Pro AVL MEA January-February 2022

ProAVLMEA January–February 2022 MICA (P) 010/05/2021

LIVE SOUND LIGHTING RECORDING INSTALLATION AV BROADCAST POSTPRODUCTION January–February 2022

ALL ROADS LEAD TO EXPO Neumann&Müller takes a lead role at Expo 2020

MASQUERADE DONS A NEW MASK LEVELS GIVES BACK

WHAT DOES 5G MEAN FOR AV? Singapore: MICA (P) 010/05/2021

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Contents Volume 19 Issue One January–February 2022

Editor’s note

NEWS NEWS Riedel extends R&D hub, Fender acquires PreSonus

4

DISTRIBUTION NMK becomes L-Acoustics CPd, Venuetech brings Cedar to ME

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APPOINTMENTS Austin Freshwater signals new era for DiGiCo

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FEATURES COVER: ALL ROADS LEAD TO EXPO Neumann&Müller takes charge at Expo 2020 24 A NEW MASK Istanbul’s Masquerade Club embarks on an audio refresh

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REBEL IN DISGUISE A nightclub-esque gym concept debuts in KSA

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Email: sluckhurst@proavl-mea.com It was another strange end to the year, with Covid once again undoing all of the good work and progress made. But that should by no means overshadow some of 2021’s success stories.

To the surprise and consternation of many locals, the Tokyo Olympics got the go ahead to take place in July, and showed the world that it was still possible to hold large-scale, international-level events under the current climate, even if some large concessions had to be made. Just two months later, Expo 2020 Dubai finally opened to the public a year after schedule and has been a roaring success – having already welcomed more than two million guests through its doors in just two months.

If there’s one thing 2021 showed me in contrast to 2020, it’s that the appetite for these types of festivities hasn’t dampened in the slightest. Chris and myself were able to make a rare trip out for the Expo opening and, at the time, Covid had been relegated to the back of people’s minds. There was a free and nonchalant attitude that was begging for a return. We should hopefully be out of the woods in time for the Qatar World Cup in October but, given recent events, you can never be too sure.

2022 will also likely introduce an entirely new set of business challenges more focused on repairing state economies after two years of hefty money printing in many territories, but the worse must surely be behind us.

So, with all that said, I’d like to start the year off by extending my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you that has continued to support our magazines, and us as a company, over the past 18 months. Not all of our compatriots have survived and we wouldn’t have made it through such a turbulent time were it not for all of you.

BACK TO BUSINESS Expo’s Finland Pavilion champions the calming influence of AV 32 GIVING BACK Levels creates a pro audio-inspired DJ experience centre in Dubai

34

ACT TWO A satellite sanctuary at Acts is taking audio quality seriously

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BUSINESS LETTER FROM AMERICA Day Daley pontificates on how Covid has made audio better 38 LETTER FROM EUROPE Phil Ward examines the realities of sustainable touring

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COMPANY PROFILE Datapath elucidates its ethos of Excellent by Design

40

SHOW REVIEW CABSAT brings the local industry back together

44

SHOW REVIEW How worthwhile was InfoComm following a two-year absence?

48

TECHNOLOGY Phil Ward assesses the impact of 5G on the industry

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NEW PRODUCTS The industry’s most comprehensive product news

55

ANALYSIS The ins and outs of d&b’s new loudspeaker subscription service

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inside 8

12

Contacts

28

32

GENERAL MANAGER Richard Lawn T: +44 1892 676280

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sue Gould T: +44 1892 676280

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Moss T: +44 1892 676280

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR

cmoss@proavl-mea.com

kwallace@proavl-mea.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Adrian Baker T: +44 1892 676280

DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER Nick Smith T: +44 1892 676280

VIDEO EDITOR Chris Yardley T: +44 1892 676280

SALES ASSOCIATE Carolyn Valliere T: +1 562 746 1790

rlawn@proavl-mea.com

abaker@proavl-mea.com

sgould@proavl-mea.com

nsmith@proavl-mea.com

cyardley@proavl-mea.com

COVER: Expo 2020 Dubai PRINTER: Times Printers Singapore LICENCES: Singapore: MCI (P) 010/05/2021 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.

www.proavl-mea.com

@ProAVLCentral

Karen Wallace T: +44 1892 676280

cvalliere@proavl-mea.com

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

Libby Stonell T: +44 1892 676280 lstonell@proavl-mea.com

CIRCULATION Marne Mittelmann F: +65 6491 6588 circulation@proavl-mea.com

PUBLISHED BY: 17 Upper Grosvenor Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2DU, UK

@ProAVLMEAMagazine January–February 2022 PRO AVL MEA 3

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NEWS

Riedel extends R&D hub WORLD

Extending its pioneering of IP-enabled hardware and software solutions, Riedel Communications has doubled the size of the company’s new R&D hub in Vienna.

In addition to accelerating its capacity to drive technical innovation and stimulate further growth of the brand’s development team, the investment aims to further assist Riedel customers’ path towards IP integration.

“The team at our Vienna R&D hub has the talent and creativity to deliver products with forward-looking functionality that has the power to transform the broadcast and event industry,” commented head of development, Gernot Butschek, at Riedel’s Vienna location. “As the broadcast industry undergoes major disruptive change with the transition to IP-based transport of media signals, our R&D team meets that challenge with innovation.”

in the fibre transport, video processing and wireless communications technologies integrated within the established Artist, Bolero and MediorNet product lines, the growing engineering team seeks to extend the capabilities of the Riedel product portfolio.

Originally designed to accommodate up to 55 developers and engineers, the Vienna location is appointing additional software developers to boost its R&D capabilities in addition to committing greater resources to serve the growing customer base across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Following a restructuring programme together with optimisation projects, Riedel also has increased the capacity of its rental and managed technology business to take on special projects of any size and any degree of complexity.

Riedel’s Vienna team assumes responsibility for front- and back-end development,

automated test software, FPGA programming, PCB layout and mechanical design. Experts

Evertz relocates Studer to Canada WORLD

Once synonymous with precision Swiss engineering, Studer has relocated its manufacturing facilities from Hungary to Canada. Having acquired the brand from

Harman Pro in February 2021, new owner Evertz Technologies has established the brand’s engineering within its own headquarters in Burlington. The move forms part of a long-term plan to develop nextgeneration products within the broadcast, live

Clair Global expands reach with ATK acquisition WORLD

Clair Global CEO, Troy Clair, and ATK Audiotek president, Michael MacDonald, have announced that ATK will be sold to Clair Global, therefore expanding its reach into broadcast audio, communications and integration.

“Everyone in the industry has worked with the ATK team for years to support our clients on major broadcast events,” commented Clair.

“ATK developed the enviable position of being in the driver’s seat at huge events that span entertainment awards, sports and political events, and developed techniques to ensure that the sound provided to a live audience is flawless, while maintaining the integrity

entertainment, sports, esports, stadium, arena and house of worship sectors.

Established in Switzerland in 1948, Studer initially manufactured professional tape decks and analogue consoles. The focus switched to digital mixing consoles following its acquisition

by Harman International Industries in 1994.

“Studer’s history and reputation for quality is undisputed,” commented Evertz vice president of software systems, Vince Silvestri. “As the current stewards of this legendary brand, we

are committed to developing high-quality audio products and solutions to serve current and future live media customers.”

Evertz has already integrated Studer Audio with its Software Defined Video Networking (SDVN) solutions, focusing on the transition to IP. With a portfolio that includes the Vista digital consoles and Infinity Core audio mixing, Evertz has assured clients that they can access complete solutions for audio and video orchestration, monitoring and analysis. The Canadian brand has also made a commitment towards ongoing product development.

www.riedel.net

Fender acquires PreSonus WORLD

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC) has announced the signing of a definitive agreement of merger with PreSonus Audio Electronics. The latter brand is a Louisiana-based designer and manufacturer of recording and live sound hardware and software solutions.

www.evertz.com www.studer.evertz.com

L–R: Michael MacDonald (ATK Audiotek president), Shaun Clair (Clair Global business development), Troy Clair (Clair Global CEO), Mikael Stewart (ATK Audiotek partner) and Scott Harmala (ATK Audiotek senior partner) of audio for broadcast. Everyone at Clair is excited to have the opportunity to work with ATK.” “From a business perspective, ATK was looking to develop a long-term, sustainable path for their employees and clients,” stated Mikael Stewart, a partner in ATK who leads the production team. “We could not be more pleased to work with a company like Clair Global that has both a market-leading position, as well as a long-term plan to advance the company into the future. People in our industry tend to focus on the gear, but people are really the defining asset in our business, and

we want to make sure the ATK team has the best home now and into the future. We are confident that Clair Global is that home.”

There are no major changes planned for the continued operation of ATK. The management team of MacDonald, Stewart and senior partner Scott Harmala will stay in place, as well as the staff, company name and location.

ATK will continue to focus on the broadcast market going forward, but it hopes the new configuration will provide for more geographic reach.

“We are thrilled to welcome everyone on the PreSonus team to the FMIC family and excited about the future growth opportunities available to both companies,” said Andy Mooney, CEO, FMIC. “Our teams share the same passion for music, the same commitment to innovation and the same desire to inspire and equip current and future generations of artists.”

“After more than 25 years, PreSonus feels it has found the right partner to support us as we continue our growth,” said Jim Odom, founder of PreSonus. “We look forward to showing our current and future music community what this opportunity means for them.”

“PreSonus and Fender’s combined vision, the way we see the future of music creation and the fundamental alignment of goals have made this an exciting idea since the first conversation,” concluded Jim Boitnott, CEO, PreSonus. www.fender.com

www.clairglobal.com

4 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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NEWS

Shure launches e-commerce platform in UAE UAE

As online shopping continues to dominate in the UAE, Shure has announced the launch of www.shure-shop.ae, giving customers direct access to purchase its products online. The Shure online shop will stock a selection of Shure’s leading audio products, including headphones, earphones and wired and wireless microphones.

“The new Shure shop is a platform that will bring Shure even closer to its customers here in the United Arab Emirates,” said Chicco Hiranandani, director at Shure in the Middle East and

Africa. “We are excited to launch this new e-commerce site and offer local customers direct access to Shure products in a reliable way.”

The platform will strengthen the US brand’s relationship with music lovers and demonstrate its increased commitment to support audio customers in the country.

Musicians, audiophiles and content creators now have the opportunity to personally browse Shure’s latest products. www.shure-shop.ae

Media agency gives back Vari-Lite illuminates to local radio station Pharaohs Golden Parade in Cairo SOUTH AFRICA

Radio Khwezi, a South African radio station founded in 1955, has integrated a Forum digital mixer into its system, in collaboration with the Media Diversity Development Agency of South Africa (MDDA).

The station broadcasts via two licences – 90.5FM and 107.7FM – across all towns north of Durban. With a focus on Christian values, the show’s main purpose is to educate and uplift listeners as well as collaborate with local communities.

MDDA approached Radio Khwezi, having recognised its dedication to social work within the community and supplied a completely new broadcast studio which includes an AEQ Forum digital mixer at its heart. AEQ Forum IP is a digital audio mixer designed for broadcast control and incorporates all the basic features necessary for radio.

EGYPT

Vari-Lite, a Signify entertainment lighting brand, has lit up famous landmarks during the Golden Parade that saw 22 mummified Pharaohs being transported from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilizations four miles away, in order of their succession.

more VLZ Profile, VLZ Wash and VL10 luminaires were deployed, while VariLite SL Bar 460, SL Wash 350 and SL Punchlite 220 luminaires were used to light up the passage of the mummies.

SL Punchlites were also used internally, illuminating the walls, statues and the focal stage area.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiques approached Hi-Lights Group, an Egyptian Vari-Lite distributor, and was recommended Vari-Lite VLZ Profile and VLZ Wash luminaries. Hamed Arafa of Hi-Lights said: “For the huge productions that we helped to deliver, we knew that Vari-Lite produces the quality of light we wanted. The VLZ Profile and VLZ Wash offer the latest high output LED sources and use unbeatable advancements in quality, zoom lenses and shutter technology.” The Hi-Lights team collaborated with lighting director, Maria Younan of Siraj Lighting, a design studio in the heart of Egypt, for the event.

The Hatshepsut Temple, the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids were the landmarks chosen to be lit up by the VLZ range, for both the promo shots and the main event. At Tahrir Square and along the length of the procession,

The Golden Parade was broadcast live on Egyptian television to a huge viewing audience, capturing the 40-minute journey of the Pharaohs in individual chariots through crowds of onlookers to their new resting place. Segenenre Tao, ruler of the Theban region of Egypt in the Seventeenth Dynasty some 1,600 years ago, was the first to lead the parade.

“What I find most impressive about VariLite technology is its user-friendly design,” Arafa explained. “Our team is well-versed when it comes to operating massive projects but, with the glorious quality VariLite provides, we know we can achieve optimum results every time. Each of the fixtures we chose enabled us to deliver beyond expectations. Ultimately, Vari-Lite produces the kind of products that help our clients trust us with their vision.”

www.aeq.eu

Absen and Brompton join forces to aid the future of LED WORLD

LED manufacturer, Absen, and LED video processing company, Brompton Technology, have joined forces to provide solutions for high-end virtual studios. Due to Covid-19, the use of such studios has grown immensely over the last two years. Not only does it remove the cost and difficulties of filming on location, virtual studios provide companies with more opportunities regarding the content they create. Both Absen and Brompton’s focus will be on how LED screens can be used in the future of virtual production.

“Over the last year, we’ve seen businesses use LED to transform live online events.

State-of-the-art virtual studios are fast becoming the norm for industries across the globe, as LED can offer a whole new dimension to online presentations, professional events and award ceremonies,” said Adam Berditch, Absen’s UK business development manager.

Absen has 380 service partners with exports reaching 120 countries worldwide and, combined with the globally recognised

Brompton, it hopes to provide help to clients, integrators and end users. Christian Czimny, product director at Absen, commented: “We’re thrilled to be working together with Brompton, especially creating solutions surrounding virtual studios, which have become so important recently. It’s an exciting time for Absen, having replacement green screen technologies to offer our clients, which really revolutionise the filming process.

Brompton’s extraordinary technologies work in unison with a whole host of our high-end products so I feel our collective expertise will benefit the customer above and beyond what we have been able to offer them before.” www.absen-europe.com

www.vari-lite.com

www.bromptontech.com

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NEWS

South Africa’s Tiger Milk preserves its aesthetic with Audac SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg-based bar and kitchen Tiger Milk recently called upon Stage Audio Works (SAW) technology and engineering group to design and install a new audio system. As the newest and perhaps most “chic” addition to Life & Brand, a group that runs a variety of hospitality venues across South Africa, the venue emphasised that the BGM playback had to blend in with Tiger Milk’s distinctive black interior.

With Covid-19 restrictions forecast to ease, the audio system needed to be implemented prior to the reopening of South Africa’s hospitality industry. Following demonstrations and consultations, Output AV and K2 Innovate were contracted to respectively supply and install Audac audio system components.

Crucially, the Belgian brand’s products were able to cater to Tiger Milk’s white and black colour scheme, which was said to be essential in preserving the aesthetic of the venue. All

the hardware was supplied by SAW, Audac’s South African distributor.

Even audio coverage has been achieved across seven distinct zones, including four seating areas, the bar, bathrooms and an outdoor section. Ease of installation in the bar and seating areas was achieved by integrating the ATEO range of loudspeakers adopting CleverMount wall-mounting technology.

Providing 110° horizontal dispersion, the 5.25-inch WX502 enclosures were selected on account of their wide coverage. Differentiating themselves from the indoor models, six weatherproof Audac WX502-O were installed in the outside seating area. To provide unobtrusive ambience in the bathrooms, CENA706 ceiling speakers were selected and installed using Audac’s SpringFit fixing system.

Central to operations, an Audac MTX88 eight-zone audio matrix controls the entire

audio system. Parameters including source selection and level control for each of the seven audio zones can be managed from the company’s app, making it simple for the restaurant staff to operate from their mobile phones.

The varying ceiling heights throughout Tiger Milk proved to be one of the biggest challenges during the works. “Certain mounting methods and loudspeaker orientations worked better for different

zones,” said K2 Innovate owner, Karsten Hinrichsen. “We mounted the subs as high as possible to keep them out of sight, and the same for the loudspeakers where possible, angling them downwards to maintain highquality audio output. Certain mounting methods and loudspeaker orientations worked better for different zones.” www.k2-innovate.com www.stageaudioworks.com

Zappa Group futureproofs its live show venues ISRAEL

Israel’s Zappa Group, inspired by the late Frank Zappa and responsible for a live show chain of clubs with an emphasis on music, musicians and listeners, has deployed a DiGiCo Quantum338 for its main Tel Aviv venue.

Its Herzliya and Haifa clubs have also upgraded to Quantum225s, while its venue based in Jerusalem continues to rely on its SD9 for live, private and business events.

Following a change of ownership, a new technical manager was appointed to supervise all the venues and raise their technical standards. Recognising the clubs’ existing use of DiGiCo consoles, he took the opportunity to install them in every Zappa venue. The consoles were supplied by Israeli distribution company Gidron Levitan.

“Zappa’s commitment is significant both for us and for DiGiCo,” said Eytan Gidron, co-founder of Gidron Levitan. “With the

Zappa Group are dedicated to accessibility within music majority of local talent and international artists playing at Zappa clubs across the country, it means that all their engineers

will now be using DiGiCo consoles, making it the most accepted and approved console in Israel.”

Having recently relocated to larger premises, Zappa Tel Aviv is in its last stages of construction, and its production team needed an audio setup that would stand the test of time. “We wanted to install a system that is solid and futureproof and will last for many years.

The Quantum338 ticks all these boxes for us,” explained Itamar Bar-Shavit, technical manager at Zappa Group.

“At Zappa, we provide a warm welcome for the music industry in general and artists in particular, believing as we do in making Israeli, international music and performing arts of all kinds accessible to all our audiences,” concluded BarShavit. “With our new DiGiCo consoles, we are able to continue with our ethos and produce memorable live event experiences that enrich Israeli cultural life.” www.digico.biz

Advantage Gravity Media in Kuwait City KUWAIT

Gravity Media has provided the broadcast cabling infrastructure for the Sheikh Jaber Al-Abdullah Al-Jaber Al-Sabah International Tennis Complex, connecting the technical production facilities for the host broadcast on the main show court. Located in Kuwait City, the venue houses 18 tennis courts, with the largest accommodating 5,000 spectators.

The complex also hosts the Kuwait Tennis Federation and the national teams, as well as the Rafael Nadal Academy.

With over 22 years of experience in tennis technical broadcasting, Gravity Media is said to be delighted to provide the infrastructure for the main show court. Its spokesperson

said: “Our coverage, live feeds, production, technical and installation services to tennis authorities and media providers are founded on having the very best equipment for each project and a work ethos of getting it right first time, every time.

“In addition to our state-of-the-art technology, which we specifically select to achieve the best outcomes for each tennis project, we’re particularly well known for pioneering replay and highlight content. Our 360° replay shots and automated highlights editing have proved a game changer for tennis viewing the world over.”

Kuwait International Stadium

www.gravitymedia.com

8 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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NEWS

Avnu Alliance launches Media Mania’s OB van Milan Advanced gets the Ultrix Acuity Certification Programme treatment WORLD

Industry consortium Avnu Alliance has announced a new Milan Advanced Certification Programme for its members to provide faster, more convenient and less expensive testing of pro AV end devices.

The programme streamlines certification testing at independent test houses for end devices implementing the Milan network protocol and also introduces an enhanced Certification Management System, new pre-certification validation test tools and global access to test houses around the world. Milan is a standards-based, user-driven network protocol that assures devices will work together.

To guarantee interoperability amongst Milan devices from various manufacturers, Avnu’s Milan Advanced Certification Programme delivers test plans and

P

UAE

scripts that have been performed at independent authorised certification labs around the world. As a result, compliance to Milan specifications and seamless interoperability with all other Milancertified end devices and Avnu-certified switches in the signal chain, regardless of function or manufacturer, are now guaranteed.

“This is a new approach to open standards certification for the pro AV industry,” commented Avnu Alliance pro AV segment chair, Richard Bugg.

“There are other open standards in this industry; however, they don’t guarantee interoperability on their own. Milan manufacturers have come together to invest their expertise, resources and experience to ensure a system architecture that will work for the future of many ecosystems, all supported by a first-ofits-kind independent certification programme. The new streamlined programme is Milan’s solution to enabling a long-term, stable, no-compromise network of future-ready devices that is easier and less expensive to implement and evolves with the market’s requirements.” www.avnu.org

Media Mania, a UAE-based production company, has selected Ross Video’s hyperconverged production platform for its 12G 4K UHD OB van. Media Mania designs, builds and operates OB vans, managing campaigns and productions for local and international broadcast and ministry clients.

After reviewing broadcast industry vendors and their solutions, the company decided to invest in Ross Video’s Ultrix Acuity production platform, which now forms the backbone of a third OB truck that is used to create international sports productions.

The solution is a combination of the Acuity production switcher with the Ultrix routing/ AV processing product.

Media Mania CEO, Roland Daou, said: “After many months of assessing the broadcast industry, it was clear that Ross Video’s local team in the region and the innovative software-defined technology met

our technical and operational requirements.

We are delighted to put our third OB van on the road to start producing exciting and innovative productions all over the Middle East.”

Ross Video’s Benoit Rousseil added: “We are very grateful for the trust that Media Mania has shown in Ross, and we’re very pleased to be part of this innovative project.

Our local team and our technology both played crucial roles in convincing Media Mania that Ross is the right technology partner for them, and our continually expanding footprint in the UAE is a big part of that story. We are very excited to be working with such a prestigious client in the Middle East and can’t wait to see how they will innovate using our latest hyperconverged production platform.” www.rossvideo.com

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L–R: Ross regional sales director Benoit Rousseil, Media Mania CEO Roland Daou and regional sales manager Deeps Sandhar at the recent CABSAT show in Dubai

Cultural theatre boosted with Robe LEDs SOUTH AFRICA

Johannesburg’s Market Theatre has acquired 50 of Robe’s LED moving lights as part of an initiative by the country’s Department of Arts & Culture. The theatre has been on South Africa’s political, cultural and social radar since its opening in 1976 as an independent, anti-racist production house amidst the apartheid era. Giving a platform to authentic African work and creativity in the form of drama and performance, it’s a place of solidarity for those that have been silenced and ignored.

South Africa’s Department of Art & Culture decided to upgrade the theatre as part of an initiative to boost future suitability across the arts. The three main performance spaces – John Kani, Barney Simon and Mannie Manim – now boast 50 Robe T1 series LED moving lights. The T1 Profiles were supplied by DWR, Robe’s Southern Africa distributor, following a competitive tender process. The installation follows a detailed assessment of the Market Theatre’s needs and criteria regarding its lighting system, in which low noise and excellent colour rendering were deemed crucial.

SA lighting designer, Denis Hutchinson, who specified Robe in the tender, insisted that the T1s would be bright enough for the space and feels the fixtures have been designed and fine-tuned for theatre applications. Forty-four of the LEDs reside in the John Kani performance space and it is said that fan noise cannot be heard during

performances, despite all the lights being active.

DWR also delivered four additional Robe Spiiders to add to the Market’s existing collection within the John Kani, which were singled out as a crew favourite, especially during music shows. The distributor supplied a quantity of smaller lights, generic LED

luminaires, new follow spots and MA control as part of the new system.

The overall installation was completed by The Install Crew headed by Jakes Mogale, a dedicated specialist installation company within the DWR Group. Hutchinson spoke highly of the company: “They did an incredible job. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved working with DWR and The Install Crew who really understood the brief. We all engaged in fluid and productive communication, and they always found a solution for any issues arising.”

DWR owner Duncan Riley, whose father Dan supervised the original lighting installation in 1976, said he was “hugely proud” to be involved. The installation is said to have generated plenty of positive energy around the Market Theatre’s potential, and some limited audience performances are now taking place. The facilities are also being utilised for livestreams, film and broadcasts, as well as digital and virtual events.

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NEWS

Powering Italy at Expo 2020 UAE

Italian manufacturer Powersoft’s amplification products are powering the audio infrastructure at Expo 2020’s Italian Pavilion.

The pavilion has already proved to be one of the more popular Expo attractions with more than 200,000 visitors in October alone. Its audio system is driven by 25 Powersoft amplifiers, supplied by PRO LAB and installed by local systems integrator SIBCA. Two of the five Quattrocanali 2404 DSP+D amplifiers deployed at the pavilion are used in the main auditorium and restaurant areas, while the remining three are equipped in the first hull, the white space and the skywalk (which offers visitors a panoramic view of the pavilion from

Four Mezzo 322 ADs power the Belvedere, an area featuring a 360° projection of some of Italy’s most famous landscapes, while another four handle the Teatro della Memoria where a 5m replica of Michelangelo’s David is installed. Another 322 AD is installed in the VIP lounge. Furthermore, two Mezzo 324 ADs are installed in the cultural space and innovation space, two Mezzo 604 ADs power the VIP area and five Mezzo 602 ADs are driving other zones in addition to joining forces with the Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D in the FS Tunnel. an 11m-high skybridge). Two Quattrocanali 1204 DSP+D are installed in the FS Tunnel,

a partnership with FS Italiane (Italian State Railways).

www.powersoft.com

Turkish composer turns to Audient TURKEY

Turkish songwriter and composer Ozan Çolakoğlu has taken delivery of a new Audient ASP8024-HE console at his newly upgraded studio. Çolakoğlu, who has hundreds of production, writing and arrangement credits to his name, most recently recorded prominent Turkish singer/songwriter and megastar, Tarkan’s, latest single on the new desk.

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Ozan Çolakoğlu The 24-channel Audient console is installed at his Istanbul-based production company, Ozan Çolakoğlu Production. The desk has a built-in patchbay and Dual Layer Control (DLC), an option which provides a range of useful DAW control features for use directly via the console.

The studios at Ozan Çolakoğlu Production comprise a recording room, a mixing and mastering room and a production arrangement room. The console was purchased from Audient distributor, Akalın Müzik, from which Çolakoğlu has been making purchases throughout his 30-year career. www.akalinmuzik.com www.audient.com

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NEWS

Blackline workout for Body Action Gym SOUTH AFRICA

The newly opened Body Action Gym is a six-star, state-of-the-art wellness facility in Bedfordview, Johannesburg, which provides access to world-class fitness equipment, personalised nutritional guidance and a lifestyle environment. In the run-up to its opening, key focus was given to the various entertainment systems which needed to seamlessly integrate into the gym’s overall vision for the facility. Audiosure’s Solutions team worked closely with Craig Harris and Mark Bracco from Audiobility, specialists in control automation, to help turn Body Action Gym’s vision into reality.

The Audiosure team had to be cognisant of the fact that the gym sits across three floors of a multi-storey building, which is shared with corporate offices. This posed a slight issue, as the system needed to deliver club-level sound when guest DJs were playing, while at the same time leave

the occupants of the offices above free from disturbance.

“Structural transference was the gym’s biggest concern, so we needed to make sure that we isolated the speakers and subwoofers from any concrete surfaces,”

John Greaves, audio specialist at Audiosure said. This was achieved with the use of rubber mounts and steel suspension rope, which helped prevent any vibrations from being transferred through the concrete to the adjacent floors.

The main gym area now consists of 16 Blackline X8 mounted to custom column clamps, as well as six Blackline X118 subwoofers suspended from the concrete slab. The entire solution is controlled by a dedicated Martin Audio DX0.5 speaker management system, allowing control of processing functions such as EQ, crossover and system protection. Each studio is equipped with a pair of powered Blackline XP12, providing 1,300W of power from their compact enclosure. The XP12 are all pole-mounted from the ceiling, utilising the aforementioned rubber mounts.

Surrounding zones including the outdoor running track utilise appropriate wireless microphones – from beltpack transmitter systems to headset microphones for the trainer. www.martin-audio.com

Mohamed Ramadan hits the high notes EGYPT

Green Hippo’s Taiga and Karst+ were the media servers of choice for Egyptian artist Mohamed Ramadan, whose recent outdoor performance on Egypt’s North Coast enticed 85,000 fans for what the singer described as “the largest audience attendance in 2021”.

“Mohamed Ramadan’s concert was the region’s largest outdoor event of 2021 and we had a great experience working with Green Hippo’s technologies on the production. We’ve been using their products for a long time and trust their abilities completely. Green Hippo products are very

Blackmagic Design engages students KENYA

With a total of 230,400 pixels, two Hippotizer V4 Taiga and four Hippotizer V4 Karst+ media servers drove visuals on the impressive 4K display Concert preparations commanded serious attention to detail, with 800 lighting fixtures, pyrotechnics and special effects specified for the production. Tasked to ensure that the visuals took centre stage, event rental partner Hi-Lights Group erected the region’s largest ever 45m x 20m (WxH) scaffolding stage. The Cairo-based outfit also supplied the 900m2 LED videowall for displaying bespoke graphics onto the 4K video display with a total of 230,400 pixels. The LED wall display demanded two Hippotizer V4 Taiga and four Hippotizer V4 Karst+ media servers, together with an output splitter.

Hippotizer’s v4.5.5 software was relied upon for programming and production.

Hi-Lights Group technical and operation manager Fathy Hussien Hedia commented:

versatile and easy to use, which encourages technicians to bring out the best results possible. Green Hippo also creates absolute safety in mind, which is very comforting during a performance with a live audience.”

The concert was transmitted to a global audience allowing fans a synchronised show design with its choreographed dancers, physical props and futuristic visuals. “Being part of a live concert means everything needs to be executed and synced perfectly, therefore we have to use tech that we trust,” continued Hedia. “This made Green Hippo a great choice for the live environment.” www.facebook.com/hilightsgroup www.green-hippo.com

Blackmagic Design has announced that Nairobi-based Pan Africa Christian University (PAC University) is using ATEM Mini Extreme ISO and Blackmagic Studio Camera 4K Pro to stream course content and events. The solution will support the university’s online lectures and study programmes for its 3,500-strong student community, as well as provide video content for its student production team which hosts orientation and chapel services.

“Our investment supports our aim to strengthen and broaden our diverse student base even further,” explained professor Margaret Mwenje, dean of PAC University’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences.

“Although the pandemic certainly galvanised a requirement to provide an online curriculum, we’d already recognised the benefits of how this approach could help us to engage with students unable to be on campus or who require more flexible access to learning resources.”

Isaac Oyuga, head of the Department of Communications, Language and Linguistics, where the studio facility is housed, worked with Highway Audio Visual in Kenya to specify a flexible solution.

“The launch of the Studio Camera 4K Pro came at just the right time in our search,” he explained. “From the outset, we knew that the hardware was going to have to support a variety of content delivery, all of which requires a high level of quality.

As well as helping us to make decisions on the workflow, Highway Audio Visual was instrumental in the initial training for the university, and the team continues to provide ongoing support as our usage evolves.”

Lecture capture is set up in a studio space, where teachers can conduct and record seminars over Zoom or other online video platforms with a single camera.

Students also take responsibility for producing coverage of PAC University’s weekly chapel services and can stream the output from the ATEM Mini Extreme ISO directly to Facebook.

