voice coil that can travel 7mm before over-excursion and handles 800W. Dante connectivity facilitates interoperability with a wide range of equipment, as well as integrated pin-loaded rigging and the ability to remotely control the DSP from Worx Control. www.presonus.com

ICONYX DC 12/2

Big Shoes.

Small Footprint.

ICONYX IC 12/3

We posed a question.

Could we bring the focus, clarity and control of our industry-leading ICONYX series Digitally Steered Speaker Arrays to more intimate environments?

Could we translate our cathedral-filling, airport-taming designs into solutions for corporate offices, mid size industrial locations, restaurants, health clubs, universities and civic facilities?

The answer is: Yes. Introducing the ICONYX IC 12/3 and DC 12/2 Directivity Controlled vertical column speakers from Renkus-Heinz.

Delivering the ICONYX experience to smaller venues, the revolutionary DC12/2 is a ready-to-roll solution featuring predefined, user-selectable presets and control via smartphone or tablet. And the IC12/3 delivers a modular, stackable system which can be easily customized for any location.

Take a walk to www.Renkus-Heinz.com and take your first step towards incredible audio.

PRODUCTS

;FHOOHQFH UHGHÀQHG WITH THE launch of the X212AF active 3-way loudspeaker, Amate Audio has heralded the latest member of the Xcellence family as its flagship line array system.

Designed for larger touring and event applications, the enhanced performance features of the X212AF module and its accompanying X218WF subwoofer promote rapid system set up and deployment capabilities.

Delivering 100° x 8° (HxV) coverage, the V-shaped cabinet comprises dual 12-inch LF drivers,

four 6-inch midrange drivers and dual 3-inch HF neodymium drivers mounted onto a proprietary waveguide. In addition to providing a DSP platform for external control, the integrated thirdgeneration, Class-D amplification delivers ample headroom to the LF, MF and HF drivers housed within discrete enclosures.

DSP functionality includes parametric EQ options, while advanced FIR filtering provides parameters including phase alignment and minimal latency.

Separate limiters with differing time constants are available to the LF, MF and HF elements.

Ethernet connectivity enables remote system control, configuration and monitoring via Amate’s DSP Studio application in addition to onboard support of Dante AoIP networking.

A series of advanced DSP and power control presets

Community moves outside COMMUNITY HAS developed its R.35-3896-EN loudspeaker system to provide highquality voice and music reproduction normally associated with indoor loudspeakers. The speaker has been designed for fill and supplementary areas in both small and large venues wanting to conform to EN54 standards. Equally suited for indoor applications, the speaker is ideal for background and foreground music and announcement systems in settings such as leisure centres, theatres, night clubs, cruise ships and theme parks.

The R.35-3896-EN is a fully horn-loaded, triaxial, 3-way, full-range system that features the manufacturer’s MultiSource

Waveguide horn design, whereby the output from the dual midrange compression drivers and 1-inch exit HF driver are combined into a single, time-coherent source. The high-output, 3-inch voice coil, 8-inch carbon ring cone LF driver features a flange-less frame design that permits a cone area nearly equivalent to a typical 10-inch driver, reportedly

resulting in high sensitivity and increased LF extension. The low LF/MR passive crossover point is said to improve midrange pattern control and elimination of horn colouration in the LF response.

With a built-in autoformer, the R.35-3896-EN is certified for use in 100V distributed system applications. www.communitypro.com

promote ease of set up for deploying X212AF arrays in various configurations from a minimum of six modules. Presets include optimised performance parameters for systems that incorporate the matched X218WF subwoofer system. In addition to providing selection, a 3.5-inch TFT touchscreen mounted within the rear panel also includes visual monitoring of the system performance and protection parameters.

The accompanying X218WF subwoofer deploys dual 18-inch LF neodymium drivers with 4-inch, double-layer voice coils, within a sub-system that integrates the same acoustic geometry design principles of the X212AF. The bass-reflex design incorporates Class-D amplification, DSP system management, Ethernet control and Dante connectivity to mirror the operational specifications of the X212AF line array. www.amateaudio.com

Pascal amps up product catalogue

PASCAL HAS ramped up its production with the launch of six new amplifier modules, spanning all manner of applications from live sound to commercial and custom installations. All six modules are designed to enable constant voltage (100/70V) and lowimpedance output mode operation.

They are the L-PRO2S, S-PRO2, U-PRO2S, U-PRO2SD, L-A2 and S-A2.

All six modules feature the manufacturer’s plug-and-play,

26-pin interconnect, allowing them to connect with a single front-end I/O or DSP board design. This means that a single front-end module can be used in multiple power amplifier design configurations. They all also include Pascal’s UMAC Class-D technology for a high power density/low form factor ratio. Advanced real-time readouts for parameters such as protect/mute, temperature and clip signals are accessible for DSP and network control, as well as I/O stages. UREC PFC power supply technology facilitates universal AC mains operation. www.pascal-audio.com

QSC reaches a milestone

The CP family

DESCRIBED AS a ‘major milestone’ for the company, QSC has introduced its CP Series of compact powered loudspeakers. The ultracompact form factor and light weight are said to provide effortless transport and deployment in both

portable and installed applications.

The CP Series is comprised of two 2-way models: the CP8 and CP12.

Both models feature a 1,000W Class-D power module, one-touch preset DSP contours and line, mic/ line and 3.5mm stereo inputs. Each speaker can be pole-mounted, used as a floor monitor or deployed in a

fixed or temporary installation.

The US manufacturer has also launched its NS Series network switches that have been preconfigured to meet the performance requirements of the Q-Sys platform, as well as network AV technologies including AES67, Dante and Q-LAN video streaming and distribution.

The switches are said to provide an out-of-the-box, plug-and-play solution for Q-Sys integrators building local AV networks. They also provide a number of PoE+ capable ports for convenient connection of networked AV peripherals. www.qsc.com

Celestion enhances vocal output THE CDV1-1757 from Celestion is a compression driver specifically designed for optimum performance across the critical vocal band. The driver features Celestion’s 1.75-inch edgewound copper clad aluminium voice coil; a single piece polyimide

diaphragm/surround; and an FEA-optimised magnet assembly and phase plug. This is said to enable the driver to deliver 120W continuous power handling (60Wrms, AES standard) and 107dB sensitivity. A standard 1.38-inch screw fitting provides

32 32 PRO PRO AVL AVL MEA MEA Januar Januar y–Februar y–Februar yy 2019 2019

maximum compatibility with a range of Celestion and third-party horn flares.

‘By taking a fresh look at one of our existing designs – modifying the phase plug and optimising the volume of the rear-loading chamber – we were able to create

range where the voice sits. This led us to develop a driver with a greater vocal output level together with enhanced clarity,’ explained Celestion head of engineering, Paul Cork. a device that gave additional focus to the part of the frequency

www.celestion.com

Evolving with you.

With a sleek new user interface, a generously expanded switching bandwidth and higher RF output power for the 500 Series, and new multi-channel functionality for the 100 Series, G4 delivers high-quality, reliable audio for musical performances, houses of worship, and theaters. www.sennheiser.com/g4

PRODUCTS

API expands its range of analogue recording consoles 1608-II

FOLLOWING ITS launch in 2008, API Audio has updated the 1608 recording and mixing console.

The Control Room section of the 1608-II has been redesigned to make the surface more intuitive for smoother workflow, while a layout upgrade to the Auxiliary Masters together with four automatable Stereo Returns have been added. The 1608-II also integrates the Final Touch automation system, which is an optional cross-platform.

Equipped with a touchscreen, Final Touch mixes can be shared

among API consoles, so that tracks recorded on a 1608-II can then be mixed on a Legacy AXS or Vision console.

SSL blends analogue processing

Bridging the gap between the 1608 and AXS consoles, the new 2448 is a smaller, compact, dual-signal path analogue recording console. Offering 24 fully featured channels for multitrack recording and 56 channels for mixing, the 2448 is available in 24-, 32- and 40-channel frame sizes.

Features include dual inputs on each channel, four stereo returns, while the Final Touch fader automation system can also be added.

FUSION IS an all-analogue 2U outboard processor that features five colouration tools that combine tonal character, weight and space to mix bus or stereo stems. The first is Vintage Drive, a non-linear harmonic enhancement circuit that is said to bring cohesion and strength to a mix. Drive and density controls interact to

±9dB attenuation. Next is a new high-frequency compressor that delivers the distinctive sound of high-frequency rounding in the analogue domain. It is a compressor that effects high frequencies only, optimised for smooth and transparent harshness reduction and a tapelike, high-frequency roll-off.

www.apiaudio.com

produce harmonic saturation and soft compression derived from overloading an analogue circuit.

It can be used lightly for subtle thickening saturation or driven hard for more extreme distortion.

Second is SSL Violet EQ, a minimum phase-shift, 2-band shelving EQ, designed to quickly dial in low-end weight and high-end sheen. High- and lowfrequency circuits each offer four switched frequency points and

A new stereo image enhancer reportedly provides a true analogue mid-side circuit that manipulates the side signal, allowing for widening and spatial manipulation of the stereo field.

Finally, a switched, customdesigned SSL transformer circuit introduces subtle low-frequency saturation, alongside a highfrequency phase shift.

2448

www.solidstatelogic.com

Heritage Audio extends Elite series FOLLOWING IN the footsteps of its single-channel predecessor, the HA-73 EQ mic amp/equaliser, Heritage Audio has announced the availability of its HA-73 EQX2 dual mic amp/equaliser equipped

with two mic pre/equalisers in the same rack unit.

Employing three correct-vintage ‘Vinkor’ pot core inductors, the HA-73 EQX2’s preamp section features gain, output trim, –20dB

PAD, polarity reverse, a high-pass filter and a +48V phantom power.

Its EQ section includes high shelving EQ, midrange EQ, low shelving EQ, a variable high-pass filter and EQ bypass. Housed in

a rugged 2U steel and aluminium chassis, the HA-73 EQX2 uses an external power supply for low-noise

1/3 PAGE 7(.,

34 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019 34 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

operation. www.heritageaudio.net

PRODUCTS

Comfortable listening THE 300 Pro series from Sennheiser has been designed with comfort in mind, including new padding material, a comfort zone for the temples of glasses and split headband padding that removes any pressure from the sensitive area of the fontanelle.

Detachable cables are said to offer improved protection against handling noise thanks to a small series of coils that acoustically decouple the cable from the headset. The range includes the HD 300 Pro; HD 300 Protect with selectable ActiveGard technology, said to protect the wearer’s ears from sudden sound bursts without interrupting the audio signal; HMD 300 Pro, a closed, circumaural communications headset with selectable ActiveGard; HMD 300-XQ-2 with a detachable cable featuring XLR-3 and ¼-inch jack connectors; and HMD 301 Pro, a single-sided headset with side support.

Sennheiser has also introduced the SK 6212 mini bodypack transmitter for the Digital 6000 wireless microphone series.

Measuring 63mm x 47mm x 20mm and weighing around 112g including the battery, the SK 6212 can be IR synced and includes an additional inner sealing for increased moisture resistance. The BA 62 lithiumpolymer battery has an operating time of up to 12 hours, while the flexible antenna is detachable and field-replaceable. The transmitter is also compatible with the receiver of the Digital 9000 series when in long-range mode.

audio experience; Comply ear tips that expand to fit the ear canal; and a design that makes the headphones ideally suited for listening to music after work. The Ambeo Augmented Audio Lab app allows users to record sounds in the app as loops and mix them with loop banks. Users can grab the sound loops and position them anywhere in the virtual world.

Finally, version 2.0.0 of Sennheiser Control Cockpit

HMD 300 Pro

Ambeo AR One

is now available. This version supports the evolution wireless G4 microphone systems and is downwards compatible with G3.

The update also offers password

protection, enhanced battery management options and a refresh of the user interface. www.sennheiser.com

HIGH POWER-TO-SIZE RATIO

3/4 PAGE FILL THE SPACE

WITH SOUND NOT SPEAKERS

The highest possible output from the smallest possible cabinet. It makes NEXO speakers less obtrusive and easier to transport, rig and install.

The SK 6212 bodypack The manufacturer has unveiled its Ambeo AR One in-ear headphones and the accompanying Ambeo Augmented Audio Lab app. The headphones enable spatial computing developers and creators to create experiences where realworld sounds blend with virtual audio. Features include transparent hearing, where developers can choose how much of the outside world’s sound blends into their

Measuring less than 38cm wide, GEO M6 delivers NEXO’s signature smooth frequency response for a highly musical performance and enhanced speech intelligibility, with focussed dispersion for consistent coverage.

Whether you’re rigging a mobile A/V application or installing a fixed system in a theatre, bar or club, NEXO helps you fill the space with sound, not loudspeakers.

www.nexo.fr

Thinking. Inside the box.

Januar Januar y–Februar y–Februar yy 2019 2019 PRO PRO AVL AVL MEA MEA 35 35

PRODUCTS

Hanging out in conference rooms INTENDED PRIMARILY for video conferencing applications, Audio-Technica’s ES954 hanging microphone array can be used on its own or in a group to capture every member of a meeting. Its only limitation in terms of channel count depends on the mixer or DSP controlling the system.

If used with the manufacturer’s ATDM-0604 Digital SmartMixer, the 4-capsule ES954 is capable of 360° coverage via virtual cardioid or hypercardioid outputs that can be steered horizontally and vertically tilted. The ATDM0604’s GUI also facilitates control of the virtual polar patterns in 30° increments.

The ES954 connects to a mixer over a pair of standard Cat-5 cables. A pair of RJ45 breakout cables are provided to input the four channels, plus an LED tally, into the mixer. A 360° red/green LED ring indicates the array’s mute status.

A 1.2m cable with locking grommet is permanently attached, enabling simple height adjustment. UniGuard RFI shielding technology is included

ES954

within the ES954 to reject radio frequency interference (RFI).

Bundled with the microphone array is a Plenum-rated AT8554 ceiling mount and RJ45 connectors with push-type wire terminals for secure installation.

Meanwhile, out on location, Audio-Technica has designed the BP28 (355mm long) and BP28L (568mm long) to bring ‘studio microphone-like response to distance miking applications’, such as on film sets and in outside broadcasting. The BP28 reportedly emits 3dB of selfnoise while handling SPLs of

up to 143dB. Its L counterpart emits 8dB and can manage up to 138dB. The manufacturer is also offering four new bundles for podcasters, videographers, livestreamers and YouTubers that provide turnkey microphone/ headphone solutions. Two bundles feature USB outputs to directly connect with computers, while the other two feature XLR outputs for flexibility to connect with professional mixers or digital interfaces. All bundles feature a microphone with mount, ATH-M20x professional monitor headphones and a custom boom arm with desk mount.

The AT2005USBPK bundle includes an AT2005USB cardioid dynamic USB/XLR microphone; the AT2020PK bundle an AT2020 cardioid condenser microphone; the AT2020USB+PK bundle an AT2020USB+ cardioid condenser USB microphone; and the AT2035PK bundle an AT2035 cardioid condenser microphone and shock mount.

ADAM debuts studio headphones RENOWNED FOR its studio monitors, ADAM Audio has taken its first foray into the studio headphone market with the Studio Pro SP-5. Built for pro audio monitoring and mixing applications, the SP-5 is designed to deliver balanced sound across an 8Hz to 38kHz frequency spectrum.

The SP-5 integrates Ultrasone’s S-Logic technology with transducers arranged to exploit the ear’s natural form and the natural acoustics of the wearer’s pinna to direct sound into the ear canal. The intention is to deliver sound with ‘realistic spatial imaging of a quality typical of a stereo monitoring system installed and calibrated by experts’. ADAM states that it makes mixing on the SP-5 easier than on traditional headphones that point directly at the ear canal.

By employing S-Logic technology, lower SPLs are required to subjectively achieve the same perceived volume. This is said to result in distortion artefact

www.audio-technica.com

Studio Pro SP-5 reduction and avoids listening fatigue.

As for the manufacturer’s studio monitors, the AX series can now be customised with new skins produced in collaboration with Headliner Brands/DJ-Skins. Five designs are initially available: Grey Wood, Copper, Sunset, Leafage or Ocean. Users can also use a skin editor to create their own design. www.adam-audio.com www.ultrasone.com

Over the Edge FOLLOWING THE success of the Edge modelling microphone, Antelope Audio has launched the new Edge family. The series comprises three large-diaphragm condensers: the fixed-cardioid pattern Edge Solo, the multipattern Edge Duo and the dualcapsule Edge Quadro. The new mics are intended for use with the manufacturer’s range of vintage mic emulations.

Edge Solo is designed to work with Antelope’s mic modelling plug-ins to emulate cardioidpattern microphones. It connects via a regular mono XLR cable and houses a single, large-diaphragm capsule with a fixed cardioid pickup pattern.

Edge Duo features a dualmembrane capsule with individual outputs that allow each signal to be independently processed

and then recombined. Users can therefore vary the polar pattern via the plug-in, even after recording, enabling Edge Duo to emulate the characteristic pickup pattern and on- and off-axis response of each mic for multidimensional modelling.

Finally, Edge Quadro is a stereo/ surround mic with a pair of dual-membrane capsules and a rotating head. Four channels for

independent processing allow for stereo techniques such as M/S, X/Y, Blumlein and 3D audio.

Different emulations and polar patterns can be selected for each head. The upper head can also be rotated while the microphone is actively recording, offering variations in tonality and stereo image.

The Edge family

www.antelopeaudio.com

sE Electronics strives for clarity sE ELECTRONICS has released a back-electret, small-diaphragm condenser microphone intended for a wide range of studio and live applications with acoustic guitars, pianos, drums and more. The microphones feature Class-A circuitry, low-cut switches and a transformer-less output to improve clarity and a more natural sound, ‘without suffering from the fizzy highs or lack of lowfrequency punch’. The sE7 and sE7 Stereo Pair have also been

DM1 Dynamite with the sE7

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reworked to offer more consistent gain and less noise.

An active inline preamp intended to be inserted between a dynamic or passive ribbon microphone and a microphone preamplifier has also been released by the company. The DM1 Dynamite can be used to boost the signal from a passive mic for studio podcasting or on-stage use. It provides +28dB of Class-A gain and the manufacturer claims that it offers nearly half the noise, lower output impedance and more consistent gain than any other inline mic preamp on the market.

Finally, sE Electronics has also released an updated and refined version of its sE2200. The sE2300 is a multi-platform version of the condenser and features a handcrafted true condenser capsule, two attenuation pads, two low-cut filters and the same Class-A circuitry as its sibling.

The sE2300 preserves the same clarity and tonality as its predecessor but adds both omnidirectional and figure-8 polar patterns to reportedly increase versatility. www.seelectronics.com

sE2300

Loud and Clear The S360 combines main monitor performance with compact size, delivering a true reference even at high sound pressure levels. And with our GLM software, the S360 will intelligently adapt to your acoustic environment.

So if you need to really feel the energy in your music – or are working with large scale LPPHUVLYH ıOP SURGXFWLRQ – it is no longer a choice between power and precision.

Find out more at www.genelec.com/S360

PRODUCTS

Spherical recording THE ZM-1 from Zylia is a spherical recording solution capable of delivering 48kHz/24-bit resolution that can be connected to a laptop via USB. It includes 19 omnidirectional microphone capsules that are distributed around a sphere that measures 4 inches in circumference and weighs 16.6oz. An LED ring encircles the sphere to indicate recording status.

When combined with Zylia’s Studio software, users can record their performances in both 3D/360° audio and traditional stereo.

Zylia has also announced a series of software releases for

the ZM-1. The Zylia Ambisonics Converter plug-in, Zylia Studio (1.7.2) and Zylia Studio Pro (1.3.1) are said to give musicians even greater flexibility in capturing and working with 360 sound. The Zylia Ambisonics Converter modifies multichannel recordings made with the ZM-1 into HOA (Higher Order Ambisonics) full-sphere, surround sound recordings ready for playback on the Facebook 360 and YouTube 360 platforms. The converter also offers a B-format signal set that includes first-, second- and third-order ambisonics. Users can choose between the FuMa and CAN

ZM-1 component ordering formats and between ambiX and TBE output formats.

Schoeps protects against the wind SCHOEPS HAS updated its M/S and Double M/S product line with new plug-ins and windshields. Comprising three compact capsules, the Double M/S series is an extension of the M/S microphone technique for 5.1 surround, used in documentary, ambience recordings for feature films, music recording and ENG. The three microphone signals of a Double M/S setup are M/S de-matrixed before being used. This is possible with two common M/S matrices, which are available in any typical DAW or recorder. A simpler method of decoding is available with the Schoeps Double M/S plug-in, which generates an optimal

Zylia Studio software (standard with the ZM-1) and the Zylia Studio Pro virtual studio technology

and audio plug-in have been enhanced with spatial filters for a 3E microphone model to suppor t the ZM-1 system. Zylia Studio Pro also boasts a new source localisation function that repor tedly makes it easier to find sound sources within the 360 sound scene.

Zylia Studio Pro uses vir tual microphone technology (softwaredefined microphones) on the ZM-1 recording to separate sound sources and record them as individual tracks. www.zylia.co

Bluetooth conferencing

and flexible 5.1 output signal from the three input signals. The plug-in is available for free in all popular formats including AAX. The Rycote Stereo Cyclone and CINELA Pianissimo open design windshields are compact, while offering effective protection against wind noise.

A modern Double M/S windshield cannot be distinguished from a compact Mono windshield and is therefore suitable for use on a boom pole.

The assembly of microphones in modern windshields has become more simplified and reliable, for which the Schoeps

The Rycote Stereo Cyclone CCM capsules are optionally available with a fixed pin that fits into the groove of the suspension in the Rycote Cyclone. Finally, ORTF-3D technology for 3D audio is available as an indoor setup without a windshield, while the ORTF-3D basket has been modified to provide stand mounting. www.schoeps.de

CINELA Pianissimo

BLUE POD from Williams AV has been designed to simplify conference calls by using a mobile device. Calls can be made by touching the Bluetooth connect button, without the need for additional software. The iOS and Android apps allow users to select the speakers and microphones they want to use.

Blue Pod features an integrated mixer with DSP functions, including Acoustic Echo

two wireless presentation systems: Presenter Hub and Audio Presenter Hub. The first is a video hub designed to simplify presentations and meeting room collaborations and supports both wired USB and HDMI video components (cameras, computers and media players) and wireless mobile devices using Airplay, Google Chromecast and Miracast. The digital hub also provides HDMI

Cancellation. The mixer includes two line outputs and two 25W amplifiers. The patent-pending design allows for integration of the Bluetooth transceiver (the Pod) into the ceiling directly over a workspace, reportedly minimising distance limitations and signal blockage. Blue Pod Air includes all the features of the Blue Pod plus wireless video display mirroring for mobile devices using Airplay, Google Chromecast and Miracast. It is also equipped with an HDMI output, supporting up to 1080p.

In other news, the manufacturer has added

connectivity with 4K support and a USB media port for connection to a PC or Mac. Audio Presenter Hub adds audio to the mix and can wirelessly connect all computers, tablets and smartphones to the installed audio and video systems in the room. It features a professional mixer with Bluetooth and its integrated mixer includes four inputs, two line outputs and two 25W amplifiers. Acoustic Echo Cancellation has been added to reportedly ensure echo-free conference calls. www.williamsav.com

BXB provides 12-zone AV broadcasting MT-2 THE MT-2 from BXB is a 1-in/ 1-out 1U AV multimedia scheduler that supports TCP/IP control for setting and measuring schedules via Microsoft Edge/Chrome web browsers with PC or mobile devices.

Users can preset daily, weekly or specified schedules or select days when broadcasting is not required.

A text-to-speech function means that the system will transform texts into vocal messages.

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The display shows the local time, weather and air quality, and receives earthquake warnings to allow users to execute emergency broadcasting to up to 12 zones.

The scheduler measures 45mm x 485mm x 105mm and weighs 1.15kg.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has also unveiled the HDR-731 HD recorder that provides two

HDMI outputs for multiview monitoring and PGM output and four HDMI inputs that suppor t 4-channel streaming and recording synchronously or separately. The recorder provides users with a dedicated USB 3.0 por t for instant recording of live video feeds and suppor ts mainstream modes such as RTMP, HLS, RTSP and TS. PGM

output provides various display layouts including quadview, PIP and PBP. Web user inter face management is via TCP/IP control, while PCs or mobile devices can configure the settings remotely.

