Pro AVL MEA July-August 2018

LIVE SOUND LIGHTING RECORDING INSTALLATION A/V BROADCAST POSTPRODUCTION July–August 2018

CREATING CONSISTENCY Imam University’s multi-phase upgrade

IP RADIO AT KARNAVAL DESIGNING THE COLOR PURPLE

CLOUD-BASED A/V SCALING NEW HEIGHTS

Regional debut for MC2 Delta series Singapore: MICA (P) 033/06/2018

Evolving with you.

CONTENTS

Volume 15 Issue Four July–August 2018

NEWS NEWS Delta Sound by request, Manufacturers unite for Milan

4

SPECIAL REPORT Exploring the equipment that powered Eurovision 2018

16

EDUCATION Sennheiser in Kenya and the UAE, NMK gets Smaart

18

DISTRIBUTION New partners for L-Acoustics, Alcons and Clair Brothers

20

APPOINTMENTS IBS restructures in Dubai, Karl Chapman joins Calrec

22

NEW PRODUCTS The industry’s most comprehensive product news

25

FEATURES BREAKING THE SOUND BARRIER Behind the scenes at the F1 Bahrain GP 62 TECHNOLOGY MEETS DIVERSITY Audio design for The Color Purple in SA

64

STRIKING A NEW CHORD Touring the Cyprus School of Sound’s facilities

66

CREATING AN ATMOSPHERE Visiontech’s large-scale A/V debut in Sharjah

68

MAKING AN IMPACT BMTS installs an all-Bose solution in Fujairah

70

COVER: CREATING CONSISTENCY The multi-phase upgrade at Imam Uni

72

SCALING NEW HEIGHTS Delta series debut at Dubai’s Club Everest

74

LIVE CHANGEOVER Hot-swapping the broadcast desk at Kanal D

76

THE CONVERGENCE OF EVERYTHING Broadcast over IP at Karnaval

78

FAMILY VALUES Celebrating 40 years of Genelec

80

BUSINESS LETTER FROM AMERICA Dan Daley discusses Spotify’s NYSE listing

82

LETTER FROM EUROPE Phil Ward muses over breakthroughs at PL+S

82

SHOW REVIEW Targeting the regional MICE industry at Dubai’s MESE

84

SHOW REVIEW Collaboration comes to the fore at InfoComm Las Vegas

86

TECHNOLOGY Dennis Baxter explores the evolution of intercoms

90

R&D Creating a lighting console to meet the needs of beginners and pros

92

ANALYSIS Is cloud-based A/V the future for the industry?

94

inside 16

68

66

76

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

www.proavl-mea.com

Editor’s note It has been my absolute privilege to edit this magazine for nearly nine years but, unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. This will be my last issue as the editor of Pro AVL MEA. I would like to take the opportunity that this final leader column offers me to say thank you to everyone who has helped me over the years. It would have been impossible for me to do this job without the fantastic team (both past and present) around me here at Blank Canvas Publishing.

Each and every one of them has helped me more than words can say and I owe them all a debt of gratitude.

More importantly, though, I must say a huge thank you to the readers of this magazine and the whole industry across the Middle East and Africa. It is your passion for what you do, the amazing way that you do it and your willingness to share it with others that makes this publication everything that it is. You are the real strength of Pro AVL MEA. The generosity you have afforded me with your time, knowledge and understanding have helped to create a publication that we all can be proud of, and I’m certain you will offer the same level of support to whoever is fortunate enough to take on this role after me.

So for the final time, please, always, enjoy the magazine!

Email: jling@proavl-mea.com

Contacts Richard Lawn: General manager

Sue Gould: Advertising director

Caroline Moss: Contributing editor

rlawn@proavl-mea.com

sgould@proavl-mea.com

cmoss@proavl-mea.com

Simon Luckhurst: Senior reporter

James Cooke: Reporter

sluckhurst@proavl-mea.com

jcooke@proavl-mea.com

Carolyn Valliere: Sales associate T: +1 562 597 1534 cvalliere@proavl-mea.com

Adrian Baker: Production editor abaker@proavl-mea.com

Nick Smith: Digital media manager nsmith@proavl-mea.com

Jo Pugh-Jones: Production controller jpj@proavl-mea.com

Karen Wallace: Editorial coordinator kwallace@proavl-mea.com

Chris Yardley Video editor cyardley@proavl-asia.com

Raymond Boey: Singapore office T: +65 6457 2340 rboey@proavl-mea.com

Sue Su: Guangzhou manager T: +86(20)85633602 ssu@proavl-mea.com

Damian Calderbank: Dubai correspondent T: +971 (0) 52 230 2882 dcalderbank@proavl-mea.com

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

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@ProAVLMEAMagazine July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 3

NEWS performance called for 16 Martin Atomic 3000s, 23 4 Light Molefays, 18 Claypaky B-Eye K20s, 18 of the Italian manufacturer’s Sharpys, 16 Martin Mac Viper Performances and 16 Varilite VL3500 Washes.

For visuals, a 12m x 7m 6mm pixel pitch LED screen was paired with cameras on the stage and DJ riser.

To further enhance the performance, a pair of 30W green lasers were added to the in-house 20W KVant RGB lasers. Completing the setup were eight MagicFX CO2

Delta Sound by request UAE: A Delta Sound crew was one of the specific requests for the recent Fatboy Slim gig at Dubai’s Zero Gravity. Fortunately this was an easy demand to meet as the rental house has a crew permanently stationed at the venue looking after its audio and lighting.

‘Fatboy Slim has worked with Delta before and this was one of his demands this time around,’ said Zero Gravity events manager, Paul McGee. ‘His team was very happy with the preparation and the end result of the show.’

Delta technical manager Jon Pusey and technicians David Laing and Zubair Lodhi maintain and manage Zero Gravity’s installed L-Acoustics X Series, K2 and Arcs Wide loudspeaker systems and were on hand to support the performance.

The system selected for the gig comprised 12 K2 per side with low end support from 16 SB28 all connected to the house PA via an Optocore network. L-Acoustics’ Soundvision prediction software was used to define the coverage area while the upper cabinets in the

hangs were set to 70° to reduce spillage to the nearby hotels.

‘Everything ran smoothly and the Delta guys were excellent in their preparation ensuring little to no surprises come the day of the event,’ said Mr McGee. ‘The show was an amazing success! It was the biggest we have had in the venue for more than two years.

The audio and lighting system and the Delta crew were per fect, we could not have asked for anything else. It was truly a seamless operation.’

While the Delta team managed the sound system, the lighting, video and special effects came from PRG Gearhouse and Matrix Laser. On the lighting side, the

jets, six MagicFX Flamaniacs and a pair of MagicFX Stadium Shot Extremes loaded with streamers. www.deltasound.ae

Leading manufacturers unite to form Milan protocol WORLD: Seven leading A/V manufacturers – AudioScience, Avid, Biamp, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics, Luminex and Meyer Sound – have worked together under the umbrella of the Avnu Alliance to form Milan, a standardsbased network protocol to promote deterministic, interoperable, futureproof media networking in pro A/V applications.

Milan is designed as a userdriven protocol that aims to ‘guarantee that all Milan devices will work together’, offering integrators convenience, reliability and flexibility. It builds on the technical benefits introduced by the IEEE Audio Video Bridging (AVB) open standards, including time synchronisation, ‘guaranteed quality of service’, and riskfree coexistence of control and media data on a single network, while adding further defining

4 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

device requirements at both the network and the application layer for compatible media streams, formats, media-clocking, redundancy and controller software.

high-quality media network,’ said Jeff Rocha, director of product management at L-Acoustics. ‘We also recognise that there has been no application-layer interoperability defined above the network

‘After carefully considering what end users were trying to accomplish, and the challenges and risks associated with using other protocols, AVB was a natural choice for implementing a

foundation. This applicationlevel interoperability is critical to delivering on the promise of AVB: simple, reliable network operation, guaranteed performance and sustainability. Milan leverages the

benefits of AVB to deliver a userdriven solution for networked A/V that guarantees interoperability among pro A/V devices.’

Henning Kaltheuner, head of business development and market intelligence at d&b audiotechnik, noted how his company started exploring this solution 18 months ago. ‘We discovered a compelling benefit to unify our vision with Milan,’ he said. ‘We knew for certain, in an industry dominated by companies that want to market products to customers, that we needed to focus on the customer experience. We aim to change the conversation around network standards to be about providing the best-possible end user experience with a convenient, truly interoperable and deployable solution. We knew the only way for us to influence change in this direction was to join together to

harness our collective power to move the entire industry.’

As a development extension openly managed by the Avnu Alliance’s pro A/V segment members, a new testing and certification programme is currently in development to support Milan for implementation by manufacturers.

‘The Milan initiative is a longterm approach to change the way the pro A/V market does A/V networking,’ said John McMahon, Meyer Sound’s VP of solutions and strategy, and Avnu Alliance’s pro A/V segment chair. ‘We encourage companies seeking a technically superior network, which guarantees interoperability and is not limited by the confines of proprietary products, to join us and participate in building out this ecosystem.’ www.avnu.org/milan

NEWS

KSA debut for QSC columns

AD-S162T speakers cover the lecture theatre at King Abdulaziz University SAUDI ARABIA: King Abdulaziz University has become the first location in Saudi Arabia to be equipped with QSC’s AcousticDesign column-mount loudspeakers. Jeddah-based SI,

Integration Fundamentals, installed the solution which was supplied via the manufacturer’s KSA representative, Vivid AV Media.

The AD-S162T speakers have been installed as part of a

wider project covering one of the university’s lecture theatres.

Aside from the columns, the solution includes a Q-Sys Core 110f processor, AD-S6T full-range surface-mount loudspeakers and two CX Series amplifiers.

‘We were introduced to QSC at the end of last year and were instantly convinced by the Q-Sys platform and its capabilities and best-in-class processing power,’ said Khalid Hamid, executive director of Integration Fundamentals. ‘We don’t make any compromises when it comes to quality and service.’

‘Khalid and his team have done excellent work at the auditorium in

Chris Hellmuth with Khalid Hamid from Integration Fundamentals and the KAU installation team King Abdulaziz University,’ added Vivid AV Media’s Chris Hellmuth.

‘Integration Fundamentals is a new customer for us and we gave them all the necessary support to get this project. We’ve achieved superb sound quality in the auditorium as QSC products have been used all along the signal path starting from the Core processor

via CX Series amplifiers to the loudspeakers.’

‘Q-Sys is a software-based DSP platform built around an open, IT-friendly ecosystem,’ noted Patrick Heyn, director of marketing at QSC Systems. ‘It offers audio, video and control features at the software level, which consolidate several dedicated hardware processors in the system. The King Abdulaziz University was able to take advantage of QSC premium sound quality and integrated software-based processing.’ www.facebook.com/intefund www.qsc.com www.vivid-avmedia.com

A Solid investment Shidco fuels the Imagination in Meyer Sound

SOUTH AFRICA: Solid Rock Projects and Events has invested heavily in Meyer Sound’s Leopard and Lina compact linear line array cabinets. The rental and production company made the purchase through the

has to offer,’ reasoned Keith MacIntyre, owner of Solid Rock Projects and Events. ‘Given our scope of work, and the type of events we work on, we believe that Meyer is the best fit for Solid Rock.’

FBT speakers and Barco projectors in the tunnel IRAN: Shidco Holding was named as the consultant and installer for the audio systems at the Book Garden Cineplex in Tehran. One of the major attractions of this complex is the Imagination Tunnel for which Shidco provided an FBT sound system.

Created to encourage more people to read, the Book Garden Cineplex is the largest cultural centre in the

Mark Malherbe, Keith MacIntyre, Justin Acres and Henning Smith manufacturer’s South African distributor, Prosound.

When seeking a new loudspeaker solution, Solid Rock decided on the Meyer Sound systems due to its previous experience with the brand.

The purchase comprised 18 Lina cabinets and 12 Leopard enclosures, as well as eight 750-LFC low-frequency control elements, six 900-LFC subwoofers and four MJF-208 floor monitors, along with assembly kits and multipurpose grids.

‘Our decision to purchase a wider variety of the Meyer range was an easy one. Having used our M’elodie system for over 12 years, we were able to see firsthand the longevity, ease of use and quality that the brand

‘At Solid Rock we pride ourselves in being able to offer the finest technical solutions for our events,’ said Nicoleen Strydom, general manager at the rental and production company. ‘In order to continue to offer our clients the latest and best in audio technology, we were very keen to add the Leopards and the Linas to our inventory.’

Mark Malherbe, technical director at Prosound, added: ‘Production managers for the more corporate boutique side of the industry will be very happy to hear that they now have access to the latest gear from Meyer Sound, via Solid Rock.’ www.meyersound.com www.prosound.co.za www.solidrock.co.za

6 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

country at 110,000m2. While the library forms an important part of the complex, it has been created to support more than just study with cultural events also taking place at the venue. As such, it can be divided into three distinct areas: the library, the cinema and the Imagination Tunnel.

It is this final area that forms the unique aspect of the project. It is a

100m-long tunnel that is used to show short films on screens either side of two moving walkways. The owner of the complex required high-quality, small format audio and video systems to cover the space.

To meet this challenge, Shidco opted for 14 Verve 108 passive speakers powered by a pair of Powersoft M50Q amplifiers. The video needs were met with 16 Barco projectors.

‘This was the first project of its kind to be implemented in Iran,’ said Shidco CEO, Medi Darab.

‘We are very pleased that Shidco Holding completed this project with a good solution that received the satisfaction of our client.’ www.shidco.com

Audinate and SDVoE announce collaboration WORLD: Audinate and the SDVoE Alliance have announced details of a collaboration to develop an integrated A/V control environment.

In addition, Audinate has joined the SDVoE Alliance, which recently celebrated a membership of 40, as a contributing member.

SDVoE technology provides an end-to-end hardware and software platform for A/V extension, switching, processing and control, while Audinate’s Dante audio networking technology distributes ‘a virtually unlimited’ number of uncompressed audio channels over IP networks and has been adopted by in excess of 400 companies worldwide

and integrated within more than 1,400 products.

‘We have long heard from our customers that they want an integrated, interoperable way to control their video over IP alongside their Dante audio,’ said Lee Ellison, CEO of Audinate.

‘Our partnership with the SDVoE Alliance is the first step toward

making this interoperable IP audio and video experience a reality.’

‘Audinate’s Dante audio over IP solution won the race to be the standard technology for moving audio across an IT network,’ added SDVoE Alliance president, Justin Kennington. ‘The SDVoE Alliance is proud to be the only industry organisation promoting the same, no-compromise performance in the realm of video over IP. The synergies that will be created by melding the SDVoE platform and the ubiquity of Dante are huge. The entire A/V industry will benefit from this partnership.’ www.audinate.com www.sdvoe.org

NEWS SOUNDBITES EVENTS EVOLUTION WINS DOUBLE MEGAFEST BUSINESS AWARDS ZIMBABWE: Events Evolution won a pair of trophies at this year’s Megafest Business Awards. The rental company’s founder, Talent Banda, won the award for The Best Entrepreneur of the Year 2017, while Events Evolution as a whole scooped the Best Organisation of the Year 2017 award.

The Megafest Business Awards were established in 2008 by Dr TP Matsika, CEO of Megafest Holdings, as a means of recognising, developing and promoting professional business acumen in Zimbabwe.

The recipients of the annual awards are decided upon by the Megafest Business Council.

‘It was a great honour to receive the Megafest Business Award for Best Entrepreneur of the Year,’ said Mr Banda. ‘And the award for Best Organisation of the Year is a true testament to the team effort at Events Evolutions. I would like to thank and congratulate each and every one of my colleagues for this achievement.’

Outline draws attention at Pepsi Lituation Experience

NIGERIA: The Pepsi Lituation Experience was recently staged at the Balmoral Convention Center on Victoria Island in Lagos by the soft drinks manufacturer to introduce four of Nigeria’s top DJs as brand ambassadors. JJ Obi, DJ Cuppy, DJ Spinall and DJ Xclusive each performed across the event’s two stages, along with several other artists, while CyTech World Communication supplied the stage, lighting and audio setups.

Both stages were reinforced by Outline audio systems. The main stage hosted the performances while the secondary stage, at the other end of the venue, featured a 3D screen to play hype videos for each of the DJs as they made their entrances. The plan at the outset of the show was to have the audience facing the secondary stage and to surprise them by

KUWAIT: The Jahra and Farwaniya Courts Complex has been equipped with Albiral 15-inch retractable monitors as part of a digital upgrade project that saw video conference, document viewing and audio discussion systems installed across 80 courtrooms, carried out

by Intelligent Services.

The Albiral monitors only appear in the courtrooms when needed, making use of a single motor to raise and tilt. They display documents and video evidence during trials.

The Albiral 15-inch retractable monitors in action

PIXCOM GOES LONG UAE: Pixcom recently installed a GigaLED advertising display along the highway in the shadows of Dubai’s City Walk.

The 175m wide x 5m tall screen is the UAE’s longest LED advertising display.

www.pixcom.ae

Yamaha and MA Lighting consoles in action at FOH

front-fill. The delay system was formed from four per side GTO C-12 speakers flown over a pair of Lab 21s.

Four Doppia II 9075 and four Subtech 218 were deployed in an L-R setup as monitors for the DJs onstage. These were controlled from the booth and the DJs’ controllers were routed from FOH to facilitate control over the entire mix.

‘The idea was to have a system that would be big enough to play over an audience even when they were shouting the loudest,’ explained Remember Chaitezvi, senior sound engineer at Cytech World Communication. ‘In my head I had a goal that I just needed enough power to keep the DJ music as a feature – which is a big concern when you have a DJ playing music, as compared to, for example, a jazz band playing where the audience is a bit calmer.

The other advantage of a bigger system, well distributed in the audience space, is that you don’t have to drive the system hard to cover the space.

‘My approach was to focus on the main stage with delay speakers set up in respect to that,’ Mr Chaitezvi continued. ‘I took the second stage as an effects stage for the intros, which I would use at full level while I still had a bit of

Outline speakers were used throughout it fed into the main stage PA, plus the delay speakers, to create an illusion of enormous scale.’

The secondary stage was equipped with four GTO C-12s per side over three DBS 18-2 subs.

‘When you do a show like this, you are most likely to run into issues of making it louder or wanting more bass or the DJs not being happy with their monitors,’ Mr Chaitezvi concluded. ‘I was really happy that the Outline system performed consistently and efficiently throughout the night, with the Outline DBS subs kicking it on the low end.’ www.cytechworld.net www.outline.it

Albiral screens appear in court

www.eventsevo.co.za

‘When it comes to making an impact in Dubai, size does matter,’ commented Shihas K, CEO of Pixcom Technologies.

‘This gigantic display is a destination by itself for advertisers. It is sure to be one of the most sought-after advertising spaces in the region because of its sheer size and location.’

drawing their attention to the main stage as soon as the intro video finished. To achieve this, the PA setup for the main stage needed to be powerful enough to command attention.

The PA system on the main stage comprised 12 Outline GTO C-12 loudspeakers split in an L-R configuration along with five DBS 18-2 subwoofers per side. A pair of Doppia II 9075 cabinets provided

SMPTE publishes ST 2110-40

WORLD: SMPTE has extended its ST 2110 suite of standards for professional media over managed IP networks with the publication of SMPTE ST 2110-40. This extension maps ancillary data packets into Real-Time Transport Protocol (RTP) packets that are

8 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

transported via UDP/IP (User Data Protocol/Internet Protocol) and enables those packets to be moved synchronously with associated video and audio essence streams.

It can be found in the SMPTE digital library (library.smpte.org).

‘SMPTE ST 2110-40 maps

‘For the past three years, we have been working with Albiral on the Kuwait Ministry of Justice project, a multimillion dollar ICT plan to create two new large courts,’ explained Ahmed Al-Sayyad from Intelligent Services. ‘We were very impressed with their leadership skills in managing challenging tasks in the design phase and complex daily operations during implementation.’

www.albiral.com www.intelligentservices.net

ancillary data into RTP packets, complementing the existing video and audio portions of the SMPTE ST 2110 suite,’ explained Thomas Bause Mason, SMPTE director of standards development. ‘This advance is momentous because it means that, thanks to the ST 2110 standards suite, every element that has been part of the traditional SDI studio can now be put into an IP studio.’

Thomas Bause Mason

www.smpte.org

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Royal Tank Museum Amman. consideration.’ be mixed with up to sixinSDI-Fiber from a suspended ceiling.

Theor www.fohhn.com real-world 100-degree coverage. first appearance as part of the The Grouped under the SAC umbrella, www.eliteproav.com www.broaman.com Saker Plus The lighting project saw The installation’s biggest converter modules.

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Thewould A (PC/Mac software), 8-outputs, which can be controlled some standard questions. be found directly onis the be used.

IIseries control, monitoring functionality, and parametric EQ filters, limiting power and be tough warp blend capabilities.

With content used there.’ missing child alerts to the allWU25 screens map the mall with sensors and tovibe 120Hz processing. upgrade to the Crimson The manufacturer expanding amplifier.

18-inch version and X210 white and custom RAL are three distinct and aAES/ converter momentum built a session.’ nine available preset memories.

C (DSP audio controller), M (remote from an iPad touchscreen via Users are asked toin select the manufacturer’s homepage. and a choice ofmodels analogue, and alignment delays. www.aktco.com and hardwearing ascolours they are the addition ofup Christie Mystique, The main, central tower and smartphones withthe the app. to around theChristie facility installed by Existing M Series and HD25 models without needing its D Series line-up with three 2 slimline 10-inchports cabinet. also available to models, order. seven for simplifying wiring.

Asmultiple would be expected from installing a club-style system microphone station) andThe W (wall EtherNet. Multiple units can be system, whether the loudspeakers EBU and Dante single or redundant Outfitteddouble withlenses.

RS-485 www.martin-audio.com www.robe.cz ofControlCenter p4mm LED new single-lamp on for ver y long periods each projector calibration comprises 263m Dynamo directing them.

The app Christie J Series customers can purchase new www.christiedigital.com www.apart-audio.com The Event Line Array Systems Performance Simulator CC-1 provides volume control, The NEC short throw projector into asolely gym environment, thein main challenge for three should be flown or ground stacked, network input connections copper pro.bose.com The audio setup in the studio www.dynamo-led-displays.co.uk featuring more than 16.5 million is also integrated with Twitter, www.dasaudio.com www.renkus-heinz.com can bethe found on the DAS website

SA Series to unify Renkus-Heinz

Plenty in the tank forgoodies ParFects A SAC of digital from Korea

Blackline gains X-factor DAS tool answers coverage questions Christie hits a purple patch

1/3 1/3 PAGE PAGE

36 PRO AUDIO MEA November–December 46 September–October March–April 201720172016 10 AVLMEA MEA July–August 2018 54 PRO PROAVL March–April 2018

January–February 2017 PRO AUDIO MEA 75

NEWS

HEC Pro equips Erbil WTC IRAQ: Turkish distributor and systems integrator, HEC Pro, has completed the design and installation of conference room solutions at the World Trade Centre in Erbil. The success of the project has led HEC to open a new company in the city, Professional Audio.

‘The client got in touch with us directly from Erbil and asked us to design a solution for the meeting rooms, conference room and office at the World Trade Centre,’ recalls Berk Ozan, project manager at HEC Pro. ‘We first presented our proposal with our presentation file and AutoCAD files, then the process began.’

The project comprised seven meeting rooms, a conference room and an office. On the audio side, HEC relied on FBT Vertus 604A and 208SA cabinets as well as the Italian manufacturer’s CSL840 ceiling speakers with Shure microphones serving as the input and Marani digital matrix mixers

Lawo brings IP to Uganda

The conference room at Erbil’s World Trade Centre and processors. Away from the sound system, it opted for a Kramer media distribution solution, Polycom video conferencing technology, NEC screens and projectors, Vantage Controls automation and an Arthur Holm TabLift system for iPads on the meeting room tables.

‘The work we did was very much appreciated,’ reflected Mr Ozan.

‘We had great results thanks to our

team there and our support team from Turkey and it is still going very well. We believe Iraq will be a very big market soon.’ www.hecpro.net

UGANDA: Kodheyo TV and NBS Radio 89.4FM’s facility in Jinja is the site of the first installation of an IP audio console in Uganda.

The console is a Lawo 12-fader crystal, an entry-level system that handles an array of operations including audio quality, operation and workflow and social media.

‘The installation of the Lawo crystal IP radio broadcast console strengthens our leading position within the vivacious Ugandan radio broadcast landscape,’ said Hamza N’Mbago, chairman of NBS Radio 89.4FM. ‘The integration of this technology enables us to advance our workflows, making our radio production faster and more efficient – and the user-friendliness

of the crystal console allows our operators to concentrate on their work while doing their radio shows.’ www.lawo.com

Lawo’s Ralf Schimmel with NBS’ Hamza N’Mbago

A song of fire and Anolis ZAMBIA: Siddharth Patel, owner of the newly opened Fire & Ice Night Club in Ndola, consulted with Johannesburg’s DWR

have chosen other options for less money, he chose excellent products for reliability and longevity, together with a control

1/2 PAGE Island Distribution for the venue’s A/V setup. The result was the first Anolis installation in Zambia.

JP Vernon, DWR project manager, carried out a site visit and produced some concepts, leading to the installation of Anolis ArcSource 4MC luminaires to provide mood lighting.

Installed above the bar, DJ booth and VIP area at the back of the club are 24 ArcSource 4MC fixtures, serving as striking downlighters.

‘It was really interesting working with Siddharth,’ said Mr Vernon.

‘He wanted this to be a standout destination, and while he could

that could be easily operated by bar managers, and didn’t need a technician onsite to turn on and off. The kit is durable and tough as well as looking great. And for a scenario like this, a relatively cosy space, 28 fixtures can really transform the whole room.’

In addition to the Anolis fixtures, DWR also supplied LED strips along the ceiling and behind the bar, as well as LED video panels to cover the front of the bar. Control is via a Nicolaudie NicStick-DE3. www.anolis.eu www.dwrdistribution.co.za

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 11

NEWS

Sound on Stage for Arab Hope Makers UAE: Sound on Stage Events was responsible for the entire audio setup at the recent Arab Hope Makers event in Dubai, deploying a PA system from Coda Audio.

The setup was designed by the production company’s general manager and sound engineer, Rawad Saad.

‘The event’s success comes from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s initiative to honour people and institutions that pursue a humanitarian goal,’ explained Mr Saad. ‘Our client, Nomada, was kind enough to approach us, since we are known to be pioneers in the regional audio industry. We have

also been executing extraordinary events for over 25 years, giving us the experience to live up to our client’s expectations.’

The main PA system serving the VIP area at the front of the

AiRay cabinets covered the public grandstand

The VIP area at the front of the venue was served by 24 Coda Audio ViRay

venue comprised 24 Coda Audio ViRay line array cabinets and eight SCV-F subwoofers flown in four hangs. These were powered by the manufacturer’s Linus40 racks. Behind the VIP area, the public grandstand was covered by two hangs totalling 12 AiRay

loudspeakers, also driven by Linus40 racks. Surround effects were created by eight Hops8 speakers placed behind the screens and powered by an RC20 Linus-con rack.

The band made use of four Cue Two monitors, while the same

dynamic mics amongst other sources. The visual system calls on a Panasonic PT-EX16k projector, a Datavideo SE-700 video switcher and Sony BRZ330 cameras. In addition to this, the signal chain includes a Sony RM-BR300 controller and Datavideo TLM-404 and TLM-702 SD TFT LCD monitors. Completing the technical setup in the main auditorium is the lighting rig. This draws on products from Teclumen, Curva and Ribalta.

The conference room system was built around beyerdynamic’s Revoluto technology with MCS-D3173 and MCS-D3171 chairman and delegate conference units called into action. The system has been expanded with the German manufacturer’s MCS-D200 main control unit and MCS-D202 interpreter console for simultaneous translation into four languages.

The video solution for the conference room drew heavily

number of Cue Four monitors were employed for speakers on the stage. At FOH was a Midas Pro2 console, a pair of Midas DL231 I/O boxes and a DL251.

‘The equipment was set up in an equal formation throughout the venue that allows the even distribution of highs and lows to reach each and every person on stage or in the audience,’ explained Mr Saad. ‘One of our challenges was synchronising between the different teams present for the event providing lighting, camera coverage and sound. Our experienced team managed to overcome this challenge and connect all the different aspects precisely to deliver an event that met our client’s standards.’ www.codaaudio.com www.soundonstagelb.com

Electrovision installs Shahid Tondguyan oil refinery

Shahid Tondguyan’s main auditorium IRAN: Tehran-based systems integrator, Electrovision, was recently selected to design and install the A/V and lighting systems for the auditorium and conference hall of Shahid Tondguyan oil refinery, one of Iran’s largest refining centres. The project comprised a 566-seat, multi-use auditorium and a 59-seat conference hall.

‘Considering the expansive range of possible uses of this project,

we performed accurate sound and light calculations and installed a combination of high-quality and professional A/V and lighting systems,’ said Majid Mahdavian, CEO of Electrovision. ‘Our architects also designed a nice and efficient concept considering acoustic principles for this project.’

In the main auditorium, a Midas Venice 320 sound mixer controls the speaker system with inputs from beyerdynamic GM 315 s

beyerdynamic Revoluto mics form the conferencing system

from the Panasonic and Datavideo catalogues. Panasonic wv-cs950 cameras capture the image that goes through the Datavideo SE500 switcher for output by the Panasonic projector. The footage can also be recorded and archived thanks to a Panasonic DVD recorder.

‘Our firm belief is that a project is not just an installation,’ offered Electrovision project manager, Ali Rezaei. ‘We provide our customers with as much training and support as we can and we assure them that, after finishing the project, they can count on our technical assistance and after-sales services.

The result is always fantastic.’

‘For me this project was very special because of the level of technical skill required and obligation to the whole work process,’ concluded Mr Mahdavian. ‘It’s an honour that we have successfully completed such an important project with full customer satisfaction.’ www.electrovision.ir

eclipse brings its team up to British electrical standards UAE: eclipse Group recently hosted its first NAPIT City & Guilds Accredited BS 7909 electrical training programme to ensure its team is up to date with best practices and is made aware of the British legislation that enables touring events and productions visiting the UAE to be met with the best support possible. This was the first time that the NAPIT programme has been run outside of the UK. ‘I was delighted to be asked to help,’ said James Eade, who delivered the training. ‘While the Middle East has made significant

12 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

strides to uphold the highest electrical safety standards, considerable divergence exists between the regulations prevalent in the UK and our region, particularly given the typically arduous conditions experienced in the Middle East.’

Offering an example, David Angelini, head of power at eclipse Staging Services, said: ‘The heat and sand can be a real ordeal at times so we’ve invested in the best H07 cables, Mennekes connectors and SES distribution to ensure longevity and robustness in the field.’

The course comprised theory and assessments, as well as a practical element that allowed participants to test circuits and check protection methods themselves.

‘The eclipse crew are a good bunch and I had a great time with them,’ concluded Mr Eade.

‘My job was made easier by the standard of equipment and the prior knowledge of the crew.’

www.eade.uk.com www.eclipse.ae www.napit.org.uk

WHAT YOU HEAR is

WHAT YOU SEE

L-ISA multichannel solutions combine sound system implementation and object-based mixing to reconnect artists and audiences.

l-acoustics.com • l-isa-immersive.com @christian.l.acoustics

Lorde - Melodrama Tour L-ISA Live

NEWS SOUNDBITES VV & SONS’ NEW SHOWROOM UAE: VV & Sons’ new showroom on Dubai’s Airport Road features dedicated areas for products from the distributor’s brands.

‘We have been working without a showroom for almost two years and, now that we have many new products on board, we required a dedicated demo place where clients can come and test them,’ explained VV & Sons’ Joseph Rebero.

‘We are here six days a week from 9:00am to 7:00pm and have reserved complimentary parking so our clients can access the showroom. We also have dedicated meeting rooms installed with video conferencing equipment if a client needs to communicate with our remote tech support team.’ pro.vvsons.com

SPLITBEAM ACQUIRES LASER PROJECTORS SOUTH AFRICA: Splitbeam, which provides technical solutions for theatres, has taken delivery of a pair of Panasonic PT-RZ12K 3-chip DLP 12,000-lumen laser projectors from PanSolutions Holdings.

The purchase was made due to increased demand for projection in theatrical productions as a set design element.

Splitbeam’s Tyrone Dobbin The decision to go with a laser projector was made for a number of reasons; primarily that laser projectors typically offer clearer and brighter images than traditional lamp-based units. Without overheating concerns, the laser projectors are quiet, easy to maintain and energy efficient. www.pansolutions.co.za www.splitbeam.co.za

Steering sound in Üsküdar TURKEY: Üsküdar’s new town hall complex serves as a multipurpose community centre and includes two auditoria, a multipurpose hall, a cocktail hall and a basketball arena.

In the May/June 2018 edition of Pro AVL MEA, we covered how Eramita overcame the challenge of equipping the basketball arena with a sound system that could be heard, but not seen. However, the systems integrator also installed a range of Renkus-Heinz speakers throughout the rest of the complex.

The two pizza-slice-shaped auditoria are named Red Hall and Blue Hall. They each possess 442 seats (even though Blue Hall is marginally larger than its red counterpart), a 7m ceiling and a balcony without seats that wraps around the room. Both have been fitted with a pair of Renkus-Heinz IC Live Gen5 Series IC-F-RN arrays, which have been mounted to the outer faces of the balconies to the left and right of the stages. Two PN61R complex conic loudspeakers provide front-fill in each room, while two CF121M-2 loudspeakers provide stage monitoring. A pair of PN212-Sub subwoofers deliver

low end and, in each auditorium, a Roland M-200i 32-channel digital console handles mixing and routing duties.

‘With Renkus-Heinz’ steerable beam technology, we were able to cover the Red Hall and Blue Hall with the best sound, using the minimum number of loudspeakers,’ noted Burcin Cakin from Eramita.

‘The beams deliver the sound to the seats and keep it off the walls and the face of the balcony. The IC Live Gen5 Series is suitable for a wide variety of music and other programming, especially when paired with PN Series subwoofers, which made it the right choice for these halls.’

In the cocktail hall – which is also shaped like a pizza slice – the main system also features a pair of Renkus-Heinz IC-F-RN arrays, coloured to match the wall between the drapes, as well as CF121M-2 stage monitors and a Roland M-200i mixing console.

Neither subwoofers nor fills were required.

The multipurpose hall is decorated with extensive glass façades covered by royal blue

Renkus-Heinz IC Live Gen5-series IC-F-RN arrays form the main system curtains. The setup again comprises two Renkus-Heinz IC-FRN arrays, two CF121M-2 stage monitors and a rack-mounted Roland M-200i console.

‘In the multipurpose hall and the cocktail hall, Renkus-Heinz beam steering enables us to provide intelligible, very high-quality sound for both speech and music throughout the room, without overpowering any area,’ said Mr Cakin. ‘Patrons enjoy clear, accurate sound without feeling overwhelmed. Yet the system easily has all the power we need.

‘The Renkus-Heinz arrays blend in very well visually, which is important in all of these spaces,’ Mr Cakin concludes. ‘In addition, with Renkus-Heinz, we did not face any problem in terms of logistics or scheduling. Finally, by choosing Renkus-Heinz, we were able to meet each room’s audio needs with the minimum number of loudspeakers, while staying within the budget, which made us and the client very happy.’ www.eramita.com www.renkus-heinz.com

K-array enters The Land of Legends TURKEY: Sound designer Corrado Campanelli faced many challenges during the design process at The Land of Legends resort in Antalya. With a theme park, water park, hotel, shopping avenue and a range of F&B outlets to cover and a tight schedule to meet, he opted for a K-array setup due to a combination of the systems’ sound quality and flexibility.

The resort is also home to a Dragone show, which is a moving performance that takes place across the entire site. It starts with a boat parade and ends at the main gate. The manufacturer’s distributor, Lotus Technology, supplied 42 Python-KP102 loudspeakers and 20 ThunderKMT12 subwoofers, which are employed along the 1.5km canal and accompanied by a pair of Pythons and a Thunder aboard each of the boats. Each vessel is

shaped like a musical instrument whose sound is replicated by the speakers. In addition, 118 PythonKP102 beam speakers and 63 Thunder-KMT18 subwoofers were installed on the buildings lining the canal.

For The Land of Legends’ dolphin show, 16 Mugello-KH2 line arrays, six Mugello-KS5 subwoofers and 10 Dragon-KX12 line arrays are in use, with power for the passive cabinets supplied by a Kommander-KA84 amplifier.

A QSC Q-Sys 500i integrated DSP handles zoning and routing.

Systems are kept in sync by wireless timecode and transport is via a fibre optic network. Each speaker can be individually controlled via K-Dante.

‘I was very impressed by the flexibility of the systems and by the ratio between size and power,’ commented Mr Campanelli. ‘With that in mind, it seemed an easy choice when extending the audio setup to add further K-array products for the new performance stage. K-array products went over and beyond my expectations; I was impressed by the assistance and customer care. After using the products at The Land of Legends, I have used their products again.’ www.k-array.com www.lotusteknoloji.com

ARX shifts up a gear in South Africa SOUTH AFRICA: Octave Distribution has supplied Gearhouse SA with ARX Systems products for its digital to analogue conversion needs. In total, Gearhouse has acquired 10 ARX

14 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

USB DI VC Plus, 10 ARX USB DI HPs and six ARX USB DI plug-andplay audio interfaces, each fitted with a 24-bit high-resolution digital to analogue converter (DAC). This converter removes the need to

use the existing computer internal sound card outputs. www.arx.com.au www.gearhouse.co.za www.octavedistribution.co.za

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And of course, TouchMix also goes Beyond Mixing by also offering Wizards, Presets and other beneficial tools that help both seasoned audio professionals and novices alike get great results quickly and easily. No other mixer even comes close in terms of features, ease-of-use, sound quality and reliability. After all, it’s a QSC.

qsc.com/beyondmixing ©2017 QSC, LLC. All rights reserved. QSC, the QSC logo, TouchMix and Beyond Mixing are registered trademarks of QSC, LLC in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and other countries. Specifications subject to change without notice.

NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

Eurovision 2018

Sennheiser’s Digital 6000 wireless systems were put to use on a grand scale for the first time at ESC 2018, discovers Simon Luckhurst WITH 186 MILLION VIEWERS TUNING in for the final of the Eurovision Song Contest this year, the event might be Eurocentric in name, but its appeal spans the globe.

In 2018, it was once again the world’s biggest live music event and, as such, commands a sizeable backline infrastructure to pull it off.

Having won the contest in 2017, Portugal played host to this year’s finals by laying on an impressive creative and technical show for 11,500 live spectators at the Altice Arena in Lisbon. A total of 43 countries took part, with 26 reaching the final and the live broadcast on 8 May. But while the event might have lasted just a few hours for spectators, for crews behind the scenes it had been an exhaustive few months prepping the site. As technical supplier, Sennheiser supplied its new Digital 6000 wireless microphones and 2000 series wireless monitors to the event – more than 230 microphones, 250 IEMs and 110 receivers – and was responsible for managing the spectrum at the arena. Notably, there was not a single loudspeaker monitor on stage – wireless mics and IEMs were called into practice throughout.

‘We have 74 channels of wireless mics and another 33 channels of inears,’ says Volker Schmitt, customer development and application engineering at Sennheiser. ‘On the balcony on this side in the centre of the venue and on the balcony on

11,500 live spectators filled the Altice Arena the other side we have one antenna city for each of those racks. They are working perfectly.’

With spectrum measurement beginning back in February and load-in in April, an incredible 250 trucks of gear – 220 tonnes of which was left hanging from the roof of the Altice Arena – saw the venue close to breaking point. ‘It was not clear that we would have this much weight until just 10 days ago,’ continues Mr Schmitt. ‘The blue and yellow metal bars you see around the stage, we moved them once and the whole arena began to shake. We’re not doing that anymore.’ This wasn’t helped by the decision to fly the entire L-Acoustics K2 sound reinforcement system from the roof which, together with the lighting setup, required an enormous 3,910m of truss.

All the speakers are flown, explains Daniel Bekerman, head of sound for the ESC 2018 and owner of Auditiv-audiovisuais. ‘We have 18 L-Acoustics K2 clusters plus the sub-basses. The arrays themselves are all angled down which allowed us to reduce significantly the

16 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

reverberation of the room. I think it is the first time in this arena that the sound is this good.’

Add to this a comprehensive complement of Robe RoboSpot systems for the follow spot lighting and more than 600 fixtures from German manufacturer GLP, and the arena was close to bursting.

The entire audio system was flown from the arena roof

for a lot of them they will never do it again.’

For this reason, the team spends a lot of time working with the talent to guide them through the process. ‘A big part of our job is babysitting and hand-holding, and this is something that Daniel is brilliant at.’