“Learning by doing is a fundamental principle for our faculty and our students have such a sense of pride when they are behind the camera or production desk,” continued Oyuga. www.blackmagicdesign.com

12 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

PAME Pg4-23 News.indd 12

21/12/2021 12:09

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Ad_2021_Flex-Intelli-Video_220x290_v1.indd 1 Untitled-1 4

16/12/2021 13:44:49 22/12/2021 10:22

NEWS

Idols SA 2021 equipped with grandMA3 system

The Idols South Africa studio SOUTH AFRICA

Idols SA 2021 has become the first television show in South Africa to use a full grandMA3 lighting control platform. The

software and hardware have been chosen by Joshua Cutts and Andre Siebrits from Visual Frontier to run the lighting design for the final

televised segments of the singing competition.

The new platform follows a change of location for the show, which was previously filmed in the State Theatre venue in Pretoria and has moved to Studio 10 at the Urban Brew Studios in Johannesburg. Cutts and Siebrits used the relocation as an opportunity to change their aesthetic approach. “The objective was to ensure it looked amazing from all camera angles,” explained Cutts.

Over 200 moving lights, other LED fixtures and conventionals all adding up to 17,000 parameters and 34 universes of lighting control were selected, using a single grandMA3 light console with a grandMA3 XT as backup. The system was run by a fibre network comprising one grandMA3 processing unit L, three 4Port Nodes, one 8Port Node and two MA Network Switches. The platform was supplied by MA’s South African distributor, DWR.

Working with a minimalistic stage, the lighting had to work harder in order to energise negative space and create depth to present each artist in a different way.

With the lighting team having minimum onstage or rehearsal time with each act, speed is key. Siebrits enjoys the flexibility with having four different playbacks on one fader. “This makes a huge difference, and everything becomes much more accessible,” he commented.

DWR’s Duncan Riley stated: “It has been a great learning process for all of us. Josh and Andre’s enthusiasm, commitment to making it happen and their willingness to make the switch on such a major show has been fantastic. Hats off to them.” www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.malighting.com

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MBC technicians at home with Lawo solutions UAE

As the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa region, MBC Group recently upgraded its audio infrastructure with AES67/Ravenna-compliant technology for its two control rooms and studios located in Dubai Studio City.

In addition to raising the level of audio quality and processing power, flexibility was a key decision to base the new installation on IP-native Lawo solutions, whereby either control room needs to serve either studio floor in a variety of I/O combinations. The setup includes two 48-fader Lawo mc²56 production consoles and shared I/O for the IP networked system together with A__stage64 and modular DALLIS Stagebox devices. Lawo’s V__pro8 eight-channel video/audio toolbox manages the embedding and de-embedding of the audio in and from video feeds. Based on a rights-

One of the two new 48-fader Lawo mc²56 production consoles management scheme, this approach has so far exceeded MBC’s initial expectations.

While most audio streams are exchanged via AES67/Ravenna-over-IP in any combination

at a high channel count, other signals are received via MADI. For previously installed legacy audio equipment, a Nova73 HD router provides a four-port Dante card that

allows the Studio City audio technicians to select a variety of formats in any authorised combination. The user rights management system built into the Lawo consoles protects audio sources “booked” by one mc²56 to avoid unexpected setting changes from the console in the other audio control room.

Supported by a live video link, the native IP support also allows Lawo to directly provide remote hands-on training from Europe. The same native remote capability can also be used by MBC operators to control on-location stageboxes during high-profile events. The IP-based approach ensures that the most talented operators can be scheduled for backto-back productions without having to travel onsite. www.lawo.com

14 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

PAME Pg4-23 News.indd 14

21/12/2021 14:41

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NEWS

Low-frequency loudspeaker aids “rumble” elephant research KENYA

Doctor Michael Pardo, a researcher in the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at Colorado State University, enlisted Bag End to build a custom loudspeaker for elephant field research.

Pardo is currently leading an exploration of vocal communication between African Elephants, which is taking place in Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. He is investigating the function of vocal learning ability in Wild African Savannah Elephants, including the possibility that they call one another by name.

A “rumble”, a type of elephant call, is the most common and varies acoustically

Dr Pardo with the Bag End speaker due to large vocal production anatomy.

Long-distance communication is thought

possible because low-frequency sounds degrade more slowly over distance than high-frequency sounds, and elephants respond to rumbles from more than a mile away. Elephants’ ear anatomy allows them to detect low frequencies, infrasonic tones and discriminate small frequency differences. There is evidence that the structural variation in rumbles is dependent on individual identity, reproductive state and emotional state of callers.

Bag End faced challenges during the project, not only having to reproduce lowfrequency sounds, but often in a range below human hearing while ensuring clarity

and detail. The time domain accuracy of the Infra system provides a realistic acoustical environment to the elephants, improving accuracy of research. The laboratory-grade Infra bass technology has met this challenge in elephant research for over 25 years. www.bagend.com

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PRG projects everchanging message at Expo UK pavilion UAE

PRG has installed customised LED tiles across the façade of the UK pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai, the first world expo to take place in the Middle East. The expo opened on 1 October and showcases architectural and technological wonders from over 192 countries.

Created by designer Es Devlin, the UK’s pavilion is a cone shape with a 25m-high circular façade, which symbolises cultural diversity and collaboration. Using an advanced AI learning algorithm developed with Google Arts & Culture, visitors can contribute a message that will then be added to a collective piece displayed on the LED modules.

PRG was appointed by Pico to integrate 2,000 customised LED tiles, sourcing the LED technology via PRG China, which also provided the custom-designed immersive audio system, designed by Polyphonia.

The technology package was then installed

by PRG in Dubai. “This is one of the most remarkable projects that I have been involved with in my whole career,” said Frederic Opsomer, general manager at PRG Projects. “I have known Es for many years, and we have collaborated on several projects together.

She is an amazing designer and this project reinforces her already stellar reputation. This breath-taking design of evermoving poetry,

displayed digitally and integrated to illuminate the façade of the UK pavilion, was a beautiful challenge for us at PRG, and we are very proud to collaborate with her on this journey of innovation.”

Gavin Short, senior technical project manager for PRG, concluded: “The pavilion is an exceptional and unmissable part of the overall Expo experience, located in the Opportunity District and is clearly a space that will inspire visitors to the site.” www.pico.com www.polyphonia.io www.prg.com

January–February 2022 PRO AVL MEA 15

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21/12/2021 14:41

NEWS

Kumasi City finds its voice GHANA

Ghana’s Kumasi City has installed a new PA and voice alarm system using LDA Audio Tech’s Neo range. The market is said to be the largest in West Africa, with more than 10,000 stores and outdoor stalls. 2015 saw the construction of a new modern building in the Kejetia area in order to improve traffic flow and pedestrian access by providing a venue for shops that were selling products on the street.

The market’s organisers specified the need for maximum intelligibility in different environments to guarantee the safety of

buyers and merchants in case of emergency.

After much discussion, LDA Audio Tech has manufactured the EN-54 PA and voice alarm systems installed in Kumasi City using the Neo and Neo Extension solutions supervised by the Neo Control application. More than 500 EN 54-24 certified loudspeakers have been installed in the entire market, aiming to provide clean sound in a very crowded, loud environment. www.lda-audiotech.com/en

TVU Networks provides footage and media for Expo UAE

TVU Networks has announced a partnership with Dubai Media Incorporated (DMI) to provide exclusive footage from Expo 2020 Dubai which runs until the end of March 2022. Held in a different city every five years, the event provides the opportunity for each country to present technology that is often based around the current social climate.

In conjunction with DMI, TVU Networks is sourcing video footage from the region to anyone around the world interested in seeing the event. Two live video sources from Dubai TV are being offered to TVU MediaSource and TVU Grid customers, as well as TVU Search subscribers free

of charge. TVU One 4K HDR 5G mobile transmitters are available for visitors to rent or purchase as well as solutions within TVU Partyline, Producer, Server and Grid.

“This is an incredible opportunity for TVU,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks.

“This is a high-profile, cultural event that showcases a country’s most compelling developments. We’re proud to stand alongside such known innovators. Live feeds enabled by our cloud-based solutions are helping broadcasters bring the excitement of this exhibition to their viewers and the world.” www.tvunetworks.com

South Africa’s Faith Dome gets a 360° AVL makeover SOUTH AFRICA

Stage Audio Works (SAW) has been called upon to design and integrate an audio, lighting and rigging solution for the main arena of the Faith Dome, Faith Broadcasting Network’s base in South Africa. Over the last 20 years, the ministry has consolidated a vast following of approximately 264m viewers worldwide, connecting with worshippers via satellite, terrestrial and digital broadcasts.

With headquarters in South Africa, USA and the UK, MyFaithTV claims to be the largest religious broadcaster on the African continent.

The ministry’s base in South Africa, formerly a wool warehouse, has been undergoing renovations for many years and now houses television studios, humanitarian aid warehouses, activity spaces as well as its main broadcasting studio. In 2015, work commenced on the 18m-high ceiling to replace it with the recognisable dome seen today. With the Faith Dome complete as of

early 2021, the indoor arena holds 10,500 attendees at maximum capacity.

Despite SAW being involved in the Faith Dome’s construction since 2013, the client has only recently specified that the solutions

must be in line with its 360° vision, which places the stage and PA system in the centre of the large arena. Dr Andre Robert, founder and CEO of the River Group, explained: “It was important for us to have a central stage in the Faith Dome as it truly places the focus of worship in the midst of our congregation.

It’s more democratic than a traditional frontto-back organisation and allows everyone to remain connected and involved with the worship experience.”

Although visually appealing for live production, the arena posed a challenge to the audiovisual integration. “From an acoustic perspective, the sheer size of the space is a factor to be reckoned with, in particular the extreme height of the room which necessitates a PA system that provides comprehensive vertical coverage,” observed Nathan Ihlenfeldt, CTO of SAW. “We ruled out a traditional line array, as the number of speakers required would have interfered with the client’s broadcasting setup and stretched

the budget. For this installation, d&b’s A-Series augmented array technology was the perfect fit in terms of directivity control, sonic quality and price range.”

SAW opted for eight augmented arrays of three AL60s flown from a custom-built square truss, itself flown from the ceiling at a height of 13m. To handle low end, four hangs of four V-SUBs are flown from a second square truss inside the first. In order to reduce cable runs, the amplifiers for the subs and the main PA are neatly housed in amp racks situated on top of their respective trusses.

Cape Town-based creative production company Bad Weather designed the lighting system, which was then integrated by SAW. A Cameo solution illuminates the main arena, further supported by interspersed Zenit floodlights, selected for their wideangle beams. In terms of lighting control, SAW selected ETC’s Hog 4 Console. SAW designed and manufactured a trussing solution comprising two concentric squares and an outer rectangle to house the PA and the lighting, as well as the central cuboid structure to accommodate the screens, based on Stage Plus OV truss, typically aimed towards the entertainment and events markets.

“We look forward to when restrictions ease and people are able to experience the magnitude of the Faith Dome first-hand,” concluded Ihlenfeldt. www.cameolight.com www.dbaudio.com www.etcconnect.com www.stageaudioworks.com

16 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

PAME Pg4-23 News.indd 16

21/12/2021 12:19

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22/12/2021 10:24

NEWS

Joburg Theatre lives happily ever after with LED screen set SOUTH AFRICA

All systems go for QSC in MEA region UAE

With an aim to strengthen market presence and enable closer customer proximity and support, QSC has announced the opening of a dedicated MEA regional office. Located in the heart of Dubai, the location will serve as the business development and training hub for the Middle East and Africa and will manage the distribution of the QSC product portfolio to support various verticals including corporate, higher education, live entertainment and cinema.

Chant Utukian, director MEA, will lead the Dubai office. Supported by applications

manager Angelo Arbilo, the team will also provide Q-SYS training in a dedicated space.

“QSC is always looking towards the future and grounding its roots in the most important regions for our business,” commented QSC EMEA managing director, Markus Winkler. “MEA is a crucial piece of this strategy, and our new office in Dubai allows us to accelerate our growth trajectory and proliferate the QSC brand even more.”

The Joburg Theatre has called on DWR Distribution to install large LED screens for its pantomime production of Janice Honeyman’s Cinderella, replacing the use of traditional sets that usually have to be shipped in from the UK. With the theatre putting on elaborate pantomimes since the 2000s, executive producer Bernard Jay was growing concerned about the associated costs of running the annual productions. “In June 2020, we started talking about the possibility of using new technology, but I was putting ridiculous pressure on our production designer, Andrew Timm, to come up with content for the production, which was ultimately postponed due to the pandemic,” he said.

Enos Ramoroko was assisted by DWR’s Bruce Riley, Dylan Jones and Tyler Pugin throughout.

Timm ensured that the physical set is simple to cover all bases: “If you remove all the images, it consists of a backdrop that opens and closes, two wings, a pros arch and a strip screen. I played it safe because I hadn’t worked with Janice Honeyman before. I knew she would want all types of looks and sets, so I chose the most versatile canvas that would allow me to put virtually any design onto.”

The animation team, headed by Charl Joubert, created a 3D render of a stage set rather than a flat design, which enabled Honeyman to see the set and animation in 3D within the early stages.

www.qsc.com

Dubai college engages remote students with ClearOne solution UAE

Dubai’s Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has turned to local integrator, Alpha Data, and ClearOne, seeking an AV solution that would allow for easier

and more engaging hybrid learning in the classroom.

With more and more educational institutions teaching remotely during the pandemic, RIT Dubai felt problematic technology shouldn’t be a hinderance in the classroom. “It was imperative that all of our students, regardless of their location, could clearly see and hear the lecturer,” said Khalil Darwish, director of IT for RIT Dubai.

Alpha Data installed a Collaborate Versa Pro 50 kit, a Collaborate Versa Lite CT, a Converge Pro 2 48VT microphone auto mixer and LS6CT ceiling speakers. Also included is the BMA 360 mic array and a Unite 150 PTZ camera. The AV solutions mean that RIT Dubai can conduct seminars and presentations, as well as lectures.

“For any organisation looking to deploy an AV solution, I would suggest that they look no further than ClearOne,” said Darwish.

“The superior quality of its audio and video has meant that in a teaching environment, all of our learners are completely immersed in their lectures. This is of critical importance for our remote students.” www.alpha.ae

Janice Honeyman’s Cinderella Storage also proved an issue for Joburg Theatre, which only repeated a pantomime after eight years, meaning that the locally built sets sat in expensive storage often not used again due to the designs being quite specific to each year. After the former set designer’s sad passing, the team had no choice but to hire from popular UK pantomime company, Qdos. Production manager Simon James would travel back and forth between South Africa and England during the process and, with costs mounting, he got permission from the theatre’s CEO to find an alternative solution.

Having already purchased 240 Absen PL2.9 Lite LED panels from DWR Distribution in 2019 intending to revolutionise existing set scenery, Joburg Theatre went on to invest in 325 panels supplied by DWR Distribution, including a NovaPro UHD Junior and an LED screen scaler with CVT4K-S fibre converters to run the screen alongside the theatre’s two existing Green Hippo Boreal media servers, all controlled on a grandMA2 light. Joburg Theatre’s technical manager

Timm explained further: “There are many creative directors who have a library of existing content, but I like to create bespoke imagery and then map it. Mapping is a big part of the show and why so many of the sets look genuinely three dimensional. In the barn scene with Buttons and Cinders, a barn door is perfectly mapped to an LED screen so it’s difficult to tell if it’s real or not. We also map objects like the fireplace in the kitchen so that the edges of the hearth wall are mapped to the edges of the screen. That’s what fools the audience’s eye and helps with the willing suspension of disbelief instead of just a graphic plastered onto a screen.”

Honeyman’s Cinderalla is said to have received “rave” reviews from critics and traditionalists alike. www.absen.com www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.green-hippo.com www.malighting.com www.novastar.tech

www.clearone.com

18 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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21/12/2021 12:19

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Untitled-1 4

22/12/2021 10:26

NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

NMK becomes L-Acoustics CPd for the Middle East MIDDLE EAST

NMK Electronics has been appointed as the L-Acoustics CPd (Certified Provider Distributor) for the region. With offices in Dubai, Sharjah and Doha, NMK has served the Middle East region for more than 34 years and possesses a reputable portfolio of brands. Its support for top-tier clients on prominent local projects across the GCC was said to be a key reason behind its appointment as CPd. “Our team of pro audio specialists, with decades of experience, respond to local demand and also offer technical and design support across the board,” said Dino Drimakis, commercial director at NMK Electronics. “We are thrilled to add a worldleading audio manufacturer to our portfolio.

L-Acoustics fits perfectly with our product mix.”

L–R: NMK’s Dino Drimakis, Akhil Raphael and Rocky Solarta, L-Acoustics’ Chris Mead, NMK’s Alex Kemanes, L-Acoustics’ Rahul Samuel and NMK’s Ziad Lakis NMK’s stated mission is to increase the demand for high-end audio and to bring the latest technologies to market. To

help accomplish this, the distributor is in the process of constructing a 1,500m2 experience centre in Al Quoz in Dubai to

showcase real-life audiovisual applications.

L-Acoustics’ L-ISA immersive technology will be a centrepiece.

“Being able to showcase L-ISA in the NMK Experience Centre where end users, consultants, integrators, rental companies and promoters can experience it will open even more doors in the region for us,” explained Chris Mead, L-Acoustics sales manager, Middle East, India and Africa.

“Having been based in Dubai for over 10 years, I have always seen NMK as a leading and forward-thinking reseller in the region, and the construction of the experience centre in Dubai is a testament to that.” www.l-acoustics.com www.nmkelectronics.com

Venuetech to bring Cedar’s Chip COB LEDs to the Middle East MIDDLE EAST

The continuous growth of Venuetech’s video division is being supported by a new partnership with Cedar Electronics. The

R&D and manufacturing. Small-pitch Flip-Chip COB displays are said to be vital to the realisation of microLED and

Wang Ruiguang

Abdul Assafiri

move will reportedly result in the arrival of the first Flip-Chip COB LED technology in the region.

“We are glad to establish a strategic relationship with Venuetech in the Middle East market,” stated Cedar Electronics general manager, Wang Ruiguang. Talking about the collaboration, he added that Venuetech has a precise understanding of the market and a strong ability to support local customers by building on its experience and professional team.

Cedar Electronics has over 10 years of experience in Flip-Chip COB LED display

will therefore be a key technology as that display market matures.

“We are looking forward to a long-term relationship and a step forward into offering new and out-of-the-box video solutions,” added Abdul Assafiri, COO of Venuetech.

“With the advent of the 5G era, the market urgently needs ultra-high-definition 4K and 8K large-size display applications as the development of LEDs to micro-pitch displays is an inevitable trend.”

MultiNet Communications will distribute Black Box solutions to customers with a focus on control room applications

MultiNet Communications takes control of Black Box MIDDLE EAST

IT connectivity solutions provider Black Box has partnered with MultiNet Communications for distribution of its Black Box KVM, pro AV and networking solutions across the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.

MultiNet Communications will concentrate on customers in the data centre, broadcast and transportation sectors, with a specific focus on control room applications.

“By adding Black Box products to our portfolio, we extend our ability to deliver just the right solution for every customer and application,” said Mohamed Jeelani, managing director at MultiNet Communications. “The company’s KVM,

digital signage and networking products feature state-of-the-art capabilities, as well as the flexibility and reliability essential in control rooms and other demanding environments and complement our existing portfolio.”

MultiNet Communications provides products to the entire Middle East region through branches in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, Qatar and Oman. With technical support and product training from the manufacturer, the company’s sales teams will help customers to identify and deploy solutions that address their technical and operational requirements.

www.cedarelectronics.com www.venuetech.ae

www.blackbox.com

Outline announces EMEA partnership EMEA

Loudspeaker manufacturer Outline has announced a new sales partnership with World Marketing Associates (WMA). Having established new brands as well as growing existing companies within the EMEA region, WMA will be Outline’s sales representatives for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

WMA’s Julian Young commented: “WMA are excited to be working with Outline.

Over the years, we have followed them

and been extremely impressed with the groundbreaking technologies they have introduced. We will provide support and advice to the Outline distribution network as the world gradually reopens following the Covid-19 pandemic, offering help to the distributors with their sales and marketing programmes. WMA will be an additional member of the Outline team, helping to grow and strengthen the business and

relationships with the office in Flero.”

“Having WMA’s expertise across our EMEA markets will extend Outline’s reach across numerous market sectors by actively assisting our established distribution network and forging new relationships,” concluded Outline CEO, Giorgio Biffi. “It’s a very exciting time for both companies.”

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NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

Peerless-AV adds a twist in Jordan with MixGT JORDAN

AV technology brand Peerless-AV has partnered with Mix Generation Technology (MixGT) to distribute its professional AV mounts and solutions to the Jordanian market. Particularly active in dvLED videowall and outdoor projects, MixGT is an established player in the region. Strong in the growing hospitality, retail, corporate and government markets, MixGT offers OEM and local integrator connections to help win new business in the region.

Based in Amman and a primary national distributor of Samsung, MixGT will promote, market and distribute the entire

Peerless-AV lineup, including kiosks, outdoor displays and dvLED mounting systems. “The digital signage market is growing in Jordan and the addition of the Peerless-AV brand means we are perfectly positioned to both attach products to Samsung sales and to target new business opportunities through our network of dealers and integrators,” commented MixGT co-founder and director, Amjad A Jabr. www.mixgt.com www.peerless-av.com

Nilesat and TVU Networks expand MEA

Aiming to increase contribution capability for customers while decreasing transmission costs, Egyptian satellite communications provider Nilesat has entered into a partnership with cloud and IPbased technological developer, TVU Networks. In conjunction with a new satellite scheduled to launch in Q2 2022, TVU Networks will offer an IP contribution and delivery solution to Nilesat customers throughout the African continent. Nilesat-301 will deliver digital broadcast services to its existing customer base and extend its footprint into North Africa, East Africa and the Middle East.

TVU Servers are currently in place to receive IP streams from digital television customers sent to Nilesat’s Cairo headquarters and TVU Networks. The networks combine TVU One mobile transmitters and the TVU Anywhere mobile production app, which is widely deployed for remote production by Arab and African media companies. Creating an endto-end, IP-based delivery platform, TVU Networks is providing its MLink rackmount transmitter and G-Link to Nilesat customers.

“With contribution and distribution over IP networks, our customers can send their feeds to our TVU server in Cairo for uplink in a far more costeffective way than transmitting via fibre, SNG or satellite,” commented Nilesat CTO, Hamdy Mounir. “We want to reduce the cost of transmission while increasing coverage reliability, and we’ve experienced the stability and flexibility that TVU technology can provide our customers.” www.nilesat.com.eg www.tvunetworks.com

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NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Freshwater signals new era for DiGiCo

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WORLD

DiGiCo has appointed Austin Freshwater as its new managing director. Having acted as general manager since 2017, Freshwater takes the reins from long-serving MD James Gordon, who remains CEO of parent company, Audiotonix.

Audiotonix – which also owns Allen & Heath, Calrec, DiGiGrid, Group One and KLANG:technologies – is said to be impressed with Freshwater’s performance, especially throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Gordon said: “He’s done an amazing job in a company that, to be very honest, is used to winning all of the time. Pandemic aside, he’s always been the right guy for the job.”

DiGiCo’s marketing manager Maria Fiorellino added: “Austin has been an extra layer of

support within the company. Having him with us has strengthened our relationships too, which is amazing, because our history goes back to the very beginning.”

Freshwater is looking forward to guiding DiGiCo through future challenges as well as successes. “I want to replicate the relationships James has built,” he said. “Not replace them by any means but add to them and offer that extra bit of support. After all, if you’re not driven to be the best for your customers, what are you doing it for? I’m here to ensure DiGiCo continues to develop along the path of excellence it’s been on since day one.”

Austin Freshwater

Jasper promoted to Middle East and CIS senior sales director WORLD

Klaus-Joerg Jasper had been named Lawo senior sales director for the Middle East and CIS, assuming responsibility for the additional sales activities in his new function. Having joined the manufacturer in 2008, Jasper has most recently focused on the Middle East. With a Masters in Technical Engineering and over 25 years of experience in the broadcast industry, he has a history of covering all aspects of broadcasting, including studios, OB vans as well as radio and television.

“I am proud to be a part of the Lawo team and I am happy that since my appointment, I have been in a position to deliver the best broadcast products and solutions to customers across the Middle East,” said Jasper. “Now, I am excited to extend the range of customers to whom I can deliver the same level and quality of service and support. I am really looking forward to taking on this position, and I believe

D ap Ja P

www.digico.biz

Crestron doubles up on support MEA

Technological Innovations Group, the sales agency for Crestron in EMEA, has welcomed Joshua Papé as its new technical support engineer in South Africa and Marco Fornier as business development manager in the Middle East. Papé will be responsible for supporting Crestron customers in Africa with technical requirements, while Fornier will lead the regional sales team in generating new business opportunities across the Middle East region.

Papé said of his appointment: “My passion for Crestron combined with the knowledge I’ve gained through executing a variety of projects over the last five years, equips me

Klaus-Joerg Jasper that my experience and expertise are a strong basis for growing upon our existing successes.”

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Marco Fornier to deliver on customer expectations within required timeframes. I always strive for excellence, paying careful attention to what the customer actually needs and finding the best possible solution for them.”

“It’s an honour to join the Crestron family,” added Fornier. “I’m an experienced sales professional in international business and I’m driven and inspired by helping clients adapt to the new hybrid world. I’m super excited to start meeting colleagues, partners, customers and friends in-person very soon.” www.crestron.com

www.lawo.com

Joshua Papé

www.tig.eu

Fadi Jumaa to strengthen VITEC’s Middle East team MIDDLE EAST

IP streaming solutions manufacturer VITEC has appointed Fadi Jumaa to the role of business development director, Middle East. The newly created position is intended to help strengthen VITEC’s presence in the region, with Jumaa addressing markets across VITEC’s entire portfolio.

“To attract someone of the talent and experience of Fadi is a real coup for VITEC, and we are thrilled by the attributes that he brings,” commented Nicolas Pons, VP – business development, Middle East, VITEC. “His technical understanding combined

with his in-depth knowledge of the market in the region will strengthen our position in the Middle East as we continue to extend our reach into new geographies, market verticals and partners.”

Jumaa has held multiple roles with various key vendors throughout his career, working at multinational companies including MultiChoice ME, Thomson Video Networks and Ateme. These roles allowed him to establish a significant foothold in the region, and provided him extensive experience across different industry

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sectors, including broadcast and various video delivery chains.

“VITEC is renowned for its engineering excellence, and I am thrilled to join a team dedicated to providing customers in the Middle East with innovative solutions,” said Jumaa. “I firmly believe in the infinite opportunities the region has to offer and VITEC is in a unique position to provide a broad range of leading-class solutions to cater to the region.”

Fadi Jumaa

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NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Jan is the man for Grass Valley’s revenue role WORLD

Grass Valley has announced that it has appointed Jan Lange as its new chief revenue officer. Lange has 25 years of experience in digital transformation, including serving as managing director EMEA for Avid Technology and SVP global sales at Media Broadcast.

Lange will report to Grass Valley CEO Tim Shoulders and oversee the company’s global market strategy, as well as build partnerships and large enterprise pricing agreements. With commercial experience under his Jan Lange

DWR appoints Jacques Pretorius SOUTH AFRICA

DWR Distribution has appointed Jacques Pretorius to its technical support and training team. Pretorius’ role will focus on supporting MA Lighting applications, leading the training department and its courses, as well as playing a key role in open days, roadshows and demonstrations.

premium live content. Jan brings an impressive sales track record and has the innovation mindset to grow adoption of the GVMU and bring cloudenabled efficiencies to the industry.

His experience in establishing strategic international relationship networks will be instrumental in helping us deliver on our vision to lead the media and entertainment market through its digital transformation.”

belt, Lange will lead the global sales team and drive Grass Valley’s recently launched new strategic focus on live production. His role also includes expanding the GV Media Universe (GVMU) cloud customer base and the company’s growing revenue.

Shoulders said: “The appointment of Jan to the leadership team supports our recently announced commitment to be the cloud workflow transformation partner of choice for the world’s leading creators and providers of

www.grassvalley.com

Meet our experts in conferencing at ISE 2022

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L–R: Duncan Riley and Jacques Pretorius “I’ve seen Jacques’ work over the past 10 years, and he is always someone with a lovely nature while being clued up on the technical side. We are very glad to welcome him to the team and hope that he will enjoy a long and happy stay,” said Duncan Riley of DWR Distribution.

Pretorius concluded: “Every day presents a new opportunity to grow and I believe that working at DWR will contribute to that growth and that an exciting future awaits me.”

Are you curious to see how the Televic experts are raising the bar in conferencing?

Pay us a visit at ISE 2022 between 1 & 4 February at Fira de Barcelona Gran Via. Hall 3, booth 3P100.

Televic’s experts in conferencing will be present during the entire event to showcase our newest Confidea FLEX wired and wireless solutions, as well as our Confero MEET hybrid meeting software platform.

MEET THE EXPERTS

HALL 3, BOOTH 3P100

www.dwrdistribution.co.za

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FEATURES: EXPO

All roads lead to the Expo for Neumann&Müller Handling in excess of 10 major pavilion projects for Expo 2020, Neumann&Müller has been preparing for this moment for some time

The exterior of the Brazil Pavilion lit up at night

A child at the Baden-Württemberg Pavilion

GERMAN SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR NEUMANN&MÜLLER (N&M) has been one of the more instrumental companies in the runup to Dubai Expo 2020, and this is by no means by accident.

Following a restructuring back in 2016, the company’s entire Middle East operations have been poised for this moment.

Ever since its involvement in Astana Expo 2017, the follow-up has been at the top of its radar and seen the local teams make a deliberate push to win the pavilion tenders in the Expo’s proceeding four years.

A big driver of this transition has been Middle East co-managing director Felix Erdmann, who’s been leading the charge for the company’s regional activities alongside Jens Giessler since 2019. Internally, N&M’s expo operations are split into two distinct teams – one handling systems integration inside a variety of pavilions (which, now the site is open, require onsite technical assistance at all times) and the other catering for production services at a variety of the performance spaces. To meet these requirements, the SI has had to expand its workforce considerably over the last six months.

It’s clear that the local N&M team has been serious about the 2020 Expo ever since its inception and, as a result, has managed to secure some of the best pavilion projects. Having relocated from Germany to Dubai in early 2020, Markus Schmidt is in charge of the company’s pavilion operations. “Back in November 2019, I started working on the sustainability pavilion and took over as a project manager,” he recalls. “From then on, things came project by project – Kazakhstan, Luxembourg, the Women’s Pavilion and so on. I managed five projects throughout the building phase and then straight after moved to operations maintenance. Now I’m the project manager for 10 pavilions in total.”

Each of these are owned and managed by their respective countries, meaning separate tenders were required. “This leads to a complete mix of ideas,” notes the operations manager.

“Many agencies came to us with existing ideas and had even already pre-chosen materials. Others had an idea of what they would like to achieve but were seeking our help and expertise for the creation. Some completely trusted us to take the project over. Furthermore, the Covid situation drastically changed the nature of many of the original designs. Technology such as touchless displays are now in vogue, and even just the number of guests that could safely inhabit each area had to be reconsidered late on to aid social distancing.”

Each pavilion attempts to provide a unique cultural offering in promotion of the respective country’s heritage, with most exhibits along the journey enriched with ample doses of AV technology.

Highlights for N&M include an hour-long, AV-laden tour around the Japanese Pavilion, the creation of a huge projection surface for the exterior of the Brazilian Pavilion, an excursion under the sea at the Sustainability Pavilion, Terra, and a refreshing tour of New Zealand’s varied landscapes brought alive through projection.