The recorder measures 25mm x 13mm x 4mm and weighs 1kg. www.bxb.tw

OWN THE ROOM www.digico.biz DiGiCo UK Ltd. Unit 10 Silverglade Business Park, Leatherhead Road Chessington, Surrey KT9 2QL. Tel: +44 (0) 1372 845600

PRODUCTS

0L[3UH DSSHDO HQKDQFHG E\ 6RXQG 'HYLFHV / $FRXVWLFV· 3 ZHOFRPHV 4 6\V FOLLOWING THE launch of the P1 processor in 2017 and its subsequent availability in early 2018, manufacturer L-Acoustics has announced a plug-in to enable interoperability with the Q-Sys Platform.

The collaboration allows control and monitoring of the P1 through Q-Sys, fulfilling increasingly stringent and complex requirements, including PAVA (public address/voice alarm) applications.

Systems designers can architect fully scalable AV environments using the Q-Sys Designer software and native user control with L-Acoustics audio systems.

‘Following the successful introduction of a Q-Sys plug-in for the LA4X and LA12X in June, accompanying the P1 release with a complementary plug-in seemed essential,’ commented L-Acoustics’ director of product management, Jeff Rocha.

‘We are fully committed to easy connectivity and system interoperability across our evolving product lines. The demand for P1, our multifunctional AVB processor and measurement platform, is particularly robust. We are therefore pleased to offer this new integration with Q-Sys.’ www.l-acoustics.com www.qsc.com

SOUND DEVICES has extended the MixPre Series including the MixPre-10T audio recorder with a new timecode and an ambisonic plug-in specifically created to assist in the recording and monitoring of VR 360 spatial audio for video. Originally designed for multitrack songs without a computer, the three Classic and three M models incorporate Kashmir mic preamps, but now also provide cue markers, remixing of recorded tracks and wireless control via Bluetooth.

Designed for field recording, live audio, sound for video, podcasts and sound FX, the Classic MixPre-3, MixPre-6 and MixPre-10T models include a timecode reader and generator plus record triggering from DSLRs. The ambisonic plug-in included in the MixPre-6 and MixPre-10T models has been created in collaboration with Sennheiser’s VR partnership programme. When paired with Sennheiser’s Ambeo VR mic, the combination offers

MixPre Series full spatial audio experience for VR video. In addition to recording and monitoring A- and B-format ambisonics, the MixPre-6 and MixPre-10T are the first portable recorders to feature integrated ambisonics to binaural decoding.

This allows VR creators to assess spatial audio content at the time of capture prior to postproduction.

Support for the free ambisonic plug-in is a key feature of the MixPre version 3.00 firmware,

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which also supports full integration with four thirdparty USB fader controllers: Korg’s NanoKontrol Studio and NanoKontrol2, Novation’s LaunchControlXL and Akai’s Midimix. The new firmware also introduces wireless remote transport control and monitoring of MixPre M models from iOS or Android mobile devices via the Wingman app. www.sounddevices.com

PRODUCTS

Analogue audio connectivity ATTERO TECH has added the D2FLEXio, the first in its latest series of networked AVC solutions, to the Axon product family. The D2FLEXio provides analogue audio connectivity for installed AV systems. Each analogue audio I/O features an installer selectable switch to assign input or output audio connectivity to provide a single product solution for analogue audio conversion to and from any Dante or AES67 system.

Main features include dual analogue flex I/O with slide switches for selecting the preferred I/O configuration, retrofit connectivity for legacy equipment to and from Dante/ AES67 networks, and Dante Domain Manager support.

The D2FLEXio can be used for connecting power amplifiers and powered speakers, wireless mic receivers, in-ear monitor transmitters, and consumerlevel DJ equipment and electronic instruments.

In addition, Attero Tech has unveiled Zip4, a 4-button IP Paging inter face aimed at addressing the communication needs of larger sporting venues, airport terminals, train

Genesys focuses on full automation

D2FLEXio stations, conventions centres and corporate facilities. IP audio can be routed over a Dante or AES67 network from Zip4 to a DSP or other Paging Management

System controller to distribute paging audio.

Zip4 installs into a standard 2 Gang US wall box or rework bracket and is also available in

a 3-gang form factor (Zip4-3G) with optional accessories for desk-mounting and use with a gooseneck microphone. The faceplate is constructed of solid brushed aluminium and a front-panel RJ45 jack serves at the PTT microphone input with a panelmounted cable strain relief.

Zip4 integrates directly with Q-Sys PA Router running on a QSC Core series DSP with a

dedicated Zip4 control plug-in for Q-Sys Designer. www.atterotech.com

Zip4

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GENESYS HAS created a Neve Processing Plugin for its Genesys and Genesys Black consoles providing full control of digitally controlled, analogue EQ and Dynamics hardware processing, directly from the DAW. Users can put the DAW automation features to good use for recording and playing back parameter changes to the Processing Plugin to deliver full automation of the Genesys EQ and Dynamics processing.

The plug-in recognises the fitted Genesys analogue processing hardware and allows control of all parameters of the Neve 1084 EQ, 88R EQ and VCA Dynamics. www.ams-neve.com

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PRODUCTS

Higher channel count from NTP NTP TECHNOLOGY has begun shipping its AD/DA/DD converter and audio routing devices that come with support for 64 channels of Dante IP audio. But, in an effort to meet demand for an even higher channel count, the manufacturer has introduced an optional expansion card that adds another 128 channels to the matrix. With eight slots available for expansion cards, users could potentially have up to 1,088 Dante/AES67 channels at 48kHz. The Dante expansion card also offers sample rate conversion on all

channels as well as dual redundancy network ports.

These are said to maximise reliability and reduce the risk of losing valuable production time.

According to the manufacturer, this unleashes a ‘wealth of possibilities’ for distributing audio across sources and destinations on complex setups, for example sending a feed to an OB truck while recording at a different sample rate and sending another feed to an FOH console or an IEM system.

‘Simply adding more Dante channels may sound trivial but,

once you start to think about the actual problems that this amount of channels in combination with independent sample rate conversion is capable of solving, it’s a significant improvement of the overall

system,’ said Mikael Vest, sales director at NTP Technology.

‘For instance, the new Dante card will immediately be able to

solve real-world challenges in regard to high channel counts when working with Dolby Atmos Mastering Suite, as well as in recording studios where Dantebased monitoring systems are used, but there is a need to record at a different sample rate, or in live applications where the Dante networks have to be kept physically separated when operating on different clocks.’ www.ntp.dk

High alert STUDIO TECHNOLOGIES is strengthening its intercom offerings with the Model 391 Dante Alerting Unit that offers both visual and audible indications that operator attention is being requested. The unit can be used in conjunction with Dante audio over Ethernetbased intercom beltpacks and user stations that support call light functionality. Housed in a compact enclosure, the tabletop PoE unit is said to offer extensive configuration choices to optimise alerting performance, and is described as ideal for a wide range of theatre, corporate, industrial and broadcast applications where party-line (PL) and 4-wire intercom is required.

The manufacturer has also added to its line of Dantecompliant products with the Model 374A Intercom Beltpack, an update of the original Model 374.

The beltpack continues to offer four channels of PL intercom and includes additional capabilities and a personal computer-based method of configuring the units.

A standard Ethernet connection

provides both PoE power and high-performance digital audio transport. Over a LAN, multiple units can be configured for PL intercom applications via an external Dante-enabled audio matrix. The beltpack’s features can be configured using the STcontroller software application.

Configurable parameters include electret microphone powering, microphone preamp gain, talk button operation, headphone channel assignment and integrated sidetone level.

Finally, Studio Technologies has released enhanced firmware for its Model 5422 Dante Intercom

Audio Engine, Model 216 Announcer’s Console and Model 44D Audio Interface products. The new firmware allows each unit to better meet the needs of creating IFB (interrupted foldback or talent cueing) for remote production applications. The Model 5422 Dante Intercom Audio Engine is a high-performance and flexible solution for creating PL intercom circuits when used with Dante and AES67-compatible products. With the latest firmware release, it is now also capable of creating up to 32 unique IFB signals or feeds, or a mixture of PL intercom and IFB circuits.

The Model 216 Announcer’s Console was designed to serve as the audio control centre for announcers, commentators and production personnel. With the update, the unit can now serve as a 4-channel IFB master station for remote production applications. Two Model 216 production modes, production with tone and production with dim and tone, are included to support the Model 5422’s TOX IFB function.

The Model 44D Interface was originally offered to provide a simple yet high-performance means of interfacing two channels of analogue line level

audio to and from applications that rely on Dante or AES67 technology. New firmware for the Model 44D adds a tone generator mode for use in REMI or At-Home applications that use the Model 5422 Dante Intercom Audio Engine. When configured for the tone generator mode, an 18kHz sine-wave audio signal is available in both the analogue and digital domains. This tone is intended to be used by matrix intercom systems to assist in creating interrupt audio signals that are compatible with the Model 5422’s TOX IFB function. www.studio-tech.com

CEDAR updates Cambridge CEDAR AUDIO has announced the immediate availability of CEDAR Cambridge v12. Cambridge is used for audio restoration, noise reduction and speech enhancement in audio forensics, sound libraries and archives, as well as for premastering. Cambridge v12 features a silent hardware option,

an upgrade to the existing Series IV hardware, a new processing module, a more productive process management environment and clearer graphics. The upgrade also dispenses with the 1U rackmount Timecode Automation Controller, which is no longer necessary for timecode and automation duties.

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This reportedly simplifies set up and reduces the amount of space needed for the system. When upgrading to Cambridge v12, Declickle 3 is provided as a free upgrade to owners of Declickle 2.

The manufacturer has also introduced a new CEDAR Cambridge host to complement the latest version of its Cambridge Series IV server systems.

Cambridge Silent 1 is described as smaller, much lighter and more convenient than the

Cambridge Silent 1 previous system and contains no moving parts, so it can be placed in the quietest of studios without creating a distraction.

Silent 1 is optimised for single

users, but equally suited for larger establishments per forming batch processing. www.cedaraudio.com

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PRODUCTS

RTW eliminates auditory stress DEVELOPED IN partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology in Oldenburg and funded by the German

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, RTW has unveiled its speech intelligibility technology that addresses the

problem of understanding verbal material in shows and movies by providing real-time analysis of speech intelligibility. Specific complaints include that an actor does not articulate or that there is too much background noise.

‘RTW’s speech measurement technology aims to eliminate much of this auditory stress before it even makes it to the ears of the viewer,’ explained Andreas Tweitmann, CEO of RTW. ‘We are incredibly proud to once again be at the forefront of research and development that will change the landscape of audio production.’ www.rtw.com

Commenting using Dante SONIFEX HAS added two Dante audio over IP (AoIP) commentator units: the AVN-CU2 and AVN-CU4.

The AVN-CU2 provides two mic/ line inputs with a wide, adjustable gain range and has two stereo headphone outputs with lockable jack sockets, suitable for operation by two commentators.

The unit is powered using PoE and Neutrik EtherCON connectors, with primary and secondary ports for power and data redundancy. There’s an additional 4-pin XLR 12V DC input. The unit supports up to 16 input and output AoIP channels and up to 16 simultaneous input and output AoIP streams.

The six push-button rotary encoders and 12 key-cap buttons are fully configurable, to control input and output levels and panning. Each rotary encoder has a separate colour-coded meter section showing the channel name, detailed level metering, left/right panning and a limiter indication. Colours can be programmed per encoder to

identify particular source groups.

Metering is available per input/ output, with output metering configurable as pre- or post-level adjustment. The top of the display shows output metering, a limiter

AVN-CU2 indication and the name of the output, a pre-defined logo or nothing. A limiter is available on every output.

The unit has two locking mic/ line inputs with +48V phantom

power indication and two headphone outputs on locking 6.35mm jack sockets. Four wire I/Os on rear-panel RJ45 connectors provide an AES3 or analogue input and output that can be assigned as mic outputs (line level), talkback outputs, programme inputs or talkback inputs as desired.

In addition, the AES/ analogue connections can be used as an insert or exit point into/out from the AoIP network. The unit has dual redundant network ports on both RJ45 (PoE using two Neutrik EtherCON connectors) and SFP cages.

There are 10 configurable GPIOs on a 15-way, D-type connector with one switched changeover output.

The AVN-CU4 is a dual version of the AVN-CU2 and provides four mic/line outputs and four stereo headphone outputs, and is suitable for operation by three or four commentators. www.sonifex.co.uk

DirectOut goes modular DIRECTOUT HAS released the first member of a new broadcast product family. Prodigy.MC is a modular converter and audio router that supports multiple formats with a variety of I/Os and networked audio and control capability in a compact 2U package.

Designed to provide flexibility and versatility, the converter offers a combination of unified remote control via globcon and a user-friendly touchscreen on the front panel. Third-party remote control protocols can be added

to increase system integration.

Prodigy.MC provides I/O based on eight channel modules. Line level, microphone and AES3 (including SRC) interfaces can be combined up to a total of 64 inputs and outputs.

The hardware supports MADI and a network audio option, while the two MADI slots can be equipped with BNC, SC optical and SFP modules, and an optional board adds Dante, Ravenna (AES67) or SoundGrid connectivity. www.directout.eu

Audio Limited extends A10 appeal FOLLOWING THE 2017 launch of the A10 wireless system, Audio Limited has added the A10Rack, a Dante-enabled wireless receiver enclosure for power and antenna distribution of up to four dual-channel receivers. The 1U enclosure has been designed for Unislot- and Superslot-compatible receivers, such as Audio Limited’s A10-RX in addition to Wisycom and Lectrosonics models.

The eight channels can be output as analogue and AES digital audio via XLR-M connectors simultaneously with the eight channels over the Dante Ethernet interface. The rack has been designed for cart-based workflows and productions that require full Dante audio network integration, while the RF pass-through

The A10-Rack capability enables cascading of two A10-Racks for a total of 16 channels. www.audioltd.com

VX meets AES67 THE TELOS Alliance has launched a pair of new VX multi-line voice over IP (VoIP) systems: VX Enterprise and Prime+.

‘Telos VX was the world’s first VoIP talkshow system,’ explained Marty Sacks of the Telos Alliance. ‘Enterprise and Prime+ are the next evolution, adding AES67.’

Telos VX Enterprise is designed for VoIP phone systems in mediumto-large facilities with a capacity expandable up to 120 connected hybrids. Meanwhile, Telos VX Prime+ is an eight-hybrid solution for small-to-medium sites.

These new solutions enable VX to be integrated into any AES67 environment as well

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Telos VX Enterprise as Axia’s Livewire network.

Plug-and-play connectivity allows broadcasters to network multiple audio channels with any AES67-compliant hardware, while Livewire users have the added benefits of networking control (GPIO) and associated advertising

and programme data across the network.

Built on a 1U server, both models feature fifth-generation Telos Adaptive Hybrid technology, including Digital Dynamic EQ, AGC, adjustable caller ducking and send- and receive-audio dynamics

processing by Omnia. Additionally, Fraunhofer wideband acoustic echo cancellation eliminates openspeaker feedback. Added support for the G.722 codec facilitates high-fidelity phone calls from iPhone and Android SIP phones via an SIP server. www.telosalliance.com

Clean design + clear audio.

Designed in Japan, the ES954 hanging microphone array offers the perfect conferencing solution, delivering natural sound reproduction for the entire room.

When controlled by the Audio-Technica ATDM-0604 Digital SMARTMIXER™, the four-capsule microphone array provides 360-degree coverage through virtual hyper cardioid or cardioid outputs which can be steered horizontally and tilted vertically.

Meet our audio experts at ISE 2019, Booth 7-N190 eu.audio-technica.com/ES954

linkedin.com/company/audio-technica/

PRODUCTS

Lawo adds to A__Line series LAWO HAS premiered WAN versions of its A__Line series of networked audio to IP interfaces. The 1U devices stream uncompressed broadcastquality audio to Layer 3 networks in real-time via both WAN and LAN connections. The units are optimised for high-traffic, highdemand audio transport. Dual RJ45 ports utilise SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching (SPS) to provide two redundant network connection paths for errorfree stream delivery, while dualredundant power is also available.

A__line units can synchronise to and convert between PTPv2 and word-clock reference signals.

Switching to the V__matrix eco-system, the vm_udx Virtual Module provides format conversion

WAN edition of A__Line networked audio to IP interfaces between SD, HD and 4K formats along with audio embedding/ de-embedding, frame sync, proc amp and RGB colour correction functionality. The vm_udx provides four independent paths: conversion between SD and HD

formats uses one path, while conversion to/from 4K uses four paths. vm_udx natively supports both ST2022-6 and ST2110-20 IP video as well as ST2110-30/-31/ AES67 and Ravenna IP audio streams.

For broadcasters who want to connect Dante networks to their Ravenna AES67 studio networks, a Dante card can now be added into a Power Core mixing/processing engine, allowing devices in the Dante network to become available as an audio resource within the Ravenna network. Designed for the Ruby radio console, Power Core is equipped with a trifecta of high-signal density, DSP power and redundant NICs with SMPTE 2022-7 SPS in a 1U chassis. Power Core’s multiple front-panel MADI and AES67 interfaces give access to 384 channels of stereo audio

can be located anywhere on the network. Its ultra-high processing density with >1,000mc2 fully featured DSP channels can either be used by a single mc2 console or be shared among up to four consoles. Due to a flexible licensing model, the UHD Core is ideal for both mobile applications and facility use. Eight independent 10/1GbE network interfaces with SFPs enable the use of redundant networks via ST2022-7 SPS. For fine-tuning workflow, vsmWebPanel is a touch-optimised HTML5-integrated addition to the Lawo VSM (Virtual Studio

vm_udx

as standard. Eight plug-in slots accommodate further I/Os via mic, line, AES3, HD MADI and Dante expansion cards. When paired with a Lawo Ruby mixing console, Power Core can provide as many as 96 DSP channels for precision audio shaping, with up to 80 summing busses, multiple AutoMix groups and comprehensive compression/ expansion/de-essing tools.

A further new addition is UHD Core, a network-based, softwaredefined audio DSP engine that

18TBW100

A new classic. In recent years, the 18TBW100 from B&C has pushed 18" ferrite magnet subwoofer performance to the next level. The deeper, split winding voice coil provides increased power handling and more overall output. A road proven suspension system combines a triple roll surround and double silicone spider for superior, reliable Xmax. An aluminium demodulation ring keeps distortion low, while the larger, high energy motor is cooled using a ventilated voice coil gap.

The 18TBW100. Extreme performance and reliability, excellent value.

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Digigram expands IQOYA X/Link

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B&C SPEAKERS Spa - via Poggiomoro 1 località Vallina 50012 Bagno a Ripoli (Firenze) - IT tel. +39 055 65721 fax +39 055 6572312 mail@bcspeakers.com www.bcspeakers.com

Manager) system. Users can tailor customised VSM control panels to their production needs, then deploy them on mobile devices such as tablets, laptops and mobile phones. vsmGadgetServer, meanwhile, is another VSM module that is HTML5-enabled so that users can gain configuration and control capabilities for a broad range of connections from any host or mobile device.

made in Italy

DESIGNED FOR the delivery of an FM MPX composite signal to one or several transmitter sites, IQOYA X/Link-MPX is a 1U rack IP codec that forms part of Digigram’s IQOYA X/ Link range. The codec includes a set of features that reportedly enable the reliable transport of the MPX signal over managed and unmanaged networks and for continuity of audio service on transmitter sites. It allows

users to monitor the audio included in the MPX signal but to also send back a baseband audio IP stream to the studio simultaneously, while decoding the MPX IP stream.

The codec is based on a low-consumption and fan-less hardware platform that runs the manufacturer’s Fluid IP streaming technology. www.digigram.com

FEATURES: LIVE PRODUCTS

New VHD2.18J Subwoofer IP control for the CD-400U TASCAM HAS released the IF-E100 Ethernet control card to enable remote configuration and control over an IP network from the manufacturer’s CD-400U media player. This new optional card slots into the CD-400U expansion port and offers control via the free, downloadable CD-400U Network Settings application for Mac and Windows.

The CD-400U comes with remote control as standard via RS-232C. However, the addition of the optional IF-E100 Ethernet control card is intended to make the player better suited to IP network-based installations in commercial settings, such as schools, restaurants and hotels. www.tascam.com

Maciek Janiszewski with BroaMan’s Mux22 FrameSync8 unit

BroaMan extends Mux22 family DESIGNED AS an upgrade to traditional frame sync technologies, the arrival of the Mux22 FrameSync8 extends BroaMan’s Mux22 series of devices. Incorporating advanced timing and transport techniques, the FrameSync option ensures zero-delay frame syncs and auto-adjustment of its embedded audio. The development solves lip sync issues on screen and delays for actors and conductors in live situations.

Housed in a 1U chassis, the Mux22 universal interface supports all broadcast industry signals. By combining HD/3G/6G/12G-SDI I/O with Ethernet, Optocore and SANE digital audio networks, Mux22 efficiently transports AV and data on a duplex fibre. Each standard Mux22 can now contain a FrameSync board allowing Video Frame Sync of eight video inputs such as cameras. The FrameSync option is based on the FrameSync8 board, providing eight sync outputs in addition to the two standard Video Sync Board (VSync) I/O options.

The traditional VSync I/O is independent from the new FrameSync8 board.

This allows the VSync to continue performing the black burst-to-audio clock

synchronisation, while the FrameSync8 outputs can produce independent phase-shifted video syncs of any style and numerous resolutions in SD and HD versions. Additionally, each of the eight sync outputs in FrameSync8 can be individually set to either Video Sync or Audio Word Clock Sync, making the unit a video or audio sync distribution device.

The phase shift and format of Video Sync are matched to all eight outputs with a guarantee that there will be no mismatch in timing.

In related news, BroaMan has announced that Optocore technology is now available between a pair of Mux22 devices. Previously, Optocore would enable switching between Route66 Video Router and Mux22 nodes using a smart mechanism to detect when one of the fibre links between the nodes is broken. As a result, Mux22 now features full automatic redundancy so that if one of the links fails, the system will automatically switch to the redundant path, enabling all video, audio and data channels to remain working.

Housing two 18” high performance transducers the VHD2.18J is a direct radiating bass-reflex subwoofer. The VHD2.18J’s optimised, high efficiency, bass-reflex design produces considerably more output than other similar double 18” enclosures and features intuitive integrated flyware that allows for fast rigging of multiple cabinets.

Johannes Krämer works with many of the worlds leading artists, promoters and events. When he visited KV2 Audio he was looking for something special in a sub. After discussions with Chief Engineer, George Krampera the VHD2.18J was born.

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George Krampera Chief Engineer, KV2 Audio

Johannes Krämer Sound Engineer, Richie Hawtin

www.kv2audio.com

www.broaman.com

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PRODUCTS

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Merging Technologies’ Hapi interface MERGING TECHNOLOGIES has unveiled a raft of updates to its recording systems. First off is Pyramix 11.1, a toolset for objectbased audio production that can generate files for MPEG-H or ADM (Audio Definition Model). Support for VST3 plug-ins has been added with routing now available on the plug-in UI along with an increase in output bus counts for the Native versions.

These advantages repor tedly transfer to the Ovation audio and event sequencer which is now release 7.1. Console automation has moved from snapshot to fully dynamic and the manufacturer has also improved the cue feedback. There is also enhanced integration with popular controllers from Avid and SSL, and UDP/IP has been added to the IP control options.

Next up is Aneman Enterprise, described as an optimum method of controlling networks in larger facilities with scope for customisation to suit the company or the client. Enterprise allows multiple users to access the system at the same time, offers enhanced diagnostics, logging and can assign access rights to individual zones.

Finally, the Horus and Hapi networked audio interfaces have been given a new D/A card that features the latest generation component from ESS. The range of VAD (Virtual Audio Device) drivers has been updated to be compatible with the latest operating systems from Apple and Microsoft, making sure that the converters work with all DAWs regardless of OS. www.merging.com

7KH 1H[W WRRO IRU FRQÀJXULQJ NEXT-PROAUDIO HAS launched a free tool to help end-users configure their speaker and amplifier systems. The Audio Tool Software includes a database with all the passive speakers from the Portuguese manufacturer’s range as well as the available digital and analogue amplifiers – M Series, MA Series and Powersoft X Series.

The manufacturer promises that with Audio Tool, the user can automatically get the best combination between speakers and amplifiers in order to get the best per formance from both devices.

The database includes important parameters, from each speaker and amplifier model, that grant the software the ability to calculate the optimum configuration.

