Pro AVL MEA July-August 2020

LIVE SOUND LIGHTING RECORDING INSTALLATION AV BROADCAST POSTPRODUCTION July–August 2020

CONTINUING THE JOURNEY Techno-Q returns to NMoQ

PROAV’S TALE OF TRUST THE INDUSTRY RESPONSE TO COVID-19

FUTURE OF AV ROUNDTABLE Singapore: MICA (P) 060/05/2020

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Contents Volume 19 Issue Four July–August 2020

NEWS NEWS Listen Tech acquires ExXothermic, ESA’s guide to reopening

4

ROUNDTABLE REPORT The Future of AV with Shure MEA

16

SPECIAL REPORT Caroline Moss walks the virtual tradeshow floors

20

EDUCATION NMK launches online training portal

22

DISTRIBUTION Xilica teams up with Venuetech

24

APPOINTMENTS John Dodson to represent Sonance

26

SPECIAL REPORT Phil Ward examines the industry response to Covid-19

28

FEATURES CONTINUING THE JOURNEY Techno-Q returns to NMoQ

34

TALE OF TRUST Azerbaijan’s PROAV puts its confidence in Martin Audio

36

TOP OF THE CLASS CTME goes virtual for Qatari graduation

38

BUSINESS LETTER FROM AMERICA Dan Daley laments Covid’s effects on live music

40

LETTER FROM EUROPE Phil Ward asks if remote production will endure

40

COMPANY PROFILE LEA – a newcomer with industry kudos

42

STREAMING The world turns to livestreaming

44

NEW PRODUCTS The industry’s most comprehensive product news

47

ANALYSIS Mike Dias on founding IEMITO

70

Editor’s note Email: sluckhurst@proavl-mea.com

What a peculiar eight weeks it’s been since I last sat down to write this column. Members of the Blank Canvas Publishing team have been unable to travel for four months now, but that hasn’t stopped us getting out and about virtually; we’re doing all we can to keep delivering the content you expect across our print and online resources. And there’s an abundance of industry news spread through this issue.

Many sectors of our industry are still in the same boat as before. The grim reality is that it’s going to be another few months until traditional live events can take place in any meaningful way. For production and events companies like Creative Technologies and DLC Events, this has meant testing out new virtual solutions. On p38, you can read about how CT was still able to give graduate medical students the send-off from education they deserved, even if the students couldn’t all be together.

Other sections of the industry are beginning to wake back up and find ways to adjust to the new normal. What’s particularly striking is the amount of new promotions, hires and reshuffles, distributor and partner announcements that have been taking place across the industry, not just in the Middle East.

At the end of June, I moderated a very interesting roundtable discussion in collaboration with Shure MEA, together with three Dubai-based consultants. You can find a recap of the discussion on p16 but, more importantly, head over to Shure MEA’s YouTube page where you can watch the full conversation.

Phil Ward has undertaken the mammoth task of reaching out to different industry sectors to examine how companies and individuals are responding to the pandemic. His report, spanning five pages from p28, is an illuminating read, pointing to the strength, versatility and adaptability of our industry. We’ll follow this up with an in-depth look at the broadcast sector in our next issue.

As global tradeshows grind to a halt, we took a look at the virtual format, asking organisers and attendees if this can work, the advantages and disadvantages, and if they could ever replace a real-life industry gathering or product launch. See p20 for the full report as companies give their feedback on Virtual Vienna, NAB and manufacturers’ own online initiatives. InfoComm 2020 Connected, the most ambitious virtual offering to date, has its own special supplement which can be found in our digital editions. And don’t forget, our website is home to a number of unique and interesting video interviews, ranging from small AV business owners to CEOs of some of the industry’s biggest corporations. Each one is insightful is its own way.

Contacts GENERAL MANAGER Richard Lawn T: +44 1892 676280

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Sue Gould T: +44 1892 676280

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Caroline Moss T: +44 1892 676280

EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Karen Wallace T: +44 1892 676280

VIDEO EDITOR Chris Yardley T: +44 1892 676280

rlawn@proavl-mea.com

sgould@proavl-mea.com

cmoss@proavl-mea.com

kwallace@proavl-mea.com

cyardley@proavl-mea.com

PRODUCTION MANAGER Adrian Baker T: +44 1892 676280

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

SINGAPORE OFFICE Raymond Boey T: +65 6457 2340

SALES ASSOCIATE Carolyn Valliere T: +1 562 746 1790

CIRCULATION Marne Mittelmann F: +65 6491 6588

cvalliere@proavl-mea.com

circulation@proavl-mea.com

abaker@proavl-mea.com

Jessica Ubhi T: +44 1892 676280 jubhi@proavl-mea.com

rboey@proavl-mea.com

COVER: National Museum of Qatar PRINTER: Times Printers Singapore LICENCES: Singapore: MCI (P) 060/05/2020 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the copyright owners.

www.proavl-mea.com

@ProAVLCentral

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

@ProAVLMEAMagazine July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 3

NEWS

Listen Technologies acquires ExXothermic USA

Provider of wireless listening solutions, Listen Technologies Corporation, has acquired ExXothermic, a specialist in highquality, low-latency Wi-Fi audio technology.

ExXothermic has several patents for its Wi-Fi streaming technology and has delivered thousands of Wi-Fi audio channels for use in assistive listening, fitness centres, waiting areas, hospitality and other applications around the world.

The two companies have worked together for more than two years. In 2017, Listen Technologies acquired ExXothermic’s Audio Everywhere brand and licensed its Wi-Fi technology. ExXothermic technology is the

foundation of Listen Technologies’ audio Wi-Fi products, Listen Everywhere and Navilution Wi-Fi. “Listen Technologies’ partnership with ExXothermic over the years and the combination of our two companies today enables us to provide even more Wi-Fi-enabled solutions for customers,” said Russ Gentner, CEO of Listen Technologies. “As the availability of Wi-Fi and number of smartphone users increase globally, so are applications for our solutions. We have several new products in development that will address these new applications.”

Dr Lance Glasser founded Silicon Valleybased ExXothermic in 2012 and joins Listen

L–R: Russ Gentner, Tracy Bathurst, Doug Taylor, Maile Keone, Lance Glasser and Jonathan Stanley Technologies’ board of directors, heading the company’s research group. “Lance shares Listen Technologies’ passion for innovation and our commitment to creating unique solutions that foster engagement,” said Tracy Bathurst, chief technology officer and senior vice president at Listen Technologies. “We look forward to continued collaboration in bringing high-quality, low-latency Wi-Fi solutions to market.”

“Listen Technologies is renowned for creating innovative listening solutions,” added Glasser.

“ExXothermic is delighted to become part of Listen Technologies and combine our intellectual property and expertise. Together, we’ll expand the applications and features of our technology to meet new and growing markets worldwide.” www.listentech.com

Event Safety Alliance releases guide to reopening USA

that apply in certain situations,” said Steven A Adelman, vice president of ESA. “Coronavirus creates different challenges depending on countless factors, including the size of the event, its geographic location, the physical space and the anticipated attendees, to name just a few. Instead, in the order one would plan an event, we have identified reasonably foreseeable health risks and suggested options to mitigate them. There is no guarantee of an illness-

The Event Safety Alliance (ESA), a membership-driven organisation dedicated to promoting “life safety first” throughout all phases of event production and execution, has released the Event Safety Alliance Reopening Guide. It’s aimed at helping those companies and individuals planning to reopen venues or hold events during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This document contains no ‘best practices’ that apply equally to everyone, but several

free event even if you follow everything in this Reopening Guide. It is indisputable, however, that planning, training and implementing reasonable health and safety measures are the best ways to protect live events and the people who create them, while also inspiring patrons to return to the places where we make magic happen.”

The 30-page guide can be downloaded at www.eventsafetyalliance.org/esa-reopening-guide

IBC2020 Sennheiser SpeechLive Multi-Channel cancelled due Receiver comes to the ME to Covid-19 EUROPE

IBC2020, due to take place from 11–14 September in Amsterdam, has been cancelled due to concerns for exhibitor and attendee safety in light of Covid-19. Although some countries in Europe are easing their lockdowns, IBC chief executive Michael Crimp said there were “many unknowns”. It would not be possible to guarantee delivery of a safe and valuable event, he said, adding that an early decision was best for the industry.

“It is evident that important aspects of a large-scale event such as IBC will be greatly altered by social distancing, travel restrictions, masks, etc. – so much so that the spirit of IBC will be compromised,” said Crimp. “With that in mind and based on what we know at this point, it is with a heavy heart IBC has made the difficult decision to cancel the IBC2020 show.

You may have seen IBC and the IABM surveys on this topic. Evidence gathered from these IBC stakeholders helps to confirm this decision.

“While this is hugely disappointing for us all, IBC will continue to play a vital role in supporting the industry to get back on track.” www.ibc.org

4 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Mig Cardamone, director of sales and marketing at Sennheiser Middle East

MIDDLE EAST

Sennheiser has launched its SpeechLine Multi-Channel Receiver for the Middle East market. The solution seeks to make the lives of small IT teams easier as higher education institutions and businesses resume regular operations.

“Wireless microphones are especially relevant at this time when there is need to maintain social distancing while ensuring speech intelligibility in setups such as conference rooms and lecture halls,” explained Mig Cardamone, director of sales and marketing at Sennheiser Middle East. “The SpeechLine Multi-Channel Receiver adds a compact, IT-friendly receiver with maximum connectivity and easy control to the SpeechLine Digital Wireless series. It ensures perfect IT integration and seamless workflows.”

The system offers the same RF performance as all SpeechLine Digital Wireless devices, and accommodates up to four receiving channels and an auto-mixer – it is stated that no additional antenna is needed and only one cable is required for PoE, control data and the Dante stream for which redundant sockets are provided. A three-pin terminal connector is available for infrastructures that need an analogue output.

The SpeechLine Multi-Channel Receiver complies with common network security standards and can be wall- or ceilingmounted using the included wall-mount adapter. For a quick onsite check, the receiver features status LEDs for the audio channels, otherwise it is configured

and controlled via the Sennheiser Control Cockpit software or via Sennheiser’s open SSC protocol. The Control Cockpit software allows centralised remote control, monitoring and maintenance of campusand company-wide audio installations from anywhere in a network.