From Schmidt’s perspective, there are some clear favourites among the 10 N&M outfitted – Brazil topping the list. Inspired by the stilt houses built along the riverbanks of the Amazon, the 4,000m2 structure also doubles as an enormous projection surface for 134 Panasonic projectors installed inside specially constructed enclosures developed by the N&M team. The pavilion’s massive fabric ceiling and walls, measuring 48m across, showcase the sights of the Amazon in an immersive 360° experience that brings the entire structure to life as the sun sets.

The visuals are powered by rows of Panasonic laser series 50K, 30K, 20K and 12K projectors – PT-RQ50K, PT-RZ120BE, PT-RZ31K and PT-RQ50K – situated around the interior perimeter, together with short-throw and short beam angle BenQ 890 UST units. Audio is handled by a variety of QSC column and AcousticCoverage ceiling speakers, 84 in total, including AC-S6T WH and AC-S4T WH models.

“This has been one of our biggest expo projects,” enthuses Schmidt. “We have around 30 projectors on each side – they’re all matched and blended and project onto all five sides of the structure. Our custom-built extreme weather protection enclosures maintain the optimal operating conditions by using intelligent sensors to regulate and control the environment in all weather conditions.”

Having led the project from beginning to end, the more compact Luxembourg Pavilion holds a special place in Schmidt’s heart.

“Luxembourg is quite diverse. We have this small 10-inch display on the ramp, which goes up to a big LED screen. Everything’s packed in and the architecture of the whole pavilion is very unique.”

At night, the Brazil Pavilion transforms into a colourful beacon via all-around projection The Luxembourg Pavilion features several original concepts and ideas – one of which is the Diverse Society media installation composed of custom-printed hands, each housing a built-in display and speakers created using LattePanda mini-PCs running Windows 10 and paired with LattePanda Full HD Thin line displays.

Upon stepping inside the Japan Pavilion, whose façade is made of a sleek geometrical 3D lattice structure inspired by both traditional Japanese Origami and Arabic patterns, guests are guided along the extensive hour-long tour and kept entertained by a variety of different AV technologies operating under the theme of Where Ideas Meet. Here, N&M was involved in creating experiences across six zones, where transitions from one scene to another had to work seamlessly between the various lighting, video and sound equipment, all to a backdrop filled with a cool, ultra-fine mist. The AV highlight inside the Japan Pavilion is undoubtedly the unique, spherical 360° projection exhibit.

Nearby in the Sustainability district is the New Zealand Pavilion.

Named Aotearoa, the country’s traditional Māori name, it has been designed to provide an immersive experience that conveys the theme Care for People and Place, based on the indigenous Māori ethos of connection to the natural environment. The

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building has a unique audible and visual “pulse” as the façade moves in time with a low-frequency sound to create a rippling effect. Inside the main space, projected visuals surround guests on all sides contrasted by environmental imagery. “The New Zealand Pavilion is a real eye catcher and we’re extremely happy with the way our AVL scope has turned out,” says Schmidt.

Of note inside Baden-Württemberg – a unique pavilion dedicated to a specific region of Germany – is an interactive exhibit powered

by Vioso. N&M has integrated floor and wall projections delivered from three Barco projectors with software running on Vioso for the replaying and blending of content. “It was so easy to create,” recalls Schmidt. “The system is not massive, but we work on similarly sized setups from competing companies and the Vioso solution is by far the easiest to handle. We’ll definitely be looking more into this approach for future projects.” The wall projections driven by the Vioso Player solution are delivered by three Barco F80-4K12 and three GLD 0.8–1.0:1 projectors, while audio comes from 11 Seeburg A2 dp active high-mid cabinets.

Under a theme of the Forest of Future Technologies, the mirrored Belarus Pavilion invites guests in through a large LED interactive corridor constructed from INFiLED ER5 pro panels and powered by a Novastar controller that details interesting facts about the country. A variety of projections inside are again created using Panasonic projectors, with PT-RZ590 White, PT-RZ690BE and PT-RCQ80BE models called on predominately.

“Our installation scope included curved-wall projections, large LED walls, custom kiosk displays, immersive VR equipment and a complete audio system throughout the entire pavilion,” explains Manuel Cervera, project manager at the Belarus Pavilion. “The implementation of displays in customised design housings was a major challenge. We also integrated an inverted V-shaped stage with an event-specification audio and lighting system comprising a Yamaha QL5 mixing desk and Shure ULX series wireless microphone system to bring the best experience to daily live events on the outside stage.”

As one of the larger pavilions on the entire site, Kazakhstan’s serene exterior conveys little of what’s inside. Externally, N&M provided the lighting calculation for the outside façade, which was then purchased and integrated by a local MEP contractor.

Under the theme of The Gateway to Tomorrow, a variety of visualisations inside have been concocted, with the showstopper being a unique robot-arm interactive exhibit. “In the preshow area, we created a 12m-wide 4K projection with auxiliary floor projections and a QSC audio system to welcome visitors to the pavilion,” explains Schmidt. The entire ground-floor level

Inside the Japan Pavilion demonstrates the history of the country via two 30K wall projections, mirrored in all corners of the main room and four thematic smaller rooms discussing the country’s heritage and resources.

“In the main show area,” Schmidt furthers, “we created a 360° projection from four Epson projectors and a set of moving lights, together with a powerful d&b audiotechnik 5.1 surround system.

The AVL technologies used here power the interactive show whereby a robot arm and a dancer combine to highlight future tech.”

On the first-floor mezzanine, the team created a curved animated print of the country’s capital from an LED curtain, moving lights and video projections to switch the display between day and night-time views. The second-floor features six interactive stations and a large 6m-diameter table providing interactive futuristic views of Kazakhstan. For additional lighting, ETC LED Source 4 and Iridium LED mini-Profilers were used to highlight text elements and in areas where precision was required.

The highlight for Pro AVL MEA when visiting Expo was Terra, the landmark in the Sustainability Pavilion intended to demonstrate how the clever use of technology can pave the way towards a more sustainable future. N&M catered to both the exhibit and event lighting demands in 10 of the pavilion’s large

galleries, while also integrating a breakout system for future use comprised of 256 individual breakout boxes, each with fibre, Cat6, DMX, speaker and power outlets. A full audiovisual setup was also deployed in the Children’s Gallery, a high-tech kindergarten and inside playground.

While much of the technology specified by N&M was intended to meet specific requirements, there were equipment commonalities throughout the integrator’s site-wide activities.

“We have used either Panasonic or Epson projectors across the majority of the pavilions; Epson for the smaller projections and Panasonic for the major ones, while the choice of LED walls was a mixture depending on what was available in the market at the time,” the operations manager explains. “From an audio perspective, we use a lot of QSC as we have found them to be a great partner for the playback and control unit. The Core 550 is very easy to control, very reliable and easy to maintain. Even those pavilions that are running the day-to-day operations on their own, it’s easy to mute something or to increase volumes.

We also favour QSC speakers for most of the public areas.

For the areas where we need more power, we like d&b on the systems integration side.”

With all the pavilions now outfitted, operational and open to the public, N&M’s work is still nowhere near over. Schmidt leads a team of more than 20 technicians roaming the site in shifts.

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FEATURES: EXPO

A performer at the Kazakhstan Pavilion

Interior of Terra, the Sustainability Pavilion “We have a three-shift rotation system,” he explains. “Daytime, afternoon and then a night-time maintenance shift, where if necessary we can swap in or out any of the equipment. Certain pavilions, such as Brazil, require us to have people onsite at all times.”

One (perhaps) unexpected benefit of the pandemic has been the increased use of remote technology, and N&M has made the most of this with onsite manpower heavily augmented through distanced-based management equipment. “We can access all of our media servers and PCs remotely,” explains Schmidt. “We have one guy here in our office in DIP and one at our head office in Germany who are constantly monitoring everything. There’s a good chance our guys are already aware of any issues even before the client is.”

All of this is but just half the story. In addition to the pavilions the company has poured its heart and soul into over the last two years, N&M remains a preferred choice for handling the technical production requirements at the various outdoor performance venues littering the Expo. With more than 10 large-scale areas in total, planning for this has been just as thorough.

Leading the charge since 2019, Felix Hubner has seen N&M’s approach alter drastically over that time. “Everything got cancelled at the beginning of the pandemic and the project was put on hold

The main area inside the Belarus Pavilion

Dawn ceremony at the New Zealand Pavilion for quite some time,” he recalls. “At that point, we had already started to hold test events and begun to mobilise our resources before everything came to a halt.”

Operations quickly resumed again in October 2020 following an internal Expo restructuring. “There was now a single head of events and entertainment taking care of all entertainment aspects across the site, including all performance venues and rehearsal stages. In the first phase, we did the consultancy, the designs and everything. Since the restructuring, we have been providing equipment as needed as per consultants’ specifications.”

Switching to the consultant-led approach changed the outcome quite dramatically. “Our initial intention was to use the same manufacturers across all of the stages to make the maintenance work easier – if you have spare units on hand, you can use the same spare parts and you only need one specialist in the workshop to take care of everything. The consultants tend to have a different approach, they look for the product which is the best fit for the purpose. As a result, we have all different equipment across the site from different manufacturers.”

Equipment selection varies according to location, but there are common themes once again. Audio on the largest stages typically comes from top-of-the-range L-Acoustics K1 solutions.

TAC performs on the Jubilee Stage during Expo 2020 The venue’s Starlight stage is the largest stage throughout the entire complex at a capacity of more than 20,000 people and with a performance area of 576m2. Sound here is delivered from main hangs of L-Acoustics K1s, K1-SB subwoofers, K2 cabinets for the delay towers and KIVA and ARCS for front and side fill respectively. Everything is powered by LA-RAK II amplifiers and mixed on a DiGiCo SD7 (at FOH) or SD10 (for monitors).

L-Acoustics X15 HiQ work in tandem with a Shure PSM 1000 wireless in-ear monitoring system for onstage foldback, while lighting is from a mixture of Clay Paky battens, Robe BMFL Washbeam and Blade, Megapointe, LED Beam 150 and CycFx fixtures, along with Robert Juliat Dalis Cyrano GT 4000s and SGM Q7s. Similar, but scaled-back, setups can be found at the Jubilee Stage and Dubai Millennium Amphitheatre.

“Beyond providing services at some of the permanent stages, we have a selection of Yamaha Stagepas 400 speakers deployable as portable systems anywhere across the site,” furthers Hubner. To date, N&M has supported some of the most high-profile acts on the Expo calendar, including, most recently, Alicia Keys at the Al Wasl Plaza.

Despite the 12-month delay to the event’s opening, the N&M teams weren’t afforded any time to rest on their laurels and several of the pavilion integration works continued right up to the entry date. “Most of the pavilions were tested and commissioned beforehand but, for a few of them, we had to complete this phase in under a week and anything remaining, do it on the fly.

“After all of the obstacles we faced on this project, the most rewarding part was when all of the equipment finally arrived and we were able to complete the first sound check,” concluded Hubner. “While we’ve been engaged more in corporate events in the region up until now, our aim is to be seen as one of the leading companies supporting top-class performances – we’re keen to develop and extend this further across the whole region.” www.neumannmueller.com

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FEATURES: HOSPITALITY

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HEC Pro adds a refreshed Italian flavour to Istanbul’s nightlife scene after a two-year hiatus for the industry NAMES CAN SOMETIMES BE DECEIVING. FREQUENTLY described as Istanbul’s extravagant nightclub, Masquerade doesn’t attempt to hide its ambition. Yet, there is still mystique in ample doses, contrasted by an over-the-top extravagance that promises to impress even the most travelled tastemakers.

First opening its doors in October 2011, the venue has spent the last decade crafting its reputation as one of Istanbul’s premiere nightlife spots. A key tool in its armoury has been the heavy use of state-of-the-art audiovisual systems. The central DJ booth initiates an energy that transfers perfectly onto giant LED screens that envelope the DJ and crowd, with every element working in tandem to accentuate the rhythm of the music.

Spanning more than 2,500m2 and with a capacity for more than 2,000 patrons, Masquerade Club is spread across three levels – the ground floor forming the main dancefloor and stage area, with the middle and top floors offering a resting area known as The Lodge, as well as VIP bars and restrooms.

“Our mission at Masquerade Club is to provide a VIP entertainment experience through our unique architecture and décor, distinctive music entertainment style and high-quality service,” explains Gökay Tevlek, resident DJ at the venue ever since its first opening. “We are looking to become one of the few major worldwide brands in the entertainment sector by introducing a brand-new trend to the entertainment concept – infusing nightlife with art.”

Masquerade’s sheer size, combined with its energy-infusing AV attributes, have allowed the venue to secure an impressive collection of top international house DJs as residents, further boosting its appeal.

The nightclub scene has been one of the most affected sectors in the hospitality industry, with many only now contemplating opening back up after nearly two years of silence. In order to vie for patrons’ attention in this highly competitive market, a number of establishments chose to use the downtime to reassess business offerings. It may look state-of-the-art on the surface, but parts of Masquerade’s technical infrastructure were wearing a mask of their own – audio performance being one aspect beginning to show signs of wear. After a decade in its previous guise, it was time to don a new mask.

“Our current audio system had been running since the venue was brand-new,” describes Tevlek. “Earlier in the pandemic we had made the decision to upgrade some of the other technology and so decided that now would also be a good time to reassess the sound.”

Designed and integrated by LJ Drac (Yalçın Ateş), these earlier upgrades to the visual and lighting systems included new robotic moving heads controlled via an ETC Lighting HedgeHog 4X compact lighting console. The main LED walls were expanded with 3mm pixel pitch 60m2 additions that are fed with content via an ArKaos Grand VJ XT solution that provides video mapping capabilities on the screens. A Pangolin LD 2000 laser control system and Madrix LED system were also integrated into the setup. That left one major attribute of the club’s entertainment system that had not been reassessed for over a decade: the sound.

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FBT’s VHA series cabinets were selected for their power and coverage capabilities

Resident DJ Gökay Tevlek is surrounded on all sides by audiovisual elements matched to the music

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION HEC Pro was responsible for the initial audio installation more than a decade ago and has retained close links with the venue ever since.

The FBT distributor and systems integrator has also been responsible for outfitting some of the largest nightclubs in the surrounding area. Tevlek approached HEC Pro’s Berk Ozan for assistance in taking the audio in a new direction. A decade of technology evolution for the Italian loudspeaker brand has also had a notable impact.

That original audio configuration comprised of eight Mitus 206 LA line arrays as the primary cabinets flown above the DJ booth. These main hangs were paired with 12 FBT Mitus 112A, 16 Verve 10, eight Mitus 121 SA processed bassreflex active subwoofer cabinets and 12-inch Jolly 12A subwoofers for the additional areas.

“We played a major role in initially helping to construct this club and, at the time, the entire audio system was done with FBT Audio,” recalls Ozan. “Those original cabinets have been faithfully operating for six days a week for

“The power of this new model and its coverage angles were just what we were looking for, and we’ve been getting great results at the club since they were installed.”

Replacing the original hangs above the DJ booth, the new DSP-equipped Class-D VHA 406A cabinets provide 90° x 20° dispersion across Masquerade’s voluminous dancefloor, with a frequency response of 65Hz–120kHz. The VHA 112SA subwoofers extend this down to 25Hz. The original Mitus 112A and Verve 10 series have since been repurposed and are now used on the private seating area known as The Lodge.

The audio system is controlled jointly by Tevlek – or whichever resident DJ is performing that night – and the venue’s technical team via three Xilica XP-8080 8x8 loudspeaker management processors. Sources from the DJs include pairs of Pioneer CDJ 3000 turntables and CDJ2000nxs turntables, fed through either a Pioneer DJM-900NXS2 DJ or Allen & Heath XOne:96 DJ mixer.

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The unique décor and all-encompassing use of AV makes Masquerade a niche concept in the Turkish nightlife sector over a decade and, despite this, not all needed to be changed.”

That wasn’t the original plan when setting out on the latest upgrade. “The owner and the operator wanted to replace it all and have everything new,” explains Ozan. Having also been the venue’s resident DJ since opening, Tevlek was hesitant about deviating too far from the tried-and-tested method that has worked successfully for more than decade, wanting to retain or repurpose any original parts of the audio system where possible.

“After testing everything, we realised that it would be more than sufficient to replace the main speakers hangs, and then repurpose the old cabinets,” furthers Ozan.

HEC Pro offers something that few systems integrators can dream of – a fully kitted-out mock nightclub housed within its main offices that enables the company to showcase a full selection of nightclub products in a realistic environment. “We invited Gökay to our nightclub demonstration area to experience the latest products from FBT,” Ozan confirms. “Ultimately, we settled on replacing the Mitus 206 LAs with hangs of eight FBT VHA 406A combined with VHA 112SA flyable subbass speakers.

“We listened carefully to the VHA series recommended by Mr Ozan,” Tevlek recalls.

“The coverage angle and strength of the VHA series was the overriding factor determining its use on this project,” notes Ozan. “The FBT engineers have done a brilliant job of exploiting both the vertical and horizontal to truly create a very good speaker.”

As the new and improved Masquerade looks to open up to patrons for the first time in nearly two years, HEC Pro is hoping this development signals a return to past form for one of its most valuable business sectors.

“Masquerade is one of the largest and most popular nightclubs in Istanbul and we were glad to be invited back to explore an upgrade,” Ozan concludes. “This is also the first nightclub project we’ve completed in nearly two years and we hope it’s a sign of things to come. We desperately look forward to a return to the old days.”

“We have now been using FBT for a very long time and are very satisfied with the products.

You can find FBT in many clubs in Turkey,” Tevlek summarises. “I’d like to thank Mr Ozan for an excellent job done, both in the success of the products and the great service we received from HEC Pro.”

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January–February 2022 PRO AVL MEA 29

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

A rebel in disguise time-aligned delay boxes. For lighting, 41 COLORado 1 Solo washes were positioned from the ceiling to illuminate the exercise bikes from above, which because of the fixture’s zoom capabilities, allowed for a number of dynamic effects to be achieved to heighten energy levels.

Rumble is the boxing studio, and here eight wall-mounted Blackline X10s are evenly distributed around the perimeter, with a pair of SX112s at either end of the room. A total of 76 ÉPIX strip IP pixel bars were attached to the steel boxing structure and pixel mapped using MADRIX software.

The long and thin batten shapes of the ÉPIX fixtures functioned as building blocks for the structure, providing the basis for pulsating illumination of the ring with bursts of kick-out colour combinations. “The setup in Rumble sounds

It’s the latest trend for modern gyms, a nightclub in disguise where fitness is but one part of the equation 1REBEL IS A NEW FITNESS CONCEPT THAT FIRST made its entrance on the gym circuit in London. It’s unique in that it offers guests a high-octane, “club-spec” technical infrastructure to accompany them during workouts. The heavy use of audio, video and lighting equipment is a trend gripping fitness centres across the Middle East, so where better for 1Rebel to head next than in this direction?

A recent partnership with Pulse Fitness and Sports Company has provided the impetus for the brand’s expansion into seven MEA countries – Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Egypt. Its Middle East vision is heavily based on the success it had in revolutionising the UK fitness industry by immersing people’s senses in a compelling club-like experience.

The first stop is 1Rebel Riyadh, a joint-venture between 1Rebel in the UK (represented by James Balfour and Giles Dean) and Pulse Fitness Group’s Fahad Alhagbani and Nathan Clute. Having first become involved in the project almost two years ago, before the pandemic took hold, UKbased systems integrator Middlesex Sound & Light (MSL) overcame a number of challenges to spec and commission the new spaces with high-energy sound reinforcement and lighting systems.

Inspired by London successes, the 1Rebel Riyadh project stuck to the tried-and-tested formula. “We had already spec’d Martin Audio in other 1Rebel venues as they represent great value for money and display tremendous sonic quality,” explains MSL project manager, Toby Jones. He was also responsible for conjuring up the lighting mix in both London and Riyadh, collaborating with lighting designer Durham Marenghi. Together, they endowed the new Saudi centres with the engaging look and feel that have become a signature of the brand. “Our lighting brief from Marenghi was simple,” Jones recalls.

“Stay consistent with the London venues and take it to the next level.”

To execute this vision, lighting and video were employed within each of the gym’s studio/spaces to support the 1Rebel theme with energetic visuals. The team positioned Ovation, COLORado and ÉPIX strip fixtures within the four main concept spaces that define the 1Rebel experience: Reshape, Ride, Rumble and Reflex. Martin Audio Blackline X12, X10, X8 and X115 and SX212 subwoofers were also supplied locally by Martin Audio’s Dubai-based distributor, PRO LAB, along with 16 ADORN A55 cabinets for the waiting, changing and reception areas.

The Ride spin room

The Rumble boxing studio The high-workout Spin room, Ride, has 12 x 4m trusses flown down the length of the room. Two Blackline X115 subs are ground stacked, one on top of the other to the left-hand side of the stage. Two Blackline X12 boxes, forming the FOH audio, are located on the truss above the instructor, with a single X12 in the middle of the truss pointing down as a reference monitor. A number of video panels in an exploded format are located behind the instructor position and down both sides of the room.

Meanwhile, 10 matched pairs of X10s and three SX212 subs are flown down the length of the room, offering the

simple, but the results were incredible,” notes Jones. “The whole structure flows with moving light, bringing a genuinely unique experience to a boxing studio.”

Reshape is largely used for treadmill running, cardio and box work, and boasts 15 Blackline X8s around the perimeter, with a pair of SX112 subwoofers on a central truss. Here, 10 COLORdash Par Quad 18s have been hung, evenly spaced on the ceiling. Controlled through a ShowCAD touchscreen, instructors can change the mood in the room by washing it in different colours.

Finally, for the Functional Studio, Reflex, a facility to be used by personal trainers, there are a further eight Blackline X8 speakers and two single floor-mounted SX112 subs. Aside from Ride, the male studios are largely a mirror image of the female. All have multiple touchscreens for local control from set positions. On the audio side, control is handled in a BSS Soundweb London environment, and each room is fitted with an audio interface and equipped with Trantec radio mics. Because of the high humidity, MSL fabricated its own rotary analogue control panels using custom-made fascia panels and military-grade rotary pots.

While 1Rebel hopes to break the gym mould locally, MSL was able to stick to its tried-and-tested formula to deliver a successful integration under challenging circumstances, and Pulse Fitness Group’s Nathan Clute couldn’t be happier with the service received. “We are extremely impressed with the quality of the system and level of execution,” Clute concludes. “With our partners at Middlesex Sound & Lighting, we were able to design and implement a bespoke solution using what we believe to be the best products in the market, to create something previously unseen. The front-end controls are simple and user-friendly, despite the technical complexity within the design.” www.1rebel.com/sa www.chauvetprofessional.com www.martin-audio.com

30 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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FEATURES: EXPO

Finland gets to business

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Banks of distributed Genelec Smart IP loudspeakers accompany guests along their journey at every turn

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Creating a stark contrast to the exterior buzz at Dubai Expo 2020, the Finland Pavilion soothes visitors with an immersive soundscape that follows them along their discovery of Finland ARRIVING AT THE GIGANTIC EXPO SITE FROM THE Mobility entrance, the uniquely designed Finland Pavilion, affectionately dubbed the Snow Cape, immediately sticks out against the backdrop of other bizarre creations. Architecturally from the outside, the building has been constructed to resemble an Arabic tent made of snow, fusing Finland’s icy landscape with the host nation’s desert environment. However, it’s on the inside where things get interesting. Stepping through the tent-like entrance, the environment descends into darkness and a journey of the technologies that power some of Finland’s most innovative industrial sectors emerges alongside examples of what the country is best known for – nature and sustainability. Within the Snow Cape Pavilion, over 100 Finnish companies are presenting their world-class solutions in areas such as natural resources and energy, ICT and digitalisation, smart cities, technology, education, health, design and tourism.

Visitors experience a dramatic contrast between the sensory overload of the Expo environment and the calm, Nordic atmosphere inside the central void. A key element of this transition is the use of dozens of compact Genelec active loudspeakers, which deliver a tranquil but immersive soundscape that follows visitors along their journey. A total of 84 4430 Smart IP installation loudspeakers are incorporated into the pavilion, including a 10-channel immersive loudspeaker array that reproduces specially commissioned sound art by Finnish composer Emilia Takayama, entitled The Land of Snow.

The Smart IP solutions perfectly embody the pavilion’s sustainable theme. Manufactured from recycled aluminium, 74 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers are located in the exhibition area, configured as a custom immersive array, with the remainder handling The Land of Snow sound art content in “The Gorge” area occupying the centre of the pavilion.

“The Gorge is the space where we are providing a complete opposite to the Expo,” explains Severi Keinälä from Business Finland, commissioner general of Finland at Expo 2020 Dubai.

“The Expo has millions of screens, lights and noises that all

increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Here, there is nothing to fix your eyes on, just pure Finnish granite on the floor, timber going up to 50m and cool air being pushed up from the ground via displacement, and then just the soundscape of real nature sounds. The idea with the soundscape here is to create an auditory experience akin to being inside Finland’s National Park. When you come here, you calm down, and a primary element of this is done through sound.”

Creating an almost cathedral-like ambience, the soundscape inside The Gorge envelopes visitors from 12 surrounding 4430 Smart IP speakers hidden in the timber walls.

The networkable Smart IP audio solution, like the other audiovisual technologies inside the space, provides single-cable convenience – power, audio and loudspeaker management via a standard Cat cable, greatly simplifying the integration procedure. Designed by Genelec and commissioned by local partner GSL Professional, the audio infrastructure operates via Dante and is powered using standard PoE+ network switches. The system installation and programming were handled by Audico Systems from Finland. Audio content is fed into the system over Dante via five JoeCo Blackbox BBR64Dante recorders situated in the upstairs control room with the necessary audio processing handled by a pair of QSC Q-SYS Core 110f.

“Because the speakers have power over Ethernet, that means we only had to run half the amount of cables,” adds Petri Ryöppy from Business Finland. “It’s a really clever system but, of course, all this has to be planned well in advance. The sound quality is so good with the Genelecs that we don’t have to worry in that regard but, the more speakers we used, the fewer decibels we needed to create the soundscape and the more localisation points we had available. We can roll the soundscape when somebody’s moving on the screen quite smoothly around the area, back and forth.”

The pavilion features two levels: the ground level for the general exhibition and a second level with VIP and conference

The 4080s stay out of sight inside the central Gorge

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FEATURES: EXPO

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areas, also known as the Finland Majlis. The VIP area provides a platform to organise corporate events, including seminars, workshops, client meetings and media events.

Surrounding the central Gorge downstairs is a space containing the main exhibition that aims to demonstrate how nature and technology can be utilised to increase happiness.

The display, which includes a 53m-long LED wall comprised of INFiLED X II Series curvable LED panels, was designed

by Futudesign, Sun Effects and Flatlight Creative House in collaboration with JKMM Architects. Content on the display showcases nature and technology interweaving within the dayto-day life in Finland and is served up from a pair of Analog Way Picturall Quad Compact media servers with processing from a NovaPro UHD Jr 4K all-in-one controller (video processing/LED controller), both located in the second-floor control room.

“The biggest investment, both conceptually and digitally, is the big screen. It’s 52m long and runs all around the pavilion, displaying 12 different scenes in total,” furthers Ryöppy.

“The tricky part was creating the content because of the very unusual 2m x 52m aspect ratio. Everything has been planned and filmed so that you can follow the same story. The INFiLED screen is modular and can therefore create any design, but we did work with them to create a custom mounting solution that enabled us to curve the display efficiently around the walls.”

Working in sync with the visuals, the overhead lighting elements are controlled by a Lightware MX2-8x8 in the control room and change colour to mimic the onscreen content.

“The environment is driven by the content displayed onscreen,” comments Ryöppy. “That dictates the mood of the exhibition. The system picks up the colours from the scene and mirrors it to the lighting array overhead, while a complementary mood is provided by the audio.”

Over the six months of the Expo, the Snow Cape Pavilion will enable visitors to learn more about Finnish technologies with a first-hand taste of Genelec audio quality, in addition to hosting events by partner companies and industry leaders, thematic

JoeCo Blackbox recorders in the upstairs control room host the bespoke audio content

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days, VIP events and special celebrations of Finland’s National Day and Christmas. Following the Expo, the pavilion will remain open on the Expo site for a further five years, after which time it will be dismantled. In line with the themes the pavilion champions within, JKMM Architects estimates that more than 80% of the materials used in its construction will be recycled and reused. www.audico.fi

A 52m-long INFiLED X II Series LED curve around the perimeter of The lighting morphs to match the colour of the pavilion the videos displays on the large LED sceen

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January–February 2022 PRO AVL MEA 33

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

The primary L-Acoustics and Pioneer-backed DJ booth

A showcase of DJ history greets visitors as they arrive

Giving back to the community

A pro audio mindset drives operations at Selecta Academy, the region’s first “all hands on deck” DJ experience centre and training facility AS THE OWNERS OF MULTIPLE PRO AUDIO equipment companies and each with illustrious DJ careers behind them, few possess the breadth of knowledge and passion for their craft as Hassan Alwan and Daniel Ball.

An appreciation of both ends of the market gives the pair a refreshing viewpoint when it comes to pushing the sector forward. A vital skill for their latest endeavour.

Technology has had such a huge impact on the evolution of 21st-century DJing that a dichotomy emerges – not many have the resources available in the early stage of their career, or the spare time later on, to truly assess the broad range of equipment options on offer. Purchasing the industrystandard choice becomes the only safe option and, as a result, creativity is stifled even before they’ve began.

Alwan and Ball are the brains behind Levels AV, a professional audiovisual systems integrator and distributor, which until recently had been headquartered in Abu Dhabi.

The pandemic afforded the ability to relocate the base to Dubai’s Al Quoz district and scale up substantially. With lots of additional space in the new location, and an extended period of downtime on the live events side, ideas quickly started swirling for how it could be best utilised. The result is Selecta DJ + Nightclub Systems.

The intention with Selecta is two-fold: a shop where people can come and try the latest DJ equipment in a proper professional environment, and also a much-needed local DJ skills school that will train students on how to get the most out of the various pieces of gear. “We have 13 individual DJ booths, all backed up by nightclub-grade sound systems,” describes Alwan. “Any station you go on you’re able to get your hands on the system, take it out for a thorough demo and get a proper feeling for what it can do.”

Each booth has a different equipment highlight, one the latest CDJ system from Pioneer, the next Denon’s newest Prime mixing station. Alwan is encouraging the use of DSPequipped PA speakers for monitoring and therefore large active PA speakers adorn each booth in contrast to the smaller studio monitors typically favoured for demos. Models

The shop is fitted out with 13 DJ booths offering PA monitoring include 12-inch QSC K.2 Series, DAP Audio Pure-12A and Tecnare PPC3 DSPs. Beyond just the gear, audio education is a major element at play here.

“Studio monitors are great for nearfield monitoring but not comparable with what you’ll be mixing on in a club,” he explains. “The majority of DJs simply don’t understand audio, gain or monitoring, and they don’t understand the safe limits of a system. Fewer clubs are choosing to have a dedicated sound engineer, so these skills are becoming increasingly important. As a result, we’ve launched the Selecta DJ Academy to help remedy some of these issues. We have all the right systems here to demonstrate these issues.”