The user inputs which speaker model and how many units per amplifier channel and the software sets the recommended

amplifier according to the selected amplifier mode and technology (stereo/bridge and analogue/digital). Furthermore, the tool is also capable of automatically calculating the proper limiter settings such as threshold, attack and release times regarding the whole system settings.

There is also a manual mode that allows the user to select which models of speaker and amplifier they are using and see the system’s per formance through two colour gauges. The software is available from the Next-proaudio website. www.next-proaudio.com

InSite diagnostic screen

&OHDU &RP HQKDQFHV $R,3 FDSDELOLWLHV WITH THE creation of the software toolset InSite, fixed installations using the Clear-Com FreeSpeak II wireless intercom can now benefit from remote optimisation and monitoring.

InSite provides both Eclipse-HX and FSII Basestation operators with a GUI to monitor, control and record FreeSpeak II beltpack and transceiver activity. Fully integrated into the new EHX v10 application and CCM for the base-station, InSite features a dynamic grid layout that shows beltpack-to-transceiver handovers together with a real-time display of beltpack telemetry information, including battery level, signal strength and connection health.

Additionally, the system charts both handovers and beltpack telemetry data in real-time.

An update to the V-Series Panel now provides uncompressed AES67 audio to the Eclipse HX E-IPA card, promoting AoIP capability and new colour displays. Capable of monitoring and sending communications over three concurrent AES67 uncompressed audio IP streams, the V-Series Iris Panel also enables systems to deliver uncompressed AES67 audio from user to user with significantly reduced latency. A maximum of 64 Iris Panels per card can be deployed when connected to the high-density, AES67compliant E-IPA card. The Iris

Panel integrates a fully colour configurable OLED to display the user label and port information in dimly lit areas or full daylight.

Having optimised the Iris Panel for the new Eclipse HX software running over AES67, it also retains IVC and 4-wire connections for backward compatibility with Eclipse frames running EHX v10 or earlier.

Sister company Trilogy has announced shipment of its Mentor CX changeover unit. Designed to automatically switch video and audio test signals when used with main and backup Mentor RG Signal Pulse Generators, the Mentor family operates in digital or mixed format environments where a digital SPG is required.

Mentor CX now offers a manual or automatic changeover between a pair of Mentor RG generators to maximise security for on-air applications. Designed to ensure timing and synchronisation of audio, video and timecode are hot redundant in professional media applications, Mentor CX can monitor up to 22 digital and analogue channels from both RG units. Any signal disruption facilitates a changeover to the secondary Mentor RG, while the Vector web management system provides simplified configuration and management of changeover conditions. www.clearcom.com

1HZ IRUP RI L' AUDIENT HAS released new iD Mixer software across its range of iD audio interfaces. This provides iD14 and iD22 users with beta access to the redesigned and mixfocused software already available for the iD44.

The latest version of iD Mixer has been designed with features such as a tab-based layout for easier

navigation and allows users to set up complex routing and headphone mixes. The option to save and store presets is also presented.

‘Owners of Audient iD interfaces that use iD Mixer can now take advantage of Smart Talkback, letting them use any audio source connected to their computer as a talkback mic, freeing up valuable

48 48 PRO PRO AVL AVL MEA MEA Januar Januar y–Februar y–Februar yy 2019 2019

mic preamps for recording,’ detailed Andy Allen, Audient marketing manager.

In addition, an update for Windows drivers across the range also provides enhancements, enabling reduced buffer sizes and operation at a lower latency. www.audient.com

PRODUCTS

<DPDKD UHÀQHV LWV 003 V\VWHP YAMAHA HAS updated its MMP1 studio monitor management system to support production workflows in one compact, rackmountable unit. The new firmware for the Yamaha MMP1 studio monitor management adds a series of refinements, including support for CB Electronics’ TMC-1 monitor controller.

The signal processor incorporates advanced monitor

control and a range of audio processing functions. In addition to a 40x36 monitor matrix – which allows flexible configuration of main monitor, cue and other audio I/O – the MMP1 includes a 32x32 speaker management matrix with time alignment functionality and FIR crossover filters. The unit also offers the flexibility for managing formats from stereo to immersive, multichannel audio.

With the new firmware, the TMC-1 can be used to remotely control MMP1 monitor source selection, speaker system selection, levels, mute and dim. Used in conjunction with the MMP1 Controller app for iPad, it will provide access to more detailed settings.

Other Version 1.1 refinements to the MMP1 studio monitor include pop-up EQ graphs and meters that can be rearranged in

the editor window, expanded lip sync delay time (up to 300ms), SPL parameter lock to prevent accidental changes and expanded GPI assignments. The MMP1

Version 1.1 is available as a free download from the Yamaha website. www.yamahaproaudio.com

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‘STUDER MICRO Series V2.0 software streamlines and improves mixing workflows,’ explained Mark Hosking, director of broadcast sales at Harman when discussing the latest update to Studer’s digital audio mixing system solution broadcast.

The V2.0 software adds features such as ducking, user access privileges and assignable effects, as well as 19 major improvements and bug fixes including the VoiceMix auto mixing

STAGE TEC has released software version 4.7 for its Aurus platinum mixing console. New features include parallel compression, also referred to as New York compression.

Parallel compression has been added as an additional operating mode for Aurus platinum’s existing compressor. It is used mainly in recording and postproduction applications. Stage Tec has also announced that it will make parallel compression available for

Studer’s Micro Series functionality. Additionally, the 2.0 update provides the Micro Series with frequency compliance for the Japanese market.

The Studer Micro Series consists of a core unit, graphical user

interface and optional fader control surface. Its V2.0 update is available as a free download for all registered Studer Micro users. www.studer.ch

its Crescendo platinum desk in a future update.

In addition, 3D audio can be now be mixed with four overhead speakers using Aurus platinum as part of the 4.7 software release.

The ability is also provided to create temporary link groups that allow channels to be linked quicker via the control surface.

This function is also available on the Aurus console. www.stagetec.com

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PRODUCTS

:KDW·V QHZ ZLWK 64" THE V1.3 firmware update for Allen & Heath’s SQ Series adds a range of features, including a Listen bus for patching the PAFL bus to an IEM system, stereo nearfield monitors or a mono listen wedge with the option to control the listen level with the master fader. The firmware also dovetails with the SQ SLink option card, offering more options for FOH/monitor splits and remote I/O, or combinations of these with an ME personal monitoring system. The update also simplifies

communication between FOH and monitors with the addition of an external input to PAFL. Digital splits are further facilitated by new tie lines, connecting input and output sockets without depleting the SQ’s processing power.

Other V1.3 additions include user permissions, user interface enhancements, FX control and MIDI messaging, as well as instant value feedback for the soft rotary controls on the SQ-6 and SQ-7.

The SQ MixPad app also benefits from the inclusion of FX and DEEP

The SQ Series receives a firmware update unit control, a patching matrix and integration with the signal generator.

Also new with SQ is a Waves SoundGrid network card. This provides SQ mixers with a 64x64 96kHz or 48kHz interface to a

Waves SoundGrid network using its I/O port.

The manufacturer has also announced that a range of DEEP processing plug-ins is now available as optional add-ons for its SQ Series. The options allow

SQ users to choose from a suite of plug-ins ported directly from the dLive mixing system. A preamp and compressor plug-in can be used on each of the 48 input channels, while a GEQ compressor can be applied to each of the 16 mixes. Unlike third-party plug-ins that require additional hardware, the DEEP plug-ins are built into the console architecture and reportedly add no additional latency to the system. www.allen-heath.com

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$GGHG ÁH[[ LELOLW\ ADDRESSING THE broad chipset and device testing needs for LTE-A/Pro and 5G, Rohde & Schwarz has created the CMWflexx, reportedly the first test platform to offer aggregation for up to eight carriers combined with 8x4 MIMO for protocol, RF and data performance. The R&S CMWflexx has been designed to build upon the CMW500 family of radio communication testers.

The CMWflexx supports mobile device testing for 3GPP releases

SpycerNode 8–15. It also supports carrier aggregation (8CC), higher MIMO orders (4x4, 8x4), complex modulation (256QAM) and unlicensed spectrum (LAA) testing, among others. The unit typically comprises two, three or four R&S CMW500 systems and

a CMW controller (CMWC). This facilitates the testing of MIMO/ carrier aggregation configurations of up to 32 individual streams.

‘Not only does the R&S CMWflexx allow customers to take advantage of hardware they may already own, but it also helps future-proof their investment with a clear strategy in place to support 3GPP release 15 LTE features and an upgrade path to 5G NR NSA,’ commented Anton Messmer, VP of mobile radio testers at Rohde & Schwarz.

Rohde & Schwarz has also unveiled a new storage solution. The R&S SpycerNode is described by the manufacturer as ‘the first storage product on the M&E market to feature high-performance computing (HPC)’. The system features IBM Spectrum Scale and has been built to meet the scalability and workflow integration requirements of today’s media environments. www.rohde-schwarz.com

50 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019 50 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

PROVIDING MORE control over audio and speeding up workflows, the RX 7 is the latest version of iZotope’s industry standard for audio repair. New features of the RX 7 include the Repair Assistant that helps users to automatically analyse audio automatically, while helping experienced engineers fix problems faster. Music Rebalance adjusts the balance of vocals, bass, percussion and other instruments within a mix, while Variable Time and Variable Pitch modules allow duration and pitch to be altered independently. RX 7 users can edit one channel, multiple channels or all channels of a mix with support for channel configurations up to 7.1.2. Dialogue Contour can create a new performance entirely or improve a performance of a line by combining multiple clips,

allowing adjustments of intonation independently. Designed to speed up workflows, Music Rebalance, Breath Control, Dialogue Isolate and Derustle are available as audio suite plug-ins.

Created as a visual intelligence for mixing and mastering, Insight 2 now includes a new user interface,

introducing new meters that are resizable for ease of use.

When combined with Intelligibility Meter and iZotope Replay, the manufacturer claims that the dialogue cannot get lost in a 7.1.2 mix presentation. www.izotope.com

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NEW 3.1 software for KLANG:technologies’ Kos 3 operating system has been released by the German 3D in-ear mixing system manufacturer. One of the most significant benefits of the latest OS version is said to be the inclusion of a ‘powerful’ new MIDI translator tool.

This provides MCU (Mackie Control Universal) protocol integration, allowing engineers to connect one

or more MIDI MCU-compatible fader controllers to the KLANG:app for touch-based mix control. This enables monitor engineers to dial into musicians’ mixes from a hardware-based controller. The new integration provides facilities for mute and solo buttons, channel labels, bank select and snapshot control, and bidirectional fader control.

Furthermore, Kos 3.1 introduces the daisy-chaining of KLANG:fabrik and/or KLANG:vier devices into a hive of units functioning as a larger and more powerful system. In this configuration, engineers can move between various artists’ mixes within the cascade via the top mix bar, as well as create, save and recall snapshots and presets on all units in the setup simultaneously.

Finally, with Kos 3.1’s new master cue facilities, monitor engineers don’t need to sacrifice one mix for cueing into an artist’s mix, but can cue into the mixes of any unit in the cascade. This is accomplished by daisy-chaining a cue output of a mixing console to the KLANG cascade and then choosing to listen to the KLANG cue or console cue. www.klang.com

Speak freely.

With clear sound on a secure channel

D5000

Digital Wireless System

Invitation code: 706584

The TOA D5000 Series provides unprecedented speech clarity in any speaking scenario.

Experience for yourself the clarity, ease and safety of this wireless solution, whether for conference rooms, banquet halls, theaters, courthouses, classrooms or multipurpose halls.

Up to 32 simultaneous channels ,UJY`W[PVU MVY JVUĂ&#x201E; KLU[PHS HWWSPJH[PVUZ Feedback suppressor (FBS)

We supply sound, not equipment. www.toa.eu

TOAEurope

TOA Electronics Europe

Signal stability through digital diversity method Ultra light beltpack 8 hours continuous operation with 1 AA battery

PRODUCTS

No compromise AVoIP EXTRON HAS introduced its NAV Series, a ‘no-compromise’ pro AV over IP platform that distributes and switches ultra-low-latency video, audio and USB 2.0 signals over Ethernet networks.

It uses the company’s patented Pure3 codec and delivers visually lossless video over IP at resolutions up to 4K at 60Hz with 4:4:4 chroma sampling. Pure3’s

IP-based video and audio matrix, combining the flexibility of an IPbased system with the integrationfriendly video and audio switching features found in conventional Extron matrix switchers.

In other news, the manufacturer has announced the availability of its TLS 1025M 10-inch panel for Extron Room Scheduling systems.

According to the manufacturer,

allows it to receive power and communication over a single Ethernet cable. Two bright red and green LEDs make it easy to see if a room is occupied or available even from down the hall.

Extron has also released its TLP Pro 725C, a 7-inch Series/2 Cable Cubby TouchLink Pro Touchpanel with a flip-up touchscreen built into an all-metal

TLP Pro 725C

The IN1804 Series Intelligent Selective Streaming (ISS) leverages low motion content to achieve extremely low bitrates. The NAV Series is reportedly the only streaming solution that offers both 1Gbps and 10Gbps encoders and decoders with compatibility across both systems. NAV can also deploy as a high-performance,

the panel connects directly to a variety of popular calendar services and reportedly requires no additional scheduling software or external processors. It features a 1280x800 capacitive edge-toedge Gorilla Glass touchscreen that is said to be scratch- and smudge-resistant. The TLS 1025M also features PoE, which

cable access enclosure. Because it’s built into a Cable Cubby access enclosure, the TLP Pro 725C offers access to AC or USB power, data and a broad variety of AV connections. A simple, integrated clamp system is said to quickly secure the enclosure to a furniture surface without the need for additional parts or tools.

The panel provides a 1024x600 capacitive touchscreen built with scratch- and smudge-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass.

Finally, a series of 4-input scalers has been unveiled by the manufacturer. The IN1804 Series supports HDMI 2.0 data rates up to 18Gbps and incorporates Extron’s Vector 4K scaling engine with 4:4:4 chroma sampling and 30-bit internal video processing.

Other features include seamless switching effects, logo keying, still image recall and optional twisted

pair capability. Two models are available: the IN1804 DI includes a DTP2 twisted pair input that can receive signals from remote DTP and DTP2 transmitters mounted at a conference table, while the IN1804 DO has a DTP2 twisted pair output that can send signals to a DTP or DTP2 receiver mounted behind a flat panel display, above a ceiling-mounted projector or in other remote locations. www.extron.com

EX-70-G2 extended to 4K WYRESTORM’S ENTRY-LEVEL HDBaseT extender, the EX-70-G2, has been upgraded with 4K UHD and RS-232 control capabilities.

In addition to being 4K-ready, the version two EX-70-G2 is HDCP 2.2-compliant for pointto-point UHD HDMI extension.

The unit’s Class-B HDBaseT capabilities ensure the delivery of 3840x2160p at 30Hz 8-bit 4:4:4 or both 3840x2160p and 4096x2160p at 60Hz 8-bit 4:2:0

to 35m or 1080p 60Hz 48-bit to 70m. Multichannel audio is supported for formats up to Dolby Atmos and DTS-X. In terms of control, the new EX-70-G2 model includes bidirectional RS-232 in addition to its previously supported bidirectional IR functionality, enabling a source or display to be controlled from either end of the signal chain and for CEC (Consumer Electronics Control)

remote control pass-through facilitating one-touch on/off commands. Connection to thirdparty IR/control products is also

allowed when users connect a WyreStorm IR link cable. The system also features auto EDID management.

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Two-way PoH power enables power supply-free installations and allows transmitters and receivers to be remotely powered from either location. This aims to simplify installation and reduce potential points of failure in a system.

The new EX-70-G2 is delivered in the form of a 15mm chassis that allows it to be installed behind flush-mounted screens. www.wyrestorm.com

PRODUCTS

7DVNHU FDWHUV IRU &DW In the fire protection category, meanwhile, the TSK303 Evac has a 2x2.5mm2 section, a high-resistant sheath that is fire resistant for up to two hours and an EN50200 rating.

Finally, the C729 Cat-6 S/UTP cable has the ability to maintain signal transmission for two hours in a direct flame and up to temperatures of 850°C.

to 100m away. The cable includes a 0.8mm stranded conductor and double-braid shielding. The C128 PUR, meanwhile, is a balanced 2x0.35mm2 cable shielded with a flame-retardant sheath and is resistant to trampling, abrasion, water and UV rays.

In the video surveillance category, the C149 comes with an LSZH (low smoke zero halogen) sheath and can be used as a power line from a camera.

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www.tasker.it

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data cable has been tested and certified and is now available in the CPR classifications Dca s1 d2 a1 (item no. 580-0255FC) and Cca s1 d1 a1 (item no. 580-0275FC).

According to the manufacturer, the cable’s benefits are a short lay length, a long-life FRNC jacket and high-quality insulation, and it is described as an ideal choice for use as a permanent link between computers and media equipment.

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SINCE JULY 2017, every material use for building installations has been governed by the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR) 305/2011 pursuant to EN 50575. As a result, Sommer Cable is constantly striving to certify its cables to the highest possible fire protection standards. The SC-Mercator Cat.7

ia

Whatever you’re looking to achieve from a digital marketing campaign, Pro AVL Digital has all the pieces you need, with a range of platforms and solutions to suit all budgets.

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FOR INSTALLATIONS where Cat-6A is not enough, Tasker has unveiled its C726 PUR cable that provides the same physical and mechanical characteristics of its Cat-6A C728 PUR cable but with a soft PVC sheath. The C728 PUR is a doublesheathed cable for outdoor mobile laying and is resistant to water, oil and atmospheric agents.

Further PUR additions from the Italian manufacturer include the coaxial HDSDI T42 PUR for use up

GET STARTED NOW Contact Sue Gould: sgould@proavl-asia.com

www.sommercable.com

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PRODUCTS

Apogee is Jam+ing JAM+ FROM Apogee is a portable, studio-grade USB instrument input and output that has been designed to connect electric guitar, bass, keyboard or any acoustic instrument with a pickup, directly to an iOS device, Mac or Windows PC. Users can also connect a dynamic microphone with a separate adapter.

Jam+ continues the evolution of the Jam series that was rolled out in 2010 by bringing the latest advances in Apogee’s design and engineering to an all-new metal chassis with enhanced PureDigital circuitry.

The stereo output connects

to headphones or powered speakers, while the overdrive mode reportedly makes

Up in the AIR amplifiers and effects pedals sound more realistic.

The blend mode is said to minimise delay in headphones while recording, and there is no configuration, just plug in and play. Jam+ offers 24-bit/96kHz highresolution audio and includes lightning, USB and USB-C cables. It also comes with the BIAS FX Jam software bundle from Positive Grid which includes a premium selection of three amplifiers and six essential pedal effects. www.apogeedigital.com

FOR LYNX Technik, AIR means All Independent Remote.

The manufacturer’s new AIR Processing platform is a cloudbased solution designed to

remove signal processing from hardware setups, freeing up bandwidth and processing power.

Lynx Technik introduced its software-based approach to signal processing in 2016 with the launch of greenMachine.

AIR Processing is described as the ‘next step in treating

video signals by separating the hardware from the software even further and transferring the processing into the cloud’.

The manufacturer also states that users won’t need to worry about system scalability, as a subscription to the service can be increased for additional processing power. Other advantages include the fact that due to it being in the cloud, no hardware needs to be shipped from site to site and time and costs are saved on set up. AIR can also be managed from a web-based GUI running on the end-user’s choice of device. www.lynx-technik.com

.RQD WKH ÀIWK KONA 5 is a new eight-lane PCIe 3.0 video and audio I/O card from AJA, supporting 12G-SDI as well as HDMI 2.0 monitoring and output. Supporting 4K/UHD and HD frame rates, deep colour and HDR workflows via a single cable, Kona 5 can facilitate multiple 4K streams with its multichannel 12G-SDI I/O. The capture and output card is compatible with third-party tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro X and Avid Media Composer. Kona 5 also supports simultaneous capture and pass-through monitoring via 12G-SDI, in addition to HDMI 2.0 output for connecting to modern displays. ‘Kona 5 combines the flexibility of AJA’s Io 4K Plus into a desktop I/O solution with a more power ful feature set,’ noted

And, as well as introducing new solutions, AJA has released a series of updates for existing

Kona 5 Nick Rashby, AJA president.

AJA has also increased its range of IP mini-converters with the IPR-10G2-HDMI and IPR-10G2SDI SMPTE ST 2110 video and audio receivers. They feature dual 10 GigE SFP+ cages enabling hitless switching for redundancy protection and support for bridging UHD or HD signals over IP to HDMI or SDI.

IPR-10G2-SDI

IPR-10G2-HDMI

products. The v2.6 update for the FS-HDR real-time HDR/WCG converter adds Color front Engine support for new HDR output transforms, updated BBC v1.2 HLG LUTs, new BBC v1.2 HLG

LUTs, the ability to upload and store custom 3D Cube LUTs to FS-HDR using the web GUI and ganged operation of Color front Engine parameters.

The Helo v3.0 firmware update introduces RTMPE suppor t for Facebook, enhanced HTTPS security, and Chinese, Japanese and Korean language suppor t in the system’s web UI. Finally, the Ki Pro Ultra Plus’ v4.0 firmware includes multichannel independent file naming capabilities, forced rollover functionality that allows users to push a recording to a second AJA Pak media slot during capture, moveable timecode and analogue audio mapping. www.aja.com

Masters of production AVID HAS announced the nextgeneration Maestro Engine realtime graphics and video hardware rendering platform for its Maestro Graphics product line. Maestro Engine scales from HD and 1080p to UHD supporting both SDI and video over IP inter faces.

As the successor to Avid HDVG, Maestro Engine enables broadcasters to introduce new production capabilities – including 3G, UHD, HDR and IP workflows – alongside their current HD/SD SDI workflows, with minimal disruption. Available in two configurations – Maestro Engine and Maestro Engine 4K – the platform works with all

Maestro graphics suite solutions, providing per formance, scalability and format that will reportedly surpass users’ current and future broadcast requirements.

Staying with the Maestro theme, Avid has unveiled Maestro PowerWall, the next-generation Maestro TD Control described as an innovative display control and management solution that is said to make it easy to present, manage and control rich media across multiple high-resolution studio displays.

Maestro PowerWall includes pre-production tools that enable users to respond immediately to last-minute production

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Maestro Engine changes and quickly be ready to air, without relying on external resources. It features a new touchscreen user inter face that is described as simple to use, making it easy for a single operator to control and play a symphony of rich media across all

videowalls and studio displays.

Meanwhile, MediaCentral Editorial Management is the key component of the larger MediaCentral for Post solution, designed specifically for the needs of smaller postproduction and broadcast teams working

with Avid Nexis. Purpose-built to accelerate postproduction, MediaCentral Editorial Management is said to enable teams to create and collaborate faster and more effectively in an increasingly competitive environment. For Avid editors, it provides an integrated media panel within Media Composer Ultimate, making it easy to search and access bins and clips across an Avid Nexis library. Users can browse, search and organise media using MediaCentral Cloud UX in any web browser or mobile device. www.avid.com

Axle-KRX402 medium-format, high pressure powered stereo system | k-array.com

The Axle-KR402 is an aggressive, medium format portable system [OH[ WYVK\JLZ OPNO WYLZZ\YL PU [OL ULHY Ã&#x201E;LSK HUK HU L_[LUKLK IHZZ response, perfect for touring, DJ sets, multi-purpose lounges and clubs.

PRODUCTS

Mounting support for projectors

Powerful projection AIMED AT spor ts facilities, large live venues, domes and theme parks, Christie has released the all-in-one D4K40RGB projector. The company claims it is the ‘smallest and lightest high-brightness, omnidirectional, all-in-one RGB laser projector on the market’ and is compatible with most Christie Boxer lenses while eliminating the need for heavy external chillers, remote laser racks or special pedestals.

The projector can deliver over 30,000 hours of operation to 80% brightness, a 5,000:1 contrast ratio and up to 120fps, and also features a patented, sealed optical path. The D4K40-RGB operates on singlephase 220V power and features 40,000 lumens of Christie’s RealLaser illumination to repor tedly achieve improved brightness, colour reproduction, image uniformity, ultra-high contrast ratios and

UHD861-LT

operational lifetime. The D4K40RGB also incorporates Christie’s TruLife electronics to support a video-processing pipeline of up to 1.2 Gigapixels per second, enabling 4K DLP at 120Hz per formance. With its 12G-SDI, DisplayPort, Christie Terra SDVoE input card and Christie Link, it can connect numerous sources.