For lecturers and speakers, SpeechLine offers a choice of wireless handheld, headset, lavalier or even boundary and table microphones. It works in the licencefree 1.9GHz range and features both auto-frequency management and autointerference management, using 256-bit AES encryption to ensure data integrity. www.sennheiser.com

SPEECHLINE DIGITAL WIRELESS

IT-optimized wireless microphone system for speech and lecture Now with the new Multi Channel Receiver www.sennheiser.com

NEWS

dB Audio puts staff first during lockdown NAMIBIA

In Windhoek, Namibia, technical production and rental company dB Audio’s first concern was to ensure staff would be safe and well during the lockdown period. The company is normally involved in a wide range of live events, but all events stopped when public gatherings were banned. Now, together with others, dB Audio Namibia’s management is talking to officials and bureaucrats and fighting to get the industry recognised as a “most affected” sector and become eligible for financial assistance from the government.

“Communication has been key in getting ourselves organised for lockdown,” explained dB Audio Namibia’s Ernst Steynberg. Although temporarily ceasing operations, dB Audio Namibia has managed to keep nearly all staff in place. Those who can work from home are doing so – at negotiated reduced wages and hours – but at least enough to survive.

First priorities were to secure some financial stability for the team of almost 40 who cover all the technical production disciplines, and

importantly to ensure that everyone had somewhere safe to stay, access to water and the ability to sanitise.

Those living in townships and settlements with shared toilet and shower facilities were particularly concerned, so the whole team pooled minds, resources and energy into creating a raft of temporary solutions, one of

Netipbox offers free Covid-19 digital signage content

which was to build chemical toilets for those who didn’t have access to their own.

Technical staff with more time than usual on their hands can access the company’s production laptops via a loan system so they can join some of the online learning facilities and product information seminars set up by various manufacturers and brands. Similarly,

the client service, design and production staff have taken on mock projects to improve their overall efficiency and creativity when it comes to quoting, designing and planning.

“We encourage everyone to learn, develop and grow as much as possible during this ‘down’ time,” explained Steynberg.

Further enabling this process, the company’s mobile Wi-Fi routers are also being rotated between staff who don’t have their own internet access at home and assisting others with data to do the same. “We are all thinking positively and also learning from this whole experience as to how we can better ourselves and the communication support we offer in the future,” added Steynberg. “I believe when things start to open up again and we can begin to rebuild, we should expect a very different industry – as vibrant and exciting as before, but with very different needs and expectations.” www.dbaudio.com.na

Expo 2020 Dubai postponed for one year

WORLD

Netipbox Technologies has announced the formation of a team to adapt Covid-19 information into a digital format for digital signage applications. The initiative pulls data from official sources in different countries and makes it freely accessible to those managing digital signage networks in any sector.

other platforms, and we have developed in record time the RRSS application to be able to publish the content directly on social networks.”

The goal is to help disseminate relevant data and important instructions, as well as provide clear and visually appealing guides and advice to fight the pandemic, UAE

“We want to transfer our support to all those companies and institutions that need to transmit information to customers and users and find difficulties doing so, whether they are our customers or not,” explained Toni Viñals, CEO of Netipbox. “Therefore, we have also adapted the download of content onpremises so that they can be used under

6 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

to all supermarkets, food stores, hospitals, pharmacies, transportation services, hotels, residences, funeral homes, health centres and corporate channels that remain open and need to communicate safety and prevention measures through their screens. www.netipbox.com

After a two-thirds majority of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) Member States voted in favour of postponing the next World Expo by one year, the event will now run from 1 October 2021 – 31 March 2022.

Expo 2020 Dubai will remain its name.

His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of Dubai Airports, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, chairman and CEO of Emirates Group and chairman of the Expo 2020 Dubai Higher Committee, said: “We welcome the decision of BIE Member States to support the delay of Expo 2020 Dubai by one year.

We are thankful to Member States for their continued commitment to contributing to a World Expo in Dubai that will play a pivotal role in shaping our post-pandemic world at a time when it will be most needed. Over the last 50 years, we have sought to build bridges, connections and partnerships around the world because we believe in genuine collaboration to safeguard the future of all. This swift and overwhelming vote reflects the strength of our international partnerships and truly reflects the positive role the UAE and Dubai play with all countries around the world.”

With a BIE General Assembly impossible to stage due to Covid-19 restrictions, Member States voted remotely on the BIE Executive Committee’s recommendation for a delay as proposed by the UAE Government at the beginning of April and recommended by the BIE Executive Committee on 21 April. While the vote remained open until 29 May, the two-thirds threshold was surpassed within a week of voting opening on 24 April.

“I applaud the swift response by BIE Member States,” commented Dimitri S Kerkentzes, secretary general of the BIE. “Their support for the postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai – which was formally approved on 29 May – is a renewed sign of solidarity and demonstrates the shared will to work together in ‘creating the future’. In their support for the oneyear postponement of Expo 2020 Dubai, Member States of the BIE are giving the world the opportunity to reconvene in 2021 when, together, we can address the challenges facing humanity and celebrate the unity and solidarity that strengthen us.” www.expo2020dubai.com

NEWS

Wild & Marr gets smarter during lockdown SOUTH AFRICA

Like many companies, the lockdown in South Africa forced Wild & Marr’s day-to-day business to change rapidly, yet the company was keen to turn the situation into a productive opportunity. Since the lockdown started, the distributor’s employees have collectively achieved over 150 certifications and attended over 100 webinars.

“What can you achieve with the time you will have available?” was the question asked during the company’s first video conference.

The response, says managing director Gary Furman, was “immediate and powerful”.

Wild & Marr’s retail sales team quickly took a deeper dive into the technical side

of training, taking it all the way up to Dante Certification Level 3. The commercial audio and voice evacuation team became certified in networked AV, conference room design and participated in expert-level training on JBL’s Performance Manager and Line Array Calculator applications.

A member of the regional office administration found a love for the sales and technical side of the business, racking up enough courses on Shure’s Audio Institute that she attained an integrated systems level 2 and a Wireless Workbench 6 certification. Members of the technical team, specialists in Shure conferencing, are now certified Harman Control

DLC tackles events from afar UAE

With communications moving almost entirely online in recent weeks, Dubaibased events company DLC Events quickly devised a remote interpretation studio capable of keeping the conversation flowing during the ongoing pandemic.

Professionals by accreditation of Harman Professional University.

“You can be driven into lockdown or you can drive through lockdown,” commented Furman.

“To the individuals in Wild & Marr who have absolutely hit the ball out of the park with the amount of certifications you have been awarded, knowledge you have gained and goals you have achieved, I say well done.

Awesome job. You are not the same person you were a few weeks ago. In the face of adversity, you have become better and more accomplished as individuals and as a team.” www.wildandmarr.co.za

Ethiopia’s OBN goes compact with Lawo

with the ISO standards of equipment and conditions that simultaneous interpreters are used to benefiting from at live events.

Additionally, we can also host and connect to Zoom meetings and integrate with their interpretation facility to provide remote interpretation.”

ETHIOPIA

“We made the proactive decision to convert some office space into a remote interpretation and recording studio to facilitate a wide variety of projects that are still sought after, focused in the realms of virtual events, multi-lingual webinars and private meetings that need interpretation,” explained DLC Events owner, Mark Breakspear. “Using the latest equipment normally offered onsite to our clients, we created a versatile space consisting of two interpretation booths.”

The booths were each outfitted with Shure Microflex Complete interpretation systems and a Dante audio network linking the system to four high-performance computers, enabling DLC to both stream and record the content it produces. “We are able to work with any of the remote interpretation platforms while combining it

8 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

The remote booths have already been used to facilitate interpretation at a vir tual university graduation. “We took a 90-minute video produced by 3 Monkeys and had the interpreters come in one by one, played back the video and recorded the translated audio into a WAV file that they used to overlay on top of the original broadcast audio, meaning viewers could select from various language options.

The interpreters were happy as they could use familiar equipment and in a way that they were accustomed. The client was able to match the interpreted audio exactly with the original track since they were recorded in time with each other rather than just reading from a script.” www.dlcevents.com

Italian systems integrator ARET Video and Audio Engineering has carried out the concept, design and installation of the brand-new, state-of-the-art DSNG (Digital Satellite News Gathering) vehicles for Oromia Broadcasting Network (OBN). ARET provided Lawo mc²36 mixing consoles for the technical basis of the OBs which were both set to 4K standards.

These were complemented with Compact I/O units for expanded connectivity as well as use for remote stagebox solutions.

Situated in Adama, Ethiopia, OBN is the leading media organisation in Oromia State.

It serves a regional audience of 35 million people and viewers nationwide. The first DSNG delivered by OBN is a 12-camera unit of approximately 12m in length with a full 12G workflow that can handle a wide variety of live broadcast situations. This unit, with its 40-fader mc²36 console and Compact I/O, features a layout that increases internal space and enables interoperability among the different production areas: technical room, production and graphics rooms, and audio room are all interconnected.

OBN’s second DSNG vehicle is more suited towards smaller productions and TV reporting, carrying four cameras and a 16-fader mc²36.

The van features an audio room that is acoustically insulated and considered to be a unique solution due to the vehicle’s 4m length.

The 4K video workflows in OBN’s DSNG vehicles are individually integrated and extended by the audio system from Lawo.

“Our equipment’s audio networking and I/O capabilities extend far beyond standard

Inside OB 12 analogue and AES ports,” commented Umberto Asti, vice president of ARET. “There is a direct MADI connection with the client’s audio embedder and a Ravenna connection with the stagebox to ensure maximum flexibility. With both satellite antennae and internet streamers, these vehicles should be a match for any live broadcast situation.”

ARET uses its own coach building facility, ARET Coachworx, when building OB vans to ensure an end-to-end approach. “Each job proceeds from coachbuilding to systems integration, commissioning, training and after-sales support,” said Ralf Schimmel, director of sales for Africa and radio partners at Lawo. “All these phases are carried out exclusively by ARET personnel, providing the customer with a single point of contact, both during the build and in the future. We keep a full record of every OB we deliver, including full documentation: drawings, software and firmware, hardware for both the broadcast equipment and mechanical components. It’s a big added value for the customer.” www.lawo.com

NEWS

Sultan Qaboos University goes 4K with Pixel OMAN

Omani integrator Pixel Solutions has completed an installation at the Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat to outfit its auditorium with a new 4K camera system. The university was previously making do with a portable camera setup for events and was seeking a more permanent solution.

“The client asked us to propose a solution with high-end cameras capable of recording all the events taking place in their auditorium,” explained Pixel Solutions CEO, Anas Al-Kurdi.

“It would need to have a high resolution compared to regular recording cameras, include a production and control room, and allow the client to switch completely from portable cameras to a wall-mounted solution.

We were invited to submit our offer together with many other competitors and were awarded the project having proposed the best solution at a low cost.”

To meet the university’s requirements, Pixel proposed 4K BRC-X1000 cameras from Sony.

“These offered us an excellent choice of clarity and resolution capable of achieving the client’s requested result,” noted Al-Kurdi.