The audio infrastructure underpinning Selecta is based on tried-and-tested solutions favoured by Levels in its professional integrations. Everything is connected via Dante to allow DJs to slowly migrate from one booth to the next. “There’s an intrinsic pro audio background that we’ve incorporated here that we feel sets us apart from the competition,” notes Alwan. “We wanted to mix in some

of the other professional audio technologies that we love, such as Dante. We have everything networked together and this essentially allows people to take a journey through the equipment and do direct comparisons. We can just switch them over using the Xilica Solaro FR1 DSP processors.”

“There’s a small Xilica processor in each booth and they’re all networked on Dante,” adds Ball. “We also have a mainframe Xilica processor that’s running the main booth’s PA system. We can route from the demo booth to club booths, and vice versa.”

The centrepiece of Selecta DJ Academy is a fully laden main DJ booth, which for many students will be their first proper experience of a night club-esque sound reinforcement system. “It’s a state-of-the-art DJ booth built around an L-Acoustics PA system running as the main setup, and a very powerful professional-level Pioneer Pro Audio system running alongside it for monitoring.”

The L-Acoustics lineup is formed from a pair of 21-inch KS21i subwoofers and two hung A15i cabinets. The Pioneer monitoring setup is comprised of a pair of 18-inch XY-118S subwoofers and two 12-inch XY-122 top cabinets. Power is from L-Acoustics LA4X and Powersoft X4L amplifiers.

While DJs may be the focus for Alwan and Ball upon opening, ambition doesn’t stop there. “Our next phase is to enable studio producers to demo studio and production equipment in the same way we have designed the experience for DJs, and we just recently launched our online store,” says Alwan. “We’ll start by focusing on the UAE, GCC and wider MENA region, then hopefully go beyond these territories. During the planning and construction phase, there were moments when we questioned ourselves.

We wondered if an interactive experience approach to a DJ equipment retail shop would resonate with the music community. But the reaction has been great. The general response is one of disbelief that this has not been done before.” www.levelsav.com

34 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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FEATURES: WORSHIP

Act two

Delivering the same sound that its congregation experience in Johannesburg at the new smaller Cape Town branch was the challenge faced by the Acts Church audio team

WITH A BIG-BAND DRIVEN STYLE OF WORSHIP, sound is a vital element for Acts Church. As the Johannesburgbased church has grown, its main Midrand campus has been developed and upgraded many times over the years. With all this change, one thing has remained consistent: the use of Meyer Sound loudspeakers.

“Acts Church is a long-term Meyer Sound partner, and we have been servicing them since day one,” says Mark Malherbe, technical director at Prosound, Acts Church’s long-standing audio partner. “They have upgraded their Meyer systems many times over the years and now have a Leopard line array solution to cover their sizable 2,800-capacity main worship auditorium in Midrand.”

This decades-long use of the same brand ensures that the church has grown up associated with a certain quality of sound. This has created an audio standard that doubles as a sonic signature for the organisation and is something that its congregation now expects. As such, when Acts Church decided to open a satellite campus in Cape Town, getting that familiar voicing was a crucial element.

“Planting a church in Cape Town was an important move for us. We have felt for a while that a church with the Acts culture and message was needed in Cape Town and, with members already in the area, the move has been seamless,” says Pastor Peter de Fin, lead pastor at Acts Church and former touring sound engineer. “I also wanted the sound quality and experience to be on par with our main campus.”

At 300 seats, the new Cape Town site is considerably smaller than the main Midrand campus, so mirroring the Leopard system was not a suitable way to achieve the same sound. However, the pastor did have an alternative solution.

“We had previously invested in a portable Meyer Sound Ultra-X40 system as a touring rig to be used for our outreach programmes,” he explains. Under pandemic conditions, there was less call for these events and a new use for the system became obvious. “We found that the Ultra-X40 has very similar voicing to the Leopard, so it made sense to us to install it into the new Cape Town campus.”

At this point, the Acts Church team once again turned to Prosound for support. While the church had the technical skillset to be able to install the left-right pair of Ultra-X40

loudspeakers either side of the stage to form the main PA and the 750-LFC subwoofers beneath the stage for low-frequency support, Prosound provided the technical consultation to assist with the smooth running of the project.

“They were led by the senior sound engineer from the church’s Johannesburg branch who is very experienced,” notes Prosound’s Pepe Khumalo. “They came to us, and we spoke about how they planned to do everything. We imported special Meyer Sound Ultra-X40 brackets to turn the touring rig into an installed solution, and these were put to use in the new campus.”

With its knowledgeable in-house team and the technical support of Prosound, the installation process itself ran smoothly. “They used the Meyer Sound MAPP XT software, integrating it with the venue and making calculations,” furthers Khumalo. “This allowed the loudspeaker placement to be easy and performed only once, instead of trying multiple times to find the right position.”

“The most important thing was being able to get a sound that was smooth because it is a smaller venue,” adds Pastor de Fin. “The Ultra-X40s have the power in the low end that allows a big sound but still delivered the smooth audio we were looking for.”

As a further method to maintain consistent voicing across its campuses, the church team also looked at the other end of the signal chain for a matching mic system. “Pastor Peter uses a DPA headset at the Midrand branch and he recommended it to Pastor Sam who is the lead pastor for the Cape Town campus,” recalls Khumalo. “As a result, we supplied them with DPA Series 6000 headsets to make sure that the Cape Town congregation experiences the same audio quality as members of any of Acts Church’s other branches.”

With the audio solution installed, Acts Church Cape Town was able to open its doors and welcome its congregation for the first time towards the end of 2021. The reaction to the new site and its sound have been universally positive. “It’s going very well, it’s only been running for a few months and there has been a great response and a good turnout,” says Pastor de Fin. “Despite the obvious difference in size, it sounds the same as our Midrand campus.”

Perhaps the biggest compliment though has come from members of the new congregation who have moved to Cape Town from Johannesburg. “We’ve been told that it sounds and feels like home, and we couldn’t ask for more than that,” the pastor concludes. www.dpamicrophones.com

Despite its small size, audio quality was of the utmost importance for Acts Church leaders

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

The Meyer Sound Leopard setup used at the Midrand campus

36 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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22/12/2021 10:35

BUSINESS: COMMENT

A letter from America Covid made audio sick too but, according to Dan Daley, it’s getting better EVERYONE AWAITS THE RETREAT OF COVID-19: touring musicians bereft of what had become their primary revenue source for the previous decade, fans tired of virtual experiences, managing directors overseeing empty offices and desks. But one thing they’ll all agree on is that the quality of audio during the pandemic had largely devolved into something that Thomas Edison would have dismissed as agonisingly bad.

We’ve all experienced it – modulating mobile connections, mismatched levels between voices on conference calls and Zoom meets, untraceable 60Hz hums, flat out distortion and microphones used by people trying unsuccessfully to get XLR to talk to USB. It all had a very real and very negative impact on us.

EPOS, a Danish audio solutions provider, released the results of a survey it conducted with global research company Ipsos. Understanding Sound Experiences questioned 2,500 audio equipment end users and decisionmakers from the US, UK, France, Germany, Hong Kong and Singapore, showing that each employee in the study lost an average of 29 minutes of work time per week because of audio problems during voice calls, which translated to US$725.21 in lost revenue. For organisations with more than 100 staff, that equates to potential lost

productivity of over $70,000 per year. When speech is less than intelligible, mistakes get made. Worse, hours on end of bad audio over back-to-back-to-back virtual meetings result in aggravation that can quickly descend into anger.

This found its way into music. Online concerts were subjected to the artefacts induced by computers, such as both data and audio compression. Users on both ends of a performance were at the mercy of local broadband quality, which steadily deteriorated as the pandemic lingered and more people worked, performed and watched from home, clogging the pipes. It also forced musicians and FOH mixers alike to navigate a minefield of technical issues that they didn’t have to deal with at conventional venues.

Ironically, this was occurring at a time when live sound technology has never been better. Concert sound has achieved a hi-fi level – almost any show, from the largest arena to the smallest club, could sound excellent, thanks to the evolution of sound systems, DSP and modelling software that keeps sonic energy where it needs to be. Concerts never sounded as good as they did in March 2020, and the distance that sonic quality fell since was, on average, stunningly far.

I’ll say “on average” because as the pandemic dragged on, it became clear that the audio quality would need

to step up, because this was going to be the only way many people could perform and consume live music. It went from Phoebe Bridgers sitting in her Los Angeles apartment in April 2020 with a guitar across her lap, staring into her iPhone’s camera. “I’ve never done this before,” the 25-year-old singer-songwriter said. “How are you guys? Is this, like, a normal angle? Is this good?

Can you hear me?” Since then, companies like Twitch, Wowza, StageIt, TopFan, Mandolin, MixCloud and others have stepped up the user and performer experiences, as have show producers Live Nation and AEG Presents. And all of them are banking – literally – on streaming concerts sticking around.

There are good reasons for that – at least 1.33 million of them. That’s how many paid fans watched Korean boyband BTS perform a single show last June. When the money’s that good, it will inevitably push the quality of livestreamed sound upwards with it.

Music will still be at the mercy of whatever gear consumers are listening through at home but, then again, wasn’t it always? The real upshot is that the overall quality of sound will continue to improve in all online applications. Now if I could just get the guy in the upper left corner on Zoom to unmute…

A letter from Europe Phil Ward examines the realities of sustainable touring COLDPLAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF A 2022 WORLD tour with “50% lower” carbon emissions coincided neatly with COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow. As world leaders danced around the sensitive issue of turning the world economy upside down, shaking all the coins out of its pockets and refilling them with fresh air, the British band behind A Rush of Blood to the Head promised a kinetic floor beneath each audience – an invention that can, apparently, harness the energy created by their enthusiasm and contribute to a giant mobile battery developed with car manufacturer BMW. For the first time ever, a band’s ideals rest on its performance.

The floor is just one of a raft of eye-catching initiatives to neutralise a typical touring show’s environmental impact: we also have solar panels at all outdoor venues, a stage made of bamboo, recycled steel and other sustainable materials, minimum air travel (and more expensive – allegedly cleaner – aviation fuel for those flights deemed necessary), discounts for fans arriving by bicycle, a tree planted for every ticket sold, biodegradable wristbands, fewer of them and so on.

A Swiss company called Climeworks is collaborating with

the band so that its Direct Air Capture (DAC) technology can be deployed around each gig. These look like air-conditioning units, but they suck the carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and store it for later safe disposal or recycling into other uses such as fizzy drinks. This means that you can snap open a can of Red Bull at the concert, work yourself up into a frenzy and jump up and down with all the kinetic impact you can generate to a song like Yellow, with the net climate result being the same as if you weren’t there at all.

Well, almost. There will still be some air travel, and probably most of the fans arriving and leaving will choke up the surrounding neighbourhoods like human smog. Furthermore, as the directors of Climeworks freely admit, neutralising emissions while using fossil carbon does not break the carbon cycle that damages the climate, it just delays it.

You have to use carbon harvested from the atmosphere in the first place. Fossil fuels need to be left where they are – underground. The surprising thing about Climeworks’ mission is that carbon salvaged from the air is more valuable than the stuff that gets mined, and every bit as useable. Carbon itself is not the enemy.

This means that Coldplay cannot employ enough DAC machines to render the tour truly sustainable, but that’s not really the point. Like the fringe festival Beyond the Green that sprang up in Glasgow as COP26 played out, using perfectly excellent PA running on normal electricity coughed up by Scottish Power, it’s a PR exercise – and no less valid for that. Beyond the Green’s message is that hemp – cannabis, to you and me – is the saviour of the planet, because you can use it in so many clean, green ways. I wish they’d also highlight power-saving pro audio like Powersoft, Linea Research and Danley Sound Labs, but hey. Until you can make line array out of bamboo, I don’t think our agenda is going to make the Chinese industry suddenly sit up in bed in the middle of the night.

We’ll see. Coldplay have also instigated a research programme with climate change experts at Imperial College London’s Grantham Institute to measure how far, or how little, the tour will make a difference to the effect on the environment that tours like this have. There’s nothing like statistics to get the civil servants on board.

38 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

On the right track One

Datapath’s head office in Derby, UK

Four decades since it launched, Datapath and its technology are more pertinent than ever.

Richard Lawn learns more about the company whose ongoing ethos is Excellent by Design “THE MORE DATA THE WORLD THROWS AT US, THE more relevant we become,” reflects Datapath’s R&D director John Storey when challenged to describe where Datapath sits among today’s AV manufacturers. Storey clearly appreciates the increasing validity of brand in today’s converging AV and IT landscape. Over the past decade, Datapath has successfully plotted a networked course towards videowalls in emergency control rooms, classrooms, retail and healthcare facilities.

Essentially, four decades since it launched, data handling remains at its very core.

R&D director, John Storey: “The more data, the more relevant we become”

The Frontier graphics terminal series, launched in 1982 for fine line drawings for CAD applications

Founded in 1982 by Tony Jones, Steve De’Ath and Brett Butcher, Datapath charts an open course according to market demands. “Before the PC, our graphics cards were initially developed for professional Autocad applications,” Storey explains. “Back then in dispatch, you had to select the appropriate crystal for every item shipped for the particular resolution the customer demanded. Our journey since then has migrated from single to multi-head graphics with forays into medical specific products and digital signage that can be scaled up to provide high impact. Today, we have successfully asserted ourselves as a developer of huge videowalls incorporating information capture technologies for control rooms.”

Changes have been inevitable owing to the emergence of disruptive technologies, with Datapath demonstrating a willingness to adapt accordingly and quickly. “We had to transition when graphics cards became ubiquitous as an accelerator for Windows,” recalls Storey. “At that point, Datapath diversified into multi-output graphics, which was then sold off into banking and finance for stock exchange walls. That was the stepping stone and precursor for today’s control rooms where information is all brought together.”

A significant investment in 2007 from Foresight Group was a watershed in the company’s fortunes. While the three founders retained most of the shares, they recognised the need to invest in broadening the management team and product portfolio.

In 2008, three new directors were appointed to the board, alongside a strengthening of the technical team and a significant release of new products, including the Vision range of PC-based videowall controllers and SD9 capture card.

Having joined Datapath in 2003 as a senior hardware engineer with 20 years’ experience under his belt at Kodak, Videologic and Virtually, Storey was promoted to head of hardware engineering following Foresight Group’s investment. He was subsequently invited to join the board of directors a year later. “Wall controllers had been previously stitched together by proprietary cables between cards attempting to move pixels around,” he says. “PCI Express was invented for PCs, but we identified that this new cost-effective board could be adapted to move pixels around.

That stepped change earned us a Queen’s Award for Innovation, and our systems continue to be based on that technology as PCI Express has grown with the latest video demands.”

Based in Derby, the British company remains an expert in capture and graphics technology, offering a comprehensive range of capture cards for a variety of video modes and complementary graphics cards for multi-screen solutions. Over the past decade, Datapath has charted a new course towards AV-over-IP control technologies and solutions for creative multi-display videowalls, small- to medium-scale videowalls in business environments and command and control rooms of any scale, of which Storey freely admits he’s entered very few: these highly sensitive inner sanctums are out-of-bounds to most people – including the innovators of the technology that binds them together. “The purpose of a control room is to draw together critical, paramount information that will allow operators to make key decisions,” explains Storey. “Most of the information is visual in nature, ranging from fine details such as texts, spreadsheets and dashboards to big, overarching control applications with SCADA industrial control on a huge wall where the big picture can be monitored.”

Despite the lack of access to such applications, communications between the R&D team and its customers are

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE in 2021 for the control room ecosystem. Its Aetria solution draws all the elements of control room design, management, control and monitoring into a single interface. As a result, system integrators and operators can design scalable, bespoke systems that include connectivity, videowalls, workstations and source management. Essentially, Datapath has addressed the key requirements for current and future control rooms. These include rooms spread across distributed sites, the increasing growth of data and rising demand of IP content together with 4K resolution quality and personalised videowalls including large multi-screen workstations.

Integrators commence project specifications via the free, inbuilt Aetria Designer software, which provides a snapshot of how an installation will operate, allowing any changes to be made before impacting onsite. All hardware, displays, capture and graphics cards used to create solution designs exist in Aetria Designer’s growing database. Design options can be created, reviewed and approved before a commitment is made with the client prior to installation.

Following hardware installation, Aetria Command Center provides a unified interface to manage, configure and monitor the control room. Aetria’s graphical interface allows

One of Datapath’s three founders, Tony Jones vital in assessing current trends. “To make the right decision at the right time, the control room operators increasingly require information to be routed to a workstation in addition to the big wall. Today, it is not uncommon for an operator to possess several 4K monitors, adding up to a similar pixel density as a large wall. With such a personal videowall, the operator will be more interested in the detail and the clarity of information because they are interacting with that media. As such, walls tend to be HD in resolution and the operator workstations are often 4K. Today, the size of the wall is more important than the actual resolution, so the trend has taken us from cubes to LCD panels and onto direct view LEDs, which are essentially a sea of pixels. HD is optimal for the size of large monitors and the viewing distance for a wall, but 4K is where it’s at when you need the detail, and we’re increasingly being asked for full 4K in and 4K out.”

Drawing on decades of experience working with governments and organisations in multi-display and multi-source control, Datapath engineered the world’s first fully integrated platform

Aetria combines all elements of control room design, management, control and monitoring

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January–February 2022 PRO AVL MEA 41

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE the configuration of connected hardware and screens, organisation of sources and content and preparation of templates and layouts. Preconfigured layouts can be deployed to specific screens, workstations, videowall rooms and entire buildings. Adjustments and updates of any content can be made remotely in real time with full access protocols.

Offering connectivity of source viewing, sharing and control, the Aetria Workstation solution can be scaled to operator requirements and connectivity preferences.

Individual desktops can be partitioned into dedicated zones with the creation of a personal videowall for controlling any combination of sources available in Aetria alongside local applications. Screen layouts can be easily saved, accessed and shared with other operators.

The comprehensive package includes Aligo and Arqa, the former being an AVoIP solution that can transmit video over different networks in different resolutions simultaneously, offering 4K content across a 10Gb network and simultaneous compressed streams on 1Gb. An HD version of a video can be shared, in real time, over a low-bandwidth network, while the quality of a 4K original can be viewed in UHD with no compromise.

Arqu meanwhile is a KVM control room system that runs on a 1Gb network, providing access to multiple remote sources from a single workspace without sacrificing video quality or round-trip latency. As AV/IT teams aim for a more streamlined management process, the benefits of the visually lossless KVM control are rising with security concerns. Using Datapath’s video capture cards and graphics cards, VSN videowall controllers are supported for operation with established thirdparty hardware, including AMX and Crestron via its application programming interface (API).

The unwelcome interruption of Covid-19 did not hinder Datapath’s most ambitious software development to date. Just as the company has navigated the various AV elements within control rooms from afar, the development team remotely engineered the groundbreaking software solution from their own homes. “I was amazed at how resilient our R&D team adapted to an alien style of work environment,” comments Storey. “This was unexpected, yet very pleasing. There are times when deep concentration is required, and you get that working in isolation, but you also need to communicate with a group of 50 or more engineers.

After three months working in isolation, the worry is that individuals may have veered off at a tangent and be doing something completely different.”

Creating a software platform from the ground up, Storey’s management and recruitment skills were severely tested over the months that followed. “We broke the development

Managing director, Bjorn Krylander

The Datapath stand at ISE 2019

The Singaporean Bicentennial Experience relied on Fx4 display wall controllers

down into piecemeal items and our engineers compared notes during the daily Teams meetings. Prior to the pandemic, the quieter members would often not be heard, but in the virtual realm everyone could see and hear one another, with the quieter members freely participating.

However, when conversations went flat, we realised how we missed those human interactions. Having initially planned to recruit during the R&D cycle, we were forced to bring in new talent without meeting them in the flesh. These new members went on to play a significant contribution in the development process.”

As a manufacturer of its own hardware and software, the company can ensure the buying process is a seamless process. “As a full stack developer, Datapath specialist engineers develop circuit boards with programmable logic controllers, while other engineers dedicate their skills towards firmware, driver development and full applications,” continues Storey. “Datapath offers unique products because we are in control of that entire stack and handle a huge bandwidth. We are not just putting software icing onto the top of something quite plain as we have built up a large team that can bake the entire cake.”

Datapath welcomed Bjorn Krylander as its new CEO in 2010. Having served as chief executive of several UK technology companies and with a background encompassing strategy and operational consulting, Krylander brought a wealth of experience and leadership qualities to Datapath. “The move to AVoIP fundamentally changes how control rooms and other big AV visualisation solutions can be built,” says Krylander. “Aetria was an ambitious solution as it integrates both the delivery process and the operations and management of complex AV environments.”

Explaining how years of development have driven Aetria’s ethos, the CEO feels that Datapath has used its extensive experience to bring simple and secure “any source/any screen” management to control rooms. “When the first lockdown was announced in March 2020, it was unsettling for us all, but business soon settled down, allowing us to focus on product development. All the staff worked at home initially, which was less of a risk for management and marketing. However, I was unsure how our full-time engineers could continue to develop Aetria within the set timescale. When brainstorming ideas, you ideally want to be in the same room throwing ideas onto a white board, but it was remarkable how well we adapted to Zoom and Teams.”

Krylander notes that many projects were delayed, with most control rooms being placed firmly off limits: “Our business was impacted in the short term, but demand did not disappear. On the commercial side it went quiet, and the retail sector got turned upside down. We also operate within an anti-cyclical market, so when a government decides to invest in infrastructure such as transportation, we must be patient as that is where control rooms will eventually be built. Datapath is drafted onto the back end of those cycles.”

Despite the quantum leaps in video and IT technology over four decades, Datapath remains a data handling company as it was in 1982. The landscape of its operations, however, has changed beyond recognition. “Today, our largest videowall is 200 megapixels and is refreshed 60 times per second,” asserts Storey. “To function reliably, the software and hardware must operate in parallel without choke points, and the bandwidth bottlenecks need to be properly identified in advance.”

Regardless of size, the control room continues to serve as the universal hub where all technology is presented and displayed. Datapath’s upward trajectory has greatly benefited from listening carefully to clients and increased collaboration with other AV manufacturers. “Ultimately, all the technology available must integrate into the designed infrastructure,” Storey concludes. “There should never be anything that you cannot integrate into your system.”

Forty years on, this innovative British brand is remaining loyal to its original Excellent by Design ethos. www.datapath.co.uk

42 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

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Astera’s Jesper Sørensen

Trepidation turns to positivity

Riedel’s Ahmed Magd

There weren’t many reasons to believe that CABSAT would be a markedly different affair from previous years, yet that wasn’t Pro AVL MEA’s experience at the recent 2021 edition AFTER A HEFTY COVID-INFLICTED ABSENCE TOGETHER with a postponement from the originally planned May date, CABSAT 2021 reunited the MENA broadcast industry once again as it opened its doors on 26 October at the Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC).

There were several expected and traditional exhibitors missing from the bill in the run-up to the exhibition, and so, after the liveliness of GITEX – which took place in the same venue just days before – it was unclear how the region’s predominant broadcast technology exhibition would unfold.

Prior to the pandemic, the exhibition was held in March and, despite declining numbers and a shrinking footprint year-onyear, it was nevertheless considered to be the glue holding the local broadcast market together. The hope was that its arrival alongside the opening of Expo 2020 would provide a boost in visitors. But did it succeed?

Thankfully, the list of exhibitors ended up growing substantially at the 11th hour, despite the show still occupying its smallest footprint ever, covering just Halls 2 and 3 of the DWTC. Perhaps it was this repackaging of booths into a smaller and therefore more cramped space but CABSAT 2021 felt a lot busier than when Pro AVL MEA last visited in 2019. Back then, the phrase uttered mostly went along the lines of “high hopes but low expectations”. The takeaway this time around was instead one of positivity.

Having also been present at GITEX Technology Week, AV distributor Venuetech was uniquely positioned to provide a contrasting perspective. The highlight on its booth was the regional debut of Panasonic’s Kairos IT/IP platform. “GITEX has a very broad audience, and that’s what we love about that show.

My expectations for CABSAT were honestly quite low, but it’s not looking bad at all,” said Venuetech’s Ismat Assafiri. “We’ve had a lot of people come to the booth asking questions, and they’ve been good-quality visitors. There’s been lots of interest for Kairos and a lot of leads in general.”

Located on the Venuetech booth, Sennheiser addressed the budding content creation market with its latest solutions, the entry-level MKE 200 and MKE 400 directional microphones, as well as mobile kits for an on-camera mic or a wireless lavalier. The

Ross Video’s booth

Venuetech’s Ismat and Abdul Assafiri TLM 103 studio set from Neumann for studio recording and the manufacturer’s NDH 20 studio headphones for critical monitoring applications were also on show, together with Sennheiser’s MK 8 microphone and HD 300 PRO headphones. “To be perfectly honest, I’m surprised the show took place,” explained Sennheiser’s Ryan Burr. “I thought this date perhaps might be a bit too soon and our expectations were fairly low. The show has definitely shrunk in size, but we are seeing people that we’ve not seen before.”

Located in the Bavaria Pavilion and with several new products to introduce to CABSAT attendees for the first time, Astera’s

Jesper Sørensen was resolutely optimistic about the 2021 edition.

“Because people have spent so long at home, everyone now really wants to meet up again. Looking around, there are a lot of people here and I think it’s been a success. We already know many of them and we are keen to catch up, but at the same time we’re displaying new products that have been developed during the pandemic and now’s our chance to show them off live.” New on the booth was the AX9, the bigger brother to the manufacturer’s AX5 fixture and PixelBrick, a lightweight and portable, multifunctional spotlight.

On a dedicated booth for the first time, NewTek demonstrated the capabilities of TriCaster 2 Elite, NDI 5-enabled Remote Productions and 3Play3P2, while promoting the NewTek University courses for 3Play3P2, TriCaster Live Operator, Automation and the NDI Network Infrastructure. “There were a lot of people telling me not to expect too much, but the show is full,” said NewTek’s Stefan Wieland. “The stand is busy, and I’ve met several people in-person today that up until now I had only spoken to via Teams. It’s brilliant to be able to put a proper face to a name.”

A mainstay exhibitor for CABSAT, Riedel Communications’ participation was never in doubt. “There was no way that we weren’t going to be here – it’s one of the major events for us in the region,” noted Riedel’s Middle East general manager, Ahmed Magd. “A lot of other exhibitors made the decision to downsize. We expected this show to be busy in 2021 and committed to it fully. People are really thirsty for new technology and they finally can touch the products and gain proper firsthand experience.”

A newcomer to CABSAT, and in fact the world of broadcast in general, disguise was keen to transmit that development to the market. “It’s the perfect time to be present for us as we’ve extended our virtual production solution to be able to work really well with broadcast companies,” said disguise’s Nick Hartshorn. “It’s a relatively new direction, but quite a natural progression in terms of our ability to manage pixels on both an LED format and a projection format. Broadcast is the next logical step and the value that disguise can bring to its customers is incredible.”

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW A British manufacturer of Dante and AES67 audio networking products, Glensound took solace from the post-pandemic return of other exhibitions it has recently been present at. “I’ve probably been coming to CABSAT for 12 years or so and it’s been changing and evolving throughout that time,” recalled Glensound’s Marc Wilson.

Glensound’s Marc Wilson

“This year, it wasn’t clear where the show would go based on its past trajectory; however, based on our recent experience at exhibitions in the UK such as PLASA, we could see the huge appetite for people to get back to meeting in person. I’m glad to see we’ve enjoyed that reaction at CABSAT.” Broadcast Solutions Middle East and Mo-Sys chose to jointly exhibit at the show following a newly inked partnership deal. Mo-Sys highlighted its VP Pro XR, a dedicated content server for real-time visual effects production using an LED volume, with or without set extensions (XR), and gave attendees the opportunity to learn about its flagship StarTracker camera tracking system. PlayBox Neo exhibited the latest additions to its range of broadcast playout and channel branding solutions – Capture Suite, AirBox Neo-20 and Cloud2TV. Both Capture Suite and the latest version of AirBox Neo-20 were making a CABSAT debut. IP-based video contribution systems provider, AVIWEST, launched

Stefan Wieland from NewTek was encouraged by the turnout at the show

The Grass Valley booth several products at the show, including the new RACK400 video encoder for sports remote production and its LiveGuest solution, which allows broadcasters to enhance their content coverage with live interviews in a simple fashion.

Over the years, CABSAT has been praised for the quality of the attractions that augment the show floor. While these programme elements were notably smaller this year, the appetite for them was not. Between SATEXPO and Content Congress, presentations explored topics such as changing consumption habits, which was a particularly pertinent topic this year following the pandemic. Limited to 50 attendees per session, all were packed throughout the day.

While the same high volume of traffic could not be sustained through the whole exhibition, the consensus after three days was that both exhibiting at and attending CABSAT 2021 had been a fruitful experience. However, it remains to be seen how much of this was down to the pandemic-induced break.

The show’s return to past glory is by no means assured and with CABSAT 2022 due to return in May, we have less time than usual to find out the answer. www.cabsat.com

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New Fixed Install LED product January–February 2022 PRO AVL MEA 45

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

InfoComm 2021 goes the distance

We report from the show floor as InfoComm returns to the Orange County Convention Center after a two-year absence DESPITE THE UNCERTAINTY THAT CONTINUES TO surround international tradeshows, the long-awaited InfoComm Orlando 2021 crossed the finishing line to be a great event, with pent-up demand particularly evident during the first two days. Exhibitors were greatly encouraged by the volume of AV projects being discussed, while educational seminars and technical presentations on and off the show floor were wellattended and demo rooms were packed. Content was also streamed for those who could not attend the show in person.

For organiser AVIXA, as well as for exhibitors and attendees, getting the show to the starting gate meant overcoming daunting challenges. In-person AV tradeshows had not taken place in the US for the previous 16 months, with some transitioning to an online format with limited success. Even with infection rates dropping, the bulk of typical InfoComm attendees either weren’t yet ready to travel to Orlando or faced lingering restrictions. With a fraction of the usual turnout expected to attend and key long-time exhibitors pulling out, putting thousands of square metres of committed floor space in jeopardy, high-level industry discussions were held about whether InfoComm should be cancelled for the second year running.

Absent from the show were heavy hitters such as Sony, Christie, Leyard, Eiki and DiGiCo, with the number of exhibitors dropping to 254, down from 940 in 2019. This was confirmed by an expanse of empty space at the back of the four exhibition halls. Also down, unsurprisingly, was overseas attendance, which in 2019 counted for 20% of registrants, while US interstate travel restrictions saw most delegates originating from the East Coast and Midwest.

However, despite modest expectations, turnout was far greater than many had anticipated, with exhibitor after exhibitor stating how happy they were with the attendance and the quality of their interactions. “The show is going very well, much better than expected,” said James Liu, president of Absen. “We are very glad we made the decision to exhibit, and the health and safety protocols are good.” Added Andy Fliss, president of tvONE, Green Hippo and Magenta parent company, Spitfire Creative Technologies: “Considering the low turnout at the show, the booth was as busy as if there were 30,000 attendees,” while WyreStorm’s director of marketing, Scott Smith, revealed that badge scans for the first two days were actually up compared to previous years. “This is the first time at a show that we’ve had something new at every space in the booth,” he said. “We took time during Covid to bring new product lines to life that fit in areas that people needed; this has changed the way business is done.”

There was a celebratory feeling that the industry is finally opening back up. People were seeing old friends for the first time since InfoComm 2019, which added to the festive mood. And for some, there was an illusion of having never been away. “It’s like being in a time warp,” said Jon Lewis, director of sales for PixelFLEX.