A UHD LCD display has also been launched by Christie to complete its Access Series of displays. The 86-inch UHD861-LT display is Crestron Connected, features integrated touch and is designed for 16/7 per formance. Suitable for installation in meeting and lecture rooms, and applications including menu boards and kiosks, the UHD861-LT also features USB playback and an OPS slot for integration with a distributed display solution. Designed to work with interactive LCD panels, the display comes with collaboration software to give users the ability to annotate over several running applications or web browsers. www.christiedigital.com

PJR250

DESIGNED FOR venues where products may change on a regular basis, Peerless-AV has unveiled its Large Venue Projector Mount (PJR250). Said to provide a ‘quick, safe and simple installation’, the PJR250 features a low-profile, pre-assembled design with a Hook-and-Hang system that provides a large landing area when securing a projector to the mount. The adaptor plates place the centre of gravity in the middle of the mount, achieving the ‘perfect balance’ when ceiling- or flushmounting a projector, according to the manufacturer. The plates are said to reduce installation time by eliminating the need to install legs. The PJR250 features

horizontal alignment up to 3 inches as well as tilt (+15°/–5°), roll (±5°) and swivel (360°).

Peerless-AV has also added two solutions for the 55-inch Samsung Flip: the RMI3-Flip and SR560Flip. As a result, the Samsung Flip can be mounted on a wall or mobile cart. Once mounted, the negative tilt and rotation is said to allow users to easily write or sketch in landscape or portrait mode. The rotational interface on both the wall mount and cart allows users to rotate the display from portrait to landscape, and holds the display at a negative 4.5° to promote a more natural, angled writing surface. www.peerless-av.com

Dejero increases power THE ENGO mobile transmitter from Dejero has been upgraded to give a picture-quality advantage to broadcasters, particularly when capturing high-motion news and sports content. The transmitter’s increased processing power has paved the way for a new dynamic content adaption feature that adjusts the encoding process based on the amount of motion detected within content that is being captured. This

reportedly allows broadcasters to automatically transition from a talking-head shot with limited motion to high-motion content without any softening of the picture or introduction of compression artefacts.

The improved transmitter can encode up to 20Mbps and supports 1080p 50/60 for shots requiring the highest picture quality.

The manufacturer has also added new features to its Core 5.1

EnGo mobile transmitter

intelligent encoding and network blending software. A new roaming management feature allows customers to turn the roaming capability of the SIMs on or off, said to be especially useful to users transmitting video near borders where signals from wireless network providers in other countries may overlap.

The maximum bitrate for live transmission over blended cellular connections has also

been doubled to 20Mbps.

The new automated and customisable metadata feature is said to help broadcasters save time when managing and searching for ingested content.

Broadcasters can now create custom metadata templates within Dejero Control, the manufacturer’s cloud-based management system.

The first member of the series is the DSFB124NL-ST, which features simplex ST-to-ST connections. This was quickly followed by the introduction of the DSFB124NL-LC, accommodating duplex LC-to-LC connections.

Both come built for single and multi-mode fibre applications and are constructed to a 1U form factor. DSFB124NL series systems include steel gliding

rails, making it easier to access connections once they have been installed. They come with grommets, cable strain reliefs and bend radius guides, as well as knock-out positions on all four sides. The enclosures are themselves constructed from coldrolled steel with a durable black powder-coat finish.

www.dejero.com

Bit-by-bit management of AV with IT THE CONVERGENCE between IT and AV technologies continues at a rapid pace. Audio and visual systems are frequently run over IT networks today and, to help manage the wide array of interconnections and crossconnections, as well as complex AV architectures, Bittree has created the DSFB124NL Series of patch panel enclosures.

DSFB124NL-ST

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www.bittree.com

AXIENT DIGITAL with

Incorporating the most innovative wireless audio technology in the world, Axient Digital was engineered from the ground up for professional productions that demand flawless execution.

With an unprecedented level of signal stability and audio clarity, plus flexible hardware options, advanced connectivity, and comprehensive control, it’s a wireless system built to take on the challenges of today—and tomorrow.

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PRODUCTS

Error-free streaming DESIGNED FOR field use, JVC’s BR-DE900 ProHD decoder supports H.265 and H.264 compression standards. When paired with the manufacturer’s IP-enabled cameras, the decoder is said to provide a bandwidth-efficient, error-free streaming solution over any network, including the internet.

The BR-DE900 reportedly offers low-latency and versatile audio/ video connectivity for ENG field reports and other video over IP applications. It offers decoding of HEVC or H.264 streams up to 10-bit 4:2:2 1080p/60, with bit rates up to 50Mbps. Connectivity options include dual 3G-SDI, HDMI 2.0 and composite outputs, as well as multiple audio outputs.

The decoder also includes integrated video scaling, frame sampling and de-interlacing for any stream to any output resolution or frame rate.

BR-DE900 Two new series of studio LCD monitors have also been unveiled by the Japanese manufacturer.

The DT-U and DT-G series are equipped with a new zero-latency image processing mode with only a few lines of delay. Both series also feature 3D LUT 17x17x17 auto calibration with a built-in colour generator and calibration software. The DT-U series is available in two models – the 28inch DT-U28U and the 31.5-inch DT-U31U – and provides native 4K resolution with 10-bit colour

depth and HDR compatibility.

The models also feature an LED backlight, wider colour gamut, and HLG HDR and PQ HDR display.

The four models in the DT-G series convert 4K and 2K sources to full HD. The monitors support 4K/60p HDMI and 2K-SDI signals.

Each 8-bit panel has 10-bit signal processing and an LED backlight, with the three largest models offering a 1,000:1 contrast ratio.

JVC has also released its Connect Cam range. The first addition, the GY-HC900, is a

⅔-inch broadcast camcorder that features a new communications engine that reportedly optimises both image processing and IP performance. The camcorder has been designed as a complete news over IP workflow solution for live ENG reports and delivers streaming performance up to 20Mbps. The GY-HC500 and GY-HC550 models feature a 1-inch 4K CMOS censor that is combined with a 20x lens with

three-ring control. Both models can achieve up to 12 stops of dynamic range, with support for BT709, BT2020 and BT2100 HLG colour spaces. The camcorders also offer live streaming, FTP file transfer and remote camera control over IP. pro.jvc.com

GY-HC900

Switching on the move BROADCAST PIX has introduced BPswitch RX, a portable and self-contained model that forms part of the manufacturer’s line of integrated production switchers. BPswitch RX provides multi-camera production and high-end motion graphics for live production and comes complete with touchscreen display and integrated streaming to Facebook Live and other CDNs. Ideal for concerts and other live events, BPswitch RX features four multi-definition video inputs, plus two IP inputs that support RTSP and NDI protocols. It also includes eight channels of clips

and graphics, a built-in audio mixer, three keyers with DVEs and seven outputs. The integrated NewBlueNTX multi-layer 3D motion graphics CG includes hundreds of title styles and templates for creating and updating lower-thirds, bugs, animations, rolls, crawls and looping effects such as a glint or shine.

Programme recording, clip and graphic stores, file-based macros, ClearKey Chromakey and Virtual Studios virtual sets are all built in, along with a customisable multi-view. The system is housed in a durable aluminium alloy chassis with a built-in handle for

transport. Although BPswitch RX can be operated with the included keyboard and mouse, users can

connect a traditional Broadcast Pix control panel or use the optional Broadcast Pix Commander

customisable touchscreen interface.

BPswitch RX provides full-motion video and access to all sources and workflow tools through a browser-based interface that can be accessed by tablet, phones and laptops. The company’s BPNet IP ecosystem, powered through the ioGates cloud-based media management platform, delivers BPswitch’s control-over-IP capabilities with low latency, as well as extended encryption and two-factor authentication for secure performance. www.broadcastpix.com

Ross extends Carbonite family

HAVING LAUNCHED the Carbonite switcher seven years ago, Ross Video has extended the Carbonite family by consistently adding new features and functions to the format. The Canadian developer has revealed its next-generation, mid-size switcher in the form of Carbonite Ultra. Built on an entirely new 1U hardware platform, the 24-in/14-out format

Carbonite Ultra provides 240% more processing power than the original Carbonite.

Replacing the original series of production switchers, the Ultra can be configured with between one and three MEs, between two and four 16-window MultiViewers, Frame Syncs and Format Converters on all inputs and processing plus colour correction on all inputs

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and outputs. Following the Software Defined Production philosophy of future-proofing, added features will be introduced via free-ofcharge software updates and new software-licensed functions. The next software release will unlock 12G/UHD support for 2ME and 3ME systems.

Designed for ease of control and movement between products and applications while maintaining equipment speed, Ross Video has also unveiled the Ultritouch customisable system-wide hardware control and monitoring panel. The rack-

mountable touchscreen panel balances traditional functionality where system-wide control can be conducted across almost the entire Ross Video portfolio. Other key features include DashBoard open control, button mapping and next-generation workflows via the fully integrated touch UI with multi-device navigation.

Following a trend in live production to gravitate towards integrated PTZ cameras for all types of varied content creation, Ross Video has introduced the PivotCam-SE. Featuring a new 12.4 megapixel, ½-inch CMOS sensor, the PivotCam-SE captures 1080p HD video and

offers a 3G-SDI output and an external synchronisation (Genlock) input. The PivotCam-SE’s Ethernet inter face offers the option for single cable connectivity, providing remote control via IP Visca protocol, video output using 4K UHD IP streaming and PoE over a standard Cat-5e cable. The optical stability of the PivotCam-SE has been enhanced with the addition of a second arm, ensuring a clean and stable image, even on the tightest shots provided by the 23x optical and 2x lossless digital zoom. www.rossvideo.com

PRODUCTS

From alpha to Omega ATLONA HAS unveiled three new products that will form its Omega Series. First is the AT-OME-TX21WP-E, a 2x1 HDBaseT switcher with HDMI and USB-C inputs and has been designed to work with the AT-HDVS-200-RX or AT-HDVSSC-RX scaling receivers, the AT-UHD-EX-100CE-RX-PSE receiver and Atlona HDBaseT-equipped switchers. The enclosure has 4K UHD capability at 60Hz with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. It has remotely powered PoE with an automatic input selection and

automatic display control.

The other two products are the AT-OME-ST31 and AT-OMESW32. The AT-OME-ST31 is a 3x1 switcher and HDBaseT transmitter with HDMI and USB-C inputs and mirrored HDMI and HDBaseT outputs. Video signals up to 4K/60 4:2:0 can be transmitted over HDBaseT up to 100m.

All inputs and the local HDMI output support 4K HDR and 4K/60 4:4:4 at HDMI data rates up to 18Gbps. The AT-OME-ST31 is designed for use with Omega

AT-OME-ST31 Series receivers and switchers, select HDVS Series receivers such as the AT-HDVS-SC-RX scaler, the AT-UHD-EX-100CE-RX receiver and other Atlona switchers with HDBaseT inputs.

The AT-OME-SW32 is a 3x2 matrix switcher with HDMI and USB-C inputs, and HDMI outputs.

It supports 4K HDR and 4K/60 4:4:4 at HDMI data rates up to 18Gbps.

Depending on the intended application, the AT-OME-SW32 can be set to specific switching modes that include mirrored outputs (default), one of the outputs fixed to an input or

unrestricted matrix switching.

Both switchers are HDCP 2.2-compliant. The USB-C input is ideal for AV inter facing with newer Mac, Chromebook and Windows PCs, as well as smartphones and tablets. 4K downscaling to 1080 at 60Hz, 30Hz and 24Hz is available for one of the HDMI outputs (ATOME-SW32) and for the HDMI output (AT-OME-ST31) when connected to an HD sink. www.atlona.com

6RQ\·V FRORXUIXO ZRUOG 4K global shutter three CMOS sensor system. It supports HD, HDR and 4K, as well as IP capabilities and comes with an exchangeable transmission side panel. The HDC-3100 and HDC-3170 incorporate ⅔-inch HD global shutter three CMOS sensor systems and are capable of HDR and SMPTE ST2110.

The HDC-3170 supports thirdgeneration digital Triax technology and is capable of connecting over distances of up to 1,800m.

HXR-NX200 TARGETING PROFESSIONAL videographers and content creators, the HXR-NX200 is Sony’s latest product in its NXCAM handheld camcorder line-up. The camcorder is capable of capturing high-resolution images thanks to its 1.0-type Exmor R CMOS image sensor with effective 14.2 megapixel and cutting out in HD during postproduction. It includes the company’s refined colour science that reportedly provides a more vivid, deep and rich variation of colours and natural skin tones, regardless of exposure condition.

It is equipped with a 29mm wide-angle G lens along with three independent manual lens rings that enable manual control of focus, zoom and iris. A 12x optical zoom is enhanced by Sony’s By Pixel Super Resolution Technology, Clear Image Zoom, at 24x in HD and 18x in 4K. A ‘simple and affordable’ production ecosystem is repor tedly achievable when paired with the MCX-500 multi-camera live producer and the RM-30BP remote commander.

4K and HDR content, supporting industry standard brightness of up to 1,000 nits in full screen and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio for HDR productions. It supports 12G-SDI to allow 4K transmission with a single SDI cable. It handles ITU-R BT.2020 colour space and HDR images with Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG), SMPTE ST2084 and 2.4 (HDR) gamma alongside S-Log2, S-Log3 and S-Log3 Live HDR for SR Live Workflow.

Finally, the manufacturer’s Venice motion picture camera has received an Extension System and Version 3.0 firmware update.

The Extension System is said to increase Venice’s mobility and allows the camera to attach to gimbals, handheld stabilisers, underwater and helicopter housings, 3D/VR rings and be used in tight and unconventional spaces, such as vehicles, cranes or Russian arms. Version 3.0 firmware adds a recording profile

within the X-OCN (eXtended tonal range Original Camera Negative).

The new profile, X-OCN XT, reportedly captures the highestquality imagery with an AXS-R7 portable memory recorder.

VADDIO’S PRIMESHOT 20 HDMI HD PTZ camera has been released to suit those requiring high-definition video capture but with tight budgets to adhere to. It includes a range of output options, such as S-video, in addition to HDMI. The manufacturer states that it is ‘ideal for houses of worship and lecture halls’.

The PrimeShot 20 HDMI has a 20x optical zoom with a 55° horizontal field of view, a 2.12 Megapixel (effective), native 1080p/60 full HD image sensor, and features HDMI 1.3, S-Video and IP streaming outputs that can be used simultaneously.

Included in the box along with the PrimeShot 20 HDMI are a thin, profile wall mount with mounting tools, Vaddio’s IR Remote Commander and 12 VDC, 3-amp switching power supply sets with AC cords.

A web-based user interface allows remote configuration, management and control. With pan and tilt movements of up to 90° per second, the PTZ camera can also be integrated with Telnet or serial RS-232 control.

www.pro.sony

www.vaddio.com

HDC-P50 Sticking with the camera theme, Sony has also unveiled four live production system cameras: the HDC-P50 POV system camera, the portable HDC-3500, and the Fiber (HDC-3100) and Triax (HDC-3170) system cameras.

A Triax CCU, the HDCU-3170, has also been launched. The HDC-P50, according to the manufacturer, incorporates the world’s first ⅔-inch 4K global shutter three CMOS sensor system which provides a wider dynamic range. Its three 4K sensors achieve ITU-R BT.2020 broadcast standard widened colour space. The HDC-3500 expands on the HDC-2000 series with the addition of the ⅔-inch

HDC-3500 The BVM-HX310 is a 31-inch Grade 1 reference monitor and has been created in response to the industry’s desire to overcome the challenges of accurate picture evaluation, especially in the black reproducibility. The monitor is capable of reproducing

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PRODUCTS

9LQWHQ JRHV ZLWK WKH ÁRZWHFK VINTEN STATES that its flowtech carbon fibre camera tripods have ‘the world’s fastest-deploying legs’, as well as quick-release brakes and adjustable levers for quick and easy set up. The first product in the range is the flowtech 75 tripod, which is compatible with 75mm fluid heads.

With a set of two-stage legs and a mid-level spreader, rubber feet and a payload capacity of 20kg, the flowtech system’s quickrelease brakes ensure the legs are deployed simultaneously, adjusting automatically to the ground. A hinge-lock mechanism allows for the capture of extremely low, ground-level shots without the

need for additional ‘baby legs’. flowtech 75 is designed to be lightweight and easy to transport with magnetic locks that the legs fix to in transit. A detachable carry handle and a compact dolly are available as optional extras.

Vinten has also released new ceiling track and floor track systems in collaboration with Tecnopoint. The Vinten Hexagon floor track system is built for easy assembly and so that no cables run outside of the track. Along with the ceiling track solution, Hexagon fully integrates with all Vinten robotic camera supports. flowtech 75

www.vinten.com

7UDQVLWLRQLQJ WR ,3 NEWTEK HAS produced an NDI Software Developer Kit to allow developers and manufacturers to implement the NDI protocol, NewTek’s Network Device Interface technology, to enable IP connectivity and video transfer between devices. The kit supports finding, sending and receiving any number of video streams over IP, with the encoding algorithm supporting all video resolutions and frame rates up to 4K as well as 16 channels of audio. It also includes tools to implement video access and grouping, bidirectional metadata and IP commands.

Also new from the IP video technology specialist is the NC1 Studio I/O module that

NC1 I/O IP translates up to eight compatible video sources to SDI or NDI for input, output or a combination of both. The module can also be configured for dual-channel 4K ultra HD at 60fps with support for 3G-SDI quad-link grouping.

It can be integrated with compatible systems and devices for switching, streaming, display and delivery, and allows users to stack modules in a single location or station in multiple locations.

Other features include a builtin video server function with extensive file format support, including full-resolution 4K UHD playback; real-time input, conversion and transmission of common IP video stream formats, including RTMP, RTSP and HTTP; and flexible audio integration supporting input and delivery of digital, analogue and network audio, including Dante and AES67. www.newtek.com

)DVWHU SRVWSURGXFWLRQ ZRUNÁRZV BLACKMAGIC DESIGN has announced the public beta of Blackmagic RAW, a codec that ‘combines the quality and benefits of RAW with the ease of use, speed and file sizes of traditional video formats’. The codec features technologies such as an advanced de-mosaic algorithm, metadata support and optimised GPU and CPU accelerated processing. It can be used from acquisition throughout postproduction for editing and colour grading.

Blackmagic RAW moves part of the de-mosaic process into the camera where it can be hardware accelerated by the camera itself. This, according to the manufacturer, results in efficient encoding that gives customers the same quality, bit depth, dynamic range and controls as RAW, but with better performance and smaller file sizes than most popular video codecs. Because the processor intensive partial

de-mosaic is done by the camera hardware, software such as DaVinci Resolve doesn’t have to do as much work decoding the files.

As the image data, along with the unique characteristics of the image sensor, are encoded and saved into the Blackmagic RAW file, users reportedly experience better image quality, even at higher compression settings, as well as control over features such as ISO, white balance, exposure, contrast and saturation. Images are encoded using a custom, nonlinear, 12-bit space designed to provide the maximum amount of colour data and dynamic range.

Users can download the public beta for use with Ursa Mini Pro cameras via the Blackmagic Camera 6.0 beta update, while the DaVinci Resolve 15.1 update also includes support for Blackmagic RAW. www.blackmagicdesign.com

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ArKaos hooks up with NDI ARKAOS HAS updated its MediaMaster Pro media server software, MediaMaster Express video control software, Grand VJ real-time video mixer software and GrandVJ XT (an extended version of GrandVJ 2) to integrate

NewTek’s NDI (Network Device Interface) protocol. This means that all four products can be recognised as a source by other NDI-enabled applications and devices via an Ethernet LAN. Michael Kornet, executive vice

60 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019 60 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

president and general manager of NDI at NewTek, stated that ‘NDIenabled devices exponentially increase the video sources available for live productions’.

NewTek’s NDI technology is royalty-free and allows video and audio sources to be shared across a network in both directions, negating the need for infrastructure upgrades. ‘NDI will auto-discover the sources and receivers on the network and will happily coexist with other protocols used in the lighting industry,’ explained ArKaos CEO Marco Hinic, also noting how another aspect that attracted ArKaos to NDI was its low latency. www.arkaos.net ndi.newtek.com

Signal distribution made simpler ELC LIGHTING has designed its DLN8GBXSL eight-port slave node to simplify Ethernet/DMX network distribution for live entertainment applications. The DLN8GBXSL acts as a substitute for a DMX splitter rack, where all DMX ports are fully programmable as output, input, merge or backup, as node ports.

Designed as a slave to the dmXLAN switch (GBx10 or GBx18), the DLN8GBXSL forms part of ELC’s GBX Distribution System.

This switch is the master, and up to 15 slave units can be

daisy-chained via the Ethernet ports. The system supports all open protocols including sACN, Art-Net and ShowNET. The DMX ports can be configured via the user interface of the switch or with the dmXLAN software. Up to 15 DLN8GBXSL slave units can be connected to the switch, resulting in a system rack with 120 fully programmable DMX/RDM ports.

Both nodes offer data splitting, merging, softpatching and backup when programmed using dmXLAN. www.elclighting.com

PRODUCTS

Avolites unlocks 4K playback THE AVOLITES Ai Q3 Server unlocks 4K playback through a single DisplayPort 1.2 connection. Combined with two additional DVI outputs, the Q3 is

described by the manufacturer as ‘the per fect solution to power live events, installs and anywhere else that live video manipulation is required’.

The Q3’s hardware is said to be the ideal vehicle for Avolites’ Ai software. It offers industry-standard connections to the rest of the system, as

well as the firepower to drive the company’s builtin live effects and support Notch integration. The front-

mounted screen allows configuration of outputs from outside the OS. www.avolites.com

The sharpest tool in the box RAYZOR 760 is a compact yet powerful LED wash effects luminaire and the first fixture to feature Elation’s new TwinkLED system. With a wide zoom range from 5–77°, Rayzor 760 provides mid-air beams with over 8,000 lumens, as well as a wide and even wash coverage. The luminaire is driven by seven, independently controlled, 60W RGBW LEDs, while the oversized front lenses create a large surface that is enhanced by the patent-pending TwinkLED technology. TwinkLED consists of 28 individual white LEDs placed inside the lens to create an additional layer of effects, allowing

Proteus Rayzor 760

designers access to new ways of creating interest on stage.

Rayzor 760 is also available in a compact and lightweight weatherand dust-protected IP65 version, Proteus Rayzor 760, for use in any environment. The Proteus Rayzor 760’s design reportedly makes it the world’s first IP65-rated luminaire with continuous pan and tilt rotation.

Elation has also added an IP65-rated version of Smarty Hybrid, the Proteus Smarty Hybrid.

Encompassing the same feature set and using the same Philips MSD Platinum Flex 200 lamp with a 6,000-hour lamp life, the

Artiste Van Gogh Proteus Smarty Hybrid’s IP65 dust and water protection means the fixture can be used indoors or out.

Features include fast movement, motorised zoom, full CMY colour mixing, 13 dichroic colours, two

gobo wheels, prism overlay and frost filter.

Artiste Van Gogh is the latest addition to Elation’s Artiste range of luminaires. It provides up to 16,000 total lumens from a 380W high CRI LED engine, while CMY and CTO colour mixing and a seven-position colour wheel provide flexible colour options. An internal four-blade barndoor system reportedly allows for beam shaping and light control at any angle. The luminaire comes with a wide zoom range and choice of PC or optional Fresnel lens. www.elationlighting.com

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PRODUCTS

Accentuate the positive ALTMAN LIGHTING has introduced its AP-150 RGBW LED PAR luminaire designed to accentuate any theatrical or architectural lighting design. It is described by the manufacturer as a compact and lightweight 135W wash that produces deep, saturated colours and soft, delicate pastels, while maintaining

a smooth, uniform beam throughout the entire motorised zoom range.

Weighing under 5kg, AP-150 replicates the soft output of a traditional PAR wash with control states from 8-bit, 16-bit, RGB and HSIC. The factory and custom colour presets reportedly allow for the quick selection of most

www.altmanlighting.com

Bora-S brings aerial effects to large venues

Brighter beam effects CZECH LIGHTING manufacturer Robe has updated its moving light range, Spikie, to create a brighter, larger beam. The 250W RGBW LED multichip SuperSpikie features an optical system with a zoom of 3.5–42° and includes two rotating gobos for producing smarter aerial effects. The movement of the light source has been updated for smoother colour mixing and the fixture now has a variable CTO range between 2,700K and 8,000K with tungsten effects, including red-shift and thermal fade. The vari-speed double rotating flower effect of the Spikie has been retained

produces a beam spread between 12° and 65°, while the luminaire also has built-in stops at five different set points for precise beam spread repeatability. A ‘tech identify’ option flashes the fixture’s LEDs without disrupting focus.

widely used entertainment colour choices, while the light also provides the ability to record colour presets directly to the luminaire for custom colour playback.