The talent is led through a finelyplanned dressing procedure backstage A pre-planned backstage workflow sees the talent journey around several pitstops before ‘The line array from L-Acoustics emerging at the tunnel leading to is sounding tremendously good,’ the stage. Ensuring the talents’ confirms Mr Schmitt. ‘Even in this very critical, empty venue. The guys equipment is set up properly is further exacerbated by how from Auditiv know what they are politicised the event has become doing; it’s a great pleasure to work over the years and, as such, with and for them.’ technical issues during the show But this is not any old singing can potentially have far more contest and sometimes managing wide-reaching implications than a people is as important as typical music concert. To remedy managing the equipment. Many this, a rigorous workflow is put in of the performers have amateur place to dress and document the backgrounds and require extra talents’ equipment and protect attention. ‘People only realise against any possible accusations. If how big the stage is when they’re nothing else, this assures complete coming here for the first time,’ culpability that the equipment furthers Mr Schmitt. ‘It’s important has been set correctly should any to remember that, for many of the delegates later lodge a complaint. artists, this will be the biggest ‘We also have to make sure the concert of their life – they’ve never in-ears for the talent always have done anything like this before and

some kind of feed,’ furthers Mr Schmitt. ‘If they are quiet, then the talent will likely start to play around with the volume on the bodypack and the levels will be wrong when they get on stage. We explain to the talent, take out the in-ears but don’t turn the volume.’

However, one of the biggest challenges for the Sennheiser team is not setting up the complex wireless systems but managing them.

‘For this reason we have some measurement equipment that we are carrying around to observe the spectrum. We’re measuring it here in the hall, in the press tent, we’re looking at this and we can also listen. Overall we have way above 100 channels of wireless microphones. The good thing is that the system is working without any problems and the big advantage is the digital transmission. The RF is more stable and we have much better control. There are a lot of features in there that we can control, and have everything here on the screen.’

For what has traditionally been a daunting experience for the audio teams, the move to the new Digital 6000 system has given everyone more time to focus on the intricacies of the show. ‘Ten years ago it was always nerveracking doing Eurovision. This year it is definitely easier,’ admits Mr Schmitt. www.sennheiser.com

All and nothing.

Full bandwidth cardioid directivity control from the SL-Series means no sound where it shouldn’t be.

sl-series.com

More art. Less noise.

EDUCATION Sennheiser runs training in UAE and Kenya MEA: Sennheiser recently introduced its new generation of evolution wireless G4 series wireless mic and in-ear monitoring systems to the MEA region at seminars and workshops held in Dubai and Kenya.

Sennheiser’s UAE distributor, Venuetech, led the Dubai seminar, which attracted an audience of more than 60 systems integrators and consultants to the Burj Al Arab, and centred around the manufacturer’s audio for business solution range. The event’s key presentation was titled Wireless Microphones for System Integration and was delivered by Kai Tossing, portfolio manager for Sennheiser Business Solutions.

Venuetech used the Burj Al Arab to host the Sennheiser session He outlined digital workflows for the deployment of multichannel wireless systems in education and corporate applications. As well as getting a first look at the ew G4 solutions, participants were

given a live demonstration of the SpeechLine Digital Wireless and Digital 6000 systems, monitored and controlled by Sennheiser’s Control Cockpit software.

‘I found the presenters and

eASY to configure

eASY to manage...

eASY to pilot!

presentation material very helpful in my endeavours to continually strive to be ahead of my competitors in the current market and would recommend this event to all like-minded consultants in the region,’ commented Gerald Stewart, principal of acoustics at Inhabit Group, who attended the seminar.

Meanwhile, in Kenya, Ryan Burr, head of technical sales and application engineering for system solutions at Sennheiser Middle East, led four training sessions that took a more technical approach, with detailed workshops covering all aspects of wireless audio capture. ‘The training sessions were organised by our partner, Audio Visual Engineering, who did an excellent job of promoting the event and attracting over 50 of their customers from verticals as diverse as media and broadcast, education, houses of worship and events companies, all

of whom were eager to learn more about our wireless microphones, application-based theory and general best practices,’ he said.

The Kenyan presentations were aimed at both new and existing users of wireless microphones and in-ear monitor systems and covered the operation of multichannel wireless systems, including acoustics, wireless mics and monitoring, antenna technology, microphone technology, frequency management and wireless monitoring.

‘I like Sennheiser products because of their reliability and durability,’ stated attendee Isaac Kamau Gachwe, media officer at Ridgeways Baptist Church. ‘The training offered a chance to better understand their products and how best they serve my application.’

UAE: Wesco Distribution recently hosted an open house for its Liberty AV Solutions brand in Dubai.

The event took place at Dubai’s H Hotel, and was designed to explain the brand and its technology to the assembled crowd.

‘The seminar was to educate our distributers who are looking at distribution through India, Pakistan, Asia and the UAE,’ explained James Blumhardt, VP of business development and international

manufacturer has been able to expand its product line, and hence the need to hold events such as the Dubai open house. ‘It has allowed us to broadly diversify our product mix to video over IP, digital infrastructures and digital signal management as well as audio switching technology for boardrooms, conference rooms and training rooms. I have to say when it comes to video over IP, we rock it!’

sales at Liberty AV, who flew in from the US for the event. ‘We think there is a strong acceptance of the brand and the technology, certainly a very strong acceptance of the price performance of the technology and our value engineering without sacrificing quality. At the end of the day, it can’t just be about the product anymore, we have to add other value such as design advice and engineering solutions.

Manufacturers now have to be better partners with their clients and that’s something we’ve done pretty well in the US.’ Mr Blumhardt cites the investment that Wesco has put into Liberty AV as one of the reasons why the

‘We have our offices in the UAE, which are equipped with demonstration and training rooms so we can invite systems integrators, consultants and engineers to come and find out what we have on offer in the market,’ added Suresh Arumugam Pillai, sales manager for Liberty AV Solutions Middle East, Africa and India. ‘We have a commitment to value engineering without compromising on the integrity of our engineering. More for less is the name of the game at Liberty AV Solutions, a bigger bang for your buck so to speak.’

www.ave-africa.com www.sennheiser.com www.venuetech.ae

Liberty AV Solutions holds open house

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eMIMO1616 Digital Matrix - It does not need an external or an additional software.

- You can configure it from your PC/Tablet/Smartphone.

- Minimal, intuitive and elegant layout.

- You can manage it remotely from different locations. www.ecler.com

18 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

www.libav.com

NEWS: EDUCATION SEMINAR DIARY 16 JULY

Avia DSP Configuration Johannesburg, South Africa This course will provide a technical background of Avia DSP hardware and software to simplify audio programming, tuning, expansion and integration within common DSP applications. www.crestron.eu

16 – 17 JULY

NMK helps audio professionals get Smaart UAE: NMK Electronics Enterprises recently hosted a 3-day Smaart Operator Fundamentals Class from Rational Acoustics. The event was split between the distributor’s dedicated training space at its Dubai Silicon Oasis location and the Hard Rock Café.

The event itself covered the fundamentals of setting up a Smaart measurement rig and using Smaart to make basic RTA, Spectrograph, Transfer Function and Impulse Response measurements.

the theor y they had learned into practice.

NMK hosted the event to ‘enhance the working knowledge of sound engineers in the region and eventually grow the audio/ acoustics market’. As such, the distributor was happy with the ‘quality attendees from leading rental companies in the region’ who were attracted to take par t in the session.

This included two days of classroom training followed by a

third day at the Hard Rock where the par ticipants were able to put

www.nmkelectronics.com www.rationalacoustics.com

Avolites Level 3 Training Cape Town, South Africa Visit us Booth 4J4-01

This 2-day course will teach users how to get the most from their lighting hardware and software, covering high-level functionality and programming. www.audiosure.co.za

23 – 25 JULY

Extron Control Professional Dubai, UAE

THIS

This certification programme has been designed to prepare individuals to deploy and maintain customised A/V control systems built around IP Link Pro Series and TouchLink Pro Series products. www.extron.com

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14 – 16 AUGUST

Tesira Design and Installation Workshop Dubai, UAE

BOLERO

WIRELESS

Over the course of three days, this workshop will take participants through the process for designing and installing systems based on Biamp’s Tesira platform.

INTERCOM

www.biamp.com

21 – 23 AUGUST

TS

PE N NG

5

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Dante Certification Level 2 & 3 Johannesburg, South Africa Audinate will be hosting two Dante certification courses alongside Stage Audio Works.

The session on 21 August will be Level 2 Dante Certification, while the following two days will cover Level 3.

IS STATE-OF-THE-ART WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

· As a standalone solution or integrated in digital matrix intercom systems · Up to 100 Beltpacks, 100 Antennas · 12 Partylines and unlimited point-to-point connections · Advanced DECT with seamless handover · Simple registration via OTA (Over The Air) and NFC (Near Field Communication) · Integrated web server for easy setup · Daisy chain or redundant ring antenna network · Redundant antenna power · Up to 300m CAT5 cable between Antennas · External 4-Wire and GPIO Interface box www.riedel.net

www.audinate.com

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 19

DISTRIBUTION DWR builds on audio portfolio with L-Acoustics

Duncan Riley, Robert Izzett, Bruce Riley and Richard Smith SOUTH AFRICA: DWR Distribution has been named as L‑Acoustics’ ‘Certified Provider Distributor’ for South Africa. As part of the deal, renowned FOH engineer and L-Acoustics user Richard Smith has joined DWR to manage the brand.

‘L-Acoustics is happy to finally be able to welcome DWR to the

“Brown Box Family”,’ said Tim McCall, L‑Acoustics’ sales manager for the region. ‘There has been a long gestation period to this plan but now, with the introduction of DWR’s customer-oriented dynamism combined with the experience and knowledge of Richard Smith, the Southern African market gets the

best of both worlds. The new and the old, the fresh approach and the real-world experience. Looking forward, I expect great things for L-Acoustics in the region with this team.’

DWR’s experience lies primarily in representing lighting brands such as Robe and MA Lighting.

The distributor’s first foray into pro audio came when it added DiGiCo to its portfolio, which would be the only pro audio brand present in the DWR catalogue for sometime before Quest Engineering joined at the end of 2017. ‘We were appointed as distributor for DiGiCo two years ago and the brand is growing and doing really well in the market,’ said DWR’s Duncan Riley. ‘This opened many doors for us with different PA manufacturers and it was our choice to wait for the jewel in the crown: L‑Acoustics.’

‘The process took time,’ explained Robert Izzett, sales director at DWR. ‘We had to ensure that we had the right infrastructure to best represent this leading brand. With Richard on board, we look forward to a great relationship with both the team at L‑Acoustics and the end users. We hope that he will be very happy with us.’

Mr Smith joins from fellow South African distributor, Sound Harmonics. His background includes music studies and musical theatre performance, in addition to regular work on theatre design, television and rock concerts. He has served as designer, operator, consultant and project manager for both live and installation projects.

‘I have a vast amount of experience to be able to guide people and that’s what I enjoy doing,’ said Mr Smith. ‘I love working with young rental

companies who come to me for advice. I’m passionate about teaching and part of my work ethos is to impart knowledge through both writing and hands-on experience.

Duncan Riley and the team at DWR have the same ethic as I do: putting customers first. DWR is passionate about its brands. The whole company gets behind something and gives it their all. I believe that L‑Acoustics deserves that.’

‘We have collaborated with Richard on numerous projects in the past where DWR did the lighting and he did the audio,’ recalled Mr Riley. ‘We believe the combination of DWR’s local market knowledge, the quality of the L‑Acoustics brand and Richard’s vast knowledge and reputation in the industry will make a powerful combination.’ www.dwrdistribution.co.za www.l-acoustics.com

MEA distributors win big at Shure summit MEASA: Shure MEASA (Middle East, Africa and South Asia) recently held a summit for its distributors across the region at the Jumeirah Mina A’Salam hotel in Dubai. In addition to discussions of business developments and strategies affecting Shure on a global and local level, marketing and sales, the 2-day summit also featured an awards evening that saw distributors from the Middle East and Africa almost scoop a clean sweep.

Adawliah from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia won a special recognition award, while Atempo from Turkey was named the emerging partner of the year.

Amac of Lebanon received the award for best sales growth and Nigerian newcomer ShowGear was recognised with the award for showing the best marketing initiative. The coveted distributor of the year award went to the UAE’s own NMK Electronics.

‘Despite rapid changes in the market and specifically our industry, NMK continues to adapt

Emerging partner of the year – Atempo from Turkey – Volkan Konuralp

Distributor of the year – NMK Electronics from UAE – Dino Drimakis and Shajahan KK

Best sales growth – Amac from Lebanon – Abdul Razzak Assafiri

Best marketing initiative – ShowGear from Nigeria – Christian Akinyemi

and grow their business to achieve success,’ commented Chant Utukian, regional sales manager, METNA (Middle East, Turkey and North Africa) at Shure. ‘With our focus on vertical markets, this is exactly the sort of partnership

and commitment we would like to have. As a long-standing partner of Shure in the MEASA region, we look forward to continuing our success in the Gulf with NMK.’ ‘It is a privilege and an honour to receive such an award from

Shure,’ said NMK’s business development manager, Dino Drimakis, who accepted the award alongside the distributor’s Shure product manager, Shajahan KK. ‘It goes to show all the continuous effort and commitment to the

Allen & Heath’s HEC of a Turkish deal TURKEY: HEC Professional has been given the nod to become Allen & Heath’s distribution partner in Turkey for its DJ range.

‘We are really excited to be working with Allen & Heath to promote Xone to Turkish DJs,’

said HEC Pro’s Berk Ozan.

‘The product has an amazing reputation and we’re looking forward to getting our fantastic team behind it.’

HEC Pro has over 15 years of experience in the Turkish

20 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

www.shure.com

for Allen & Heath, so we are thrilled to be teaming up with HEC Pro to grow our business,’ added Manfred Quesada, Allen & Heath’s EMEA sales manager.

‘The HEC Pro team brings a real energy to the distribution of our DJ products and we can’t wait to see the results of these exciting changes.’

The Allen & Heath and HEC teams industry and has now added Allen & Heath’s Xone series

brand and our company’s mission.

The journey would not have been as easy if we did not have the support of Chant and the Shure METNA marketing team. I would like to thank all our regional partners for their support and trust in NMK.’ Outside of the UAE, Sun Infonet from India was presented with the award for the best training programme.

‘We wanted to connect with our partners, introduce the MEASA team and define their roles and responsibilities,’ explained Joyce Dib, marketing manager at Shure MEA. ‘It also provided the opportunity for us to get to know our newer partners, such as ShowGear who recently started representing Shure in Nigeria and Musicians Music Pro from the Seychelles. It is very important for us to be close to our partners, to create strong relations. At the end of the day, business is all about relationships.’

of DJ products to its portfolio.

‘Turkey is a growing market

www.allen-heath.com www.hecpro.net

NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

PRODUCTS

Alcons moves to Elit TURKEY: Alcons Audio has named Elit Light/Sound Technologies as its new distributor for Turkey. The manufacturer joins the likes of DPA Microphones and Avid in the Elit portfolio.

‘The team behind Elit has a proven track record with regards to representing top-quality sound system brands in the Turkish market, but also building them up to a highly appreciated brand,’ said Alcons’ Tom Back.

‘They have done this, based on long-term relationships with their customers as well as a long-term commitment to the market and putting their reputation behind the brand. These are exactly the essentials that Alcons is

looking for when entering into a representation agreement. The Alcons pro-ribbon systems have a story to tell, so the systems have to be presented by a reputable company in order to convincingly demonstrate the “Alcons difference” to qualityconscious clients.’

The initial focus for the new distributor will be the country’s active live segment, but the install business will also play an important role. With this in mind, Elit’s Emre Defne points to Alcons’ pro-ribbon drivers as a key differentiator that the company will use to help grow awareness of the manufacturer’s products in Turkey.

‘Alcons is a new brand here but,

Clair Brothers unites with Boujikian Bros

LEBANON: Clair Brothers has continued its expansion into the Middle East by appointing Boujikian Bros as its Lebanese distributor. This follows the recent appointments of Provision AVL in the UAE, Elit in Turkey and Pro Audio & Light in Tunisia.

Josh Sadd and Gary Boujikian Boujikian Bros has been a supplier of electronics since 1984 and has recently turned its attention towards pro audio, lighting, rigging and staging as these markets are expanding in the region. The company serves educational and religious institutions, corporate, governmental and military clients.

‘Our goal is to provide the smartest solutions using the highest-level equipment and gear to a wide variety of engineering projects and applications in all regions around the Middle East and Africa,’ explained Gary

Boujikian, president and general manager of Boujikian Bros.

‘Shifting our company’s focus was definitely the right decision.

The potential in these regions is seemingly endless. The quality products we provide are central to our success. It’s why when the opportunity arose to represent Clair Brothers we didn’t hesitate.

Loudspeakers don’t get any better than what Clair Brothers designs and manufactures. And the people at Clair Brothers couldn’t be nicer or easier to work with. I could tell right away when we first met and signed on at Prolight + Sound 2017 in Frankfurt that this relationship would be a smooth one.’

Both companies cemented their relationship on a recent demo tour.

‘I had heard that the Lebanese have a taste for quality and high standards in audio and it was very evident in the turnout for our event,’ commented Josh Sadd, vice president and chief engineer for Clair Brothers. ‘It was great to meet the many people who attended.’

‘The winning combination of a great team, unparalleled product quality and innovation, highly respected reputation and rich history, makes Clair Brothers a global force to be reckoned with,’ concluded Mr Boujikian. ‘We’re delighted to be their partner. The future is bright.’

Samson’s new options for micro-transmitter

F s

SAMSON’S RECENTLY released ATX series micro-transmitter UHF wireless systems (see Pro AVL MEA January/ February 2018, page 50) has already undergone an expansion. The series launched with a single configuration, the AWX Wind Instrument, but is now

TH an DJ us as Ad th w be 17 pr in La In an T ba co ‘w ke Th ba pl th or sa su A su fa

with their pro-ribbon solutions, they create a hi-fi sound in concert areas,’ said Mr Defne.

‘We are very happy to support this well-known international brand in Turkey.’

‘Bringing a relative new brand and technology to a market AHX Headset system like TurkeyThe requires teamwork between the manufacturer and the representing system features a company,’ double ear continued MraBack.

‘This headset with DE10 miniature obviously beyond shifting condensergoes microphone. boxes.

Emre and Headset his teamsystem The AHX Fitness are, for us, the ideal group towith includes a double ear headset increase further Qe awareness a water-resistant condenserand mic. penetration of Alcons in offers the The ALX Lavalier system Turkish an LM8 market.’ omnidirectional lavalier

joined by configurations intended for All four configurations are based use by singers, fitness instructors and around the system’s ATX Micro presenters.

Transmitter. The AHX Headset Emre Defne, Tom Back and Ünsal Çakır

microphone with a mic lapel clip.

www.alconsaudio.com www.samsontech.com www.elit-tr.com

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www.boujikian.com www.clairbrothers.com

48 PRO AVL MEA March–April 2018

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 21

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APPOINTMENTS IBS restructures in Dubai UAE: Dubai-based set building and stage and scenic rental company, IBS Group, has restructured its business, including a senior management reshuffle that sees head of departments from within the company taking responsibility for running the day-to-day operations. The team, comprising operations manager Lorenzo Gempies, HSE manager Samir Chikhodrawala and CFO Stany D’Souza, will work in conjunction with four core directors of IBS’ European team from the UK. ‘Directors Alan Scoley, Terry Murtha, Nigel Smith and I decided that a non-hierarchical management team was the way forward rather than appointing a general manger from outside,’ explained IBS director, Scott Davis.

‘When we considered the talent, experience and commitment we have on board, it was a straightforward decision.’

Mr Gempies, Mr Chikhodrawala and Mr D’Souza will oversee the company’s large, purpose-built premises in Dubai Investment Park 2 and its 80 full-time staff. Each has

WORLD: Following the sudden termination of Louis Hernandez Jr earlier this year, Avid has announced a series of changes to its senior management team.

These include the appointment of a new chief financial officer and the creation of a brand new role within the company: chief legal and administrative officer.

of Dana Ruzicka to the role of chief product officer, a position that now unifies all aspects of Avid’s products and technology divisions in an effort to bring new products to market quicker.

Meanwhile, Dave Perillo has been promoted to senior vice president of global supply chain operations and has been named

Ken Gayron is the new CFO and executive vice president.

He replaces Brian Agle, who had served as CFO since 2015 and has left Avid to pursue new ventures. Mr Gayron possesses a vast background in the software and technology industries, and has a wealth of experience in senior finance management positions for public companies, helping to drive their cash flow, profitability and enterprise value. He most recently served as CFO and interim CEO for Numerex.

‘I’m excited to welcome Ken and anticipate that his experience, skills and management style will quickly sharpen Avid’s focus and execution while helping to improve the outcomes for the company, our customers and partners, as well as our shareholders,’ said Jeff Rosica, CEO and president of Avid.

The role of chief legal and administrative officer and executive vice president falls to Jason Duva, who has been promoted from his previous position as Avid’s general counsel and senior vice president of strategic initiatives. The newly created job consolidates the leadership of various global corporate administrative functions and resources, and includes the responsibilities of overseeing legal, human resources, business operations, corporate IT and facilities departments, as well as the company’s project management office.

Other changes to the executive team include the appointment

a new member of the executive leadership team. He joined Avid as vice president of global supply chain in 2017.

Diana Brunelle has been named chief human resources officer and vice president. She brings 25 years of HR leadership, talent development and recruiting experience to the role.

Changes at the executive level have also resulted in amendments to the senior leadership team. As a result of Mr Duva’s promotion, Alessandra Melloni takes on his former job as general counsel and vice president. She first joined Avid’s legal team in 2014.

Tim Claman, previously Avid’s VP of platform and solutions, is now the chief technology officer and VP of product management.

Finally, Sharon McGowanSpinelli has been promoted to the new role of VP of business operations.

‘As we prepare Avid to better convert its market opportunities into more demonstrable results today and in the future, all of our organisational announcements will help to reshape our executive team and senior management in order to lead this charge,’ concluded Mr Rosica. ‘Coinciding with my first 100 days as CEO, I’m pleased to announce these strategic appointments that will enhance our executive and senior leadership teams in order to reinforce our ability to better capitalise on the opportunities in front of us and optimise business performance.’

Stany D’Souza, Lorenzo Gempies, Samir Chikhodrawala, Nigel Smith, Terry Murtha and Scott Davis worked for IBS for several years and gained an understanding of the way the company works.

‘We are the same people at IBS who take intense pride in our work and have a serious passion for continual improvement,’ commented Mr Chikhodrawala.

‘The realignment has optimised IBS and put it in a better position

to attain its long-term ambitions,’ said Mr D’Souza. Mr Gempies noted: ‘Everybody is excited about their contributions. I am happy to see how motivated the whole team has become immediately after the changes were implemented.’ www.ibs-group.com

Jeff Rocha to direct L-Acoustics product management WORLD: Having served as L-Acoustics’ head of market development for North America since joining the manufacturer in 2016, Jeff Rocha has now been promoted to the newly created role of global director of product management. A member of the board of directors, Mr Rocha will oversee the end-to-end product development lifecycle and liaise with stakeholders around the world from various departments to identify new business opportunities. The role also entails developing the product portfolio and technology roadmaps with the R&D team and sales and marketing teams, as well as the development of marketing and sales materials, and training.

‘Since joining L-Acoustics, Jeff has proven adept at forging relationships throughout the company and with external partners, while leading business development in North America where we have experienced accelerated growth,’ explained Anne Hamlett, director of HR and legal at L-Acoustics. ‘Bringing more than two decades of experience in the touring and

Avid’s senior management shake-up

Jeff Rocha installation markets, Jeff is a trusted and highly regarded audio expert who blends a technical background and deep crossfunctional industry experience with a successful business track record, and keen marketing instincts. These qualities make Jeff ideally suited to leading the charge on product management.’

Mr Rocha is excited to help guide the direction of the

22 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

manufacturer moving forward.

‘The more I interact with teams across L-Acoustics, the more I become convinced that our “secret weapon” is the calibre of the individuals who I am fortunate to call my colleagues,’ he said. ‘I have no doubt that the breadth and depth of the talent pool at L-Acoustics, coupled with an unwavering commitment to technical excellence, will continue to drive market-leading product innovation in the coming years.’

An adjustment has also been made to the talent pool to which Mr Rocha refers, as Germain Simon, formerly an application engineer at the company, has joined the new director of product management’s team as a product manager. ‘Germain’s passion for sound and expertise in international install markets, as well as a history with L-Acoustics dating back to 2009, makes him an ideal product management collaborator,’ said Mr Rocha.

‘I look forward to partnering with Germain and teams across L-Acoustics to translate ideas into products.’ www.l-acoustics.com

www.avid.com

NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Karl Chapman Williams AV names brings knowledge new CEO to Calrec sales role EMEA: Karl Chapman has joined Calrec as its international sales manager, focusing on the EMEA region. He worked for Harman Professional for more than two decades, most recently as EMEA senior sales manager for the Studer brand.

‘After working for one of the big names in broadcast audio, it’s a pleasure to be able to continue on and now be a part of another high-calibre company – Calrec,’ said Mr Chapman. ‘The company has such a broad vision on top of a reputation for products with outstanding sound quality, flexibility and performance. I’m excited to be part of the team and I’m looking forward to expanding Calrec’s business into new territories and industry sectors, especially following the recent launch of Type R into the radio market.’

Mr Chapman will utilise his knowledge of the television and radio broadcast industries to increase Calrec’s sales in both markets. The Type R IP-based radio system is the British manufacturer’s first foray into the radio sector.

Karl Chapman ‘We’re delighted to announce Karl as international sales manager,’ said Dave Letson, VP of sales at Calrec. ‘With more than four decades of professional audio experience spanning many different market sectors, he brings a wealth of impressive knowledge to his role. He has a strong understanding of the broadcast sector and, combined with his extensive sales and technical background, it’s clear he’ll be an excellent addition to our team.’ www.calrec.com

Noel Larson applies new strategy at Ashly

Noel Larson WORLD: Noel Larson will develop and execute marketing strategies in his new position as vice president of marketing and business development at Ashly Audio. He joins the manufacturer from Harman Professional, where he most recently served as global director of retail solutions – signal processing, mics and Connected PA.

‘I was looking for an opportunity where I could make a real impact at a company that’s ready to grow fast and that has a management team that fully supports that vision,’ said Mr Larson. ‘Ashly has CEO Jim Mack and a cast of talented people, and Jim has successfully piloted rapid company growth in his past endeavours and now has positioned Ashly to rise to the challenge.’

Mr Larson will also work alongside Ashly’s engineers and strategic partners on new product development.

‘I’ve known Noel Larson for some time, watched his performance at Harman and was waiting for the opportunity to have him apply his insights and expertise to the Ashly brand,’ said Mr Mack. ‘Together, we’ve crafted a new marketing strategy for Ashly and will make the brand soar.’

WORLD: Williams AV has named Rob Sheeley as the company’s president and CEO and simultaneously announced the appointment of Tom Mingo as executive vice president of sales and marketing. Both are veterans of the A/V industry and have been members of the Williams AV board since December when Williams Sound acquired Pointmaker.

Mr Sheeley and Mr Mingo cofounded Vaddio together. While Mr Sheeley, who’s described as ‘a serial entrepreneur’, holds numerous hardware and software patents and possesses a wealth of experience in new product development, Mr Mingo previously led sales at Vaddio and will assist

Tom Mingo and Rob Sheeley Williams AV in expanding its sales and marketing efforts.

‘A year ago, I began consulting with Williams Sound on product development and strategic direction,’ revealed Mr Sheeley.

‘Since then, we’ve acquired Pointmaker, and developed two new products: the Pointmaker Presenter and the Pointmaker Audio Presenter. Both products represent an exciting, new product platform

for the combined companies, and a focus on delivering blended audio and video solutions. When asked to lead the combined companies, I was thrilled at the opportunity to re-enter the industry and grow this business to the next level.’

Mr Mingo looks forward to continuing his partnership with Mr Sheeley. ‘Both Williams Sound and Pointmaker are customer-focused and solutionoriented organisations,’ Mr Mingo commented. ‘Going forward, we will expand on this, successfully blending audio and video expertise into new and exciting technology solutions for our customers.’

Prior to these appointments, Paul Ingebrigtsen served as the president and CEO of Williams Sound for more than 40 years.

Although he has retired from dayto-day operations, he will remain a member of the Williams AV board. www.williamssound.com

COMPACT SMARTER LIGHTER FASTER TWO NEW ENTRIES IN THE VIO FAMILY

1/2 PAGE Island VIO L208

Two-way active line array module HF 1x1.4” Neodymium LF 2x8” Neodymium Class D DIGIPRO® G3 900W/RMS Amplifier Max SPL 133.5 dB Double rotary encoder Only 18.1 Kg per module

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 23

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NEWPRODUCTS PRODUCTS

INSTALLATION • A/V • LIVE SOUND • BROADCAST • POSTPRODUCTION • RECORDING • LIGHTING A-ZCONTENTS A-Z CONTENTS

GSL takes pattern control full spectrum Making use of some clever tactics to greatly reduce the audio level at the rear of the system, d&b has unveiled its new flagship touring product, the SL-Series GSL System IT SITS above the manufacturer’s J-, Y- and V-Series systems and provides cardioid dispersion control across the entire audio bandwidth. The result of four years’ development, the GSL system is intended for the largest reinforcement applications such as in arenas, stadia and festivals.

The GSL8 and GSL12 loudspeakers offer 80° and 120° horizontal dispersion, respectively, and are reportedly capable of providing consistent pattern control all the way down to 45Hz. This is achieved by using a new cabinet geometry that includes two front-facing 14-inch drivers and two side-firing 10-inch drivers in a cardioid configuration. According to the German manufacturer, the result is so successful it negates the need for subwoofers to be flown behind or alongside the main hangs in many applications while also creating ‘significantly extended low-frequency headroom towards the audience’.

Midrange frequencies are delivered by a high-sensitivity horn loaded with a 10inch driver, while three custom-designed 3.4-inch diaphragm HF drivers mounted on a wave-shaping device provide the HF output.

Each loudspeaker is driven in 2-way active mode by the d&b D80 amplifier, where one channel powers the 14inch drivers with all other components passively crossed over and powered by a second channel. The SL-Sub and SLGsub support the system with additional low end from two forward-facing 21-inch drivers and a single, rear-facing 21-inch driver delivering the cardioid dispersion.

The SL-Sub can be flown, while the SL-Gsub is designed for ground-stacked applications.

The SL-Series also brings a combination of tension and compression modes to d&b’s 3-point rigging. The compression mode enables a straight array to be flown from the touring carts, with a hoist or hand winch that then

GSL8/12 array

curves the array to the defined splay angles. The touring carts themselves have been designed to fit within standard shipping container and truck sizes and can transport four GSL8 or GSL12 loudspeakers or three SL subwoofers.

The touring rack assembly can house six D80 amplifiers and also contains a DS10 audio network bridge, the MC24 multicore system and provides PoE for the d&b ArraySight inclinometer. This also sends temperature and humidity information to the R1 Remote control software using the OCA/AES70 protocol. www.dbaudio.com

ADAM Audio Ceiling mount and brackets for S2V/S3V/S3H AKG K275/K245/K175 Allen & Heath Prime Input and Output modules Altair ES-201/EM-203/ES-203CL/EC-200 Amadeus Holophonix AMX/BSS AMX N2400/AMX Acendo Vibe/DCP-555 ArKaos MediaMaster 5.2 Audio Precision 376M03/426M16 AV Stumpfl UHD Player/Wings Vioso RX 2.0 Ayrton Mistral-TC/MiniBurst B&C Speakers 4CNX88/4NDF34/4NDS34 Barco UDX series/UniSee update beyerdynamic TG Drum Sets Beyma 21LEX1600Nd/15LEX1600Nd Biamp Devio CR-1/DTM-1/DCM-1/SCR-20/SCR-25 Cadac CDC five/CDC seven-s/V.5 CDC Console Software Calrec Type R Celestion CF1230F/CF1540HD Chauvet Rogue R1X and R2X/BTAir Clear-Com HelixNet update ClearOne Ceiling Microphone Array Analog-X Coda Audio U Series (U12, U12i, U15) Crest Audio ProTour Series Crestron AM-300/DM XiO Director d&b audiotechnik SL-Series GSL System dBTechnologies Vio L212/Vio S218/B-Hype M/RDNet-EH DiGiCo OSC functionality for SD consoles DPA d:vote 4099 FaitalPro 18XL2000/6PR160/6RS140 FBT Horizon VHA (VHA406A, VHA112SA, VHA118SA) Fiilex Q8 Travel Fohhn Perform-Series (PS-800 and PS-850)/DI-Series Genelec The Ones 8341 and 8331/8430A GLP KNV/Impression FR1 JBL 3 Series MkII/Pro SoundBar/VLA Compact Series Jünger Audio AIXpressor/tieLight Maxx 2400 K-array Event-KREV102/Event-KREV101/Event-KREV80 L-Acoustics P1 AVB processor/LA Network Manager 3.0 MA Lighting grandMA3 Mackie MDB Series Martin Audio SXH218 Merging Technologies Aneman Mipro TA-80 Mitsubishi Electric VS-15NP160/S-SF suite/WE120 DLP NewTek TriCaster TC1/IP Series VMC1 Nexo Excellent Line Next-proaudio DPA4000/LAs418A Orban iSurround headphone monitor Out Board TiMax 500S Outline Arena series 215 CX/212 CX/STSUB-215 Panasonic AK-UC4000/EQ1 series PR Lighting Omega/Aqua 480 Beam QSC Q-Sys UCI Editor/Scripting Engine/Block Controller RCF F 6X, F 10XR, F 12XR, F 16XR/ART3 series updates Riedel Bolero Standalone Application/RSP-1232HL RME Digiface AVB/Digiface Dante/ADI-2 Pro FS Roland XS-62S RTS Odin RTW TM3 Smart/TM3-3G Smart SGM Light Video Pixel Linear series Solid State Logic System T v2.0/DAW Control for System T Sony Venice/SRX-R800 series SoundTube IPD-RS62-EZ/IPD-RS82-EZ/IPD-HP82-EZ Stage Tec Crescendo-T/XFIP board TASCAM DA-6400 v2.0 Tasker C102/C282/C861 Televic Conference Plixus AE-R/Congressify/T-Council TSL Products PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP updates Vaddio AV Bridge MatrixMix/RoboTrak Vitec EZ TV IPTV update/MGW Ace Encoder v2.0 Waves Scheps Omni Channel/Q10 Equalizer/AudioTrack XTA/MC2 Audio 120 Amps Yamaha DZR/DXS-XLF/VXL1 series/WXAD-10

52 49 48 42 42 58 59 44 60 54 34 59 38 34 44 46 49 36 54 40 44 34 38 48 25 26 42 44 36 26 54 30 31 54 30 50 00 32 32 55 43 32 50 34 58 58 52 32 44 52 26 56 56 52 28 40 37 60 40 46 56 52 56 28 46 50 55 50 38 60 60 48 38 28

I/O Interface

1/4 PAGE

It is no longer possible to imagine an AV industry without audio networks. They play a key role in simplifying routing and support everyday work. The need for integrating analog devices in DANTE networks remains strong.

An interface makes it possible to connect available and trusted devices with an existing network. With the intelligent NA2-IO-DLINE Interface from NEUTRIK, the integration can be completed in just a few short steps.

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 25

PRODUCTS

dBTechnologies in travel update

Vio L212 VIO L212 is a 3-way active line array module designed for large touring sound reinforcement applications while also providing optimised coverage behaviour and more userfriendly configurable rigging solutions.

DSP provides intelligibility, sound definition and more headroom, while integrated mechanics reportedly ease set up, transport and storage of the systems.

The addition of two 12-inch woofers placed on the outside in a dipolar arrangement reportedly provides a transient response and an extended and controlled low-end reproduction. The midrange section is mounted in the centre of the cabinet in a horn-loaded configuration, while midrange frequencies are delivered by four 6.5-inch

woofers. The 1.4-inch neodymium compression drivers have been mounted to a waveguide.

Each Vio L212 acoustic engine is driven by two Digipro G4 Class-D 1,600W amplifiers, providing each system with a total of 3,200W RMS. Developed to be the ‘per fect partner’ for the Vio L212 in larger sound reinforcement applications is the Vio S218. Along with a dual 18-inch subwoofer, the Vio S218 extends down to 28Hz, while the system is also driven by two Digipro amplifiers delivering 3,200W RMS. The switched mode power supply is equipped with 90V to 265V 50/60Hz PFC (Power Factor Corrector). The power supply is 380V resistant and, like the Vio L212, also has DSP control.

B-Hype M Elsewhere, B-Hype M is the latest addition to the B·H Series

of portable PA systems and has been developed for travelling shows and other outdoor venues.

The B-Hype M is a batterypowered portable PA system that is equipped with a wireless microphone system, audio media player with Bluetooth connection, SD card and USB port, wheels and a retractable top handle.

The latest instalment in the Ingenia series is the RDNetEH accessor y for the active speakers in the family. Described as being an ‘easy-to-mount’ accessor y that adds real-time control capabilities to the speakers, RDNet-EH now allows all Ingenia speakers to be remote controlled via RDNet protocol and Aurora Net software. www.dbtechnologies.com

A new Horizon for FBT DESIGNED TO deliver ‘optimal audience coverage with added flexibility’, FBT has created the Horizon VHA vertical horizontal array. The solution includes VHA406A full-range module and the VHA112SA and VHA118SA subwoofers.

Constructed in birch plywood with a synthetic rubber surround, each VHA406A comprises four 6.5-inch woofers together with a 1.4-inch large-format neodymium compression driver on a 2.5-inch voice coil. Optimised with BEM finite element simulations, a newly designed central waveguide creates a 90° (H) x 20° (V) dispersion together with focused vertical control across the enclosure’s operating range. The symmetrical

A horizontal Horizon VHA array dispersion provides full HF coherence beyond 18kHz, within the system’s 65Hz to 20kHz range.

The integrated Class-D, switch mode amplifier module delivers 600W and 300W for the respective LF and HF sections, while the internal DSP processor offers

eight user presets for customised system performance. A maximum of six VHA406A cabinets can be rigged courtesy of the integral hardware’s variable angles from 5° to 20° (in 5° steps) and further simplified by including only one setting point per side. Eliminating

both the risk of loss and damage in transport, the setting pins are fixed and integrated into the hardware.

The Horizon VHA system includes quick-release anchor points allowing horizontal arrays to be set up using a dedicated fly-bar, supporting up to three VHA406A cabinets. Multiple fly-bars can be joined for creating arrays with up to 360° coverage.

Sharing the same footprint as the VHA406A in both size and shape, the flyable VHA112SA bassextension module provides low-end extension in small-to-medium-sized applications. Incorporating a 12inch B&C long-excursion woofer, the bass-reflex design promotes a laminar airflow for minimising turbulence and compression, while the 1,200W Class-D amplifier

module includes onboard DSP with filtering, EQ and limiting.

For larger applications, the groundstacked VHA118SA comprises an 18-inch B&C woofer in its birch plywood enclosure. Like the 12-inch model, the bass-reflex subwoofer deploys a laminar airflow, but the 2,500W Class-D amplifier module also provides a selection of six preset algorithms. The design of the VHA118SA is reportedly able to generate high levels of SPL for prolonged periods. The VHA118SA is capable of extending overall system frequency response down to 30Hz and can fully support groundstacked configurations with its integrated mounting hardware. www.fbt.it

Outline scales down Stadia OUTLINE HAS expanded its Stadia family with a pair of scaled-down siblings it has dubbed Arena. The Arena series has been designed for smaller venues as well as to integrate with the rest of the family for areas not covered by the main PA in large stadium installations.

The Italian manufacturer also states that the Arena series can be used as a multipurpose outdoor distributed solution for applications such as theme parks, leisure facilities, tourist attractions and public spaces.

The two members of the Arena series are the 215 CX and the 212 CX. Starting with the 215

CX, this features a 15-inch LF transducer and a 15-inch mid-low driver incorporating a coaxial 3-inch diaphragm HF compression driver, mounted on Outline’s proprietary moulded waveguide.

The 212 CX uses the same acoustic design but is fitted with a 12-inch LF driver and 12-inch/3inch coaxial transducer, providing a smaller and lighter option.

Both designs are configured to what Outline describes as ‘two-and-a-half’ way systems both electrically and acoustically and, thanks to the manufacturer’s internal crossover designs, both models can be driven by a single channel of amplification. The

26 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

speakers also feature Outline’s 3-layer elastoplastic weatherproof protection – OutSide Coating Technology.

In a further addition to the Stadia family, the Italian manufacturer has created STSUB-215 as a companion subwoofer for the series. The sub features two bass-reflex loaded 15-inch neodymium woofers, offers a peak SPL of 144dB and has been fitted with 16 M10 rigging points. As with the other members of the family, the sub has also been coated with the OutSide weatherproofing system.

The Arena series

www.outline.it

嘀䔀一吀䤀匀

儀唀䄀䰀䤀吀夀 䄀一䐀 䘀䰀䔀堀䤀䈀䤀䰀䤀吀夀

一䔀圀 䐀匀倀 簀 㜀 圀 䰀䘀 ⬀ ㈀ 圀 䠀䘀 簀 䄀䌀吀䤀嘀䔀 伀刀 倀䄀匀匀䤀嘀䔀 䴀伀䐀䔀䰀匀

䴀愀搀攀 椀渀 䤀琀愀氀礀 ㈀ 㘀䄀 ㄀ 㠀䄀 ㄀㄀ 䄀 ㄀㄀㈀䄀 ㄀㄀㔀䄀 ㄀㄀㈀䴀䄀 ㄀㄀㔀䴀䄀

眀眀眀⸀昀戀琀⸀椀琀

PRODUCTS

All systems go for RCF RCF HAS expanded on its F-Series of analogue mixers with the addition of four new models.