L–R: Chadd Presnell and Andrew Kornstein on the Sennheiser booth

Turnout was far greater than many had anticipated

Anna Kozel, VuWall

Crestron converted some of its booth into a comfortable seating area

“We’ve been at the Orange County Convention Center so often, and it’s great to be back here in person. We have made it over a lot of hurdles, and it shows we have a lot of strong companies in our industry. People that are coming to the booth are hungry and excited about upcoming projects.”

“It almost feels like a regular InfoComm show, despite the fact there are a lot less exhibitors,” said Anna Kozel, director of marketing, VuWall. “But the proportion has gone down to the same extent as the attendees so it almost feels like the same show.”

To make the show successful, a number of strategies were undertaken. Most exhibitors downsized their footprint by converting some (or all) of the booth to a comfortable meeting

Scott Smith, WyreStorm

space while showing fewer products. This lowered exhibitors’ cost exposure and ended up being a good move for companies like Crestron, whose vice president of global marketing, Brad Hintze, credited AVIXA for suggesting this strategy would provide a balance between reducing costs while allowing a dedicated area for meetings and networking. Other companies such as Shure, Hall Technologies, Panasonic and Blackmagic Design took the strategy further by only investing in meeting rooms, with no exhibition space. Renkus-Heinz had a different tactic. “Our owner Harro Heinz was adamant about our coming with full production, regardless of whether InfoComm had 1,000 or tens of thousands of registered visitors,” said sales and

46 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW marketing coordinator, Christine Thieroff. “We set it up as we always would, and it paid off in dividends. We had standing room only in our audio demo room and our booth has been packed.

Being one of the few audio manufacturers that are at the show, we had a ton of visitors.” L-Acoustics and DAS Audio were the only other companies to take an audio demo room, down from 25 in 2019, underlining the extent to which audio exhibitors had pulled back this year, though Shure, Sennheiser, TOA, Audio Precision, AtlasIED and QSC were among audio companies to take booths or meeting rooms on the show floor.

“We are so happy to have a presence,” said Andrew Kornstein, Sennheiser’s customer development and applications engineering, Americas, from the company’s small booth. “On the first two days we had way more attendees that I expected.

We have been talking about specific projects with promising customers and are thrilled to be back at InfoComm. Most people here are relaxed and enjoying each other.”

QSC had opted for a meeting room only. “We intentionally kept our presence smaller and converted the floor space of the booth into meeting rooms,” said COO, Jatan Shah. “The two purposes of a show are to exhibit products for people to see, and to connect with people. This show became a lot about the second purpose; we intentionally didn’t build a booth to

Product launches Unsurprisingly, given the absence of international tradeshows, there were many new product introductions at InfoComm 2021. Here are some that caught our eye:

L-Acoustics: Next-generation 3D audio processing engine, L-ISA Processor II LynTec: LCP Series space-efficient panelboard control solution

Absen: New LED solution for indoor and outdoor rental application; MR Series LED virtual studio AJA Video Systems: Bridge NDI 3G 1U appliance for conversion to/from SDI and NewTek’s NDI video-over-IP protocol Aten: True 4K HDMI/USB HDBaseT 3.0 transceiver AtlasIED: Atmosphere digital audio format comprising an ecosystem of interoperable products for commercial applications Datapath: Aetria, allowing end users to design and configure complex control room systems for AV environments Draper: Foundation mount system for any LED panel on the market Green Hippo: Hippotizer V4+ MK2 media servers; ONErack Spider multi-voltage DC PSU

Pathway Innovations: eGlass illuminated glass writing board with built-in camera and LED lighting, merging presenter and presentation media into a single picture Peerless-AV: Seamless Kitted Series dvLED Mounting Systems for direct view LED display manufacturers, offering slim, space-saving designs for multiple configurations PixelFLEX: EF Series for indoor LED solutions Renkus-Heinz: Iconyx Compact Series -RDI, smaller-footprint Iconyx models featuring Dante Ultimo chip TOA: TS-920RC central unit for the Infrared Conference System to control the Chairman and Delegate units via a wireless signal tvONE: Coriomaster2 video processor; feature enhancements to the Corioview and Coriomaster ranges

Hall Technologies: Hive Control cloud-based AV control platform engineered from the cloud down

VuWall: TRx 3.1 centralised management platform combining AV-over-IP distribution and multi-videowall and KVM management

Just Add Power: MaxColor 4K60 transmitter and receiver series; Advanced Matrix Programmer (AMP) software for multicast switching systems

WyreStorm: Unified Communications line including the Apollo-210 Series integrated conference speakerphone and switcher with Wireless Casting, Multiview and HDBaseT Out

L–R: J

L–R: Jatan Shah and TJ Adams, QSC

demonstrate tons of products. The demand is already great; it’s less about pushing demand higher, it’s about making the right connections with people, and the quality of the conversation has been pretty good.”

“We scaled back and focused on our three biggest solutions: sound masking as people are coming back to work, mass communications and distributed audio,” explained Gina Sansivero, VP, marketing and corporate communications, AtlasIED. “The targeted approach has worked wonders. We created seating areas in our booth and people are hanging out.

It is not like attendees have 950 booths to hit and only have 10 minutes – we are sitting down having good conversations for up to 45 minutes.”

“We may have less meetings, but we are having more time for those meetings, so we are getting longer, more quality conversations,” echoed Mary Beth Henson, head of press and social media, L-Acoustics. “We learned throughout the pandemic we can do a lot virtually and have been very satisfied with our

DAS Audio took one of three audio demo rooms

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48 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

e,

tion

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L–R: L-Acoustics’ Jordan Tani, Mary Beth Henson, Alex Soto

rint

ents

of those who showed a vaccination card and a purple band for a negative Covid test. Friendly security staff ensured attendees sported one of these bands upon entry, while face masks were required by everyone inside the convention centre, with mostly everyone following the rules. “The show people did a great job in enforcing health and safety procedures,” said David Fix, channel marketing manager at Aten, while Peerless-AV vice president Nicholas Belcore added: “AVIXA couldn’t have done more to keep people safe, while having to appeal to the broadest spectrum of attendees, especially those that were afraid or have underlying health conditions. I do not see how they could have done a better job.”

While most pointed to the lengths the show organiser and participants had gone to to ensure safety, others weren’t so happy with the choice of Florida as the host state this year.

“You go from state to state, and people have different attitudes about wearing masks, but in Florida that seems like a low priority,” said Spitfire Creative Technologies’ Fliss. “I am just getting used to it, but business must go on and tradeshows are a part of it.”

As the show concluded, the overall sentiment from the floor was pride that the industry had come together during an extremely difficult and painful time. There was a strong sense of community and support among exhibitors, attendees and organisers alike as the industry looks towards InfoComm in Las Vegas in June 2022.

VM

d L–R: Joe Fustolo and Christine Thieroff from Renkus-Heinz

Nicholas Belcore, Peerless-AV

L–R: Jim Berry and Ian Yeh, Ross Video

virtual launches. That may change the way we launch product, but it does not change the fact that InfoComm is a place we see partners and potential clients face to face, and we can’t reproduce that virtually. This is a message to our clients that we are ready and here for you, and a message to the industry that we are happy and ready to be back.”

“We have been able to touch base with our customers and even some new clients, and we have a lot of new stuff to share.

Certain industries are still shuttered such as live events, but all segments are starting to come back,” commented Paul Johnston, VP technical operations, Unilumin. LynTec president Mark Bishop shared this optimism going forward: “Small projects are now way up, and now the bigger ones are starting to come,” he said. “People have figured out how to work in this pandemic.”

A full set of health and safety protocols was in place to protect all show participants. Each attendee had to complete a Covidstatus self-declaration form. When badges were picked up, InfoComm registration staff attached green bands to the wrists

Draper’s Penny Sitler with the Foundation mount system

L–R: Matt Czyzewski and Gina Sansivero from AtlasIED

2021 Dates:

27–29 October

2022 Dates:

8–10 June

Attendance:

7,335

Total exhibitors:

254

Contact:

www.infocommshow.org

.

e

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BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

G forces

Phil Ward assesses the impact of 5G networks on every sector of the industry GASES, ACCORDING TO PARTICLE THEORY, EXPAND to occupy the spaces that contain them. Some cynics, probably stranded on a stationary highway, say the same thing about traffic. If it’s true, it means that the entire business of content production and delivery is about to expand in its own way as digital networking jumps to the fifth generation of bandwidth, speed and resolution – the building blocks for the effective transport of audio, video and data over distance. Whether it occupies all the space available is another question, but there is a long way to go before we all have to brake.

Two iterations prior to 5G, 3G was the first generation of telecoms to have a significant impact on digital media.

4G then did more to spearhead changes to workflows in media and entertainment, especially as this technology was intrinsically linked to the rapid evolution of smartphones and tablets. Now fully harnessed to the wireless environment, this relationship promises more solutions than ever in ways we are still imagining and inventing, and the portents are good: the new buzz phrase, Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB), is expected by most observers to double media revenues within 10 years.

AV expert Alastair Leslie, who runs UK solutions companies LT Projects and Blackbeam Cinematic, expresses typical industry excitement about the utilisation of 5G into production workspaces worldwide. “It means latency-free collaboration,” he points out, “the reduction of the carbon footprint of the industry, a reduction of travel and an increase of inclusivity throughout all sectors of content delivery.”

Rarely has one basic upgrade appeared to be such a panacea, so it’s perhaps wise to sound a note of caution.

Detailed testing of and experimentation with techniques prompted by 5G continues with issues far from resolved, and some believe that industry expectations must be managed, and hype avoided.

Alastair Leslie runs UK solutions companies LT Projects and Blackbeam Cinematic

BBC R&D’s senior technology transfer manager, Ian Wagdin, also chairs the EBU’s 5G content production group

“The media and entertainment sector was one of the first verticals to engage at what was then the 3GSM World Congress during the mid-2000s as screens got larger, went colour and data-capable amid the hype and overdue promise of 3G,” comments independent communications consultant, Mark Smith. “It took the iPhone in 2007, followed by the goldrush of apps, app stores and, eventually, the more stealth-like evolution and rollout of 4G, plus a multitude of innovative smartphones, to make real and elegant the premise of the small screen for entertainment everywhere.”

Nevertheless, investment is serious. Harman, for example, is now described by Samsung as its “connected technology solutions provider” and has built a laboratory in Gurugram, India, dedicated to the testing of 5G solutions on an openhouse basis: any manufacturer of wireless devices, ICs or

telecoms paraphernalia can book in and trial their kit under genuine 5G conditions in this spiced-up PlayStation for the future.

So what makes 5G so special? Firstly, its expanded footprint enables richer and more subtle networking that promises to revolutionise content delivery. Specifically, the techniques called mobile edge computing and network “slicing” each offer advantages to broadcasters aiming for more intimate links with their markets. This is best explained

by BBC R&D’s senior technology transfer manager, Ian Wagdin, who also chairs the EBU’s (European Broadcasting Union) 5G content production group. “A broadcaster can take a dedicated slice of a 5G network to operate almost like a private Wi-Fi network,” he says. “We’ve seen some commercial networks launch the new radio version of 5G

50 PRO AVL MEA January–February 2022

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BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY but, as you introduce standalone versions of 5G networks, you can potentially take a box out to create your own network with devices connected to that as a hub and spoke model.

“Most current devices are one-to-one relationships, but this use of a private network could offer more flexibility, giving the opportunity to reassess how we use radio onsite.

On location currently, you may have radio mics, talkback, a mesh network for radio cameras and a Wi-Fi network.

There can be quite a few things we do in the radio space in a studio environment. If you can bring that down to one solution, you’d see some benefits and advantages similar to what we’ve seen over IP – it doesn’t matter what signal you’re carrying over that transport layer, as long as you’re moving ones and noughts and they arrive in the right place at the right time. With 5G we can potentially simplify this.”

Edge computing, meanwhile, places signal processing nearer to where the signal is captured, making remote production a lot easier. “If we can extend beyond the boundaries of our managed networks and connect devices using the same transport and control protocols, there could be much more flexibility in the systems and open standards that we use,” Wagdin continues. “This could mean that we would be able to receive signals from any device connected to the network and not require dedicated hardware and workflows for multiple different types of connections.”

Central to 5G networks is a virtual network core, through which network slicing becomes a service. Whatever you’re doing on the mobile network you want, you can use its Application Programming Interfaces (API) to divide your subscribers into tiered accounts – some with faster, more expensive download speeds and lower latency, others with cheaper, slower downloads and more latency. Despite these gradations, the physical network is one and the same. In media terms, broadcasters and indeed any type of content distributor can secure sufficient bandwidth to guarantee performance and reliability, a service especially useful for providers of live video streaming reliant on this kind of quality, such as concerts, gaming and sport.

Brendan Yam, SVP and general manager, Viacom Digital Studios International Multinational mass media giant ViaComCBS is, understandably, rubbing its conglomerate hands together.

The organisation has carried out research which, it says, indicates seven key advantages to 5G for live and broadcast production – research carried out, ironically, during the hiatus in progress caused by the pandemic and by the political backdrop to the story of 5G. “In the past year we’ve all seen the acceleration of various digital trends, but one of the things that’s actually slowed down a little is the rollout of 5G,” says Brendan Yam, SVP and general manager, Viacom Digital Studios International.

“We took time to do a fair amount of testing of 5G on the production side, and through programmes such as the IBC

Accelerator project that we ran with IBC in Amsterdam. As part of all that experience, we started to codify the way that we were seeing the opportunities within 5G.” These are: high-speed, high-definition livestreaming anywhere; immersive media, marketing and brand collaboration; responsive content; talent and fan engagement; live marquee events; dedicated production bandwidth; and remote production. In fact, another unexpected “ill wind” accelerator from the pandemic has been the fast tracking of many remote production techniques, out of necessity, using 5G. Meanwhile, 5G Vista is a bold multi-brand project to hone live music and sport delivery services via 5G, culminating in Rohde & Schwarz’s Broadcast Service & Control Centre core network.

If, during the pandemic, streaming services received a real shot in the arm – see what I did there – it was because the lifeblood of live concerts gained a new business model. As early as 2018, many predictions already foresaw streaming as an adjunct to live production thanks to 5G. But rental companies are now seriously planning for a digital dimension to touring that adds a virtual audience to every event. Furthermore, new agencies have come into being that offer streaming services to both rental companies and promoters. The model is that these agencies and solutions suppliers take care of the technical details of creating a simultaneous – often immersive – mix of the concert and delivering it over the internet, sharing the spoils from online ticketing with those who get the acts on the road.

None of this would be possible without 5G, and the “often immersive” point is a sharp one: 5G provides the bandwidth required for convincing 3D sound; and unless it really is convincing, sharing a concert through a mobile device with earbuds will remain a poor substitute for actually being there.

“5G is all about that,” confirms Leslie. “It enables point-to-point, peer-to-peer and business-to-business communication and delivery of content and data across massive networks, with almost zero latency.”

Case study: Sonosphere – exploiting 5G for livestreaming UK SOLUTIONS provider Sonosphere is just one company engaged in a project called the 5G Festival, using some of the £200 million set aside by the UK Government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport for its 5G Testbeds & Trials Programme (5GTT). Thanks to 5G’s expanded capacity, the project is now perfecting various virtual, live, immersive collaboration platforms for artists over distance, as well as streaming services for promoters.

“5G will give us the resolution to connect with any venue at sufficient speed and quality,” explains Sonosphere’s owner and director, Jamie Gosney, “and we’ll just have to run in a small fly-pack of a few cameras and a DiGiCo SD-Rack. The

Sonosphere’s mix room in London is powered by 5G

Sonosphere’s senior mix engineer, Phil Wright

audio will come back to our room at Metropolis Studios in London and get mixed and streamed from there. It’s a virtual FOH position.”

Sonosphere’s senior mix engineer, Phil Wright, has designed the room to be fully modular, able to be deployed for recording, postproduction, live mixing and broadcast. An array of Neumann KH 420 tri-amplified

monitors and two Neumann KH 870 subwoofers adorn the front wall, while a ring of 17 Neumann KH 120 compact biamplified studio monitors complete the immersive mixing configuration. The room is Dolby Atmos-certified, but a variety of custom interfaces facilitate mixing in most immersive formats now on the market. “5G makes this possible,” adds Wright.

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NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

SPONSORED BY

What you need to know about HyFlex Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many schools were closed and had to quickly move courses online. Now, the HyFlex model is emerging as the best of both worlds for classrooms

Shure’s Stem audio solutions are powering HyFlex classrooms around the world

Stem audio solutions in the classroom

THE “HYFLEX” OR HYBRID FLEXIBLE course model combines elements of a hybrid learning course with a more flexible structure.

This new instructional format gives students the option to attend class meetings in person, online or a combination of both.

What are the benefits of HyFlex?

Having a HyFlex enabled classroom offers a variety of benefits for students, staff and schools. One benefit of this teaching model is that it allows for students to adhere to social distancing guidelines. With students having the option to choose their instruction model, there will be overall lower in-person attendance and schools can still maintain similar class sizes.

“HyFlex really opens up options for greater opportunity for learning and connection,” noted Joe Way, director of learning environments at the University of Southern California. “We all know everyone learns differently; some need more personal attention, some like to work independently. By giving the option of being with the teacher, at home or even having a teacher be able to be remote provides all of those opportunities.”

HyFlex instruction hands students more control of their learning experience by giving them the freedom to select their instructional method, so they can have more of a choice in how they learn.

It also expands opportunities to experience guest lecturers and speakers through the use of video conferencing. “With the pandemic, we know safety has to be the first priority,” furthered Way. “HyFlex allows students and faculty to return to normalcy at their own pace, and as they feel comfortable.

At USC, we’re also seeing creative ways of using

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An example of a HyFlex classroom setup hybrid teaching, for example by allowing guest lecturers to join the conversation, which before wouldn’t be as possible due to travel costs.”

What do you need to get your classroom ready?

Of course, to conduct a HyFlex lesson you need reliable video conferencing software. Your hardware products should all be able to connect and perform flawlessly with these programs.

It’s also important to look at a conferencing platform that has integration with your learning management software. When comparing, you should look for a platform that will allow instructors to screen share, annotate, record and whatever else an instructor may need to do during a HyFlex course, so that those who are participating online can be engaged or watch the lecture later.

It’s crucial to have a solution that will be easy for instructors to learn and use that won’t disrupt the flow of the class. You not only need audio that’s reliable but scalable to fit in rooms of all shapes and sizes. Shure Stem Ecosystem is made up of five networkable mix and matchable solutions – Ceiling, Wall, Table, Control and Hub – paired with a powerful software platform to back it up. Since all Stem Ecosystem devices are connected directly to your network via a single Ethernet cable, you can get your room up and running in no time at all on your own. With Stem Ecosystem, you can create the perfect high-quality pickup in any classroom while still adhering to physical distancing guidelines. Just add more devices and scale your coverage as needed to make sure everyone is heard.

When choosing a camera for a HyFlex classroom, it’s important to identify the

requirements that must be met, for example, if you need to capture a certain field of view, or if you’ll need pre-sets or zoom capabilities. Some higher education institutions use dual cameras with a larger field of view and zoom to capture the classroom from the back to show the front of the class and another to show the view of the students.

A further (optional) element to add to the classroom is an interactive board. Interactive boards are useful for increasing engagement for both those in class and online students.

Students who are participating online can see how the instructor or how other students break down problems or discuss material on the boards and the instructor can easily save the notes and share them with the class.

The use of video conferencing has opened up a lot of doors in education and all around the world, we have gotten used to the idea of virtual participation. It’s become clear that alternative educational experiences are here to stay and schools will need to prepare their classrooms with flexible solutions that will help provide a smooth transition for these alternative teaching methods to be effective.

Designing your HyFlex classroom Designing a video-enabled HyFlex classroom has never been easier. With our RoomDesign tool you can virtually recreate your classroom, mix and match Stem Ecosystem devices and even show the coverage ranges of your selected devices. Now, you’ll know exactly what audio devices you need to get your classroom ready. www.shure.com

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NEWPRODUCTS

INSTALLATION • AV • LIVE SOUND • BROADCAST • POSTPRODUCTION • RECORDING • LIGHTING A–ZCONTENTS

Biamp strengthens its room credentials Parlé audio and video conferencing bar

Primarily designed as a plug-and-play conferencing innovation for small- and medium-sized rooms, Biamp has launched the Parlé audio and video conferencing bars THE FAMILY of Parlé conferencing bars includes the ABC 2500 Audio Bar, featuring Biamp Audio Intelligence to create a premium audio experience. A 27-element microphone array creates three beamtracking zones that can actively track and intelligently mix conversations from around the room. Audio echo cancellation and noise reduction algorithms ensure clarity, while smart speaker technology actively adjusts speaker performance to deliver large room audio from a small room device. Adopting Biamp Launch, each of these features is automatically tuned to meet the acoustic needs of each meeting room.

Keeping meeting attendees in view even as they move around the conference room, the VBC 2500 Video Bar adds a 4K ePTZ camera incorporating Biamp Video Intelligence to deliver auto-framing and auto-focus. For added security, an automatic privacy shutter covers the camera when not in use. Plugand-play operation is offered by connecting one USB cable directly into a UC system for a UC room, or into a Devio SCR-10 for a BYOD room.

The introduction of the Impera series of control systems results from the integration of Biamp’s existing control products with the newly acquired Neets portfolio. Featuring simple configuration-based setup and attractive user interfaces for controlling both Biamp and third-party devices, Impera

Impera control systems further complement Biamp installations. The Impera control series includes independent controllers, control pads (keypads with integrated controllers) and controllable relays. The controllers are configured within Biamp’s Project Designer drag-and-drop program which is used to design the room control system and user interface.

Biamp’s first touchpanel combines an 8-inch touchscreen with an Impera integrated controller. Featuring a processor that controls up to 20 IP-based devices, the Apprimo Touch 8i promotes ease of configuration, operation and management in varied applications. The Apprimo Touch 8i is configured with Biamp’s Project Designer drag-and-drop control system design program. Project Designer includes a range of user interface templates and an extensive device driver library. Apprimo’s product family currently encompasses all

of Biamp’s touch interfaces, including the previously released TEC-X control pads and the 4-, 7- and 10-inch touchpanels.

Vidi is a line of conferencing cameras created for meeting spaces ranging from huddle rooms to medium-sized conference rooms. Designed for small rooms and huddle spaces, the Vidi 100 is a 4K camera with a 120° field of view and a built-in mic array. Incorporating a 12MP sensor that supports 4K video with a 120° field of view while allowing for electronic pan-tilt-zoom with no image degradation, Vidi 250 is designed for small- and medium-sized rooms. Other features include optics that eliminate image distortion and smooth automatic participant framing, zoom and focus functionality, together with an integrated microphone array.

AJA Support for Microsoft Team’s Hardware Out AKG Ara Alcons Audio QRP20 Allen & Heath dLive V1.9 Amate Audio TPD3K 2.1 Amphion Amp400.8 AMS Neve Recall update Analog Way Midra 4K 2.0 ArKaos MediaMaster 6 ARX Systems USB DI-Q update Ashly Audio AquaControl Portal Audac SMQ1250 Audio-Technica BP28/BP28L Austrian Audio CC8 AVT Ravenna module based on DirectOut’s RAV2 Barco IEX series beyerdynamic DT 700 PRO X Biamp Parlé conferencing bars Calibre LEDFusion Pro CEDAR Audio Trinity 5 ClearOne Unite 200 Pro CODA Audio Space Hub/Marine Grade 1 Crestron Crestron Flex update Dear Reality dearVR MIX DirectOut PRODIGY update DPA Microphones MS4099 Earthworks Audio Ethos EAW AC6 Elation KL Panel XL Extron IPCP Q/SF 28PT FOR-A MV-3240 Fulcrum Acoustic AHS Series Genelec 6040R Green Hippo Hippotizer V4+ MK2 Haivision Haivision Connect JBL EON ONE MK2 Klotz AIS LSC2440YS/AES3N L-Acoustics L-ISA Processor II update LEA Professional Cloud and Web UI update Lectrosonics Silicone covers LG LG One:Quick LYNX Technik yellobrik SPG 1708 MA Lighting grandMA3 v1.6 Marshall Electronics CV605-BK/WH Martin Audio VU-NET 2.2.2 Media Links MDP3020 MAX platform Milab Microphones DC-196 anniversary edition NDI NDI 5 update Nugen Audio Paragon ST Optoma ZX300/ZW350 Orban OPTIMOD XPN Enterprise ecosystem Outline ET50-3D/ET250R2-3D Panasonic AW-UE40/AW-UE50/AW-UE80 Peerless-AV KOF555-1/2/3 Powersoft ArmoníaPlus 2.2 PreSonus R65 V2/R80 V2 Prolights EclPanel TWC update PSI Audio A17-M update RCF NX 9/TT 515-A/TT 808-AS Renkus-Heinz DC12/2 update Røde PSA1+/Wireless GO II update Roland V-02HD MK II Sharp NEC Display Solutions C750Q/C860Q Solid State Logic L450/L650 Sommer Cable HI-HDAPR-01/HI-HDSL Sony VPL-FHZ85/VPL-FHZ80 Symetrix Composer v8.1 Tasker CPR Cca cable series Universal Audio LUNA v1.2/Volt Void Acoustics Venu 208 Waves V13 Xilica Sonia

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PRODUCTS

RCF reveals Next Generation NX FEATURING UNIQUE electroacoustic features, RCF is shipping three new speaker models from the portable NX Series. Purposedesigned 10-, 12- and 15-inch transducers, a constant directivity waveguide, FiRPHASE processing, Bass Motion Control algorithms and a 550W (RMS)-rated Class-D amplifier are included.

Like the latest ART 9 speaker series, NX 9 integrates an energy-efficient fanless amplifier whose circuit is attached to a solid aluminium heat exchanger in the unit’s rear. Performance improvements include a 1.75-inch compression driver with a polyimide-Kapton dome together with purpose-designed woofers and a constant directivity waveguide that produces coherent coverage across the listening area.

System latencies are minimised and a coherent distribution of sound without phase distortions is ensured by adopting proprietary digital FiRPHASE technology. With FiRPHASE technology applied, the newly designed speakers act as a single source for a true sound image. The Bass Motion Control woofer excursion management feature creates a complete map of the dynamic behaviour of the transducer, to generate a custom algorithm that only limits over-excursions. By granting freedom of signal reproduction, both high-pass filters and large-band limiters are avoided and the speaker is allowed to reproduce the input

TT 808-AS active subwoofer. The TT 515-A’s transducer configuration pairs two customloaded 5-inch cone drivers to a rotatable CMD waveguide surrounding a titanium 1.75-inch high-frequency compression driver. Designed for installed and portable applications where size and weight are critical factors, the speaker

NX Series signal at all volume levels for the entire audible spectrum.

Housed in a wooden enclosure, each NX9 model is finished in a black polyeura coating.

Designed for portable applications, the versatile cabinet is equipped with ergonomic handles on both sides, together with a steel pole socket for mounting. Each model can also be flown, wallor truss-mounted using multiple M10 rigging points and special accessories.

In other news, the Italian manufacturer has released the TT 515-A active speaker and

comes with the advantages of TT+ technology such as controlled dispersion, multiple flexible rigging accessories, weatherproof protection and RDNet real-time monitoring and management software with recallable presets.

The TT 808-AS features two vented-loaded 8-inch cone woofers powered by a 1,000W two-channel

amplifier – one for each woofer – on a Baltic birch plywood cabinet painted with black polyurea and weatherproof treatment.

Management and tuning are available via RDNet software or using the two preset buttons, a polarity button and a variable delay accessible from the back panel. The cabinet features rubber feet on two sides and two threaded pole mounts for horizontal and vertical placement. The TT 808-AS can be used alone, in subwoofer arrays or as the lowfrequency complement for the TT 515-A. In brief, the M 20X Ver. 174 firmware release has fixed some minor bugs and added the driver for RCF’s MWD 1 WiFi Adapter. Previously supported USB adapters are still maintained as legacy devices; the new MWD 1 WiFi adapter is natively supported by the mixer. www.rcf.it

Fulcrum Acoustic steers a new PSI Audio course updates tweeter TARGETED AT applications requiring high output and precise pattern control, Fulcrum Acoustic has developed the AHS Series of modular, scalable loudspeakers. Offering 45° horizontal beamwidth, the AHS440 incorporates four high-frequency (HF) horns, each paired with a coaxial compression driver.

Providing a 60° horizontal beamwidth, the AHS460 uses three HF horns within the 700mm x 900mm x 775mm (DxWxH) enclosure. Low-frequency (LF) output for both models is provided by four 10-inch woofers loaded by Oculus phase plugs. The inclusion of the Compression Head extends the LF horn length for extending the LF range to 60Hz. The US manufacturer’s TQ processing together with beam-forming DSP algorithms

configure the AHS Series’ vertical dispersion to match a venue’s specific geometries and throw distances.

Multiple HF horns combine coherently to provide the output necessary to combat HF air loss, which can be substantial in stadium-scale applications. AHS modules are designed to be stacked as needed to increase projection and control.

BOASTING HIGHER SPL capacities at lower distortion figures, PSI Audio has developed a tweeter for the A17-M speaker. Promoting its inclusion for nearfield and immersive setups, the latest precision tweeter follows last year’s update for the A14-M. Operating within a frequency range of 43Hz–23kHz, the 175mm membrane woofer pairs to the new tweeter, wholly designed and engineered by the PSI Audio engineers. Manufactured within the company’s Swiss facilities where full control over every detail of the design and production process was ensured, accuracy and power in the treble range of the tweeter has been enhanced, while distortion at maximum power has

been minimised. The analogue A17-M incorporates the proprietary Compensated Phase Response (CPR) and Adaptive Output Impedance (AOI) innovations. www.psiaudio.com

www.fulcrum-acoustic.com

PreSonus R-series updated with V2 enhancements FEATURING MORE extensive control than the original R-series, PreSonus is now shipping the R65 V2 and R80 V2 active AMT studio monitors. Incorporating the analogue Acoustic Tuning controls from the Eris line, the second-generation models boast low cut-off, mid-frequency and high-frequency controls in addition to a three-position Acoustic Space switch for compensating the acoustic results of speaker placement against a wall.

TT 808-AS

Designed to respond to the subtlest waveforms and high frequencies, the V2 monitors feature a customised 43.9cm 2 Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter.

The 0.01mm folded Kapton membrane provides wave-cycle-accurate transient reproduction and enables the R-series V2 monitors to handle 8–13 times the projection area of more traditional tweeter designs. The creation of a wide sweet spot with narrow vertical dispersion

minimises reflections off surfaces and provides a consistent sound in different listening environments.

A 140W (75W LF + 65W HF) Class-A/B power amplifier includes current output limiting, over-temperature protection and subsonic protection. The R80 and R65 V2 models feature 8- and 6.5-inch, custom-woven, composite woofers that operate over 40Hz and 45Hz–22kHz frequency ranges respectively. The rear panel is equipped with balanced XLR and ¼-inch TRS and unbalanced RCA input connections.

R65 V2

www.presonus.com

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Aetria® control rooms made simple Aetria is Datapath’s integrated solution for the design, management, and operation of control rooms.

Developed for the most challenging and complex command and control applications.

We make life easier for system integrators whilst enabling control room operators to focus on their core objectives.