The AP-150 also offers a variety of strobe options, ranging from pulse to fade, to a 30Hz strobe rate. The motorised zoom

and a 1-3 facet circular prism allows for more creative options than the older edition, all packed into a compact housing weighing 16kg. www.robe.cz

FOR BIG venues, including outdoor and indoor arenas and large houses of worship, Ayrton has launched Bora-S, an LED washlight with gobo projection and framing functionality to produce aerial effects. The fixture is also designed to be compact, leaving a similar footprint to the manufacturer’s Ghibli light.

Bora-S produces an output of 38,000 lumens from an 8,000K white LED engine. This reportedly draws on 750W of power, which Ayrton states is a fraction of the power consumption required by similar LED fixtures. The light includes a 178mm PC (perspective control) front lens, an 8:1 zoom with a beam range between 8° and 64°, full field framing

Bora-S functionality, an iris, a rotating gobo wheel, a pair of colour wheels and a full CMY + CTO colour system with a CRI of more than 70.

The letter S appears at the tail end of another new Ayrton fixture.

Khamsin-S is an automated LED profile spotlight, which the manufacturer claims is the ‘brightest on the market’. Utilising the same 750W white LED engine as Bora-S, Khamsin-S features two rotating gobo wheels, an animation wheel, full field framing, two prisms, an iris, two frosts, two fixed colour wheels and a full CMY + linear CTO colour system, as well as a 9:1 zoom with a 6.5–56° beam range.

TC (True Colour) versions of both lights are also available from Ayrton. Bora-TC and Khamsin-TC offer a higher CRI. www.ayrton.eu

Cinestar in the sky CINESTAR IS the latest lighting solution from Airstar for both indoor and outdoor requirements.

The lighting balloon boasts a 120° fill light diffusion and an embedded LED light source (850W).

Reportedly taking just 15 minutes to set up, the airinflated Cinestar is mounted on a tripod, weighs 12kg and is 160cm in diameter, producing

‘even and non-glaring light’. The manufacturer states that it offers a lifespan of more than 50,000 hours and colour temperatures that can be ‘instantly tailored’ from a warm 2,700K to a cold 6,500K. Making use of Airstar’s Dynamic White technology, Cinestar is also designed with 31kHz flicker-free technology. ‘This product sets itself apart from the competition

Cinestar

thanks to a 120° opening with 50% of the total illumination, its weatherproof feature which makes it per fect for outdoor use and its circular shape offers beautiful reflections,’ explained Airstar sales manager, Xavier Ponson.

Meanwhile, Airstar has launched Neo, its latest inflatable lighting structure inspired by neon tubes.

Offering a brightness of 8,500

lumens and measuring 5m x 20cm (LxW), Neo can either be installed on the ground or mounted. ‘It may sound odd, but the Neo concept could be described as a genesis of the Jedi lightsaber and my grandmother’s kitchen neon’, explained JeanPierre David, one of Airstar’s industrial designers. www.airstar-light.com

GLP turns heads TARGETING THE broadcast segment and showcase events, GLP has released an LED moving head companion to its impression S350. The manufacturer claims that the moving head offers a flicker-free operation with smoother electronic dimming and multiple dimming curves, while eliminating colour shift when delivering random and

pulse electronic strobing effects.

Meanwhile, its high colour temperature of 7,500K claims to provide a hard-edge, mid-air effect beam for brighter gobo projections.

The impression E350 houses a CMY colour mixing system with separate CTC Channel, along with an eight-facet prism, a light and heavy frost, two gobo wheels,

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a 14-blade iris and a 10-slot colour wheel plus 640° pan and 262° tilt in 16-bit resolution.

‘Our first priority was to get maximum output and efficiency from a 350W LED engine, with intensive 7,500K default white, as we knew this would be per fect for mid-sized shows or wherever compact form factor and low weight are required. In fact,

the E350 outputs up to 9,500 lumens at maximum 550W power consumption,’ said GLP product manager, Michael Feldmann.

The LED engine also includes an adjustable animation wheel for horizontal, diagonal and vertical animation effects and weighs in at just 24.5kg. impression E350-1

www.glp.de

Exclusive Distributor

All images courtesy of Ali Barqawi Studios

FEATURES: LIVE SOUND

Tom Jones at the Palace of Culture, Jordan Festival 2018

The eleventh hour

Last-minute relocations and narrow stages were no obstacle to the dynamic AV setup at this year’s Jordan Festival.

Ledetta Asfa-Wossen reports

Tom Odell at the Odeon in Amman

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THE RUN-UP TO THIS YEAR’S JORDAN FESTIVAL HAD ITS fair share of upheaval. The annual festival, which attracts musicians and performers from across the globe, was to feature headline act Sir Tom Jones. With Jordan’s tourism board jumping at the chance to flaunt its rich historical heritage, the Amman Citadel was the perfect location – sitting majestically on top of a hill, overlooking the eastern part of the city. Triad Live Productions Co was assigned the project in its entirety, from lighting to audio, staging and IMAG. Only, there was a spanner in the works.

‘Sir Tom Jones had to cancel five shows due to illness in Europe just days before his Jordan concert date, pushing the promoters to relocate the festival to two new locations,’ explains Amjad T Marar, general manager at Triad Live Productions Co. ‘The decision to relocate was because of the uncertainty of whether he was going to be able to perform or not. Any last-minute cancellation at the Citadel would have resulted in a colossal loss for the promoters as a setup at the Citadel would be extensive, including erecting seating grandstands, staging, backstage areas and catering venues.’

The Odeon theatre – a small amphitheatre in downtown Amman – would now host the opening concerts for Tom Odell, Emel Mathlouthi and Reham Abdel Hakim. While the man of the moment – Sir Tom Jones – was appointed a separate, more convenient venue: the Palace of Culture. With such drastic changes at the eleventh hour, any AV commissioned for the prestigious annual event had to adapt and rise to the challenge.

With Triad’s knowledge that KV2 Audio had been used for other events across Jordan over the past seven years, the Czech audio manufacturer seemed the best fit for the project, having handled sound duties for local and regional festivals such as the Jerash and Moments Festival.

For this particular festival, Triad had received technical riders with line array systems specified. After calling in

technical support from KV2 Audio’s Andy Austin-Brown for a recommended setup, as well as KV2’s Angus Davidson to conduct the EASE simulation for the venue, the preferences of the artist’s sound engineer were soon swayed. ‘As an artist’s sound engineer, your main concern is achieving clear, full-range dynamic sound that is constant in every seat in the house with plenty of headroom and this is where the strength of KV2 Audio lies,’ continues Marar.

The 800-seat Odeon theatre setup comprised four KV2 Audio ES1.0 3-way, active-driven, point source, horn-loaded systems and four KV2 Audio ES2.6 double, 15-inch subwoofer cabinets, with EPAK2500 and EPAK3200 for control and amplification. Front-fills were handled by three KV2 Audio EX12 full-range loudspeakers and monitors, and side-fills were all KV2 Audio EX12s.

The setup at the Palace of Culture, seating 1,800, was quite a different matter. ‘The system we used was flown in an L-R configuration and consisted of the following speakers per side: one KV2 Audio VHD2.0 top, one VHD1.0 down-fill, four ground-stacked KV2 Audio VHD4.18 subwoofers and two flown KV2 Audio VHD2.16 subwoofers. System controllers/ amplifiers consisted of VHD2000s and VHD3200s. The audio setup more than fulfilled its promise, and we received nothing but praise for the sound quality and incredible headroom that was available to the sound engineers at these concerts,’ adds Marar.

While Marar’s days are spent running the live production company, as a live musician also, he is deeply passionate about his decision to use point source systems for these types of events.

‘It is difficult to visualise the sonic impact of KV2 Audio on the listener until you actually hear it. Like every musician and sound engineer, I am moved by great sound, and the impact that KV2 Audio systems have on the listener is just immeasurable,’ he enthuses. ‘Many large

FEATURES: LIVE SOUND concert sound production companies would argue that line array technology is the way to go in this business and, in fact, that is reflected in most of the technical riders of major touring artists. Our company was no different – we purchased two well-known brands of rider-friendly line arrays to be deployed for all our live production work. But, in 2007, we witnessed a demonstration of the KV2 Audio VHD system at the Frankfurt Prolight + Sound show for the very first time. From that moment on, we decided to go with KV2 Audio systems for all our production needs,’ expands Marar.

‘The idea with line arrays is to fly speakers vertically to gain maximum forward coverage, by using narrow vertical dispersion loudspeakers to minimise interference between loudspeakers. In reality, interference, although reduced, is not eliminated, in addition to time shift issues between listening positions. KV2 Audio was able to offer us a single point source with virtually zero interference and without any of the negative issues associated with line arrays. It was a no-brainer for us. They are constantly evolving and, with the recent introduction of the VHD5.0 for large-capacity audiences, they have raised the bar in this business to new heights,’ he adds.

With audio specifications fulfilled and made-to-measure in the restricted time frame, the next hurdle was lighting.

While the Tom Jones concert at the Palace of Culture had minimal restrictions and could be set up as per the artist’s requirements, the Odeon theatre presented some issues.

‘The Odeon is not your typical theatre – it’s a small, very old Roman amphitheatre and the stage there was extremely narrow, so we had to modify the lighting setup accordingly for all three opening artists,’ explains Marar.

Several DTS XR9 spot and wash moving heads were employed to distribute light across the stage, enhanced with PR Lighting XR 200 5R beam moving heads, follow spots, LED PAR cans and LED bars to intensify the drama and highlight the architecture; all things considered a seamless audiovisual experience. And, in this particular case, one that seems to have only benefited from any adverse conditions thrown at it. www.kv2audio.com

The lighting setup for Emel Mathlouthi at the Odeon theatre

triad-av.com

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

The personal touch *YLH[PUN ;LOYHU»Z ÄYZ[ SHYNL ZJHSL JVUJLY[ OHSS OHZ ILLU H ]LY` WLYZVUHS WYVQLJ[ MVY ,ZWPUHZ 7HSHJL V^ULY (SP (ZNOHY (TPYP ZOHYLZ Simon Luckhurst auditorium, so he decided to create this masterpiece. It also allows us to offer our guests a fuller package; conferences can easily be held here without concern for accommodation anymore, and the hall is tailor-made to host big external international orchestras, concerts and theatre productions.’

A 2,700-capacity, fully kitted-out concert hall certainly sets Espinas Palace apart from the competition and enables the hotel to cater to everything from full theatre productions to large-scale business meetings and conventions. ‘One of the best advantages of this hall is its setting within a luxury hotel that hosts millions of international and domestic guests per year,’ furthers the Espinas Palace CEO. ‘The very unique architecture of the building, which has been constructed according to international standards and with the help of toplevel international consultants, as well as good views to the stage from every row, make the venue that much more unique.’

Serving as both the designer/architect and owner of the hotel meant the project was uniquely personal to Ali Asghar Amiri and, as a result, he has been heavily involved throughout all stages of the process. This began by visiting prominent auditoriums around the world to assess popular design approaches and identify suitable contractors, with the aim of creating a concert hall that matches or exceeds leading international standards.

With several successful theatre projects featuring Outline products having been completed in Iran in recent years, the Italian audio manufacturer had also been gaining a steady reputation locally for its ability to provide high-quality sound at a reasonable cost. This had not gone unnoticed by the Espinas management. However, the owner made sure to do his homework thoroughly before embarking on such an important project.

‘The owner travelled to many of these Outline-installed theatres and met with management and technical operators, all of whom expressed their full satisfaction for our previous work,’ explains Outline CEO, Giorgio Biffi. ‘But, as is typical on these projects, we provided complete plans for the design of the sound system as well as an accurate simulation of the

TEHRAN HAS COME A LONG WAY IN TERMS OF NEW infrastructure over the last few years. There is a perception that conducting business with Iranian companies as a foreign entity could potentially be problematic, particularly with the new wave of sanctions being pushed by the latest US administration. The reality couldn’t be more different.

Iran is very much open for business and, conversely, presents a wealth of new investment opportunities for foreign companies. A place capable of accommodating highprofile international business leaders while also showcasing the capital city’s virtues and unique culture had become increasingly important.

Located close to Terhan’s Meydan-e Vali Asr metro station and less than 10km from the Mehrabad International Airport but nestled into a more peaceful and secluded side of northern Tehran, Espinas Palace Hotel is all about luxury. As the first five-star private hotel in the country, the services and amenities are second-to-none. This is exemplified by the hotel’s grand 40,000m3 concert hall that boasts a 1,550m2 seating area on the ground floor, 400m2 on the first-floor balcony level and a further 300m2 of seating on the level-two balcony. This comes in addition to a large 14m x 34m (DxW) stage area that offers a convertible stage layout able to cater to both orchestra layouts and front-facing stage setups.

The vision of Espinas Palace owner, designer and architect, Ali Asghar Amiri, the concert hall is very much the pride of the hotel and forms a large part of its service package for guests.

While Espinas Palace is not the first from the Espinas brand to be opened in Tehran, with 500+ guest rooms it offers more than triple the capacity of the owner’s previous establishment in the city. Similarly, a hotel with such a large number of guest suites affords the Espinas management some opportunities not previously possible.

‘It’s not very common here in Iran to have large-scale theatre venues in hotels,’ explained Espinas Palace Hotel CEO, Hesam Amiri. ‘But the hotel owner, my father, is very keen on the arts and was very aware that the city also lacks a proper, large-sized

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION acoustic performance using our proprietary simulation software, OpenArray 2. This showed in detail and with very high resolution what the expected audio performance would be throughout the entire venue and seating area.’

Having visited the Kavaran Theatre in Tehran, which houses Outline’s Butterfly line array, it became clear to the hotel owner that a similar line array solution should be used, just on a much grander scale. ‘Butterfly was the perfect solution,’ notes the Outline CEO, ‘because of its size, weight, the throw capabilities and, most importantly, the very consistent coverage the system provides. We submitted our design based on this.’

The OpenArray presentation gave the owner the confidence that his decision was the right one. As a result of his extensive international business connections, he also wanted to source most of the materials and supplies directly from overseas manufacturers on the understanding that not only could a better price be negotiated, but the best service would also be achieved by going direct. After meetings at ISE in Amsterdam, the PL+S trade show in Frankfurt, as well as visits to Outline’s headquarters in Brescia, Italy, Ali Asghar Amiri gave the goahead for Outline to execute its Butterfly-based design.

Fellow Italian interior design and acoustic engineering studio Cesare Trebeschi was then appointed to handle the internal acoustics and insulation, with Italian engineering company, Arena Luci, tasked with designing, supplying and installing the stage lighting system. ‘We were involved since the start and worked very closely with the consultant on the acoustics,’ recalls Biffi. ‘This made the whole process run much more smoothly.’

In addition to providing uniform acoustic coverage, the new audio system would need to provide the necessary power to cater to an audience of more than 2,500 while not disturbing any guests trying to sleep in the 500+ rooms situated above.

‘The system that we have designed here is very potent and can

Outline T Eleven amps power the concert hall system easily cater to the dynamics and typical SPLs required from R&R performances, without creating any complaints from the hotel guests,’ states Biffi.

The resulting design called upon a Butterfly line array solution for the main FOH setup comprised of L/R hangs of 12 BFLY 210 full-range cabinets and a central hang of eight. Twelve CDL 1825 cardioid subwoofers flown in hangs of six behind the outer main arrays add low-end reinforcement, while eight DSB 18-2 high-powered subwoofers integrated into the stage structure extend the system further. Power for all of these cabinets

comes from just 20 of the manufacturer’s T Eleven 2-channel, 4,000W amplifiers. Further system management is via three iP 24 multifunction processors. Additional fills are taken care of by a pair of Doppia IIP 9075 3-way cabinets and eight distributed Vegas 24s. Depending on the requirements and stage layout of any given production, a further eight iSM 115 and 10 iSM 212 stage monitors can be deployed on demand.

After three years of planning the new theatre system, installation of the components was handled by Outline’s Iranian vendor, Pishgaman Sedaye Sahne, at the beginning of 2018.

Complementing the audio system, Pishgaman integrated Studer Vista 5 M3 and Vista 1 as FOH consoles, Soundcraft Vi3000 for monitoring, a full complement of DPA microphones and a selection of Shure digital wireless and wired microphone systems. An MA Lighting grandMA2 full size provides lighting control, while Barco projectors and a Taiden simultaneous translation system support conferences. Once installed, Outline engineers then returned to the hotel again in April for final testing and commissioning together with Pishgaman.

‘The finished system is really good,’ asserts Biffi. ‘Francesco Ferretti spent a lot of time listening to all types of music during commissioning to ensure a good balance for a wide variety of productions; the owner is extremely happy because the intelligibility is so high. You can go to any location within the theatre and the sound is identical. In my opinion, this is one of the most important aspects, and there are only a few line array solutions that really offer true consistency all across the audience area. With Butterfly, this is made possible because of the unique DPRWG proprietary waveguide design. Butterfly has been one of our most widely known and appreciated products because it has the capability to throw the sound very far in a very consistent way.’

After a lengthy three-year process, Tehran finally has a venue capable of hosting the high-profile productions that would be expected of a country’s capital city, while the hotel has wasted no time in putting the theatre to use.

The Outline CEO himself travelled to Espinas Palace recently to assess the new system in action. ‘The theatre was opened a few months ago and is now in full operation,’ concludes Biffi.

‘In fact, it is completely booked out for the next two months with a production of Les Misérables by Victor Hugo as well as many conferences. We’re thankful to have received very warm congratulations from the entire management for the work we have completed. Installing a powerful sound system while also ensuring there is effective sound isolation for the 500+ rooms located above was not a simple task. The work completed by Trebeschi and its team was also a vital part of the project.’

With no detrimental noise pollution emanating through the building and keeping guests up at night, the hotel can continue to function as originally intended as a luxury hotel. Meanwhile, the concert hall situated beneath has more than 500 rooms of guests ready and waiting to fill the seats. www.espinashotels.com

Diagram of the concert hall showing consistent coverage

www.outline.it

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FEATURES: LIVE EVENT

Once in this lifetime

There was no time to hang around as Gearhouse worked around the clock to ensure Guns N’ Roses’ ÄYZ[ :V\[O (MYPJHU JVUJLY[ ^LU[ VɈ ^P[OV\[ H OP[JO KPZJV]LYZ Simon Luckhurst FOR A BAND WHOSE CAREER STRETCHES BACK LONGER than I have been alive, it seems unfathomable that Guns N’ Roses’ recent stop in South Africa as part of their Not In This Lifetime tour was the first time they had graced the stage at Johannesburg’s renowned FNB Stadium. Let alone the first time they’d performed to their South African fan base, and with the original line-up. The concert was a particularly special one for lots of reasons. Having split in the mid-1990s, there was the added bonus that this latest tour would see the original members back onstage together for the first time in a while. Regardless of that, South African rockers have been eagerly waiting for a local performance from their heroes. Yet it came close to never happening.

Guns N’ Roses frontman, Axl Rose, was famous for cancelling shows at a whim back in the day – perhaps the audience wasn’t enthusiastic enough, or he just wasn’t in the mood to perform. At the Abu Dhabi tour date a week before the Johannesburg stint, it was announced that Axl was ‘severely ill’, leading fans in the next continent across to conclude that the tickets they had purchased were probably now expensive but meaningless pieces of paper.

Nevertheless, the trio powered on through a 29-song, three-hour setlist to thousands of fans in attendance, and appeared so taken aback by the reception received in Johannesburg there have since been rumours of a full reunion complete with a brand new album.

Much of the applause for such a slick production should be handed to the Gearhouse Group. Tasked with supplying and operating the entire audio, visual, lighting, rigging, staging and comms setups, various Gearhouse branches have been planning a technical extravaganza together with organiser, Big Concerts, for many months. Luckily, the company is no stranger to setting up at the FNB Stadium and takes working on productions of this size in its stride.

‘The Gun N’ Roses team supplied us with a full detailed tech rider of what we had to supply,’ explains Stuart Andrews, operations manager for Gearhouse’s Johannesburg branch.

‘We are one of the few companies locally that has the stock

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and technical capacity to deliver as per the tech rider’s requirements. We also work regularly with the promoter, Big Concerts, and production house, Mushroom Productions, on many top international and big local shows. This put us in good standing when it came time to bid for the project.’

Even for a crew well-versed in catering for large outdoor concerts, the gig came at a particularly hectic week. Gearhouse had already been tasked with handling the setup at FNB for the National Day of Prayer concert that would take place a few days before.

Then again, just days afterwards, FNB would host another 100,000 people for South Africa’s Global Citizen Festival.

With completely different AV requirements at all three events, the Gearhouse crew had to work around the clock to provide a quick turnaround.

‘It was certainly challenging to incorporate multiple setups and shows,’ furthers Andrews. ‘Having to work in sync with two other huge events at the same venue meant that comprehensive, in-depth planning and 24-hour shiftwork was required so that all crew worked efficiently – with a well-engineered collaboration of both local and international production managers, project managers and technical heads working together to coordinate each show. The quantity of gear required to put all three shows together was truly epic.’

And it is the gear, together with its deployment, that can make or break a high-profile concert such as this.

Naturally, Gearhouse opted for its flagship L-Acoustics K1 system for sound reinforcement inside the stadium.

Gearhouse senior audio technician Jonathan Green settled on a design featuring main L-R hangs of 14 K1 cabinets with four K2 flown underneath and flanked by wide hangs of a further 10 K1s and six K2s per side. Three StageCo delay towers positioned around the stadium consisted of 12 V-Doscs each, while low-end extension came from 60 ground-stacked KS28 and SB28 subs and a further 16 K1-SB flown cabinets and front-fill from 20 Kara cabinets.

All of this meant a total of 48 L-Acoustics LA8 and 48 LA12X amplified controllers was required just to power the system, with eight of L-Acoustics’ new P1 processors providing audio distribution over AVB. Systems engineer Kashane Malatji then had the unenviable task of handling the signal distribution and networking.

FEATURES: LIVE EVENT first-year students got hands-on with the setup under Robertson’s watchful eye.

Such an elaborate rigging setup was not without reason.

In addition to the massive number of L-Acoustics cabinets hanging from the rig, more than 425 lighting fixtures added glitz to the performances, with models deployed including SGM P5s, Martin MAC Vipers, Martin MAC 2000e washes, Martin Atomic 3000 DMX strobes, Robe Robin Pointes, Robe ColorWash 2500E ATs, Robe Robin BMFL blades and Robe LEDBeam 150s.

‘It was not easy to do such a big changeover with the amount of time we had. We started on Wednesday night and needed to be done with the lighting rig by early Thursday morning so that the structures for the upstage risers could be built,’ adds lighting workshop manager at Gearhouse’s Johannesburg branch, Peter Abrahamse. ‘We had prepped a cabling system that worked for both Global Citizen and Guns N’ Roses so all we had to do was drop the first rig and land it on its wheels, then push it backstage where it was stored for two days. We then used forklifts to get the pre-rigged Guns N’ Roses trussing on the stage. Due to all of our prep work, this changeover ran smoothly and we accomplished our goals in very good time. I take my hard hat off to all of the crew involved in this epic task, the lighting team showed everyone that we are really a world-class team.’

The FNB concert was seemingly the perfect end to a mammoth reunion tour that saw the band perform 159 shows to more than four million fans.

‘The Guns N’ Roses show is one of the biggest we have ever worked on in South Africa and it was an absolute pleasure to work with the band’s technical production team who were complete professionals,’ concludes Andrews. ‘We delivered a great show and I don’t think that there was a single person in the 55,000-strong audience who didn’t have a good time.’

However, even that wasn’t enough to provide coverage right to the back of the stadium. An additional 15 hangs – six hangs of six L-Acoustics Kudos and nine hangs of six Karas were flown from the roof. Due to the complexity of mounting 16 hangs from the stadium together with the distance involved, this setup was handled by a separate crew of six led by Andile Maphumulo. That’s an insane amount of loudspeaker equipment to rig and re-rig between events just days apart.