Christened according to the number of channels, the F 6X, F 10XR, F 12XR and F 16XR all offer multi-FX and recording features (the F 6X does not offer a recording facility). Bypassing the requirement for external audio interfaces and multiple connections, high-quality recordings can be created on a computer through the USB on Windows, MacOS and iOS platforms without additional software. Each mixer comes with a full balanced audio path from input to output, for which the Pro DSP FX: 16 adds reverbs (halls, rooms, plates and spring), delays (mono, stereo and multitap), chorus, flangers and echoes to its effects library.

The F 6X 6-channel mixer features two mic preamp inputs, two mono line inputs, two stereo line inputs plus multi-FX with a balanced main output (stereo XLR and TRS).

The mixer features 16 Pro DSP internal FX presets and an aux send (post-FX) with rotary knob

ART 315 Mk4

ART 725 Mk4

control, while the mono channels come with 3-band EQ and 2-band stereo. Equipped with four stereo line inputs, the F 10XR, F 12XR and F 16XR models are equipped with four, six and 10 mic preamp inputs, respectively, in addition to two, four and six stereo compressors.

The Italian manufacturer has also redesigned its ART3 Mk3 series of passive loudspeakers.

Currently comprising the ART 310, ART 312 and ART 315 ART3 models, the Mk4 series comes in an all-black finish and a new aluminium rear panel equipped with SpeakON inputs and outputs. Designed to dampen down vibrations at maximum volume settings, the moulded polypropylene composite cabinets come with a redesigned front grille. Inside the 300W RMS-rated

driver on a 90° x 60° horn. The TT 10-A provides a maximum SPL of 130dB. The low-mid frequency section has a 10-inch neodymium magnet cone driver, while the HF section incorporates a 2.5-inch diaphragm compression driver, also on a 90° x 60° horn. Lastly, the HF section of the TT 20-CXA features a 60° x 90° horn-loaded 2.5-inch compression driver suitable for medium- and largescale applications. www.rcf.it

TT 08-A II

Yamaha gets married

The IPD-RS62-EZ

SoundTube’s Dante approach SOUNDTUBE’S IPD-RS62-EZ, IPD-RS82-EZ and IPD-HP82EZ are described by the manufacturer as being the industry’s only Dante-enabled pendant speakers.

All three models use SoundTube’s BroadBeam Ring dispersion technology for messaging and music over a wide area including off-axis from the speakers. The IPD-HP82-EZ pendant uses a BroadBeam HP compression driver with waveguide for use in rooms with extra high ceilings. Applications for IPD pendants include any facility with high or open ceilings, such as houses of worship, schools, hotels, meeting

cabinets, RCF has integrated its latest LF woofer and HF compression driver technology.

The ART 315 and ART 312 models are equipped with a top handle and two side handles for easy transportation, while the ART 310 features a single top handle.

Forming part of the 7 series, the ART 725 passive speaker has also been enhanced and tonally improved. Distinguished by its sloped rear profile and rated at 650W RMS, the Mk4 version comprises a 1.5-inch compression driver (with 3-inch voice coil) and 15-inch woofer (with 3.4-inch voice coil) and a new aluminium rear panel equipped with SpeakON connectors.

Finally, RCF is now shipping Mk2 versions of its TT 08-A and TT 10-A 2-way monitors, alongside its TT 20-CXA stage monitor. The TT 08-A II is one of the smallest members of the TT+ family yet and offers a maximum SPL of 128dB. The low-mid frequency section employs an 8-inch neodymium magnet cone driver, while the HF section houses a 1-inch diaphragm compression

spaces, bars and restaurants.

With digital signals plus power sent directly to the speakers via a standard category cable, they do not require amplifiers or D/A converters, and are interoperable with a host of other products operating on the Dante platform worldwide.

The speakers may be used with SoundTube’s ST-Net Switch – which provides up to 40W PoE for each speaker – or with standard PoE or PoE+ switches.

All three speakers are available in a black or white (paintable) finish, while hanging hardware is included. soundtube.mseaudio.com

28 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

DESCRIBED AS the ‘ideal marriage’ of the company’s DSP, amplifier design and speaker development, Yamaha’s DZR and DXS-XLF ranges include, for the first time, Dante audio networking. The DZR series incorporates the 2-way DZR15, DZR12 and DZR10 (with Dantefitted DZR15-D, DZR12-D and DZR10-D versions) and the 3-way DZR315 (with the Dante-fitted DZR315-D). There are four DXS-XLF extended low-frequency subwoofers: the DXS18XLF, DXS15XLF and the Dante-enabled DXS18XLF-D and DXS15XLF-D. The DZR models all feature a rotatable, constant directivity horn for horizontal or vertical mounting and have been designed to provide level coverage with minimal roll-off. The HF transducers comprise a 2-inch voice coil and a 1-inch throat compression driver, a titanium diaphragm and neodymium magnet, housed in a heatresistant aluminium cast frame.

The 15- and 18-inch DXS-XLF models incorporate onboard D-XSUB bass processing for managing the lower frequencies, Normal mode for a low-frequency response and Boost mode for a ‘tighter, punchier response’. The

DZR15-D Xtended LF mode drops the low end down even further to levels previously unheard of in a cabinet of this size, according to the manufacturer.

Also new is the VXL1 range of column-type line arrays: the VXL1-8, VXL1-16 and VXL1-24.

They are based on multiple arrays of the same 38.1mm driver found at the heart of Yamaha’s VXS1ML speaker with the number of drivers corresponding to the number at the end of the unit’s name; for example, the VXL1-8

features eight 38.1mm drivers.

All three are IP35-rated, paintable enclosures that come in black or white, and are supplied as a Lo-Z unit as standard, with the option for Hi-Z if requested. They each measure 54mm wide by 103mm deep with heights of 480mm (VXL1-8), 846mm (VXL1-16) and 1,212mm (VXL1-24). Yamaha states that the frequency range and sensitivity is consistent across the series.

A wall mounting bracket is supplied with each speaker in the VXL1 series, while the VXL1-16 and VXL1-24 feature dispersion expander switches that allow expansion of the lower vertical dispersion without the need to adjust the angle of the speaker.

Finally, the WXAD-10 MusicCast wireless streaming adaptor has been developed by Yamaha to support wireless music playback via Bluetooth and Airplay. It allows music to be streamed from smartphones and tablets, and can access a variety of online streaming and radio services.

The Yamaha MusicCast sharing and control features facilitate the sharing of music between MusicCast-enabled devices. www.yamahaproaudio.com

Evolving with you.

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

NEWS

PRODUCTS

Music rebrands to Music Tribe

Top performance from Fohhn FOHHN AUDIO has enhanced be per formed via the proprietary both its PT-70 and Focus Venue Fohhn Audio Soft software. series with the development of The DI-Series amplifiers come the Per form-Series PS-800 and with DSP inputs and outputs, Bumat in action at the BMW Museum PS-850 subwoofers. The nona power supply that includes turbulent por t designs of the a microprocessor with various single and dual 18-inch models sensory functions, AES/EBU, can be stacked or combined to Dante connectivity, Optocore, form horizontal, ver tical or endFohhn AIREA and analogue (XLR) firing Focus sub arrays. input interface options and

Protec partners with Bumat UAE: Protec has signed a memorandum of understanding with Bumat Motion Systems GmbH to establish a partnership. Protec believes the new relationship will enable it to provide a more comprehensive product offering, and make it the industry’s leading source in the Middle East for rentals of turntables and revolving platforms for events and exhibitions.

‘Over the last year, we have had more and more requests for revolves, particularly in the motor industry,’ said Protec’s founder Fohhn PS-850 subwoofer and CEO, Stephen Lakin. ‘We felt that working together with a world leader like Bumat would be paint, the Finished in a PU-coated ideal to beef up ourare stocks both solution vented subwoofers with a quality product birch that we could housed in multiplex offer our clients. plywood cabinets, for which the Bumat’sismodular can PS-850 capablesystem of producing supply turntables of any size low-frequency extension down to and made105kg. of 27Hzcarrying (±3dB)capacity: and weighs aluminium or steel,byinDI-Series diameters When powered ranging fromreal-time 0.1m to 55m and amplifiers, control capable of accommodating of the sub array’s beam load weights fromcharacteristics 10kg to 450 metric dispersion can

tons. Our customers can now order turntables out of the standardsystem or have them planned and manufactured according to their individual requirements. They can individualise any turntable with regards to carrying capacity, installation height, construction design, mode of operation and serviceability.’

‘As an owner-run family business, we have been installing systems and managing numerous projects for well-known customers all around the globe since the company was founded in 1948,’ added Bumat’s managing director, Timo Burgmeier. ‘Dedicated assembly and service teams with many output years SpeakON/Phoenix terminal of experience are at our customers’ connections. disposal wherever they in Having announced thatmay fivebe: further Germany, Europe or will anywhere else DI-Series amplifiers be added in the world. are sure our comingWe months, thethat German agreement with willshipping be a manufacturer is Protec currently positive step – (2 both for us as well as the DI-2.2000 x 2,000W/4Ω) the East(4 region.’ andMiddle DI-4.1000 x 1,000W/4Ω) 2- and 4-channel models. www.bumat.com www.productiontec.com www.fohhn.com

WORLD: Music (previously known as Music Group) has once again rebranded. Now known as Music Tribe, the company is home to brands such as Behringer, Klark Teknik, Lab.gruppen, Lake, Midas, Tannoy, TC Electronic and Turbosound. The music-group.com URL now redirects to the organisation’s new web address, musictri.be.

In a LinkedIn article, CEO Uli Behringer explained the reasoning behind the recent name change.

‘Music Tribe is a very different organisation and we’re proud to be different,’ he said. ‘We try very hard THE NEXT-GENERATION studio to get rid of everything “corporate” monitors in the 3 Series have and convert into a for Tribe where our been designed both hobbyists and audio professionals working in music, film, post and broadcast productions. With the JBL Image Control Waveguide and refined transducers, the MkII versions reportedly offer detail, precise imaging, a wide sweet spot and dynamic range for listening capabilities in a production space.

The monitors are available in three configurations: the 305P MkII (5-inch woofer), 306P MkII (6.5-inch woofer) and 308P MkII (8-inch woofer). They also offer controlled bass courtesy of long-throw woofers and the JBL IRAN: auditorium at Neyshabur Slip The Stream low-frequency port, University serves many functions and, along with woven-composite, as 1-inch such, required a new professional neodymium tweeters.

A/VThe setup that could a company has manage also refined diverse range of applications. the low-frequency transducers Following a string of successful for greater linearity and lower projects at other universities across harmonic distortion but also Iran, Pezhvakferrofluid Taban Ofogh (PTO) was fine-tuned damping in approached to design a solution.

about shareholder value, the worst objective any company can possibly have as it takes away the focus from what truly matters – your customers.

‘We are working very hard to eliminate all corporate nonsense in order to become a flat, lean and empowered Tribe where people have The head of the Tribe amongst his friends Tribers’ (employees’) mission is to enable life-changing experiences for our Friends (customers). We don’t have any C-level executives nor board of directors, nor are the[a] high-frequency transducers we to quarterly forslaves a faster transientbudgeting. response.

Most don’t care Dual,importantly integratedwe Class-D power amplifiers are said to offer varying ranges for different projects.

Meanwhile, JBL’s latest Pro SoundBar has an additional optimised feature designed to address the unique requirements of hotel guest rooms, cruise ship staterooms and other commercial environments. Pro SoundBar supports both fixed and variable source volume. In fixed volume scenarios, Pro SoundBar offers an IR Learning capability which allows it to ‘learn’ the IR pulse of a TV remote’s volume controls.

The loudspeaker’s 4-position Universitylimiting officialsswitch soughtallows to emphasise volume the institution’s history the and character integrators to control as part of the projectIt specification. maximum output. includes a To ensure thisisolation was met,wall-mounting the PTO team put vibration together designsspeakers for the client kit and multiple uses full-range torather choose from.

The design ultimately than a separate subwoofer, chosen the are installation a sound both ofsaw which said to of limit setup comprising sound spillage. a Behringer X32 digital mixer, a Montarbo RA16 line

JBL’s 3 Series returns

clear roles and responsibilities,’ he continued. ‘We are very proud that over the past 30 years, we have built one of the largest and fastest-growing organisations in Variable our industry.’

Elsewhere, the Line Array (VLA) Compact Series www.musictri.be long-throw line array solution is designed to offer the same performance as its predecessor with the difference being that the latest version has been developed monitors array system, mics, and for smalland AKG mid-sized stadia and from Edirol and Cakewalk.

DTS arenas as opposed to just Alarger lighting system also installed, venues.

The VLAwas Compact is for as was a Panasonic PT-EX800 projector permanent applications requiring and Reflecta projection screen and a even coverage, intelligibility range of Aten splitters andofswitchers. and audio levels capable ‘We are extremely happyThe to have overcoming crowd noise. the chance to equip beautiful models include dual this 10-inch auditorium fordrivers Neyshabur University,’ low-frequency featuring said Arash Sadri PTO. ‘There was Differential Drive of technology, with a request for ahorizontal high-level coverage auditorium 65° and 100° among available.

NeyshaburAacademics options subwoofer and dual now 15-inch that request has been with Differential Drive answered.

This available, auditoriumwhile is able woofers is also to support everything fromweather scientific the speakers also include conferences programmes, protection outtoofmusical the box, with an and therefore can play an effective IP55-rated fiberglass enclosure rolesteel in promoting education and and end panels. culture in this ancient city.’

PTO provides flexibility

www.jbl.com www.pto-co.com

INDEPENDENT & COLLABORATIVE Stands alone and plays nicely with others

1/3 PAGE

MA40 MINI AMPLIFIERS A range of mini amplifiers and accessories designed with commercial applications in mind.

Suitable for digital signage, huddle-spaces and micro-zones.

www.cloud.co.uk 228x112.indd 1

30 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Range includes 100V, Ethernet, RS-232, Active Facility Port & Bluetooth Interoperability.

11/08/2017 07:27

January–February 2018 PRO AVL MEA 11

PRODUCTS PRODUCTS

Tasker’s Size not a problem Controlled connection fireGenelec safety for solution GENELEC’S LATEST 8341 and 8331 Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) studio monitors have joined the 8351ISinoffering its point source TASKER a solution monitor rangedealing which with the company to integrators the calls The Ones.

All three monitors EN50575 – CPR regulations create what Genelec describes as the world’s smallest 3-way coaxial monitors.

Contained in enclosures no larger than a traditional 2-way Genelec 8040 or 8030, the latest additions aim to do away with the previous constraints of coaxial point source setups.

The coaxial driver design looks to provide accurate imaging and improved sound quality, both onand off-axis, and vertically as well as horizontally. The woofers are concealed beneath the Directivity Controlled Waveguide.

The unit has been designed monitor works with Genelec with sound reinforcement, music Loudspeaker Manager for setting studios, broadcast applications adjustments, while the 8430A’s and recording in mind.

Essentially, feature calibrates IPitAutoCal is a male three-pin to female based monitoring for listening three-pin XLR connector. environments.

Like other Genelec The Audiofix 303 connector is monitors, is recognisable housed in aitnickel-plated zinc for its Minimum Diffraction Enclosure alloy chassis and is fully passive, for colour-free accuracy, flowwith a latching mechanism on optimised both ends. reflex por t and Directivity Controlled Waveguide.

SWITCHCRAFT’S AUDIOFIX the analogue andaudio digital inputs.

303 Inline XLR controlled Atconnector a listening distance of just to has been designed 20offer inches, maximum SPL threethe points of switchable capability control. (headroom) is said to be This raised by more than control comes in 5dB. the form of Fur ther launches include a switchable ground lift function, the 8430A audio over IP SAM –20dB attenuation circuit studio monitor enables and a pins 2 and direct 3 180° monitoring of inverse audio over IP phase switch. streamEach content and switches is described of these is as being the firston studio accessible the female side monitor suppor ting both AES67 of the connector. and Ravenna standards. The

New additions to The Ones series

www.switchcraft.com www.genelec.com

The PH120 compliant range for fire safety. While it has more than 70 different audio, video and data cables certified to this standard, another option is its range 8430A-1 of EN50200 – PH120 compliant cables that do not need to follow the Likerules. the 8351, bothmanufacturer the 8341 CPR The Italian and 8331 becables orientated states that can these can be horizontally vertically using and installed intoorany kind of facility an IsoPod base for for areadjustable also resistant to direct flame isolation differentof up to two and hourstoatfitainto temperature working 850°C. environments. But while 8341 and 8331 both In thethe unshielded category, 2 echo the28351 in form and TSK201, 1.5mm the 1mm 2 function, the2.5mm new models have TSK203 are TSK202 and been reengineered to meet the identified by their purple sheaths challenges for their more compact and are recommended for voice dimensions (350mm x 237mm evacuation and PA systems.

For xshielded 243mmcables, for thethe 8341, and red sheathed 2 299mm x 189mm x 212mm for 1.5mm TSK302 1mm2 TSK301, the and 8331).

2.5mm2 TSK303 have been Despite for thefire pair’s new systems. designed detection sizes, unit incorporates Finally,each the C729 Cat-6a cable is three of and the Finnish doublestages shielded wrapped with manufacturer’s Class-D glass fibre that the manufacturer amplification andproduct Intelligent Signal states makes the suitable Sensing technology. for many energy-saving operative applications Theable short-term maximum and to transmit controls,output data, capacities the during models digital audiofor or each video,ofeven is 110dB SPL for the 8341 at a fire.

1m, and 104dB SPLare formade the with All of these cables 8331 at 1m, with accuracy better red copper stranded formation, than ±1.5dB, respective silicone rubberand cores and sheath in frequency responses starting LSZH polymer, M1 quality. at 45Hz and 38Hz (–6dB) and extending beyond 40kHz both for www.tasker.it

3/4 PAGE ... are not synonymous with TOA‘s horn speaker.

TU-660/M

60W

Driver Unit for Horn Speakers

High quality sound High SPL High durability

Drastic acoustic enhancement made possible with the switch to ring diaphragm.

TOA‘s expertise and long-year research have brought a brand new driver unit to horn speaker market. Improvement of low frequency range as well as high range by applying ring-type diaphragm is an innovative progress in the horn speaker history. Furthermore, TU-660 has realized higher durability compared to conventional models.

Experience more clarity than ever.

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

I I

TOAasiapacific TOAeurope

www.toa.co.in I TOAINDIA www.toa.jp (TOA global)

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 31

PRODUCTS

Specialised event solutions from K-array K-ARRAY HAS assembled applications. The Eventseveral of its solutions into the KREV101 is described as K-array Event line that have the base element of the been specifically chosen for Event line and is intended for their ability to service event clients with ‘ever-changing productions. demands’.

The Event line is comprised The mono Kobra-KK102 and of all-white modular Thunder-KMT12 combination components arranged to form can be used as the building three separate audio solutions blocks for larger sound for different occasions. reinforcement at bigger The Event-KREV102 is venues or the modular composed of a Kobra-KK102 component can stand on its loudspeaker featuring Pure own to provide background Array Technology to provide music or speech applications uniform long-throw coverage on a smaller scale. and a Thunder-KMT12 Lastly, the Event-KREV80 subwoofer. is a solution comprised The pole that connects of four Anakondathe two elements has KAN200+ loudspeakers been designed to create a and is designed to wrap continuous discreet line and to around a venue providing hide cables at the same time. background music. To drive The kit also the passive speakers, comes with four the set includes Anakonda-KAN200+ a Thunder-KMT12 loudspeakers for powered subwoofer an alternative to aid setup and solution to the Kobra integration. for integration in www.k-array.com The Event line spatially challenging

Intelligent power NEXT-PROAUDIO HAS put its DPA4000 power module with DSP at the heart of its new powered speaker series. The first cabinet to benefit from this is the LAs418A double 18-inch active reflex subwoofer.

The DPA4000 is a 4,000W RMS, lightweight, Class-D powered amplifier module, with PFC switch mode power supply.

The PC-controlled networkable DSP runs at 24-bit/96kHz and features AD/DA low noise converters. An intelligent automatic standby mode is activated when the amplifier detects no input signal. The unit provides six factory-defined and two user-defined presets that can be accessed by the front module panel or real-time edited by a PC, using the supplied Soundware II software, via RS-485 or USB remote control.

With the Soundware II software, it is possible to edit the six preloaded presets and store it in one of the two free memories.

Editable parameters are input equalisation, input delay, input high-pass/low-pass filters and the

LAs418A ‘Bass Enhancer’ function. A total of 255 units can be controlled simultaneously by the software.

As for the LAs418A sub itself, it houses two long excursion B&C 18-inch drivers and is capable of delivering down to 24Hz at –10dB. The 89kg, front-loaded, bass-reflex enclosure measures 1,030mm x 516mm x 920mm (WxHxD) and offers a maximum peak SPL of 143dB. The sub incorporates eight handles and is housed within a multi-laminate birch plywood enclosure, finished in a textured black semi-matte coating. www.next-proaudio.com

Ready, P1 L-ACOUSTICS IS shipping its P1 AVB processor and measurement platform, a 3-in-1 system that combines front-end processing, audio bridging and signal distribution with system measurement and tuning. The P1 fully integrates with the manufacturer’s LA Network Manager software and aims to streamline the tasks of system deployment and optimisation to a single piece of hardware.

At its core, the P1 is a signal processor with equalisation, delay

The P1 and dynamics. It possesses four analogue line inputs with A/D conversion and integrates 20 inputs and 16 outputs within a 1U space.

The P1 can matrix, bridge and distribute AVB, AES/EBU and analogue audio, while time-aligned redundant signal distribution reportedly offers artefact-free sound with the click of a button.

Additionally, L-Acoustics has stated that the upcoming release of LA Network Manager 3.0 will make use of P1’s four microphone preamps to create an analyser for all system parameters, enabling system tuning without additional noise. LA Network Manager has also been equipped with an Autoclimate tool that integrates temperature and humidity

information from sensors on the P1 once in live mode, so that users can adapt the system accordingly without going back through the entire workflow.

Speaking of LA Network Manager, the real-time systems control and monitoring software has recently seen the addition of Autoalign to automatically calculate proposed relative delay and polarity for

complementary systems such as subwoofers and fills.

Soundvision has also seen some updates. Autosplay allows sound designers using the 3D, real-time acoustical simulation software to define a target SPL along an audience area by calculating the optimum speaker angles, while the Autofilter function applies DSP settings to ensure the system is further optimised for clear, even coverage throughout a venue. www.l-acoustics.com

WPC’s sub companion

MARTIN AUDIO’S SXH218 is a hybrid passive subwoofer designed as a companion to its WPC (Wavefront Precision Compact)

line array system in low-end heavy applications or permanent installations requiring plenty of bass, such as nightclubs. It is

32 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

equipped with a pair of 4.5-inch coil, 18-inch drivers with waterresistant cones and triple roll surrounds, and can reportedly achieve a maximum SPL of 148dB. The British manufacturer states that the SXH218 is able ‘to produce significantly higher output levels than a traditional reflexloaded subwoofer’ due to its Hybrid horn/reflex that combines the ‘acoustic efficiency and impact of bass horn technology with the low-frequency extension of

a reflex design’. The enclosure is built from multi-laminate plywood coated with textured black polyurea. A rigid, perforated steel grille protects the front of the cabinet, while the top and bottom surfaces are protected by interlocking skids, preventing movement when stacked.

The passive subwoofer can be powered by a single channel of Martin Audio’s iK42 4-channel amplifier or a bridged pair if the SXH218’s maximum output is

needed. The cabinet’s connector sockets are wired to allow a single 4-core cable from the amplifier to power two SXH218s.

The SXH218’s settings are predetermined by a parameter set in Martin Audio’s Vu-Net software when the subwoofer is powered by the iK42. Alternatively, settings are available from the Martin Audio website when the unit is used with other amplifiers. www.martin-audio.com

PERFECT BALANCE XY SERIES P ROFESSIONAL SP EAKERS From booth monitor to dance floor installs, the versatile XY Series speakers deliver immersive sound and consistent coverage throughout venues of every shape and size.

halcyon | San Francisco | US

Pioneerproaudio | pioneerproaudio.com | #madeintheuk

PRODUCTS

Coda expands U Series subwoofer line CODA AUDIO’S latest U Series subwoofers have been described by the manufacturer as offering compact, efficient and costeffective solutions for almost any application.

The U12, U12i (a slimline wallmounted version) and the U15 universal subwoofer have been designed with new, long excursion, low-distortion 4� woofers, incorporating carbon fibre cones.

This reportedly achieves maximum power and cost efficiency, used in combination with systems

using Linus5C DSP amplifiers.

The U12 and U12i are single 12inch subs with a power handling of 800W. The U15 is a 15-inch subwoofer with a power handling of 1,000W and an SPL of 133dB. All three models feature low port compression, low-distortion woofers and have an optimised enclosure design, giving a tight bass response. The range is said to be suited to small-scale or mobile applications that require compact solutions, without compromising power.

The subwoofers complement the existing U4-SUB, a high output box with a double 18-inch, lowdistortion woofer which offers power handling of 2,500W. The U4 is designed to work exclusively with Coda Audio Linus amplifiers, as an integrated solution for DSP control, network remote control and diagnostic. It is suited as a sub extension for the HOPS Series and TiRAY, extending system performance to 30Hz.

The U12 sub

www.codaaudio.com

B&C offers balance

Beyma extends HF and LF ranges

EXTENDING ITS series of high output coaxial transducers including the 12-inch 12CXN88 and 15-inch 15CXN88, B&C Speakers has developed a 4-inch version. Designed to offer a careful balance between HF and LF output, the 4CNX88 is rated at 250W (programme power) with a 70° nominal coverage pattern.

FOLLOWING THE launch of the 18LEX1600Nd low-frequency transducer in 2017, Beyma has further developed two new highper formance subwoofers in the form of the 21LEX1600Nd and 15LEX1600Nd models. Designed and optimised for direct radiation, the two latest bandpass subwoofers incorporate Maltcross cooling system (MMSS) technology to further enhance the cooling efficiencies of the voice coil. Specially designed for vented cabinets and loaded horn designs, both subwoofers feature long excursion capabilities providing high outputs with low distortion.

Rated with power capacities of 1,600W AES, the latest 21inch and 15-inch low-distortion subwoofers include a double silicon spider, an exclusive neck coupling reinforcement (NCR) membrane, full waterproof cone treatment and an FEA-optimised neodymium magnetic circuit.

While exhibiting ultra-low air noise and non-linear behaviour, each woofer comes with a double silicone spider, 4-inch Duo double layer in/out copper voice coil and an aluminium de-modulating ring. While the 15-inch model weighs 9.6kg and is capable of producing low frequencies down to 41Hz, the 21LEX1600Nd weighs 11.8kg producing down to 30Hz.

sensitivity rating of the 4CNX88 is 86dB. In addition, the Italian transducer manufacturer has developed two further 4-inch LF drivers for compact 2-way cabinet designs.

Both rated with 200W continuous programme power capacities, the 4NDF34 and 4NDS34 woofers combine 1.3-

The new 4CXN88 4-inch coaxial The shared neodymium magnet assembly features an aluminium demodulation ring for reduced distortion, a double silicone woofer spider with optimised compliance, a waterproof woofer cone (front side) and a pure titanium high-frequency diaphragm.

Designed to operate within a 95Hz to 18kHz response, the

inch copper voice coils and a neodymium magnet assembly.

Providing 88dB sensitivity, the 4NDF34 operates within a 110Hz to 8kHz frequency range, while the 4NDS34, comprising glass fibre with copper winding material, operates within a 80Hz to 2kHz response. www.bcspeakers.com

21LEX1600Nd The Spanish transducer developer has also introduced three new compression drivers incorporating 1.75inch voice coils with 1-inch throats. Designed to provide a competitive linear per formance, the CD11Fe, CD11Fe/S and CD11Nd drivers all comprise Beyma PM4 polymers, contributing to low distortion together with a natural timbre.

Features of the drivers include Duo double layer in/out aluminium voice coils and covers together with FEA-optimised ferrite motor structures providing 140W programme power above 1.2kHz. Incorporating patented Maltcross technology, a new family of woofers has also been developed by Beyma. The optimised neodymium motor structures within the 8-, 10-, 12-

and 15-inch models yield very low weights between 2.8kg and 4.2kg.

Designed for high-efficiency bass and mid/bass applications combining high sensitivity and linearity, together with low distortion and weight, the 500W AES 8MC500Nd 8-inch model comes with a 2.5-inch voice coil to provide a sensitivity of 98dB. The 10MC700Nd, 12MC700Nd and 15MC700Nd models all incorporate 3-inch Duo double layer voice coils and provide sensitivities between 97dB and

CD11Nd driver 99dB together with a nominal power of 700W AES. Maltcross technology provides very efficient cooling of the voice coil, reducing power compression losses and resulting in more constant SPLs. www.beyma.com

From analogue mic to digital with the TA-80 MIPRO’S TA-80 is a true digital wideband wireless plug-on transmitter designed to turn any microphone, from measurement microphones, condenser and dynamic wired mics, recording mics and musical instrument mics into a wireless solution.

It features a balanced XLR mic input jack and is compatible with

all of the manufacturer’s ACT-8 Series receivers.

The Taiwanese manufacturer has designed the TA-80 to have a flat and wide frequency response, a low THD and noise floor, fast transient response and strong anti-inter ference.

The unit has eight gain levels and is switchable between 12V

34 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

and 48V (up to 10mA current load) to provide phantom power if required for condenser microphones.

A built-in, high-capacity lithium battery promises five to eight hours of continuous use per charge, while the transmitter can be recharged by dropping it into an intelligent MP-80 charger or by

removing the single battery cell from the TA-80 and placing it into the charger.

The transmitter is also housed within a rugged, lightweight and splash-proof aluminium enclosure.

The green backlit LCD displays all operation parameters. www.mipro.com.tw

MICROFLEX ADVANCE ®

TM

THE INVISIBLE AUDIO SOLUTION FOR AV CONFERENCING

TA B L E A R R AY M I C R O P H O N E S A N D C E I L I N G A R R AY M I C R O P H O N E S New Microflex Array microphones from Shure fundamentally change the voice coverage and capture possibilities in AV conferencing environments. Featuring new patented Steerable Coverage™ technology, each array can configure up to eight pick-up patterns in three dimensions and adjust them for uniform acoustic performance throughout the room.

E L E G A N T LY. P R E C I S E LY. I N V I S I B LY

NMK Electronics Enterprises T: +971 4 266 5244 F: +971 4 262 6682 E: info@electrionics.com W: www.nmkelectronics.com NMKElectronics

nmkelectronics

NMK Middle East FZCO T: +971 4 266 5244 F: +971 4 262 6682 E: info@electrionics.com W: www.nmkelectronics.com nmkelectronics

PRODUCTS PRODUCTS PRODUCTS

CF additions from Celestion No frills Dante CELESTION HAS added two cast aluminium low-frequency drivers to its growing catalogue. The CF1230F and CF1540HD are TWO NEW multichannel audio TWO the NEW latestmultichannel LF drivers to audio be added interfaces have been launched interfaces havemagnet been launched to the ferrite CF range.

by TASCAM that it describes as byRated TASCAM that it RMS, describes as at 500W the 12-inch providing Dante connectivity providing Dante CF1230F has aconnectivity nominal sensitivity without ‘unnecessary features like without ‘unnecessary features of 98dB (1W/1m). Suited forlike mid-level microphone preamps, mid-level microphoneinpreamps, bass applications 2- and 3-way MADI and S/PDIF interfaces, and MADI and S/PDIF interfaces, and systems, the design incorporates other little-used functions’ that other little-used functions’ that a 3-inch, copper-clad aluminium merely add cost and complexity. merely voice add coil.cost and complexity.

Supporting digital audio at up to Supporting digital audioinside/ at up to Comprising a 4-inch 24-bit/96kHz, both units house 24-bit/96kHz, house outside voiceboth coil units and wound analogue line level I/O via D-Sub analogue level I/O former via D-Sub on both line sides of the for connectors (eight on the ML-32D connectors on the ML-32D enhanced(eight heat dissipation, the and four on the ML-16D) and feature and four on the ML-16D) and feature CF1540HD offers a sensitivity front panel LED meters to display front panel(1W/1m).

LED meters to display of 97dB Purpose built both signal level and overload for both level applications, and overload the for for signal subwoofer each active channel. The ML-32D each active channel.

The ML-32D 15-inch woofer features a phaseand ML-16D allow engineers to and ML-16Ddouble allow engineers to matched suspension connect 32 or 16 channels of audio connect channels of audio system32 forora 16 more balanced

between the analogue domain and between the analogue domain and Dante-enabled digital components, Dante-enabled digital components, including the manufacturer’s DAincluding the manufacturer’s DA6400, SS-R250N and SS-CDR250 6400, SS-R250N and SS-CDR250 multichannel audio recorders. multichannel audio recorders.

Additionally, the Japanese Additionally, the Japanese company has also recently company has also recently launched a new media player launched a new media player that combines a slot-loading CD that combines a slot-loading CD player, AM/FM tuner, SD recording player, AM/FMthroughout tuner, SD recording performance the capability and Bluetooth wireless capability and Bluetooth wireless entire excursion of the cone for and USB connectivity. The CD-400U and USB connectivity.

The CD-400U significant distortion reduction. can record from CD or the AM/FM can from CD or thetwin AM/FM Bothrecord drivers incorporate source to CD or to USB media. source to CD orrings to USB media. demodulation in order The player houses XLR balanced The playerharmonic houses XLR to reduce and balanced outputs, RCA unbalanced main outputs, RCA unbalanced intermodulation distortion.main outputs and a second set of RCA outputs and a second set of RCA Both woofers incorporate unbalanced outputs dedicated to unbalanced Celestion’s outputs Balanceddedicated Airflow to the AM/FM source in 1U space. the AM/FM source in Venting technology so1U asspace. to rapidly

An ⅛-inch auxiliary input takes An ⅛-inch auxiliary input takes in audio from external sources, in audio from external sources, combining with the Bluetooth combining with the Bluetooth wireless. A ¼-inch stereo wireless. A ¼-inch stereo headphone output enables quick headphone output enables quick monitoring of operation. A standard monitoring of operation. A standard RS-232C terminal enables external RS-232C terminal enables external remote control, while an optional remote control, while an optional IF-E100 Ethernet card willCF1230F provide IF-E100 Ethernet card will provide IP control over Ethernet in an IP control over Ethernet in an remove heat from the magnet upcoming release. A two-line upcominginrelease. two-line assembly order toA cool the backlit LCD displays the settings for backlitsystem.

LCD displays the settings motor Enhancing their for easy programming and operation. easy programming operation. outdoor application and capabilities, Furthermore, once configured, a Furthermore, configured, a the CF drivers once incorporate weatherPanel Lock function can disable Panel Lock function can disable resistant cones, for which the the panel buttons to avoid the panel to avoid cone of thebuttons CF1230F comes with unauthorised operation. unauthorised operation. an added waterproof coating.

ADI-2 DACspeakers more than New cone from FaitalPro WHILE RME has based its ADI-2 WHILE RME has based its ADI-2 DAC on its ADI-2 Pro AD/DA DAC on its ADI-2 Pro AD/DA converter, the manufacturer insists converter, the manufacturer insists that the new 2-channel digital/ that the new 2-channel digital/three FAITALPRO HAS developed analogue converter is more than just analogue new coneconverter speakersisinmore the than formjust a stripped-back version. aofstripped-back version. two 6-inch LF-MF drivers – the The removal of the Pro’s analogue The removal of the Pro’s analogue 6PR160 and 6RS140 – and inputs, digital outputs and the inputs, digital outputs and the the 18XL2000 18-inch ‘Super balanced headphone mode balanced headphone Woofer’, for which themode XL is a reportedly created space on the reportedly created space on size the reference to its extra-large PCB for more relays, a different PCB more relays, that for goes beyond thea different current double symmetrical attenuator double symmetrical attenuatorWith 4-inch voice coil dimension. circuit and one additional buffer circuit and onerating additional buffer an efficiency of 97dB, OP amp. Offering up to a reported OP Offering up to reported theamp. magnetic circuit ofathe 2,000W-rated woofer (continuous AES) is concentrated in the

120dBA signal-to-noise ratio, 120dBA signal-to-noise ratio, the half-rack, 1U, 32-bit/768kHz the half-rack, 1U, 32-bit/768kHz reference converter features RME reference converter features RME SteadyClock technology, 5-band SteadyClock technology, 5-band line arrays and 3-way systems. parametric EQ, bass/treble parametric EQ, bass/treble While extending the frequency adjustment, Crossfeed playback adjustment, playback response, theCrossfeed demodulation and loudness control for the andalso loudness control for the The ring reduces distortion. analogue stereo outputs. Operation analoguegenerates stereo outputs.

Operation 6PR160 wide angular is through three encoders with is through three with dispersion, whileencoders withstanding push-button functionality and four push-button functionality 120W continuous power and four further buttons to access dedicated further buttons to accessWith dedicated with 95dB of sensitivity. menus. The unit reportedly menus. unitother reportedly an Fs of The 90Hz, features remembers all current settings, remembers all edge current settings, include a cloth cone, including the menu position. The the menu position.

The aincluding 37mm coil, a magnet assembly composed of a neodymium ring and a newly designed voice coil.

Audionamix launches separation software

www.tascam.com www.celestion.com www.tascam.com

18XL2000 neodymium cap structure with a perforated pad. This external ring, the Italian manufacturer claims, guarantees greater efficiency of the magnet. Despite the decrease in weight owing AUDIONAMIX HAS released a AUDIONAMIX HAS released to the neodymium magnet,a the new version of Trax that it claims new version of Trax thatvoice it claims 4.65-inch diameter coil can separate any song into three can separate three provides a any verysong highinto efficiency. individual stems automatically. individual automatically.

With an stems EBP value of 100Hz, the The Xtrax Stems software is being The Xtrax Stems software is being targeted at DJs and musicians that targeted at DJs and musicians that are looking to manipulate multitrack are looking to manipulate multitrack content during live sets and content during live sets and performances; however, it can also performances; however, it can also be used as a practising tool, allowing be used as a practising tool, allowing musicians to play along with their musicians to play along with their favourite tracks with, for example, the favourite tracks with, for example, the drums or vocals muted. drums or vocals muted.

1/2 PAGE Island

36 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

With an EBP of 261Hz, the 6-inch model can also be horn-loaded.

Its twin brother – the 6RS140 midrange woofer – can operate at 6kHz in the lower part of the acoustic spectrum, lending XTrax Stems is also intended to form XTraxas Stems is also intended itself a medium-low driver.to form an entry-point into the manufacturer’s an entry-point into the manufacturer’s Demonstrating a maximum power complete line of audio separation complete of audio separation handling line of 200W (continuous software, which includes ADX Trax software, which includes ADX Trax power) and a sensitivity rating Pro, ADX SVC and ADX VVC. The Pro, ADX SVC and ADX VVC. The software is currently only available software is currently only available for MacOS 10.11 to 10.13 users. for MacOS 10.11 to 10.13 users.

The four cloud-based separation The four cloud-based separation algorithms used by the software also algorithms used by the software also mean that a high-speed internet mean that a high-speed internet connection is required. connection is required. www.audionamix.com www.audionamix.com

6PR160 18XL2000 promotes itself for use in front-loaded, bass-reflex designs in addition to specialised hybrid- and horn-loaded configurations. Other features include a mirrored double spider, a treated canvas cone edge and a voice coil ventilation cooling UAD SOFTWARE v9.4 for UAD UAD SOFTWARE v9.4 for UAD system. hardware and Apollo interfaces will hardware and Apollo The 6PR160 modelinterfaces has beenwill include Universal Audio’s Empirical include Audio’s Empirical createdUniversal for high-efficiency, Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor Labs EL8 Distressor Compressor midrange speaker designs plug-in. The plug-in has been plug-in. has been focusingThe on plug-in vocal reproduction. created in collaboration with created in collaboration with Incorporating a neodymium Empirical Labs and its founder, Empirical Labs andand its founder, magnet structure aluminium Dave Derr.

Dave Derr. basket, the new woofer can be The Empirical Labs EL8 Distressor The Empirical Labs but EL8isDistressor used as mid-bass, equally Compressor plug-in reportedly Compressor plug-in reportedly suited towards multipurpose provides all the features and sound provides all the features and sound enclosures in sound of the original Distressor design. of the original Distressor design. reinforcement such as smaller

of 93dB, the mid-woofer adopts a 44mm coil, a rubber edge and neodymium circuitry. Filling a gap in the FaitalPro catalogue, a rubber edge has been added to the 6-inch mid-woofer in preference to a typical cloth edge design as it enhances the lower The manufacturer’s team of DSP The manufacturer’s team of DSPat frequency response.

Targeted experts started with a complete experts started with a complete 2-way systems, such as studio circuit trace and component study circuit trace and component study monitors and multipurpose 2- and of Dave Derr’s selected golden of Davesystems, Derr’s selected golden 3-way the sensitivity unit. Simultaneously, the team unit. the team ratingSimultaneously, for the waterproof 6RS140 analysed three more Distressors analysed more Distressors is 93dB. three In addition to enhancing representing the lifetime of representing lifetime of has ventilation, athe central hole the product, creating what the the product, what the been addedcreating to the magnet manufacturer describes as ‘one of manufacturer describes as ‘one of structure to regulate loudspeaker UA’s tightest circuit models to date’.

UA’s tightest circuit models to date’. compression.

UA emulates EL8

www.uaudio.com www.faitalpro.com www.uaudio.com

PRODUCTS

RME in double Digiface move RME’S LATEST mobile audio interfaces, Digiface AVB and Digiface Dante, have been developed for network audio channel transmissions between Windows and Audio/Video Bridging (AVB) devices as well as to support the distribution of Dante-based solutions with more flexibility.