Come visit us and see Aetria first-hand on Booth 3E850

Engineering the world's best visual solutions www.datapath.co.uk

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PRODUCTS

Two-way column support for Alcons FEATURING HIGH-Q directivity for increased projection control as a vertical sound system, Alcons Audio has created the QRP20 column array for permanent and portable applications. Specifically designed for acoustically challenging applications where high levels of intelligibility are required, the two-way enclosure projects both a wide horizontal and a narrow vertical coverage.

Loaded with the RBN401 4-inch proribbon driver on a “Morpher” lens, the system offers a high throw efficiency and projection control courtesy of the proribbon’s all-natural cylindrical wavefront.

Operating within a 93Hz–20kHz (±3dB) frequency range, its transient response and 800W @ 200ms high peak power handling cater for intelligibility from the lowest to the highest SPL with a 1:15 RMS-to-peak dynamic range.

In combination with the controlled dispersion, the flat frequency response and the fast impulse response of the RBN mid/high-frequency transducers promote a maximum gain-before-feedback up to directly in front of or under the system.

Mounted in a D’Appolito speaker configuration, the RBN401 incorporates four custom-designed 5-inch woofers featuring Active Coil technology for extremely low-distortion LF reproduction within in a sealed cabinet. Housed in a slim 150mm x 150mm x 742mm (WxDxH) enclosure, the column is powered and controlled by the ALC amplified loudspeaker controller, which provides QRP20-specific drive processing. The

QRP20 is available with 90° (QRP20/90) or 120° (QRP20/120) horizontal dispersion variations.

Genelec signs off new Signature Series with 6040R COINCIDING WITH the 20th anniversary of the 6040 launch, Genelec has unveiled the first model in its new Signature Series with the introduction of the 6040R smart active loudspeaker. Created in conjunction with Finnish industrial designer Harri Koskinen, the floor-standing 6040R die-cast aluminium enclosure is shaped with the same distinctive Minimum Diffraction Enclosure (MDE) minimalist curves as the original 6040A. MDE distinguishes itself with a clean acoustic performance, wide frequency response and freedom of resonances that typically affect more traditional wooden cabinets.

The two-way 6040R features the same LF driver design, biamplified Class-D power amplifier technology, active crossovers and protection circuitry as Genelec’s professional models. Other refinements include both analogue and digital inputs supporting AES/ EBU and SPDIF formats, a digital output, universal mains voltage and onboard DSP that allow each 6040R loudspeaker to be intelligently tuned for any acoustic environment via GLM room calibration software.

Designed to partner with selected models from Genelec’s F Series range and smart active subwoofers, the 6040R can be used with Genelec wired and wireless volume controllers via either an F Series subwoofer or a GLM network adaptor. Combining a 6.5-inch woofer and 0.75-inch tweeter, each driven independently by twin dedicated 150W power amplifier stages, the 6040R operates within a frequency response of 43Hz–20kHz with a maximum short-term SPL output of 110dB.

www.alconsaudio.com www.genelec.com

EON ONE MK2 marks new era in portable PAs JBL IS shipping the EON ONE MK2. The battery-powered column PA incorporates a five-channel digital mixer, DSP, Bluetooth 5.0 functions and full app control within a 19.3kg rechargeable battery system. With a crossover set at 230Hz, the C-shaped array comprises eight 2-inch tweeters in combination with a 10-inch woofer. Operating within a 45Hz–20kHz (–3dB) frequency range, the array provides 140° horizontal and 30° vertical dispersion.

Powered by an integrated 400W (RMS) amplifier, the combined system can produce a maximum SPL of 123dB. Variable Power Performance technology automatically switches performance for either AC or battery power, providing 4dB of extra headroom when connected to AC power.

In addition to presets and a three-knob EQ interface, a triple-tier, full-colour LCD display promotes beginner, intermediate or advanced control settings. DSP Lexicon effects including reverb, chorus and delay, in addition to a full suite of dbx DriveRack Automatic Feedback Suppression (AFS), parametric EQs, limiters, delays and SubSynth are included. In addition, a Soundcraft Easy Ducking feature lowers the BGM volume when speech is detected.

Measuring 99.9cm in height, the 6040R is available in a choice of grey, black, white, black with white grilles and white with black grilles.

A swappable six-hour battery fitted within the column ensures that performers can play extended sets. The five-channel mixer includes three Neutrik XLR combo jacks, one Hi-Z input and a ¼-inch balanced passthrough with independent volume control and speaker delay. Two channels of 48V phantom power are also included for support of condenser microphones. The system can be controlled by the new JBL Pro Connect app, providing remote access via Bluetooth 5.0 to all functions and presets from a phone or tablet for up to 10 units. Measuring 490mm x 322mm x 550mm (LxWxH), the EON ONE MK2 is housed in a polypropylene shell and fitted with an ergonomic handle.

Designed for use with JBL Control 10, 20 and 40 Series ceiling speakers with press-in grilles, the JBL-LCT 81C/TM metric lay-in ceiling tile speaker and the JBL-MTC-CSTeth1 retrofit safety tether are now available. The low-profile speaker features an 8-inch dual-cone driver with a 1-inch voice coil and transformer that combine to produce a 100° conical dispersion pattern and 96dB sensitivity. Offering ease of installation, the speaker can be placed within a standard 600mm x 600mm ceiling tile space.

With a depth of just 103mm, the JBL-LCT 81C/TM can be installed in ceiling spaces with HVAC ducts, plumbing and other obstructions.

Taking the appearance of a ceiling vent, the latest model operates either a 70V or 100V distributed speaker line or at low impedance.

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The JBL-MTC-CSTeth1 retrofit safety tether can be added to Control 10, 20 and 40 Series ceiling speakers with press-in grilles. Reportedly invisible and acoustically transparent, the reliable safety tether is constructed from a flame-resistant aramid fibre cord.

EON ONE MK2

www.jblpro.com

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PRODUCTS

Void Acoustics extends lows Renkus-Heinz EAW extends net additions ADAPTive series to Venu V2 series FORMING PART of a firmware and software update for the DC12/2 array series, Renkus-Heinz has made improvements to multi-unit configurations together with a new full-range performance mode. Designed for tight control and discreet aesthetics, the compact and steerable DC12/2 loudspeaker can now be configured via a smartphone or tablet app.

The softwarebacked component of the loudspeaker forms the basis for a future upgrade path. With the new update, multiple units can be configured at once using Wi-Fi Station Mode to program multiple loudspeakers without manually connecting to each device. In addition, the new full-range mode for improved low-end extension provides a more pronounced full-range sound for installations without a subwoofer.

Additional upgrades in the software update include delay and discrete gain control. www.renkuz-heinz.com

EASTERN ACOUSTIC Works (EAW) has enhanced its ADAPTive column series with the addition of the AC6. Capable of generating a maximum SPL of 143dB and 120° of horizontal nominal beamwidth, the two-way, fullrange enclosure is being targeted for installation within houses of worship and small performing arts centres.

Smaller than its predecessors, the low-profile AC6 includes similar features, including EAW’s signature ADAPTive Tool Kit. Optimum coverage and directivity of the loudspeaker is achieved by steering the Adaptive Performance components via the Resolution 2 software. By integrating all factors and aspects of the loudspeaker, the AC6 can produce three-dimensional coverage in any venue.

Incorporating EAW’s Focusing and DynO digital signal processing, the column speaker can output intelligent and dynamic audio with an impulse response at any level. Operating within a frequency response of 65Hz–20kHz (–10dB), the electroacoustic assembly consists of six LF and 30 HF transducers. The AC6 can be flown as a main system or integrated with the larger Anna or Anya line arrays.

In addition to analogue redundancy capabilities, Dante redundant networking comes as standard. Available in black or white, optional weather protection covers extend the use of the AC6 in outdoor applications.

DC12/2 www.eaw.com

WITH THE launch of the Venu 208 subwoofer, Void Acoustics has announced the latest addition to its Venu V2 loudspeaker series. Designed in response to a growing demand for a versatile, low-frequency (LF) compact speaker solution, the latest addition to the Venu Series uses all the specifications of the larger speakers within a flexible, smaller unit.

Measuring 203mm x 600mm x 475mm (HxWxD), the subwoofer is suitable for commercial applications including bars, clubs, hotels, restaurants and lounges. Comprising two 8-inch bandpass loaded LF transducers, the Venu 208 provides additional LF extension in distributed or BGM systems. With an output of 300W power handling, the dual 8-inch woofers operate within a frequency response of 42–120Hz (±3dB) with an efficiency of 95dB @ 1W/1m. 8Ω nominal impedance reportedly ensures full channel utilisation when powered from a single channel of Void’s Bias Q1 amplifier.

Constructed from 15mm multi-laminated birch plywood with a wraparound grille, the 20kg cabinet is finished in a textured polyurethane paint. Convenient to install in a wide variety of applications, the addition of a Yoke bracket and type 75 plate positions with integral threaded inserts promote further mounting options onto walls and ceilings. Allowing placement against a rear wall, the recessed connector panel features speakON and Phoenix connectors with link throughs for quick and reliable connections. www.voidacoustics.com

Xilica reach the ceiling with Sonia FOLLOWING THE launches of the Solaro DSPs and Xilica Gio networked endpoints, Xilica has developed the Sonia range of networked amplifiers and ceiling speakers for IT-friendly collaboration spaces.

The current family includes the Sonia C5 5.25-inch in-ceiling speaker that exerts a wide, even dispersion pattern enabling fewer speakers in large spaces. A PoE+enabled Sonia amplifier with an integrated network switch can power up to eight Sonia C5 speakers in a daisy-chain configuration. The integrated network switch features a PoE port for providing power and

Dante networked audio to a ceiling-mounted microphone array via a single Category cable connection. With four individual channels, one Sonia amp can power Sonia C5 speakers across four zones.

Plenum-rated and featuring integrated mounting capabilities, the Sonia amp can be affixed to the rear of a Sonia C5 speaker, eliminating the need for external amplifier racks. A further ease of installation feature comes in the form of a removable, magnetic and paintable grille with detachable logo to blend into any corporate, education and government space. www.xilica.com

3K power with Amate’s latest TPD addition FOLLOWING THE introduction of the original TriPhonic 2.1 power amplifier in 1986, Amate Audio recently revived the concept with the Class-D-based TPD. Designed as an integrated L-R and sub solution for small sound installations, the Barcelona-based company has extended the application potential of the platform with the launch of a higher power-rated model of the format.

The TPD3K reportedly provides more than 3,000W of combined power, with up to 750W continuous programme power each

for the left and right channels, and 2,000W for the sub channel (at 4Ω). Onboard DSP control incorporates presets for the manufacturer’s

fully active loudspeaker systems, including remote PC-based configuration via its DSPLink software. Adjustable system parameters include filters, parametric EQs, peak/RMS limiters and delays that enable

the time-alignment of amplifier channels.

Weighing 9kg, the TPD3K extends control to some of the larger models in the Nítid series, including the largest N18WP and N218WP subs. I/Os include balanced XLR stereo inputs, L-R and sub speaker connectors on binding posts and speakON connectors and three configurable DSP aux outputs on balanced XLRs for DSP control of a second 2.1 amplifier setup within a larger installation. www.amateaudio.com

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PRODUCTS

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Amphion releases multichannel amplifier IN RESPONSE to the increase of the Dolby Atmos format in film, television, gaming and music production, Finnish loudspeaker manufacturer Amphion has released the Amp400.8 amplifier. Designed specifically for multichannel workflows, the Amp400.8 incorporates Class-D technology with an in-house designed proprietary buffer stage to provide up to 410W of dynamic power

IN ADDITION to the latest advances in immersive and object-based mixing for live sound, the SSL Live L450 and L650 consoles focus on providing production solutions in touring, events, houses of worship and installed sound applications. In these production environments, multiple mixes, immersive audio, monitoring and OTT/streaming are often required. The new L450 console sits above the more compact L350 in terms of processing power, while the

workflow-based enhancements, including Routing Interface, Event Manager and Overview Screen improvements, plus the addition of Solo and Mute buttons to TaCo. Modelled on the Fusion analogue hardware processor, SSL has released the SSL Fusion Vintage Drive and the SSL Fusion Stereo Image premium plugins. The availability of the Fusion processing favourites marks the beginning of a plugin roadmap focused on music creation, mixing and mastering.

and coherence for up to eight identical channels. This feature results in power and performance for any multichannel setup, including 7.1.4 surrounds, 5.1 full power or multiple separate stereo systems. All channel outputs are equipped with Neutrik XLR and speakON connectors. www.amphion.fi

Audac changes waves L450

ENGINEERED FOR fixed and mobile audio installations, Audac has released the SMQ series of four-channel power amplifiers.

Distinguished by a WaveDynamics DSP processor in combination with a 2.5-inch LCD display for easy configuration, four

speaker and terminal block connections.

An RS-232 control port enhances system integration, and an optional Dante interface (ANI44XT) is available for transmitting and receiving low-latency audio over an Ethernet network.

L650 is the most powerful SSL Live console to date.

As found in the L200 console, the layouts of the L450 and L650 incorporate a triple-wide fader bank configuration.

Cutaways for external screens maintain line of sight to the artist and stage, creating two distinct areas of focus for the operator. The L650 console shares the same knob-per-function Channel Control tile as the L550 Plus, whereas the L450 features a Tablet panel for use with SSL Live’s control app, TaCo.

Available independently or as part of SSL’s complete subscription pack, the plugins will be joined in the coming months by additional Fusion processing formats, including Violet EQ, HF Compressor and Transformer.

The SSL Fusion Vintage Drive plugin has been derived from the Vintage Drive section of the SSL Fusion, bringing its non-linear saturation circuit characteristics directly to the DAW. The Density and Drive controls on the plugin interact to produce harmonics,

SMQ1250 versions are available with 350W, 500W, 750W and 1,250W outputs.

Acoustics can be optimised using Butterworth, Bessel and LinkwitzRiley filters with selectable roll-off for configuration as low/high and band pass together with a seven-band EQ which has adjustable frequencies and Q-factor. Other functions include delay and dynamic bass boost.

The settings can be custom configured using the front panel of the amplifier, whereby access can be given on User & Administrator levels using a password or USB-key protection.

Loudspeaker protection is provided by an output power limiter so that the maximum output power for every channel can be configured. Loudspeaker presets and full system configurations can be selected from a library and uploaded with a USB flash drive. The rear panel includes an input selection matrix in combination with the XLR and terminal block signal connections together with outputs using

The CHA660 and CHA530 are two-way, horn-loaded loudspeakers designed for long-throw, full-range reproduction of music and speech in a wide variety of indoor and outdoor applications. The modules comprise a 1-inch high-frequency compression driver and a 6.5-inch and 5-inch mid/low-frequency driver respectively. The speakers feature an RMS power handling of 60W and 30W and a max power handling of 120W and 60W respectively.

For the CHA660, the sensitivity measures 99dB while a maximum continuous SPL of 116dB can be achieved. The frequency response (±3dB) starts from 100Hz up to 16kHz. For the CHA530, the sensitivity measures 98dB with a maximum continuous SPL of 113dB and a frequency response of 110Hz–16kHz. In brief, the AMP203 mini stereo Dante amplifier has been updated with an extra line out port connection. www.audac.eu

Fusion Vintage Drive plugin Providing additional DSP resources for the SSL Live L100, L200, L350 and L550 consoles, Solid State Logic has also made Plus Processing Packs available. The packs maintain the UK manufacturer’s commitment to supporting its existing and future SSL Live customer base. Building on the SSL Live L-ISA control integration found in Live V4.11, Live V5.0 Console and SOLSA software features integrated control solutions for Meyer Sound Spacemap Go Immersive together with Shure ULX-D and Axient Digital Mic Control. Offering control of key features from within the SSL Live console ecosystem, Live V5.0 also features other

soft clipping and natural compression, like pushing an analogue console into its tonal “sweet spot”. Also modelled on the SSL Fusion hardware unit, the SSL Fusion Stereo Image plugin relates to the original analogue circuit designs. Width and Space controls provide access to a digital version of the Fusion’s mid-side circuit directly in the DAW for detailed spatial manipulation of the stereo field. Supporting VST2, VST3, AAX and AU plugin formats, all SSL plugins are compatible with major DAWs and computer operating systems. www.solidstatelogic.com

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PRODUCTS

AKG introduces its Ara USB mic Austrian Audio presents the CC8 for stage and studio

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ARA IS a two-pattern USB condenser microphone designed for podcasters, YouTubers and music makers. It can be used to create studio-quality, 24-bit, 96kHz audio for speech and vocal/ instrument tracks. Two pickup patterns focus on a single source or everyone in the room. The directional Front (cardioid) pattern captures sound directly in front of the mic while rejecting sound from other sides, making it suitable for podcast hosts, bloggers, videoconferencing and for recording voice and instruments. The Front + Back (omni) pattern picks up sound evenly from all sides, making it ideal for recording interviews with multiple speakers.

Ara’s essential functions, including pattern selection, mic mute and a headphone volume knob, are located on the front of the mic for easy access, while a 3.5mm headphone jack allows latency-free monitoring. The microphone’s compact footprint and versatile mounting options make it suitable for both desktop use and studio scenarios. Users can set Ara on a desktop using the included yoke and base stand or attach it to a boom or standard mic stand. Alternatively, users can record on the go with a mobile device and optional adapter.

Accessories include a 2m USB-C to USB-A cable, a 3⁄8 - to 5⁄8 -inch threaded mic stand

adapter and a free registration card for Ableton Live 11 Lite recording software. Ara works with all major livestreaming, videoconferencing and music-recording applications.

WITH THE release of the CC8, Austrian Audio has created a line of instrument microphones for use in the studio and onstage. Inspired by the CK1, the newly developed OCC7 condenser capsule lies at the heart of the small diaphragm model.

Shown to be more robust than conventional mylar alternatives, the capsule incorporates a three-micronthick gold-coated polyethylene napthalate (PEN) diaphragm. The OCC7’s filter fabric ensures a constant broadband cancellation, reportedly resulting in outstanding cardioid characteristics with attenuation of sound coming from the sides and rear.

Capable of handling high SPLs of up to 156dB SPL without distortion, the CC8 records a low selfnoise of 16dB SPL (A). During recordings, the CC8 can

handle fast transients and the spatial information required for accurately capturing acoustic instrument detail in jazz ensembles, orchestras, acoustic guitars and pianos.

With a built-in switchable attenuation of 0dB, –10dB and –20dB, the microphone can be positioned near to loud sound sources such as trumpets without fear of distortion. Rumble and impact noise are effectively eliminated with the switchable high-pass filter (60Hz 2nd order/120Hz 2nd order).

Targeted positioning in tight and difficult locations can be achieved with the CC8’s low self-noise and compact dimensions. www.austrian.audio

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PRODUCTS

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Audio-Technica goes the distance WITH THE development of the BP28 14-inch and BP28L 22.4-inch Line + Gradient microphones, Audio-Technica has combined a large-diaphragm condenser element with a 28mm-diameter shotgun design. Created to meet the needs of broadcast, film, TV, outdoor recording and theatre applications, the two new models promote tight polar patterns and low noise levels (BP28: 8dB; BP28L: 3dB), while a patented acoustic port design maintains directionality across the entire frequency range.

Suitable for long-distance capture, the BP28 and BP28L offer a highly directional pickup pattern with a flat frequency response, high sensitivity (BP28: –28dBV; BP28L: –23dBV), wide dynamic range (135dB) and high SPL capability (BP28: 143dB; BP28L: 138dB).

Housed in a structural-grade aluminium alloy, both models are equipped with a switchable 80Hz high-pass filter and 10dB pad. Accessories include a windscreen, holder, stand adapter and carrying case.

Directly replacing the AT898 and AT899 condensers, Audio-Technica has made the BP898 cardioid and BP899 omnidirectional microphones available for wired or wireless lavalier applications. Available in five black finished models, the BP898 comes with

BP28 and BP28L permanently attached cables and varying termination and power configurations. The BP899 is available in 17 different models with permanently attached cables, varying terminations and power configurations in two sensitivities and black or theatre (beige) finishes.

The wide dynamic range and high SPL tolerances of both upgraded subminiature microphones promote their use in stage and television broadcasting, education and houses of worship. The 5.3mm-diameter, low-profile design minimises visibility. For

up-close, directional miking, the directivity of the BP898 with its cardioid capsule provides a pronounced proximity effect that enhances the voice. If the mic needs to be used at a greater distance or a less focused pickup is desired, the BP899 with an omnidirectional capsule is recommended.

The BP899 features an open-diaphragm design for maximum frequency response with a protective mesh that repels sweat and other moisture for a lasting performance. It includes a resonance cap that can be applied to the mic for greater intelligibility and to direct sweat and

moisture away. The BP899 is also available in low-sensitivity versions, for dynamic theatre performances or other high-SPL applications.

Joining the original UHF-based 3000 Series, the 3000 Digital Series wireless system features 24-bit/48kHz processing, a wide dynamic range of 120dB and 60MHz tuning range, with analogue-balanced audio outputs achieving a latency of just 2.5msec. With audio networking a key requirement for many users, the 3000 Digital Series receiver is Dante-enabled and ready to slot into any Dante network. Up to five ATW-DR3120DAN dual-channel receivers can be connected to allow a single pair of antennas to feed up to 10 channels of wireless, reducing the rack space required and minimising cost. Control of the system is made straightforward via software monitoring that gives access to frequency coordination, charging status and log display information. Further networking and scalability options are enabled by the 3000 Digital Series’ support of IP touchpanel interfaces from manufacturers such as AMX and Crestron, allowing tight integration to existing AV systems. www.audio-technica.com

beyerdynamic targets content creators with PRO X

Lectrosonics dresses up for going out

BEYERDYNAMIC HAS sets its sights on the content creation market with its new PRO X line of microphones and headphones. The two headphones, the DT 700 PRO X and DT 900 PRO X, are open- and closed-back models, respectively, and employ the manufacturer’s newly developed Stellar.45 driver.

The M 70 PRO X and M 90 PRO X respectively are cardioid dynamic and condenser microphones intended for livestreaming or recording, either at home or in the studio.

The new Stellar.45 drivers powering the PRO X headphones feature a neodymium magnet and a voice coil made of copperplated wire. According to beyerdynamic, the conductivity and weight of the wire make it “perfectly balanced”, which in combination with the newly developed three-layer speaker cone and its integrated attenuating layer, creates a highly efficient driver with an impedance of 48Ω. Other important specifications include a

A NEW range of silicone covers has been made available by Lectrosonics for a wide variety of its transmitters, receivers and recorders. The protective covers include the DCHT digital camera hop, DPR, DPR-A digital plug-on and LT transmitters, in addition to the DCHR digital portable, IFBR1B multifrequency IFB and M2R IEM/IFB receivers.

Silicone covers for the recorders include the MTCR miniature time code and PDR portable digital recorders. The new silicone is already available.

Joining the existing HM/HMa plug-on and SSM micro beltpack transmitter covers, the latest batch is available in clear silicone, while some models are also available in

5Hz–40kHz frequency response, with THD at 1kHz specified as being just 0.04% for a 1mW input. In terms of the design, grey velour ear pads and soft memory foam in the headband promote long-term use.

The new microphone models have been created to meet the demands of content creators. Optimised for speech, the M 70 PRO X is better suited to broadcasting, podcasting and streaming, thanks to its ability to block out unwanted surrounding noise, while the M 90 PRO X is better suited to recording vocals and instruments.

The dynamic M 70 X PRO has a cardioid polar pattern, a sensitivity of 1.8mV/Pa and a frequency response of 50Hz–18kHz. The M 90 PRO X condenser is a side-address cardioid microphone, with a broader frequency response of 20Hz–20kHz. It’s reportedly capable of handling SPLs up to 133dB and ships with a newly designed cat’scradle shockmount and a gooseneck pop filter.

black, including the DPR, DPR-A and HM/ HMa. Designed to protect the Lectrosonics units from moisture and dust, the two-part, overlapping designs make them pliable enough for easy installation and removal.

Each cover features die-cut holes for antennas and input jacks which suit the individual model.

In addition, the transparent covers feature a raised dome design over LCD screens and buttons, making indicators easy to view and buttons easy to operate. The matt black covers are designed to be set up beforehand and become less visible on camera. www.lectrosonics.com

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DPA adds to Core values

Earthworks Audio sets new standard for streaming microphones

WITH THE release of the MS4099 stand mount, DPA Microphones has enhanced the flexible feature set for the 4099 Core instrument microphone. For mounting onto any mic stand, the MS4099 can be used on both 3⁄8 -inch and 5⁄8 -inch threads. Borrowed from the design of other DPA mounting options, the barrel of the MS4099 mic holder makes it easy to attach or remove the microphone. In addition to being compatible with the brand’s 4097 Core micro shotgun, the mount can be turned for vertical or horizontal use.

Featuring a 5mm round microphone capsule and 6066 subminiature headsets, the 4466 and 4488 headsets are now available in brown. With a one-size-fits-all design and adjustable height and boom length, the headsets accommodate small-tolarge head types and a three-point gripping system. In addition to the brown finish, the headsets are also available in black and beige options. www.dpamicrophones.com

WITH ETHOS, Earthworks Audio has developed a broadcast microphone that is said to offer an authentic and natural sound, gentle proximity effect and an attractive price point.

Designed to capture every transient, Ethos is a supercardioid, 14mm condenser microphone operating within a frequency response of 20Hz–30kHz and capable of handling an SPL of 145dB. The windscreen stack with userreplaceable foam extends plosive and wind noise protection without impacting fidelity or transparency. Precise placement adjustments can be made courtesy of the Triad-Orbit M2-R ball joint mic adapter that also features in the Icon streaming family line. Internal dampening

and stainless-steel construction ensure a resistance of noise handling but, should an additional shockmount be required, Ethos can adopt Rycote’s USM universal model. www.earthworksaudio.com

MS4099

Røde is armed and ready DESIGNED AS a replacement for the original PSA1 professional studio arm, Røde has created the PSA1+ for podcasters, streamers and broadcasters. The PSA1+ sports a parallelogram spring design for precise placement, stability and smooth movement with almost any microphone weighing between from 94g and 1.2kg. With the integrated cable management system concealing both XLR and USB cabling, the extended reach and 360° rotation maximise flexibility in both the home and studio applications. The incorporation of fully damped internal springs provides silent operation, while the addition of rubber contact mounts reportedly ensures isolation from knocks and keyboard clicks​.

Compatible with all standard shockmounts, both end- and side-address microphones can be accommodated by the mounting system. Ease of integration is promoted with the pre-assembled arm, a threaded desk mount and desk clamp.

Initially released as a desktop app, the Wireless GO II microphone can be now

PSA1+

set up with iOS and Android devices via the companion Røde Central Mobile app for configuring settings, unlocking advanced features and accessing firmware updates. Added field recording features include switching between Merged and Split modes, adjusting gain settings, unlocking fine gain control and activating the safety channel.

The compact Wireless GO II can also be used with Røde Connect, reportedly making it the only microphone to be fully integrated with podcasting or streaming software. Previously only compatible with the NT-USB Mini, the compact model promotes podcasting or streaming on a computer with pro quality wireless audio. Røde Connect allows two Wireless GO IIs to be connected to a

single computer. Each transmitter can be allocated to its own channel in the software for a total of four separate wireless audio streams, each with an individual level meter in addition to solo and mute buttons.

The AI-Micro is an ultra-compact, dualchannel interface for recording high-quality audio to a mobile device or computer.

Designed for journalists, reporters, content creators and anyone who needs to combine two microphones in a single recording device, the interface features two autosensing inputs for connecting virtually any microphone with a 3.5mm output.

The AI-Micro also offers a high-power headphone output for clear, zero-latency audio monitoring and playback, and a universal USB output for use with both iOS and Android devices. The interface also offers a solution for connecting a 3.5mm microphone to a computer, making it suitable for streamers, podcasters and professionals. www.rode.com

Dear Reality releases new plugin SPATIAL AUDIO and VR/AR audio software developer Dear Reality has released a monitoring plugin for mixing for all professional studio headphones. dearVR MIX features an exclusive Spatial Headphone Compensation (SHC) feature for 44 headphone models and enables reference listening in three virtual stereo mix rooms with four selectable loudspeaker positions and six non-studio listening environments.

Originally designed for virtual reality applications, dearVR MIX brings Dear Reality’s room virtualisation to the stereo

world. With room virtualisation and virtual acoustics, dearVR MIX accurately monitors productions from a DAW in six non-studio acoustic environments, such as a car or a club. These models can be used to check how mixes will translate to typical listening environments.

The dearVR MIX AAX/VST3/AU plugin transforms any professional headphones into a modelled stereo mixing environment, by placing the user in the sweet spot of carefully designed mix rooms courtesy of spatial audio technology. Each mix room can be

adapted by controlling the amount of diffusion and setting the balance between overall colouration and localisation based on the Clarity algorithm from Sennheiser Ambeo.

By combining dearVR MIX and the builtin SHC feature, stereo productions can translate to any sound system, regardless of production type or music genre. The plugin assesses position, stereo width, reverb and low-end frequencies with reliability in any location. www.dear-reality.com

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Milab celebrates 80th birthday ORIGINALLY FOUNDED in 1941 as Pearl Microphones, Swedish microphone manufacturer Milab Microphones is marking the occasion with the release of an 80th anniversary edition microphone. After a long history where the two brands were separated for almost 40 years,

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Direct upgrade for the PRODIGY FOLLOWING A system update for the PRODIGY series, DirectOut has added several new features including AutoMix, MirrorMode and TruePeak Levelmeter functionality for the PRODIGY.MP multifunctional audio processor.

Created for panel discussions or multilanguage feeds at sports events, AutoMix supports automatic mixing of different input signals by adjusting the control parameters in complex applications, such as reverberant event rooms. TruePeak Levelmeter promotes

reliable detection and display of inter-sample peaks, meaning that PRODIGY.MP now fulfils the requirements of EBU R 128. In DirectOut’s MirrorMode, selected parameters of a Mirror Unit are automatically aligned with the main unit. Alignment allows immediate switchover for seamless operation with the

matching device configuration in the event of a failure of the main unit. PRODIGY.MC is further enhanced with summing busses that can sum several channels in a simple matrix with adjustable output level. www.directout.eu

Extron designs to fit more easily

The IPCP Q models

DELIVERING ENHANCED processing power, improved runtime functionality and offering up to four times more memory for increased deployment speeds, Extron’s IPCP Q models within the DTP CrossPoint and IN Presentation Switcher Series have been upgraded with the latest quad-core control processors.

The DTP CrossPoint 4K matrix switchers are available in 10x8, 8x6, 8x4 and 8x2 sizes. Each model integrates 4K I/Os, Vector 4K scaling technology, DTP and XTP signal extension, audio DSP capabilities including AEC, power amplification and a control processor for AV system control.

Designed to replace up to 10 separate components, the compact enclosure of the DTP2 CrossPoint 82 saves substantial

Milab and Pearl have once again been reunited after a merger in 2017. Today, both brands are entirely hand produced in the southern Swedish town of Åstorp. The Milab DC-196 anniversary edition microphone is a multi-pattern condenser microphone built around Milab’s characteristic rectangular large-diaphragm capsule. Distinctive with its red Nextel coating, the DC-196 is shipped in a wooden box together with a Milab 3227 shock-mount, a windscreen and an individual frequency graph.

rack space. The model has been primarily designed for presentations using content on multiple displays, and for providing a variety of AV system configurations serving multipurpose and divisible rooms.