The BRC-X1000 PTZ cameras are powered by PoE switch and can be remote-controlled via a Blackmagic Design ATEM Television Studio Pro switcher and Sony RM-IP500/1 joystick controller. “The customer is able to use the joystick controller to zoom in more than 20m to a selected spot on the stage and yet still retain a high-resolution signal,” added the CEO.

While there were no major hurdles for the team to overcome during the physical installation aside from hiding the cabling within the existing room construction, Pixel did have some trouble sourcing a high-power PoE+ switch from the local market and had to look elsewhere to find the NetGear GS310TP Smart Managed Pro PoE+ switch it specified that was capable of powering all of the cameras.

“It was a great honour for me to participate in this project as part of the design and installation team,” commented Hisham Mohammed, pre-sales engineer at Pixel Solutions. “We solved the customer’s pain by providing modern 4K PTZ digital cameras with a switching and control system for recording and streaming purposes, which completely replaced the regular analogue ‘event supporting’ camera setup the customer had previously.”

“The client was very happy with the installed system and are now planning to have it installed in other locations around the campus,” concluded Al-Kurdi. “We were also asked to provide other items and accessories related to the recording solution which were not included in the original scope and we have provided them and will cover the installation with one year of maintenance and support.

The customer is very satisfied with the overall result.” www.pixel-solutions.net www.squ.edu.om

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Photo Credit: Jorrit Lousberg©

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Analog Way’s high-performance live presentation systems and media servers provide advanced processing technologies, which accommodate a large range of applications, from massive video wall installations to large corporate events. www.analogway.com

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July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 9

NEWS

Hippotizer has a BLAST in Bahrain BAHRAIN

Green Hippo Hippotizer media servers were called upon when the long-awaited BLAST Pro Series Global Final came to the Kingdom of Bahrain recently. One of the highlights of the booming international esports market, the event featured an action-packed, firstperson shooter tournament spanning two days, attracting gaming fans from around the world to the 7,000-seat Isa Sports City

Arena. Working directly for the tournament organisers, Copenhagen-based specialist 4K Projects supplied all of the Hippotizers and AV equipment for the fast-paced event.

4K Projects project manager Mikkel Samuelsen oversaw the work, along with operators Kasper Lange and Balder Thorrud.

Lange was in charge of lighting, video and design, while Thorrud set up and operated the Hippotizer media servers. The Green Hippo package consisted of three Boreal+ units, two of which ran content for all the main LED screens, while the third served as a back-up.

In addition to this, one Hippotizer Amba+ unit was used to feed auxiliary displays around the arena, including digital signage, scoreboards and TV monitors. The Hippotizer and signal system setup included a NewTek NC1 I/O Module for converting SDI (Serial Digital Interface) to NDI (Network Device Interface), plus a complete 10GB Network for distributing NDI data between servers and preview positions.

Scientechnic selects Martin for Tolerance Bridge UAE

The Bahrain show was the last of seven BLAST shows worldwide for which 4K Projects provided their expertise during 2019. The Hippotizer setup for each was similar, but the main challenge for this event was the vast array of inputs required for the Hippo servers.

“On a full show, we have 12 live inputs with a combination of direct 3G SDI in 59.95Hz progressive inputs and NDI sources,” explained

Samuelsen. “A typical tournament has three games running simultaneously, which we then input and distribute to all the LED screens.”

There were 15 screens in total at the Isa Sports City Arena, not including the arena’s scoreboards and LED signage ribbons, measuring 450m2 in total. The video content was designed by BLAST and Danish media company Timeline. All the video playback was programmed and executed on an MA Lighting grandMA2 console in order to keep in sync with the show’s lighting.

Thanks to the versatility of the Hippotizers, 4K Projects was able to input live game data, including player stats provided by Danish company TV Graphics, and feeds from the player cams, for each of the 30 competitors.

“We input all the live tournament graphics which displayed the standings and results from all the matches throughout the day,” furthered Samuelsen.

Martin Professional Middle East (MPME) and Scientechnic LLC were recently tasked with providing a dazzling lighting display to illuminate Dubai’s iconic Tolerance Bridge, the first and only clear span suspension bridge in the Middle East. The project saw Martin

by Harman Exterior Wash 310 LED fixtures chosen for their “compact, energy-efficient design and uniform colour mixing” capabilities.

Named in honour of the International Day of Tolerance, the bridge offers pedestrians a walking and cycling path over the Dubai Canal.

The canal is a 3km-long project starting from Business Bay into the Persian Gulf through Safa Park and Jumeirah. The canal comprises one shopping centre, four hotels, 450 restaurants, luxury housing and various green networks, which allow pedestrians complete autonomy from vehicular traffic.

In order to create an unforgettable experience for visitors, the Dubai Road and Transport Authority (RTA) hired Scientechnic LLC to design a lighting solution that would make the bridge beautifully illuminated without causing any glare to the pedestrians using it.

Scientechnic consultant Christos Tsikiloudis worked with Martin Professional Middle East to design a captivating lighting display that called for 22 Exterior Wash 310 LED fixtures for the project. A discreet, optional snoot integrates seamlessly with the units to help reduce glare. All fixtures were installed with the accessory honeycomb louvre to reduce the glare and improve visual comfort.

The system is controlled using M-PC, an online and offline editing tool for PC, which

A total of 22 Exterior Wash 310 LEDs line the bridge enabled the teams to create visual displays that enhance the arched structure of the bridge and make crossing a more playful and interesting experience for pedestrians. www.martinpro-me.com www.scientechnic.com

www.green-hippo.com

PROAV picks CDD for PAUL Azerbaijan AZERBAIJAN

PAUL Azerbaijan’s two new restaurant outlets in the capital city of Baku have both recently been outfitted with new Martin Audio solutions. The manufacturer’s distributor, PROAV, was enlisted to provide high-end background music for the chain’s newest outlets and selected the British manufacturer’s CDD Series.

After favouring an alternative brand in its first restaurant in the city, the management of PAUL Azerbaijan has subsequently selected the CDD Series for its latest two

10 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

projects, PAUL Azerbaijan Cinema and Paul Caspian.

“The client was looking for high-quality background music, and we specified CDD Series speakers because of the amazing sound quality for this purpose,” noted PROAV managing partner, Elshan Aliyev.

“CDD Series speakers have a very specific sound and are our number one choice for background music applications.”

PROAV has installed 14 Martin Audio CDD5s and four SX110 single 10-inch

subwoofers, as well as 10 C6.8T 6.5-inch flush-mount ceiling speakers at each location.

“This Martin Audio sound system installation from the team at PROAV perfectly fits our requirements, and has also met the approval of our clientele,” stated a spokesperson from the management. www.martin-audio.com www.proav.az

NEWS NEWS: RENTAL FEATURES: HOSPITALITY NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

Playbox Neoinvests brings Akili Network Dale Sound to from dual locations in life Galaxies

local data centre in Kenya has full system smooth finish. Our sculptures get shipped three things then we can start talking. Also, redundancy and master control capability around a lot, so we’ve designed Sviatovid to I’m opening a studio in Japan with a focus which can be remotely managed from travel better. The sculpture we have in the US on cultivating the talents of our hardworking desktops in any Akili office. collapses into 12 pieces and is stored in three artists there. I’ve done a lot of work in Japan; “Cloud2TV was designed, as our operations crates, which are small enough to be picked for the last 12 years, we’ve done most of the were, as a virtual remote operation from its up by courier. Now, I’m working on three projection shows for Universal Studios. We KENYA inception,” explained Grosso. “The data centre other projection-mapped sculptures, all using appreciate the level of professionalism that Launching a new television channel is not in Nairobi, where our Cloud2TV server is located, different materials and techniques.

Schonthere. and Soleil the US towe exists Whatmoved we do from is teamwork; INDIA an easy prospect during normal times but, has power and internet outages, and it can live fulldeal timewith in Nairobi.

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They areinput so BARTKRESA easy use that operation Kenya’s first and only 24/7, free-to-air software can work in Kenya, with the outages such a focus on increased brightness, tasks.

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The Akili Network team uses Slack, Zoom and invited some Christie engineersdesigning to our show playout had to be2015, flexible, anda effects, since 2008.

In wereliable unveiled Private event at the Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, India and customising light requirements for Skype to communicate globally and instantly and they couldn’t believe what we were doing easy to use with for creativity.

And new edition thatheadroom incorporated 3D animation www.sonotone.in a variety of events ranging from as a virtual team. The network’s tasks are wellwith the projectors.

They asked, ‘whyparties, are you and interactive elements with saturated and defined.

Weeks before a scheduled broadcast, using them like this?’ I told them that the painterly mapping six façades Soleil logsdesigns, onto the New York content serveralong to only way to do what I wanted to do was to because of the IP infrastructure in Kenya, the Universal files Studios GramercyDays Park transcode fromJapan’s content providers. use the projectors in a different way. They’d systemSINGAPORE had to withstand power outages and zone tothe create a winter before content is to gowonderland. on air, the scheduling never thought like this before, because remain autonomous online if communication is calibrated at 7,000K generate up to indown.

Singapore has invested manager in Nairobi, AnnetoSato, completes most R&D was based around a screen at toJ5 theProductions server broke in 24those Ayrton Diablo-S 300W LEDAkili profile 19,000 lumens.

MDI (medium interface) for thedependent following week.

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Panasonic technical division: Panasonic Media software-as-a-service system that enables Twelve Bose LT loudspeakers provide zone-fill Solution Marketing. managing director of J5 render the ability to virtualise “As Justin forfarms, AkiliTan, Network content, our goal isour to Entertainment. To me it’s 50:50 – I need to broadcasters to operate their playout channels said The Diablo-S CMY colour Productions.

‘We will be tasks putting out computers multiple –them it’s amazing. have 40% offor its programming developed by on have the best technology and I need to have from any location300W via a includes web interface. by Bose teamThey at SKY2.0 Dubai,’ he commented. ‘The teams, Bose Professional and Group, to and performance is non-negotiable One for me, and aI can vouch in that mixing and seven-colour wheel, a gobo many more ofAntaki our within shows.’

All these technical advances combined Kenyan producers the worked next 36hard months,” thethe best design. have toinwork together. determining factor the decision was endless hours that they have spent working on this project, and achieve the best says performance andofwith a the superior audio experience.’

Bose has delivered the best customer experience inand our club.’ wheel, an effects wheel and a full with the growth experience economy Schon.