Extending its Digiface series with a Dante model for USB and standalone operations, RME’s Digiface Dante enables the transmission of up to 64 Dante channels and 64 MADI channels, via a single USB 3.0 connection.

It offers an external option for fully mobile operation to the previously available internal Dante PCIe card.

Both BNC sockets for the word clock I/O can be switched to MADI I/O. The 128 Dante and MADI channels can be controlled via the included Dante control software and RME’s TotalMix FX mixer with its routing and monitoring options. This allows users to create independent submixes according to the number of

The Digiface series available outputs. Digiface Dante has two banks of redundant network ports that can be used multi-functionally as inputs and outputs, as network switches and for redundant operation with primary and secondary networks in case of increased security

requirements. In addition, the interface can also be used as a mobile 64-channel Dante/MADI converter if the USB computer connection is not in use.

Digiface AVB enables the transmission of up to 256 network audio channels within an

audio Gigabit network, also via a single USB 3.0 cable. It uses the open IEEE 802.1 protocol as part of the AVB standard and enables streaming of audio data.

USB 3.0 allows up to 128 audio channels to be streamed back to the AVB network and another 128

channels to the computer – with sampling rates of up to 192kHz. Users can adjust the channel sizes of streams between two and 32 channels with AVB audio devices.

Digiface AVB also features word clock I/O and a headphone output for monitoring transmission signals. The package also includes the DSP-based TotalMix FX mixer as well as an AVDECC controller. The controller enables detection of all AVB devices within a network and allows users to manage and monitor incoming and outgoing streams.

Elsewhere, RME’s updated version of the high-end AD/ DA converter, ADI-2 Pro, is the ADI-2 Pro FS. The ADI-2 Pro FS includes the new femtosecond clock technology of the ADI-2 DAC and offers professional users the functionality of its predecessor but with updated clocking. In addition, the AutoDark mode from the new ADI-2 DAC has also been implemented in the ADI-2 Pro FS. www.rme-audio.com

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 37

PRODUCTS

Incoming waves for Crest CREST AUDIO has developed a new range of Class-D amplifiers comprising four models in the form of the ProTour Series, integrating onboard DSP together with Dante and USB/Ethernet connectivity for monitoring and control. The ProTour 8004d (4-channel amplifier with 2,000W/ channel into 4Ω or 70/100V direct drive), 5002d (2-channel amplifier with 2,500W/channel into 4Ω), 4004d (4-channel amplifier with 1,000W/channel into 4Ω) and 3003d (3-channel amplifier with 1,000W/channel into 4Ω or 70/100V direct drive) models all incorporate switch

mode power supply with full bandwidth PWM modulators.

The clip/limiter function provides output monitoring to prevent speaker damage with gentle gain reduction at clip threshold in addition to efficient heat dissipation and overheat protection.

Loudspeaker processing is provided courtesy of the internal DSP engine with sampling rates of 96kHz/24-bit and 24-bit AD/ DA converters. This allows parameters such as IIR HP/ LP crossover filters, RMS compressors, parametric EQ, alignment delays and white/

120 Amps aim to pack a punch

120 Amps THE LATEST 120 Amps from XTA and MC2 Audio are being described by the manufacturers as the ‘most powerful network audio 2-channel amplifiers available’ and have been developed to drive more than just subwoofer arrays.

‘Rather than consider this a launch of just another bigger amplifier for the Delta Series (and the recently introduced XTA DNA Series), what’s more important to realise is the significance of this stereo, Dante-enabled, flagship design,’ commented Waring Hayes, technical brand

manager for XTA and MC2 Audio.

‘With breakthroughs in the use of the very latest output devices and innovative drive circuitry, we have finally eliminated the need to compare against Class-AB designs.’

The 120 Amps are available as Delta 120 and DNA120 models and have 96kHz Dante inputs as an option. Both will deliver over 7,000W per channel into 2Ω and 5,000W per channel into 4Ω. www.audiocore.co.uk www.mc2-audio.co.uk

ProTour 5002d pink noise to be configured.

Parameters can be set, input sources selected and presets loaded from a front panel LCD touchscreen. A Dante network module enables primary and redundant connectivity to the LAN, offering external amplifier control and monitoring.

Available in either 16- or 28-channel frames, the XD-16 and XD-28 are 2U rack-mount digital mixers offering optional Dante networking with remote control and monitoring capabilities. An

integrated Wi-Fi module enables real-time control and monitoring of the processing functions, either by acting as an internal router for direct connection of up to four external devices or by connecting to an external Wi-Fi network.

An optional 4x4 Dante network module provides up to eight channels (4-in/4-out) of audio streaming over a Dante network while extending the inputs of the XD-16/XD-28 by four aux channels and adding four outputs (MON 1-2 and AUX 1-2).

An optional network module can directly link a slave mixer to a master unit via a 100Mbps Ethernet connection, thus expanding the slave mixer’s number of channels. Master and slave units process their own input channels, before the slave sends the streams to the master to collect and mix the signals before output. Audio tracks stored in a USB media port can be recorded or played in 24-bit WAV format. www.peaveycommercialaudio.com

Changing the boundary BEYERDYNAMIC HAS updated the boundary mic included in its TG Drum Set mic kits. The four new sets in the family (Pro S, Pro M, Pro L and Pro XL) will now include the TG D71 boundary instead of the previously supplied TG D50 or TG D70 bass drum mic.

The TG D71 is a professional boundary microphone that works as a pressure gradient receiver and has a halfcardioid polar pattern.

The condenser capsule (back electret) transmits frequencies of 25Hz to 20kHz and can handle a maximum SPL of 148dB. A 3-pin XLR connector is provided for transporting both the audio signal and the phantom power required for operation – the correct power supply is signalled via a red status LED.

beyerdynamic’s Pro XL Drum Set now includes the TG D71 boundary microphone

The mic weighs 413g and has dimensions of 90mm x 86mm x 27mm. According to the manufacturer, this makes it ‘per fectly suited for use in a bass drum, but also for various other applications such as percussion instruments or to record pianos’.

The TG D71’s microphone housing reportedly guarantees protection against damage during day-to-day, on-stage use and, thanks to its construction, it can be positioned in the bass drum without additional fixings.

The rubberised underside ensures a non-slip grip on smooth sur faces and a mounting device is provided for fixed installations. www.beyerdynamic.com

TSL playing a supporting role TSL PRODUCTS’ PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP audio monitors now support SMPTE 2110 and Ember+ standards in an effort to address certain issues users face making the transition to IP. Describing itself as the only manufacturer of audio monitoring units capable of monitoring uncompressed SMPTE 2110 video and audio streams for deployment in essence-based workflows, TSL says that existing PAM-IP TSL Products’ PAM-IP customers already working with SMPTE 2022-6 can easily upgrade the Ember+ protocol, allowing their units to SMPTE 2110. Both them to be deployed in IP facilities PAM1-IP and PAM2-IP also support and OB trucks.

38 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Also available for an upgrade are TSL’s MPA1-Mix-Dante and MPA1-Solo-Dante monitors as

they can now support AES67 audio as part of the ST-2110 standard, making them suitable for monitoring Dante and AES67 audio. Meanwhile, a free software upgrade for MPA-1s to support SNMP will also give users more features including integrated solutions when remotely controlling the monitors using TSL’s TallyMan control system or any third-party control system (supporting SNMP).

Elsewhere, TSL’s latest PAM2IP 3G has been developed to address the requirements of customers needing to monitor

uncompressed SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE 2110 sources. The PAM2-IP 3G is equipped with 2x10 GigE interfaces for direct connection into COTS IP fabrics.

The audio monitoring solution retains the same front panel user interface and feature set from its predecessors, PAM1 MK2 and PAM2 MK2, and also continues to include full monitoring (including metadata) of Dolby-encoded sources, loudness monitoring – complete with histogram display – and video conference monitoring. www.tslproducts.com

EVOX J SYSTEM

The extremely powerful EVOX portable PA systems from RCF altered the landscape of portable PA. RCF takes it one step further with the new EVOX J Series, maintaining a similar footprint to the original EVOX systems, now in a composite enclosure. The EVOX JMIX8 also introduces an 8-input digital mixer to the system. A dedicated app for iOS and Android allows the JMIX8 to be managed from any smartphone. The system offers exemplary sound performance with crystal clear vocal reproduction and unparalleled musical response. This makes the RCF EVOX J Series the smart choice for live entertainment, DJs, parties, club music and corporate events.

EVOX J8

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128 dB Max SPL 1400 Watt 2-way peak power DSP Processing with FiRPHASE 12” woofer, high power 2.5” voice coil 8 x 2” ultra compact fullrange 1.0” voice coil

EVOX JMIX8

ACTIVE TWO-WAY ARRAY MUSIC SYSTEM • • • • • •

All the features of J8 plus: 8-Channel Digital Mixer with multiple FX Bluetooth Audio Hi-Z Input for Musical Instruments Remote Control via RCF Evox App Auxiliary Output

EVOX APP The RCF EVOX App allows you to navigate between pages and fully control the mixer’s parameters even while playing.

www.rcf.it

PRODUCTS

Odin enters the matrix EXPANDING ON its IP-focused product line, the latest addition from RTS is the Odin Omneo digital intercom matrix which has been developed for users wanting to expand intercom functionality with an IP-capable system at large venues.

Offering both IP and analogue technology, the new feature set and form factor aim to make the matrix more accessible and easier to use. Odin comes in a single rack unit package and is also described as being

smaller and less costly to own and operate. It can integrate into most large-scale intercom operations, while also providing a path for system expansion for smaller users wishing to upgrade existing RTS systems to the latest technologies.

With connectors for Omneo IP technology, analogue 2-wire and 4-wire, Odin also supports the Roameo DECT-based wireless system and KP-Series keypanels as well as analogue RTS legacy keypanels. Dante-enabled Omneo is standard on RJ-45 connectors or

is available using optional optical fibre connectors. Users can define ports for any of the available connector types. Odin offers from 16 to 128 ports, while up to eight Odin units can be connected via an optical interframe link to create a single matrix with up to 1,024

intercom solutions,’ explained Wolfgang Fritz, senior product manager at Riedel.

With the Bolero Standalone Application, antennas are daisy-chained via a low-latency, synchronised TDM network to each other in a line or a redundant loop. The solution is designed to be plug-and-play and an external power supply can drive up to five antennas. A 1U, half-width external inter face box with six analogue 4-wires and three GPIOs can be directly connected to any antenna and then linked with an existing intercom system.

System configuration is

achieved via a web GUI internal to the antennas.

Also new from Riedel is the RSP1232HL, a SmartPanel designed to support a variety of workflows with several full-colour, multitouch displays and 32 hybrid-lever keys that each possess an integrated rotary encoder providing control over parameters in the key’s location. Each key is marked by an 8-character main label, a 16-character sub-label and user-defined icon labels, and an icon-based signalling mechanism informs the user of the state of each key.

ports. Additional features include redundant power supplies and five cooling fans (two of which are also redundant). The unit has also been designed to use less than 50W in a bid to minimise operating costs.

The front panel has a colour GUI based on icons to support the most common tasks. The AZedit and IPedit software applications have been updated to support Odin for more complex configuration tasks. www.rtsintercoms.com

Bolero stands alone

A YEAR on from the release of Bolero, Riedel Communications has unveiled the Bolero Standalone Application, a licence-enabled upgrade that delivers standalone functionality and a raft of performance enhancements to the wireless intercom solution.

‘The standalone version of Bolero is a per fect wireless intercom solution for rental houses, clients with smaller requirements where intercom needs can be met solely through the flexibility of Bolero and clients who are already invested in other

The RSP-1232HL is equipped with AES3 digital and SMPTE 2110-30 (AES67) connectivity options. The AES67 connections come in the form of a pair of fibre SFPs and two RJ-45 connections that provide a variety of daisychaining and redundancy options.

Other features include stereo, phase-accurate speakers, frontpanel mic mute and sidetone adjustments, Bluetooth and NFC connectivity, GPIO and 4-wire ports, and a light sensor for autocalibration of screen brightness. www.riedel.net

The RSP-1232HL

Clear-Com increases the I/O CLEAR-COM HAS significantly increased the number of I/O ports on its HelixNet digital networked partyline intercom system. As part of a wider upgrade process, the system has been updated with a 6-fold increase in I/O ports, binaural listening in the HelixNet HXII-BP-X5 beltpack and direct connections to the Agent-IC mobile app and VoIP phones.

Starting with the I/O, by connecting Clear-Com LQ Series devices to the HelixNet Mainstation via an Ethernet module, users can gain up to 24 audio I/O ports assigned to any of the 12 or 24 intercom channels in HelixNet. These additional ports supplement the HelixNet ports for interfacing

with 2-wire and/or 4-wire intercom or audio devices.

The binaural listening upgrade enables split ear functionality to hear the programme feed from one channel to one ear, while the feed from the intercom channel is heard in the other ear.

The final upgrade means that through the LQ interface, any user on the HelixNet system is now able to communicate with users on Clear-Com’s Agent-IC mobile apps running on iOS or Android devices over Wi-Fi, as well as users on VoIP phones via a SIP connection.

In other news, the manufacturer has expanded its Eclipse HX-Delta Matrix frame with a number of new additions. The IVC-32-HX

40 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

The E-Dante64-HX

IP interface card enables IP connectivity across the intercom platform, while the E-Dante64HX card allows Eclipse HX to interoperate with other Danteenabled devices on the network.

The E-QUE-HX card facilitates integration with Clear-Com’s FreeSpeak II digital wireless solution.

The Gemini matrix intercom is a real-time intercom system that features integrated IP capabilities together with interfaces to 4-wire circuits, telephony, AES/MADI, IP panels and SIP for analogue- or IP-based solutions. The matrix intercom supports a range of panels including desktop and rack-mount lever key panels,

touchscreen button panels and virtual panels for smartphones and tablets.

Finally, the manufacturer’s Trilogy brand has created the scalable Mercury solution to provide real-time, full-duplex voice communication. It offers PL4certified voice communications for a true red/black system, meaning multiple security levels can be traversed without compromising IP security.

It also offers interoperability between disparate communication systems over Ethernet/IP, fibre, MADI, POTS, Dante, AES67 and radio interfaces. www.clearcom.com

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PRODUCTS

Remote control from Altair

The ES-203CL with lights on ALTAIR HAS enhanced its range of wired intercom products including a single-channel station together with a compact singlechannel beltpack. Equipped with a built-in panel microphone and speaker for promoting hands-free operation, the ES-201 model can be installed as a desk or as an in-wall station. Designed for use in remote locations such as dressing rooms in theatres and BOH areas, the ES-201 can also be used with a headset or a gooseneck microphone, for which all setup changes are made using different combinations of front panel keys.

The EM-203 Tubecom is a unique device capable of operating as a single-channel cable beltpack with or without a headset when used in hands-free mode. The unit features an integrated speaker and microphone, bypassing the requirement for a headset in lower SPL environments.

Sharing features from both intercom and cue light systems, the ES-203CL is a hybrid that can be deployed as either a desk or

a wall-based station. Designed for production, coordination, security and crowd management applications, the unit allows communication with two independent intercom channels, while implementing a singlechannel cue light receiver. The ES203CL can either be installed as a rack or desk station, in addition to being embedded in a customised hollow courtesy of the variable position of the connections panel.

An integrated speaker, microphone panel and XLR connection are included in the design.

Designed to coordinate theatrical tasks, synchronise special effects during filming or manage sporting events by providing a cue light warning channel, the Madrid-based manufacturer has launched a new series of Cue Light products. Powered via an XLR from any Altair base station or PS-200 power supply, the new master panel EC-200 will send ‘Stand-by’ (red), ‘Ready’ (red flashes) and ‘Go’ (green) indications to receivers before returning to the initial state once the cycle is completed. Creating a multichannel Cue Light control station with up to four EC-200 master units is described as ‘really easy’ thanks to the PC-4200 panel racked-in unit. www.altairaudio.com

The EC-200 master unit

The Holophonix spacial processor

Amadeus tackles live immersive audio AMADEUS IS throwing its weight behind immersive audio for live sound applications with its new Holophonix spatial processor.

The hardware processor brings several different spatialisation techniques for the placement and movement of sources in a 2D and/or 3D space, including wavefield synthesis, high-order ambisonics, distance-based amplitude panning, vector-based amplitude panning and more. The device offers a ‘quasi-unlimited number’ of spatialisation busses, each one able to run one of the different sound algorithms available.

The Holophonix processor is housed in a 3U chassis, machined from aluminium and is anodised. Its front panel is machined from an aluminium block and styled to suit the manufacturer’s audiophile hi-fi products. The processor itself is structured around a multichannel algorithmic reverberation engine that can combine several

different artificial reverberations.

Reflection calculators also allow the user to create several virtual sound spaces.

The hardware is fully redundant, comprising dual redundant power supply units and solid-state drives, as well as being Dantecompatible. The processor also works with show control software and many popular DAWs that are compatible with the Open Sound Control (OSC) protocol, allowing composers to add a control layer to existing software, hardware or network systems.

In addition to Dante, the system can be configured for MADI, Ravenna and AES67 formats.

The processor allows the user to choose the rendering mode for each of the incoming channels.

It natively handles 128 inputs and 128 outputs in 24-bit/96kHz resolution, but can be extended to 256 or 384 inputs and outputs. www.amadeus-audio.com

SD range gets generic, S-Series goes offline

The generic OSC platform for SD consoles DIGICO HAS implemented Generic OSC (Open Source Control) functionality for its SD consoles, allowing third-party OSC protocol devices. Users are able to define their own OSC messages within the console software, using the

SD mixer to send those messages via an Ethernet connection to the device they want to control. This connection is bidirectional, meaning the remote device can also be used to update the console’s generic OSC.

42 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

The SD console’s input channels will display eight user-definable rotaries and eight switches, and send the custom OSC messages when adjusted. These are mapped to the console’s underscreen rotaries and switches. d&b audiotechnik is one of the early adopters of this functionality, employing it for Soundscape.

Therefore, the DS100 Signal Engine can be integrated with DiGiCo’s SD range for bidirectional interoperability.

‘Generic OSC can be used by any third party wanting to take advantage of our work surfaces to control their own technology,’ said James Gordon, DiGiCo managing director. ‘We are delighted that d&b has chosen DiGiCo to join the Soundscape family. Integrating with Soundscape to maximise its creativity is something our clients would expect to see from us.’

Meanwhile, the S-Series has

new functionality in the form of an offline editor. It is compatible with Windows and macOS for use with the S21 and S31. Parameter control is offered through a mouse wheel and a new control strip, while a quick navigation facility is accessed using keyboard shortcuts. Template sessions are also provided for common DMI card and rack setups.

The S-Series Offline Editor

‘The S-Series Offline Editor gives S-Series users the same ability to work on session files offline as they currently have with the SD-Series,’ explained Roger Wood, DiGiCo’s head of software development.

‘This means that a whole show file can be written away from site and simply transferred to the console.’ www.digico.biz

PRODUCTS

Mackie takes to the studio and the stage The MDB-USB, M48 and MTest-1

MACKIE HAS introduced a raft of new lines, targeting sound engineers working with musicians on the stage and in the recording studio.

The MDB Series of direct boxes – comprising MDB-1P passive, MDB2P stereo passive, MDB-1A active and MDB-USB stereo units – is designed for studio and live sound applications. The MDB-1P is aimed

at string instruments, such as guitars and basses, while the MDB-2P is similar in design, only with dual inputs and outputs for stereo sources. The MDB-1A is equipped with active circuitry for ‘ultra-low distortion and noise’, and the MDB-USB includes a USB input and dual XLR outputs for sending signals to FOH straight from a laptop.

Alongside the MDB Series in the Mackie product catalogue are the MTest-1 cable tester and M48 48V

phantom power supply. The MTest-1 tests every pin via a 5-way switch and is powered by a 9V battery, allowing engineers to test beneath the stage or behind a stack of speakers.

The M48 delivers 48V of power to devices and microphones that require external power and, according to Mackie, can be used in professional studios and live sound applications, as well as by individual content creators such as podcasters.

Targeting studios and broadcast applications, Mackie has also released the HM Series of headphone amplifiers, which consists of the ultra-compact HM-4 and the rackmount HM-400 and HM-800 units. The HM-4 is a 4-way unit with a ¼-inch stereo input and four ¼-inch headphone outputs, each with individual level controls.

With four channels, the HM-400 features a main input with level control as well as stereo outs, aux inputs and EQ per channel with 12 total headphone outputs. Finally,

the HM-800 has eight channels, offering up to 10 available mixes and a total of 16 headphone outputs. The HM-800 also features two discrete main inputs with level control plus stereo outs, aux inputs per channel and 16 total headphone outputs.

Rounding out the latest stream of releases from the American manufacturer is the MP Series of professional in-ear monitors,

formed of the single dynamic driver MP-120, dual dynamic driver MP220 and dual hybrid driver MP-240 models. Each model is built with ergonomically moulded enclosures and comes with three different types of ear tips. The detachable cables are shielded and internally braided, and are equipped with MMCX connectors. www.mackie.com

The HM Series

The MP Series

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 43

PRODUCTS

Calibrated precision meets convenience AUDIO PRECISION has expanded its range of measurement microphones with the 376M03 calibrated microphone system, mounting a 377M32 ½-inch cartridge to the new 426M16 phantom-powered preamplifier in its ½-inch configuration. The 426M16 can be purchased individually and is designed to ‘combine the precision of calibrated, standardised

measurement microphones with the convenience of ubiquitous mic accessories’.

The preamplifier features balanced connections for improved immunity to induced noise and can be connected via XLR. It comes with adapters, facilitating its use with ½-inch or ¼-inch standard IEC 61094-4 prepolarised microphone cartridges and has been developed to allow users to configure their

Biamp updates collaboration Biamp’s Devio family

BIAMP SYSTEMS has enhanced its Devio platform of collaboration solutions with beam tracking microphones to make it simpler and faster to install in smaller spaces. The manufacturer states that the next generation of the family ‘offers enhancements that broaden room design flexibility, delivers improved video capabilities and expands support for VoIP/POTS handsets and mobile devices’.

Designed for huddle rooms and other small meeting spaces, Devio is a USB audio interface that supports a variety of room designs for computer-based conferencing

including a BYOD approach or connection via a dedicated in-room PC. Joining the CR-1 DSP, DTM-1 tabletop and DCM-1 ceiling microphones in the Devio lineup are a pair of conferencing hubs. The SCR-20 builds on the capabilities of the CR-1 with full integration of HDMI audio, support for 4K30 video and HDCP 1.4.

Meanwhile, the SCR-25 adds to this with support for Bluetooth wireless technology and a wired VoIP/POTS headset interface.

microphone system to specific measurement applications, taking into account the higher sensitivity

and lower self-noise of mics with larger diameters and the wider frequency range of smaller units.

www.ap.com

ClearOne adds the X factor CLEARONE IS targeting applications where a more demanding ceiling mic performance is needed with its Ceiling Microphone Array Analog-X. Joining the original ClearOne Ceiling Microphone Array, the new model reportedly offers systems integrators more options in their system design.

Available in black or white, the unit itself features numbered mic elements for easy identification, an LED indicator for On/Off/Mute and the ability to daisy-chain up to four ceiling microphone arrays to make 12 microphone systems. It is also 100% shielded from any interference, can be installed more than 2m away from the ceiling and works with any DSP mixer.

In other news, the manufacturer has announced that its Converge Pro 2 48V, 128V and 128VD DSP mixers now support built-in Skype for Business clients for

Ceiling Microphone Array Analog-X installed audio conferencing applications. The feature is available through a free upgrade for the software and firmware.

It works with both cloud and on-premises Skype for Business servers, and is compatible with all other Skype for Business clients. Additionally, there are

new and separate Converge Pro 2 Dialer applications for Skype for Business that are available on Android and the Touch-Panel Controller.

Finally, the manufacturer has also introduced a software upgrade for its View Pro system. ‘With the View Pro system’s new web-based GUI, simple tasks, such as assigning IP addresses, configuring streams and even signal routing across a large installation can be done just by entering one device’s URL into the web browser,’ explained ClearOne sales director for network video and audio distribution, Lewis Eig. ‘In addition to that, the View Pro Console upgrade gives integrators the easiest interface to configure the encoders and decoders, and to create and manage A/V streams for projects of any scale.’ www.clearone.com

www.biamp.com

d:vote gets DPA’s vote EXPANDING ON its Core series, DPA’s d:vote 4099 instrument microphones have been developed for woodwind and acoustical instruments and are described as being ‘a great fit’ for applications ranging from the studio and theatre to live performances during primetime broadcasts.

The latest addition features a more distinguished foam cover that helps decrease vulnerability to wind or movement during a per formance. Available in two versions to match the SPL of an instrument, d:vote 4099 lowers

Phantom-powered measurement microphones

The mic system performance offers a noise floor as low as 15.5dBA and a frequency response up to 100kHz, depending on the microphone cartridge configured with the 426M16.

The mic cartridges possess a stainless alloy that is designed to remain stable during changes in temperature.

The Orban iSurround headphone monitor

the general distortion heard at all levels and increases the dynamic range up to 14dB (at 1% THD). To make it easier for users to tell the difference between the two versions, the new d:vote mics are colourcoded at the bottom of the mic with a red mark representing ‘Loud SPL’ and a yellow mark representing ‘Extreme SPL’. www.dpamicrophones.com

44 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

iSurround on hand for next-gen audio applications DEVELOPED FOR the rendering of 11.1 next-generation audio content in headphones for HDTV broadcast customers, the Orban iSurround headphone monitor aims to reproduce 3D/immersive multichannel audio for users.

Apart from HDTV broadcasters, iSurround can also be used by production houses, content creators, recording studios and mastering houses.

Using Orban’s DSX headphone immersive surround algorithm

(v 2.71), iSurround features the latest version ITU-R BS.1770 loudness measurement system for 3D/immersive 11.1 surround audio including programme quality, levels and loudness. No proprietary surround encoding is required, while the monitor works with any type of headphone, including openback, closed-back, in-ear and ear buds without the need for individual HRTF calibration or special set up.

Test tone locations are rendered with Blits tones and Swoop tests

without artificial ambience that masks the programme audio. iSurround is available with standard AES I/O and an HD/ SDI input option. Other options available soon include AES67 input via Dante AoIP, balanced analogue audio I/O as well as a built-in webserver for remote control and logging (balanced analogue audio I/O and HD/SDI input cannot be combined). www.orban.com

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PRODUCTS

Cadac caters to both ends of the scale

Cadac’s CDC five and CDC seven-s CADAC HAS created a pair of new mixing consoles that target very different ends of the market. The CDC five is aimed at the smaller end of the market, while the CDC seven-s is the manufacturer’s new flagship for the line.

Cadac is describing its CDC five as the ‘smallest and most

affordable of the touchscreen CDC series’. The new console has been designed as a ‘one-box solution’ that the manufacturer hopes will appeal to a wider customer base.

The CDC five features a single 23.5-inch touchscreen and 16 faders, with dual banks of userassignable buttons, providing a

total of 40. The rear panel offers 16 analogue inputs, as well as eight analogue outputs and eight digital inputs and outputs, as well as the integrated 64x64 Waves card. The CDC five also includes dual MegaCOMMS ports, enabling additional MegaCOMMS processing/interfaces to be connected, to form part of an extended audio and mixing console network.

The CDC five runs 96k/24-bit audio and is capable of providing up to 48 inputs and 24 assignable busses, plus L-C-R and monitors in FOH mode; or 30 assignable busses when operating in Monitor Mode. The console has one internal PSU with the option of adding a second redundant external supply.

At the other end of the scale, Cadac has replaced the CDC seven and CDC eight with the CDC seven-s. The new flagship CDC desk offers 128 inputs and 64 busses – of which 56 are assignable (62 in Monitor Mode).

The new console also features a number of additional hardware buttons that are aimed at speeding up navigation.

Alongside this pair of launches is new software for the CDC series of consoles. Version 5 Console Software is said to enhance CDC six, not only with all of the additional new features, but also from an increase in its input channel count, bringing the total up to 80, while maintaining the 48 assignable bus count. www.cadac-sound.com

Connections on the rear of the CDC five

A theatrical Crescendo STAGE TEC’S application specialist for theatre/live applications, Christian Fuchs, has cited ‘an uptick in interest from theatres’ in the German manufacturer’s Crescendo digital mixing console as the reason for the release of the Crescendo-T, which offers ‘special features needed for theatre applications’.

The first such feature provides two automation options: snapshot and scene automation. Static automation is enhanced with Crescendo’s 5-scene list control buttons found on the surface of Crescendo-T for easier access.

Meanwhile, snapshot preview interrupts the link between the physical user interface and signal processing, allowing the user to try out different settings without

The Crescendo-T console committing to them before an audience. Crescendo-T also has ‘Save All’ functionality, which enables mode changes to be

written as absolute values or relative changes and implemented all together or within a selection of snapshots.

In addition to peak filters and the pair of cut filters, the CrescendoT’s EQ also boasts two shelving filters. ‘It is well known that most theatres lack space and appreciate any console that saves room,’ commented Mr Fuchs.

Stage Tec has also partnered with DirectOut to create its XFIP board to be a fibre and IP interface for customers that require a small audio network without a Nexus Star router. Used in Nexus Base Devices and also applicable for users who do have a Star router but no room for extra boards, the XFIP is the equivalent of Stage Tec’s RIF67 (Router Interface AES67) in terms of IP connections. It uses DirectOut’s AES67.IO module, which can process AoIP with up to 256

channels in a maximum of 32 streams.

Each XFIP supports up to 256 channels in and 256 channels out on the Nexus side. It supports redundant audio transmission as per SMPTE 2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching and offers a Ravenna implementation. In addition to the AES67.IO module, the XFIP also comes with two SFP ports for future applications.

Configuration of the plug-andplay device’s AES67 interface is undertaken via a web interface, with status monitoring through Nexus. It is backwards compatible and can be used in legacy Nexus systems. www.directout.eu www.stagetec.com

RTW goes the Smart way RTW’S TM3 Smart and TM33G Smart TouchMonitors have been developed with the aim of eliminating additional licensing costs as well as offering a more user-friendly and compact device.

Designed to be used ‘right out of the box’, both models allow users working with stereo, 5.1 or multichannel signals to create several configuration sets with different presets with the Devicer DC1 Software. They also feature a 4.3-inch touchscreen, an interface box and can be mounted on a 19-inch rack. This allows the metering equipment to be set up as a table-top unit next to a mixer in the studio, mounted on a rack in

the studio or in the master control room, meeting the needs of various users.

In addition to PPM and True Peak instruments, both TM3 Smart and TM3-3G Smart are equipped with loudness measuring features conforming to all relevant international standards. Loudness instruments include single-channel and summing bar graphs, loudness range, loudness chart (TP, M, S or I value over time) and numerical displays.

The TM3-3G Smart is described by the manufacturer as being a ‘compact and versatile solution’ for metering, deembedding and monitoring of 3G-SDI audio signals

46 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

TM3 Smart

using a display unit for vertical or horizontal use. With its integrated 3G-SDI deembedder interface, the TM3-3G displays level and loudness of any eight 3G-SDI audio channels.

Additionally, up to 16 SDI audio signals can be sent to eight AES3 outputs eliminating the need for an external deembedder.

The TM3 Smart, handling a maximum of six channels, has been developed with editorial offices, edit suites and small control rooms in mind as well as any application that requires level control. The unit’s user interface can be selected with the swipe of a finger. www.rtw.com

A series of high-intensity touring and installation loudspeakers, engineered for even coverage, outstanding control and unforgettable audience experiences.

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PRODUCTS

Looking to make new Waves with Scheps Omni Channel

Scheps Omni Channel DESIGNED WITH mixer Andrew Scheps, the latest Scheps Omni Channel from Waves Audio delivers various combinations including compression, EQ and saturation colours. The channel strip’s pre-module provides three types of analogue saturation allowing additional diverse colours of harmonic distortion as well as filters and thump (resonance) controls.

The compression module features three different compressors ranging from fast to slow and smooth, with a unified control set to compare them. A wet/dry control allows users to parallel compress within the module.

The EQ module is a 4-band equaliser with each band providing a distinct musical sound that can be switched to fully parametric if surgical EQ is required.

The DS2 module can reportedly remove any offending frequencies on any source.

The gate module allows standard controls for gating/expansion,

but also lets users adjust the maximum noise reduction to maintain a consistent noise floor.

Waves Audio is also in a celebratory mood with its revamped and reskinned plugin versions for Q10 Equalizer, AudioTrack and L1 Ultramaximizer to mark its 25th anniversary.

The reskinned edition for Q10 Equalizer include new plug-in features such as proportional Q filters, selectable band control, double Precision control, focused EQ band display, separate meters for Comp/Gate gain reduction, true peak domain setting and automatic release control.

In other news, Waves’ SoundGridcompatible stageboxes, STG1608 and STG-2412, have been developed as audio interfaces that can connect and network with modern live sound systems. Built for the road, the rack-mountable STGs come with I/Os of 16x8 and 24x12 as well as digitally controlled preamps and AD/DA converters.

Elsewhere, the company states that all F6 Dynamic EQ users covered by the Waves Update Plan can update to add an FFT-based, real-time frequency spectrum analyser free of charge. www.waves.com

F6 dynamic EQ

The AM-300

Crestron simplifies presentations CRESTRON’S AIRMEDIA Presentation System 300 – abbreviated to AM-300 – is built to facilitate secure wired and wireless presentations and integrate with several leading calendaring platforms. The manufacturer describes it as ‘easy to deploy and manage’, stating that it ‘is ideal for organisations with a dispersed workforce, open floor plans and reliance on mobile devices to present’. It is designed to support the variety of platforms and services used on personal devices.

The AM-300 can be installed behind a wall mount display, hidden from view. It includes built-in AirMedia 2.0 wireless presentation functionality, as well as HDMI and DM inputs, HDMI outputs to HD or UHD displays, and an auto-on/off display control via CEC, serial or IR. By connecting a source, the system automatically selects that input and shows the source image on the display.

Crestron’s AirMedia technology enables wireless presentations of content from a laptop,

smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi. Full HD video can be delivered at up to 30fps. Alternatively, an HDMI input provides a direct connection for local sources via an optional wall plate or cable.

The use of a DM 8G+ transmitter to facilitate connection of a source from a convenient location up to 100m away is also allowed thanks to the AM-300’s DM input. The DM input supports 4K signals and the HDMI input supports HD 1080p signals.

The manufacturer has also released the DM XiO Director, which it describes as a ‘new A/V matrix for the IT age’. Available in three models – the DM-XIODIR-80, DM-XIO-DIR-160 and DM-XIO-DIR-ENT, supporting 80, 60 and unlimited endpoint devices, respectively – the DM XiO Director is a software tool designed to centrally configure, manage and control DM NVX network A/V systems. It enables device discovery, domain configuration, endpoint mapping, multicasting management and status monitoring. www.crestron.com

Prime time at Allen & Heath ‘HOW DO we take a class-leading digital mixer to the next level?’ was the question on the lips of Allen & Heath managing director, Rob Clark, and his team when developing the new Prime I/O modules. The answer comes in the shape of two models: an Input Mic Pre module and a Line Output module.

Both Prime modules are designed to fit in a dLive DX32 expander rack and can be used in conjunction with existing I/Os. Users are able to tailor or scale the system to their own needs. The modules also utilise dLive’s 96kHz XCVI FPGA core.

‘As our XCVI core is a defacto 96kHz platform, we realised

we were able to exploit I/O converter technologies that are optimised for these higher sampling rates, providing audiophile levels of transparency without compromising latency or bandwidth,’ said Mr Clark. ‘These higher resolution converters led us to also investigate different types of interface electronics in the analogue circuitry, including Nichicon FG Fine Gold capacitors, and enhancements to power supplies, grounding and shielding.

This in turn resulted in further performance improvements, slashing THD and noise and vastly improving on typical slew rates.’

48 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

The Prime I/O modules Allen & Heath has also introduced new expansion and advanced AMM (automatic mic mixing) capabilities for its SQ digital mixer series as part of the V1.2 firmware update.

The update supports DX Hub, a hardware expansion hub that allows multiple DX168 stagebox expanders to be connected to

an SQ mixer, so that users can source 48 channels from the stage at 96kHz or deploy up to eight portable expanders. In addition, V1.2 adds two independent AMMs based on the D-Classic algorithm from the manufacturer’s DEEP processing system. Other enhancements include the Noo

Phaser and Chorus RackFX units for the SQ FX library and factory processing libraries.

Finally, the dLive V1.7 firmware bears the fruits of a collaboration between Allen & Heath and Shure, which sees native monitoring and control of Shure’s ULX-D and QLX-D wireless systems from a dLive mixer. ‘Working with Shure, we have integrated convenient, at-aglance monitoring of key wireless functions within the dLive interface and from the Director laptop app,’ commented Allen & Heath’s dLive product manager, Ben Morgan. www.allen-heath.com

PRODUCTS NEWS

Protec moves Calrec goes modular into Europe

CALREC HAS taken a modular approach to the design of its Type R expandable, IP-based UAE: rental company, radioDubai-based system. The system uses Protec, has networking acquired British firm, standard technology Aventeq, and rebranded it as Protec and combines it with configurable European Events. the deal, soft panels thatFollowing can be tailored to Aventeq willneeds. continue to be led by operator Chris Bramwell.

Type R’s physical control system ‘Iconsists have a lot time panels: for Chrisa ofofthree Bramwell and the team,’soft saidpanel Protec fader panel, a large founder CEO, Lakin.

‘They and a and small softSteve panel.

Each is have built up awith strong business and compatible COTS hardware I’m thrilled to welcome them intoThe the and powered over Ethernet.

Protec family. I am looking forward

to the opportunity to introduce their customers to a wider global reach and more exciting tools and technology to create unique and memorable event experiences.’

The acquisition will reportedly mean that Protec European Type R’s fader panel Events will have access to a much larger palette of event production resources, including state-of-the-art touchscreen soft panels are technology, equipment andcontrol highly designed around simple skilled staff. The company hopes

elements and can be customised as multi-function panels. Soft panels can be used in either landscape or portrait formats and adaptable Steve Lakin andprovide Chris Bramwell and specific that this will enable for it totalent, extend its functionality services to a larger client base and while ensuring overall control offer a more comprehensive and is maintained by the station’s creative to its technical technicalapproach team. This functionality productions. can be changed from show to Mr Lakin believes that it is The show using memory loads. creativity and technology that will fader panels offer six faders and help drive the business for both

although we are one of the largest events technical and staging solutions companies in the world, in my mind, our creative approach to all our projects It has a 2U and corethe at ability its to consistently create extraordinary heart with integrated I/O experiences clever resources.through A single coreuse canof technology what independent sets us apart. It is power up toisthree this approach that Protec European mixing environments, with no Events will take resources. on which I’m sure sharing of DSP will be anincluding importantthe factor to ensure Bussing, creation that their clients are thrilled with companies.

‘There is greater demand of mix-minus feeds, is reportedly The soft panels can be every to event delivery.

Protec European for a break from typical sit and quick assign, while EQ and customised for the talent Events shares our are passion and I’m listen conference format to a more dynamics control described looking forward to extending this imaginative,access dynamic, the manufacturer as ‘clear immediate to immersive essential and by commitment across the UK and involving experience,’ he added reflected. and fast’. controls.

These can be or Europe.’

‘This spurs to continually think removed byusplugging or unplugging www.calrec.com creatively andcable. develop new ways an Ethernet www.productiontec.com of delivering our productions. So

AKG enters Moving the fold to IP

THE K275, K245 and K175 UAE: Abu Dhabi Media is are foldable studio headphones upgrading central technical from AKG,its designed to facilities accelerate theaudio withstandtothe life of pro transition to IP. and musicians on professionals ‘The direction technology the road.

They of feature a triple is more towards axis metal hingesoftwareto be tucked defined andwhen awaynot away in solutions travel bags from hardware,’ said Ahmed in use for monitoring inside the Al-Menhali, director of projects at studio.

Abu Dhabi Media.

Ahmed Al-Menhali, director of projects at Abu Dhabi Media

A target of May 2018 has been set for the new installation to be fully operational. The system currently supports baseband/ SDI, but is future-proofed to incorporate IP connectivity. The hybrid architecture supports a mix of on-premises and cloudready solutions, Imagine The K275 andincluding K245 are overCommunication’s Broadcast ear models that boast 50mm Master and xGwhich Schedule for traffic transducers, reportedly and scheduling. The offerprogramme a greater low-frequency new ingest and asset management extension detailed bass system is basedThe on K175, the Imagine reproduction.

Nexio Motion,has while Versio meanwhile, anthe on-ear playout supports the design solution with 40mm transducers. playout All threeautomation. come equipped with we doheadband not feel the a‘Currently, self-adjusting and need to invest in replacing all floating ear cups.

Additionally, the infrastructure,’ Mr slowexisting retention foam ear pads Al-Menhali said.fit ‘We the offer a secure tohave ensure HD-SDI in place, optimalinfrastructure bass extension and and we intendsound to continue with this prevent leaking into infrastructure for routing until we the surrounding environment. decide to move Thepossess important The K275 and on.