IN1808 switchers are suitable for use in meeting rooms, boardrooms, classrooms and collaboration environments that require support for 4K/60 video. Incorporating a Vector 4K scaling engine with 30-bit internal video processing upscaling and downscaling, the IN1808 models are distinguished by their eight inputs with 18Gbps support and 4K/60 @ 4:4:4 video scaling. A mix of DisplayPort, HDMI and DTP2 inputs are provided, together with an assignable input loop-through and simultaneous HDMI and DTP2 outputs,

ProDSP audio processing, video transition effects and logo keying. With audio system integration in mind, the IN1608 xi includes eight-input audio switching, two mic/line inputs, HDMI audio embedding and de-embedding, in addition to several audio processing features for mixing, ducking and tone adjustments. IN1608 xi SA models feature a dual 50W Class-D stereo amplifier, while IN1608 xi MA models include a 100W Class-D mono amplifier.

Created for BGM in high-ceiling and open-ceiling applications, the Californian developer has added the SF 28PT twoway pendant to its pendant loudspeaker family. Taking inspiration from modern pendant lighting designs, the SF 28PT combines a tweeter and an 8-inch woofer for operation over direct 8Ω or 70V/100V connection. Available in black or white, the pendant can be painted to fit in with any décor and installed with the inclusive PendantConnect speaker cable that combines both the electrical and steel support cables within a single outer jacket. www.extron.com

www.milabmic.com

Mix & Match modules in a single rack frame SUCCEEDING THE original SPG 1707, LYNX Technik has developed the yellobrik SPG 1708 sync pulse generator. Designed to sync video signals, the portable solution is equipped with a genlock feature for locking to any HD or SD sync input, with full cross-lock functionality. Supporting all SD, HD, 3G-UHD, 12G and composite (PAL/NTSC) video formats, the module provides three HD tri-level and three SD bi-level sync outputs. A separate audio sync output can be switched between 48kHz Word Clock or Digital Audio Reference (DARS). All controls, settings and instructions can be accessed from the front panel, although advanced settings can be made by downloading the free yelloGUI software. In standalone mode, the SPG 1708 can be used as a compact substitute studio reference generator.

It is also at home in OB applications,

mobile editing, postproduction and professional AV applications that require a stable HD or SD reference signal.

The signal processing interface provider has added the RYB 6000 yellobrik extension kit for the greenMachine rack frame, which normally holds up to two greenMachine modules. In addition to adding rack space for the yellobrik line, the extension kit allows both greenMachine and yellobrik modules within a single system. Compatible with standardsized yellobrik modules, the RYB 6000 holds up to six yellobriks and fits next to the greenMachine hardware installed in the RFR 6000 greenMachine rack frame.

SPG 1708 Built-in power connections and two power supplies are integrated for redundancy protection.

The yellobrik 8K fibre transmission system (OTR 1A42) transports real-time, uncompressed 8K content of up to 48G with zero signal loss for distances up to 10km. For 8K applications, the signal is split over four separate 12G-SDI links (48G) and supports full 8K resolution at up to 7680x4320@60Hz. Each of the four channels is fully independent and individually re-clocked. The standalone kit consists of an 8K optical transmitter, 8K optical receiver and power supply that can be paired to the yellobrik OTR 1A41 8K fibre transmission solution for enabling a 96Gbit/s throughput over a fibre system. www.lynx-technik.com

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L-ISA Processor II extends immersive power

EXTENDING SPATIAL processing to a wider range of productions and venues, L-Acoustics has developed the next generation of its 3D audio processing engine with L-ISA Processor II. Like its predecessor, L-ISA Processor II provides advanced object-based mixing for

immersive audio productions. While both hardware units offer control of spatial audio processing and virtual acoustics for up to 96 audio objects based on speaker positioning information and mixing parameters – including pan, width, distance, elevation

and aux send – the new L-ISA Processor II doubles the original unit’s potential output count of 64 up to 128 outputs for larger, more complex events.

The French innovator is offering L-ISA Processor II in a choice of four output counts – 16, 32, 64 or 128 – from the same device, with various capacities accessible via different lifetime licences at scalable, tiered pricing levels. Fitted with Neutrik connectors and housed in a 3U chassis, the L-ISA Processor II can be remotely controlled

by L-ISA Controller software. Integrating multicore architecture, the unit is further equipped with Milan-AVB dual-network redundancy, eliminating the need for a

secondary unit in mirror mode. The product also features MADI connections, allowing signals to be input on MADI and output via Milan-AVB. Operable with L-ISA Studio software that promotes immersive designs from laptops, both L-ISA Processors are compatible with DeskLink, placing direct control of L-ISA objects on the channel strips of DiGiCo, SSL and Yamaha mixing consoles. Partnerships with vision-based tracking systems such as BlackTrax, Robert Juliat’s SpotMe, Modulo Pi and Zactrack continue to be supported by the new product as well. www.l-acoustics.com

CODA Audio heads into space WITH THE release of the Space Hub, CODA Audio has developed a digital processor that is an integral component within its immersive audio system solution. Following successful trials at the Utopia Festival electronic music event in Marseille, Space Hub was officially launched at the Tonmeistertagung 2021 event at the CCD in Düsseldorf. Featuring advanced spatial audio algorithms for the positioning and movement of sound objects for 3D immersive listening experiences, Space Hub can render up to 128 audio sources into 128 outputs.

In other news, for extreme environments CODA Audio has developed its Marine Grade 1 (MG1) option, which offers maximum protection against freezing cold, scorching heat, continuous rain and snowfall, as well as acidic or salty environments. This option is said to enable users to have confidence in the permanent deployment of CODA Audio loudspeakers in even the most exceptional conditions.

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Meet the Blue Box ORIGINALLY DESIGNED to provide secure playback and monitoring of audio files by the Australian Court System, ARX Systems has updated its USB DI-Q USB analogue interface.

Promoting the unit for wider use in corporate and educational applications, the interfacing solution now sports an updated front panel depicting added information.

The monitor and cue audio files can now be accessed in a closed headphone environment and the audio output can be switched or enabled to a sound system or PA as required. A transformer balanced output provides the isolation required to eliminate earth loops and ground hum plus other extraneous noise. The USB DI-Q installs as a fully compatible plug-and-

play generic USB audio device, requiring no special driver program installation on Mac OSX, Windows XP and 7/8/10. The USB DI-Q can connect to any USB-equipped computer with the pro audio balanced inputs. Integration of the unit into a building’s existing AV infrastructure has been simplified and, once installed, can be easily operated from the touch button interface.

The front panel features an overall playback volume control for both headphone and XLR outputs and an “enable audio to room” switch. The rear panel is equipped with a Type B USB input socket and status LED, summed (mono) output XLR with Groundlift switch and a ¼-inch headphone output. www.arx.com.au

LEA Professional upgrades Cloud and Web UI platforms DESIGNED TO provide a seamless, accessible and flexible user experience for the Connect Series, LEA Professional has unveiled new upgrades to its Cloud and Web UI platforms with a version 3.0.0.0 firmware upgrade.

The LEA Professional Web UI provides a clear status check of every amplifier connected to the network and the monitoring of channel performance with the status of every channel on any given amplifier. In addition, parameters such as input settings, signal generator, crossover, equaliser, limiter and

load monitoring can also be adjusted. The 3.0.0.0 firmware interface upgrade includes a new home page design with icons to allow integrators to receive information within one glance, such as the model ID and improved network status.

In addition to the Cloud updates, LEA customers in Mainland China can now locally access the LEA Cloud using the AWS China region by creating an account on leaprofessional-cloud.cn. This allows seamless remote control and monitoring within Mainland China for Connect Series amplifiers.

AVT integrates Ravenna FOLLOWING THE software-based AES67 integration for almost all AVT systems, Audio Video Technologies (AVT) has announced availability of the new Magic Ravenna module – based on DirectOut’s RAV2 OEM card – for selected AVT systems.

The Magic Ravenna module is initially available for AVT’s most powerful VoIP telephone hybrid system, Magic THipPro. Integration for the Quad DAB+ Encoder Magic AE4 and the DAB Ensemble Multiplexer Magic DABMUX plus is scheduled for the following months.

Magic Ravenna may be integrated into both new and existing Magic THipPro VoIP systems, providing an additional 32x32 audio channels

via IP, which can be distributed to up to 32 network streams. The module does not interfere with the digital and analogue audio interfaces of the Magic THipPro so both can still be used. The Ravenna module directly supports the AES67 and SMPTE ST 211030/31 standards to promote compatibility with other systems.

Outline precisely masters the turntables

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WITH THE creation of the ET50-3D and ET250R2-3D, Outline has updated the ET Series of acoustic measurement devices. Since its initial launch, the computer-controlled turntable has been adopted by companies operating in a multitude of industry sectors in addition to universities and research institutes.

As well as microphones, loudspeaker systems and transducers, it is used to measure and calibrate mobile comms devices, antennae, solar panels, hearing aids, smart devices and domestic appliances.

The original concept of placing loads with perfect accuracy in a measurement environment has evolved as the two new models can suit different speed and load requirements. Features include an Ergal aluminium hardware design, which achieves mechanical resistance in addition to reducing the overall weight. A wider choice of rotation speeds is available with enhanced maximum handling loads and a user interface with an input–output communications port based on TTL signals. The network interface allows remote control accessibility, data acquisition and control via standard Ethernet protocols.

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A new home page features additional system indicators including an Internet Accessible icon that shows that the system is connected to the internet, Explain Power icons that indicate power source in use and a Wi-Fi icon to show

ET50-3D Each turntable has an individual IP address for connection to an existing LAN for control via the provided software or one of several third-party measurement systems, including control libraries for Matlab and Python. This promotes automated polar measurements via seamless integration with various measurement software suites, including Audio Precision, Audiomatica Clio, Listen Inc SoundCheck, Klippel, NTI and ARTA. The ET50-3D and ET250R2-3D models are capable of accurately orienting loads of up to 200kg and 1,000kg respectively. www.outline.it

signal level. In addition, devices can be sorted

by IP address and device model names can be added to the address. www.leaprofessional.com

Sommer time in the classroom CREATED FOR meeting room and classroom environments, Sommer Cable has added an HDMI adapter ring to its catalogue that connects presentation sources to the correct outputs. Threaded onto a screwed stainless-steel rope, the

Available in 0.35m, 0.75m, 1.25m and 2m lengths and offering a performance of 18Gb/s, the non-slip metal HICON connector of the flexible 3.6mm cable fits into any HDMI socket.

Additionally, VGA sources can be linked via the active VGA-HDMI DVM-HDT-VAHD2 adapter

www.avt-nbg.de

HDMI adapter ring provides a quick connection to laptops, tablets and smartphones with Displayport 1.4, MiniDisplayport 1.4 or USB-C output to HDMI 2.0 cables. The three cable clips also promote the fixed installation of an HDMI connection cable. A 4K60 connecting set is created by combining the lightweight HDMI Ultraslim HI-HDSL series and the adapter.

HI-HDAPR-01 when converting VGA signals up to 1080p in resolution into an HDMI stream. www.sommercable.com

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PRODUCTS

Klotz roadmap highlights built for the road features KLOTZ AIS has expanded its LP244XY Series with the development of the LSC2440YS 24-way speaker multicore. Designed for live performances, the multicore integrates 24 stranded bare copper wires (class 6, VDE 0295) that are colour-coded and numbered

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connectors with ring on the other for simple length extension.

The double-shielded AES3N digital cable drums have now been optimised for AES/ EBU and DMX signals. Compact in size and lightweight, the cable drum is composed of break-proof plastic and is equipped with a locking brake. It incorporates black chromed XLR 3p plugs with protective caps as plug connectors. The XLR male cable end is available on the outside of the reel core in sufficient length and both cable ends are provided with transparent shrink tubes for free labelling. The German brand includes the OT206 digital cable with a conductor cross-section of 0.22mm2 and a choice of black PVC or blue PUR outer jacket.

LP244XY1S www.klotz-ais.de

with a 4mm2 conductor cross-section. With an additional braided textile layer for stability, the PVC jacket retains its stability and tensile strength to temepratures of –40°C. Designed to significantly cut setup and breakdown times, the LSC2440YS can replace up to three eight-way speaker cables for PA systems and be used for large-scale line array systems. Three different models of the LP244XY Series eXtreme multicores are available with PA-COM 25p connectors. A heavy-duty version with Remke solid metal strain relief and silver-plated or gold-plated contacts is joined by a budget version with a ZEP plastic strain relief. The speaker multicores have PA-COM female connectors without ring on one end and PA-COM male

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Tasker adds CPR cables for medium and high fire risk FIVE YEARS after new CPR legislation came into force, Tasker has been focusing on increasing standards in the medium-risk

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(Cca) and high-risk (B2ca) categories. The cable manufacturer has added six products that meet the highest worldwide standards, constructed in innovative materials such as silicone and M1 LSZH, making them suitable for indoor and outdoor installations.

A new family of four conductor cables has been developed. The TSK502 CPR Cca is shielded with a 4x1.5mm² section, while its sibling, the TSK503 CPR Cca, has a 4x2.5mm² section. These cables follow in the footsteps of the TSK401, TSK402 and TSK403 CPR Cca with 2x1mm2, 2x1.5mm2 and 2x2.5mm² sections respectively.

In the audio sector, a new microphone and two new DMX cables have been launched, all with a tinned copper braided shielded 85% covering. The C128 CPR Cca microphone and TSK1038 CPR Cca DMX have a 2x0.35mm² section, while the TSK1037 CPR Cca has a 2x0.22mm² section.

Finally, the C722 B2ca is a LAN Cat6 SF/ UTP with a 4x2x0.25mm² section and is suitable for multiple applications and approved for the B2ca maximum risk class.

dLive goes deeper and wider ALLEN & HEATH has announced dLive V1.9, drawing on feedback from engineers across the live sound, recording, streaming and installation markets. An overhaul of dLive’s RTA engine presents engineers with an array of new options for audio analysis.

Two RTAs are now available, with dualsurface applications able to benefit from independent RTAs. Visualisation is no longer limited to a 31-band bar display – a new line display and sonogram view is provided, with the latter capable of displaying the difference between RTAs for system tuning. The bar and line visualisations can be displayed underneath the PEQ curve, enabling engineers to make swift EQ decisions. To give engineers the full picture, the new RTA tools can always be visible, whether that’s on a dedicated screen, on the PEQ screen and widget, in a dedicated RTA widget or on an external monitor. dLive’s zero-latency DEEP Processing tools have gained new additions. Two expanders offer increased gain before feedback and improved audio separation in live applications. Source Expander allows quick and easy control of threshold and depth for set-and-forget operation, while

Dual Threshold Expander is provided for challenging environments where expert control is required. Bus, a new compressor, is modelled on a legendary hardware unit renowned for its ability to glue together mixes, and the OptTronikcompressor has expanded to include a new model for an alternative flavour of classic 2A compression. For engineers working with IEM mixes, NEQ12 is a 12-band parametric EQ with selectable hi/lo pass filters that can replace the GEQ on any of the dLive’s 64 mix outputs.

Wireless integration has been opened up to include Sennheiser 300/500, 2000 and 2050 wireless microphones, which can be monitored from the dLive Surface or Director software. Key wireless information, including mutes, signal level and battery bars, is visible from the bank screen, with detailed information and control accessible via the Preamp tab. The feature list for V1.9 also includes preamp sharing with automatic Gain Tracking across multiple dLive systems, LCR+ Main mode with divergence control, screen bookmarks and new screen widgets. www.allen-heath.com

VU-NET support for TORUS

TORUS, VU-NET, iKON and Q-SYS

MARTIN AUDIO has announced the latest release of its control software VU-NET (2.2.2), alongside new firmware for iKON amplifiers. Preset support has been added for the manufacturer’s constant curvature loudspeaker, TORUS T12, including when it is also used in conjunction with its partner cardioid subwoofer, the SXC118.

In addition, iKON amplifiers can now be added to the Q-SYS ecosystem within

the Q-SYS Designer software. Features can be controlled from the software, Q-SYS compatible UCIs and GPIO logic ports integrated into Q-SYS cores and peripherals. These control features include gain and muting, sleep and standby and alarm notifications, as well as amplifier snapshot recall. www.martin-audio.com

www.tasker.it

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UA completes latest LUNA landing mission

LUNA v1.2

WITH A v1.2 software update, Universal Audio has added 20 features to the LUNA Recording System with control surface support and sidechain integration. The free download is available to Thunderbolt Apollo interface owners operating a Mac running 10.14 (or higher). Control surface support provides fader movements and adjustments of mixer parameters using any compatible desktop MCU control surface or DAW controller app on a phone or tablet.

Additional features include Bus Spill, which quickly lays out the individual tracks feeding a bus together with Focus Module mode for integrating single fader surfaces into larger surface configurations. The update brings additional analoguestyle workflows to LUNA. The dedicated Sidechain Input in LUNA’s utility row can apply compatible plugins and extensions, including third-party audio units and APILUNA extensions.

With the Volt USB recording interfaces, Universal Audio is introducing classic studio sound quality for Mac, PC, iPad and iPhone users with Vintage Mic Preamp

mode, 76 Compressor and a suite of audio software. Inspired by the mic/line preamp in UA’s 610 tube console, all Volt interfaces feature a Vintage Mic Preamp mode, while Volt’s tube emulation circuitry adds rich, full sound on vocals and instruments. Volt 76 models feature an analogue circuit based on UA’s iconic 1176 compressor with easy-touse presets for adding clarity to voice, guitar and other sources. Following registration via the UA Connect companion app, the audio

Collaborate in the cloud POWERSOFT HAS released version 2.2 of ArmoníaPlus. The update frees up systems integrators, designers and installers from the constraints of local storage, making it possible to access and collaborate on projects remotely from anywhere in the world. Primarily designed for systems engineers, but available in both ArmoníaPlus skins (Install and Live Sound), the new feature allows users to save projects in a Microsoft-based cloud, in addition to on a local drive. Project owners are then able to access and work on files remotely from any internet-connected PC, as well as invite their colleagues to collaborate on the project via a simple email link.

When used to share projects, ArmoníaPlus 2.2 is said to offer an intuitive, user-friendly platform tailor-made for collaboration. After joining the project and being assigned a specific role (either an editor or full project owner), all collaborators can see the full version history of a cloud project, listed in chronological order. This means installers will always have access to the latest version of the project, even when last-minute changes are needed, while system designers can provide remote support in-application.

Also introduced with version 2.2 of ArmoníaPlus is the ability to monitor the status of Powersoft amplifiers via SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol).

Suitable for fixed installations with a central monitoring platform, SNMP provides systems integrators with information on network devices such as printers, switches and amplifiers. ArmoníaPlus’ implementation of SNMP relays essential data on the status of amplifiers and their operating conditions, including device faults and availability.

Other features of the v2.2 upgrade include four zones on four-channel Mezzo so that users of Dynamic Music Distribution (DMD) systems are now able to drive up to four independent zones with a single 324A/AD or 604A/AD amplifier. Mono-mix Dante sharing means that distribution of stereo sources as mono mixes in Dante is now available in all Mezzo amplifiers. SIs using DMD can now have more global music sources available for selection in the system, reducing the number of channels and flows used. WM Touch network recovery allows users to configure the IP address of a WM Touch, Powersoft’s wall-mounted touchscreen control solution, from ArmoníaPlus, even if the device is set in a different subnet. ArmoníaPlus will also warn users when their system design could exceed the maximum number of Dante flows available. Similarly, the software will display a warning when ArmoníaPlus users design a system that potentially generates Dante fanout conditions. www.powersoft.com

production software for instruments and plugin bundles from leading brands including Ableton, Melodyne, Marshall and Ampeg can be downloaded.

Housed in a metal chassis, other features include Direct Monitoring for latency-free recording and USB 2.0 audio interfaces with 24-bit/192kHz audio conversion for Mac, PC, iPad and iPhone connectivity. www.uaudio.com

Total Recall for Neve WITH THE increasing transition to a hybrid approach to workflow, the ability to switch seamlessly between mixing sessions increases in importance. In recognition that the integration of analogue hardware into a studio can be a time-consuming process, Neve has launched an updated version of its Recall software to provide an interactive platform to deliver a total recall of all hardware settings. In addition, the free-ofcharge downloadable update enhances the capabilities of Neve-88 series hardware units.

The Recall software runs on a Mac or PC, with hardware units connected to the computer via USB or through a powered USB hub. Capable of controlling up to 16 Neve analogue outboard units from a connected

locates them and provides an interactive software platform for controlling, saving and recalling all hardware settings.

Neve units that can be controlled via Recall software include the 8801 channel strip, the 8803 dual EQ, the 8804 fader pack, the 8816 summing mixer and the 2254/R limiter/compressor. In addition to offering unlimited recall of all switch settings, rotary pot and fader positions, the upgraded software also provides a stereo matching function for the 8803 dual EQ, an on-screen drag-and-drop audio processing matrix for the 8801 channel strip, and a number of direct output routing options for the 8804 fader pack and 8816 summing mixer. computer, the settings of any Neve stored analogue outboard units can be quickly

recalled within the software programme.

Once connected, the software automatically

www.neve.com

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www.riedel.net

PRODUCTS

Ashly makes a bigger splash with AquaControl INITIALLY LAUNCHED with the integrated mXa-1502 mixer amp, Ashly Audio is releasing its AquaControl software to all PC users as AquaControl Portal. With AquaControl Portal, settings can be created offline and replicated on the software to multiple hardware units. The software can be accessed via an internal web server within a specific product such as the mXa-1502.

For integrators familiar with the Ashly Audio workflow, the PC version of the software promotes the setting up of configurations on a PC before being sent to installers for loading onto multiple units. The software shares all of the functionality of the on-unit AquaControl software, including auto-mixing, advanced priority ducking, ambient noise

WITH WAVES V13, Waves Audio has released the latest version of Waves plugins. In addition to being fully supported in the Microsoft Windows 11 operating system, Waves V13 plugins are now fully supported in Apple M1 computers running M1-compatible DAWs.

control, input and output (speaker voice) template import and exporting, a remote control page with the new Virtual WR-5 wall remote, a comprehensive event scheduler

CEDAR grows a fifth Trinity WITH THE production of Trinity 5, CEDAR Audio has updated its audio surveillance system by including several new features, including the unique blind source separation option, Isolate. By separating one or more wanted speakers in a soundfield, Isolate significantly enhances intelligibility by rejecting unwanted noise and other speakers that would otherwise contaminate the recording.

Depending upon the variant installed, CEDAR Trinity 5 can be used as a selfcontained system or as part of a distributed

Waves V13 Plugins compatible with Apple M1

system providing access to numerous livestreams and recordings. Each has its own combination of benefits, making it

and a collection of dynamics, EQs, filters and delays. www.ashly.com

possible to specify and install the system that best matches their requirements.

Trinity 5 incorporates CEDAR’s unique AI-based speech detection. This system locates and marks voices in the audio, bypassing the need to look for speech in extended recordings. Varispeed changes the pitch and timbre of the voices, allowing operators to change the playback speed of recordings in the range 20–150% of real time without harming intelligibility.

Furthermore, Waves V13 updates include HiDPI graphics for select plugins, plus additional improvements. The latest updates join the new features recently released in Waves V12 and V12.7 plugins, including resizable plugin GUIs, the Waves Preset Browser with instant text search and the Waves User Preset System. In addition to futureproofing sessions, the software developer maintains that updating plugins to V13 ensures full compatibility with the latest operating system and DAW versions.

www.cedaraudio.com

www.waves.com

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Symetrix expands control IN ADDITION to extending its Bluetooth endpoint series with the xIO Bluetooth RCA-3.5, Symetrix has enhanced its Composer software with the 8.1 release.

With the availability of v8.1, new control capabilities have been added with scripting API for HTTP Client operation to the DSP and system control software. This development allows Symetrix devices to control and monitor other third-party devices that use an HTTP control protocol such as video switchers, video

streamers and power sequencers from presets or a control screen. Furthermore, the control screen design capabilities now support larger controls and more flexible fader, meter and knob scale customisations.

Promoting complete configuration, including Dante routing, from within Symetrix Composer software, the xIO Bluetooth RCA-3.5 is the latest fully integrated member of the xIO family of Dante endpoints. Gold-plated and 3.5mm RCA connectors provide stereo analogue audio

I/O for connecting devices. The analogue I/O can be configured to use RCA, 3.5mm or various mono-sum combinations, while Bluetooth can be configured to allow mediaonly or phone bridge connectivity. Available in black or white, the dual-gang endpoint promotes IP control and PoE power for single cable connection to a PoE-enabled network switch. xIO Bluetooth RCA-3.5

www.symetrix.co

Echoes of a role model from Nugen WITH THE development of the Paragon ST plugin, Nugen Audio has developed a mono/ stereo-only version of its convolution reverb software. Ideal for music production and film applications, Paragon ST allows producers to sculpt and fine-tune their reverb to the needs of the track at a lower price point. The manufacturer has also unveiled music-focused features included in Paragon ST and a surround version of Paragon. Included among these updates are controls for stereo width, modulation and mic distance, together with a pre-delay tempo lock.

Like its predecessor, the Paragon ST convolution reverb offers the realism of authentic Impulse Responses (IR) alongside the classic algorithmic reverb. Featuring spectral analysis and precise IR EQ together with zero time-

stretching, Paragon and Paragon ST are suitable for recreating authentic sounds of real spaces and manipulating IRs while still maintaining true convolution characteristics.

Based on Nugen’s Stereoizer plugin, the new stereo width controls provide instant stereo enhancement with the assurance of mono compatibility and no unwanted artefacts. Like the traditional Stereoizer software, the Paragon stereo widening feature promotes a wider, coherent sound with spatial balance in both stereo and mono. The new mic distance control adjusts the level of the early reverb reflections, giving the impression that the affected sound is either closer to or further away from the listener. www.nugenaudio.com

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PRODUCTS

Barco strengthens its LED videowall portfolio AIMING TO enhance more dynamic, immersive and collaborative engagement within corporate spaces, TV studios and control rooms, Barco has introduced the IEX series of narrow pixel pitch indoor LED walls. Serving as the latest expansion to Barco’s LED display portfolio, the IEX series includes four narrow pixel pitch options (1.2mm, 1.5mm, 1.8mm and 2.5mm), each showcasing content at a 600-nit brightness level suitable for indoor environments. The installation process is simplified with a screw-free setup and reliable performance is said to be further supported by cable-free intercabinet connectivity with optional power and data redundancy.

With front and rear access, full maintenance of the IEX series is enhanced.

Video wall Manager software for easy installation, configuration and control. The cloud-based Video wall Management Suite is a monitoring and diagnostics solution that promotes remote management of the complete installed base from a central location.

In other news, a collaboration between Barco and Audinate has resulted in the creation of Barco’s first Dante-enabled presentation switcher. The PDS-4K switchers offer 4K processing and switching for smaller events in addition to boardrooms, auditoriums and other corporate environments. The switchers were initially designed to provide video switching capabilities, including eight 4K inputs and two 4K seamless mixing programme outputs. With the availability of the new Danteenabled audio option card,

IEX series a breakout room. In addition, the audio option card functionality manages audio and video sync automatically by default. If required, however, the delay of the audio output can be manually changed

to match the latency of the display and keep both the audio and video synchronised. www.barco.com

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MVL-721 Destined for control rooms, a re-engineered version of the LED RPC (rear projection cube) videowall has been devised in the form of the next-generation MVL-721. An improved energy efficiency has been recorded with a 55% increase in videowall light output attained from the same power consumption. The MVL-721’s improved light source lifetime stands at more than 100,000 hours in both normal and eco-mode. 24/7 operation is extended with redundant inputs, including LED light sources and an external power supply. The MVL-721 uses the

PDS-4K users can now manage both digital audio and high-quality video from source to output through the same device.

The PDS-4K reportedly reduces the complexity of the setup, replacing the multiple analogue or multicore cables and eliminating the need for extra audio switching equipment. The PDS option card has access to all outputs on the multi-audio channels and each output allows for its own independent audio-over-IP switching, allowing operators to broadcast different audio variations for the online streams or push translated audio to

Re-defining durability in professional audio products, the IS-Series Weatherized delivers pristine audio in every extreme environmental condition. With full corrosion resistance and an IP55 rating, a long lifespan is ensured.

LEARN MORE AT: WWW.ADAMSONSYSTEMS.COM

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At home in the conferencing room Marshall adds to PTZ lineup CAPABLE OF delivering 1080p quality at 60fps with full pan, tilt and extended zoom functions, the Unite 200 Pro from ClearOne is optimally suited for use in large conference room spaces where close-up, high-resolution video capture is desired. Permanently installed using a wall-, ceiling- or display-mount, the 20x optical and 16x digital zooms on the new remote controllable model promote its use for remote group collaboration or webinar recording. With the ability to capture 1080p video of all participants or to focus on a single speaker, the latest PTZ model supports multiple protocols and integration with third-party components. Featuring USB, HDMI and IP connection options, the camera is ideally suited for use with streaming applications through RTSP, RTMP and Multicast.

Designed to work with the BMA 360 beamforming microphone array ceiling tile and up to two PTZ cameras, ClearOne has made two new camera control modules available as software downloads for Extron control systems. One of the two new modules is designed for use with the Extron IP Link Pro control processor series and the Media Link Plus controller series together with the HC 400 and the TLS Pro series, while the other module is solely designed for use with the IP Link Pro series. Integrating a

GUI that associates PTZ presets in the camera with BMA 360 beam reports, the new modules simplify configuration of the BMA 360’s camera control features. When a given beam is activated by speech in the BMA 360, the control modules recall the associated PTZ preset in the camera.

A “No Active Beam” detection feature returns the camera to a home position after a period of voice inactivity.

Created for web-based conferencing applications including ClearOne’s Collaborate Space, WebEx, Google Meet, Zoom, GoToMeeting and Microsoft Teams, the Unite 50 4K AF has been granted Zoom-Certified camera certification. Auto-Framing technology automatically frames meeting room participants to a maximum size through intelligent image algorithms and ePTZ automation. Featuring 4K video quality at 30Hz, auto-focus capability, 4x digital zoom, eight megapixels of total resolution and a wide 110° field of view, the Unite 50 4K AF ePTZ camera can also be applied in a home office. The camera can be controlled through an IR remote that further simplifies use and enables real-time control of the PTZ parameters during multi-person meetings.

A standard damping mount and a USB 3.0 cable come as standard. www.clearone.com

Unite 200 Pro

Green Hippo releases Hippotizer V4+ MK2 hardware

HIPPOTIZER V4+ MK2 has been designed to deliver video and audio content productions in fixed installation applications. Offering up to 100% more processing power than the previous version, the V4+ MK2 offers 3D mapping and visualisation capabilities for projection on different surfaces. With the ability to drive up to 32 clips at 4K resolution, the hardware-based platform

provides generative playback, smooth visualisation and automated or production team-driven control. Built-in DP1.2 or HDMI 2.0 outputs and HDMI 2.0 live capture allows the V4+ MK2 to integrate with existing and future 4K infrastructure.