“And 18 million Kenyan kids the SaaS model virtualisation offraming server www.ayrton.eu the that they have portrayed, ‘We are excited to have a Bose Professional install at engineering SKY2.0 system. ItWith is specifically designed for for means everyone wants experiences now out of school, the time is right to get them the– I’veprofessionalism started an academy of projection designhave impressed functions. core support www.j5.com.sg www.antaki.com.lb us immensely, andthings we deem ourselves honoured Dubai,’ concluded Nittin Dargan, regional manager, Bose stage applications asatitthe is equipped with and we can provide them. best-possible educational programming.” in Poland.

Three are important to know to have had the server in Bulgaria PlayBox Neo studio’s Gift of at Universal Studios won a prestigious www.tsm-int.com pro.bose.com them project. contribution of the Professional.

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If you can do staffchallenges. onsite in Nairobi.

The platform at a

Ayrton shows its true colours

INSTALLATION GOT EASIER 1/2 PAGE

with

available in black or white

www.next-proaudio.com July–August PRO AVL ASIA MEA 29 11 2020 PRO JanuarMarch–April y–Februar y 2020 May–June 2020 PRO AVL AVL MEA 21 25

NEWS

Levels chooses Solaro for high-end dining in DIFC UAE

Abu-Dhabi-based integrator Levels has completed an installation at Hutong, a highend Chinese restaurant located in the Dubai International Financial District (DIFC). Levels was brought into the ground-up construction project early and carefully specified the audio system to live on the main IT network and complement the architectural design.

The project leverages a Xilica Solaro QR1 DSP to process and manage analogue and digital audio across two floors.

The Levels team selected the Solaro QR1 for its price-to-performance ratio and compact design. “The Solaro Series is our preferred choice for our hospitality installations and the Solaro QR1 offers the same powerful signal optimisation and programming flexibility as larger Solaro DSPs in a far smaller form factor,” explained Daniel Ball, partner at Levels. “It’s an ideal solution for restaurants with modest I/O requirements for a select number of zones.

And since we were dealing with limited real estate for AV systems, the Solaro QR1’s

quarter-rack-width footprint addressed our physical integration concerns.”

Ball added that because Xilica DSPs are built with the IT network in mind, it eliminates many upfront concerns from IT integrators about AV system interoperability.

That was especially important in the

installation at Hutong since Xilica would live on the main IT network, versus being segmented on a separate network to process audio streams.

“We worked closely with the IT integrator to develop a controlled environment with a layer of switching for the AV equipment,”

furthered Ball. “The Solaro QR1 lives on the general campus network without affecting general IT traffic and quietly processes and controls audio signals in the background.” The Solaro Q1 feeds Powersoft and Sonance amplifiers located in the same equipment rack, with loudspeaker systems from Pioneer Pro Audio, Powersoft and Sonance reproducing audio in the various zones.

Hassan Alwan, managing partner at Levels, said that the overall systems design goal was to provide simplicity for the Hutong staff and the DJs that plug into the system. “There is a controlled philosophy built into the entire system that provides simple, zone-by-zone control elements for the entire restaurant. The Solaro QR1 is an important part of that simplicity and userfriendliness, without any sacrifice to audio quality and the hospitality experience.” www.levelsav.com www.xilica.com

Rudaw Media selects Vis Opus for broadcast control IRAQ

Iraqi broadcaster Rudaw Media Network has chosen Vizrt’s Viz Opus platform as its primary broadcast control system. Based in Erbil, the capital city of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, Rudaw has correspondents in various parts of the Middle East, Europe and the United States and is the main source of news and information from the region for all major international news networks and agencies such as ENEX, AP and AFP. The project was completed with assistance from systems integrator, Ateksis.

Viz Opus provides Rudaw with a complete newscast automation system, including audio mixing, real-time graphics and video

playout in a single solution. It requires only external inputs, graphics and video content to start producing with a minimum of people.

“The Viz Opus automation system has taken our live news production to a different level,” stated Hejar Berenji, CTO for Rudaw Media Network. “Our newly built spectacular Suly studios are live on air with only two people in the control room, maintaining the same level of flexibility we need for our rapidly changing news environment. We have designed a complex yet totally reliable system so that Avid Interplay solutions are in total sync with Viz Opus automation systems remotely.”

“Rudaw is a great example of high-level visual storytelling produced by passionate and expert journalists with a minimum of cost and people,” added Zayed Alhammori, excellence manager for Vizrt Middle East and Africa. “Their stories are seen around

Crowne Plaza Muscat looks to Exterity for guest entertainment

OMAN

An Exterity in-room entertainment and digital signage solution has been installed at the Crowne Plaza Muscat Oman Exhibition and

12 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Convention Hotel. Integrated into the hotel and conference facilities by VIT, the new solution includes the streaming of TV channels to

mobile devices and full deployment in 295 guest rooms and seven conference rooms, 70 satellite TV channels and YouTube channels with full HD capability and BYOD support. The solution is also integrated into the resort-wide Wi-Fi network to allow streaming of TV shows onto mobile devices. In total, the hotel deployed over 332 SmartTV screens with a mix of TV and digital signage.

The hotel is managed on behalf of the Oman Tourism Development Company (OMRAN) and, as part of its development process, the Crowne Plaza Muscat OCEC IT team worked closely with OMRAN to develop an integrated in-room infotainment and digital signage solution.

OMRAN previously had positive experiences with an Exterity IPTV system that has been successfully deployed at Muscat International Airport, as well as several high-profile hotels

the world and are now easier to produce with higher quality made possible by our Viz Opus automation tool.” www.rudaw.net www.vizrt.com

in Dubai and recommended the Exterity IP video system even though other systems were deployed in the regional IHG chain.

Meslum AlKindi, area information technology director, IHG Oman, and his team met with Exterity and its local integration partner, VIT, to explore its requirements and to test the IPTV solution. “What we wanted for the new hotel was a modern interface that would really grab the attention of the guest,” explained AlKindi. “With Exterity’s system, we have been able to design a new guest room TV interface from scratch.”

The deployment covers digital signage points across the facility and includes full integration with Amadeus Delphi to provide meeting room functionality. The entire solution includes Exterity’s ArtioSign, ArtioGuest, AvediaStream e2320 Encoder, AvediaStream g4412/g4418 Gateways, AvediaStream c1210 Chassis, AvediaStream t5600 Transcoder, AvediaStream o7500, AvediaPlayer r9300 Media Players and AvediaServer c1555 server with m8365 module. www.exterity.com

What does simple get you? More deployments per day and more space on your schedule. And by eliminating complex setups, IntelliMix puts time back on your side. www.nmkelectronics.com

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NEWS

St Cecilia Catholic Parish turns to beam steering IVORY COAST

Having seen its congregation grow significantly over the last 25 years, St Cecilia Catholic Parish in Abidjan, Ivory Coast has been forced to move outside its four church walls and into a large outdoor, overflow seating area. As this happened, it became clear that its existing sound system wouldn’t deliver the quality, power or control necessary to effectively deliver the message. Church leadership turned to Inza Bamba, managing director at AV integration firm Protech Distribution, who identified Renkus-Heinz’s new ICLive X Series system as the best solution.

The church’s main sanctuary is a large, rectangle area with additional left- and right-wing seating spaces on each side. In total, the indoor space seats approximately 1,000; however, at least 1,000 additional parishioners bring their own portable seating and tents to enjoy the services outdoors.

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“This church is so wonderful; every service is a celebration,” stated Bamba.

“Music is critical, and it’s important that they have the proper fidelity, sound pressure coverage and excellent speech intelligibility both indoors and outdoors.

If any part of that is lost, then the message is lost.”

The spaces within St Cecilia Catholic Parish presented some issues in that internally, the ceiling height of the main sanctuary is much higher than the side wing areas. This required side coverage with a slight delay for the sound to be synchronised. Additionally, the interior of the main sanctuary has walls of windows and stained glass, which requires the audio to be steered away to avoid reflection. Church leaders also wanted a system that had a relatively small footprint to accommodate aesthetic concerns.

St Cecilia Catholic Parish Bamba said the ICLive X Series’ provision of proper SPL, combined with its small footprint, made it perfect for the space. “In the main hall back wall, behind the stage, we installed two self-powered ICLive XL systems,” he explained. “Just these two speakers and their matching subs give us more than enough power and all the intelligibility we need to assure excellent quality and coverage. We run the system in stereo, and it sounds amazing.”

With the length of the main hall at nearly 32m, any sound bounce from the walls and glass would be troublesome. “So, with the digital beam steering technology, we measured the first seat in the house and the furthest seat and we told the speakers at what distances to start dropping the acoustic pressure to make sure the coverage was very even,” furthered Bamba.

“We programmed in the coordinates of the distance from the first seat to the speaker, and the distance to the last person sitting, and we made adjustments for about a 29m throw, which was perfect for covering the back, so there is no more reflection. That’s the beauty of steering.”

In addition, a set of Renkus-Heinz CX61A and CX62A compact, two-way Complex Conic loudspeakers were installed in the sanctuary and side wing spaces as delay/fills. A large-format, environmental speaker system from One Systems was installed to cover the outdoor area. www.renkus-heinz.com

14 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

NEWS

SOS Charity donates to Feed our Crew SOUTH AFRICA

The SOS Charity Fund set up by DWR Distribution has provided a donation of R50,000 to Feed Our Crew, a nongovernmental organisation providing temporar y suppor t through food vouchers to technical and casual event crews during the Covid-19 lockdown.

While established by DWR in 2016, the money collected as par t of the SOS Charity Fund comes via regular fundraising events for the enter tainment industr y.

“Although DWR Distribution is also going through a tough time, the money we’ve raised for the SOS belongs to the people and not to us,” said DWR’s Duncan Riley. “The SOS was established to help people in times like these; this is what it’s all about.”

When all events were abruptly shut down due to Covid-19, Tamsyn Str ydom, co-founder of Feed our Crew, was active

on several groups and forums aimed at technicians. “Initially, I star ted communicating with Kagiso Moima Wa

Jordan Media City returns to Pebble

Masimini and, together, our aim was to put together an appeal to the President of South Africa,” Str ydom recalled.

Marcia Alves, a seasoned technical manager, also reached out regarding the video appeal. As the videos came rolling in, Str ydom, Masimini and Alves knew they had to do more and Feed Our Crew was born with the assistance of Gomolemo Madumo, Landy Yeatman (People4Purpose), Sasha Raubenheimer (freelance technical manager) and Vickie Whitehead. The cries for help are coming in thick and fast but, thanks to the dedication of the Feed Our Crew team, R66,000 has already been raised, not including the R50,000 donation from the SOS Charity Fund. To date, 56 freelancers have been taken care of. “People have been incredibly generous,” said Str ydom.