K175 thing is that what we areforbuilding a closed-back design live now is capable shifting the recording and of monitoring underlying routing from to IP applications, while theSDI K245 without anything else.’for featureschanging a semi-open design editing and mixing. www.admedia.ae

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PRODUCTS

Better stage presence for DA-6400 Plixus AE-R

Televic holds more digital meetings

The DA-6400 DEVELOPED WITH theatre, amusement park and live concert playback in mind, the 2.0 firmware update to TASCAM’s DA-6400 multitrack digital recorder includes new features such as Theater Play mode and Playlist support.

The Theater Play function enables DA-6400 users to set start and end marker points for individual takes. These markers allow theatre operators to trigger multichannel events either manually, or via external control, after which the system

automatically proceeds to the next scheduled cue and waits in Standby mode. This feature is said by the manufacturer to enable venue designers to better combine audio, lighting and scenery cues.

Using Playlist mode, users can define regions and set playback ranges within individual multitrack takes, thus creating scenarios whereby these regions are played in various orders and/or multiple times each. This, says TASCAM, makes creating complex

performances from chains of events quick and intuitive.

Other new functions include playback of WAV files in 32-bit PCM and 32-bit floating formats, sorting functions that allow the take list to be arranged in Take timecode or Take name order, and mDNS support so that network connection with the DA-6400 can be achieved from macOS and Telnet, or VNC and FTP apps that support mDNS. www.tascam.com

THE LATEST hardware and software solutions from Televic Conference aim to offer additional integration and user-friendly features for various devices during digital meetings.

From microphone management over interpretation channels and audio routing to camera control, the Plixus AE-R – the latest central conference engine from the manufacturer – does not require a dedicated computer to operate. New features include an expandable USB slot and a

control, record and stream a meeting all in one integrated interface.

Meanwhile, D-Cerno SL is the latest digital plug-and-play discussion unit developed with smaller- and medium-sized conferences in mind but also for the visually impaired. It comes with a removable microphone and a central microphone button that aims to be user-friendly and provide more clarity. D-Cerno SL also has a slimmer design when compared to previous models.

Jünger Audio gets flexible with AIXpressor IN A further blurring of the lines between the IT and A/V worlds, German manufacturer Jünger Audio has developed a new

hardware unit that acts as a base for software-defined products created using Jünger’s new Flexible Audio Infrastructure, flexAI. This means that by buying different and additional software licences, broadcasters can customise their device to suit their needs for channel count and processing capabilities. The AIXpressor

is a 1U device based on x86 processors and equipped with a range of built-in interfaces, including redundant audio over

IP, USB host and client interfaces as well as MADI, AES/EBU and analogue I/Os. The unit also has four slots for optional interfaces which are compatible with Jünger’s existing D*AP audio processors including 3G/HD/SD SDI, MADI and Audinate Dante.

In conjunction with the AIXpressor hardware, the manufacturer has

also developed a new optical connection called tieLight that is able to transmit up to 1,152 audio channels in each direction,

reportedly with very low delay and compensated latency. It can be used for cascading multiple devices and for setting up larger systems that require several processors. It will be available as a PCIexpress interface card to be used in Jünger’s upcoming line of servers.

T-Council has been developed for local councils recording button at the front, while a more user-friendly web server gives the operator access to core meeting functionality.

Plixus AE-R works with CoCon applications and is adaptable with the latest software solutions, Congressify and T-Council.

Congressify has been developed for delegates to see meeting information – such as who is speaking, who is next to speak, an item on an agenda and a document – on their own devices.

Developed for local councils, T-Council allows attendees to

Televic’s Plixus Nameplate is the newest addition to its electronic nameplate line and comes with what is described as a ‘unique request-to-speak button and indicator’. The device uses E Ink technology, has a viewing angle of 180° while there is repor tedly no flicker when filmed or broadcast. A default screen can also be set before events to automatically switch off when meetings end. www.televic-conference.com

www.jungeraudio.com

Enter the Aneman ANEMAN LITERALLY takes its name from the phrase Audio Network Manager. It is a crossplatform, cross-vendor audio network management software solution developed by Merging Technologies and Digigram with the goal of designing an audio networking connection monitoring and management system based on the same values as Ravenna: to keep it simple, open source and free.

However, the manufacturers state the project resulted in an ecosystem ‘much larger’ than Ravenna/AES67, as by allowing

all companies to write their own plug-ins for Aneman, no specific protocol is mandated, while existing devices already on the market can also be managed by the solution.

Users are able to integrate it into an existing system to extend its compatibility or to simplify a network setup.

Aneman currently suppor ts Windows 7/10 and macOS 10.10+, and allows users to connect, monitor and manage all networked audio devices. It provides the ability to save and recall a network patch to switch

50 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

between network configurations, provides connection and PTP clock statuses when a connection can’t be made, and, with its open source protocol, allows new manufacturers to

add additional device suppor t or specific user inter face modules.

Additionally, Aneman provides a comprehensive network summar y display and matrix router, and can automatically

manage network streams. As with most software solutions, Aneman will also be subject to updates, the first of which will be version 1.0.1, which will allow the discover y of Dante/ AES67 streams to connect them with compatible devices and provide a PTP offset indicator.

The Enterprise version of Aneman will gain switch control and configuration, web ser vice, security and NMOS suppor t with version 1.0.1. www.aneman.net www.digigram.com www.merging.com

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PRODUCTS

TiMax 500S tops up SoundHub

The TiMax 500S software update for TiMax SoundHub DEVELOPED BY Out Board, TiMax 500S is the latest software for the TiMax SoundHub spatial audio processor.

The TiMax 500S software is said to offer enhanced programming and showcontrol workflows for rendering and control of live, presentation and experiential spatial reinforcement and immersive audio.

It also includes new-look variable day/night skins which have been optimised for outdoor rehearsal and show conditions.

The latest version includes the suite of TimeLine, PanSpace and StageSpace object-based spatial rendering tools for sound enhancements and playback. www.outboard.co.uk

QSC simplifies Q-Sys design

The Q-Sys UCI Editor NEW MONITORING and management technology for QSC’s Q-Sys has introduced several features to the platform such as a drag-and-drop interface to aid visual programming. The Q-Sys UCI Editor is the aforementioned dragand-drop design tool that allows users to create custom, robust UCIs for native Q-Sys touchscreen controllers. For installations that require more complex control integration, the Q-Sys Scripting Engine now allows control plug-ins and scripts to integrate third-party devices within the Q-Sys Platform.

It also provides the backbone for new Block Controller components that allow users to create custom scripts using ‘accessible’ scripting languages such as Lua.

The QSC Designer Software allows users to create designs for the Q-Sys Integrated System Platform and was created with the aim of being intuitive and easy to use, removing complicated, multi-level menus. During A/V system design development and testing, the full functionality of the Designer Software, including the Q-Sys UCI Editor and the Q-Sys Scripting Engine, are now included at no cost while running in emulation mode.

When it’s time to deploy a system design to the Q-Sys Core processor, users can enable control-related features on their processors using new node-locked, perpetual software licences. www.qsc.com

52 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

System T updates THE V2.0 software release for Solid State Logic’s System T broadcast audio production platform introduces immersive audio, ‘appified’ software and DAW control to the range of consoles, remote hardware, software interfaces, processor engines and I/O interfaces.

The implementation of immersive audio allows System T to support ATSC 3.0, Dolby Atmos and MPEG-H. System T’s 3-axis coordinate panning incorporates 2- or 4-channel overhead speakers into the available channel and bus formats. It can position mono and stereo sources in a 3D sound field and can also accept multichannel 3D sources, fine-tuning spatial components as they are added to the final production mix.

Supported formats include 5.1.2 and 5.1.4, 7.1.2 and 7.1.4, and a 4.0.4 format, designed primarily for beds and stems. V2.0 has been designed to ensure that the centre channel remains available for dialogue or commentary, and can also be used for the output VR mics that capture a 4-channel ambisonic scene representation. The intelligent downmixing functionality allows the creation of conventional

Immersive audio interface for System T 5.1, stereo and mono mixes by routing a 3D channel or stem to a master bus, a 12-channel monitoring section. Other features include 49 12-channel monitor inputs, configured as a primary monitor input and two 24-channel preselectors with a 12-channel AFL monitor bus and a pair of 12-channel insert points for external processing and rendering, a large collection of processing tools and an effects rack that includes immersive format versions of the Bus Compressor, Multiband Compressor, Enhancer, Dynamic EQ, G flex EQ, All Pass Filter, DeNoiser and Summing modules.

The ‘appified’ software aspect of the update sees the software

interface components launch as separate applications, each made available anywhere across System T’s multiscreen control surfaces and PC control stations.

This approach, the manufacturer states, ‘facilitates a wide range of screen interface setups, across multiple screens, to suit various workflows for different types of production’.

Finally, the DAW control makes full use of System T touchscreen and hardware controls and includes a dedicated screen interface for control over the DAW mixer environment and transport controls. www.solidstatelogic.com

Nexo shows its Excellence NEXO HAS showcased a series of stands and mounts developed specially for the French manufacturer by Show-em of Germany. Described as achieving the perfect balance between design and functional technology, the Excellent Line offers a complete range of mounting solutions for Nexo products spanning small-to-large applications. The range can carry all Nexo full-range and subwoofer cabinets.

With dedicated adapter heads, the stand can carry different line arrays up to a maximum load of 240kg, while speakers can be presented to an overall height of 4m. Three different baseplates accommodate the range of subwoofers. All cabling is contained within the stand’s construction, making the solution well-suited for corporate A/V environments. www.nexo.fr

ADAM mounts up NEW MOUNTING options have been released for ADAM Audio’s S2V, S3V and S3H speakers. The manufacturer has cited growing demand from its S Series customers, par ticularly in the broadcast and integration markets, as the reason for the production of a ceiling mount and mounting brackets.

The ceiling mount includes a telescopic arm to facilitate simple height adjustments,

swivelled backwards or for wards by up to 40°. ‘We’re excited to offer our customers new installation solutions that allow the best-possible positioning of their speakers in the room,’ commented Christian Hellinger, CEO at ADAM Audio. ‘That applies to both stereo setups as well as larger multichannel configurations.’ while the mounting brackets possess the ability to be

www.adam-audio.com

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PRODUCTS

Ayrton shines new light with Mistral-TC

Mistral-TC

DEVELOPED WITH applications requiring colour reproduction, improved optical efficiency and compactness in mind, MistralTC is the new LED spot and wash light fixture range from Ayrton.

Mistral-TC is a 300W white LED source spot that shares a form-factor with its compact sibling, Merak. It features a new white LED module, calibrated at 7,000K, with a CRI greater than 90 and high TM30 readings with an output of over 14,000 lumens.

The new 13-lens proprietary optical system delivers an 8:1 zoom ratio with a zoom range of 7° to 53°. The optics, equipped with a 119mm frontal lens, can achieve a uniform flat beam that can render images in different conditions and beam angles.

Mistral-TC includes a CYM colour mixing system combined with a variable CTO and a 7-position complementary colour wheel for producing what the manufacturer calls ‘vivid pastels and saturated colours’. The effects section includes 16 interchangeable

The Fiilex Q8 Travel is said to produce high-quality light with the ability to smoothly blend with ambient lighting or precisely match lights from other fixtures.

It also has a solid construction, while the robust housing ensures the fixture can withstand harsh transpor tation conditions and rough handling during rigging.

The other new feature is the inter face that offers an LCD display and manual control in an effor t to assist filmmakers establish faster workflows on set. It is DC-powered, works with

CHAUVET PROFESSIONAL has added two LED spot fixtures to its Rogue series: the 300W LED Rogue R2X Spot (11,000 lumens) and the 170W LED Rogue R1X Spot (6,700 lumens).

The R2X Spot features a 16.5° beam angle, two variable scrolling colour wheels with seven colours and split colour capability, 16-bit Fiilex Q8 Travel an included AC/DC adapter and can connect to many qualified 48VDC batteries. www.fiilex.com

GLP gets KNV out of frame CREATED TO allow designers to build rigid lighting structures, KNV is described by GLP Lighting as being the first frameless modular LED unit on the market to combine strobe, blinder and pixel block.

The KNV Cube and KNV Arc components make up a modular LED system that can be used either as a single unit or combined in an interlocking system. Production designers can use them to create various structural formations such as double units, quad clusters and large matrixes.

By combining the GLP KNV Arc, it is possible to create various shapes such as rings, wave designs and letters. Combined in a single module, the fixture has the capability to reportedly

output 50,000 lumens. With the modules being IP54-rated, KNV can be deployed on festival front trussing or other outdoor applications. Two integrated engines can be used to create effects.

Meanwhile, Impression FR1 features colour mixing and the ability to project a white light with colour temperature control.

Using a single, high-powered 60W homogenised RGBW LED at its core, FR1 has a 3.5° to 34° zoom range, allowing beam control over both short- and long-throw distances. The fixture features 16-bit dimming and 16-bit position control through 540° of pan and 220° of tilt and bidirectional continuous pan rotation at varying speeds.

Impression FR1

54 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Also bursting onto the scene is Ayrton’s new MiniBurst, a strobe fixture designed with small dimensions. It is quarter of the size of the MagicBurst and approximately the same size as the MiniPanel-FX at 285mm x 285mm. It features 960 monochip, daylight-white LED sources grouped into 16 pixels on a 4x4 matrix and is reportedly capable of emitting 60,000 lumens, with a flicker-free output, making it suited to lighting for video capture. www.ayrton.eu

Chauvet goes Rogue with new fixtures

Fiilex Q8 Travel set for location shoot TARGETING ADDRESS lighting issues for on-location film and video productions, the Fiilex Q8 Travel is the company’s first product in its LED Q-series to come with a customised 8-inch Fresnel lens designed specifically for the 300W DiCon Dense Matrix LED. According to Fiilex, the Q8 Travel offers one of the longest Fresnel zoom ranges in the industry (12° to 60°). The fixture can reportedly flood any wide space with an even spread of light, or focus into a spot with a well-defined edge and uniform beam profile near the centre.

high-definition glass gobos on two wheels: one rotating wheel with seven positions and one fixed wheel with nine positions.

The effects wheel can be used in combination with the two gobo wheels to create graphical effects.

It also features a 16-blade iris diaphragm, a 5-facet rotating prism and a soft-edge frost filter as standard equipment. MistralTC’s phase-change liquid cooling system uses a heat pipe that includes a silent ventilation mode, designed for studio and theatre applications.

www.glp.de

The Rogue Spot fixtures dimming, as well as a 3-facet prism and smooth gobo morphing between its dual gobo wheels. This can allow designers to create a number of shape-changing effects.

The Rogue R1X Spot features a motorised iris and focus for beam shaping, 16-bit dimming, 16° beam angle and a colour wheel that features eight colours, split colour ability and continuous variable-speed scrolling. Its dual gobo wheels have seven interchangeable gobos with a 3-facet prism in place for aerial effects.

Both fixtures are RDM-enabled for remote addressing and troubleshooting, with other features including Neutrik powerCON power input/output connections for power linking, DMX channel profiles

for programming, 3- and 5-pin DMX input/output connections and selectable PWM settings for flicker-free operation on camera.

The R2X offers a selectable LED maximum output, allowing it to match Rogue R2 Spot fixtures that are already in a rig, while the R1X can be matched to existing Rogue R1 Spot units.

Meanwhile sister brand, Chauvet DJ, has introduced BTAir, an app that uses Bluetooth technology to control lights directly from a phone or tablet.

Available for iOS and Android platforms and free download to, BTAir can pair over Bluetooth with enabled Chauvet DJ fixtures, including the SlimPAR T12 BT, SlimPAR Q12 BT and Colorband T3 BT. www.chauvetdj.com www.chauvetprofessional.com

BTAir is on the air

PRODUCTS

A grand new vision THE NEXT generation of MA Lighting’s flagship grandMA console series has been launched and brings several new and enhanced features to the platform. At the heart of an all-new system architecture is new fixtures, features and effects handling, as well as a redesigned user interface that the manufacturer says ‘makes practical tasks more intuitive’.

The grandMA3 comes in two form factors: a full-size and a light model, both of which feature large multitouch screens capable of displaying dedicated encoder and playback information. The surface houses dual physical encoders that can be custom mapped to functions. Reducing weight and increasing durability have also been central to the new design, yet the console retains its familiar dual friction hinge format.

Motorised playback faders have been used across the entire grandMA3 range and incorporate a colour-changing light pipe on all models except the onPC command wing. A flexible assignment of playback functionality means there’s 30% more playback handles than any previous grandMA series

console, explains the company, while all playbacks have direct access to button pushes as well as intensity and timing changes thanks to the new rotary RGB backlit encoders.

Additionally, the desk’s control software utilises a new flexible fixture concept developed to replicate the real-world physical components of complex, modern fixtures. Fixture information is now generic and allows for the sharing of programmed data between fixtures. The manufacturer

now supports the new GDTF (General Device Type Format) protocol natively, allowing fixture manufacturers to ensure their own fixtures are controlled as intended.

Furthermore, dynamic effects are no longer restricted to just

2-step modulated parameters. The grandMA3 software has a new effects concept allowing multi-step effect sequences to be nested inside a cue or preset. ‘Phasers’, as they are called, are treated just like static parameter values and

respect normal programming syntax.

In addition to the lighting control capabilities, the grandMA3 software features an integrated 3D visualiser for pre-programming, and the ability to manipulate and playback basic media content directly from within the console.

Optimum performance is resource dependent, therefore additional processing hardware will be required in some instances. www.malighting.com

Tasker gets loud TASKER HAS increased its range of speaker cables for use in live events with the C102 dual 4mm² line and the larger 6mm² C282. They are designed to offer reliability during live productions.

Inside the C102 is a flat red/black wire with a sheath of soft PVC. The C282, meanwhile, is a round cable with eight conductors, designed especially for use with large clusters of loudspeakers.

On the lighting side, Tasker’s C861 is a full-range, doubleshielded DMX cable. It can manage 110Ω and run AES and EBU.

NOBA8

When design meets sound The NOBA series is characterized by an innovative & unique design. With its curved shape, made of 4 mm thick aircraft graded aluminum and its extremely powerful 8” woofer of 300 Watts, the NOBA8 is able to deliver an unheard low frequency response for its small woofer size.

To blend in with any interior, the NOBA8 comes available in both black and white.

www.tasker.it

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 55

PRODUCTS

New 4K flagship camera from Panasonic A FLAGSHIP model has joined Panasonic’s portfolio of studio cameras that includes the new S35mm MOS sensor and is capable of outputting in both ultra and full HD. The AK-UC4000 camera is launched alongside the AK-UCU600 camera control unit. The pair have the same

format as the UC3000 system but additionally feature a 4.4K image sensor in UHD, which the manufacturer says achieves 2,000 TV lines and an S/N ratio of 62dB. Connectivity includes dual 12G SDI and quad 3G (2 x quad 3G is also an option). All outputs are capable of supporting HDR (HLG) and SDR

AK-UC4000 independently. A Media over IP interface (MoIP), with SMPTE 2022 and SMPTE ST 2110 for remote operation configurations, will be

introduced by Panasonic in the near future.

Furthermore, the AK-UC4000 camera system will incorporate switchable 2x, 3x and 4x highspeed HD support as standard later this year.

In addition to the 4K capable studio camera, the manufacturer has also unveiled a 6-model series of 4K professional displays, spanning 43 to 86 inches that feature narrow bezels and a slim depth. The entry-class LCD panels provide 350cd/m2 brightness,

From Aqua Versatility key for SGM Light fixtures to Omega PR LIGHTING’S 480 Beam and Omega, produce beams and zoomable blades of light, respectively.

Aqua 480 Beam Developed for outdoor use, the IP65-rated Aqua 480 Beam is waterproof with a large aperture beam that can produce beam effects at an angle of 3.1°. The central illumination is 182,000 Lux at 20m and 81,000 Lux at 30m. It can provide a number of effects combined with a CMY linear colour mixing system, and has 18 fixed and seven rotating gobos.

BUILDING ON its VP Series, the four latest Video Pixel Linear fixtures from SGM Light have been designed to improve direct view, reliability and colour mixing consistency of complex light and video outdoor installations.

The new VPL 305-20 Opal, VPL 305-20, VPL 1220-20 Opal and VPL 1220-20 fixtures are suitable for both linear and radial installations and are described by the manufacturer as being ‘ideal where high visibility and a very flexible setup are essential’. SGM has expanded the imaging area to 6mm x 6mm full colour, increased the pixel brightness and premixed the colours inside the quad cluster. The company’s quad-pixel

VPL 305-20 Opal

technology, which applies passive thermal management and implements In-Cluster colour mixing, has also been applied to the VPLs. Additionally, the four fixtures, each with a 19.05mm pixel pitch and a 120° viewing angle, have been developed with the aim of creating pixel-mapping and media effects. The series is available in two different lengths (1,220mm and 305mm) and with either a

clear or an opal front glass. The clear lens allows a direct view of pixels with more brightness, while the Opal version offers a soft-frosted look for textures, even light distribution and diffused effects.

The Omega combines six RGBW 4-in-1 LEDs and is a moving zoom bar effect luminaire. Each pixel can be controlled individually, while the light output can be turned into a dynamic ray of micro beams in the air. www.pr-lighting.com

www.panasonic.com

With a single multicore cable, it is possible to link up to 79.3m (65 VPL 1220-20 units) in one circuit, creating no gap between connected fixtures. Driven directly by 200 to 240VAC, the VPLs can reportedly reduce power consumption and installation costs as there is no need for external power supplies. The new fixtures are compatible with SGM’s VP Processor, VP Administrator software and the company’s latest VP-Net protocol, and, with its 2,000K to 10,000K colour temperature presets, can produce different effects. www.sgmlight.com

A view of Venice possesses more than 15 latitude stops to handle challenging lighting environments, from low-light to harsh sunlight. Venice also provides file-based production utilising Sony’s 16-bit RAW/X-OCN and XAVC workflows with the manufacturer’s AXS-R7 portable memory recorder.

Once movies shot using Venice make it to the cinema, there’s a chance they could be shown using Sony’s new SRX-R800 family of 4K laser projectors. These projectors combine the manufacturer’s native 4K SXRD panel and optical technology, which offers a contrast Venice

The Omega

and are targeted at shopping centres, showrooms, meeting rooms and classrooms. The two largest panels (86 and 75-inches) also feature In-Plane Switching technology, which maintains colour accuracy and clear visibility when the screen is viewed off-axis. To support the latest 4K and full HD video content, all the EQ1 series displays have two HDCP 2.2-compliant HDMI terminals to play DRM-protected content.

VENICE IS the name of Sony’s first full-frame digital motion picture camera system. The manufacturer states that it was ‘created through close collaboration and careful research with the creative community’ and that it is ‘the film industry’s first camera with a builtin, 8-step glass ND filter system, negating the need to replace external ND filters’.

Venice features a 36mm x 24mm full-frame sensor and offers a range of lens compatibility, including

56 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

anamorphic, Super 35mm and full-frame PL mount. The lens mount can also be swapped to accommodate E-mount lenses, while user-selectable areas of the image sensor facilitate shooting in Super 35mm 4-perf. In addition, upcoming firmware upgrades will reportedly allow the camera to handle 36mm-wide, 6K resolutions.

The camera also presents a new colour management system and wide colour gamut, adding extra flexibility during postproduction. It

SRX-R800

ratio of 10,000:1, with a laser light source.

The SRX-R815P is the primary SRX-R800 family member. Its light source is built to maintain 80% of original brightness levels for up to 35,000 hours of operation, delivering HDR content. Two sets of SRX-R815P systems can be combined to form an SRX-R815DS dual 4K laser projection system. pro.sony.com

Iisalmen Sanomat archive

The Sonic Reference since 1978.

Four decades ago we set out on a mission to help our customers fulfil their dreams by offering them the most truthful sound reproduction possible.

Along the way we‘ve constantly been inspired, helped and encouraged by our employees, our users and our partners. So in our anniversary year we’d like to thank every single member of the global Genelec Family – past, present ... and future.

Here’s to the next 40 years.

www.genelec.com

PRODUCTS

AMX and BSS concentrate on the meeting room HARMAN HAS released a new IP video processor under its AMX brand that it is describing as the ‘world’s first 4K60 4:4:4 video over IP windowing processor’. The AMX N2400 is a network-based windowing processor that supports 4x1 windowing for the N2400 series. It is capable of handling multiple real-time 4K60 streams with no video or input or output connectors to simplify installation.

The N2400 accepts up to four multicast video streams from AMX N2400 Series encoders at resolutions up to 4K60 4:4:4.

Users can mix 4K and HD sources in any configuration, with the ability to combine up to four HD sources together into a single 4K image. Each input can be cropped, scaled and positioned according to stored presets (such as quad,

The BSS DCP-555 window-in-window or 3+1) or in user-defined configurations. The combined output video is then streamed to one or more N2400 Series decoders. Like the entire N2400 Series solution, the new windowing processor includes user authentication, encryption, network service security and more.

AMX has also released a new conferencing soundbar with an integrated 110° field-of-view camera, far-field mics and JBL

speakers that it describes as a ‘premium’ conferencing solution.

The AMX Acendo Vibe is for small meeting spaces and has been aesthetically designed to fit into modern workplaces. The product features CEC Display Control that will turn the display on and off in response to triggers. Bluetooth and plug-and-play connectivity creates a BYOD environment for use with laptops and smartphones, or it can be used with Acendo Core to

create a complete meeting solution.

Changing brands, a new audio processor from BSS has introduced intelligent audio processing specifically for web and audio conferencing applications. The BSS DCP-555 Digital Conferencing Processor is intended for medium or large meeting spaces, providing sound processing and automated mixing of microphones, PC audio and other audio sources

with acoustic echo cancellation.

Audio from multiple microphones can be output as a single signal over USB, making it suited for web conferencing using the AMX Acendo Core or BYOD applications.

With the inclusion of onboard VoIP connectivity, rooms can be equipped with audio conferencing without the need for a separate IP phone.

The DCP-555 includes built-in microphone tunings and JBL speaker tuning presets to aid configuration. When using the DCP-555 along with AMX SVSI networked AV solutions, encoder syncing is available to ensure the audio and video signals are aligned. www.amx.com www.bssaudio.com

Mitsubishi in command and control DEVELOPED FOR command and control applications and environments, the VS-15NP160 (15-NP) videowall, S-SF software suite and WE120 DLP cube engine lifespan boost are the latest additions from Mitsubishi Electric.

With what the company describes as 100,000 hours of continuous operation and the biggest display of its kind, the 11m x 1.6m 15-NP is reportedly the first direct view LED screen that incorporates many of Mitsubishi’s technologies for DLP and LCD displays. It delivers a light output of 800cd/m² making it compatible for Scada-type applications. A patented anti-burn feature allows static graphics to be displayed for long periods of time reportedly without impacting on performance or lifespan.

Unlike DLP rear projection, light output per square metre is constant and independent of the total screen area, meaning that it is reportedly possible to create daylight-viewable displays of any size. A display depth of 90mm means that it can be installed virtually anywhere, and both front and rear access versions are available.

Meanwhile, the S-SF visualisation and management software suite has been designed for native IP network-based command and control display architectures and aims to enable more flexible decision-making environments for network-based display systems.

The suite consists of five applications: Display Agent, Multicast Adaptor, Application Server, Operator GUI and

Master Controller. Together, they create a native IPbased system capable of handling data traffic from any networked source device, such as sensors, image processors, CCTV cameras or data stores, synchronising and sharing content instantly across any number of locations.

The S-SF architecture is said to eradicate the need for a dedicated display wall processor for control room videowalls.

In other news, Mitsubishi’s WE120 DLP cube engine has been increased to 130,000 hours – scaling up 30% from what the company has described as the previous industry record of 100,000 hours that it also held.

VS-15NP160 The WE120 Series includes 60inch and 70-inch full HD, and 62inch and 72-inch WUXGA displays in both rear access and front access variants. All new models are said to offer a minimum

130,000 hours of continuous operation and a full range of features, including DVI inputs and OPS slots. www.mitsubishielectric.com

True IP switching in 4K at 60fps

TriCaster TC1

58 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

NEWTEK’S TRICASTER TC1 and IP Series VMC1 are described by the manufacturer as ‘the only production switchers on the market capable of true IP, 4K, 60fps for 16- and 44-channel video switching, respectively’.

The TC1 facilitates switching, streaming and recording in HD, 3G and 4K UHD 60p, as well as native software-driven processing, full camera coverage and multisource video mixing with 16 external inputs and four M/Es. Integrated video servers enable playback, replay and live editing without any additional hardware, while multichannel ISO recordings

can be made to full-resolution QuickTime and H.264 files for VOD, postproduction and archive.

NewTek has also released new features for its Connect Spark converters and the NDI PTZ camera, made available through a free software update. Connect Spark now includes multi-camera virtual PTZ capability, multicast support, the ability to connect across networks and LTC timecode support as well as improved audio.

Meanwhile, the NDI PTZ camera now offers multicast support and features enhanced picture quality. www.newtek.com

FEATURES: LIVE

New VHD2.18J Subwoofer The UDX series

Customer design BARCO HAS worked hand-in-hand with its the Flex² feature allows users to tune and end users to create its 5-member UDX line lock projector brightness in 1,000-lumen of compact, high-brightness laser phosphor incremental steps and resolution to a specific projectors. According to Carl Rijsbrack, VP show. The manufacturer also states the events and proAV at Barco, ‘we involved our family ‘offers the widest colour spectrum in customers closely during the development of the industry’ and ‘outperforms the Rec. 709 UDX to focus on their needs and challenges. colour space’.

The result is a projector platform that allows In other news, the Belgian manufacturer rental houses and venue owners to deliver has announced a partnership with Vogel’s exceptional audience experiences while Professional to ensure that Barco UniSee reducing installation time and cost.’

LCD videowalls are compatible with Vogel’s With its electronics powered by the Universal videowall solutions. Thanks to a Pulse 4K engine, the modular, 3-chip DLP purpose-designed adapter, the screen can projectors can deliver 4K UHD resolution now be used with the mount, allowing ceiling, images and up to 32,000 lumens. The floor or free-standing mounting. family also headworn display native UHD, Shure can MX-153 mics4K were used at the event WQXGA, WUXGA and UXGA content, while www.barco.com best feedback was from attendees who LED Beams, the same number of Robin Mini Pointes as well as a dozen Robin 100 had never seen LED panels utilised in that manner,’ she notes. ‘The client was LED Beams. The solution was completed ecstatic we produced next-level innovation with 24 LED PAR cans with added not commonly seen in the South African effects from an MDG Haze machine, all A/V space. For one of the largest speaker controlled from an MA Lighting Dot2 desk bureaus in the world, having a technical with fader wing. partner they can rely on to surpass ‘The design for the event took two weeks expectations and deliver the goods on the to finalise,’ recalls Ms Shekleton. ‘The day is invaluable.’ client trusts our creative process and While impressing numerous potential asked us to create something unique. A/V major clients has to be the main success technology plays a crucial role in making an event look unique, how the gear is of this project for the rental company, Ms utilised and paired up with the content Shekleton also believes there have been created makes all the difference. We other advantages. ‘This event showcased the Multi-Media experience to people who decided create the content ArKaostoMediaMaster 5.2 to highlight the design, showcasing a variety of colours may not have been exposed to it before.

We think the differences between us and as well as deploying the screens in a more any other player in the arena in South traditional “PiP” format.’

Africa are clear. We expect to win more Reflecting on the event itself, Ms business as a result of it.’

Shekleton is clearly very happy with the company’s ‘The event was VERSION 5.2 work. of ArKaos’ MediaMaster realThe new Pixel Blending capability makes fantastic, a resounding success.

The an arraywww.multi-media.co.za time video control software brings use of MediaMaster’s existing Blending of new features, including DMX Merge and functionality to blend the colour output of Pixel Blending functionality. a lighting console. The functionality is also DMX Merge facilitates the combination associated with the new Art-Net merging of parameters such as pan and tilt from capacity to enable effects to be triggered a lighting console and video sources from via MediaMaster. A pair of DMX channels MediaMaster. For example, a light with LED define the operation, the colours are mixed rings can be panned or tilted into specific by the console and then rendered by positions simultaneously to pre-defined, MediaMaster. pixel-mapping effects. The function also Other new features of MediaMaster 5.2 allows a lighting console to generate include Kling-Net Draft Devices, which an Art-Net stream to control the pan/ allows for remote show preparation, tilt functionality, which MediaMaster then disconnected from the physical devices, receives to work on the LED colour values, Extended Fixture Creation for supporting and replace them as the lighting designer complete DMX Devices such as moving decides how they wish the blending to heads with pan/tilt and 64-bit support for occur, utilising the new Pixel Blending. The all applications. merged result is finally sent to the lighting fixture, defining the colour output. www.arkaospro.com A d&b audiotechnik Q Series system provided the main PA

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

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

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MediaMaster merges and blends

George Krampera Chief Engineer, KV2 Audio

Johannes Krämer Sound Engineer, Richie Hawtin

www.kv2audio.com

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 59

PRODUCTS

XS-62S

Roland combines video switching and PTZ control Vitec in vital expansion and upgrade VITEC HAS expanded and upgraded its range of hardwarebased HEVC encoders, video distribution systems as well as IPTV and digital signage solutions.

Developed to manage and drive complex videowall setups, the EZ TV IPTV and digital signage platform has been given a functionality upgrade for the videowall and DRM system. The new platform is interoperable with the latest content protection and DRM standards required for IPTV. With regards to the IPTV capabilities, the release includes time-shifted TV, a new mobile app for iOS and Android devices that allows users to stream video from the field back to HQ in addition to playing IPTV content, real-time enhancement of HEVC streams delivered over lossy networks and TAA-compliant end-points.

Meanwhile, the MGW Ace Encoder firmware v2.0 provides

HEVC video quality of up to 4:2:2 10-bit HEVC encoding and is said by the company to surpass its closest competitor by 20% when meeting quality requirements for broadcast applications.

Along with delivering video streams and low latency (down to 160ms glass-to-glass when paired with the MGW Ace Decoder), the latest version features a new interface that allows users to enhance video streams with several preconfigured profiles to match their application.

Elsewhere, Vitec’s MGW Diamond Encoder and Playout Server are the latest point-to-point HEVC distribution solutions. The MGW Diamond Encoder adds quad-channel HEVC encoding in a portable form factor to the HEVC series, while the Playout Server provides a platform to manage, capture, preview and distribute IPTV streams. www.vitecgroup.com

MGW Diamond Encoder

THE XS-62S has been designed by Roland to save space in smaller facilities and to serve as a portable solution for outside events. It is an integrated 6-channel video switcher and audio mixer combined with PTZ camera control capabilities and built for recording, broadcast and streaming video. The 1U device can be operated by a single user via its front panel controls or remotely from a PC, Mac or programmable interface.

Six channels can be switched between four SDI inputs that feature a de-interlacer along with scaled HDMI and RGB inputs as well as two still images stored in an internal memory. A pair of SDI and two HDMI outputs can be assigned

as programme, preview or auxiliary busses, while the multiview output displays all six video input sources, two still images and programme and preview outputs with audio meters.

A trio of switching modes are available on the XS-62S. PGM/ PST mode operates as a traditional video switcher, facilitating the grouping of multiple images with independent assignment to the aux bus to support additional displays.

Dissolve mode offers video switching and composition with cross-dissolve to the programme bus and provides an additional aux bus; it is aimed for use for when the operator is in the same space as the main unit. Finally, Matrix mode

is the setting Roland recommends for switching simultaneously with audio mixing and controlling PTZ cameras. It enables the assignment of individual video input signals to different destinations on three busses with fade-to-black switching.

The audio mixer aspect of the XS62S features 18 channels, four TRS jacks and an RCA stereo pair, as well as audio de-embed functionality from the six video inputs. It also includes the manufacturer’s 8-channel discrete analogue audio embedding capability, allowing the selection of which audio source to embed separately to SDI outputs one and two. proav.roland.com

Vaddio’s new video ventures

The AV Bridge MatrixMix VADDIO’S LATEST A/V production switcher is said by the manufacturer to be the first in the industr y to bring live event productions to unified communication applications.

The AV Bridge MatrixMix multipurpose A/V switcher’s feature set offers combined switching, camera control, streaming and graphics mixing capabilities. Users can also live stream it to a UCC application.

Customised solutions can be achieved when pairing the switcher to the PCC MatrixMix camera controller and TeleTouch 27 USB touchscreen multiviewer, plus Vaddio cameras, audio devices or trigger sensors. It is also an 8x2 video mixer, while its 11x7 audio mixer suppor ts analogue, HDMI, USB and IP audio channels. The AV Bridge MatrixMix has embedded RTSP IP and USB 3.0 output streaming

as well as two graphic keying layers per output channel.

In other news, Vaddio has also introduced RoboTrak, which is the company’s automated presenter tracking system. Based on an IR tracking algorithm, the user wears a lanyard and the RoboTrak follows him or her. It can be paired with any RoboShot camera. Operational distance ranges from 3.5m to 15m and within a height range of 2m to 4.5m.

Optimised for large venues, it can pair with any RoboShot camera while the RoboTrak lanyard is said to last up to 40 hours on a single batter y charge. www.vaddio.com

Playing with UHD FOR THOSE upgrading to ultra HD content and planning to run video content for extended periods of time, AV Stumpfl has developed the UHD Player system, a solid-state solution that can play files with a 4K resolution of 4096x2160 at 60fps, using the H.265 codec. The UHD Player system is designed for 24/7 use. Multiple units can be frame

UHD Player

60 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

synchronised over IP networks via a dedicated synchronisation protocol.

The Austrian A/V technology manufacturer has also made Wings Vioso RX 2.0 software available for download. A key feature of this release is a hot backup option that allows users to specify hot backup clients for multiple play-out clients. By

acquiring all the information needed to replace the playout client during playback, all necessary media files are also copied to the hot backup client.

In the event that the play-out client fails, the hot backup client replaces the play-out client without the need to edit IP addresses. www.avstumpfl.com

THERE’S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT THE

AP62 PERFORMANCE WIRELESS SERIES Start with a dual channel system housed within a durable metal single rack mount receiver that packs 64 MHz of frequency bandwidth. Next move to the true diversity antenna system with 450’ of operating range and up to 24 channels of simultaneous use. Finally, consider the fact that the built in antenna combiner allows the ability to operate up to 8 channels of wireless on one single rack mountable antenna distribution system (Audix ADS48). A single receiver model (AP61) is also available.

Now that’s a lot to like.

For more information visit audixusa.com

Warehouse no. 5, Industrial area 4, 16A Street, Al Quos, Dubai UAE P.O. Box 105 | Tel. +971 4 268 4575 | Fax +971 4 266 2052 Email. proinfo@vvsons.ae | Web. www.vvsons.com

A SOUND DECISION

Breaking the sound barrier

The chequered flag recently came down on a concert at the F1 2018 Bahrain GP. Despite hitting all the right notes, a number of road blocks first needed to be swerved, as John Leonidou discovers

Scott Mason with the large L-Acoustics rig used for the concerts

62 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

SETTING UP THE AUDIO SYSTEM FOR A CONCERT FEATURING headline acts like Carlos Santana is no easy feat. Now imagine that the concert is in the middle of the desert, with Formula 1 cars roaring past just a stone’s throw away and with the speakers facing directly into the back of a grandstand.

That was the task recently faced by production manager and systems engineer, Scott Mason, in Bahrain. Mr Mason is also a consultant for the BIC (Bahrain International Circuit) and was dispatched as the production manager for the concert that ran alongside the Formula 1 2018 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix. His main duties included deploying and tuning the concert sound system as well as ensuring coverage over a wide audience area and a high SPL according to the specifications of the BIC and Carlos Santana’s technical rider. Apart from Carlos Santana, other popular performers at the concert included Benjamin Booker and Disclosure. Stage, lighting, audio and video production were provided by Showtech Bahrain.

‘The stage faces the back of the main grandstand which can be a real issue,’ comments Mr Mason. ‘I was firing a very powerful 500,000W PA directly towards a concrete structure with wedge-shaped cavities. The returning sound can be quite problematic if the arrays are not configured accurately.’ Properly aligning and designing the arrays so that the sound did not fire into the back of the grandstand was crucial in ensuring that there were no reflections heard by the performers on stage or, indeed, the audience.

The layout of the audience area at the Bahrain circuit led to the decision to deploy an L-Acoustics system. And that aligned well with the rider for Carlos Santana, whose touring production crew from California-based Sound Image regularly specify the French manufacturer’s equipment.

Four arrays (two on each side) were placed high up to cover the width of the audience area without striking the back of the grandstand and L-Acoustics’ support engineer,

An SSL L500 Plus live console at the side of the stage Alvin Koh, was called in to make sure the system design was optimal for the space. ‘If the position is not correct, then it’s hard to time-align which is why getting the angles correct for the application is imperative,’ states Mr Mason.

‘The L-Acoustics software is so amazingly accurate that you can get the coverage correct to within a metre. Using the technology to do as much of the work as possible for you, is key.’

An audio system comprising 106 cabinets was deployed for the 2-day concert that preceded the main race. The solution included 48 K2 line array elements for the main hangs and side-fills, 16 flown K1 Subs, 30 SB28 groundstacked subs and 12 Kara cabinets serving as front-fill.

Power for the system was via 12 amp racks featuring the manufacturer’s LA8 and LA12X amplified controllers. LA Network Manager provided system control, while the FOH mix was via a DiGiCo SD5 marshalled by FOH engineer, Rob Mailman.