‘With the limited time frame for changeover to the Guns N’ Roses rig, the team led by head rigger Reinier Robertson did an outstanding job in achieving the goals set,’ explained Gearhouse rigging operations manager, Johann Moolman. ‘It meant a day shift crew of 11 and a further nine-strong night shift crew pulling together to deliver, once again, a flawless rig that consisted of a full complement of 104 Gearhouse CM motors assisted by a fleet of 40 international long-chain motors to reach the heights set by the four Super Truss towers for the main PA stacks.’

The opportunity to provide real-world training on such a sizeable rig was also too good to pass up and Gearhouse’s

www.bigconcerts.co.za www.gearhouse.co.za

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Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 69

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Disco Inferno

HEC Pro turned up the heat once again with another Inferno installation. James Cooke gets the lowdown WHILE IT IS GOOD PRACTICE FOR A SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR to win work with new clients, the true mark that business is doing well comes with repeat business from previous clients.

If a client has been so impressed with an installer’s project that they have hired them once again, it not only ensures that work will keep coming in from that client, but other prospective customers will also take notice, leading to more potential work. The same goes for any manner of business, be it a rental company or manufacturer; impress a client and you have a customer for life, and others will follow.

One systems integrator that was recently employed by a past customer was Istanbul-based HEC Pro. ‘The first Inferno nightclub was opened in Kemer in 2005,’ recalls Berk Ozan, project manager at the HEC Group. ‘We started working with them to install new systems in 2013. With a fun atmosphere and room for 4,000 people, it has succeeded in providing a great nightclub experience over the years.’

The original Club Inferno regularly plays host to a wide range of regional and international artists and world-class DJs. Highlighting the venue’s success is an array of awards, as the venue placed fourth in Sennheiser’s list of the top 100 clubs in 2013 and was the recipient of Tripadvisor’s Certificate of Excellence in 2015. As the Inferno brand had developed a high level of prestige, the HEC Pro team was under pressure to recapture lightning in a bottle when the systems integrator was called upon to install the audio and lighting solutions in the newest addition to the Inferno portfolio: Club Inferno Bursa.

‘The new Club Inferno in Bursa has an even bigger capacity, with room for 4,500 people,’ explains Ozan. ‘Its architectural and technical designs were carried out abroad and to a high quality.’ As Club Inferno Bursa was inspired by large European nightclubs, the HEC Pro team decided to instil a little continental flavour into its design by drawing on a pair of the Italian manufacturers in the company’s distribution portfolio.

‘We are the Turkish distributor for the FBT loudspeaker brand and for Prolights lighting products in the region,’ Ozan confirms. ‘Not only are we extremely familiar with both

70 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

manufacturers’ products due to our relationship with them, but we have also installed their solutions into other nightclubs previously.’

The main PA system comprises nine FBT Muse210 LA line array cabinets per side in an L-R configuration. Low-end frequencies are handled by 12 Subline 218SA bass-reflex speakers, while six Ventis 206A enclosures placed along the front of the stage provide front-fill. To ensure bass-filled coverage throughout the entire venue, four Subline 118SA units and a further pair of Ventis 206A speakers have been positioned strategically around the club. Serving as stage monitors for performers are 10 FBT Qube 15M cabinets.

In the DJ booth, sets are played and mixed using four Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS2 multiplayers and two DJM-900NXS2 4-channel pro-DJ mixers. For foldback, DJs rely on pairs of Qube 15M and Subline 118SA enclosures.

‘We worked with Paola Calzinhos Calza, a sound designer and engineer from Italy, on this project, as well as Dario Juka, who is also a sound desgner,’ Ozan notes. ‘Paola designed the FBT sound system with acoustic simulation software based on the venue’s needs. He and Dario stayed on site for around 10 days to give us a system with the most impact.

HEC Pro chairman AytuȘ Ozan and Club Inferno chairman Gürsel Aras

FEATURES: INSTALLATION ‘We also created two control rooms for the sound system.

The setup uses a 63-amp power panel using a powerbox to provide the audio distribution.’

As for the lighting setup, HEC Pro deployed 32 Prolights Jade moving heads with the same number of the Italian lighting manufacturer’s Diamond19 CC pixel washes and eight Air18Z moving fixtures to create an array of rave effects. A pair of MA Lighting grandMA2 consoles control the lighting rig, which is flown from 45m of stage truss and five 120m circle trusses, also supplied by HEC Pro. Rounding out the rig are eight Jarag LED fixtures from Chromlech, 36 beams, a trio of 5W lasers, eight Lowel Blenders, eight laser bars, four profile spots, 16

LED PAR units and a pair of Smoke Factory Hazers. Behind the scenes, a 125-amp panel powers the lighting rig via Socapex power distribution boxes across a DMX network.

LJ (lighting jockey) Adnan Sancar consulted on the design.

The extent of HEC Pro’s work on the visual aspects at Club Inferno Bursa didn’t end at the lighting rig, as the systems integrator also took responsibility for installing LED screens around the venue. ‘We used Astel LED’s Claro LED screen solution,’ Ozan recalls. At the rear of the stage is a 32m2 Claro screen, while a further 6m2 can be found in and around the DJ booth and 12m2 decorates the lobby with a 2m2 LED totem pole. Additionally, 24m2 of LED covers the truss.

‘Another 125-amp panel was used for the LED displays. Each 4m2 of screen uses 5-channel Cat-6 multi-mode cables for all image and power distribution.’

The design and installation took 80 days for a team of 13 to complete. The test phase and commissioning then took seven days. While filling a 4,500-capacity club with light and sound is no small task, the biggest challenge was Club Inferno Bursa’s location. ‘Since the club is in a shopping centre with a lot of restaurants nearby, we used 5cm-thick stone insulation between the walls and left 15cm spaces between them for acoustic insulation,’ explains Ozan. ‘We attached great importance to the infrastructure in this project and we worked with ProCase, a specialist from Istanbul.’

In total, 370km of cable was deployed during this project, including lines for back-up and redundancy, which highlights the massive scale of Club Inferno Bursa. The club is now open and reportedly proving as popular with local partygoers as its Kemer counterpart, raising the question of whether more Club Inferno branches may be planned. Whether it is in a year or a decade, one would expect HEC Pro to be able to rely on the repeat business once again. www.fbt.it www.hecpro.net

The view from the DJ booth

www.prolights.it

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Ship to shore ;OL 8, OHZ HYYP]LK H[ P[Z ÄUHS YLZ[PUN WSHJL PU +\IHP»Z 4PUH 9HZOPK WVY[ MVY P[Z ZLJVUK SLHZL VM SPML KPZJV]LYZ Richard Lawn ON 20 SEPTEMBER 1967 AT JOHN BROWN’S SHIPYARD ON Clydebank in Scotland, Queen Elizabeth II named the QE2 in the company of Prince Philip and 30,000 spectators. On 2 May 1969, she made her maiden transatlantic voyage from Southampton to New York.

Cunard’s flagship would go on to complete 1,400 voyages, sail some 6 million nautical miles and play gracious host to almost 2.5 million passengers. She would complete 25 tours around the world and, after 39 years, retire in 2008 to join Dubai as a prized and prestigious attraction.

Having been lovingly restored to her former glory, the now permanently docked QE2 reopened on 18 April 2018 as a floating museum, hotel, dining and events destination.

Located in Mina Rashid, the reimagined vessel offers 224 rooms and suites; 10 restaurants and bars; a heritage exhibition; and a unique selection of authentic event venues.

The QE2’s original audio systems were created for the purpose of passenger announcements. Today, while original in her fixtures and furnishings, the floating hotel presents the very latest in mod cons with interactive in-room TVs and paperless check-in – not forgetting a hotel app offering keyless access and in-room audiovisual control. So it was only natural that the owners of the QE2, PCFC (Ports, Customs and Free Zone Corporation) Hotels, would expect nothing but the highest audiophile quality,

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QE2 Queen’s Room Ballroom setup while staying true to the QE2’s inimitable 1960s’ interior design features.

Russell Hanson, formerly a key player in bringing to life the Burj Al Arab and the Meydan among others (and no stranger to projects of this iconic scale), is now PCFC Investments general manager and a pivotal member of the pre-opening transformation of the QE2. On his long list of projects, Hanson was tasked with sourcing the audio system – a crucial component in establishing Dubai’s new destination for incredible events and nightlife.

‘Having observed various audio technology in the city, I was particularly impressed with the audio performance of the Bose systems – but I needed to complete this project to a high quality in a short space of time – choosing a superior sound system for a large space and in a complex technical environment. At the same time, I had to choose a system that would blend into the authentic interiors we’d worked so hard to restore.’

SI Bahri & Mazroei Technical Systems Co LLC (BMTS) took up the reins of audio responsibility as well as QE2’s new lighting solutions that included a laser video projector for façade elevation, stage lights and RGBW strip lights.

Launched during the same year as the QE2 hit the Clyde, BMTS worked closely with Bose UAE Trading LLC in proposing various Bose audio solutions for the full 293m length of the Quarter and Upper Decks. FreeSpace speakers were originally specified but were upgraded to the RoomMatch Utility (RMU) models to enhance the performance capabilities and provide a higher level of confidence.

The full inventory of Bose speaker systems and amplifiers was delivered to site, leaving the BMTS engineers just 10 days to complete the works. Esam Al Mazroei, vice chairman of the Bahri & Mazroei Group, said: ‘To support QE2 with both audio and lighting solutions was indeed a privilege for our group, underlining our competencies in both sectors.

FEATURES: INSTALLATION We were excited to be part of this project – bringing back to life such a prestigious monument. Our goal was to meet the expectations of the client and, with our professional team on the ground, and through partnership with Bose, we delivered the task seamlessly.’

Most of the bars, lounges and restaurants rely on RMU and FreeSpace loudspeakers for playback from their individually zoned sources. From the Queen’s Room, Grand Lounge and the Golden Lion pub on the Upper Deck down to the Lido restaurant on the Quarter Deck, a distributed system of RMU105 speakers supplemented by MB210 subwoofers provide a universal Bose signature sound. Naturally with a 10-day deadline to install such a large project ticking, the priority to install according to the approved schematics overrode all other requirements.

Providing consistent coverage with either vertical or horizontal mounting, the principle speaker is the highly flexible RMU105, which combines a single 5.25-inch LF driver with an EMB2 compression driver mounted to a 100° x 100° HF horn.

With the BMTS technicians working around the clock to fulfil their seemingly impossible task, the RMU105’s U-bracket, dual M6 threaded inserts and ease of terminations sped up the momentum.

Full-range audio has been created with the addition of the recently launched MB210 dual 10-inch subwoofers extending the lower frequencies down to 45Hz (±3dB). The bulk of these compact subwoofers are discretely floor-mounted in voids and gaps other subs would not be able to squeeze into, another benefit of its unique design. Floor-standing subs often double up as drinks tables, so a customised sloping was added on top of the cabinet to deter its use as such.

The lack of acoustics is exasperated by steel walls and false, low ceilings. However, these characteristics have been mitigated by configuring Bose ControlSpace ESP (Engineered Sound Processor) settings in each zone. Integrating I/O capabilities and serial connectivity via RS-232 or Ethernet saves time for the QE2’s IT technicians who can remotely control the parameters from their laptops and smartphones.

The individual zones are powered by FreeSpace IZA 2120-HZ integrated zone amplifiers. In addition to providing ample headroom, the FreeSpace amplifiers also include loudspeaker EQ settings in addition to Opti-voice paging that enhances speech intelligibility, while providing seamless transitions and balanced music at any volume level.

Although the Bose loudspeakers can be configured and managed remotely via the Dante infrastructure, the separate zones are not interconnected. BMTS’ team focused on installing individual Bose speaker systems in each zone that would create BGM up to full-range foreground music in addition to paging and announcements.

Exuding all the glitz of a bygone era, the Grand Lounge can accommodate 230 seated guests in a cabaret-style venue focusing on a grand stage hosting performances, speeches and presentations. Powered by PowerMatch amplifiers, an

Fill zones along the corridors are served by FreeSpace DS 40SE surface-mount models L-R ShowMatch line array system combines three SMS5 DeltaQ (directivity) full-range array modules with a single SMS118 subwoofer on either side of the stage. A choice of 70° or 100° horizontal coverage can be offered by the dual 8-inch modules in addition to an optional 55° waveguide accessory. Likewise, the splay can be adjusted in 1° increments from 0–5° to provide more consistent coverage over a wide frequency range. Vertically mounted on columns, four RMU208 dual 8-inch loudspeakers provide side- and rearfill reinforcement.

On the deck below, the Chart Room is also adorned with further RMU208 speakers. Like the RMU205 models, the inherent 90° x 60° constant-directivity HF horn, which is removable and rotatable, enabled the BMTS technicians to horizontally install these firing towards the interior away from the outer glazing. Serving as zone-fills, the corridors running along the length of the QE2 are also furnished with further quantities of horizontally installed RMU208s. Once again, the inclusive U-bracket and M8 threaded inserts ensured ease of installation.

Located towards the rear of the Upper Deck, the Yacht Club boasts panoramic views of Dubai’s iconic skyline and marina.

The FreeSpace cabinets provide reinforcement all along the outer corridors

The exclusive setting accommodates up to 350 people for private parties and weddings, for which twin F1 Model 812 Flexible Array loudspeaker systems reinforce bands and DJs while enticing guests towards the dancefloor. Vertical coverage of the powered portable speakers can be controlled by either pushing or pulling the array into position to create ‘straight’, ‘C’, ‘J’ or ‘reverse J’ patterns. Once set, the EQ is automatically changed to maintain optimum tonal balance for each coverage pattern. Serving either as side-fills or as a surround sound system, further RMU105 models are horizontally mounted along the walls of the retro interior.

Fixed to the peripheral steel architecture of the rear Boat Decks on both levels, multiple LT 9403 models promote outdoor entertainment when the Dubai heat and humidity allow. The 15-inch models are equipped with midrange V2 manifold and a large-format waveguide offering 90° x 40° pattern within a 50Hz to 16kHz frequency range (±3dB).

Although the open-cell foam behind the stainless steel grille provides protection from the elements, dust covers were deemed essential to block out the extreme heat, humidity and sunshine.

The diversity of Bose speakers is extended on the Boat Deck where FreeSpace DS 40SE surface-mount speakers provide 125° x 125° coverage pattern down to 80Hz (±3dB). Other zones such as the Chart Room Bar required a more sensitive BGM solution so as not to distract from the chic ambience of the full-length bar. Here, FreeSpace DS 100F flush-mount ceiling speakers combine high output with a wide, 160° conical pattern down to 75Hz (±3dB).

‘During the 10-day installation time, two of our engineers worked around-the-clock for four days to get the job done,’ adds Al Mazroei. ‘The existing infrastructure was maximised without making any alterations. It was truly the success of teamwork with all contractors working together with a singleminded goal.’

Dubai’s hotels have differentiated themselves over the years with sky-high tennis courts, aquariums and ski slopes. Having permanently docked to its retro hull in Port Rashid, the QE2 heralds a new chapter for the diversifying Emirate. ‘The ship’s age gives it an edge in Dubai’s hotel market,’ concludes PCFC Hotels CEO, Hamza Mustafa. ‘The QE2 offers something with a lot of historic value – in fact the ocean liner, launched by the UK’s Queen Elizabeth II in 1967, is four years older than the formation of the UAE itself.’ www.bmts.ae www.bose.ae

This is not Dubai – a visit to the Golden Lion pub can confuse guests

www.qe2.com

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Lavender disguises the ceiling-suspended Artec 6 and Artec 8 cabinets

Home from home 3VJH[LK VU [OL NYV\UK ÅVVY VM (KKYLZZ +\IHP 4HSS *La PZ TH_PTPZPUN P[Z HWWLHS [V ZOVWWLYZ HUK N\LZ[Z HSPRL Richard Lawn ]PZP[Z AS THE HOLDER OF THE DUBAI MALL’S FIRST ALCOHOL licence, Cez can extend its charms long into the night many hours after the morning’s first café latte has been served. Distinguishing itself further with a natural kitchen atmosphere, lavender flower displays climbing ceiling trellises and a pair of overhead glazed domes, the venue suffered an initial identity crisis owing to the numerous possibilities that its unique location and architectural design offer.

Having initially designated Cez as a late evening venue, Dolce Hospitality changed the format to a lounge then a restaurant, before finally succumbing to a mixed lounge/ restaurant concept. These changes occurred while construction dust was still being created and with the audio design being drawn up. Fortunately, for distributor Procom Middle East, its SI division could cater for these amendments as technical manager and audio systems designer for Cez, Anro Schroeder, explains.

‘We selected an Artec audio system for the loudspeakers from DAS Audio on account of its compact power handling features and streamline look. The interior designer wasn’t keen on seeing loudspeakers distracting the visual impact of the architecture and so we opted for an Artec 26 model as the main loudspeaker.’

Marketing itself on the cabinet’s aesthetic virtues, it’s worth noting that Artec also provides powerful, even BGM and foreground music coverage that could soothe an interior designer’s fluctuating mood. Measuring 545mm x 200mm (LxW), the slim, dual 6-inch cabinet weighs just 9kg and is perfect in a wide variety of fixed installations. ‘Not only are they relatively powerful yet unobtrusive, the Artec 26 comes with U-brackets, accessories, fixing points and two M8 threaded inserts to provide multiple mounting options,’ furthers Schroeder.

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The extended lounge area adjacent to the Address Dubai Mall lobby

The elegant interior design of Cez called upon a sensitively applied DAS Audio loudspeaker solution

As the venue was repurposed to a restaurant format, Schroeder opted for a ceiling speaker solution in the 5m-high main dining area. ‘Unfortunately, the ceiling had been closed off by the builders, so we had to create new cable ducting for this option.’ Using Autocad drawings, EASE Focus simulations led to seven CL-8 passive models being inserted into the newly created voids. The 100V line system is powered by one of the two PA-2700 amplifier channels, running from the main rack behind the DJ mixer.

Having finally opted for a hybrid restaurant and lounge use, the loudspeaker solution was once again tweaked to fit. Four Artec 526 speakers cover the bar area where higher SPLs are warranted later in the evening, while DJs operate from an adjacent Pioneer DDJ-SZ2 dual deck controller. Vertically mounted and powered by a dual-channel PA-2700 amplifier,

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Two domes provided acoustic problems during the design phase two of the speakers have been mounted to the adjacent walls firing towards the bar, while the other pair are horizontally fixed above the bar area.

A number of Artec 6s and Artec 8s have been deployed elsewhere to provide even coverage as day turns to night. With the exception of a pair of Artec 8s used for DJ monitoring, the other Artec cabinets are largely invisible, hidden from customers behind the growth of lavender. Finally, four DAS Audio 15P bass-reflex subwoofers powered by two PA-4000 amplifiers extend the low frequencies when required to 40Hz (±10dB).

With the speakers fixed into position and the amplifiers providing more than ample headroom for the multifunctional room’s varied uses, Symetrix Jupiter 8 provided the required system settings and calibration.

‘There are five zones in total, including

Horizontally fixed Artec 26 speakers above the Cez bar

An Artec 26 cabinet is enhanced in the lower frequencies by a floor-standing 15P subwoofer

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a separate private dining area and the lobby entrance to the mall. Each zone was adjusted in terms of gain structure, EQ and limiting, especially the ceiling series, to ensure they were protected from higher system levels. Finally, the duty manager can control level and source controls from an Arc-2e wall controller behind the DJ booth.

Not only is Dolce Hospitality furnished with a discrete audio system, the mixed Artec and CL-8 combination provides even coverage throughout and venue flexibility from opening time to lights out. ‘The interior design restrictions ensured that we could only install the speakers in certain areas, but luckily the Artecs are stylish loudspeakers that can adapt themselves well. As the room’s function changed, we had to rework the design but, again, DAS Audio’s varied catalogue of speaker solutions allowed us to adapt accordingly,’ Schroeder further elucidates. www.procom-me.com

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FEATURES: RECORDING

Hot Soap Studios A blend of new and old is the key to putting Cyprus’ newest commercial studio on the map, writes Simon Luckhurst FROM PRODUCTION TO CONSUMPTION, THE RECORDING industry is almost unrecognisable from just a decade ago.

Whether this is down to new technology changing the way people work or the rising popularity of different buying platforms like Apple Music and Spotify skewing the old economic model is not for this article to answer. But the fact remains that opening a large-scale commercial recording facility requires more due diligence now than ever before.

In contrast to its European neighbours, Cyprus is currently enjoying a growing recording industry, with more and more international artists and producers making the realisation they can now achieve great quality results there at a fraction of the cost. This is somewhat of a new phenomenon.

Historically, artists tended to go to neighbouring Greece to forge a career, but the recent economic situation has turned everything on its head.

What can be done to ensure success in an uncertain market? Being situated in the heart of a city with good travel connections and widespread accommodation is perhaps one tactic. Providing potential clients with a unique atmosphere conducive to their creative work, might be another. However, most ultimately, letting the equipment and technology do the talking. Hot Soap Studios is fortunate enough to champion all three. Located in the heart of the Cypriot city of Larnaca, the business has just opened its doors after a lengthy renovation project to transform it from an old seventies’ abandoned house into an everyday place of work. This is the vision of Jordanian owner, Kais Khoury.

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Studio manager Andreas Matheou The renovation work started back in September 2017 with the appropriate specifications for the building to function as a recording studio. ‘The original look and feel of the house were left intact due to its seventies’ design, as it was felt that provides a nice and unique vibe for the studio, but the interior and inner layout of the house were changed completely,’ recalls studio manager, Andreas Matheou. ‘Hot Soap is the only commercial recording studio in Larnaca and it’s located right in the heart of the city. Furthermore, the architecture of the building is also very unique, and the high wooden roof of the live room gives a really nice vibe as well as some lively reverberation to our recordings.’

Enlisted to help transform the space into a studio environment capable of catering for any type of audio

production, from music to advertising and voiceovers, Technosound got involved right from the start of the project and supplied all the equipment. Acoustics were taken care of by Pacoustics, which did a complete study of the area and made recommendations for the Technosound technicians, Philippos Nicolaides and Matheos Matheou. This resulted in the use of moving acoustic panels that allow the space to be tailored according to the specific project being worked on.

‘Andreas Matheou, who is actively involved in the project and also a very good friend, came and asked us to get involved,’ recalls Technosound managing director, Gregory Gregoriou. ‘I believe we had a very good understanding of what the project was about and we also provided our input. The priorities for us are not only to meet the customer’s needs and specifications, but to deliver the best-possible results at the best-possible value. The equipment selection is key to this and, of course, we suggested some equipment based on the needs of the project and they also proposed some specific equipment they needed to have. It was a mix of ideas from both sides.’

Tucked away at the back of the building and taking pride of place in the 30m2 Hot Soap control room is a Solid State Logic AWS 924 ѝelta console, selected for its ability to provide the classic analogue sound SSL is known for, while still retaining good DAW integration.

‘It provides a big advantage to the workflow of the studio,’ explains Gregoriou. ‘Initially, they were actually planning to have some outboard mic pres and a DAW controller, but the AWS was a much better solution for the kind of workflow they wanted and even adds a different kind of pedigree to the studios.’

FEATURES: RECORDING The AWS is typically fed from a pair of Universal Apollo 16 interfaces, while projects at Hot Soap are normally worked on in Avid Pro Tools (Steinberg’s Cubase 9 is also used). ‘The Apollos provide great AD/DA conversion for a very good price – they’re really great value,’ says Gregoriou. ‘They also provide first-class DSP and plug-ins that are unlike anything else available in terms of DSP/DAW processing and effects.’

Coincidentally, a special offer running from the audio interface manufacturer meant two free UAD-2 satellites were supplied to support the two Apollo 16s and maximise their DSP capabilities.

‘They now have a massive amount of DSP and all of the UA plugins to work with on their projects,’ he furthers.

As the studio would largely be working in the box, Gregoriou also recommend the Komplete Ultimate library of sound from Native Instruments. ‘This is always a suggestion from me, and people are never disappointed. If you work in the box a lot, this package can cover a large percentage of your requirements, with nearly every kind of sound needed during productions. It’s good for any studio to start with and then they can add other bits for specific uses on top.’

Tying up the analogue and digital realms is a Switchraft 9625 patch bay that comes highly recommended by the Technosound MD. ‘It’s a brand we use for all our main studio projects in Cyprus. Their products always work flawlessly and the 9625 patch bay, in particular, provides very easy installation, it’s very easy to use and gives you a lot of flexibility to have your normal, halfnormal and full-normal operation.’