“I’ve had donations from event companies that I’ve never heard of. The acts of kindness touch the hear t.” www.dwrdistribution.co.za

CS7

JORDAN

Jordan Media City (JMC) has announced plans to upgrade its existing Pebble Beach Systems Marina solution to provide a 12-channel expansion over the current six-channel HD/SD fully redundant solution in use at its Amman headquarters. JMC was an early adopter of Pebble’s automation solutions, deploying a first-generation Neptune automation system around 16 years ago.

Having already partially upgraded the playout of some of its channels to Marina in 2016, the broadcaster has now taken the decision to upgrade all 18 channels to Marina, due to go live this summer. The system features automatic media management from a near line store and a DIVA archive, all of which is managed by the Marina enterprise level automation and content management application using a single database.

“We are proud to strengthen our partnership with JMC as they migrate all of their channels to

Marina,” said Samir Isbaih, Pebble Beach Systems’ VP of sales ME and APAC. “With more than 400 channels already on air in the MENA region, Marina is the most modern automation platform in the market and continues to transform the playout capabilities and the service agility of users. It continues to be actively developed and features a number of enhancements – including Arabic language support – which were specifically developed for the Middle East.”

“Our years of experience with Pebble Beach Systems’ technology and their responsive and knowledgeable team of engineers gave us the confidence to migrate all our channels from Neptune to the Marina platform,” commented Radi Alkhas, managing director of JMC. “We look forward to continuing this excellent working relationship in the years to come.”

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July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 15

BUSINESS: ROUNDTABLE

The future of AV in the Middle East With Covid-19 wreaking havoc on everyday company operations, Pro AVL MEA and Shure MEA invited three local consultants to find out how their business had been affected High hopes 2020 was the year that Dubai’s leaders had long been awaiting, and a spirit of optimism was in the air as the UAE prepared to host Expo 2020, a world fair that was expected to draw around 25 million visitors and showcase Dubai on the world stage.

But those plans were derailed when Dubai recorded its first cases of coronavirus on 29 January and the country went into lockdown.

As a result, the much-anticipated Expo was subsequently postponed. The UAE, even as it rushes to reopen businesses, is bracing itself for a tough few months ahead.

To glean some insights on the changing environment for AV businesses, Pro AVL MEA and Shure MEA invited local consultants from WME Global, Infosight and Innovation to share their experiences of business under lockdown.

Forecasting the impossible One thing that became immediately clear at the start of our discussion, was how unexpected the lockdowns were for all, despite similar initiatives already taking place in other countries. “It happened very suddenly and we were not prepared for it at all,” kicks off Philip. “All of a sudden, the management decided that we would switch to a work-at-home environment and to kind of ‘go with the flow’ as the government

16 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

PANELLISTS Renjit Philip Renjit Philip is the associate director of AV, IT and security at WME Global and leads the company’s AV projects team. Headquartered in Dubai, the company also has offices in India, Singapore and the UK and has been involved in prestigious projects across all market segments, including hospitality, malls, educations and more.

Suresh Kumar Having been with the company for more than a decade, Suresh Kumar is the executive director at Infosight Consultants. Based out of the UAE, Infosight specialises in the design of IT/ICT, AV, ELV, security and acoustics technology works throughout the Middle East and Africa, predominantly in the hospitality sector.

Jasper Whitaker Jasper Whitaker established Innovation as an AV consultancy business 10 years ago, which operates throughout the Middle East and North Africa. His experience in the AV sector dates back more than 25 years, beginning as a contractor in the IT and ELV field.

Primarily focused on hospitality, Innovation’s projects also cover the education, theatre and auditorium, and corporate markets.

started restricting people’s movements.

Now, things seem to be somewhat regularised. All submissions have been completed on time and without any issues,

and our management seems happy with the remote working situation. We have a subscription with Microsoft Teams and we are doing all of our internal communications

through Teams before the drawings are finalised.”

While unprepared for the crisis, WME found itself quite quickly able to adjust to

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BUSINESS: ROUNDTABLE the new world of remote working. But this wasn’t the case for all. “It did take us some time to adjust,” admits Kumar. “First of all, this whole transition was a shock and we were really not prepared for it. We had always believed that being co-located and working together was an efficient process and, hence, we were all located in the same office. This gives you the option to all get around the same table, make drawings, additions and easily make changes to designs. It was a little difficult for us at first, but we had an advantage that we used to have a lot of interaction with our India office.

We were at least used to sharing content.”

In contrast, Whitaker highlights the vast array of conference platforms as one of the biggest adjustments for his business.

“The biggest day-to-day change is having to deal with all these different types of video conferencing environments,” he shares.

“With one client it’s Teams, then it’s WebEx, then Blue Jeans. Getting to grips with these various different systems has probably been the biggest challenge. But apart from perhaps a reduction in efficiency, I’ve been quite surprised and quite happy with the way everything has evolved. We abandoned our office on 15 March, but we have servers accessible so all staff can access files. We’re able to share files and have discussions around the table, the virtual table, as we’re doing today and resolve issues pretty easily.”

Whitaker even sees some potential for the increase in digital communications to benefit certain regional obstacles, highlighting Saudi Arabia’s strict Visa requirements as one such example. “I think it’s going to change the way we deal with things going forward. I would certainly think that clients in Saudi Arabia, for instance, where doing business in-person has traditionally not been particularly easy, people are a bit more relaxed and more comfortable in using this technology,” the Innovation owner comments. “It works very well and it’s not expensive. I don’t think it replaces an office environment, but I think it will change the way we work going forward.”

Going digital It’s one thing to embrace new communication methods internally using consumer tools, but how well are these same formats translating to outside meetings? Our consultants were in two minds.

“The notion of all getting around the table together and collaborating is somewhat lost in a video conference – when you share designs and can discuss new ideas freely,” notes Kumar. “There is so much rough work that happens which doesn’t necessarily get translated into the final design; there’s a lot of head scratching. We have come to terms with the tools available now and we are almost achieving the same efficiency levels as before. We’ve developed a way of logging into Teams each morning, preparing our schedules for the day, checking on the submissions list that we have and checking who is working on what before holding internal discussions. Slowly we are adjusting but it was a shock when we started.”

“I don’t really feel that that much has changed,” interjects Whitaker, in sharp contrast. “Perhaps we work

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Has Covid changed the consultant’s role?

slightly differently to others because an individual will generally work on a design by themselves, and if somebody has something better to add to or there’s a better engineered solution, then there’s some collaboration. For us, this can easily be achieved with the available tools. The biggest challenge is familiarising yourself with all of those different tools.”

Suresh agrees: “There are so many: Zoom, WebEx, Teams, Google Hangouts, GoToMeeting. Consolidating all of our internal meetings on a single platform, Teams, was essential. If I am not the meeting organiser, I can’t always choose the platform we use, but we have a company corporate subscription with GoToMeeting and we use that for external interactions with clients and other stakeholders wherever possible.”

Adding the polish Pro AVL MEA editor Simon Luckhurst Video conferencing tools excel when it comes to providing effective communications for small teams, but often lack the professional polish needed for an important client pitch or the flexibility to handle large-scale collaboration. For these important meetings, the right approach to take isn’t so obvious, as Whitaker has discovered. “I have to make a presentation soon to the board of a bank and it’s been suggested that we do it using video conferencing. It’s 50/50 whether we do that or go along and do a live

The Shure Motiv MV51 used for video conferencing

presentation. Personally, I don’t like sticking up a PowerPoint and speaking remotely.

I’d much rather do a very quick basic presentation and then have a face-to-face Q&A afterwards. When it comes to getting an idea across, or perhaps in a salestype role, I don’t think anything is going to replace a handshake and a meeting.”

“Not having the freedom to go out and have face-to-face meetings is frustrating – that is definitely the best way to approach meetings for client presentations,” agrees Philip. “But we are managing at the moment to present our designs to clients through Teams. We have design workshops that are constantly reviewing the requirements and drawings in detail, and then we are holding weekly progress meetings, all via Teams.”

Kumar was keen to highlight that while operational adjustments can be made to the way presentations are managed, there’s an essential human and psychological element sorely lacking in digital conversations. “In pre-sales meetings where you need to get an approval from the client or the stakeholders, the ‘pace’ of the meeting is decided by the feelers that you get from attendees, and this is much easier face-to-face,” he states. “You understand them, what they want, what their interests are and whether they are satisfied with your presentation. Those feelers are much more difficult to interpret when are you communicating separately on a Teams call.”

The methods of day-to-day communication may have shifted drastically over the past few months, but this doesn’t appear to have had a big effect on the consultant’s role in projects. “I don’t think our role has changed from the pre-Covid-19 times, but I believe that our responsibilities have increased,” ponders Kumar. “Now, we are having to convince more stakeholders of the value of our work compared to before; however, nothing has really changed from a consultant’s perspective.”

Philip counters that while the role may not have changed, the environment surrounding decisions has been tightly squeezed, with the pandemic adding another layer of fiscal constraint to what were already shrinking budgets. “Customers are increasingly costdriven. They are looking for ways to cut down everything, even if we have designed a good system,” he explains. “The client is now looking for a value engineered but highly cost-effective solution. That is the big issue that we are finding now in the market, mainly in the UAE and the Middle East.”

The Innovation CEO provided his solution to this issue. “I decided when I embarked in the consulting business that the first thing I would do is identify to my client at the concept design stage what I believe it would cost to achieve what they wanted.

Then everybody has a clear picture in mind.

It’s often amused me that clients have little interest in price until it comes to the main contractor’s appointment, at which point they’re trying everything possible to beat the price down.

“I think at this moment in time, forget Covid and the rest of it, we’ve been in a cycle of depressed prices for quite a long time,” he furthers “At some point sooner or later, it’ll swing back the other way. What we now need is quality and I think one of the jobs that we all have as consultants is to ensure that the client doesn’t push his budget down so low in negotiation to the extent that we know the contract is not going to be able to deliver the right solution for them. It’s quite a difficult line to walk.”

Uncertain fate Squeezed budgets have been restricted further because of the knock-on business effects of the lockdown in Dubai – as a result, all of our roundtable consultants experienced an immediate suspension of ongoing projects. Thankfully, delays are more likely to be temporary than permanent.

“We have had projects cancelled,” shares the WME Global associate director. “We are at the end of tendering for a very confidential project in Abu Dhabi, which covers all seven Emirates. They had a good budget and were looking at high-fidelity systems; however, when it came to site, there is barely anything. They told us, ‘we’ll consider doing this now during the next phase’, as the budget had been cut so drastically.”