FEATURES: LIVE

L-Acoustics arrays were placed high above the stage

The main show mixer was a DiGiCo SD5 running analogue

Seven feeds from FOH to the amps were used on a separate snake. This allowed Mr Mason to prioritise the different input signals but also gave him the option of having more than one FOH mixer feeding the same PA system by running different mixers into those amps and then routing them in the desired way.

Another fast and furious obstacle was blocking out the noise of the F1 cars from the circuit. ‘We had to tune and time-align around the sound of the cars,’ recalls Mr Mason.

‘The cars were so loud that the measurement microphones would pick them up.’

Equally challenging was keeping the SPL under control given the extreme conditions of the concert area. ‘It was crucial that the engineer kept the higher SPL more on the floor,’ explains Mr Mason. ‘When getting to a certain SPL, even surrounding acoustic energy that is not directly firing towards an obstacle will start returning once you go up on the master fader too much.Just like a room can only handle a certain amount of acoustic energy before it reaches a saturation point and reflections start adding to the volume.’

The weather, meanwhile, did not smile upon Mr Mason and the Showtech Bahrain crew. The circuit is situated in the Sakhir desert, some 30km outside of the capital, Manama, and is no stranger to erratic weather patterns.

‘The strong winds meant that I had to keep the array on the ground for a few days before we put it up,’ continues Mr Mason. ‘Then we also had a big downpour on the Saturday but the essential equipment was off the ground and well covered so we didn’t have any power outages.’

The monitor rig was custom-made by Sound Image but there were some exceptions in terms of the L-Acoustics equipment. A Yamaha CL5 mixing console was used at FOH to run the system for the background music. The main show mixer, however, was a DiGiCo SD5 running analogue. ‘Rob Mailman ran his DiGiCo into a custommade drive rack with all of his favourite toys, including

some nice analogue gear,’ adds Mr Mason. ‘He wanted to run an analogue snake and didn’t want his outputs to my amps to be run off his rack on stage but to come direct from the FOH drive rack. So I ran an analogue snake down to the stage from the FOH to go straight to my rack.’

Another specification outlined for Mr Mason by the BIC was for the American touring crew to be able to ‘quickly plug in and be happy’ with the American production and 110V requirements, something that was achieved with flying colours. ‘It sounded great and the FOH engineer was

happy. When they smile, shake your hand and take your phone number, then that is pretty much the best feedback you can get. Everybody did a great job, especially the Showtech Bahrain boys.’

With the concert ending on such a high note, the BIC continues to set a high bar when it comes to concerts at F1 races. www.bahraingp.com www.l-acoustics.com www.showtechme.com

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 63

PRODUCTS FEATURES: LIVE FEATURES: LIVE

System tech Bose enhances install credentials

INCORPORATING BOSE 90° of pivot away from surfaces.

EM180 models provide nominal PhaseGuide technology, the Design, set up and control of 180° horizontal coverage and are EdgeMax in-ceiling loudspeakers beam coverage is provided by ideally applied when mounting have been designed to mount Bose Professional Modeler and near wall boundaries centred along near wall boundaries so that they ControlSpace software. target coverage zones. Both models can project HF audio throughout Based on the F1 portable feature 75° asymmetrical vertical rooms up to 20m wide using only powered subwoofer, the MB210 coverage and are optimised for perimeter mounting locations. a dual 10-inch that has ceiling between 2.5m andthat recently took place at the Autism Rocks Arena. While arrays, stick a mic up and is THE ROLE OF THE RENTAL HOUSE GOES FAR heights BEYOND festivals have a look at themodel relationship between The manufacturer claims thatitthe been created to enhance the and the 6.5m.

Angear 8-inch woofer and 1.3-supplied a very similar L-Acoustics K1-based main PA for meeting a technical rider.

While may have all the in stock Delta the down-fills, the lower four boxes, the middle four boxes newtomodels to 37Hz inch diaphragm compression ready supply,can theeffectively number ofcover potential system configurations eachdriver performance, there were distinct nuances about the way the upper four. I will then look low andfrequencies see what thedown high end is doing, area that would uppreference to accompanying are to both models, andwas deployed that made each iteration unique. areanonly limited by the require style and of common the visiting system possibly add atmospheric when correction or some FIRFreeSpace, filters within LA four conventional conical-coverage RoomMatch a 2-way passivethat crossover comes engineer.

It is being able to effectively meet this element While the different gigs each had their own requirements, the Network Manager to keepPanaray the wholeand thing pretty even.’ models, eliminating loudspeakers.

Designed with business 8Ω or 70V/100V transformer starting point Bose for MrEdgeMax Woods is the same.

‘I time everything to it so can be the further difference betweenthe winning repeat and With the system flattenedUtility and EQ’d the engineer’s requests are EM90 and EM180 in-ceiling loudspeakers needout fortoconventional ceiling for engineers both BGMwant and “meat foreground taps. A newly developed mountingit’s all tidy and then I’ll walk around and have a listen,’ he explains. then accommodated. ‘Some losing your competitors. and two veg”, speakers to as beamounted in the so we’re applications in addition to and clamp acoustic design with 12in phase ‘We are here service provider, here system to makeand surea magnetically ‘It’s imperativeunobtrusive that a system starts with everything and within anaold school PA in the airmusic that goes down to 60, 70 or 80Hz Operating 75Hz to 14kHz centre of rooms. toare thehappy,’ reasons sound-reinforcement, the down attached grille allowing instant 2.25-inch transducers, that the people who Owing come in Al Woods, timed back to full-range the main source.

I’ll then EQ everything, take a then the subthe on the floor,’ small says Mr Woods. ‘The Ks run right frequency range (±10dB), unique director design and consistent rental company, weighs 18.6kg accessDelta to wiring and tap basic look andeach technical at Dubai-based Sound. powered by athat 50W internal remove anything jumps out. Next I’llcolumnar move on line array to 30Hz and the subs also500W-rated run down to MB210 20Hz under them.

When features both coverageonpattern, EdgeMax housed a compact x ease of around Expanding this approach, he points to a settings string of further concertsfacilitate and Class-D and walk with apower tabletamplifier. looking atOn-board the coverage ofDante all thenetworkyou turn a big and K system flat,isit’s a beastinall round but660 generally connectivity line- onand loudspeakers provide a full292 x 457mm enclosure. Capable installation.

DSP allows digital control and level analogue input. The modular frequency response for music and of producing 123dB continuous A new addition to the Panaray beam steering of the vertical design allows up to three MSA12X intelligibility for speech. peak SPL, the Baltic-birch plywood series has been designed to array coverage patterns, whilst units to be vertically arrayed to EdgeMax in-ceiling premium cabinet is finished in either white or provide consistent audio levels the inclusion of the Articulated increase coverage distance and loudspeakers are available with with vocal intelligibility and fullArray configuration allows 160° low-frequency pattern control, whilst black scuff-resistant polyurethane two different horizontal coverage paint and can be mounted range music reinforcement in horizontal coverage. Independent the low-profile enclosure can be patterns, for which the EM90 horizontally or vertically with a acoustically challenging spaces. level and EQ control is supported mounted close to surfaces as its provides nominal 90° horizontal U-bracket.

Available in black or white, the for two separate beams per array, digital control eliminates protruding coverage intended for in-ceiling MSA12X modular steerable array whilst on-board memory stores pitch brackets. An integrated mounting near room corners. The loudspeaker features a slim, up to 10 user-selectable presets. mounting bracket allows up to www.pro.bose.com

While Delta Sound generally uses the same equipment for all of its gigs at Dubai’s Autism Rocks Arena, meeting the needs of visiting engineers has resulted in subtle differences. James Ling reports

Technology meets diversity

HK Audio continues down the Linear path

The South African musical adaption of The Color Purple saw a blend of technology, art and emotion.

AIMED AT bands and DJs, HK The cabinets each have a total of John Leonidou takes a seat Audio’s Linear 3 Series comprises four presets, two of which are active

the 12-inch L3 112 FA, the 15inch L3 115 FA and the 12-inch WHEN RICHARD SMITH WAS APPROACHED TO BE THE multipurpose XA model, sound designerL3 for112 the South African musical adaptation of which serves as he either a top or asking twice. That was hardly The Color Purple, didn’t need onstage monitor. series looks to surprising given hisThe background in performance and the fact combine high-definition that he hadbalanced, directed musicals himself in the past. Using his sound, impressive technical knowledge low-end, in soundclear design, he made the decision to speech andfor advanced hone his reproduction production skills the good of art, heightened by the DSP technology. sensitive subject matter of the musical for many South Africans.

Linear 3 loudspeakers have been There are a number of reasons why The Color Purple musical designed for simple setup struck a chord not only with to Mrallow Smith but with many other performers achieve goodThe quality people acrosstoSouth Africa. ‘rainbow nation’ is universally sound should no engineer be recognised as diversely multicultural but the days of apartheid present. still remain sore in the memory of many. The musical is based Setting the stage at the Autism Rocks Arena on the famous 1982 novel

by Alice Walker which follows the

S

at any time. They are: Bass Boost, Flat (LF), Flat (HMF) and Contour. journey of Celie, an African–American woman in the American German manufacturer South from the early- to mid-20th century – a period ofThe legal also states that Linear 3 offers segregation in the United States. The January production in ‘plenty of headroom’ with 1,200W Johannesburg was also the first major international staging Class-D power amplifiers, as well the musical since the hugely popular Broadway revival in 2015. as ‘tonal integrity at every volume The musical is driven by a score featuring jazz, ragtime, level thanks to built-in Intelligent gospel and blues with the central theme revolving around Limiters and precision hope, the healing power of love and a celebration of Multiband life. directivity For Mr Smith, it was that energy that he was determined to to ensure sound is dispersed project to the audience through sound, even if the odds were towards the audience.

While Linear 3 takes care of the continuously stacked against him. ‘This musical demanded midI and special attention because it was so emotional and raw. felt highs, a pair of new units been released on the low end that, in order to serve the story, I was going to have has to make Richard Smith some choices about how to bring certain elements to the

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FEATURES: LIVE

The show needed ‘special attention’ when it came to sound because it was ‘so emotional and raw’ audience. The show’s feeling is very organic, natural and quite sparse, so there wasn’t a huge reliance on sound effects and gimmicks.’

The production took place at the 1,069-seat Nelson Mandela Theatre within the Joburg Theatre Complex. The stage floor is 400m², while the main stage has five computer-controlled stage lifts that can raise the sets 3.9m above the stage.

The main PA was the theatre’s L-Acoustics system, which is an L-C-R configuration, with MTD Series fills and SB218 subwoofers. But it was a new delivery to the theatre that had elevated that sense of excitement for Mr Smith.

‘The theatre purchased new LA8 amplified controllers just in time for the production and they made a huge difference. I was using the in-house mixing console, which was a Yamaha PM5D, with Dante interface to a Mac, running QLab for sound effects.

The band used myMix personal monitor mixers and the stage was covered by four L-Acoustics MTD115b monitors, flown to give even coverage.’ Elsewhere, all the wireless microphones were Sennheiser ew 300 Series, while the band mics were a combination from Shure and AKG. ‘I made a technical choice to use the theatre’s L-C-R PA to a much larger extent and, in addition, use the surround speakers – that I would normally use only for sound effects – more in the main mix,’ continues Mr Smith. ‘I wanted to create a pseudo 5.1 surround mix for the show and to try and immerse the audience in the experience at the appropriate times.’

Good collaboration with members of the band also played a big role. When first reed player, Brian Smith, and director, Janice Honeyman, opted for a specific tone and feel in the show, Mr Smith was put to work repositioning microphones and adding different EQs with surprisingly good effect. Under normal circumstances, Mr Smith would have used at least five different mics to cover this segment but, due to channel count, he instead went for three key positions, using only condenser mics and using various bends of the microphones to create and enhance the different tones required. He would eventually go on to use the same technique on another reed, drum overheads and percussion.

Other challenges included using placements of sound to draw attention to a new melody or counterpoint particularly when

there were a number of performers on stage all singing at once. ‘There were certain musical themes repeated throughout the show, much like in films, and so I treated these themes in the same vein. I used specific place, tone and effects to create the subliminal familiarity the audience needs to identify with the characters or locations. We were all pushing the boundaries to make it look simple and effortless.’

Although these techniques are by no means new, they are rarely used in such show genres, let alone live productions. But Mr Smith was determined to make these relative subtleties not consciously noticeable to the audience, while at the same time elevating the experience. Mr Smith’s quick thinking was also called into action when he faced a large opening gospel number with all 20 wireless mics open – directly in front of the left PA. He also needed to be wary of the orchestra pit as the actors – all wearing omnidirectional lavalier microphones – would often come into close proximity with instruments in the pit such as drums, brass and woodwinds that could be quite loud. To eliminate the problem, some old-fashioned techniques were used, as Mr Smith explains. ‘The drummer was put into a perspex cage and a lot of draping and acoustic foam was used

rehearsal time and an even shorter technical rehearsal time.

When it came to sound tests, Mr Smith would observe a runthrough in the rehearsal room and, within a couple of days, the cast would be on stage with final placements.

But, in the end, the struggle was worth the effort. The production received rave reviews from local critics and is poised to return. ‘I can honestly say this has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling theatrical experiences of my life,’ concludes Mr Smith. ‘On an artistic level, the music, the team, the cast and band were all amazing to work with. The producers were asked to bring it back in August to celebrate women’s month.

‘To see an American show resonate with South African audiences was such an amazing and emotional experience.

The issues are so close to home and it reminded me every night of the many people in this country still enduring these hardships.’

The Color Purple returns to The Mandela Theatre on 7 August and will run until 2 September. www.l-acoustics.com

Sound designer Richard Smith had to draw from his experience during the stage production of The Color Purple to contain the spill. The brass and reed players were also put behind draping and perspex where possible and all amplifiers were put in a separate area under the stage.’

Economics also provided a stern test for Mr Smith. The Color Purple had been a short-running show in South Africa which, in turn, meant a limited choice of audio equipment. Being creative with the tools at hand was therefore a crucial part of his job.

‘Unlike a long-running Broadway show, I couldn’t have my perfect wish list of equipment. For the most part this wasn’t an issue because I love the in-house system, even though it is an older generation. But I did have to get creative on the input side of things. To fit a Broadway musical onto a 56-channel console isn’t the easiest thing in the world but, luckily, the band and cast numbers were not too big.’

The challenges begun as early as preproduction. Unlike longrunning musicals, the South African production had limited

The popular musical is set to return in August at the Nelson Mandela Theatre

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 65

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Striking a new chord The Avid Icon D-Command mixing console in the control room

The Cyprus School of Sound is the island’s first ministryrecognised specialised music technology private institute

The booths look directly into the studio and control room

Mixing and mastering in the four booths

John Leonidou meets the man with the vision to expand and develop the world of music technology in Cyprus IT HAS BEEN QUITE A JOURNEY FOR GREEK SAXOPHONIST, Aris Koliniotis. As a student, he left his homeland for the bright lights and loud sounds of London to study music. He landed a position as a pro audio consultant for the head office of Digital Village called Music Village, before heading back to university to do a second Master’s degree in teaching. Not abandoning his musical passion, he continued to collaborate with other artists and produce his own music.

Family circumstances eventually led him to the most unlikely of places for somebody with Mr Koliniotis’ area of expertise, but it was a move that has so far paid dividends. In Cyprus, he is the proud owner of the Cyprus School of Sound (CSS) – the island’s first specialised music technology private institute that was recognised by the Ministry of Education in 2014. Situated in the capital Nicosia, the CSS has quickly gained the respect of studios and production houses throughout the island in what is still a budding industry to the million or so Cypriot inhabitants.

‘There is no institute like this in Cyprus,’ says Mr Koliniotis.

‘This is something new for the island. My goal was to take what I was doing in England and bring it here. Music technology is something that I love and something that I wanted to share with the people here. At the CSS, we specialise in music technology and that makes me especially proud. The machinery, technology and knowledge that a student gains here is not something that he or she can get from another institute that may offer 10 different courses. We offer one thing and the students learn that one thing well. I teach the technology so that the students can express their musical creativity.’

But knowledge and expertise in music technology will not get you far without the proper tools of the trade and Mr Koliniotis knew exactly what he needed to make his dream a reality.

‘I had prior experience with putting studios and ICT rooms together for many years and so I had that knowledge with me from the start. We have all kinds of equipment, three studios – two studios and the main studio – and the main live room and control room at the school. It is a pretty decent setup here. I wanted quality products so the students can enjoy the best experience with the technology.’

The CSS is essentially made up of two floors where students can enjoy the best of both worlds in music production and audio engineering – both of which encompass music

66 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Students get familiar with programmes such as DAWs Pro Tools and Logic on the upper floor

Aris Koliniotis’ school is gaining momentum in Cyprus’ pro audio industry technology. Every student has his or her own computer, soundcard, audio interface, piano and controller keyboard.

The classroom on the upper floor is fully equipped with iMac technology from Apple where students can get familiar with various programs such as Pro Tools and Logic. ‘I also have soundcard audio interfaces from Focusrite,’ he continues. ‘I decided to go for the Scarlett Studio Pack because it has a variety of different products such as an audio interface with a cardioid condenser microphone and closed cap headphones for tracking and mixing, which are also value for money. I use Novation keyboards and Novation Launchkey 61.’

Downstairs and opposite the main entrance are two vocal booths and three professionally equipped studios, where students learn the different recording, mixing and mastering techniques, while they can also be used for music production or compositions. The booths also look into the CSS’ neighbouring studio and control room. ‘All four booths and two of the studios are fitted with Mackie Universal Controllers that have motorised faders. They are sturdy and reliable. They are also fitted with Yamaha HS5 active monitors for mixes that are clear, do not need much colouration and have a flat frequency response.’

For two of the studios and booths, a PreSonus Monitor Station comes in handy for sending the QMix and for communicating with the musicians. There are also four headphone amplifiers. But the grandest item, according to Mr Koliniotis, is the Avid Icon D-Command mixing console in the control room. ‘We work with Pro Tools HD with Focusrite ISA

Students are encouraged to learn both music production and audio engineering

preamplifiers. I also have older Focusrite gear, like OctoPres that has clean-sounding preamplifiers, and Dynaudio AIR6 speakers. At some point, I will be making upgrades and bringing in new equipment. But when you have something working so perfectly, then there really is no need to change it.’

CSS students mostly come from a DJ background with the desire not only to play and mix other artists’ music, but also to learn to create their own. The complete course for music technology is created to provide continuous progression. It starts from the explanation of audio production principles up to teaching students all aspects of music production. The first part is based solely on learning the software and various music production techniques to enable the students to focus on the creative aspects of music technology.

The second phase goes deeper into learning about the different types of microphones, learning and putting into practice all the different recording techniques, before progressing onto practising the different audio editing techniques that they previously learnt, such as mixing and mastering. Students are also given the choice of partially completing music production or audio engineering.

But what lies in store for those budding audio engineers/ technicians, DJs and studio musicians? Can Cyprus offer them a future in terms of a profession or will their passion simply remain a passion?

‘There is potential for the audio engineering and music production industry in Cyprus even if the industry is small,’ argues Mr Koliniotis. ‘There is interest in this industry. I have been contacted by companies in need of assistants asking me if I have students to send them. These companies know that the students here are well-trained and organised. They know they won’t be hiring people with zero knowledge of the job at hand.

‘Every year we’re improving our numbers,’ he concludes.

‘The Cypriot community is quite tight-knit and so there is a lot of word of mouth between the students. And the word is that we’re doing good work here at the school. All my students are speaking highly of me and the way that I care about what they will learn.’

Cyprus may still be taking its baby steps in the pro audio industry but, with Mr Koliniotis and his school at the helm, the future for music technology on the sun-kissed Mediterranean island can hope for brighter days. www.cyprusschoolofsound.com

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Creating an atmosphere

The first large A/V installation project for Visiontech has seen the systems integrator retrofit a public address and BGM solution at Sharjah National Park. James Ling visits

The TOA horns were installed below the older solution on the 12m poles

68 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

IT IS A HOT DAY RIGHT AT THE START OF SUMMER AS Pro AVL MEA arrives at Sharjah’s National Park. The temperature and humidity have just started to rise, making our site visit a little stifling. While the conditions aren’t optimum for a British journalist, this is exactly the kind of situation the park’s new audio system has been designed to cope with.

‘This project is something different,’ smiles Arpit Bhatnagar, lead design engineer – audio visual at Visiontech Systems International, the systems integrator responsible for the project. ‘It’s not a conventional design with normal speakers. Here the temperature goes up to 55°C in open areas so we had to carefully study the datasheets to ensure that the products could all withstand the temperatures.’

To meet the needs of these conditions, Mr Bhatnagar designed a solution that combines TOA horn and garden speakers with a DSPPA backend. The design called for the installation of six CS-154 wide-range, IP66-rated weatherproof horn speakers and 18 GS-302 in-ground speakers. While the horn speakers were selected for the high SPLs that they can produce, the choice of the in-ground speakers was due to the wider frequency response needed for full-range music reproduction. The backend combines DSPPA’s DA4250 Class-D digital amplifier, MP9911P public address pre-amplifier and a D655 Series UHF wireless microphone system.

Sharjah National Park is among the largest municipality parks in the UAE and, as such, the cabling was a major consideration. With each cable loop coming in at around 600m, the project required almost 4,000m of speaker cable to deploy the system. With a cable run this large, the Visiontech team chose to go with 12AWG Belden speaker cables giving 100% headroom for each channel.

As the equipment list suggests, the original remit for Visiontech was not a BGM solution. ‘They asked for the system to just be for public address,’ reveals Shabbir Zakavi, managing partner at Visiontech. ‘After getting it

installed they realised that it was more than public address, so they play background music over it as well over the weekend as an added benefit for residents who choose to use the park.’

The TOA in-ground speakers While not originally intended for this purpose, as we walk around the National Park with the background music drifting gently in the air, it certainly works to create a relaxed atmosphere. ‘For this open space and with a small number of speakers, it sounds very good,’ says Mr Bhatnagar. ‘We have spread it across at ±10dB distribution. It is something to give ambience over the weekend and it is excellent for that.’

If the result has been an unexpected benefit, this is due to the hard work and planning that went into the system. The Visiontech team explored the design from every angle to try and ensure that the system would continue to function no matter what was thrown at it.

‘The combination of speaker types was because the biggest threat in this area is people playing football, so

FEATURES:APPOINTMENTS INSTALLATION

Giacomo Previ to oversee Powersoft OEM division

New sales division head for Pro Lab

the in-ground speakers often become a goalpost,’ explains Mr Zakavi. ‘We wanted to use horn speakers so that even if they break the in-ground speakers, they will still have a system. We have placed all the in-ground speakers, by lighting poles so that people will not intentionally kick a football into them, but kids will still come and sit on them. While they have to deal with things like the heat and humidity, there is also a human element that the equipment has to copeFollowing with.’ an almost WORLD: and I am committed to building While this hasatformed a major concern for the integrator, 15-year stint Eighteen Sound, relationships with partners old there were Previ plentyhas of other Giacomo joinedissues related to the retrofit and new based on mutual trust project.

‘There were many challenges in this project,’ UAE: Dubai-based distributor, Pro ‘It’s a very proud moment for Powersoft as sales manager and strong cooperation, taking reflects Mrsolutions.

Bhatnagar. first was the underground Lab, has named Waqas Ilyas as me to join the Pro Lab family for OEM He‘The most Powersoft’s successful operations cabling. the interlocks on the paths we could remove its new key account manager. In at this stage of my career,’ recentlyWith served as sales director to the next level.’ them, but we Sound couldn’t dogained that with the cycling track, we this role, Mr Ilyas will head the at Eighteen and said Mr Ilyas. ‘Pro Lab has an Luca Giorgi, sales and business needed to excavate down and under the road. We made the sales division and be responsible a familiarity with Powersoft’s impressive footprint in the region development director at criteria thatIPAL we would not run cable above 80cm under the for managing and optimising sales patented technology as athe with reputed brands that have Powersoft, explained why Mr Previ operations, channelling revenue transducer specialist adopted its broad acceptance and appeal. made a ‘fantastic addition’ to the and facilitating brand relationship Powersoft’s amplifier hardware I’m committed to building team: management. module, IpalMod. relationships with partners old ‘His professional background was dancing; it was great and to see heon smiles.

In his new role, Mr Previ will ground because all of these drainage pipes and technical newthat,’ based mutual trust combined with his strength And it is factors like this to that mean thecooperation whole Visiontech oversee OEM sales around the pipes are at of least 1m under the him floor.’ strengthen with character makes the team is feeling positive about the of future. like this world, explore strategic business ‘There was perfect a huge fit amount planning the goal taking‘Projects Pro Lab’s for theofteam as wethat went into the help to put us in the shopsuccessful window sooperations that people development opportunities and cabling,’ adds Mr on Zakavi.

‘There were lots of civil works and to can new see take the challenges ahead exactly what we can do,’ states Mr Zakavi. ‘We achieved develop a technology roadmap for the speaker poles are 12m high so the horns needed to be heights.’ in an increasingly competitive more than the client was asking nota performance sound future market needs. He will also properly mounted for public safety.’

‘It hasfor, been promising start to marketplace.

With customer but just to create an ambience.

Weand have be responsible for P&L (profit and Despite all experience of this planning, there areGiacomo still factors that you the year we delivered anticipatethe 2018 front of mind, “wow” effect to the customer.’ loss) in Powersoft’s OEM division can’t accountwill for.ensure ‘The poles that the horn to be a year of growth for Pro Lab,’ our commitment to speakers are As Pro AVL MEA steps gratefully back AC Haber. of the car and will manage a team of six mounted on a are 15end-to-end years old and it turns out added Pro Labinto MD,the Rami true partnership is that there it is as if we have been transported to heading another aworld. sales support staff. were squirrels living inside them,’ Mr Bhatnagar.

‘With Waqas large The something we live andshares breathe, Giacomo Previ a million from the ‘It’s a great honour for me to join ‘That is a challenge because in nono matter vertical in themiles salesaway department, leaving partners doubthow thatgood the quality multi-lane highway feels like lush, green park we have just left.

And thisabout is entirely the the Powersoft family and I can’t of the cable you use is,isthe willtostill chew at it.’ the exciting new product roadmap we are optimistic further Powersoft thesquirrels only brand point. By using music to create theMiddle National wait to introduce OEM customers Having onlyoffer formed its A/V divisionbest-inin August 2017, this will further reinforce its position. growthan in atmosphere, the UAE and the a comprehensive, Park can now help people East drift market.’ away from their everyday to the most innovative products is the first bigclass A/V solution.’ project for Visiontech. As such, Mr My years of experience have lives and relax in the natural world around them. available on the market,’ Mr Previ Bhatnagar is clearly very happy with how it has gone. ‘I given me a deep understanding www.powersoft-audio.com www.prolabllc.com commented. ‘I have no doubt that remember when I was doing the commissioning it was a of the OEM customer business Waqas Ilyas www.visiontechme.com Saturday and when I started playing the speakers, everyone Equipment from DSPPA forms the backbone of the system

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 69

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

The BMTS team

Making an impact

Two LT 9702s have been positioned on top of the extreme ends of the stand

Panaray 802 cabinets cover the grandstand

BMTS opted for an all-Bose solution to provide the main PA at the Fujairah Stadium. James Ling finds out more THERE ARE CURRENTLY COUNTLESS HIGH-PROFILE stadium projects taking place across the Middle East.

Sporting venues seem to be rising up just about everywhere, and they always demand a high-quality PA system to keep the passionate supporters safe and informed.

It is the large stadia, particularly those being built for the 2022 World Cup, that are currently grabbing all the attention. However, at the other end of the scale, there is a plethora of venues being built or upgraded that all have demanding requirements for their audio solutions. Indeed, it is these smaller venues that can sometimes provide a more challenging environment for the designers.

A case in point for this is the Fujairah Stadium. A capacity of 10,645 means that it is far from the biggest ground in the UAE, yet many of the challenges its design presents make it typical for stadia across the Middle East.

The stadium itself has one covered grandstand that runs the length of the playing field with empty space at either corner. The other three sides of the stadium are formed by an exposed single-tier stand that runs continuously from behind one goal to the other. This common design presents a familiar problem – how can you cover the whole stadium with a restricted number of speaker locations? The job of meeting this challenge as part of a retrofit fell to Dubai-based systems integrator, BMTS (Bahri & Mazroei Technical Systems Co).

‘It was a design and build job for us,’ recalls Sachin Damodare, deputy manager – AV systems at BMTS. ‘We worked with Bose to create the design and we proposed it to the client. The requirement was for commentary, playing the National Anthem and music. We proposed a Dante networked solution for audio distribution with music players.’

‘Together with BMTS we provided the best solution to meet the requirements provided by the client,’ furthers Kassim Salim from Bose Professional. ‘This is just an open stadium.

On one side you have the roof and the other three sides are open. The speakers on the top of the roof throw the sound to the stands on the other side.’ The resulting design saw the entire sound system installed onto the main grandstand. Two

70 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

The exposed seating is covered from the main stand LT 9702s have been positioned on top of the extreme ends of the stand and three LT 3202WRs have been installed in between them to cover the exposed three sides of the stadium. Under the grandstand roof, 16 pairs of Panaray 802 cabinets cover the seating area for the main stand. In order to meet FIFA requirements, low-end punch has been added in the form of MB24 subwoofers distributed around the stadium.

The all-Bose theme continues with the electronics providing the backbone for the system. The speakers are powered by the manufacturer’s PowerMatch amplifiers, while a ControlSpace ESP processor provides the control. ‘Instead of a mixing console, they use a ControlSpace ESP processor which has all the presets programmed,’ explains Mr Damodare. ‘They have a Shure commentary microphone and the operator can adjust the gain just with normal controls so they don’t have to play around with the system too much.

‘The commentator’s microphone, PC and DVD player are connected to the ControlSpace processor where we have made presets for the music,’ he continues. ‘The low, mid and high adjustments required for the commentator’s microphone are stored as a group of presets that can be selected from the cc64, to avoid the necessity of a mixing console. This had the twin advantages for the client that it provided cost savings and made the system easier to operate.’

As a further option, BMTS supplied the stadium with iPad control functionality. This can be used to adjust the PA volume and recall the presets from the ground, if required for aspects such as presentations.

Having decided on the right solution for the stadium, the next challenge was to actually install it. ‘As usual with projects like this, it was a very strict timeline,’ recalls Mr Damodare. ‘We had to complete within one month of winning the tender. It was a big challenge to install all of the speakers at that height with the weight restrictions, but we got it completed.’

While installing the Bose speakers along the roofline of the grandstand and staying within the weight limits of the structure provided one obstacle, it was the location of the ground that proved to be the main concern. ‘It is close to the sea so there are high winds that were the greatest challenge for the safety of the BMTS team during the installation,’ explains Mr Damodare. ‘Following the installation, the speakers have also needed to withstand the high humidity as well. This is the reason that we selected weather-rated cabinets and they have done their job well.’

With the solution installed, Mr Damodare is happy to reflect on the performance of the system. ‘There is no hiding place for a sound system in a project like this. If it is not good, people will tell you. Thankfully it has been functioning well with no complaints. It was the perfect design and we met the client’s expectations. We are very happy with the result.’

This view is shared by the manufacturer, particularly as it provides an all-important stadium reference project in the region. ‘Having stadium references are very important for us,’ says Mr Salim. ‘It shows that we can do the larger systems for big spaces that require powerful speakers.’

Fujairah Stadium may not be the largest ground in the region, but the audio solution installed has made a big impact for everyone concerned. www.bmts.ae pro.bose.com

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FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Creating consistency The long-running installation project at Imam University has seen multiple meeting rooms and auditoria equipped with Televic conferencing and interpretation equipment. James Ling reports

IN A TEACHING ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE SAME ROOMS are used by several different people, one of the key factors for the successful adoption of any technical equipment is consistency. A huge amount of valuable teaching time can be lost if academics need to spend a few minutes at the start of each class deciphering how to use the A/V equipment in a particular room. It was this kind of reasoning that ensured Imam University in Saudi Arabia took a standard approach to the conferencing systems in its teaching spaces.

Based in Riyadh, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University is a world-renowned centre for Islamic studies.

Founded in 1953 and granted university status in 1974, it is now home to over 100,000 students as well as thousands of teachers across its 11 colleges. Each day, students and academic staff rely on conferencing equipment for the communication and understanding of a wide variety of subjects. In addition to this, the Imam University regularly invites teachers from around the world to lecture to its students, often resulting in the need for a simultaneous translation system. It is therefore no surprise that conference equipment plays a key role in the everyday academic activities of the university.

The process of upgrading Imam University’s conferencing system started as part of a wider A/V project calling for new solutions in a variety of spaces. A competitive tender process ensued with the eventual contract for designing the solutions being awarded to Madrid-based consultant, Typsa. ‘We were responsible for the design and the supervision of the project,’ explains Ahmed Mokhtar, the telecommunications department chief at Typsa. ‘The designs were done in our head office in Madrid and there was a team here in Riyadh to supervise the project.’

72 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Two large lecture theatres have been installed as part of the project

The conferencing solution in action

With Typsa selected as the consultant for the project, the next stage was to find the right integration partner to deliver the systems. With experience gained from similar projects at other higher-education establishments in the Kingdom, such as King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Princess Nora bint Abdul Rahman University, Saudi Business Machines (SBM) won the tender process to become the integrator.

The final piece in the puzzle was finding the right supplier for the conferencing solution. Here, one of the local distributors had a particular advantage. ‘We have a good relationship with Imam University, the local A/V systems integrator SBM and

Typsa,’ says Abulrahman Melhem from Venuetech, whose KSA office supplied the project.

This, in turn, led to conferencing specialist Televic becoming involved in the project. ‘Thanks to our distributor Venuetech’s relationship with the consultant and the university, we were given an opportunity early on to showcase Televic’s conference solutions,’ explains Herman Geerinck, Televic sales manager for the Middle East.

This being said, it was more than the relationship that led to the Belgian manufacturer’s equipment being specified.

‘Televic is known worldwide for being an innovator in the conference system industry and their products offer very

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Televic equipment in the rack

high-quality sound and are very user-friendly, along with very good support,’ states Mr Melhem.

‘They make excellent products with many features, such as compatibility with the retractable screen mechanism,’ adds Rabih Maraach, senior systems and integration specialist at SBM. ‘In addition to this, they were approved by the consultant.’

The initial part of the project began in 2013 and was achieved with the manufacturer’s Confidea Central Unit architecture. It consisted of Televic’s T-DIV and CIV units – tabletop devices with voting and interpretation channel selectors. However, Imam University is continuously investing in the expansion of its campus, so the installations rapidly followed in a phased approach. ‘We are talking about a megaproject (akin to a small city) – some buildings are ready and others are still under construction,’ says Mr Maraach. ‘The architectural department is still working on the design inside some of the new buildings.’

After the first phase in 2013, in 2015 and 2017 Imam University again relied on Televic for its conference equipment. However, this phased approach presented an interesting technical challenge. ‘The original tender design was analogue so we needed to switch all systems to digital and add in a Dante network,’ recalls Mr Maraach, reflecting on the technical changes that took place between phases.

‘The speed of technology upgrades obliged us to change all of the installation.’

While this could have been a major challenge, the change also fitted with a new approach from Televic. Since the initial phase, the manufacturer had introduced Plixus, a packetbased IP network developed to simplify the conference architecture by sending all information over a single Cat-5e cable, as its new network architecture. ‘While the impact of a new architecture is significant, for the customer, the transition was nearly invisible,’ says Mr Geerinck. ‘And that’s what matters most. Our technology is there to help students and staff work better together, without technology getting in the way.’

The result of this is 43 meeting rooms and two auditoria that have been equipped with the manufacturer’s conferencing systems to date. The central equipment installed onsite includes 19 Confidea CU, 22 Plixus AE processing units and the same number of Dante cards. At

the other end of the signal chain sit 437 Confidea T-DIV and 41 Confidea T-CIV delegate units.

The software backbone is based on the manufacturer’s CoCon Suite. Here the university has been equipped with applications covering discussion, interpretation, audio routing, signage, voting and authentication.

While the conferencing solution makes up a large part of the project, it is not the only area where Televic supplied equipment. The manufacturer’s Lingua interpreter desk was installed to facilitate multilingual meetings with academic staff from around the world.

Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University This part of the solution comprises 12 ID2500 and 20 Lingua ID interpreter units. These allow the university’s interpreters to deliver content to the audience via infrared.

The IR equipment itself can be broken down into two separate solutions. First, there is an Aladdin system that comprises four T8s, eight RAD25s and 420 R8s. The second portion is the Lingua solution that includes nine Lingua T, 21 RAD_Hs and 200 R12s. In its entirety, the university is home to 40 interpreter units and 1,020 infrared receivers.

‘In total, the project includes more than 1,000 infrared receivers; a staggering number,’ says Mr Melhem. ‘And the end user is very satisfied with the interpretation and audio quality.’

While changing technology over the years has been a major hurdle for the project to overcome, the real challenge has

come from the timescale. While it has been done in phases, the installation time allowed for each phase has stretched the SBM team. ‘In every room we install there is a challenge,’ says Mr Maraach. ‘But when we talk about installing new technology like the digital 8K planetarium, large auditoria or broadcast studios with all the required connections, it is something more than a challenge, especially when we have limited time or have fixed working hours due to the classrooms being in use.’ To overcome this, Mr Maraach points to good planning with the other contractors involved with the project as well as the team working nights and weekends to ensure everything is delivered on time.

SBM was not the only one to experience issues with the timing of the phases. ‘The main challenge for us was the delivery time,’ offers Mr Melhem. ‘The orders came in a little later than we would have liked, but we were still able to always deliver on time.’

The end result is one that the university can rightly be proud of. ‘It is working smoothly and our client likes the installation,’ offers Mr Mokhtar. ‘We have always had a positive reaction from the consultant and the university team,’ agrees Mr Maraach. Mr Melhem also sees nothing but positives from the end customer. ‘The client is very happy with the audio quality from the conference system, and the unique features in the interpretation and conference systems they have.’

All parties agree that the success of the project lies in the continuity of the experience provided, over many years, rooms and technologies. ‘When you have an excellent product with strong features, there’s a trust in place,’ says Mr Maraach.

‘The result has received positive reactions from the university team and given us the opportunity to work on the next project.’

‘We already have a new order in place for later this year,’ adds Mr Geerinck. ‘With over 40 rooms and almost 500 delegate units in total, we’re proud to help Imam University provide better interaction between students and teachers.’

With plenty more phases in the pipeline, this may only be the beginning of the project for the various companies involved. However, the results so far highlight the value in a consistent approach to technical equipment in an educational setting. www.sbm.com.sa www.televic-conference.com www.typsa.com www.venuetech.ae

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 73

FEATURES: INSTALLATION

Scaling new heights

Club Everest has become the first venue in the Middle East to be equipped with MC2 Audio’s Delta Series amplifiers. James Ling has a listen

Live music is at the heart of Club Everest’s business plan FOR ALL ITS CHARMS, THE ASTORIA HOTEL IN BUR DUBAI is not the first place you would think of for an audio product to make its regional debut. However, thanks to the opening of its new Nepalese restaurant and bar, Club Everest, it now has that honour.

As you can tell as soon as you walk through the door, Club Everest was created with live music in mind. Its large, well-equipped stage dominates the venue and ensures that nobody is in doubt about what its main purpose is.

Throughout the week, the owners have scheduled a varied programme of acts, covering just about every genre of music with the hope of drawing different crowds of music lovers every night. Of course, as they were looking to create a live music venue that could rival some of the big names already present in Dubai, the owners understood the importance of having a high-quality sound system and decided to make this one of its major investments.

To facilitate this, Club Everest approached Dubai-based systems integrator, Em-Tec, with the simple request for ‘the best sound system possible’. Em-Tec has been the distributor and integrator for Funktion-One in the UAE for a number of years and was quick to suggest a solution based on the British manufacturer’s equipment to cover the space.

But to power it, the integrator’s design team opted for something new.

Tucked off in the control room just to the side of the main stage is the venue’s racked equipment, and taking pride of place in this rack are the first MC2 Delta Series amplifiers to be installed in the Middle East.

‘We went for them because Funktion-One had recommended them as their new amplifier,’ recalls Em-Tec general manager, Andy Williams. ‘Tony Andrews had said how good they were and this was the first project we had the

74 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

The main seating area

The first MC2 Delta Series amplifiers installed in the Middle East

opportunity to use them on. When we heard them, we were so glad we did because they sound absolutely amazing.

‘They’ve been testing them for a while now at Funktion-One to make sure they sound as good as possible,’ continues Mr Williams. ‘The proof is in the audio quality. There is definition in the bass end, there is clarity in the tops, it is just a whole step forward.’

The new Delta 80 and Delta 100 amps are joined in the rack by the manufacturer’s older E475 and E15 units alongside a pair of NST Audio ID48 matrix processors and a Formula Sound ZMR-243 mixer. These combine to power, process and control the large Funktion-One system that has been installed around the L-shaped venue.

Em-Tec opted for the manufacturer’s Resolution 2 speakers to form the main sound system hung either side of the stage. Low frequencies are supplemented by a pair of BR218 double 18-inch bass reflex cabinets installed into the front edge. Providing foldback for the performing musicians, meanwhile, are four QSC K12.2 monitors.

To the side of the stage, a small bar area serves the dancefloor. This, and the accompanying raised seating area, are served by Funktion-One F101 and F81 cabinets.

Completing the sound system are a pair of F1201s and F101s with a further 18-inch sub that combine to cover the main seating area.