Completing the hardware setup in the control room is a dual monitoring solution featuring Dynaudio Lyd 7s functioning as the main monitors, with Genelec 8050BPs to provide a second ‘flavour’.

Flanking the control room is the large, 66m2 main live room that boasts a 6m-high wooden ceiling and has been equipped with movable panels to adjust the reverberation of the room.

A selection of popular mics from Sennheiser, Shure, AKG, Electro-Voice, Neumann and Royer are on hand for recording, alongside beyerdynamic DT770 and DT100, AKG K271 and Koss

AS YOU WISH

The SSL AWS 924 connected to an iMac running Avid Pro Tools

Dual Apollo 16s serve as the audio interface

The main live room

Qz-99 headphones for monitoring, fed from a PreSonus HP-60 headphone amplifier. ‘They needed a selection of microphones capable of covering all of the different types of audio recordings they make,’ says Gregoriou. ‘We provided a variety of all the main microphones out there.’ Connected to the main live room is a smaller space of around 10m2 that can function as a silent room, vocal booth or amp room.

While the wheels were set in motion at Hot Soap Studios well over a year ago now, thorough planning from the outset meant that installation itself was relatively straightforward. ‘It was helped by the fact that the building was renovated with these plans and intentions in mind, everything was new and had been taken care of,’ notes Gregoriou. ‘In terms of equipment, everything worked well from the first time we turned it on. As Pro Tools and Cubase would both be used, we did some set up work to allow the desk to function as smoothly as possible with both programs. This was a bit tricky but we managed to complete as planned.’

As the only serious commercial studio in Larnaca, it would have been simple for Hot Soap to take the easy approach and rely on tried-and-tested traditional workflows but, as the studio manager notes, ‘the AWS 924 is a very big selling point for us and definitely adds an edge to the workflow here. It will take an adjustment period to see exactly how the functionality and workflow of the space works out, but so far we’re very happy we went for this option.’

In contrast to just a few years ago, Cyprus now boasts some well-equipped studios and good engineers. The industry’s continued success is in the hands of Cyprus’ new breed of studio owners like Khoury. ‘This has definitely been one of our largest recording studio projects and the feedback has been very good,’ concludes Gregoriou.

‘The work doesn’t end here though and, as with all our customers, we will always be here to help out Hot Soap in the future if they have any issues or we need to expand their system further.’ www.technosound.com.cy

PRODIGY.MC MODULAR AUDIO CONVERTER MULTIPLE FORMATS NETWORKED AUDIO FLEXIBLE I/OS

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NAMM I Stand 10501 ISE I Stand 15R-267

www.directout.eu

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

Going for growth As a complete events solutions company, Dubai-headquartered SLS Production now has its eyes set on a much bigger piece of the pie.

Ledetta Asfa-Wossen learns more IT’S BEEN A PINNACLE YEAR FOR SLS PRODUCTION. Having started out as a fairly small events production company back in 1997, with its early origins in local concerts and weddings, it now holds an ample proportion of the Middle East and international events market and it wants to get its hands on more.

‘What really put SLS on the map locally was delivering the Desert Rock Festivals,’ reflects CEO Martin Luiz on the lead up to the company’s growth. ‘Delivering these events for international artists really allowed us to grow our global database of clients. More recently, delivering shows in Saudi Arabia, including Souk Okaz, the Green Concert for Saudi National Day with Jean-Michel Jarre and the Gov Games for HQWS, is where I think people started to really sit up and take notice that SLS should be taken seriously. Souk Okaz was a six-week event that included us delivering audio, lighting and video, and was broadcast live on TV throughout the Middle East.’

SLS has played a few strategic moves in recent months to expand the company and its focus on audio and, as such, recruited a new head of audio, Dan Dignan, in September last year. Hailing from PRG Gearhouse and Protec and with seven years in the region under his belt, Dignan has worked on major events across the Middle East, including the UAE festival Sandance to Sensation – the largest club night in the UAE – to corporate events such as the Dubai Canal opening.

As well as recruiting new talent, Luiz has been keen to roll out comprehensive training for his team and to give them the necessary knowledge to operate at the levels expected by Dubai’s best production companies.

The push to further its dominance in audio comes with a longer view in mind and KSA is firmly in the company’s

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Martin Luiz, CEO of SLS Production

sights. ‘We are just in the final stages of having a fully serviced turnkey solution in KSA. Our priority for 2019 is to really expand our services there and get a firm foundation to serve our local clients and those who are looking to do business in KSA. We want to be fully up and running in the KSA market,’ adds Luiz.

‘Other than Dubai, KSA has the most potential – but it’s also the most volatile. It helps being next door and it’s easy to get to. Doha, before the restrictions, was an active market; Pakistan and North Africa all have potential too but it’s a matter of getting our foot in the door,’ he enthuses. However,

Luiz admits, that as exciting as the events opportunity in KSA is, there’s still a lack of knowledge and expertise that only adds to the existing logistical and visa issues. Last-minute requests are also harder to pull off there, notes Luiz. Yet he states that, in recent months, regulations have been easing up. Another focus for the business will be to reduce the logistical costs of shipping to KSA. Major investments have been made to the company’s inventory too, to make way for this wider regional focus, and Luiz is keen to attribute a major part of the company’s success to choosing the right suppliers and technology brands in order to keep up with the competition on both a regional and international level.

Over the last few years, the company has worked closely with JBL, Claypaky, Absen and Total Solution. The company has added new suppliers such as L-Acoustics and Robe, as well as DiGiCo and Meyer Sound, to its existing equipment from Vitus and Luminix, among others. Bose FreeSpeak and Clear-Com HelixNet communication systems, as well as the Shure Axient Digital ADX Series, have also been recently added to the roster.

‘Twenty years ago, the UAE was about 10 years behind Europe and America in terms of technology. That gap has significantly closed, and I would suggest that we are only a few years behind Europe now. We’re a company that wants to be pushing technology like everyone else, but the demographics and limited budgets make it more difficult here and it’s harder to get a return on investment. The likes of 4K technology has been spoken about but there’s very few people here in the region that have it or use it. Even TV companies here are not filming in 4K. They’ve only just recently moved from 4:3 to 16:9. Companies are pushing

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE ahead, he notes, will be improving adaptability. ‘As much as equipment and inventory serve as the backbone to the business, there will always be alternate solutions out there to counter any potential shortfall for a requirement, leading customers to potentially seek out other suppliers or partners.

A significant challenge for our management is increasing capability and competitiveness of the crew to operate and execute whatever is expected of them. No matter how advanced your tools are, the people behind it hold the key. As we invest in our inventory, we have to keep investing in our own people. Developing expertise in what we do helps us to avoid any challenges to delivering the best-suited technical solutions. There is no point in having all this amazing inventory, without the expertise to use it,’ explains Luiz.

Like many businesses, with SLS, any cap to its relentless drive is a question of finance. Luiz is hungr y for the firm to explore the vast potential of video, which he believes could outstrip the demand for both audio and lighting. ‘Technology is always improving. But, with video, ever y year, there’s always something innovative happening. The oppor tunity is massive, but to keep up with the current trends and new technology means a lot of investment,’ says Luiz. ‘We’ve been getting more and more inquiries over the last six months. But, unfor tunately, as budgets are car ved, 99% of these inquiries come to nothing.’ www.slspro.net

One of the five screens provided by SLS, a 12m x 7m 8.9mm mesh LED screen for laser projection but, unfortunately, we’re in a region of the globe where we’re chasing technology rather than being at the forefront of it. But, with Expo 2020, this might be the opportunity to catch up. Not just for us but for the AV industry as a whole. Some of the global trends such as augmented reality, virtual reality and mixed reality have not quite taken off here. They’re here, people are using them, but not to the level I’d expect,’ shares Luiz.

As a result of the tech and staff SLS are bringing in, the company has already outgrown its office and warehouse space over the last financial year. ‘In the UAE, we have offices and warehouses that sit separately, but we are looking to consolidate those under one roof. With all our new purchases, we also want to increase our sqm coverage, and that goes with KSA too.’

However, he’s keen to note that the road to fulfilling the company’s ambitions will be no easy feat. A major challenge

SLS provided full-site lighting to highlight obstacles at the Gov Games

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BUSINESS: COMMENT

A letter from America Dan Daley discusses whether esports is AV’s next championship play VIDEO GAMES AND AV TECHNOLOGY HAVE been coming together in their own sort of adventure in the last couple of years around big one-off events, such as the thousands of fans who piled into the 20,000-seat Air Canada Centre in Toronto for three days last year to watch teams onstage play for the North American championship of League of Legends. However, Mario et al are enjoying these live events so much that they’ve decided to make it a permanent proposition, and that’s going to be big business for professional AV. In the last year, esports has begun building its own physical infrastructure: there’s the 9,150m2 multilevel Esports Arena Las Vegas, opened in the Luxor hotel and casino

by Allied Esports International, which also operates five other arenas in the US and elsewhere; and the new US$10 million stadium in Arlington, Texas that weighs in at 30,500m2 and has the capacity for 1,000 spectators.

The trend towards esports’ physical presence is being reinforced from another, critical avenue: college sports departments that have been quickly bolting on new esports teams that are now one of the schools’ varsity sports teams, alongside their traditional football and basketball squads, the basic building blocks of American collegiate sports. Esports now also has its own governing organisation – the National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE) completed its first national convention in Atlanta in August, attended by 139 colleges and universities that have already instituted or plan to add varsity-level esports. And collegiate planners are already including esports at university as part of their recruitment strategies. Boola Boola, indeed.

Esports needs AV If baseball needs bats and basketball needs hoops, esports needs audio and video systems. Where large-screen video and

concert-level line array sound systems are supplemental to conventional sports venues, that kind of mega AV is literally existential to esports venues. Players sit at 40- and 50-inch displays for games but those battles are projected onto ever-larger videowalls for audiences to watch on, and the sound is just as big.

And the money is there for this burgeoning sector: esports is expected to become a US$1 billion industry by 2019 and US$2.3 billion by 2022. It’s big business, it happened quickly and it’s still making up its own rules, something that the AV professionals this young industry will rely on to create its immersive environments are looking at carefully, wondering where it might go.

The esports phenomenon is already an incipient juggernaut, building on its own momentum and, inevitably, its own hype.

However, there is still a way to go before the joystick takes over from the bat and ball. Best practices need to be established and technical

standards determined. And while the financial wherewithal is there to get things started, esports is still a long way from the NFL or the Premier League. The NFL alone earned about US$14 billion last season, while esports might hit a tenth of that by 2020, and with most of that revenue likely going to software title owners and players.

A front-row seat It’s rare that an industry gets to see the equivalent of a nova appear: a new market sector that will rely on existing technology as its basis but that has the potential to take that technology to new heights – esports’ connections to AR, VR and AI are clear and exciting – and to make a boatload of money in the process for those who can build its infrastructure. It may be a niche for now, but not for long, so familiarise yourself with Fortnite, because it’s coming to a stadium near you soon.

A letter from Europe Phil Ward HZRZ HYL ^L Z\ɈLYPUN MYVT 3PZ[VTHUPH& (sic) WHY DO WE HAVE TOP 40-STYLE CHARTS? Sometimes it seems like the whole industry is based around them: radio playlists, television shows, documentaries, shopping lists, Christmas bonuses, pet food, etc.

They establish the biggest stars, true – whether or not you think they’re the best acts. They provide statistics on the biggest hits – whether or not you think they’re the best songs. And they indicate, roughly, who’s made the most money – extremely useful information for tax inspectors and lawyers.

This information is also seized upon by those responsible for marketing budgets.

The theory is as follows: if the numbers stack up, the artists they stack up behind are ipso facto the most popular, and therefore the ones that audiences will crave to watch and listen to, day in, day out. No other criteria are necessary, and the chart positions speak for themselves.

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In the process, quantity – the gold- and platinum-plated index of sales – becomes confused with quality. Now, I am the most ardent admirer of pop producers from Mickie Most to Pete Waterman and others who made excellent, disposable pop that must conform to its own benchmarks of quality. It’s not easy, and it can be judged on merits that usually include chart positioning. But this is only one dimension to music production, perhaps the most intangible, and cannot be the sole and ultimate foundation of criticism.

There’s nothing wrong with having favourites. There are 100 albums in my Top 10, if not more. But to suppose a national barometer represents everyone’s favourites is to invoke one of democracy’s most baffling conundrums. Indeed, rarely does John Stuart Mill’s tyranny of the majority find such fertile ground as in chart territory – not just music but films, TV ratings, books, pub guides, recipes for tiramisu, anything. It

creates a reductive and diminishing hierarchy in which pluralism and diversity take a back seat: the oppression, if you will, of the interests of any minority of opinion.

So when the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) announced the first-ever National Album Day in October, with a ‘week-long buildup of events and activities celebrating the UK’s love of the album’, I for one was overjoyed at this renaissance of the LP and – more than anything – the recognition of a resurgence of sales (in no particular order) of vinyl pressings. It seems part of a simmering dissatisfaction with streaming and downloading, and not simply with the integral quality or otherwise of MP3 files and their own special kind of reductive behaviour. The fondness for the vinyl album is equally to do with the ergonomics of the product: the ownership of a solid object; the format of the collections carved in plastic; and, of course, the sleeves and their artwork.

In fact, so important are the sleeves that an exhibition of famous album graphic design was announced simultaneously, and ran at major railway stations across the UK. Take it to the people, guys. A perfectly respectable panel of judges from record labels, design and retail selected 70 famous, and infamous, covers for the exhibition, and that would have been that … but guess what? Listen to this: ‘Alongside the exhibition, there will be a public vote for the top three album artwork choices, which will then determine the UK’s ultimate album cover.’

I give up. We can’t be content with a dignified observance of the multifarious creative forces behind one of the 20thcentury’s greatest cultural and commercial achievements, oh no. We have to have a winner. Arbitrarily decided by the random choices of passers-by, on their way to work.

Honestly, this fetish will destroy us.

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BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

To LED or not to LED?

Has Samsung’s new Onyx LED solution changed the game for cinema projection manufacturers? Simon Luckhurst investigates FOR MANY, THE TRADITIONAL CINEMA EXPERIENCE IS A nostalgic affair, with unique aspects that can’t be replicated at home. In the days of bulky cathode-ray tube TVs, taking in a movie from the comfort of your sofa could never live up to witnessing the action on the big screen.

Some of that uniqueness, however, has been eroded as ever-larger and higher-resolution displays appear in our living rooms, accompanied by an increasing amount of speakers.

And now it appears that the very technology driving our flat screens at home could one day replace the familiar flicker of the projector beam overhead.

A little over a year ago, Samsung debuted a cinema screen composed of LED panels. This marked a radical shift from the theatre projection systems used since the birth of cinema, and screens have now been installed across Asia, Europe and the US. The largest Onyx screen to date has just been installed at Beijing Capital Cinemas, measuring 14m wide.

‘Our customers expect a different and memorable theatre experience that is both worthy of their investment and reflective of the Wanda Cinemas brand,’ says Qi Wang, vice president of Wanda Cinemas’ Wujiaochang theatre in Shanghai, the first multiplex in the world to install Samsung’s LED technology in all of its screens.

The new solution, which Samsung is calling Onyx due to the strong blacks made possible by the lack of a projector light, is fast gaining traction as complexes search for new ways to differentiate themselves from the competition.

‘We just opened a multiplex in China with six LED screens,’ says Sunil Karanjikar, senior manager, application engineering, Harman India, who has tuned the audio systems in nearly all of the Onyx installations worldwide.

‘They were building a new cinema and figured out that if they went with all LED screens, they could squeeze in another room.’

Key to the rapid uptake is Onyx’s status as the world’s first DCI (Digital Cinema Initiatives) compliant LED screen, vital for getting access to cinema content.

Samsung is offering Onyx in three packages that vary in screen size and resolution, including a DCI version with 4K resolution. One of the main selling points of Onyx is brightness, with a peak luminance of 146FL (500cd/m²), far in excess of the standard theatrical luminance of 14FL (48cd/ m²). This is reportedly bright enough for the screen to be used in lights-on applications such as eSports or concerts. And,

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Cinema has come a long way from the 35mm film projector according to Samsung, brightness is not the only benefit.

‘Onyx is able to display true blacks as the black colours don’t emit any light,’ says Karanjikar. ‘With an emissive screen, if you want a black you don’t light up that particular pixel, which is why you get a truer black. In a projection system where you can’t shut off the lamp, the only way to achieve a true black is by adding tiny mirrors to block the light – DLP projectors.’

But what are the ramifications for audio if cinemas upgrade to LED? Traditional screens are perforated so speakers can simply be installed behind them and fire straight through.

This isn’t possible with a solid LED screen.

In the first major example of synergy between the two companies since Samsung acquired Harman, Onyx is

Capital Cinema in Beijing has just installed the largest Samsung Onyx screen to date

complemented by JBL’s Sculpted Surround technology, consisting of the existing 9350, 9320, 9310 and 9300 cinema speakers, plus the newly designed 3773. The boxes look straight but are internally angled using what Harman calls a ‘Dual Dissimilar Array Technology – two high-frequency loudspeakers that shoot down at an angle to adapt to the audience seating geometry. Additionally, the screen centre channel is augmented with the new CRF2 ‘Reflector Horns’ that shoot high frequency energy to the centre of the screen and bounce the audio back at the audience.

‘Getting loudspeakers above the screens has enabled better coverage front-to-back because now we have the loudspeaker further away,’ explains Karanjikar.

Three channels – L-C-R – are placed above the screen, while the surround channels around the sides of the theatre are angled at 15° towards the screen rather than towards the audience. ‘This unique deployment now enables a much bigger sweet-spot than a traditional system,’ states Karanjikar. ‘The Screen L-C-R channels are processed by a specialised algorithm in the BSS BLU DSP processors called the DE-Elevation Filter, which in conjunction with the CRF2 help to alter the perceived source of the screen channels at the desired elevation, mimicking the sound source through the screen.’

So are we now seeing the beginnings of a shift towards the mainstream use of LED screens in cinemas? Two of the industry’s biggest names in the traditional cinema projection business – Barco and Christie – seem to have very different mindsets. Remember, both of these companies already offer their own line of LED solutions, albeit not intended or designed for cinema applications.

For Barco, there’s a more important hurdle for cinema projection systems to overcome first – the lack of HDR support.

‘The majority of systems available today are based on SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) projection systems,’ explains Bas van Heek, strategic marketing manager for Cinionic, a newly created joint venture of which Barco is a major shareholder.

‘True HDR is the result of special recording and grading and requires specific investment from studios and distributors.

This is the next big thing in cinema as the audience expects a better image quality, simply because the superior image experience is the exact reason why people visit cinemas above watching movies at home. Hence, the movie industry has to evolve into a true HDR era.’

BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY Current screen technology based on projection hit its limits with SDR and EDR (Enhanced Dynamic Range), so isn’t this another setback for the future of projection?

‘For true HDR image quality, new technology is required and today only two technologies are capable of displaying true HDR – LED and Barco’s Light Steering Technology,’ concedes van Heek. ‘So, are we moving towards an era of LED cinema projection? We cannot say for the moment. But we are definitely moving towards an era of HDR cinema and, for this, new technology is required. The real question is what technology will deliver the best and most natural HDR image quality to the moviegoer.’

While not many details have been released about how it works yet, Barco’s answer to increasing projector brightness and ensuring HDR compatibility – Light Steering Technology – was previewed recently at CinemaCon. As the name suggests, light is being directed so that less gets wasted, but that’s pretty much all the company has divulged at the time of writing.

Looking further afield, the Dutch manufacturer does also see potential for LED cinema technology, even if it might take time for it to be financially competitive with projection.

‘Barco is constantly looking into opportunities and markets for its LED technology and cinema is definitely one we are monitoring very closely,’ confirms van Heek. ‘As soon as the market proves to be ready, a positive business case for

The Barco Espace cInema in Dubai’s Marina Mall

Christie’s 6P dual-laser projection system all stakeholders can be presented and true HDR content is available, Barco will have an answer for the HDR era to come.’

Christie, meanwhile, doesn’t anticipate a radical shift soon and is fully supporting the future of front projection.

‘Although the entrance of LEDs as a cinema-illumination technology has garnered a lot of press in the past few years, they still need to evolve to meet the requirements of cinemas,’ states Christie’s Brian Claypool, VP product management, global cinema. ‘Christie has several core focuses, among them cinema projection and LED displays.

Based on our experience, expertise and research, we are of the view that front projection is still the most optimal and viable imaging technology for cinemas; certainly until such time as LED screens are economical to purchase, install and operate within the stringent requirements of the cinema world.’

It would be easy to assume these were hollow words intended to reassure existing projector owners, but Christie is also putting its money where its mouth is.

‘We are 100% committed to investing in R&D for cinema projection technology,’ continues Claypool. ‘At CinemaCon 2018, we announced our agreement with Wanda Film Holding to jointly establish an R&D centre for cinema technology within the Wanda Studios’ site in Qingdao,

China. Christie will exclusively operate the facility for advanced R&D of digital cinema projection systems.’

While there are headline-grabbing LED cinema installations already happening, such as Wanda’s now all-LED Wujiaochang theatre, the majority of multiplex owners will explore a variety of technological offerings. ‘Some cinema chains are using, singly or in combination, a variety of illumination, including xenon lamp-based projection, laser phosphor projection, RGB laser projection and, now, just the beginning of LED displays for delivering movies,’ says Claypool. ‘In time it will shake out and we believe that RGB laser projectors will be the de-facto choice for new installs and replacement of xenon systems, with a few more LED screens emerging worldwide. At this point in time, there are still a number of practical and maintenance reasons that swing in the favour of projection systems.’

So while a new technology and new competitor may have joined the cinema market, it seems those heavily invested in projection technology have already formulated a response. The projector’s days inside cinema complexes might be numbered, but there’s still plenty of life left in the lamp for the time being. www.barco.com www.christiedigital.com www.samsung.com

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

AES New York *HYY`PUN VU MYVT ^OLYL P[ SLM[ VÉ&#x2C6; PU [OL (\KPV ,UNPULLYPUN :VJPL[` (,: VWLULK P[Z KVVYZ HSVUNZPKL [OL 5() :OV^ 5L^ @VYR JOINING FORCES WITH THE NAB SHOW AT THE JACOB K Javits Center has, in many ways, resurrected the fortunes of a trade show that not so long ago was more attuned to looking back nostalgically. Celebrating its 70th anniversary, AES has embraced the developing technologies of the future, allowing it to host a diverse platform with universal appeal.

Following on from last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s theme of Maximum Audio, this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Connect enveloped an enormous amount of informative and educational workshops, panels, papers, lectures, technical tours and technology under one glazed roof. Offering the independent NAB Show New York an adjacent hall with mutual access granted for all badge holders has been a masterstroke for both shows, promoting the cross-pollination of resources and ensuring greater appeal for exhibitors.

No longer alternating between the West and East Coasts every other year, the AES Convention feels more at home in New York than it ever did in San Francisco or Los Angeles.

Neighbouring Broadwayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world-class theatres, the West Side location entices more than just venue technicians and owners along to the show ďŹ&#x201A;oor. There is always a healthy amount of studio, postproduction and broadcasting engineers in addition to international dealers that beneďŹ t from the educational seminars and the crowded exhibition aisles.

Looking back, the ďŹ rst AES meeting took place in February 1948 at the Big Appleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RCA Victor recording studios.

Outgoing AES president David Scheirman Seventy years ago, the audio industry was pioneering the LP record and the transistor radio. Early pioneers focused on their common interests such as PA systems, studio design, wire recording and high-quality home reproduction. Owing to the laws of physics, some aspects of audio technology have not changed in seven decades, but overall the show ďŹ&#x201A;oor bears no resemblance to the one just a decade ago.

Emerging technologies and the results of audio research continue to be highlighted in the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. The continued integration of VR, immersive audio, networking and audio over IP (AoIP) were perhaps the dominant themes on the AES show ďŹ&#x201A;oor. Meanwhile, AV over IP and SMPTE 2011 played out

Sunset at the Javits Center

PESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Kyle Walker helped to promote Shureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s conferencing technologies NUGEN Audioâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Freddy Vinehill-Cliffe and Sophie Guest demonstrated the Loudness Toolkit 2.8 software

Stevie Wonder tries out the Zylia ZM-1

Per Lundahl celebrates Lundahl Transformersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 60th anniversary

Riedelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Joe Commare divided his time between the NAB and AES booths

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Ross Videoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pete Ross

a familiar tune on the NAB New York show ďŹ&#x201A;oor under a banner of Disruption and Ingenuity.