“Projects are always cost-conscious, but they are certainly more so during this period,” adds Kumar. “I haven’t had any clients coming back to us for a cost reduction solely because of Covid, but we have had some projects which have been

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 17

BUSINESS: ROUNDTABLE completely stopped. The trend I see is that if 60% or 70% of the design was already complete, then the client would go ahead and finish the design, but they don’t want to start the construction. If the design is still less than 30–40% finished, they’ll probably stop the project completely, and if the construction has already begun, they will somehow find a way to finish it – even if it’s just part of the overall project that gets completed.”

“We’re working on the expo at the moment and while there was reduced labour onsite, the project hasn’t really changed or slowed down,” agrees Whitaker. “We’ve had nothing cancelled yet. There have been a couple of projects put on delay, but they were delayed before the whole Covid situation really broke out. The biggest change for me has been how the supervision aspects of projects have obviously changed quite a bit – going to site and overseeing what’s happening.”

Staying ahead One interesting thing to note is that despite there not being the traditional schedule of tradeshows and roadshows throughout the

entirety of 2020, our consultants didn’t feel they had been left in the dark. Kumar noted: “There have been many more webinars during this period than before and, in the last few months, I have attended webinars with all of the manufacturers I’m working with,” notes Kumar. “I don’t feel like I’m losing out or missing anything. Actually, it’s given me the time to catch up with all

The Shure Motiv MV5 microphone

Q

Shure MEA’s Gerard Fialho

Having lost the face-to-face contact usually relied upon to do business, how is Shure MEA connecting with customers and partners throughout the lockdown?

Gerard Fialho: From Shure’s perspective as a manufacturer, we have been conducting webinars on a weekly

18 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

A

basis. Shure has three ver ticals – MCA, Systems and Pro. We’ve been holding webinars for all three of these applications and have been enjoying ver y varied par ticipation, from consultants to systems integrators and end users. This is one of the initiatives that we’ve been under taking to educate the market and keep customers abreast of the latest technology we have.

Additionally, being part of initiatives such as this roundtable discussion for consultants in this region, allows us to get a better perspective of the future of the industry, the direction it is moving in and ideas about supporting customers through that. We’ve also been holding a

Q Q

of these things I should be doing but can’t always attend because of project meetings.”

Looking to the future Fast-forward to the future and our panellists agree that Covid will leave its mark on the audiovisual industry, most notably in the continued convergence of AV and IT. “We’re definitely going to go back to the office once the lockdowns have been eased, I think we will have in the back of our minds that there’s an alternative way of working,” says Whitaker. “From an industry perspective, we may find things being more driven from an AV/IT perspective,” highlights Whitaker. “The conversation in certain types of projects, particularly conference and meeting rooms for corporate clients, was already being driven by the IT guys. Now that we’re becoming familiar with web conferencing and video conferencing tools, the integration of these types of systems in corporate environments will be important. I’m already working on a couple of those sorts of projects right now.”

Whitaker adds: “We also need to deliver the presentation elements and day-to-day requirements of a functional meeting space

Q

where people want to come in and connect a laptop, or sit around and look at a video presentation from a client, rather than communicating with another office.”

When the lockdowns are eased, it’s still likely that social distancing measures will continue for some time and will likely keep remote collaboration systems a focus point for many more months. “All remote monitoring systems will change and everything is going towards IT and AV-over-IT,” Kumar urges. “But IT also brings its own disadvantages – it can be hacked, there are bandwidth issues and distance limitations for cabling. But since we already have a network in place, that is definitely the way to go. I believe that moving forward, central management of systems will be a demand from the client’s perspective, instead of individually managing smaller segments of huddle and meeting rooms.

There are tools that are available to manage this, but there is scope for improvement when it comes to consolidating all of these requirements into central solutions.”

One of the most impressive realisations in recent weeks has been the adaptability of the AV industry. After a brief period of shock, all of our participants were able to adjust to new day-to-day schedules at the drop of a beat thanks to the many different video conferencing platforms available, which ironically also served as one of the biggest hurdles. It’s clear that AV/IT-based, IOT and remote collaboration solutions will continue to be favoured in the short term as restrictions are slowly lifted; however, it’s likely that many of these systems will continue to take on more importance in the market in the long term than previously. It seems that once the Emirate itself is back on firmer footing, the audiovisual industry will closely follow suit.

This article is just a selection of the full hour-long roundtable discussion, which is available to watch on the Shure MEA YouTube page at the following link – www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ6P9WwVZvg.

The manufacturer’s perspective

A

number of focused discussions with end users as well, providing them with updates on our technologies. Education is something that we are really focusing on; collaboration is the key right now.

A

Has the pandemic’s changing business landscape spurred the launch of any new products or technology?

GF: For those people that weren’t able to attend the ISE exhibition in Amsterdam earlier in the year, we have introduced the first IntelliMix room audio processing software, which is fully optimised for our conferencing microphones and very

simple to deploy in Windows 10 PCs. This is one of the technologies that we’ve focused on lots recently, especially for soft codec video conferencing rooms.

Have you received specific feature requests for products due to Covid changing the working environment?

GF: Yes. For people stuck at home, we have our Motiv series of microphones, such as the MV5 and MV51. These microphones are designed to be highly portable plug-in microphones, easy to use and offer a direct connection to an iOS or Android device, Mac or PC.

www.shure.com

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NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

Adam Hall hosted a livestreamed video talk with a panel of event industry leaders

Different domain

With the 2020 tradeshow calendar decimated by Covid-19, manufacturers and show organisers have been quick to take events online. But can a virtual tradeshow ever replace the real thing? Caroline Moss investigates THE ADAM HALL GROUP WAS ONE of the first to see the writing on the wall. Back in late February, the company announced it was pulling out of Frankfurt Prolight + Sound in response to public health advice surrounding Covid-19 and would instead livestream new innovations on its website on 31 March, the first day of the planned Frankfurt show.

There were doubtless those who viewed this move as premature. However, it wasn’t long before other companies started to cancel and, on 4 March, the Frankfurt show was postponed until the end of May. Illustrating the speed at which events progressed, just nine days later it was announced the 2020 edition was being cancelled altogether. This has since been followed by a slew of tradeshow cancellations stretching as far as Q4.

“We took a pioneering role within the industry; planning and implementation took place under great time pressure at an early stage when nobody could have known how the pandemic would develop,” explains Alexander Pietschmann, CEO of the Adam Hall Group.

As the situation unfolded, the company added a one-off, livestreamed industry talk with event industry leaders, which

20 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

was particularly successful. “It showed us how strong the demand is for firsthand information, personal opinions and evaluations, as well as possible solutions and ways out of the crisis,” says Pietschmann. “The virtual tradeshow was a new format for us, and one we will continue to develop in the future. Major events such

as concerts were the first to be cancelled, and it looks as if these events will be the last to take place again. Accordingly, it is important to give our industry a loud voice, to make ourselves visible in the media and in politics and to work together on ways and solutions to make events possible again, while maintaining all safety precautions.”

Adam Hall’s virtual tradeshow may have been the first, but more and more companies have been finding ways of presenting new products they would have launched at one or more of the international platforms throughout the year, as well as connecting with clients and the industry in general. Manufacturers have taken matters into their own hands, including a consortium that participated in the Virtual Sound Summit on 30 April and 1 May. This included Sound Devices, Lectrosonics, Schoeps, DPA Microphones, K-Tek, Sonosax and Bubblebee Industries.

The Virtual Sound Summit was a progression of some past collaborations between Lectrosonics, DPA Microphones and Sound Devices in various US cities.

“Since NAB didn’t happen, Jon Tatooles of Sound Devices contacted me and suggested that we put something together in a virtual space,” says Karl Winkler, vice president, sales and marketing, Lectrosonics. “We had about 600 people viewing live on the first day and about 450 on the second. These are numbers similar to how many visitors we might have at a NAB tradeshow. Slightly less perhaps, but still great considering that the

NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT cost to put all this together was very low.”

Winkler thinks that part of the attraction was the fact the company introduced two new products during the event, and also cites some live and prerecorded “tips and tricks” as being a good draw.

Another initiative was NAB Show Express, taken by NAB after its April tradeshow in Las Vegas was cancelled. Focusrite was one of the participating manufacturers, upgrading its sponsorship package to allow more resources to be uploaded. “It was important to us to be able to show our full product ranges that customers would have seen in person at the show,” says director of marketing, Hannah Bliss. “We also wanted to be able to add more ‘virtual business cards’ to our online profile so

Martin Audio hosted its own virtual event in late May

Focusrite’s Hannah Bliss that our staff was visible and accessible. I am not sure that we saw much action from those business cards, but we had a large spike from previous years on customers adding our brand to their list of interests and henceforth allowing us to contact them as sales leads. This increase in genuine leads was the big success of the show for us.”

Martin Audio presented its own virtual tradeshow on 20 May, which was a great success by any standard, according to director of marketing, James King. “We achieved over 800 registrations for the event,” he reveals. “To put this in context, this is the amount of people we would engage with at ISE or InfoComm in our demo room in a given week, and probably four times the amount we get to our UK open day events. Other than some advertising costs to help promote the event and people’s time, the cost to output was minimal, and significantly less so than a tradeshow-type event. The event was also incorporated into some Facebook Live streaming, and a recording has also been posted, so the potential reach is significantly beyond that too. We are working from home, and at the mercy of aesthetics, equipment and broadband fluctuations, but we managed to slide through any of that pretty well.”

The format allowed viewers to see both presenters and presentation onscreen, and there was an open Q&A for topics that people wanted to discuss. King points to the elephant in the room, however: the ability to listen to loudspeaker demos. “This is why we now team every tradeshow with a demo room, and the online format cannot replace that,” he says. “Our next jumping off point,

dependent upon ability to have small and safe gatherings, will be to have a centralised show, professionally produced then beamed to the ‘world’, but critically to global distributor demo rooms. In small, safe environments, people can gather to listen to the loudspeakers in demo rooms. While markets might start to reopen, we believe international travel will be circumspect, so we see this as an opportunity as we move forward.”

The AES Virtual Vienna tradeshow took place online from 2–5 June. “AES was already in the traditional planning, organising and programming cycle for the scheduled AES Vienna Spring Convention when the Covid-19 pandemic made the physical event impossible,” says Colleen Harper, AES executive director. “Taking it online presented the most viable prospects for fulfilling the role AES Conventions play for the audio industry and our membership.”

While AES Virtual Vienna presented the same technical programme components as the physical conventions, it chose not to have a “virtual exhibition”, believing this to be a very different format from the usual in-person event. Instead, it appointed five key Convention Partners, and put together four days of streamed workshop and student activities followed up by live Q&A sessions. One of the partners, Genelec, got involved to support the AES organisation.