This type of design and combination of equipment has become relatively familiar for Em-Tec projects. With the Delta Series amplifiers being the only new element to the setup, it provided Mr Williams with the perfect opportunity to assess how the new amps affected the overall solution.

‘Having got very used to the sound on the last lot of MC2 amps, which were great sounding amplifiers, this was like a breath of fresh air into the speakers,’ states Mr Williams.

FEATURES: INSTALLATION ‘The quality and clarity are amazing and the power just seems to be on tap. Even when it is at full pelt, it still seems to have headroom in the amplifiers. Part of it is to do with the room and everywhere sounds a little bit different, but it just sounded amazing; it has gone up another level.

‘I’ve got so used to hearing Funktion-One speakers with their sets of amplifiers, and they all sound amazing,’ he continues. ‘This is one of many installations we have done with Res2s and we have a rental system too, but these amps have given the speaker a whole new lease of life. I was really amazed. I have test music that I have listened to again and again and it just added a whole new level of depth and clarity to the system.’

installed before the final commissioning and system tuning.

The end result is something that everyone involved is delighted with. The owners are receiving nothing but positive comments from both the musicians who are playing the venue and the clientele who are frequenting it. From their point of view, the solution they have purchased has been ‘good for every musical style’ and a similar solution will be at the top of the list for any further venues they choose to open.

For Em-Tec, meanwhile, the Delta Series amplifiers have reinvigorated its understanding of what is possible from the equipment it installs. Unsurprisingly, the direct result is the amplifiers being selected for further installations. ‘We are specifying them for lots of projects at the moment and we have got a few pieces coming into stock now so we’ll be able to utilise them,’ says Mr Williams. ‘I really can’t wait to hear the Delta 120 on a 21-inch bass.’

While Club Everest will always be the first use of this amplifier series in the region, it seems like it will not be too long before the MC2 Delta Series amplifiers scale further heights in the Middle East. www.emtecav.com

Funktion-One F1201 and F101 speakers cover the seating area While the new amplifiers make the project remarkable in its own right, the actual installation process was relatively straightforward. It took a couple of days to complete the cabling then the venue was equipped with a temporary hire system from Em-Tec while its own cabinets were being built in the UK. While this was not ideal, it allowed Club Everest to open on its planned launch day and the business could get off to a flying start. When the full system arrived in the UAE, it was a simple ‘plug-and-play’ job to get everything

QSC monitors provide foldback on stage

BR218 subs have been built into the front of the stage

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 75

FEATURES: BROADCAST

Live changeover

The OnAir 1500 in the SlowTürk studio

Hot-swapping the console at Radyo D 104 AS THE CLOCK TICKS TOWARDS 11 O’CLOCK ON A TYPICAL Thursday morning, there is a sense of purpose in the air.

Radyo D 104 is live on air to millions of listeners across Turkey, broadcasting from its studio in the Kanal D facility in Istanbul. Unbeknownst to those listeners, there is about to be a significant change. The radio station is about to hotswap its main broadcast console.

When Pro AVL MEA heard we were going to witness this changeover as part of our site visit, we were expecting to see a team of technicians frantically working with a variety of cables to ensure that the station stayed on air. But no, there is just one technician and our guide for the site visit – Ugur Dogan from supplier SF Ses ve Işık Sistemleri – who are preparing to undertake this mission-critical operation.

Eleven o’clock arrives and the presenter hands over to the news, meaning the 2-man team can spring into action.

In a flurry of activity, the Cat-5 cable is removed from the Studer OnAir 1500 console and it is moved out of the way as the replacement slides in and is plugged in. The physical fader caps are then all swapped so the colours on the new desk mirror the one it replaced and the studio is once again ready for action. The whole process is over before the news presenter has finished reading the headlines.

‘Changing the console is as simple as that,’ smiles Mr Dogan. ‘All the information is sitting in the core, this is just a controller.’

76 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

The ability to hot-swap the live broadcast console in less than a minute highlighted the benefits of Kanal D’s new IP infrastructure. James Ling reports

Radyo D 104’s new console

To be honest, it all feels a little anti-climactic. But this is entirely the point. The reason that Kanal D upgraded its infrastructure to IP in the first place was to ensure that changes like this would be as seamless as possible. And had anything gone wrong during the process, the show could have taken its feed from either of the other studios that are sat on the network.

‘The main topology is based on redundancy here,’ explains Mr Dogan. ‘You can do studio redundancy and you can do full backup from one studio to another. If, for example, I want to change the inputs, I go to the software on the PC where I have my mic inputs, my line and AES inputs and the router which is in the server room. I can get the audio from the router from any of the inputs, but I can also go to the other studios to take the DJ mic or the guest mic. That means they can use that studio as a newsreading room whenever they need or if anything happens there and they can do the broadcast from here from the second control bay.

So if a desk isn’t working, they can switch the inputs and carry on broadcasting. They have easy access to all sources between the studios. They are independent radio channels, but they can share the audio.’

This I/O sharing is all managed by Studer’s Relink software. ‘As soon as I select the source, the patch starts within the core and decides which pathway is available or the safest. It is not like hard patch inputs that we are

FEATURES: BROADCAST selecting, it is actually software. We say we want this source and the Relink software takes care of it, it makes our lives easier.’

While life has been made easier for the technicians, it has also become safer for the broadcaster too. The network backbone at Kanal D has provided the broadcaster with three layers of redundancy. ‘In broadcast, redundancy is the one thing that you can’t do without,’ states Mr Dogan.

‘We have the hard wired patch from here to the main room, but it’s in secondary input mode so everything from here to broadcast goes through AES67 audio over IP via Dante. In case something happens on the switch side or on the Dante cards, we can still have audio feeds being broadcast via the hard wire.’

While taking this route has clearly provided benefits for the broadcaster, it was not the original plan. ‘They didn’t initially ask for I/O sharing but, when you have studios that talk to each other, the main benefit would be to have I/O sharing in between,’ says Mr Dogan. This concept was then expanded following the decision to use an OnAir 1500 Nano Core as a router.

‘We have got a Dante connection at the back of the Nano Core,’ he continues. ‘We inserted Dante cards into each of the desks and they all come to this switcher and can be shared from there. The studios talk to each other via AES67, but we still have the capability for sharing inputs and outputs via Dante.

‘The first idea was not to use Dante, we wanted to use something less intelligent like MADI, just point-to-point I/O sharing,’ he continues. ‘But there were not many benefits to doing that and I wanted them to really use audio over IP and see what Dante could do for them.’

Having upgraded the consoles and backbone for the broadcaster’s three stations – CNN Türk, SlowTürk and Radyo D 104 – with two OnAir 1500s with 12 faders, one OnAir Micro Core with Micro Fader and the OnAir 1500 Nano Core that is sitting in the main control room as a

router, Mr Dogan is confident that Kanal D has the right setup for the future.

‘IP is where the broadcast industry is going, so they can introduce any of those IP protocols easily,’ he states. ‘If they want to use AES67, it is already there. Or if anyone wants to have Dante inputs or anything like that, they can still do that because we have spare Dante channels that can be used. They can just patch the hardware into the switch and add it to the system. The network is easily expandable, so

The Studer Nano Core acts as the main server if they wanted to add another channel, they could easily do that. And when they move out from here, if they need to implement another desk they can do that.’

Having witnessed how fast and simple it was to change out the main broadcast console live on air, it is little wonder that an increasing number of broadcasters are transitioning to IP. When designed and implemented with the kind of care and attention that has been seen at Kanal D, the end result is one that can both improve performance and make everyone’s lives a little easier.

Studer’s Relink handles the I/O sharing

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July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 77

FEATURES: BROADCAST

The convergence of everything

The media wall highlights the changes that have been made at Karnaval

An IP infrastructure is becoming a common sight at broadcasters all over the world, but it can provide much more than just a networked facility, as James Ling discovers at Karnaval Media Group LAST TIME PRO AVL MEA VISITED KARNAVAL MEDIA GROUP, everything was very different. It was 2014 and the broadcast company had just recovered from a catastrophic power issue that had knocked out all of its terrestrial radio stations.

Challenged as any broadcaster would have been by these circumstances, Karnaval used the enforced outage as an opportunity to not only fix the problem, but also to upgrade its facility with a redundant, networked approach.

Fast-forward four years and this decision has benefitted Karnaval in more ways than many would have imagined.

At the time it had five terrestrial stations plus a further 13 internet radio stations. Thanks to the networked approach it took with the upgrade, the broadcaster was ready to experience the full benefits of an IP infrastructure, then expand on this to grow its digital broadcast footprint to 75 online radio stations as well as the five terrestrial options.

This expansion has transformed the company into the 10th largest internet radio service in the world and driven a move into a new facility. Gone is the inauspicious grey tower block in central Istanbul, replaced by a purpose-built complex in the Maslak region of the city that feels open, bright and modern.

The multi-functional studio can be used for live performances and interviews by any station

78 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

has something of a familiar feel. The RCS automated playout system, which enabled the stations to continue broadcasting during the shutdown, is still at the heart of the operation.

And the Lawo crystal consoles that were added as part of the upgrade are equally still in use in each of the studios.

However, for a broadcaster with so many radio stations, the thing that is most surprising is how few studios there actually are in the complex. As you would expect, there has been an increase from the five on-air studios and three production studios of the old site, but interestingly this has only grown to eight on-air and eight production studios.

The bespoke Huawei systems room A multi-functional studio, which has been created as the venue for live performances for any of the broadcaster’s stations, sits at the heart of the new complex with various on-air, production and news studios branching off from the corridors around it. While this has been an important addition for Karnaval, it is the media wall that wraps around its window that symbolises what the broadcaster has grown into. On these LED panels a variety of video content from some of its stations is screened, while down one side there is a moving list of what is currently playing on each of the company’s appbased channels.

‘What is special about this place is that while everybody talks about IP, these guys are actually doing it,’ offers Sarp Yelkencioglu, managing director at Radikal Elektronik, the company behind the original project and its subsequent move.

‘It’s not just audio, it’s text and video and of course the voice over. Everything is shared over social media and over the internet – it is the new face of radio, it’s media not radio, it’s the convergence of everything.’

As we tour the new complex, it becomes clear that while much has changed, the technology driving the broadcasts still

Lawo crystal consoles are in use in each studio ‘Radio is about packaging now,’ states Mr Yelkencioglu. ‘If you have 75 channels, you can’t have 75 studios.’ He is of course right in this assessment. The 16 studios that form the facility are all matrix-connected to provide fail-over redundancy for each other and interchangeable for greater scheduling flexibility, meaning that any one of them can be used for any station at any time.

‘They can connect remotely from the other studios as everything is networked,’ continues Mr Yelkencioglu. ‘It also gives full redundancy so if something happens to one of the stations they can physically switch to another studio and they

FEATURES: BROADCAST

EN

Eventide and Wohler gear in the rack can even do the production remotely. They have one central news studio for all of their stations. All the regional and national news gets done from there and then inserted into the automation system.’

If there is a familiar feel to some of the equipment in use at the facility, there is something altogether more complex happening behind the scenes now at Karnaval which we were only starting to see the beginnings of four years ago. It was clear then how important networking was for the broadcaster; now this importance has expanded exponentially to become front and centre in everything it does.

While IP infrastructures are becoming a common site at broadcasters in every region, it is a trip to the system room at Karnaval that really highlights just how much the broadcaster has invested into the technology.

Tucked away in the rear corner of the building, the bespoke Huawei system room has been custom-built to handle the broadcaster’s infrastructure and playout needs. Housing 18 racks of equipment from the likes of Wohler and Eventide alongside Adder Technologies’ Infiniti series IP-based KVM systems and the Lawo routers as well as its redundant UPSs, the 60m2 room has allowed Karnaval to embrace the IP future of its operations.

‘It is the first of its kind in Turkey,’ says Mr Yelkencioglu. ‘All the digital platforms are hosted here. It is very compact, very well planned, very well cooled and controlled.

Everything is fully redundant with the IP streams coming out of here. Everything in the system room is industrial and controlled over IP. ‘The stations are streaming through rackmounted micro-computers,’ continues the Radikal managing director. ‘For some, like the 25 new Arabic channels that they have just launched, these form the entire station.’

This kind of ‘channel in a box’ is not a new concept, but to see so many of them together in one system room is impressive.

As you would expect, it has been a big challenge covering more than just the playout equipment to get these stations on air. ‘They are getting support from all kinds of people,’ says Mr Yelkencioglu. ‘They cooperate with some American companies for doing the

Adder Technologies’ Infiniti series IPbased KVM systems are important for the broadcaster’s IP capabilities stream, inserting the metadata and inserting the local ads into the online broadcast. If you want to talk about IP broadcast, this is IP broadcast.’

Stepping out of the systems room and back into the busy production area, there is one key element that Mr Yelkencioglu is keen to highlight. ‘This is all just for radio stations,’ he states, surveying the grand surroundings.

‘It’s not like they have TV stations and newspapers and then radio on the side.

Purely just as a radio station, the size of it is impressive.’

This is a statement that it is hard to disagree with, and the pearls of wisdom keep coming. ‘You can access an infinite amount of resources through a radio station which you thought would have been impossible five or six years ago,’ reflects Mr Yelkencioglu.

‘It’s not really a radio station, it’s a media group that uses audio, video, photos and text, everything together being presented and packaged in a very efficient way all thanks to the interconnected devices. It is proof of what can be achieved when you use the right technology at the right time.’ www.karnaval.com www.radikaltr.com

Each micro-computer streams a different station

54

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‘Most walls need rea ACCORDING TO ENtwo54-24 (B) event that something should fail, then you can just go to the partynetworks.’ mount with scissors. A 0.9mmthp co While the ability to have tworear separa service closet,’ he explains. ‘All of our products are SNMP so have a mount structure to get acc we clear equ you can monitor them. You’ll get an alert if there is a failure with it out advantages, and scissoringMrit Ferriday back andisyou ru Dante networking thewe live environm our power supplies so you’ll know you have to hot swap, but it everywhere.

That isinwhy like the ev fro abh for engineers to do.

He offers the exa will hot failover so it will keep the wall running. With an internal Apex line, you just remove a module US live show setup with an FOH console power supply, a whole section of the wall would go down and module boards per tile.

With the comp The Dante enabled stagebox allows for two separate networks inv athe truck to tile record theisshow sepa then you’ll have to tear the wall apart to get to the power supply. whole which eitheron 27ainche with a Dante-based option for networked audio, the NetisI/O SB forIt the house ‘Weproduct havere so This way there is no disruption at the wall as everything taken is this areabroadcast. that the senior 32.24. has actually been making network I/O for some es I/O and some Dante I/O which is con care of ‘SSL remotely.’ provides another advantage to the des time,’ reasons Mr Ferriday. ‘Traditionally ‘T hewit be happen. ‘We do includenetwork,’ 5% spares this has been a broadcast product, it’s not directly ths continues. ‘In the unlikely eventinto thatsid something we’ve sold into the live market in fum absolute you don’t have to wait. the We have a serv the past. However, the new Dante stagebox an theChina I/O and th in India and a location in so we has been designed specifically for live sound. requirements geographically. We have We’re still using the same super analogue mic if someone is cleaning and they knock pres as we do on the broadcast device, but we kill a module, they can just grab one o now have a different form factor which is more it within minutes, all from the front, ve appropriate for live.’ can take that damaged module, ship i The unit includes 32 mic/line inputs, 16 is nearest to them, then we can repair • outs, four AES/EBU inputs and four analogue very quickly.’

AES/EBU outputs. However, it is on the back While the serviceability of the 0.96m • panel where the new stagebox offers something unique. Here ratio full HD LED panel was an importa there are two pairs of redundant Dante network ports. right control and monitoring capabilitie • ‘In addition to the Network A redundant pair, there is a manageable remotely, there are autom second redundant pair on the back of the box which you if something is up with the wall,’ s provides a gain compensated Dante split,’ furthers Mr also got interfaces including RS-232 a Ferriday. ‘This channel includes the gain differential systems like Crestron or AMX.’ audio. The audio coming out of here will not be Of course, it is not only the end user changed by anything that happens on the input about during the design process. ‘You www.pan-acoustics.de gains from the control console.’ enough capability to do the majorityRe of thR This tile means that the operate as two discrete The hasgoing beencrazy,’ designed to do,desk without offerstoMrall Each is made frombox 12can module boards

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

Thomsun’s Genelec demo room

The Genelec board (Ritva Leinonen, Maria Martikainen, Mikko Martikainen, Juho Martikainen, Topi Partanen, Lasse Aho and Siamäk Naghian)

Family values

Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Genelec puts a modern twist on its tried-and-tested formula, discovers Simon Luckhurst

A young Ilpo Martikainen

80 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

NESTLED IN THE TRANQUIL SURROUNDINGS OF IISALMI in Finland, a storm has been steadily brewing for the past 40 years. For, despite its sleepy appearance, this has been the starting point for a significant quantity of the active studio monitors that grace our industry throughout the world.

But while much of the credit for this surprising success firmly rests with Ilpo Martikainen and Topi Partanen, the co-founders of the company and men largely responsible for many of Genelec’s technical feats in active monitoring, the secret ingredient appears to run deeper. Genelec, it seems, is a family endeavour, whether you bear the Martikainen surname or not. Mr Martikainen’s philosophy is very much a part of the DNA of the company, and something championed by managing director Siamäk Naghian since assuming the position in 2011.

‘Siamäk took that role very well from Ilpo and then developed it. I mean Ilpo, as is the case with many other entrepreneurs, believed that to become successful you should hire people who are better than yourself,’ shares LarsOlof Janflod, who has served Genelec in varying sales and marketing roles since 1992. ‘That fits well when it comes to Siamäk – he has really done a great job in developing so many things within the company. He came in as head of R&D to begin with, then he became managing director and worked very closely with Ilpo in the years they had together.’

But as becomes clear as Pro AVL MEA speaks to those leading the charge, there’s no star player and everybody has a role to play. ‘If you really look at the history of Genelec, of the people who have worked here and what they have done, then you realise that it’s not just the work of one

person,’ says Mr Naghian. ‘The question is how to create a kind of community in which people feel encouraged to bring their best to the table. That is something Ilpo did very well because of his personality, and also because of people here like Lars, Topi and Ari [Varla – who spent his entire career at Genelec before succumbing to illness in 2008]. If someone already has the passion to want to create something special in their life, then this is a great place to be.’

It was with great sadness that Mr Martikainen passed away last year after struggling with a long-term illness, handing his 40-year legacy to his three children, Juho, Mikko and Maria, and opening up a new chapter for Genelec to explore. While many of the key driving figures mentioned by the managing director still remain at the helm for support, there’s a feeling of something new in the air.

‘In 2001, Ilpo, who at the time owned 60% of the company, wrote over 10% to each of them, so altogether they had 30% and he had 30% – and that was alongside five further owners,’ says Mr Janflod. ‘At that point, they started to take part in board meetings and management team meetings and, since 2001, they have been part of the work that we do. Of course, since Ilpo’s passing, they have become more involved.’ This gradual transition has seen Juho step into the marketing side of the business, while Mikko, a software engineer, works on internal administration and software for the CRM, and Maria has assumed an HR role.

‘Genelec has been like the fourth child in our family,’ explains Maria Martikainen. ‘In that sense, I think it has always been clear that somehow I would be a part of it. Of course, in a family-owned company, it’s always a challenge

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

PRODUCTS

for the next generation to keep the good things from the Fi – are both promising future growth markets for the Finnish past, the heritage and the core things, and then at the same manufacturer to target under the stewardship of Asia/Middle time understand that this is now our generation and we East sales and customer support engineer Clifford Pereira, are, of course, different. What Topi and Ilpo and all of the who’s held the position for a remarkable 17 years. others have done, these are things that we must keep on impressed first time on I met WITH THE spreading popularity microphone thehim,’ front recalls of the Mr with Avid on the‘Clifford production of the me the developing.’

Janflod.

‘He showed me adevice pair ofand S30s and the PCBs of 4K and the emergence of HDR, simplifying audio looked punchAvid Artist DNxIV, a new hardware Genelec monitors in the control room at Oman’s Royal ‘If you look at Genelec over the years, the company has likeforthey had been in a fire, heconversion still managed to repair in.but AJA’s technology interface option Media Opera HouseAJA has been quietly adding new HXC-FB80 always been considered to be engineering-driven, and I think and make without real-time asking forscaling any help from functionality to some of its most facilitates of 4K Composer. Thethem Thunderbolt 3 them work, sure we will. popular Our coremodels. business in recording and broadcast that’s a good thing,’ adds Mr Janflod. ‘Although we have Genelec.

So, islater when we themonitoring opportunity New v2.0 firmware and UltraHD to had HD for capture and output device saidon in 2001, will always remain priority, wemultichannel have enjoyed some striven to become more market-driven, if we had listened to hire him, we theoutput. success we’ve over for theour Ki Pro Ultrabut Plus and Thethat DNxIV alsohad includes to offer the latest 12G-SDI anddid. A lot of strong business relationships in,enables for example, Arabia2.0 I/O the purely to the market, then we wouldn’t be here.’ years hasascome work.’ recorder and player the Saudi HDMI an additional Thunderbolt 3 port for connectivity, well from Clifford’s and, when you see HDR that market But while Pro AVL MEA could (and indeed has before) pore Today, it’s a testament todaisy-chaining the late founder’s vision and latest formatsnow withopening HLG andup, I canassee to other Thunderbolt advanced audio features and great opportunities.’

One suchand fruitful business over the many achievements racked upoperation

by Genelec Mr leadership his name crops up continually in discussion, SONY’S LATEST entry-level full at under 1080x1920 between HDR10 playback, adds supportrelationship devices.

4K/UltraHD support up tothat 50p/60p has seen Genelec in hundreds of frame mosques Martikainen’s stewardship, the company celebrates working to AJA a shared vision HD camera system supportsas4K the camera headits and HXCU-FB80 for thespeakers recordinginstalled and playback of new FiDO converters rates. yet it’s the many individualsFinally, KSA, to provide reinforcement for the imams.

40th it’s also ready to lookcamera to the future. has made Genelec what is today.capability Now, having a control ‘For unit via 3G.throughout Also andanniversary, HDR production.

The system ProRes 4444 XQ. withit12G-SDI havehad been The DNxIV isthat essentially a variant With the newAs leadership in KSA, business as anIo 4K lifetime the next generation, it’s about combining the heritage with learn formula, children surely of combines the HXC-FB80 portable supported are 23.98PsF, 25PsF well as adding theconducting latest popular launched to his support the will transport of AJA’s Plus buttobuilt to the winning international company should certainly become easier moving the way that to run this company,’ Martikainen guide the company for decades to come. After all,and camera withwe thewant HXCU-FB80 and Ms 29.97PsF shooting. The ND video formats to existing products, video Avid’s specifications, adding a wisely 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD/SD forward. AndAJA there also been partnered no lack of representation adds.

‘It’scontrol very different taking on a filter company that’s in bad remotely meeting theanalogue opportunitiesaudio of the future while retaining the camera unit and to is designed can be controlled hashas also recently over distances up to 10km built-in audio input for an in the Emirates, where long-running Dubai-based distributor, shape, whereof you feel like you have to change so much to servomotor traditions of the past hasover always Genelec’s strength. by an adopted filter for a wealth applications. onebeen optical cable. Models Thomsun Trading, has supplied several large-scale broadcast help it flourish again.

Genelec, that isinnot case.head It’s aalongside The HXC-FB80 joinsAtthe thethe camera include the TR-12G transceiver, the www.genelec.com projects in addition to launching a Genelec Experience Centre good place to be.’HXC product manufacturer’s the electrical CC filter. Control is T-12G single-channel transmitter, at the Popular Music Institute in Dubai’s Wafi Mall. ‘It’s nice But if there is no immediate disrupt thethe CCU front range, shares many of the shift to radically available through the R-12G single-channel receiver, to have that facility,’ explains Mr Janflod. ‘Of course, it’s good traditional Genelec business model, thepanel company has in or RCP remote operation, features found in the HXC-FB75 the 2T-12G dual-channel transmitter to have a place where you can send people for demos, but recent years been exploring avenuesPC-RCP and (HZC-RCP5) and has themore samequietly configuration including and the 2R-12G dual-channel also important that you maintain a good relationship and markets its loudspeakers new home.

In Unit it’s optionswhere as its predecessors, thecould find and athe Master Setup (MSU) receiver. The new models reportedly that you continue to provide training opportunities and so 2010, it introduced the 4000 HXC-FB80H, HXC-FB80K andSeries installation system. speakers meet relevant SMPTE specifications. forth for the staff and also for end users, particularly when it toHXC-FB80S. complementThe its new existing Architectural Series in-wallthe HXCU-FB80 camera Meanwhile, comes to broadcast engineers, for example.’ and in-ceiling models, thus significantly strengthening offers a signal-to-noise ratio of camera control its unit upscales www.aja.com www.avid.com Genelec is certainly well-represented in this sphere. ‘In commitment thesensitivity A/V installation –60dB withto high of F12 market.

HD content to 4K (3840x2160) Ki Pro Ultra Plus v2.0 the Middle East, Dubai, for example, is a very sound, Crucially, these areas open awhich world of and possibilities the at 59.94Hz or F13 at 50Hz, delivers ain12G-SDI output in reinforcement-driven market with lots of hotels, pubs, clubs Middle East,low-light where the broadcast has been addition to a strong quad-Link 3G-SDI. A facilitates shooting as market andalso bars,’ says Mr Janflod. ‘It’s obviously not a recording but opportunities in recording have been more limited.

‘Ifupdate will planned firmware well as a raft of camera painting market. There is broadcast business to be had and I think we we’re talking market segmentsItin the Middle thenoutput to support and processing functionality. add anEast, HD HDR have our fair share of that. Al Jazeera is a big Genelec user, definitely A/V is an area where we’re expecting to have possesses three 169mm CMOS Hybrid Log-Gamma. probably our biggest customer in the territory.’ Likewise, further and afterand that home audio,’ states Mr Janflod.

Exmorgrowth, image sensors runs Lebanon – backed by distributor Eltek – and South Africa – ‘There’s going to beprogressive quite a lot of business to be had there at 59.94Hz/50Hz pro.sony.com Clifford Pereira under new representation from the end of last year with Tru and, while it’s not something that we’ve approached yet, I’m Avid Artist DNxIV

AJA is Avid for Media Composer

Entry-level 4K and HDR

1/21/2 Horizontal PAGE

60 PRO AVL MEA March–April 2018

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 81

BUSINESS: COMMENT

A letter from America

Dan Daley discusses how Spotify’s market-making completes music’s epic poem

THIS LETTER IS BEING WRITTEN THE DAY that Spotify had its initial listing on the New York Stock Exchange. In doing so, the leading music-streaming service, whose US$165.90 per share opening gave the company a valuation of over US$30bn (it slipped back just a bit by the end of trading that day) moved the focus from music to finance, which, I suspect, is where its founder, Daniel Ek, had been looking towards all along.

Spotify’s financial markets debut finishes a narrative, begun around the turn of the last century, in which music would transition from art to commerce. There was a sea change in the underlying technologies of producing and distributing music in that time – a shift to digital platforms abruptly converted music production from a pursuit requiring significant amounts of capital and technical expertise into one that almost anyone could access easily and cheaply, while companies such as Napster essentially unbundled the CD and

the LP online, selling it piece by piece. And that set the stage for transitioning music from a commercial yet artful product into a quotidian commodity. In the process, it pulled the economic rug out from under the music industry’s old business model – spend US$1 million on a handful of new artists and reasonably expect to recoup and make a profit from the one or two that might be successful – and ultimately made way for the venture capitalists who saw another kind of value in the industry’s wreckage. People such as Guy Hands, the portfolio manager who plundered as he played with EMI for a while, or plutocrat Len Blavatnik, who picked up Warner Music Group for a mere US$3.3bn.

Thus, Spotify coming to Wall Street was less a venture into uncharted technical and creative waters than it was a homecoming of sorts for an industry that is now almost totally a creature of the financial markets and Silicon Valley. Is that a problem?

A letter from Europe

It could be. It certainly signals a very different environment for music as a product and, by extension, as a career for its professional class. Those professionals had already experienced a diminution of status, revenue and expectations as digital technology allowed more people to enter the techno-creative class (although more than a few of them have also made millions of dollars on cat videos on YouTube). What streaming added to the mix is an intensification of what was already a challenging and perilous financial infrastructure: in the old order, artists could make enough to live on from their standard 15% of retail, if they sold enough records, and producers could thrive from their two or three percentage point deals if they worked on enough projects that were successful. Now, however, streaming’s revenue structure looks more like a primer on income inequality, with more of Spotify’s

revenue going to a smaller and smaller percentage of artists on the service.

Spotify’s move to the stock market, where the biggest returns naturally flow to a small core of cognoscenti, essentially institutionalises that phenomenon. The same day Spotify’s stock debuted, Sony Corporation reported a profit from the sale of about one-third of its equity shares in the streamer, a gain of ¥105 billion (US$986 million; £703 million).

The world may not seem any different.

People will continue to produce music and consumers will continue to consume it. But the constrained ability to make a living from it will inevitably have an effect on quality, if not quantity. Meanwhile, via Spotify, music will be in play in the financial markets – a cold, hard world where data analysis reigns supreme, and where the astute investor may yet make a living out of music even if the musician cannot.

recordings to bring to vivid life the contrasts between conventional systems and this new propagation. Who could resist Kraftwerk’s shimmering electronic anthem Tour de France in 3D? Professionals will debate the provenance of each solution and its merits. We’ve known about the Haas Effect since 1951, brilliantly exploited by UK spatialisation expert, OutBoard, for over 20 years by a fusion of theatre expertise and Gerhard Steinke’s delta stereophony called Source Oriented Reinforcement. Alan Blumlein, lest we forget, first articulated the psycho-acoustic phenomenon of stereo in 1931 – the very first step beyond point source fidelity. Then there are the research institutes, which burrow into the physics until something lands in the topsoil for the entrepreneurs to find like prospectors in the Klondike: algorithms from IRCAM in Paris contributed greatly to L-ISA; Astro’s Bjorn Van Munster struck a deal with Germany’s Fraunhöfer

Institute concerning another formula. But the precise degree to which these and other techniques are put to use in each iteration are less important, at this stage, than the plain fact that the industry has finally found its way beyond the paradigm of L-R, or L-C-R. After that, the scale of the impact is down to the scale of the operation, which is why L-Acoustics and d&b had the big headlines in Frankfurt. It’s the vision at the heart of all of these brands that marks them out as the sonic Sandinistas.

Notably, this revolution is thoroughly European. True, Steve Ellison at Meyer Sound has written a comparable algorithm put to promising use in Constellation, Space Map and other D-Mitri-friendly possibilities.

However, the use of Kraftwerk’s music in the Soundscape demos couldn’t have been more apposite at this pivotal juncture in the development of professional audio. For the time being at least, immersive sound is finding a very trans-Europe expression.

A tour de force – Phil Ward muses over this year’s breakthroughs at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt I RECKON IT HAPPENS ONCE OR TWICE IN a generation. If you’re lucky. Along comes a technology breakthrough that genuinely whets the appetite, and this spring saw one such advent that will stick in the memory for a long time: in this case, a handful of real-world, real-result options for what is usually termed ‘immersive’ audio, specifically for large-scale sound reinforcement applications. In Frankfurt especially, at the otherwise routine and some would say declining forum of Prolight + Sound, solutions from d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics and Astro Spatial Audio dominated proceedings and broke the barrier between theoretical proposition and practical demonstration.

There was plenty of other stuff around.

There were speaker boxes galore – solid, old-fashioned speaker boxes that produce sound to go wherever you want to point it. Some of them were small; some were medium-sized. With some of

82 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

them, you could attach wheels and spend a pleasant fortnight holidaying in the Dordogne. But within the abstruse domain of loudspeaker management and signal processing, multiples of these boxes can now be deployed in ways that will transform everybody’s experience of live music.

Immersive really is the new rock and roll.

It doesn’t happen overnight, of course.

There is a slow build up, like a head of steam, and then the moment when the locomotive pulls away. That’s what happened in Frankfurt. While Astro Spatial Audio (ASA) kept a modest watch next to countrymen Alcons Audio, both L-Acoustics and d&b held captivating demos of L-ISA and Soundscape, respectively, in a couple of those clinical auditoria somewhere in the maze of the Messe. There were queues round the block for L-ISA, and a showstealing guest appearance in support of Soundscape by Kraftwerk’s FOH engineer, Serge Graefe, who used recent concert

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BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

Middle East Special Event and Exhibition Show The regional meeting point for the MICE industry headed to Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah with a reduced footprint this year, but could it pull the desired crowd through the doors?

THE MIDDLE EAST SPECIAL EVENT AND EXHIBITION Show (MESE) has had something of a nomadic existence.

Originally hosted as The Middle East Events Show alongside the Palme Show at Dubai’s World Trade Centre, it has since changed its name and moved around various different locations across the city including the JW Marriot Marquis hotel and the Festival City Arena. Taking place this year at Madinat Jumeirah, the event seemed comfortable in its surroundings but scaled back from previous editions.

While the show has always been billed as a meeting place for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) industry suppliers and end users to get to know each other, it seemed like there were fewer companies for visitors to meet this time. The 2018 edition

It was quality rather than quantity for the attendees had 48 booths, markedly down on the 73 at the 2017 event, with some prominent companies notable by their absence. Yet despite this, those exhibitors that did take space seemed to be largely happy with the event.

‘The visitor number is not high but I think the quality has been there,’ said Network Crew’s Joe Marshall. ‘We’ve been seeing the right sort of people for the staging system and they’ve been interested in that. All in all, it has been worth doing.’

MESE’s remit is to attract visitors and exhibitors from every aspect of the events industry. As such, there was an eclectic mix of companies on the show floor. Visitors to the exhibition could source suppliers for everything from furniture to power, and robots to event planners. Scattered in amongst this diverse collective were a handful of A/V-focused entities.

While Aviss was the only representative from the UAE’s distribution community, there were a number of players in the rental market that decided to take space at the show.

For most of these companies, the decision was based on meeting potential new clients, but it also provided an opportunity to highlight new equipment and initiatives.

‘I think it has been great and really beneficial for us and our business,’ noted Rick Wade from Neumann&Müller Event Technology. ‘I think we’ve met some really interesting people.

I would say it has been quality rather than quantity and that for me is great. There haven’t been any window shoppers. I definitely would think about coming back again. I think it was the right place to launch our new SI initiative. The reaction to it has been better than I was expecting.’

‘We thought we would focus on our conference side as we’ve got some nice new equipment that we have recently invested in, like the Shure MXW system, and we are really keen to push that and keep ourselves at the forefront of this industry,’ explained DLC Events’ Mark Breakspear. ‘I think

84 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

it is important for us to keep a face there and not rely too much on word of mouth. There will always be someone who is in the right place at the right time and we want to make sure we are in the right place as often as possible. All we need is a couple of leads and it will make being at the show worthwhile.’

‘A lot of the events organisers have been quite welcoming to what we have so the event itself has been good,’ added Pierre Van Zyl from SLS Production. ‘I think our LED booth design shows what we can provide which has been a good thing. Everyone who has come has been amazed with the LED panels and the lighting that we have above the coffee stand so it has been a good one for us.’

As you would expect with any modern tradeshow, MESE 2018 had more to attract visitors than just the exhibits themselves. The awards ceremony and gala dinner served as a social meeting point for more than 800 guests, while the varied seminar programme saw a number of packed sessions on everything from event safety to VAT. This all combined to draw in an audience from a wider territory than many expected.

‘It’s mainly people from abroad like Saudi Arabia or other countries and some from Africa which is interesting,’ observed Stefano Duchi from Giochi di Luce. ‘We had a couple of people from Nigeria and from Ghana. I have the impression that they are looking at the Dubai market in general to see if it is a place where they can take services from and it could be something interesting to develop in the future.’

Reflecting on the event, it is hard to classify MESE 2018.

There is no escaping that it was a small show that attracted a very niche audience. Yet for many this was exactly what was required and the exhibitors were largely happy. The local MICE industry certainly deserves a focal point, and there are few other shows that can achieve this. However, unless the organiser can encourage more exhibitors to take space and expand the high-quality attendance, there will always be questions about its long-term future.

Tom Johnson, Louise Marshall and Joe Marshall from Network Crew

The DLC team focused on conferencing solutions

Pierre Van Zyl from SLS Production

Stefano Duchi from Giochi di Luce

One of the busy seminar sessions

Neumann&Müller Event Technology launched its SI initiative at the show

2018 Dates:

22 – 23 April

2019 Dates:

7 – 8 April

Venue:

Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai

Total exhibitors:

48

Attendance:

1,565

Contact:

www.me-eventshow.com

N

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW PRODUCTS EW

Pack away and set up with ease

president and CEO Joe Pham; COO Jatan Shah; vice president, Running alongside the exhibition was the InfoComm India systems strategy, Richard Zwiebel; systems applications 2017 Summit. This year, the summit featured more than 44 engineer, Asia Pacific, David Penrose; and senior director of sessions hosted by an array of industry professionals and sales operations, Mandy Spencer, all in attendance. ‘There’s covering topics from cyber security, the digital workplace and and ecosystem. The benefits are frequency extension lots of positive energy, and the Indian systems integration andand detailed auditorium design through to Smart Cities, a hot topic in India The K275 quicker set up times and the ability bass reproduction.

The K175, on consultant community seem really excited about us being here,’ with many cities being primed to benefit from technology to instantly recall performer presets. theofother hand, utilises an on-ear commented Mr Spencer. ‘There’s been lots interest in our to improve energy management, security, connectivity and Additional products with embedded design with 40mm product line and it’s solidifying our presence in India.

We’re transducers. The infrastructure efficiency. Although this seems to be largely in the ioSYS technology and Connected PA manufacturer also claims that all really happy with the show.’ planning stage, several companies were reporting that they are compatibility include the Soundcraft three was models are low impedance Meanwhile, in attendance on the Bose stand regional consulting with government departments on smart city projects.

Ui24R mixer, JBL PRX800W theover best frequency sales manager, Christian Liebenberg, whoand haspossess just taken Despite the almost overwhelmingly positive feedback from loudspeakers, dbx Di1 direct boxes response sensitivity for their responsibility for India and the SAARC countries.

Mrand Liebenberg exhibitors and visitors alike, there were some who felt the ON thefloor technology featuresquiet. a micro-bodypack an and AKGand P5i microphones. class, in a higher output was participating alongside Vishal Srivasta whoresulting is handling show was at times somewhat However, thewith show TOA’s S Raghuram International team atBUILDING QSC employed in organisers the UHF-R,claimed ULX-D and integrated antenna. before distortion even whenKyosuke playing Tanimura marketing for the region. a 25% growth overself-tuning last year, with visitor Axient wireless systems, back from lower-powered mobile As usual, the Acoustic Arts stand was well attended by numbers up Shure 16% to 8,162. Compatible with the Shure Battery www.akg.com has developed‘That’s AxientinDigital.

Rack Charger, Wireless Workbench K275 and K175 representatives from its growing number devices. of brandsThe including Powersoft’s regional account manager, EMENA, Hakan Sjoo: terms The of both exhibitors and floor space,’ said manufacturer states Tan, that executive the and ShurePlus software, featureCloud a closed-back design forquality of the visitors is good, they know what they want, Powersoft, Renkus-Heinz, TW Audio, Televic, ‘The Richard director, InfoComm Channels Asia. ‘It stands new digital wireless microphone features Quadversity Electronics and Community. ‘Every year,live therecording exhibitionand is monitoring, theywhile know what they’re and they ask the right questions.’ to reason that if you have aAxient muchDigital larger area for visitors, Sporting a new streamlined design and our powerful COREdoing

by DPA technology, receiver on technology, reducing the system was created in response K245 features a semi-open design getting more professional,’ commented Herman Geerinck, TOA was joined by regional sales manager, Kyosuke Tanimura, perception can differ.toFor example, the first morning, the d:vote™ Instrument Micand is mixing. far beyond anything heard continued RFattendance spectrum pressure risk 50% of signal interference suited editing business development manager 4099 for Televic, fromfor the stand. from Japan.

‘It’s beenyou’ve a good show, andbefore. we’ve mainly met was up more than overfades, last year.