THE CV605-BK/WH 5X optical zoom 3G-SDI camera from Marshall Electronics uses a professional grade 2 Megapixel sensor to capture HD video up to 1920x1080p resolution at 60fps. The wide-angle optical zoom lens offers an 85° angle-of-view through to 20° (15mm) with an additional 10x digital zoom range. The camera offers low-latency 3G-SDI (BNC) output as well as an IP interface with multiple protocols supported. An IP interface is said to provide an easy one-cable setup with an Ethernet (Cat) cable handling video, audio, control and PoE (power). The CV605 is said to operate with “exceptional low-light sensitivity” to provide a clear picture in variable and challenging lighting conditions. www.marshall-usa.com

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Panasonic zooms in on enhanced visuals CONSISTING OF five new models, bandwidth more efficiently. This can provide Panasonic has launched its latest integrated additional sources for HD and 4K content PTZ camera lineup. The compact, domeand access to more connected sources shaped AW-UE40, AW-UE50 and in the multiview. The KAIROS live AW-UE80 models offer a direct production platform scales drive system for accurate deployments up and down by panning and zooming together supporting broadcasting on with a quiet operation (NC25 numerous devices and feeds, or lower). The 4K cameras in any source, format, scale, also combine a 74.1° viewing screen and mix. For churches, angle and a 24x optical KAIROS elevates worship zoom to capture the entire services by managing space from the back multiple displays and of the room. Outputs screens that show include 3G-SDI (UE80 and various views of the UE50 only), HDMI and service to captivate IP for integrating into both in-person and a variety of workflow remote congregants infrastructures. In alike. addition to RTMP and Panasonic has also AW-UE80 RTMPS streaming, the released the AVUE80, UE50 and UE40 also support NDI|HX2 UHS5M6G NDI I/F unit for the AV-UHS500 and SRT to promote safe video streaming.

SDI/HDMI live switcher. This unit enables The flagship UE80 model offers exclusive the UHS500 12G/3G-SDI switcher to features including 4K60p resolution, highsupport low-latency video transmission of bandwidth 100Mpbs NDI for transmitting NDI and NDI|HX. It also provides direct IP high-quality, low-latency video and FreeD connectivity to NDI-enabled computers and protocol support for incorporating realistic video devices. virtual studio sets and elements into remote Succeeding the AK-HRP1000GJ remote productions. operation panel for its AK- series of studio With the development of Agile I/O, the cameras and select PTZs and camcorders, Japanese brand has added a software Panasonic has released the AK-HRP1010GJ feature to its KAIROS IT/IP video processing studio remote operation panel. The panel platform for creating larger and more includes an LCD touch panel and simplified complex productions. Available as a free menu structure, a nine-pin D-sub connector and SDXC SD card slot. upgrade, KAIROS can utilise the 100Gb ST 2110 network and other KAIROS Core www.panasonic.com inputs and outputs by managing the network

KAIROS Core 1000

www.green-hippo.com

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PRODUCTS

Sony adds two midrange 3LCD laser models

ZX300

Optoma aims to be the brightest in the class DESIGNED FOR classrooms, corporate environments and smaller venues, Optoma has announced the availability of the ZX300 and ZW350 XGA and WXGA laser projectors.

Complementing the ZH403, ZW403 and ZW400 models, the entry-level projectors feature a 3,500-lumen output and a 300,000:1 contrast ratio. Providing a greater ROI compared to lamp-based solutions, the projectors reportedly guarantee up to 30,000 hours of virtually maintenance-

free operation in Eco mode courtesy of the DuraCore laser light source. Equipped with respective 1.1x and 1.3x optical zooms, 360° and portrait mode operation and auto keystone, the ZX300 and ZW350 models include HDMI and VGA inputs in addition to RS-232 connectivity and an RJ45 port for Crestron, Extron, PJ-Link or Telnet LAN control. www.optoma.com

Teams Hardware Out comes to AJA I/Os

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SUPPORT FOR Microsoft Team’s Hardware Out feature has been announced for a range of AJA audio and video I/O solutions. Using the new feature with an AJA KONA 5, Io 4K Plus or T-TAP Pro now allows users to output SDI and HDMI high-quality audio and video streams of on-the-ground reporters, interviewees or events in remote locations, and then seamlessly use that footage in live productions at broadcast quality.

Microsoft Teams Hardware Out support for compatible AJA hardware is accessible within the Teams interface once enabled by an administrator. Users click on the permissions tab, turn on broadcast capabilities, then select “Hardware Out” for the connected AJA device to receive the video signal. A host of timing, resolutions and frame rates are available to choose from and, once the settings are established, the user can then feed the signal out through the AJA device via SDI and HDMI to ensure a broadcast-quality signal that can be fed to routers, recorders or other production equipment.

AJA has also launched its Diskover Media Edition following the manufacturer taking a proactive equity stake in data analytics software developer, Diskover Data. The software allows users to index hundreds of petabytes of data to easily locate files,

analyse them and pinpoint misallocated resources. It is said to save companies time and expenditure by helping them to identify wasted storage space, ageing and unused files and data changes.

Bridge NDI 3G is a high-performance 1U appliance that reportedly enables reliable, high-density and high-quality conversion to/ from SDI and NewTek’s NDI video-over-IP protocol. The device supports multichannel 4K and HD workflows and is designed to help broadcast, production and pro AV professionals move seamlessly between various platforms, protocols and connectivity types. It comes with dual 10GigE onboard NICs for NDI I/O, as well as high-density SDI connections for up to 16 channels of 3G-SDI I/O – offering up to four channels of 4K or 16 channels of HD, or a mixture of HD and 4K NDI encodes/decodes in a compact form factor. Using a standard web browser, technicians can access the user interface remotely to view and manage content, including local monitoring preferences.

Operators are also able to browse, favourite, label and filter a large volume of NDI sources on the network, as well as label any SDI inputs or outputs, and see all I/O activity at any given time.

DEVELOPED FOR a wide range of corporate, education, museum and entertainment simulation applications, Sony Professional has unveiled two WUXGA 3LCD laser projectors, with the VPL-FHZ80 being the smallest and lightest in the class1 midrange.

The addition of customised Bright View functionality enables colours to accurately maintain their contrast and vivacity in brightly lit rooms. An Ambiance feature automatically measures the room’s brightness using an ambient light sensor, and further calibrates the Bright View,

Satisfying demanding lighting conditions, the VPL-FHZ85 and VPL-FHZ80 output 7,300 lumens and 6,000 lumens respectively. Both new models support 4K60p input for compatibility with 4K video sources. This is further amplified by the incorporation of Reality Creation’s real-time signal processing, mapping and analysis technology that enhances the overall sharpness, resolution and quality of imagery, regardless of whether it’s pictures, graphs or text. The projectors’ Reality Text feature improves text-based presentation materials by providing clearer letters and lines with enhanced legibility.

The smart projectors feature advanced Intelligent Settings, which offer optimisation based on usage environment.

colour gain and Reality Creation settings accordingly. Additionally, the new models offer an automated filter cleaning system and an efficient cooling system to ensure long-term, reliable and low-maintenance operation.

The compact projectors offer a blend-in design that can accommodate a range of lenses and enable a widest-in-class vertical lens shift at 70%. Installation flexibility is enhanced with a USB power supply for enabling wireless presentations, auto power on capabilities, auto input selection and a data cloning feature that allows a user to copy a projector’s settings onto a USB drive for easy replication to additional projectors. pro.sony

Professional livestreaming simplified by Roland INTENDED FOR a wide variety of video applications including smaller houses of worship, Roland has created the V-02HD MKII streaming video mixer for bringing higher production values to computerbased livestreaming. The compact V-02HD MK II can connect and switch two HDMI cameras for outputting directly to a streaming platform over USB-C. In addition, audio sources with video effects and transitions applied can be mixed via dedicated inputs and HDMI. The V-02HD MK II eliminates USB conflicts with multiple webcams and HDMI-to-USB encoder adaptors. Hosting an intuitive control layout and T-bar fader, the plug-and-play video mixer

provides ease of operation for instant streaming with platforms including YouTube or advanced workflows such as OBS Studio, Streamlabs and Restream.

In terms of audio features, a 10-channel digital mixer is included together with two inputs with 3.5mm jacks that can each support a microphone including lavalier models that require plugin power. Advanced features allow the connection of an HDMI monitor for display, audio and video effects and footswitch assignments. With one of Roland’s free remote-control apps, the V-02HD MK II can be operated via a GUI on an iPad or computer. proav.roland.com

www.aja.com

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Three into One:Quick works for LG

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WITH THE creation of the LG One:Quick, LG Electronics (LG) aims to change and expand how individuals, co-workers and teams communicate in remote working scenarios.

The display solution consists of One:Quick Works (55CT5WJ), One:Quick Flex (43HT3WJ) and the One:Quick Share (SC00DA) dedicated wireless screen sharing dongle device.

Both the One:Quick Works 55-inch 4K UHD display and the One:Quick Flex 43-inch 4K UHD touchscreen are based on the Windows platform and are compatible with a library of videoconferencing applications and collaboration tools. Once paired with

One:Quick Share, laptops can be connected wirelessly to compatible LG digital signage products. Featuring a built-in Windows PC, a 4K UHD camera, microphone, speaker and digital whiteboard, One:Quick Works delivers seamless interactive office meetings.

With a video camera that captures a wide 88° view, the One:Quick Flex display rotates to work in both landscape and portrait modes and features a split view mode for easier multitasking. A microphone and camera, intuitive interface, full touch pen support and whiteboard functionality complete the package. One:Quick Flex can

be mounted to a movable stand for added portability.

Designed for sharing laptop screens with compatible LG digital signage models, One:Quick Share is connected by pressing a USB dongle button. Up to four sources can

DEVELOPED FOR business presentations and digital signage, Sharp NEC Display Solutions has added two new displays to the large-format C Series. Featuring UHD resolution, slim bezels and a modern appearance for seamless integration into interior designs, the 75-inch NEC MultiSync C750Q and 86-inch NEC MultiSync C860Q models deliver pixel-free viewing for large-scale and embedded office functionalities.

Future-ready operation is available with thanks to the NEC Open Modular Intelligence (OMi) platform which enables an upgrade of power at any time by seamlessly integrating NEC’s range of OPS slot-in PCs or signal interfaces.

Other features include professional haze levels for enhanced visibility without distracting reflections, a brightness of 350cd/m2 for viewing in all environments together with embedded office functionalities such as wake-up on connection. Futureproof signal connectivity and processing features have also been integrated into the two models, such as native UHD resolution inputs with a 60Hz refresh rate, DisplayPort and HDMI, plus automatic upscaling to UHD for other signals. The Cost Saving Device Management enables connection of every device from a centralised location via the NaViSet Administrator 2 software tool.

Crestron strengthens its Flex

Sharp/NEC extends C Series

www.sharp-nec-displays.com

Taking IP to the max WITH THE rising demand for live content and an increasing infrastructure need for portable, network protected, remotely configurable and cost-effective IP media gateways, Media Links has unveiled its MDP3020 MAX platform. The

MDP3020 MAX encodes/decodes video, audio and data content for carriage over wide area IP networks. It is designed primarily for use in live remote production environments where economical, highest contribution quality IP media conversion and transport robustness is essential.

The MDP3020 MAX can be configured to support four 1080p video channels using JPEGXS compression, which achieves bandwidth reduction ratios of up to 10:1, visually

lossless quality and sub-millisecond latency.

In addition, the MDP3020 MAX supports JPEG2000 compression. It is ideal for the edge of an IP WAN network where bandwidth is typically constrained, where minimal latency is

necessary for live interactive broadcasts and where the transport of uncompressed highquality video isn’t feasible.

The MDP3020 MAX is described as compact and portable, housed in a ½U footprint. Dual 1GbE or 10GbE trunk interfaces supporting ST 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching as well as frame synchronisation come standard, as do dual “hitless” 1G/10G data ports. www.medialinks.com

DESIGNED TO facilitate productive meetings both in the office or at home, the Crestron Flex platform has received a major enhancement with intelligent video support from partners Jabra and Huddly.

As businesses shift to a hybrid-first environment, one of the main challenges has been ensuring every person in the meeting has an equal seat at the table. The Crestron Flex platform draws software innovations from meeting service providers such as Microsoft Teams and Zoom Rooms together with intelligent audio and video features resulting in purpose-built devices for every space and application. With the support of Crestron XiO Cloud remote management software, Crestron Flex allows enterprises to deliver meeting experiences from the largest board room to rotating hot desks and huddle spaces.

be simultaneously connected to LG products.

In addition, adjustments including volume, picture mode and screen brightness can be performed without a remote control. www.lg.com

The addition of intelligent video integration to the Crestron Flex platform offers several features that enhance the videoconferencing experience. Intelligent cameras recognise each participant in the room and provide a single image of each participant as well as a full room view. Integrated real-time video stitching gives a full 180º view of the room, fully optimising small spaces for better videoconferencing, ensuring each person can be seen clearly. As a key collaboration tool, remote participants previously could not view whiteboard content in the room. Whiteboard Sharing enables participants to view and share content from up to three whiteboards digitally, extending the functionality and usability of whiteboard collaboration to outside the room.

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Peerless-AV heads to the drive-thru DESIGNED TO support 55-inch outdoor commercial display brands, Peerless-AV has upgraded its Outdoor Digital Menu Boards with the KOF555-1/2/3. Supporting up to three displays to enhance outdoor drivethru efficiency, the all-weather-rated, outdoor units are UL 48 certified and provide a low operating cost, modular design and a simplified twoman installation process.

Compatible 55-inch outdoor digital signage display models include the Peerless-AV XHB553, Samsung OH55F/ OH55A and LG 55XE4F-M outdoor displays. In addition, customers can customise their digital drive-thru solution with a variety of options,

including a speaker/microphone kit, media storage fan and an internal media player shelf. www.peerless-av.com

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Multiple viewing FOR-A HAS unveiled the MV-3240, a 32-channel, multiformat multiviewer that supports customised layouts with up to 25 windows for one 4K output. It comes with up to 16 inputs for 6G-SDI and up to 32 inputs for 3G/HD/SD-SDI, as well as HDto-4K up-resizing. The multiviewer includes five outputs for 3G/HD-SDI or one output for 12G-SDI, as well as one HDMI output that duplicates the SDI output. Cascading connections between multiple units allow users to expand the number of inputs with low latency. Customised layouts for up to 40 windows for four 2K outputs, as well as optional support for up to 16 inputs for 12G-SDI, are under development.

Built on the same 1U chassis as FOR-A’s MV-1640IP multiviewer, which was designed for IP or hybrid workflows, the MV-3240 also shares many of the standard features found in other MV Series units. For example, displays

can include tally, title and time code, as well as time, timers and information display. The MV-3240’s built-in layout manager is said to make it easy to create custom layouts, which can be saved and then recalled directly from the unit’s front control panel.

Up to four logos can be stored for display in title areas. Audio level display and audio monitoring output are also supported.

Flashing borders or error icons help identify screens with errors. An integrated M-JPEG streaming video output serves as a simple way to monitor signals outside of the control room, with users accessing the signal from any web-enabled device. www.for-a.com

Energy savings THE LEDFUSION Pro screen management solution from Calibre comprises all-in-one screens available in 130-inch and 163-inch sizes and are either sold as a standalone unit (A130C-15 and A163C-09) or a multisystem solution for advanced screen management (W236CF-15 and W260CF-15).

LEDFusion Pro has been designed to bring advanced operational features, energy

A130C-15 screens can be deployed which uses splicing. Installation benefits include simplified cable management and ruggedised four-in-one LED modules. Viewing angles are optimised and maintenance and service are described as quick and easy thanks to front panel access.

For large-scale 4K applications, Calibre offers the One Canvas Solution, a multi-

Orban releases XPN-Enterprise for Centralised Processing ORBAN HAS released the OPTIMOD XPN Enterprise ecosystem. The 1U customisable, Linux-based processing platform can be used for multiple broadcast stations or streaming services, with centralised control.

Orban’s OptiCloud processing provides up to eight FM and eight HD/DAB+/streaming processing channels and supports AES67/ SMPTE-2110 protocols using an enterpriseclass SoftGear server and appropriate OPTIMOD XPN-Enterprise Nodes. The XPNEnterprise AES3 Input/Output Node comes with additional nodes to extend the available outputs and functionalities, including DMPX, Kantar and Nielsen watermarking together with the soon-to-launch Orban uMPX. Utilising AES3, AES67, SMPTE-2110-30, Dante or Livewire+, content to be OptiCloud processed is brought to one location where it creates the necessary outputs (FM Composite, DMPX, uMPX and DAB+HD) using the appropriate Orban XPN-Enterprise Nodes for distribution to each transmitter site.

Processed channels destined for streaming are also handled by the XPN-Enterprise server, which sends those outputs to the appropriate streaming devices.

Each signal coming into the OPTIMOD XPN-Enterprise server can be individually processed, with Orban’s OptiCloud providing precision tailoring of each station’s broadcast or stream to meet the requirements of the audience and delivery method. OptiCloud factory presets provide a quick start for each format, while Orban’s “Less-More” controls simplify dialling in the desired sound by combining multiple OptiCloud processing parameters with a handful of controls. Further simplifying the processing path, a full line of “Last Mile” solutions including XPN-Enterprise input and output nodes and low bandwidth solutions have been made available for virtually any requirement.

NDI HAS announced its upgraded support of Adobe Creative Cloud following the launch of NDI 5 last year. The expansion includes integrated extension panels for Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects. The new NDI output is said to streamline production by removing the need for producers and creatives to export designs for teams and clients to review them. The NDI Plug-In for Adobe Creative Cloud is said to open up new remote editing and collaboration capabilities and break down physical boundaries of editing.

The key benefits for users of NDI 5 for Adobe Creative Cloud include remote working – multiple editors can create different output from the same live sources, at the same time, anywhere in the world; creative collaboration – NDI reportedly widens access to creative talent;

integration – NDI, acting as the common standard, helps bridge between disparate tool sets and make the workflow cohesive; and enhanced talent acquisition and retention – NDI adds flexibility, allowing talent to focus on creativity rather than the process.

NDI has also announced that it is fully compatible with Microsoft Teams, allowing users to harness the full capabilities of NDI 5 for broadcasting, webinars and other video applications. Microsoft Teams and NDI 5 work together to provide better privacy and security for users. The enhanced NDI Tools available with NDI 5 are said to unlock live video production and remote capabilities for Microsoft Teams.

www.orban.com

Breaking down barriers

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saving and installation benefits. Calibre believes that users will benefit from the energy-saving design of the LEDFusion Pro thanks to a dynamic power supply reportedly ensuring that operation can be at 1,600W at maximum brightness (100–240V @ 16A switching power supply) for the A130C-15 model.

For widescreen displays, a wall-mounted dual system using two LEDFusion Pro

screen management solution using the LEDFusion Pro integrated with the HQPro1000 scaler/switcher with premium 4K50/60Hz 4:4:4 RGB processing and 4K EDID management. One HQPro1000 unit can manage up to four FHD LEDFusion Pro screens with flexible screen layout at any one time. www.calibreuk.com

www.vizrt.com

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PRODUCTS

Haivision simplifies streaming Analog Way updates Midra 4K presentation switchers DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY for houses of worship, Haivision has announced the launch of its Haivision Connect livestreaming solution. It’s described as an easy-to-use live and simulated livestreaming platform that helps

organisations reach viewers online simultaneously with embeddable web players, mobile and OTT apps, and through social media platforms, including YouTube and Facebook. With Connect, users can schedule livestreams, manage devices and monitor events, all from a single browser window. Connect’s user-friendly

interface enables anyone, even nontechnical volunteers, to quickly set up a high-quality reliable livestream.

Created with ministry workflows in mind, Connect is said to simplify the complexities of video streaming by giving ministries the ability to engage audiences on the platforms they love and maximise the reach of content by leveraging previously recorded or uploaded media for scheduled simlive events. Users have access to meaningful insights into what content is resonating with audiences with advanced analytics that track audience views and engagement time. In addition, users can also schedule events, set up metadata, manage devices and monitor streams from a single cloud UI.

FOLLOWING THE release of a major software update for the Midra 4K range of presentation switchers, Analog Way has announced more than 20 new features, including IP streaming, support for the RC400T event controller and live background content on Pulse 4K. Tailored towards small- to medium-sized fixed installations and live events, the Midra 4K series consists of the QuickVu 4K, QuickMatrix 4K, Pulse 4K and Eikos 4K models. With the 2.0 software release, the Midra 4K series now offers an IP streaming functionality for allowing any input or output to be broadcast over IP. The streaming feature can be used to feed an online web service such as YouTube, Facebook and

Twitch.tv, distribute the content over a private network, display the content or edit with software such as OBS Studio.

The Midra 4K switchers can now also be operated by the RC400T event controller, giving instant access to functionalities such as screens, layers, sources and memories.

Additionally, live sources can be used in the background set for the Pulse 4K multi-layer video mixer and seamless presentation switcher. Other improvements include the integration of high frame rates up to 144Hz, a new HDCP policy management and support of the HTTPS protocol.

www.haivision.com

EclP

A grand update

Express doubling from 12 to 24 layers and MediaMaster Pro providing 48 layers.

Simplifying and speeding up the programming of visual transitions, Single Layer Transitions allow crossfading between two visuals on a single layer.

On each layer the software also adds a second Effects Generator and a Mask Engine for a mask to be loaded directly.

In addition to a broad group of codecs, the software can now run the ArKaos SAGA codec, for maximising the number of visual playbacks with 10-bit definition per colour and an Alpha Channel. SAGA includes lower disc usage than with a standard HAP codec, plays clips backwards and accelerates CPU and GPU rendering.

Compatibility with any HDR 10/HLG screen has been added, with the specific HDR modes used by most major LED screens. www.arkaos.com

MA LIGHTING has added several workflow improvements and new implementations to its grandMA3 software. Version 1.6 focuses on the areas of presets and data handling, including programming with selective, global and universal presets; auto preset mode which takes care of standard

new version also includes visibility and overview improvements, especially for grandMA3 onPC users. Following the update, the new command wing bar is said to fit perfectly at the bottom of screens used together with a grandMA3 onPC command wing or grandMA3 onPC command wing XT.

preset operations without thinking about data; fixture exchange which transfers the preset data; and universal presets which can be created before patching fixtures.

Additional information for showfiles has been added to the Backup menu and the Stomp command has been revised based on user feedback. The

Other improvements include markers for moving and rotating objects in 3D, even with connection to PSN data; a CleanUp command for deleting objects which are not used in the showfile; new RDM parameters and notifications; and support of RDM proxy devices, especially useful for installations. www.malighting.com

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www.analogway.com

MediaMaster climbs to Level Six

WITH THE release of MediaMaster 6, ArKaos has updated its MediaMaster real-time video control software platform.

In addition to a streamlined user interface, the update provides new features including a Remote Player, which is a cue-based programming tool for long-term projects and permanent installations. The networkbased media player allows the control of multiple servers from a single point on the network and a central programming hub can control cue lists for allocation to one or more separate MediaMaster entities on the network. The cue lists can be triggered manually or run via external triggers.

MediaMaster 6 brings compatibility with Elgato Stream Deck and adds two DMX fixture profiles in Layer Extended 2.0 and Layer Full 2 that can control up to 112 DMX parameters per layer. The number of available layers has been increased with the update, with MediaMaster

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PRODUCTS

KL Panel goes large ELATION’S COLOUR temperature-adjustable KL Panel has been on the market since 2020 and now a new XL version of the luminaire is available that extends the size of the original while emitting nearly twice the power and offering multi-zone control for dynamic effects.

The KL Panel XL uses a 544W RGBW+ Lime + Cyan LED array to produce soft white or fullcolour washes up to 44,000 field lumens at a 100° half-peak angle. Colour reproduction is described as extremely accurate both to the eye and to the camera with a CRI of 95, while colour temperature is adjustable from 2,000–10,000K for a wide choice of variable colour or white shade projections. Additional colour tuning is possible through a green-shift

adjustment and virtual gel library to match the white balance for the camera.

Other features include smooth 16-bit dimming and selectable dimming curve modes for programming ease, as well as a high-speed electronic shutter and strobe. Measuring 763.8mm x 306mm (LxH), a 4x2-section control option is said to provide additional creative capabilities for colour effects and visual impact. A diffuser is included for even softer projections, as are adjustable and removable eight-leaf barn doors that allow for customised shaping of the beam and less light

spill. It also has a 900Hz–25kHz LED refresh rate adjustment for flicker-free operation.

The luminaire can be mounted on a stand or suspended using any standard clamp or the included Junior pin adapter. A rugged housing with impact-resistant surrounds and base plate reportedly ensure that the fixture can handle rough handling in today’s fast-paced environments. The unit is fully self-contained without the need for an external power supply and offers power passthrough for linking

multiple units. The fixture can be powered remotely through its integrated four-pin XLR 24-36 VDC battery input (battery not included).

Professional control options include DMX/ RDM, Art-Net and sACN. The luminaire can also be controlled manually for standalone use using the included encoders and OLED display, providing instant control of intensity, colour temperature, green shift and other settings.

The display and encoders are positioned on the bottom of the fixture for easy access while the fixture is mounted on a stand. The unit can also be integrated with Elation’s E-FLY wireless DMX system. www.elationlighting.com

Prolights updates its EclPanel TWC

EclPanel TWC

THE ECLPANEL TWC LED soft light from Prolights has released its 2.9 firmware update which includes features such as XY coordinates control in DMX and standalone modes, editable cinemaeffects that enable users to customise effects and improved PWM frequency up to 36kHz. CCT has been expanded to range from 2,200–15,000K in the new Film Mode, reportedly providing a broader

set of white points than before. This new mode includes predefined settings for best results on-camera, and a dimmer off feature with snap or fade out options.

There is also a high-resolution mode at low dimmer value, and a new dimming curve that offers a 16-bit dimming experience while using an 8-bit dimmer. www.prolights.it

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BUSINESS: ANALYSIS

Subscription for success Caroline Moss talks to d&b audiotechnik’s director, new business ventures, Bjørn Rennemo-Henriksen, and APAC president, Anand Narayanan, about the manufacturer’s new Subscription Series, which is well-timed to help venues get back on their feet IT BEGAN WITH A PHONE CALL FROM D&B GROUP CEO Amnon Harman to Rennemo-Henriksen in early 2019 to discuss potential projects. “One of the ideas we discussed was the possibility of subscribing to complete system solutions,” Rennemo-Henriksen recalls. “A client had suggested it would be much less complicated if they could just pay for a system on a monthly basis and have someone look after it for them.

Looking into mega-trends, we identified two things, the first of which was a change in spending behaviour. We now spend more money on experiences than things, and the tipping point was maybe a decade ago. It was more important back then to have the latest iPhone and show it off, but we don’t care as much anymore. Now, we spend four times as much of our disposable income on experiences than on material goods, which is obviously a healthy trend for the experience economy, including live concerts, museums and sports events.”

The second thing identified was a change in buying behaviour.

“We are living in a world where stores are no longer just physical spaces, where one of the biggest transportation companies doesn’t own its vehicles and where companies offering travel accommodation don’t own any hotels,” he continues. “More and more industries are developing subscription solutions, and we are convinced that subscription will be a compelling business model for AVLM [audio, video, lighting, media] going forward.”

Rennemo-Henriksen and the d&b team started to develop a business model to provide venues with an individual system design and all the necessary hardware, plus a maintenance contract for servicing and remote monitoring of the system, all of which would be available for a monthly fee, tailored to each particular case. The team continued to fine-tune the plan, which included the provision of any third-party equipment needed, although existing equipment can also be integrated.

“After the d&b system is installed, we remotely monitor its functionality and our partner in the region will visit the venue twice a year to check up,” explains Rennemo-Henriksen. “If the venue wants to end the agreement once the agreed minimum period is up, our partner will go in and decommission it.”

The only thing not included in the monthly subscription fee is the labour cost for installing the system as this can vary wildly from installation to installation. “Our partner in the region will play the same role they normally do, so they’ll have a conversation with the venue to work out the installation cost. It

d&b’s Subscription Series gave the Forum Birmingham the flexibility to open a new business

d&b’s director, new business ventures, Bjørn Rennemo-Henriksen will also be possible for clients to purchase the system at a fair market value, but this can only be discussed at the end of the agreement.”

The d&b Subscription Series applies across the company’s entire product range and is available for all types of fixed installations. Phase one has already been implemented, mainly in the European countries where d&b has a subsidiary, with eight contracts signed to date. Phase two will test the initiative across the US, where legislation and accounting rules differ from state to state and, in some places, from city to city, while phase three will focus on APAC and the expansion of EMEA. Two of the first clients for the Subscription Series are the Forum Birmingham in the UK, and Spanish venue, Sala Apolo. Forum Birmingham has opened with a d&b V-Series line array system and six SL-SUB subwoofers. “We were looking for a system that would be able to deliver high-quality audio for our diverse future programme, ranging from club nights to live music as well as comedy,” comments Global Venues owner, Billy Chauhan. “The d&b Subscription Series gave us flexibility in opening a business and peace of mind in terms of monitoring and servicing the kit.

We have a world-class installation and world-class venue, and are so proud of the outcome.”

In Barcelona, iconic 75-year-old entertainment venue Sala Apolo has installed a medium- to large-format d&b KSL system with KSL-SUB and SL-SUB subwoofers, plus 15-inch coaxial stage monitors, into its larger room, together with a pre-installation of a Soundscape immersive system with an SD100 signal engine. “The Subscription Series has made it possible for this to happen,” says director, Alberto Guijarro. “Without that solution we would not have been able to do it at this time.”

Venues will benefit from flexibility and scalability if they need to upgrade their systems. “The Subscription Series will make our premium solutions even more accessible to all kinds of installation projects, no matter the size, budget or application,” adds Narayanan. “Furthermore, it alleviates the risk of owning a new technology and guarantees upgrades in future to keep up to speed in an ever-changing technology landscape.”

Although d&b didn’t design the programme for the post-Covid era, the timing will doubtless make it attractive to clients whose capital has all but evaporated. There has been interest from venues facing a period of insecurity regarding the return of live events and audiences, who will be able to access a new, high-end system for at least the next two years. “This wasn’t the intention;

Anand Narayanan, d&b’s president of APAC

Sala Apolo was able to upgrade its main room with a d&b KSL system it was driven by changing buying behaviour,” muses RennemoHenriksen, “but after Covid, many venues are struggling.

Subscription Series is a way for d&b to support venues’ aspirations to deliver outstanding sonic experiences through cutting-edge technology, all via a low-risk commercial model.”

The ease aspect is another attractive feature. “Billy and Alberto both really liked the fact that it’s serviced and that there’s a computer in touch with the electronics, 24/7,” says RennemoHenriksen. “If an amplifier overheats or impedance drops, an alert pops up so the responsible guy at d&b can take care of it.” d&b’s Subscription Series has unwittingly been launched at a time when the entertainment industry is in dire need of different commercial options, not to mention a means of tempting back audiences. The first of its kind in the audio industry, this pioneering programme promises a new way of funding large investment in a well-designed sound system. www.dbaudio.com

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ART 9 SERIES A giant leap

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#ExperienceRCF

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LICENSE II SCALE L-ISA PROCESSOR II Utilizing state-of-the-art object-based mixing technology, L-ISA Processor II provides sound creatives the ability to scale to their project by choosing the license that fits best. Upgrade from the standard 16 outputs license to either 32 for bigger events, 64 for large-scale installations and musicals, or hit the most significant projects at 128 outputs - all at 96 kHz for premium quality sound. As a Milan-certified device, L-ISA Processor II streamlines and secures audio distribution with a redundant AVB and elevates its reliability with a ruggedized 3U chassis and redundant PSU. Unlock the sound possibilities. l-acoustics.com

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