“We see the academic work that the AES does as very important for the development of our industry and regard the work in the student chapters as important for the future wellbeing of our industry,” explains strategy advisory officer, Lars-Olof Janflod.

Vir tual Vienna also offered an on-demand librar y of workshops, papers, engineering briefs, technical tours of per formance and production spaces in Vienna, student and career events and previously streamed

sessions, all with ongoing Q&A chats.

“We’ve had an enthusiastic response to taking the convention online and making it totally accessible internationally, as well as extremely affordable,” says AES director of sales and marketing, Graham Kirk. “This allowed AES members and non-members, including first-time attendees, to par ticipate without the sometimes-prohibitive travel and related expenses of attending a physical convention.”

And this cost saving for attendees is vastly multiplied for companies taking par t in a vir tual tradeshow, as well as an attendant reduction in carbon footprint. But could the vir tual ever take the place of the real thing?

“There is no doubt a place for vir tual meetings, webinars and the like, but this is a people industr y and there is nothing like the physical interaction and unity of a live event,” says Lectrosonics’ Winkler. “It may take some time to fully come back, but it will return and so I see some delicate balance between a physical and vir tual show in the future or indeed some hybrid solution.”

Adds Focusrite’s Bliss of her experience at Vir tual NAB: “You have to spend a lot of money to be seen as a ‘featured’ brand vir tually. At the actual show, as long as you are in a suitable area of the floor, you are going to be seen by those who are looking for you and customers who just happen to pass by, even if you have a smaller physical presence. So, for that reason, I don’t think brands will ever want vir tual tradeshows to replace the real-life ones in full. Maybe some hybrid model, but nothing can replace the in-person experience of seeing and touching products and speaking to product specialists and sales teams in person.”

Martin Audio’s James King “The gathering of people in the real world is the first and will always be the most important social network,” says Pietschmann. “We at Adam Hall will always focus first on events as we have known them so far. Nevertheless, digital, virtual, interactive streaming formats offer very interesting and new ways of communicating with our customers and partners. The future will be hybrid events.”

From 16–18 June, AVIXA moved its summer Las Vegas show online, creating InfoComm 2020 Connected, while InfoComm Southeast Asia is presenting the Inter:Act virtual platform running from 10 June to the year end. ConnecTechAsia has also announced that it is taking its postponed three-day BroadcastAsia, CommunicAsia and SatelliteAsia event online from 29 September – 1 October, the proposed dates of the postponed live event, before transitioning into a 24/7, 365-day interactive marketplace.

Blank Canvas will be covering both events, both in the virtual space and also in our reallife, print editions. www.aes.org www.connectechasia.com www.infocomm-sea.com www.infocommshow.org www.nabshow.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 21

NEWS: EDUCATION

Lectrosonics presents Wireless Side Chats series WORLD

Lectrosonics has announced a new video series, Wireless Side Chats, hosted by vice president of sales and marketing, Karl Winkler.

The series aims to empower experts and beginners alike when it comes to working with wireless audio. The title takes its name from the fireside chats of President Franklin D Roosevelt during the Great Depression of the 1930s, which were a tipping point in the cultural importance of radio.

Four video episodes are available, with Episode 1 covering the history of early wireless equipment, wavelengths and tenants of the radio frequency spectrum and how frequency band availability within that spectrum has changed over the past few decades.

Episode 2 identifies the seven most common wireless microphone problems and how to solve them. Episode 3 is a clinic about

Lectrosonics Wireless Designer software, while Episode 4 explores best practices when using wireless, including how to set up a “bag rig” for movie or TV shoots, advance frequency planning, the use of boosted antennas, signal loss inherent in cables and splitters, and more.

“It was important for us not to have these videos just be an infomercial,” said Winkler.

“We really wanted to help every creative and technical person who uses wireless audio get better at their craft. It’s my hope that everyone who watches this series will find something that does just that. If people have half the fun watching them that I did making them, we’ll have accomplished that goal.”

The series is available as a playlist on the company’s YouTube page. www.lectrosonics.com

NMK launches online training portal UAE

Following the success of the NMK Academy, which trained more than 600 professionals last year, Dubai-based distributor NMK Electronics is taking the format online with the launch of the NMK Digital Academy. The Digital Academy introduces a training portal that allows its users to register for any and all ongoing webinars by the company’s distributed brands.

Like the academy’s real-world counterpart, the digital version covers topics ranging from audio, video, lighting and communication, in combination with practical applications. It also presents an opportunity for AV professionals to engage with industry experts.

The distributor also recently hosted an enlightening online discussion exploring the new normal for AV in a post-Covid world, the first in a series of fireside chats named

Shure ramps up online audio institute MEA

Shure MEA has expanded its webinar schedule to provide more frequent content given the current industry situation. While the Shure Audio Institute (SAI) typically provided monthly training sessions, weekly programming is now being delivered virtually. Demand for the sessions has reportedly been higher than normal, with three times the audience tuning in across the globe for recent training sessions versus previous webinars. “In today’s world of constantly evolving technology and innovative design, it is essential that audio professionals are provided with up-to-date technical insights and training in these ever-expanding fields,” said David Klein, director, SAI. SAI is an education and networking platform for Shure customers, including systems

integrators, consultants, music industry retailers, engineers and musicians. The online and instructor-led events communicate Shure’s expertise encompassing technical, sales, marketing, products and solutions. Shure MEA is offering a variety of online courses and webinars for learners at all levels.

Participants can register for upcoming webinars, including: Integrated Systems, A/V Conferencing and Meeting, and Conferencing and Discussion, taking place every Wednesday; Live Performance, Broadcast and Video Production, every Sunday and Tuesday; and Musicians and Consumer Audio every Monday and Thursday. www.shure.com

Audac launches long-term education platform online WORLD

“Digital Academy is one of our many initiatives to support the local AV industry.

Our aim was to create a single source for our clients in order to curb the digital clutter,” commented Alex Kemanes, NMK Electronics COO. The portal was successfully launched at the beginning of April and has already received positive feedback from the local market. “It is wonderful to see such an encouraging response in such a short period of time,” added Kemanes. “In our opinion, there is no better time than the present to introduce this tool, and we would like to thank our clients and partners who acknowledge the importance of innovation and frequent educational sessions in our industry.”

22 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

NMK Sessions. Events Industry: Post Covid-19 Playbook sees NMK operations manager, Dino Drimakis, engage in a detailed discussion with Eddie Mulrainey from rental house 3DB, Craig Harvey from production company CT Technology and Dan Goldberg from MA concerts.

“At NMK, being a central point linking to several partners and friends in the events industry, we felt it should be an active role for us to bring people together and explore ways to rebound from these harsh times,” stated Drimakis. “The primary purpose of the discussion is to gain a better understanding of issues in the events industry and ways they might be overcome.” www.nmkelectronics.com

Audac has launched a brand-new digital education platform that will allow its users to view interactive live experiences presented by an Audac expert as a way to better familiarise customers with the manufacturer’s brand and its solutions. Crucially, Audac doesn’t see the new live webinars as just a temporary solution to bridge these difficult times.

Instead, the audio manufacturer looks at it as a long-term strategy to trigger leads and partners in a unique way.

During the webinars, viewers can use a chat function to ask questions that will be answered directly by an Audac representative in the chat. Another way to start learning is via its online training videos. These consist of various prerecorded videos, ranging from entry-level trainings that introduce the products, to

in-depth trainings that explain all different functionalities. After completing a video series, users can test their knowledge about the subject by taking an exam. Pass all exams and Audac will provide a certificate.

The Audac Education Platform is live now at education.audac.eu and the manufacturer is promising plenty of updates in the coming weeks. www.audac.eu

PRODUCTS NEWS: DISTRIBUTION NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

NEWS: SPECIAL REPORT

ETC lights up Media City

Focusrite updates classicVenuetech for the GCC Xilica teams upa with GCC FOCUSRITE HAS extended its classic ISA channel, and front-panel instrument inputs range with eight-channel ISA 828 MkII Middle Eastthe distributor Venuetech has been for channels 1–4. which features the same transformer-based The ISA ADN8 is an optional A/D card appointed to represent Xilica in the GCC. input stage, complete the Lundahl for the ISA 828 MkII and ISA 428 MkII. It Based in Dubai with anwith experience centre LL1538 transformer, as and its predecessor. provides ADAT Optical, AES3 and Dante in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, staff in both With theand optional ADN8 A/D card, connectivity at rates up to 24 bit/192kHz. Kuwait Egypt,ISA Venuetech plans to work however, thethe preamp is now compatible with The card offers primary and secondary RJ45 closely with manufacturer to raise brand The ISA ADN cards FROM audio-over-IP HUMBLE BEGINNINGS IN Dante networks. BACK Dante output ports, an AES59-configured awareness with AV consultants, systems 1975, a then 18-year-old Fred Foster began The power supply has been updated DB25 connector for AES3 output and a pair for the ISA One mic preamp and DI. For integrators and IT engineers that specify, a journey into entertainment technology that to allow for more efficient power of TOSLINK connectors for ADAT output. outputs, the card offers primary and install and manage AV systems. would create an legacy consumption and a reduction incontinuing heat The ISA ADN2, meanwhile, is an optional secondary RJ45 Dante ports, an XLR “We continue toindelible see rapidly evolving to live on opportunities long after Fred’s time had passed. generation.

The front panel remains two-channel 24-bit/192kHz A/D card that connector for AES3, a TOSLINK connector business in MENA across That culmination continued determination unchanged, with of six-step metering on each provides analogue-to-digital conversion for ADAT and an RCA connector for S/PDIF. most AV verticals and almost every project Duncan Riley, director at DWR and hardawork ethic was realised the Distribution Focusrite has also par tnered with requires professional DSP,” saidwith Ismat opening audio of ETC’s new purpose-built Austrian software developer, sonible, to Assafiri, specialist, Venuetech.studio.

Sitting separates slap-bang in the from middle of Dubai develop Balancer, a processor driven by “Xilica itself other DSP Media Dubai – The Studioplug-andoffers an How City, hasETC DWR’s day-to-day ar tificial intelligence that is designed to manufacturers with truly modular, unassuming that gives way toof all enhance any source signal. Balancer is play designs entrance that can support projects operations changed?

The Venuetech team manner bespoke product available as a free download for members any size of and they deliver thedemonstration future-thinking zones, training meeting spaces Every morning, I have a staff meeting of theservice Focusrite The technology that facilities, will become integral asto take and public-facing AV projects we see in the local and Plug-in repairs.Collective.