And on the and that it offers high-performance and dropouts. is In addition to a foldable headband ‘The big names are here and that’s important in attracting the usual suspects but we’ve also seen a few new system second day, which people perceived to beDigital busier,audio the increase Use it with one of our many mounting clips and let your audience experience RF and hardware delivered via Dante and AES3 that features a three-axis hinge, visitors, though in our industry we don’t need a huge number integrators,’ said TOA’s Indian sales and marketing manager, wasn’tscalability. so dramatic as the first day. However, a large number of with a frequency range between ‘Axient Digital offers thereturning flexibility on the the headphones of visitors; the quality is more important than the quantity. have And self-adjusting S Raghuram. ‘It’s a valuable show for us, and we have booked people were second day, and the return visitors the true voice of your instrument. to work in the availableto spectrum,’ and 20kHz and wide headbands and Added floating earagain cups.for next year.’ we have been seeing mainly end users and consultants.’ compared last year was 20Hz also higher. dynamic range is also offered AKG has also unveiled a new ‘Interaction this year is far superior to last year,’ stated said Nick Wood, ‘Wedirector are veryforhappy with the show; we think it’s even better FOLDABLE STUDIO headphones at Shure. along with AES-256 encryption microphone adapter for theAlphatec’s Harman Mayank Gaurav, adding that the Klark Teknikwireless products than last year.’ The from Harman AKG’s brand have and 2ms latency from the mic Connected PA system. Featuring DM8000 digital processor designed for boardrooms wassystem’s receiver is compatible Dates: – 28 September been released for on the go with a pair of 2017 transmitter options: 26transducer to the analogue embedded ioSYS technology, the attracting much attention. ‘We are a bit more mature now, musicians and audio professionals. the AD Series and ADX Series. output. Its wide tuning range of portable MDAi CPA Connected PA know us and we know them, and there’s a lot of interest people 2018 Dates: TBC The new family comprises the K275, microphone adapter is compatible Axient Digital operates as standard up to 184MHz presents options in the quality brands we represent.’ minimizes distortion expands dynamic range increases clarity dpamicrophones.com/dvote Bombay Centre,when K245 and K175 models and is said for dualExhibition or quad receivers used with the AD Series with dynamic vocal mics from both ‘The show has been good for me this year as I’ve been when meeting Venue: Made Goregaon, in combined DenmarkMumbai to combine robust build quality and with a common receiver transmitters. However, when used AKG and other manufacturers. people I haven’t seen for the past 10 to 12 years, including comfort for long listening sessions with the ADX Series, ShowLink platform supporting AD and ADX The company states that using somethe consultants from Hong Kong,’ said Neeraj Chandra, Total exhibitors: 141 with an ‘accessible’ price point. is incorporated to supply realtransmitters. products is as easy as plugging director of distributor Sun Infonet, which was showing the The K275 and K245 models time all transmitter the adaptor into any mic, asShure it Axient and Microflex families. ‘It’s a very good show forcontrol ofAttendance: 8,162 feature 50mm transducers that The ADX Series also automatically configures itself with people we are here and showing them all the parameters. reminding new www.shure.com Contact: www.infocomm.org The K245 reportedly provide great lowthe Harman Connected PA products app The light fantastic at Christie we have coming through.’

Axient THE BEST INSTRUMENT MIC JUST GOT BETTER

goes digital

Introducing the new d:vote™ 4099 with

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July–August 2017 ASIA 119 79 November–December 2017PRO PROAUDIO AVL ASIA

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW

FBT’s Roberto Mataloni and Luigi Paoloni assisted their US distributor ISI for the entire show

HK Audio’s Florian Kunz and Fabian Reimann presented the Vortis2 and ContourX speaker systems

Richard Fleming and John Austin promoting the latest DNA120 digital network amplifier

Fresh back from an Iron Maiden concert in Norway that used an Alcons speaker system, Tom Back promotes the virtues of ribbon technology

InfoComm 2018 The Crestron booth

Was stand location the key to success at InfoComm 2018?

Pro AVL MEA walks the aisles

‘I HOPE THAT NOTHING THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK IN Vegas stays in Vegas.’ Rather than encouraging marauding stag partiers, heavy gamblers and marijuana-smoking visitors to conceal their vices once they returned to their point of origin, Avixa CEO David Labuskes was actually suggesting that InfoComm 2018 attendees take home what they experienced and share it with their colleagues and customers.

Attempting to squeeze InfoComm 2018 into a compressed space is a challenge. With 1,000 exhibits covering the vast Las Vegas Convention Center’s North and Central Halls, visitors can only select a sample of what is on offer.

As the 300 educational CTS programme seminars were concluded on the eve of the show, audio demo rooms flung their doors open. These multipurpose rooms were, of course, never designed for critical listening, and so the lack of acoustics requires neighbouring rooms to alternate their performances every hour. The off-hours are quite interesting as dust falls from the ceiling and lighting fixtures visibly shake. ‘We had to install acoustic separations into all the overhead lights and add drapes to all the walls,’ recounted Clair Brothers’ Josh Sadd. Debuting its 10Spot and S2-CX coaxial point source systems alongside the more traditional C8 and C12 line arrays and install-friendly 5CX and 8CX coaxial models, the Pennsylvania-based manufacturer was taking such a space at a trade show for the first time.

Many other manufacturers were demonstrating their surround and 3D immersive capabilities, with evidence of collaborative alliances, including Astro Spatial Audio as the

86 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Mike Torlone with the latest Bob Boster introduces P Audio compact line array Clear-Com’s E-IPA card and Freespeak II IP transceiver

Jono Bailey unveils the new flagship Dynacord TGX amplifier series

Shure’s Chris Lyon and Andrew Low promoting the MXA910 Microflex Ceiling Advance solution

Bethany Dineen showcased Anchor Audio’s latest portable systems

Dutch company assisted not only Clair but Alcons Audio’s pro ribbon show, Martin Audio’s Sound Adventures and others taking listeners beyond 5.1. Meanwhile, RenkusHeinz premiered its IC-Live X and ICL-XL families with a little help from Out Board, which has long pioneered theatrical immersive audio with TiMax before it became the vogue. d&b audiotechnik set itself apart by demonstrating Soundscape DS100 technology to large audiences without the help of any other manufacturers. However, L-Acoustics continued to promote an ever-growing circle of alliances to enhance the virtues of L-ISA, alongside presenting various loudspeakers including Syva, LA Network Manager software, optimisation tools and the new P1 AVB processor.

Having promoted Constellation for many years, Meyer Sound took a more laid-back approach this year, welcoming visitors with a low-lit ambience enhanced by its Ashby-8C ceiling speakers in the Sonic Lounge. Meanwhile, the show floor booth promoted the latest UP-4slim cabinet that has been designed to enhance its own immersive world against an interactive display backdrop.

The Community and QSC booths were celebrating 50th anniversaries, highlighting the IV6 modular vertical array and Business Music Solutions, respectively. Both companies have journeyed well and pioneered audio development. It’s only 16 years since QSC launched its loudspeaker systems and its approach now encompasses multi-zone mixers, wall controllers, multichannel amplifiers, SUB/SAT loudspeakers and management apps.

Yamaha was promoting the PM7 digital console in addition to introducing Revolabs products – including the YVC-200 personal speakerphone – under the Yamaha Unified Communications brand. The company’s demo room combined DZR and DXS powered speakers together with

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW Nexo’s Geo M6, M10 and ID24 driven by the latest NXAMP MK2 amplifiers.

Coda Audio USA MD Luke Jenks was showing a slickly presented demo drawing upon live music from Sonia Barcelona, a company video history and technological overviews of Coda Coupler, AiRay, ViRay, Linus amplification, LiNet digital audio transportation, CoRay and Hops.

Elsewhere, traditional critical listening tests were demonstrated by Atlas IED (IP Endpoints), dBTechnologies (Opera Unica, ES 1203 system and Vio line array), Danley Sound Labs (Nano and Pico outdoor systems), DAS Audio (Quantum LX and UX plus DAS Aim steering technology), EAW (Radius RSX212L), Electro-Voice (Evolve 50 and X-Line 212), K-array (Slim Array Technology), KV2 Audio (ESR212 and ESR215 with VHD2.18J subs) and RCF (VSA 2050, TTS18A and Sub 9006-AS subwoofers and Evox). Breaking the loudspeaker monopoly, Earthworks opted to promote its test and measurement, conferencing and live sound microphones to remind visitors that for every mouth, there is a source.

As the demo rooms rumbled into their second day, the spotlight turned to the main Central Hall entrance where the ceremonial ribbon was cut and an initial flood of 42,811 attendees were welcomed. The numerous audio, video, lighting, digital signage and control technologies embracing the North and Central show floors welcomed waves of visitors that crowded onto the more video-centric booths such as Christie, Crestron, Kramer, Panasonic and Sony during the first two days. Crestron promoted AirBoard, AirMedia, Digital Media and Xio Cloud, while WyreStorm launched its H2XC NetworkHD 600 Series and touchscreens. Sony revealed its Immersive 4K and 8K crystal LED technologies, PTZ cameras and Bravia displays. It’s several years since Extron left the show floor, but Kramer counted record visitors to better understand the latest VS-622DT presentation system.

Work Pro’s Juan Jose Vila and Riccardo Martinez presented LightShark in the US for the first time

Adamson Systems’ Lin Buck with the newly launched IS7p and IS10p point source speakers

The Lectrosonics team presents the new Duet Digital in-ear monitor system

Towards the audio peripheries, those giant waves resembled ripples at best. Promoting its latest Contour X and Vortis 2 systems, HK Audio was exhibiting at InfoComm for the first time. ‘We’ve met a few people who we arranged to see, but otherwise it has been quiet,’ confirmed export manager, Florian Kunz. ‘We’re invited to select a position for next year at the end of the show, but the points system weighs against us and there won’t be anything left by then.’

His comments echoed those of Portuguese manufacturer Next-proaudio from the 2016 edition, which has since not returned.

The show’s location draws a unique audience, with evidence of more individuals from Asia Pacific, Latin America and the West Coast of the US. ‘There are few international visitors here this year,’ stated ISI’s Jamie Villarie. ‘We have been kept very busy and received great interest in the newly launched Horizon system and the Vertus CLA column speaker technology. As the US distributor for FBT, that’s great news for us, although Roberto Mataloni and Luigi Paolini flew in from Italy to welcome more international visitors.’

New products abounded from most exhibitors trying to differentiate themselves from the pack. But, as ever, it’s the network these sit upon and their IT convergences that overshadow any individual software and hardware developments.

While Audinate continues to dominate the audio landscape with Dante, its collaboration on an integrated A/V control environment with the SDVoE (Software defined Video over Ethernet) Alliance provides a new dimension.

Currently numbering 40 member companies with over 100 design partners, the SDVoE Alliance is gaining visible traction. The union of an organisation promoting a video standard capable of extension and switching through chipset technology with the Dante audio standard will

dBTechnologies returns to InfoComm with a themed Vio Las Vegas presentation with AuroraNet software

Sony enticed visitors with 8K technology

Per Persson from Williams Sound demonstrates Presenter to Media Plus’ Naoko Sugano and Atsushi Yanase

Allen Chen from Seikaku presenting Show’s digital communication systems

KV2 Audio’s Andy Austin-Brown and Dave Croxton in the demo room

Vica Huang from Taiden presented a number of compact IR wireless conferencing solutions

Ecler’s Ramon Macias and David Haro with the eMIMO 1616 matrix

The Riedel team promoting its Bolero communications technology

The SSL Live team debuts the new smallest member of the family, the L100

July–August 2018 PRO AVL MEA 87

BUSINESS: SHOW REVIEW provide the A/V world with an accepted standard for signal transportation.

If anyone thought the Avnu Alliance had faded away, then reports of its demise were unfounded. A number of manufacturers including Avid, Biamp, d&b audiotechnik, L-Acoustics, Meyer Sound, Neutrik and PreSonus jointly hosted a presentation and live demonstration to unveil the Milan network solution. Offering an alternative to Dante, the alliance hopes to reshape the A/V networking industry with an open protocol.

It’s not just immersive audio and networking technologies that demand collaboration to advance technologies.

Listen Technologies’ Carrie Keele with a ListenTalk 5200R receiver

Ralph Heinz explains the technologies associated with the Acoustic Source Multiplier waveguide

Nexo CEO Jean Mullor with Yamaha’s Preston Gray

Technica showcased its catalogue of direct Dante protocol microphones, including the ATND971a boundary, ATND8677a desk stand, ATND931a gooseneck and ATND933a hanging ceiling mount models. Numerous other networkable microphones were on display on the booths of Audix (M-series boundary and ceiling mics), beyerdynamic (Phonum and Unite) and Clockaudio (C303W-D hanging mic).

Audio consoles attracted the attention of production companies, venue operators and, of course, HOW facility managers. Audiotonix may not group its products collectively but they individually warranted closer scrutiny. Allen & Heath product managers rarely took a break from demonstrating the

Sonia Barcelona performs on a Hops loudspeaker system during the Coda Audio demonstration Johannes Rietschel, William Schmidt and Reto Brader promoting the Barix SIP zone paging solution

Apart Audio’s Steve Van Hoof, Kris Vermuyten, JoseÌ Fernando CastanÌeda and Kim Juergensen

The Martin Audio InfoComm 2018 team

Vue Audiotechnik founder Ken Berger

Manufacturers continue to be drawn together to create a ‘solution’ for their customers. While not exactly Elvis Chapel-style weddings, this year’s InfoComm partnerships included QSC and WyreStorm, Visionary Solutions and Symetrix, among many others.

With new president Rob Sheeley at the helm, a change of name for Williams AV heralds a new era of wireless technology. Designed to assist a presenter in a classroom or meeting space, the recent acquisition of Pointmaker Presenter has fast-tracked the 45-year-old company’s R&D capabilities.

Combining speciality workshops and sessions, Integrated Life @ InfoComm 2018 added a new dimension to the show floor, highlighting smart building, smart home, mobile, security and related A/V solutions. Elsewhere, the Centre Stage sessions explored how to increase audience engagement through personalised and immersive experiences by way of augmented reality and virtual reality, wearable technology and human-centred user inter faces.

Whether it was an addition to a loudspeaker series or the latest presentation technologies, all InfoComm exhibitors showcased something new, with or without the help of others, to sit in a network providing a solution for educational facilities, huddle rooms, boardrooms, court rooms, houses of worship, clubs, restaurants, venues, bars and correctional facilities.

The Bosch booth revealed EV’s Evid speaker systems, RTS’ Odin Omneo intercom matrix and Dynacord’s new TGX10 amplifier. Amplification product design continues to be centred around small footprints, Energy Star certification, multiple mounting options and input flexibility to enhance reliability, efficiency and cost-effectiveness. As such, Crest Audio launched the C1 range of 2- to 8-channel contracting and installation amplifiers. XTA, meanwhile, showcased its DNA120 digital network amplifier, while many others such as Ashly Audio, Powersoft and Yamaha revealed their latest technologies.

QSC is not alone in promoting Business Music Solutions.

Now exhibiting for a third time and accumulating InfoComm points, Ecler promoted a number of products including the Trail103 speaker system and TrailSB6T sub together with the eMIMO1616 and MIMO1212SG digital mixers. Area manager David Hario expressed his satisfaction with the 3-day event.

‘We haven’t seen as many visitors from Asia or Latin America compared to before, but we have had very good discussions with potential new dealers in the US,’ he confirmed from the stand at the rear of the hall.

Sennheiser previewed its next generation of ceiling array microphones with TeamConnect Ceiling 2 that automatically focuses on the voice of a speaker in the room regardless of position. Making productive meetings effortless is a theme that drives the demand for microphone solutions that offer versatility and interoperability with support for networking and Power over Ethernet. Equally designed for smaller spaces such as classrooms, conference rooms and video conferencing applications, Shure demonstrated its Microflex Wireless System (MXW). ‘Given the influx of smaller installations across conference spaces, all-inone video conference solutions and huddle rooms, there exists a need for the right sized plug-and-play rechargeable wireless systems,’ commented Shure’s market development specialist, Ben Cook. ‘The Dante-enabled MXWAPT2 and MXWNCS2 units provide this with lower channel count applications. Our conferencing solutions including the wireless MXC640 have gathered a lot of attention.’

PoE Dante-enabled microphone solutions abounded.

Taiden unveiled a low-profile compact microphone unit, the HCS-8335 infrared wireless discussion system. Audio-

virtues of the SQ Series’ 96kHz XCVI core technology, while the DiGiCo and SSL teams focused on the new Quantum 7 processing and the latest addition to the Live series (L100), respectively.

Software enhancements dominate technological advancements, as was exemplified on the Christie booth.

While three new HS Series projectors including a 4K ultra high-definition model were debuted, Christie Guardian, Mystique Install 2.0 and Pandoras Box 6.1 (available in nine languages) attracted designers, facility managers and production companies with their creative time-saving and intuitive features. A demonstration area promoting the Vue monitoring and management software dedicated to Biamp’s Devio and Tesira DSP platforms was solidly booked. Likewise, the EX-UBT AVB USB expander has been introduced to provide reliable digital audio via USB in installations served by USB extenders where the connection distance exceeds the maximum 5m distance. Meanwhile, ClearOne took the wraps off its Collaborate Pro room system bringing cloud video, audio and web conferencing, video conferencing and wireless presentations into one appliance with a simple GUI. Mr Labuskes urged all attendees to read a copy of Thomas L Freidman’s Thank You for Being Late before InfoComm sets up shop in Orlando next year. The author claims the accelerated pace of technological change has now outpaced people’s ability to adapt. The book makes a case for maintaining our own acceleration and pleads for a chance to reflect. A pause button would doubtless be welcomed by most end users but, as much as innovators market themselves as avid listeners, they may not choose to listen to such feedback if they wish to stay ahead of the race.

Xilica MD Donny Chow

88 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Audio-Technica marketing director Gary Boss

2018 Dates:

6 – 8 June

2019 Dates:

12 – 14 June

Venue:

Las Vegas Convention Center

Total exhibitors:

964

Attendance:

42,811 visitors

Contact:

www.infocommshow.org

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BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

Loud and clear

Dennis Baxter takes a look at the development of intercom systems, a vital component in the smooth running of live events LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND SPORTS PRODUCTIONS, including broadcast, concerts and virtually every live stage production, require clear communication over a variety of intercoms and communication devices to hear directions for the operation to function precisely and safely. As a broadcast audio mixer and supervisor, I quickly learned the importance of intercoms under some difficult circumstances.

I was a freelancer for a fledgling network called ESPN. For most of the early sports telecasts I worked on, I had to set up the show mix, transmission path and intercoms. Usually there was an audio assistant who would stay close to the commentators in the event of a problem but, if the director’s headset was having trouble, whose responsibility was it to fix it? In frustration, one day I shouted out ‘I can mix it or fix it!’ It does not take a mind reader to guess what the director remembered about my performance that day.

Often, no one had any intercom experience and learned by trial and error. The first time I worked on an automobile race (Daytona 2.5 miles), the telephone company was hired to do intercoms, IFBs and provide a clean audio circuit for microphones from point to point. Some copper runs were over 2km long.

The telephone company had an army of experienced telephone technicians and spent a week bringing a copper audio infrastructure system up to specification. Technical note: telephone systems work on unshielded wire. I hope everyone reading this column understands that there is a reason for shielding audio cables and trying to minimise crosstalk is at the top of the list. The good thing about working with the telephone company was the fact that there were technical standards that were adhered to with minimum noise and crosstalk tolerances.

A couple of years later, I was audio supervisor for a car race where the commentator booth was 2km away from the OB van. The network tried to save some money and the audio crew had to set up the system. I did not detect any problems for a couple of days because the cars were always running and the noise masked the problem. But on the Sunday morning, when there were no cars running, going to air you could hear the producer talking in my speakers, crosstalking into the commentators microphone circuit and going out

90 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Audio assistant communicating directly with senior audio technician setting up 2-channel operator station

over the air. The next four hours of broadcast were the most painful experience of my professional life – I did not work for that network again.

Today’s intercom systems are bigger, complex and more flexible than those of the early days of my career. So how did we get here?

Analogue intercom systems were founded on principles that the telephone company developed and deployed many decades ago. By definition, there are 2-wire intercoms and 4-wire intercom systems. Two-wire intercoms use a single wire, like the telephone, to talk and listen on. These systems were like your old analogue telephone and used voltage to power the handset and circuit, and you could talk and listen at the same time on the same single audio circuit.

An alternative to a 2-wire intercom system was a 4-wire intercom system. This used a wire to talk on and had a separate wire to listen on, which provided an intercom with high clarity and intelligibility.

Camera operator on partyline communication with director and other camera operators

BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY The generic term for a communication system is PL, which is an abbreviation for ‘partyline’ or ‘private line’. Early intercoms systems were principally used for a partyline, where a group of people were talking and listening on a single channel of communication. For example, the director’s channel would primarily be for talking to all camera operators or the lighting director, who would have a channel to all spot operators.

In early OB vans, the networks – the BBC in the UK and ABC, NBC, CBS and CBC in the US – built their own systems based on telephone principles. By the early 1960s, off-the-shelf brands like Clear-Com – which was an early leader in theatre – began to appear. Clear-Com was a small 2-channel, 2-wire system that worked well in a small theatre environment where you needed just a few communication channels and would use shielded cable for the interconnect.

Quickly, broadcasters wanted more communication channels and RTS became the preferred brand for broadcasters in North America, while Drake was the dominant brand in the UK. First-generation systems were built around six communication channels which, for a large show like golf or motorsports, were used up quickly. For example, a separate channel was needed for the director, producer, graphics and stats, spotter, engineering and audio. Once the system was scaled up to 12 channels, the producer then wanted a separate channel for the chief spotter and the director wanted another channel for the handheld cameras in the pits. Then there was the need for a private channel to master control along with a stage manager channel for the producer – that is 10 channels so far. Communication channels were quickly consumed by the perceived need for more and more ‘private line’ communications from point to point.

Before intercom systems went digital, intercom design seemed to max out at 12 channels and a large entertainment or sporting event could easily have 100 different talk points with any combination of partyline or point-to-point private line – the system design needed to go to the next level.

technically savvy, but they can sure tell you who they need to talk too and who needs to listen to them. And when you don’t get it right – and even sometimes when you do – they will surely give you an earful.

I have often said that you can mix the best-sounding show of your career but, if the producer’s headset is mucking up, what is the producer going to remember about that show?

I assure you intercoms have been the demise of more than one audio technician, including yours truly.

32 channels of communication in a single operator station The digital era has once again seen the intercom industry borrow from telephone technology as savvy players adopted a coding technique known as TDM – time division multiplexing.

This divides the audio (speech) into packets of data and transmits them to a destination or destinations. Using TDM technology, intercom designers can create a hub with virtually instantaneous bidirectional data flow (communications) between large numbers of users.

Most competitive manufacturers, including Clear-Com, Riedel and RTS, build scalable systems based on TDM and IP technology that can connect as few as 16 communication devices to systems with hundreds of ports to connect an equal number of devices. A central processor connects the channels in the user devices as well as controlling the listening and talk levels of each channel. Computer-controlled systems are easy to change and setups can be saved and exchanged between like systems.

Intercoms are the backbone of any studio facility and the lifeline between master control and the OB van. Some attention and time from the audio supervisor on the communication requirements of an event is time well spent.

Remember that most directors and producers are not

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A technician setting up a network communication system for a large-scale production

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BUSINESS: R&D

Bridging the gap

Control of the system can be achieved via an iPad

Juan Jose Vila with the LS-1 and LS-Wing

The LightShark Node

Work Pro was aiming to create a lighting console that would be suitable for beginners in terms of functionality and cost, but also attractive to professional users. The result is LightShark WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TOOLS, the end user has to come first. However, the challenge to this can come when you are creating a piece of equipment that is specifically designed to fill a gap between two distinct user segments. Negotiating this potential minefield was the challenge for Work Pro with the creation of its LightShark family of lighting controllers.

‘We found that there is a gap in the market between professional lighting consoles and the basic software-only systems,’ recalls Work Pro’s chief sales officer, Juan Jose Vila. ‘The way of programming that kind of software is not the same as the way you would program a professional console, so people who make the jump from basic to professional can see the difference. We wanted to make a console easy enough to be good for beginners, but powerful enough to be an alternative for basic events for a professional user.’

Having identified the gap it was seeking to fill, the next challenge was exploring exactly how the company could do this. Work Pro decided that the optimum approach would be to combine the best features from the world of softwareonly lighting control with an intuitive, ergonomic, assignable hardware control surface.

Inputs on the rear of the LS-1

92 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

‘In the first year we only worked on two things,’ recalls Mr Vila. ‘One thing was we defined all the behaviour of the console. We studied how to do it, we spoke with lighting technicians and showed them the concept. We showed them how to work with the console, they gave us some suggestions and those were applied to the finished product.

At the same time, the other development team was studying the technology available on the market and choosing the right hardware, how it should behave and making sure that it would be powerful enough.’

Early in this process, the company’s R&D team identified some of the biggest challenges it would face with creating a console to fill this gap. ‘Our experience dealing with professional consoles told us that one of the biggest issues is the graphic interface,’ says Mr Vila. ‘To move a graphic interface requires a lot of power reserves from the computer inside the console. So one of the things we have done is remove the onboard user interface. You still have a working console because the console itself runs inside a computer, but the UI runs on a mobile device.’ This concept came from the manufacturer’s experience within other

verticals in the entertainment technology industry. ‘In the audio market, there are devices that are audio mixers controlled by HTML,’ furthers Mr Vila, highlighting how it also helps to solve some of the major challenges that manufacturers often face with support. ‘We worked out that if we made the GUI HTML, then we would avoid all of the problems that require the most support. We avoid drivers, we avoid operating systems; if your tablet breaks, just use another one. You don’t have to install anything else because the software is running on the console and you just need a GUI in the browser.’

While this approach solved an immediate challenge, it also created a potential further issue. ‘We needed to make a user inter face that doesn’t have lag, that is real-time and

BUSINESS: R&D BUSINESS: R&D BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

BUSINESS: R&D BUSINESS: R&D

can run smoothly on device,’ explains Mr Vila.

‘The Dante bridge, youto then splitas that off into the Dante network approach.

USany companies tend to drive market orks aredifferent invisible to each other,’ secret toadoing thatthey’ll was send the image, where thatlater. is then the FOH console, the fast as to they can and fix don’t the issues Thatshared is just not between the e is connected broadcast truck,we the text.

When truck we move fader, wetodon’t have to a recording thesend broadcast console, the OB truck and way Yamaha sells newaproducts itsconsole, customers.’ visible to thethat broadcast and to the device we just a command to change allsend ofdeeply that audio is Yamaha available to all the desks. It’s bi-directional While this first product has drawn on the there is graphic completely invisible to –the it and the per fectly because we don’t upload too, sofuture if you want to take audio back from the broadcast truck, quality process, Mrknows Reid believes that collaborations ital equivalent of a device transformer any image. makes everything much quicker because as the audience mics or the ambience, we can ask the will see otherThis elements come tosuch the fore.

‘We are getting o possible interaction between the less data is being sent.’ to send us an ambient feed back into the the best out of both companies.broadcast We have atruck Yamaha quality Onenetworks ofprocess the advantages that the Spanish network and manufacturer we can and pick that up where ever we want. It gives control that fits the broader Yamaha brand wo separate offers some has seen from taking thisuse approach is that the show can you to a tremendous amount of flexibility about where the audio we’re working out how we that be competitive in the day is equally convinced that still go on even if the mobile device being used runs out of up very large complex audio goes toyou andneed it allows ever-growing UC market. to doyou forto build e environment is a positive thing Is everything don’t send any DMX data between the device networks quite to simply abattery. high-end of equipment what you need do forand a very inexpensively because it is ers the example of‘We apiece conventional and the console,’ states theProbably CSO. theThat’s DMX is created using‘All standard switches and Cat-5 cable.’

US$150 speakerphone? not. what we’re H console and a USB monitor console, in the console and sent from the console.

If your computer, Expanding the Live family investigating now go forward.

We’re discussing whatinto different markets was always on a separate console andasa we feed iPad Android tablet the show is not affected. going to be the sensible But is by the embracing makes sense fromcrashes, a go-to-market perspective andoption for SSL. We havereally someor conventional Madi LS-Core world’s smallest 8-universe console Aside from patching the fixtures, is something you the which potential of audio networking for the concert market, the establishing what to customer expectations are. hich is connected directly the need to‘The do the user inter face, the canshown be done manufacturer that all that time in development has ‘This will bewith the first many products on rest the has collaborative ork,’ he begins.

Madi I/Oof goes with the hardware buttons and faders.

If your device runs knowledge of using software-based solutions. With these been well spent. side from the two companies,’ he continues.

‘We’re looking to tly into the monitor console to run out of leverage battery, first you can charge becausemicrophones there is a two profiles, we got both worlds. After the beta testing, ourbetween products.

We haveit wireless absolutefurther minimum latency USB for charging in the console, but you can run the show we got feedback from both which was ver y good because www.solidstatelogic.com andmonitor Yamaha-built and other systems for mixing in very /O and the board.DSPs Via the per fectly with the faders and the buttons. You also have a we could make some modifications from listening to them small display that gives you basic data to run the console.’ so it was wor th it. We delayed the launch for a month to relation to its acoustic outline,’ notes Oliver Thomas. ‘But make those buthigher-end we finally rooms, think we the high-end audiomodifications applications. For yougot could the best takeaway was looking at the type of engineering right product to fill this gap.

The changes included things imagine us combining our wireless and wired microphone h renderand channel count immersive audio design design process for a company making products that will like a modification in the fineDSP values where we have to the join technologies with some of their technology to address be used in a pretty harsh environment and going through the standard values and fine values in the same encoder. of the know where to put those channels,boardrooms they wouldn’t evenworld.’ know tered so that they’re not confused the steps of validation and testing.’

There a fewquick things that we to make But hewere is equally to point outhad that to theadjust collaboration what to do with them. t are not applicable,’ he reasons.

The PMC sales and marketing team has already set its ever ybody happy but, with the two different groups, that could tackle conferencing products of any scale.

‘We ‘The barrier to business for most people is the complexities of sers can filter the database for just elite signals remote sector news teams sightscan on assist the broadcast in Asia and Australasia and was always a challenge and not always possible.’ go down up. They have power amps and speech the design,’ he continues. ‘I can docan a design in aand minute-andm the various speaker or projector is banking on the result6 to make an impact in the region.

The endmanufacturers, result LS-1 and LS-Core. are that andisallthe kinds of high-end audioBoth equipment Anything that offers greater capacity provides opportunities for a-half. I could run five designs usingreinforcement different ake it a much more professionally t system, which allows users to ‘We will be looking at China quite aggressively, and I would essentially the as same product, onlywedifference we can leverage we go up. Andwith goingthe down have our USB improved video qualitybrands, and performance. different loudspeaker different screens and projectors t,e.’monitor live feeds, route content to expect the result6 to open a new market for us there,’ being that has controlsosur faceare and 4.5-inch phones and they have USBaphones there a lot of places Network blending offers a newIflevel of reliability byLS-1 and present those to the client. we get the job,the that’s brilliant, e to handle the added complexities ty and view performance data and says international sales director, Miles Roberts, adding colour display.

Both consoles include control of colour we can go from together.

USB phones, VoIP conferencing phones, automatically cellular30 connectivity multiple and if we don’tcombining I’ve only wasted minutes.’ gn, Mr Singleton is quick to point that unlike its European and American competitors, PMC and gobo options via palettes, a variety ofdata grouping that do everything – audio, video, – we could mobile network with on-demand satellite connectivity, This has alwayscarriers been the key goalperipherals for TCD. Clients will make D canshould bring to new marketplace, cture beadesigned so that is in the process of obtaining China CCC Certification – a options, CueList operation with up to 1,200 cover the full spectrum of collaboration spaces.’ cues and allowing broadcasters gettools high-quality video transmitted subjective choices but,towith like TCD, missing out on ain gs.

‘Because I have been doing this sent over whatever data bandwidth mandatory product certification system with theprototype aim of this and creating a working While that is for the future, Mr Reid can see a definite challenging network contract doesn’t haveconditions. to be so painful. itGetting was fortome,’ hestage reflects. oproblem whichever location or locations protecting consumer security – for result6.

Not having a took around a year and, at this point, the manufacturer business case for the CS-700 now. ‘We’ve brought that to rs7.1 it’sthe easy.

WhenPhil you’re doing such, system should be as 32 Revolabs’ Marechal and Michael Fitch demonstrating CCC can to reportedly create import decided awouldn’t risk. had torestrictions show it to but the PMC market the CS-700 at InfoComm 2017 market for these smaller rooms where the use cases are very www.dejero.com www.thecinemadesigner.com dered audio, most people ned tocontinents allow theasconnection of ‘We various peripherals ween ittake is across town. claims to ifhave the edge in thewas country, obtainedsays the and see people’s reaction what having we expected,’ certification forisprevious products. industry and, if they Mr Vila. ‘This a very conservative ‘China is working quite well,’ Mr don’t accept it, weout willfor notussell any.

We continues went to Frankfurt Roberts.

‘Weconcept. are expecting some significant to show the We told everybody thatmovement it was a with the result6. already have pretty pre-orders concept thatWe would be ready at thelarge end of the year from DMT, our risk China and Hong Kong distributor, with the that somebody would copy it so butwe weare just waiting approval to comegood through to ship neededfor to the seeCCC the reaction.

It was because thethem.’

The big plans for Asia do not end there, with PMC also reaction was excellent.’ using result6 to tap into education radio television Having established it was on the for right pathand with its production and to classical recording. design, thetechnologies next stage was enlist beta testers‘We to were make already around eight conservatoiresure thedoing end installations result would at meet the needs of potential type, educational establishments,’ continues Mrproduct Roberts. ‘I users.

Here again, the gap-filling nature of the see result6 thePro point where athe students can meant that as Work required distinct style of step beta into a brand like PMC. It is reachable and affordable as opposed testing. to‘We our had othertwo products. result6 will give students that going to be put to market are much smaller than with a profiles The of beta testers,’ recalls Mr Vila. quality experience they will faceexperienced in the real world.’ product of result6’s price. Although the R&D cost is higher, ‘One profile is a group of very lighting It has been a long and rocky road for PMC and result6 but, the amount per speaker isn’t.’ technicians that would require a lot from the console. for Thomas and his team, it was worth thebasic wait and Although the result6 will not have exact same sound ThePeter second profile came from people with the The the newly launched LS-Wing struggle. ‘In business, you allocate the R&D cost to each dynamics as its predecessors, it will share the one common product by working out what the lifetime will be,’ explains trait that Peter Thomas – who started up the company Peter Thomas. ‘With the twotwos, the numbers that are back in 1991 with his partner Adrian Loader – always

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lists, customisable automation via a graphicsbased executor window and special effects such as fanning. The system can control eight 512-channel DMX universes, meaning LS-Core can claim to be the world’s smallest 8-universe console, and offers built-in suppor t for a librar y of lighting fixtures. A fixtures editor is also built into the console to modify or customise fixture control templates. The rear of the LS-1 console also features a number of inter facing options such as Ar t-Net, a 5-pin DMX Out for control of one 512-channel DMX Universe and an Ethernet por t for access to a fur ther seven DMX Universes, along with a USB connector for updates.

While getting to this initial stage has been a challenge, the LightShark stor y is not yet complete. If the first products helped to prove the concept, the manufacturer is looking to build upon these with fur ther releases to expand the family. ‘We have added a wing as well that will

BUSINESS: R&D

varied. You want to go in there and just make a phone call or you want to go in there and make a video call or you want to go in there and do nothing but put your slides up on the screen.

Conference rooms everywhere get used like that all the time, especially in companies where they’ve created a lot of these smaller conference rooms.’

Importantly, Mr Reid also believes that the mission-critical nature of these spaces means that there is a potentially vibrant market. ‘People recognise that ease of use, time to start, and audio and video quality of meetings are essential drivers of meeting effectiveness and productivity, and they will pay a premium to get them. We can see a real market out there for tools that improve their employees’ collaboration.’ www.revolabs.com The LightShark fixture library www.yamahacommercialaudio.com

expand the LS-1,’ says Mr Vila. ‘It takes 10 more faders, 20 execute buttons, it connects through the network to the console and integrates a network switch. It also adds two more direct universes. will expects also be PMC’s international sales director LightShark Miles Roberts bigupgraded things from in China notresult6 only with the wing but with auxiliaries for the product like the Ar t-Net nodes. LightShark comes demands his team. for accuracy and withfrom Ar t-Net nodes‘We andalways is alsostrive sACN-compatible neutrality,’ says.

‘That’s goal with all ofofour products. so wehewill grow with athe complete range lighting I suppose it is a little bit like high-resolution television. The devices.’ detail gets better the more money you Reflecting on thewith overall process, Mrthat Vila isisspent. clearlyIfhappy listen to the and met put them against the twotwos, that the endresult6 result has that initial brief.

‘It can bethey will sound very but similar in balance for beginners, it has a much when wider you userswitch base between than them, is important, the difference will be that the that,’ which he offers.

‘The firstbut companies that have bought the twotwos have more resolution, beto more console are will rental companies.

We aredetail ver y and happy hear analytical.

Anditthey should, a lot one.’ more.’ this because shows that because our idea they was cost the right The result6 has broadened horizons for PMC with imminent and similar projects in the pipeline set to once www.workproaudio.com again excite Peter Thomas and his team. www.pmc-speakers.com

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BUSINESS: ANALYSIS

Should A/V services be managed in the cloud?

Does the convergence of A/V and IT mean that moving to the cloud is an inevitable step for audiovisual systems?

THERE IS NO DENYING THAT THE AUDIOVISUAL industry is becoming more IT-centric. As the advantages found through factors such as IP networking have shown, this is not necessarily a bad thing. But there are some shifts that have historically proven to make end users uncomfortable. The move to the cloud is one of those areas. However, it would seem like attitudes in this respect are starting to change.

‘Over the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen customers that were previously very much “we do nothing cloud” being more interested in cloud solutions,’ says Brian Donlan, technology manager, enterprise software at Crestron. ‘I see that really getting driven by the shift to using Office 365 and the Zoom UC communication system. Companies are bringing more of their business into the cloud and then they are willing to bring more things like the A/V along with it.

‘I think there is an initial fear of “where is our data going to go? We want control over our data and now we are relying on somebody else to do that”,’ he continues.

‘But then they see the benefits that come with some of these cloud solutions, especially with the UC solutions where they are able to do cloud-based calling. At that point, you have got the IT team already okay with some of that data going into the cloud and then the rest can get pulled with it.’

This shift in attitudes comes about as cloud-based technology plays a greater role in the rest of our lives. Whether it’s for entertainment such as music streaming services or communication via app-based interfaces, the consumer market has wholeheartedly embraced the cloud. This acceptance is further reflected in the way the IT industry in general is moving and therefore it is only logical that A/V will also follow this path.

‘We can already see that the A/V industry is gearing more towards IT while, at the same time, we are also seeing IT moving towards cloud systems,’ explains Zane Bastian, head of operations at Dubai-based systems integrator, Ziotech. ‘It is therefore only natural that A/V is also starting to move into cloud-hosting.’

While general acceptance is making the transition to cloud-based A/V services smoother, there are also advantages to installing solutions in this way. ‘Really it’s all about scalability,’ says Mr Donlan. ‘It’s being able to utilise this infrastructure that can grow as customer needs grow and then being able to also scale the ability to manage, deploy and monitor all these

94 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2018

Ziotech installed the information boards at Dubai airport as a cloud-hosted solution different A/V systems without having to bring out new infrastructures, without doing each thing individually, by doing it all within this one centralised system that can grow as your needs grow.’

‘Global companies can really benefit from cloud-based systems because they can manage things centrally from their headquarters,’ adds Ziotech business head, Vishnu Bajpai. ‘It is also quicker when it comes to firmware and software updates.

Cloud-based is certainly the future.’

‘For a lot of our clients, it is all about costefficiency,’ notes Mr Bastian. ‘The pricing model for cloud-based systems entails paying a fee per month. That works out to be a cheaper model than paying a big fee up front for installation and configuration of on-premises hardware. With most cloudbased models, if you don’t need something anymore, you can just stop paying for it and the service stops.’

A further advantage can be found with what has traditionally been seen as one of the weak points of cloud-hosted systems – security. ‘You can think of the cloud to a certain extent like you’re relying on the experts,’ offers Mr Donlan. ‘You need to trust enough that your own security is going to be far better than the experts where somebody does this all day and that’s their business, and that is probably not going to happen.’

‘There is always security and encryption on anything passing through the cloud but knowing that data is being passed outside

of an organisation’s network jurisdiction can be unsettling for some,’ observes Mr Bastian. ‘But it is just as secure as having it on their own network, if not more secure. It would be the same as hacking into a small business versus hacking into Google. Unless a lot of money and maintenance is poured into security, it is a lot easier to hack into a small business hosting data on its own premises. It would be much harder to hack into a small business if it was in a cloud and its entire infrastructure was hosted on Microsoft, Google or Amazon that already invest a lot of money in security and do all the necessary updates. For many clients, it can be challenging trying to convince them that this is the right way to go. There are some exceptions, however, such as in matters of national defence.’

While this all sounds great in theory, there are certain examples where cloud-based solutions are already being embraced.

‘Digital signage is a good place for cloudhosted A/V because of the nature of what you’re doing, where you basically have the same thing deployed at a lot of locations over a broad area and they’re managed in a similar way,’ says Mr Donlan. ‘You need to get content to them and it really is an ideal situation for using cloud infrastructure.’

An example of this can be found with the Dubai Metro where screens were installed

by Ziotech. Those screens – fitted into specially built kiosks – were equipped with 3G SIM cards at the back which meant the entire backend could be hosted in the cloud.

That essentially made those screens mobile and they could then be moved to different points between metro stations. In other words, they could commence ‘talking’ to the cloud once they were switched on.

The same possibility is also in action at the airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in what was another big project for the systems integrator.

‘We installed about 2,500 flying information displays and all of those screens are again cloud-based,’ recalls Mr Bajpai. ‘They are managed centrally with content being pushed and flying information being refreshed. The technology is developing on a daily basis and so we don’t use 3G networks anymore.

Cloud-hosting in this sector is getting more and more popular.’

While the initial popularity has come from digital signage, it would seem the rest of the A/V industry is quickly catching up. ‘I think we are going to see on-premises solutions really being limited to military, certain financial institutions and more high security within the next few years,’ concludes Mr Donlan. ‘Largely we are going to be looking very much to the cloud just because it is so much easier to get up and running for these customers and it’s expertise that they don’t need to make sure that they have the staff for. That’s the big thing, the A/V team is focused on A/V, they don’t want to necessarily focus on being server administrators.’ www.crestron.com www.zio.tech

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