Once-shunned market sectors such as live sound and gaming continue to make signiďŹ cant strides forwards within the AES programme. While panels and workshops addressed live sound and project studio recording, game audio, podcasting and VR discussions also appeared on the agenda. Their very inclusion adds new appeal â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and visitors such as students â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to a show that has long been steeped in traditional recording techniques offering less relevance in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commercial world. The dynamic nature of the audio business dictates that if AES is to prosper, then it must embrace changing trends in how the latest generation wants to spend its leisure time.

As in 2017, the staging of two shows posed a dilemma for several companies including Avid, Clear-Com, Lawo and Riedel. The 2017 ROIs must have been favourable as they returned to exhibit at both shows concurrently. NAB Show New York may be a greatly scaled-down version of its Las Vegas big brother, but it manages to bring major brands such as Blackmagic Design, Panasonic and Ross Video to its show ďŹ&#x201A;oor by allowing them to interact with East Coast broadcasters, dealers and production companies.

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW Promoting its IP over audio solutions including the IP-64 digital control surface and the LXE digital platform, Wheatstone’s Phil Owens was pleased with the two-day show. ‘It’s a good exhibition not only to meet East Coast and Canadian TV station broadcasters, but also colleges and universities,’ he said.

Several companies had taken the decision to exhibit at both shows. So while the mc²96 and mc²56 mixing consoles integrating d&b’s DS100 signal engine, Kick 3.0 close-ball automation and A__UHD Core engine were demonstrated on its AES stand, Lawo was showcasing its IP video infrastructure technologies and Ruby radio console on its NAB booth. ‘It was a difficult decision to make,’ explained Andreas Hilmer. ‘If we only had a booth on the NAB side, we’d be accused of abandoning audio and vice versa, so we opted for both. Hopefully, in time, the two shows will be integrated.’

Riedel had a similar dilemma, opting to promote an Artist intercom panel within the AoIP Pavilion at AES, while demonstrating the MediorNet Compact Pro, Bolero platform and more video-centric products at NAB. ‘It’s a high-cost venue with drayage fees here at the Javits and you wait around for many hours after the show before you can ship your exhibits,’ pointed out Riedel’s Joe Commare. ‘After NAB and InfoComm, this is our third biggest show and the visitor turnout seems good.’ Clear-Com also exhibited its Eclipse HX, FreeSpeak II, HelixNet and LQ-R platforms at both shows, while RTS decided to simply exhibit its new Odin platform and KP-5032 and KP-4016 key panels exclusively at NAB. Avid targeted both shows with different visitors in mind.

The company’s NAB booth beckoned broadcasters and postproduction engineers engaged in sports production and video editing with Maestro, MediaCentral, Media Composer and Avid Artist. The Venue S6L modular mixing system appealed to live sound engineers at AES, while Pro Tools, the S3 and HD Native were demonstrated to audiophiles. In addition, the Avid Partner section hosted technologies from Dolby, NUGEN Audio, RTW, Sonnox and Audionamix, which demonstrated the latest XTrax Stems 2 and IDC software packages.

Audionamix’s Doc Kylian was kept busy demonstrating IDC and ADX Trax software solutions

Noted engineer-mixer Al Schmitt presents Neumann president Wolfgang Fraissinet with a special award

Nokia Technonologies’ Jyri Huopaniemi attended the 145th AES to promote OZO audio software

Traditional AES Convention attractions such as the platinum producer, engineer and mastering panels, technical tours, educational and historical presentations and lunchtime keynotes provided over 400 cumulative hours of information and precipitated a positive buzz over four days. Once again, the Live Sound Expo at the rear of the exhibition hall attracted novices and veterans alike during its concert tour sound day. Panel experts such as noted engineers and producers Al Schmitt, Bob Clearmountain and Toni Visconti make AES a special event that cannot be replicated.

Software pioneer Waves continues to exemplify how a modern manufacturer needs to survive and prosper by creating plug-ins for competing manufacturers. Endorsed by elite engineers, Waves exhibited its complete range of hardware and plug-ins, including the latest TG Mastering Chain plug-in alongside the eMotion LV1 digital live mixer loaded with the latest v10 software. Waves’ latest collaboration with Rational Acoustics integrating Smaart analysis software has led to the development of Tract system calibration and the Smaart Di v2 bundle that allows the autocorrection of EQ issues and time-alignment of audio systems.

Sennheiser’s Jamie Criswell demonstrating the micro SK6212 transmitter

‘AES is definitely on an upward curve,’ assessed RTW’s Andreas Tweitmann. ‘The NAB traffic is certainly helping and we’re seeing customers from further afield than New York and the East Coast. More music producers are finally realising the issues of loudness in music production and our latest 19-inch TM9 TouchMonitor has attracted good interest.

In conjunction with the Fraunhofer Institute, we are also as important a topic as loudness.’

Antelope Audio’s Donald Spacht

Audinate VP of marketing Joshua Rush

The Mogami line-up The AoIP Pavilion at AES drew visitors

DirectOut’s Claudio Becker-Foss

Blackmagic Design’s Bob Caniglia

AES sales director Graham Kirk

Dynaudio’s Rune Jacobson promoted the 48 monitor and 18S subwoofer

The Live Sound Stage was another diversion for AES visitors

DPA’s Anne Berggrein and friend modelling the new d:screet Core 6060 miniature mic

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW Consoles designed for recording, postproduction and broadcasting applications were in good supply. DiGiCo showcased its SD7 console with the Quantum 7 engine and 4REA4 networking technology. In addition, the manufacturer also demonstrated the S App allowing wireless remote control of the SD12, S21 and S31 consoles. Fellow Audiotonix brands were all present including Allen & Heath with the SQ-7 and dLive, while Calrec highlighted its Brio36 and Apollo consoles with the new Type R for radio products in NAB. For SSL, AES was a triumphant return as the company promoted its Fusion (XLogic and Sigma), Studio (AWS 948 delta), System T and Live L500 console technologies to a cross-section of visitors from recording, postproduction, broadcasting and live sound backgrounds.

Gary Boss woos podcasters with the latest Audio-Technica bundles

Mathias von Heydekampf with a rack of RME converters, preamps and USB interfaces

Massimo Polo with Wisycom’s latest wireless solutions including the MPR52-ENG dual-channel diversity receiver

API removed the wraps from two large-format analogue consoles at AES 2018. Available as a 16-, 32- or 48-channel recording and mixing console, the 1608 II is a 10-year leap forward, featuring the new Final Touch automation system together with mic preamps and EQs on each channel. Also incorporating Final Touch, the 2448 includes dual inputs and stereo returns on each channel.

AMS Neve promoted its Encore automation software together with the 1073 mic pres, the black Genesys digital control surface with new processing plug-ins and the DFC digital film console for Atmos, 3D and Dolby mixing. ‘It’s been a very busy show for us from the outset,’ confirmed Liz Wilkinson. ‘We’ve met a number of film audio engineers who have all received one-on-one tuition on how they can

AMS Neve’s David Critchley operating the control surface of the Digital Film Console

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Cedar Audio’s Gordon Reid demonstrated the portable DNS2 digital noise suppressor transform their workflows quickly on a DFC. It’s definitely been worth the effort in exhibiting.’

Since founding its pro division in 2017, Focusrite continues to extend the RedNet range of networkable interfaces for broadcast, education and installation sectors. In addition to being an audio router, the Red 16Line can also be deployed as a monitor section and cue mixer or a DAW interface.

‘We’re targeting podcasters, studio owners, musicians and broadcasters with our Scarlett, Clarett and OctoPre interfaces,’ confirmed Rich Nevens.

RME promoted a number of its latest Dante networkable devices, while launching the DTOX series of panels for interconnecting D-sub connectors to multichannel XLR breakout boxes. Demonstrating great versatility, the ADI-2 Pro FS 2-in/4-out AD/DA converter also debuted as a USB audio interface in addition to fulfilling roles as a double headphone amplifier, an AD/DA front-end and headphone amp for iOS devices, multi-format converter with monitoring function and DSD record and playback solution.

Traditionally, the manufacturer demonstration rooms have been sparsely attended but, this year, the draw of new products together with innovative playback methods proved too much for many passers-by. JBL transformed its demo suite into a control room by playing Dolby Atmos content through its 7 Series Master Reference monitors, ensuring standing room-only sessions. PMC hosted its Masters of Audio seminars in a Dolby Atmos 7.1.4 setup consisting of an MB3 XBD-A LCR system, IB1S-A surround channels, QB1 XBD-A subs and wafer 2 overheads.

While Meyer Sound unveiled its eye-catching Bluehorn System designed to take room acoustics out of the equation, L-Acoustics held regular presentations of its Syva segment source technology. Audio Precision conducted test setups with the AECM206 headphone test fixture, APx Bluetooth Duo Module and APx v4.6 software allowing engineers to test via open loop chirp.

Yamaha’s exhibition floor space was split in order to promote video postproduction techniques using Nuage software, which now provides support for Steinberg Nuendo 7

Clear-Com’s Simon Browne

Nexo and Yamaha revealed the DZR315 and Geo M6 speaker systems

Chris Exelby from TSL products showcased updated capabilities for the PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP monitors on the rear, while the flagship Rivage PM10 mixing system took centre stage at the front supported by the smaller CL1, CL3, QL5 and TF3 mixers. In the demo room below, Nexo Geo M10 and M620 speakers were paired with LS15 and LS18 subs, respectively, with Yamaha DZR315 speakers supplemented by DXS18 subwoofers providing playback.

Faced with a similar dilemma to Yamaha, Sennheiser hosted spatial audio demonstrations of Ambeo 3D immersive audio using Neumann KU 100 monitors. On the show floor, Neumann showcased its U67, U 47 FET and M 149 tube microphones, while Sennheiser focused on its Ambeo VR and SK 6212 mini wireless transmitter. In a further development, Sound Devices partnered with Sennheiser by integrating the MixPre-6 with the Ambeo VR mic.

Zylia turned heads – including Stevie Wonder’s – by demonstrating the ZM-1 recording solution for capturing full spatial audio scenes. Connected to a laptop via USB, the compact 4-inch sphere integrates 19 omnidirectional capsules and, when connected to the Zylia Studio software, recordings can be made in both 3D/360° audio and traditional stereo.

If there was one product category in abundance, it was microphones. Schoeps displayed its ORTF-3D ambience outdoor plug-and-play solution in addition to the V4U, digital SuperCMIT and CCM 2 models, CMR and CMC field mics and CCM 41, CCM 8 and CMIT 5U surround solutions. Like Neumann, Microtech Gefell is also celebrating its 90th anniversary and showed the KM975 and MD300 models together with the BM 180 and 190 stage microphones, UM930 twin condenser and INA 5R surround sound mic.

The MXW Microflex Complete wireless series was one of the main attractions on the Shure booth. ‘A lot of the students coming here want to be professional gamers, podcasters and musicians,’ commented PES representative, Kyle Walker.

‘The reality is that most of them won’t make it, so we’re showing them how our technologies enhance huddle rooms and conference spaces in the modern office space.’ The new P9RA+ and P10R+ bodypack receivers that operate with the PSM transmitters were debuted alongside the established Axient Digital, AV conferencing technology and a selection of broadcasting microphones and headphones including the VP83F and VP89 shotgun models.

Maintaining its small but powerful credentials, DPA unveiled its smallest capsule to date with the launch of the d:screet Core 6060, 6061 subminiature microphones together with the d:fine Core 6066 headset. Measuring 3mm in diameter, the new additions drew technicians from the theatrical, film and television fraternities. ‘We’re providing our customers with the best audio possible in our smallest capsule to date with this new mic,’ explained Kalle Hvidt Nielsen. ‘Presenting

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW these mics at AES New York is the perfect avenue for us to showcase what we can offer the professional audio market.’

Lectrosonics continues to push the wireless boundaries, and the addition of the new stereo portable digital recorder (SPDR) continues to charter its course as a leader of small, lightweight technologies for location recordists. ‘As in 2017, the nearby theatre engineers are coming to take a closer look at the Duet digital wireless monitor (IEM) system for their performers,’ commented Karl Winkler.

Japanese distributor Hiro Saika from Mix Wave with Dan Zimbleman unveiling the latest API 2448 console Celebrating 40 years, Genelec promoted its S360 monitor and 7382 subwoofer in an immersive booth setup

AEQ’s Peter Howarth and Broadcast Pix’s Russell Whittaker demonstrated workflow integration over IP

Audio-Technica catered for the mixed AES attendance with a display of microphone and headphone bundles for content creators, including podcasters, videographers, live streamers and YouTubers. ‘This is in direct response to customer input,’ revealed Steve Savanyu. ‘Many of these new customers aren’t professional users, so these cost-effective bundles provide turnkey microphone and headphone solutions for all aspects of content creation.

Two bundles feature USB outputs to directly connect with computers, while two feature XLR outputs for more flexibility to connect with professional mixers or digital interfaces.’

Earthworks had made the relatively short journey down from New Hampshire to exhibit a bespoke selection of live, studio and instrument microphones including the SV33 studio vocal mic and DM20 drum mic that forms part of

the DK7 drum kit. Wisycom, meanwhile, presented its v2.0 Manager software together with the new MPR52-ENG dual-channel diversity receiver, which includes two diversity receivers with both analogue and digital outputs. Sanken revived its CU-31 and CU-32 compact models having previously delisted them, while sE Electronics featured the sE2300 handcrafted condenser.

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Genelec demonstrated the latest S360 monitors with the 7380 smart active subwoofers in an immersive demonstration on its booth.

Fellow Finnish company Amphion was in close attendance, as was Dynaudio, highlighting its 9S and 18S subwoofers.

The AES Convention show floor will possibly never mirror the analogue multitrack golden years of the 1990s.

However, it has breathed new life into audio by encouraging podcasters, gamers and streamers to learn more about audio. Just as vinyl resurrected its own fortunes in an age of digital downloads, the latest generation of audio users are coming to AES to better understand audio fundamentals.

This may not be 1948, but the need to showcase, discuss and demonstrate audio technology is never more relevant.

And while old school enthusiasts and engineers continue to flock to AES in order to catch up, be informed and meet friends, the combined crowd has created a welcome dilemma for many exhibitors in terms of what technologies to present.

2018 Dates:

17–19 October

2019 Dates:

16–18 October

Venue:

Jacob K Javits Center, New York

Total exhibitors: 250 Attendance:

14,000

Contact:

www.aes.org

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Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 87

BUSINESS: R&D

Designed by request The DPA 6060 subminiature microphone

The entrance to DPA’s production facility

The design process for DPA Microphones’ new 6060 and 6061 subminiature lavalier mics and 6066 subminiature headset mic has taken its R&D team around the world to meet end users. James Ling KPZJV]LYZ OV^ [OPZ PUÅ\LUJLK [OL ÄUHS WYVK\J[ WITH DPA MICROPHONES’ REPUTATION IN THEATRICAL, film and broadcast circles, it should come as no surprise that the company has long been asked to make a subminiature microphone. Equally, given the Danish manufacturer’s expectation of high-quality sound from all of its products, it is easy to see why the process of meeting this request has been a long and technically challenging one.

‘From my point of view, the key is the dedication and the focus on getting things right,’ says Kalle Hvidt Nielsen, CEO at DPA Microphones. ‘Creating the subminiature was a big undertaking. There were a lot of basic studies that needed to be done, new technologies that were required and that takes a lot of time.’

The result of this are the 6060 and 6061, microphones the manufacturer describes as ‘the best mics we have ever made’. Getting hands-on with the new capsule and exploring the process that went into its creation, it is easy to see why DPA would make this claim.

The tubular capsule with its cap of stainless steel is 3.4mm in diameter (including the cap), giving it only 60% of the physical appearance of the manufacturer’s 5.4mm miniature mics. Despite this, the IP58-rated, omnidirectional mic has approximately the same stated noise floor as the 5mm capsules and a similar dynamic range.

Getting to this point is a process that has drawn heavily on the amplifier technology developed for the manufacturer’s 5.4mm miniature mics with Core by DPA. ‘The legacy amplifier has components inside the capsule and outside the capsule, while the Core has everything inside and smaller,’ explains Ole Moesmann, R&D manager at DPA Microphones. ‘Shortly after we launched Core, I went to the electronics guys and told them that they had done a great job and that I now needed one that was even smaller.’

88 PRO AVL MEA Januar y–Februar y 2019

The majority of the assembly process is done under a microscope Creating the smaller version of the 5mm miniature capsule was an exciting task. ‘We are already moving on the edge of what is physically possible,’ explains Moesmann. ‘Going through all the parts of the microphone, optimising and adjusting, has been another R&D task at DPA that has pushed the limits of what is physically possible. All parameters have been in play to make a new, fantastic microphone. Achieving a noise floor on par with our 5mm designs for the 6066 headset and the 6061 lavalier was not an easy task. We have a diaphragm area on the new 3mm capsule that is less than 30% of the 5mm, so in theory the noise floor of the new design should be much higher.’

While the microphone capsule itself was central to the project, it was only part of the overall R&D process. The creation of the headset and clip options have received just as much attention as the capsule itself. The starting point for this was approaching the company’s user base across the theatre, film and broadcast markets and interviewing people about how they attach microphones.

‘The first tour of interviews was around 35 individuals and we didn’t tell them what we were looking into, we were just interviewing and watching them out there in their own environment,’ recalls Moesmann. ‘We were at the theatre, at the TV studio, at the drama set just watching what they

BUSINESS: R&D were doing and then interviewing them after that. We were talking about how to mount miniature microphones, what the challenges are, the pains and their needs, and we came out with a huge amount of user input.’

Having collected and analysed this data, the manufacturer used it to create a light, yet secure headset that is easy to fit. Stability comes from a 3-point spring mechanism that essentially forms a tripod around the ear, while adjustable boom lengths and angles ensure that one size fits all. Finally, a simple 90° clip on the rear of the headset serves to provide security and strain relief for the mic cable.

‘We’ve had very positive feedback on the headset,’ notes René Mørch, product manager at DPA Microphones. ‘We showed users prototypes along the way and got feedback on

Assembly of the d:facto mics

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that. They are thrilled to see that we have used some of the input that we got from the round the world tour from various industries to make it better.

‘The feedback that we get is that it fits perfectly and it can be adjusted easily,’ he continues. ‘With the benefits from security and strain relief that the clip on the back of the headset offers, it is one of those things where we wondered, why didn’t anyone think of this before?’

The headset was not the only accessory to benefit from the R&D user tour. ‘For the 6060 lavalier, we made a new version of the existing clip so that instead of taking the mic out, you can just lock it into a different position via a rotable design,’ says Mørch. ‘It has eight different positions so you can clip it anywhere.

‘Making sure it was practical was a key part,’ he continues.

‘I thought that we should come up with more attachments than we ended up doing. But we found especially in the film business, these guys are real pros who know what they are doing and we couldn’t teach them anything. We can give them a good microphone but they know how to hide it. Why try to give them something that they have to have from us and if it breaks or someone forgets to get it out of a costume then they have to have a new one from us. The things that they are using you can literally just go down to a shop and pick up the bits you need.

Furthermore, third-party companies have specialised in making these hiding accessories and there are already some available for our new design. That was again one of the things we learnt from the R&D team’s work.’

This highlights one of the major advantages that DPA has seen from taking this approach to the R&D process. ‘Having the R&D team seeing what our customers are doing was brilliant,’ says Mørch. ‘That way it was not conveyed via several people, it was direct. They could see what they were designing because they knew what the pain was, they didn’t have to guess what they were designing for.’

The combined result of the new capsules and accessories is something the manufacturer is clearly taking a lot of pride from. ‘It is a very exclusive product,’ concludes Nielsen. ‘We know that the combination of smaller and better is in high demand. I think that we are going to open some new doors with it due to the size mainly, and I also think that a number of our customers will switch to that one. My gut feeling is that it’s going to be good.’ www.dpamicrophones.com

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Januar y–Februar y 2019 PRO AVL MEA 89

BUSINESS ANALYSIS: Q&A

Q& Bardy Bardy Hayes Hayes

Will IT and networked AV knowledge drive future talent?

Educating the next wave of pro audio professionals was one of many topical themes discussed at this year’s AES New York show. We caught up with Bardy Hayes, principal consultant at AV recruitment consultancy, Interfacio, on the changing needs of the industry WHERE ARE THE LARGEST TALENT GAPS IN THE PRO AUDIO SECTOR AT PRESENT? This varies region by region, but it is no secret that there is a large shift in the level and type of technical requirements for sales and support professionals. The demand and understanding required to effectively market, promote and sell have definitely shifted towards digitally controlled and networked products. The easy answer is just to look for IT guys to fill those roles; however, the highest demand is for IT-savvy pro AV professionals who also have a fundamental understanding of audio, video, display and control. Having said that, acoustics knowledge, production best practices and hands-on, real-time skills are still very desirable.

My advice to any person that will listen – and there aren’t many – is that integration technology is not only very progressive and challenging but is growing both vertically in size and horizontally in scope across AV and industries beyond it. Embrace IT, networking, control, and you will never have trouble finding a position or adding value in the sector you are passionate about.

HOW DO YOU THINK AV ROLES HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH GROWING IT CONVERGENCE? The way I see it, the laws of physics haven’t changed. How sound waves behave in a given space is still the same; how our brain interprets those sounds hasn’t changed either.

How to compose and place elements in a piece of art hasn’t improved since the Renaissance, and our colour blending isn’t transcending Van Gogh’s. What is constantly changing is scale, power and resolution. So, the tools have changed, but the overall objectives have not. We want experiences that sound and look pleasing and we want to be able to understand what

90 90 PRO PRO AVL AVL MEA MEA Januar Januar y–Februar y–Februar yy 2019 2019

is being communicated. I think that to be successful in the AV field you still need to start with the fundamentals but embrace and immerse yourself into the incredible array of tools at our disposal today. And, to always embrace change. One thing that is beyond dispute: today’s audio, lighting and video tools will become obsolete during our time.

WHICH AV SUB-SECTORS ARE YOU SEEING THE MOST RECRUITMENT SPEND FROM? My perspective is skewed, due to my industry background and contacts base, but I am definitely seeing more activity in the sound reinforcement side, both portable/touring and install and lighting. The biggest spend is going on the control/ processing side of the integration sectors.

WHAT DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE IS BEING COMMONLY SOUGHT BY PRO AUDIO COMPANIES? As our industry continues to mature from its heady rock ‘n’ roll heritage, I see companies steering away from its shoot-fromthe-hip past – real science is supplementing and even replacing intuition and trial and error in acoustic and electronic design.

Plus, certification and best practices are a welcome change to some of the messy and sometimes even dangerous practices some of us grew up with. I am very happy that no ‘around the back’ photos of my original touring racks survived. I would hate for them to be compared to some of today’s amazing (and can I say beautiful?) racks. AV companies are looking for candidates with better and better education – true understanding and fluency of physics on the audio side, and certification and standardisation on the installation and commission sides.

Professionals that want the best AV jobs need to always improve their real-world and certifiable skills and that process should never end.

IN THE AREAS OF PRO AUDIO, SENIOR MANAGEMENT, SALES AND MARKETING, CAREER MOVES LOOK TO BE INCREASINGLY

BY WORD OF MOUTH. WOULD YOU AGREE? AND, IS THIS SOMETHING EXCLUSIVE TO THE INDUSTRY? There is disagreement on where the borders lie that encompass our market segment but, even including commercial video, architectural lighting and the overlap into consumer audio, we work in a small, and some might say incestuous, sector. I regularly end up sitting on a plane beside someone who works for a company that is larger than our entire industr y.

The question involves two major factors – how a company continues to innovate and grow, combined with the theor y that an executive needs to regularly change companies to progress his or her career. There is lots of evidence on both sides of that discussion. New blood, fresh perspectives and evolution are healthy for our industr y. And you can see that, in many cases, a change of company can open up paths for promotion that may have been unavailable to a person in their current space.

Too much change and disruption can also be harmful to a business, but even that concept has been famously disputed. This continuous migration in pro audio seems to be spread across all our sub-sectors – and perhaps across all progressive industries. I believe that, generally, it is healthy.

Another healthy thing is mixing up the gene pool. We’re always looking to identify and bring in less visible fresh talent and also non-AV industr y people to our clients. With the basic skill set, of course, we believe this infusion adds to innovation and progress in the industr y. I think doing a lot more than just recycling existing known names is critical. It’s the main rationale behind what we do.

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