The company and smart design It’sgreater aRobert not so care of important admin while Izzett, software-based processor analyses an ISA 828 MkII our industry movesquirks. towards AV/IT MENA region.” hosts regular training and certification Durban’s CBZ, devoid of all traffic on day one also of the lockdown subtle nodmanager, to These the company’s expertise our sales has a sales meetingand with convergence. combined strengths, Venuetech’s skill sets are both business and provides post-sales support. Its standing theopen industry, but architecture, also offers Do you see any positives coming the sales They’re doing internal and announced.

I’ve been out justteam once of or twice to full-service along withinstaff. an software and technical, with a strong approach and ability to offer probably the largest collection ofWe external training, all single through webinars. buy food in thetowhole period. better position Venuetech as a full-service professionals address sales and turnkey solutions all verticals out ofAVthis in theforlong term? has ETC High Systems (HES)government products are and locked down, but that doesn’t mean we provider for theEnd larger corporate, business development, systems design, proven successful for the many brands outside of the company’s US market.

Live events are a huge aspect of Perhaps more resilience in the industry and are completely closed for home business.

We’ve Upon the toare the AMATE hasreception added toarea itsWe LMS more preparedness for things like this. Prior just gotarriving toAUDIO get at through this time.

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The biggest industry concern is actually what employs 64-bit for roundAs a country, we are used to little ups and staff member hasarchitecture been right would take me to a high-ceilinged space happens after the lockdown, how businesses the-clock operation.

Following onappointed from downs, but this has been a real shock.

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This was especially I think this is going to change the way was basically theSouth end of the live events They will always want toLutchman, go and seeand music each input to any output and Amate’s Nítid active loudspeaker series equalisers with 1Hz frequency resolution technical director, Suren on how that best suit assignable the African market.

LED light source fixtures, compared to its HES TurboRay, SolaWash 1000, SolaFrame Spot moving heads. interesting as the 3D modelling software work in the future in terms of the industry.

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2s (680m) with switchable polarity. aCRI full-time door was opened usa design ofdeal intelligent lighting solutions the with the product range, butand also the company low-level trussawas an array of ETC’s prized Gio@5 controller which controlling the offer an increased amount ofmonths’ controlHQ over company hasagot four, fiveto of money of other a sudden, 21-day lockdown period was time from thisindustry, point forward and change. for opportunities, including becoming entertainment Iwas have always wanted itself.

“During recent visit Ayrton in an

it represents, including Atlona, Barco, Sennheiser and Televic. Assafiri sees strong upcoming opportunities to use Xilica DSPs with the Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 beamforming microphone, which will help businesses produce high-quality sound for online meetings. input signal, applying adaptive t TOA Electronics Southern Africasmar Pty Ltd filters to been optimise the sound’s spectral has also appointed to represent qualities onand the southern sonic profile the brand based in South Africa. selected.product Sonic profiles include “Xilica’s range meets theVocal, same Guitar andwe Drums, others.

The are standards value,among and their products amount ofideal effect is adjusted with the especially forused the many installations intensity slider, while the Flavour on setting that are done in remote locations the switches the overall character of the African continent,” said Ralph Singer, audio, choosing between Neutral, director, sales and marketing at TOAWarm and Bright.Southern Africa. “They will Electronics also strengthen our value proposition in www.focusrite.com the corporate, education and government www.sonible.com verticals that Xilica plays especially strong in today.” in the bank. It takes two bad months and they’re out of business. You start to realise www.venuetech.ae from a company standpoint who is there www.xilica.com for you and who isn’t, which is also very The LMS608 comes 80I’m passwordhumbling at the samewith time. positive that protectable, user-programmable memory DWR will make it through this and I dare presets offering levels of needed to say that this is variable something we all protection, while 20 additional happen. As an industry we’ve pre-installed become quite factory presets reportedly the and comfortable.

France, we immediately felt enable its warmth near instantaneous system configuration genuine spirit as we entered the premises capabilities of the Nítid active As heard highlighted above, both theloudspeaker UAE and and how the company began and how series with passive reinforcement.

African markets have aconstant tendencysince itsSouth central focus has sound remained The processorthroughout also to beginning,” fluctuate the these year, perhaps the said extends Lutchman.

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USB Ethernet connectivity doubt that the industry, perhaps some and running.

In and the current climate, it’s going suggests, the program draws on augmented provides enhanced external control with changes and adjustments, will be back to be tough, but we have never shied awayto reality order accurately reproduce DSPLink software for Windows and MacOS full force, it’s to just a matter of can’t time.

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It’sover intended to be flawlessly used in matures the coming weeks and a longconjunction with an Eos buttoother www.amateaudio.com term plan emerges, weconsole can start plan www.ayrton.eu options are available anda more arerecovery. in the constructively towards healthy www.bespokesolutions.co.za

When seeing is believing, getting solutions directly in front of customers is essential.

ETC’s new Media City location looks to make that a reality, as Stuart Todd takes a tour

Amate works round the clock

Ayrton selects Bespoke partner for South Africa

PAGE 1/3 PAGE

64 PRO PRO AVL AVL MEA MEA July–August March–April 2020y 2020 24 26 Januar y–Februar

May–June 2020 PRO AVL MEA 27

NEWS: DISTRIBUTION

Calrec appoints W&M for TV and radio solutions SOUTH AFRICA

Wild & Marr has been appointed by British broadcast console manufacturer Calrec to represent its TV and radio product range throughout South Africa. The appointment is the latest in Calrec’s ongoing regional expansion plans, which have seen the company partnering with new distributors in more than 20 regions, including UAE, KSA, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Jordan and Iraq in the Middle East.

Wild & Marr is a division of TOMS Sound & Music and has distribution centres in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban, as well as retail stores around South Africa.

“We are very excited to represent Calrec. As a company we don’t represent brands lightly, as evidenced in the longterm relationships we have with other manufacturers, some stretching back more than 25 years,” explained Wild & Marr manging director, Gary Furman. “Calrec’s comprehensive range of products covering both TV and radio, and their continued investment in R&D, covers all the areas our broadcast partners want from an audio company.”

The Wild & Marr Experience Centre will be a space where Calrec’s range of proprietary and IP solutions will join others in a working environment. It will include a broadcast

studio, production studio, live stage with line arrays and a dedicated training facility. “Wild & Marr is a highly respected audio specialist whom we’ve known for a long time,” stated

For Professional Audio Visual Solutions and Musical Instruments

The Calrec and Wild & Marr teams Graham Murray, international sales manager at Calrec. “The company’s vast experience and its innovative approach are exactly what we need to continue our growth across SubSaharan Africa.”

Commercial Audio Visual Equipment

Broadcast & Production Equipment

www.calrec.com www.wildandmarr.co.za

GALA collaborates with ARX throughout Gulf GCC

Having been appointed as local distributor for ARX’s complete portfolio of USB audio interfaces and signal processing solutions in the UAE back in 2019, GALA Electronics has now extended its responsibilities to cover the entire Gulf region, including Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.

YOUR TRUSTED PARTNER

Equipment for Live Event

Equipment Rental

“We have been very pleased with the positive response from our market,” owner of GALA Electronics, Sanjeev Singh, commented.

“Expanding our distribution with ARX means we can offer another great quality product to our growing network of clients.” www.arx.com.au

Syncrotek partners with IDL for West Africa AFRICA

Syncrotek, the holding company for AV brands Waveburg Pro, WCAD, NOX AUDIO and Lumina Pro, has appointed IDL Technologies to distribute and provide technical support for its entire product range in West Africa. IDL Africa Technologies will handle all enquiries, sales and technical assistance, as well as provide services to existing customers in the territories.

“IDL Africa Technologies is all about partnering with our vendors to provide innovative technology solutions for our clients,” said Thomas Asiamah, managing director at IDL Africa Technologies. “To deliver on that promise, we work with industry-leading partners to curate the best products, services and solutions that address the everyday needs of our customers. This new partnership with

Syncrotek will provide our clients with the latest in smart home technology and automation.”

“Syncrotek has recently introduced the newest tool to the destination marketing industry,” added Mohamed Ghanem, technical consultant/light designer, Syncrotek. “MITA [Magic In The Air] aims to create a relationship between places and visitors, keeping them happy through a mix of technology, art and destination marketing.

So, our strategic partnership with IDL Africa Technologies is not only about supplying high-end products and solutions, it’s about creating the magic.” www.idlafrica.com

www.thomsunmusiconline.com info@thomsun.ae

+97142693359

ThomsunMusicME

www.syncrotek.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 25

APPOINTMENTS NEWS: BUSINESS

FEATURES: RECORDING

John to represent AdamDodson Hall panel unites industry Sonance in MEA

Void forms a new online presence

isn’taudio the deciding when selecting Monitoring in the boothsfactor and control rooms which is of amplifier to use.” handled by JBL type LSR305 monitors.

In the studios, JBL Adrian Ickeringill, salesfor EON615 loudspeakers on standsinternational were supplied director for Sonance, will manage Dodson their ability to be moved from studio to studio on a WORLD from a product and strategy standpoint. production-by-production basis. to do so. The role of the media was “Having knownnature John for I was only Duealso to the mission-critical of years, live television, MEA examined, with Kropp identifying fine aware of his extensive knowledge and RFa dropout was too also a serious concern at Urban Brew.

Sonance has appointed industry veteran situation networkShure’s of customers the Middle Wild & Marr specified Axientthroughout Digital Wireless and distribution with numerous well-established balance between reporting on the John Dodson as a representative for its Pro while being careful not to spread panic bywith PSM300 East market,” “We are together in-ear Ickeringill monitorsremarked. for presenter IFB. commercial manufacturers.

In additionEXBOX.64s to the A pair of DirectOut perform optical-coaxial Series and 100v product lines in the Middle delivering only bad news. He pointed to of thethe three delighted to have on board, providing In each racks, threeJohn Axient quad receivers, Sonance line, hisclocking product arsenal also includes and conversion East and Sub-Saharan African. Dodson has need to provide a distraction foranreaders anddistributor much-needed in thewere commercial market antenna and afocus PSM300 supplied. microphones, amplifiers, processors, cables, assumed the direct responsibility for channel viewers. our 100v line Proand Series, IS4C invisible The system hasfor Dante capability is networked to the connectors and technical furniture.

John Dodson partners, consultant relationships and Discussing the future of live events, the installed series and Omnistageboxes. series Dante cards intoLandscape two of theand Studer “I am delighted to add the Sonance authorised integrators in the region. panel broadly agreed that while initially outdoor products.”

Each stagebox is capable of 32 channels of Dante-overcommercial products to my family of quality low-impedance speakers can provide quality WORLD Dodson has an extensive 35-year background there may a fear of large gatherings Ethernet, brands,” Dodson commented. “Sonance sound.

Thebe speakers offer both lowand eliminating the need for microphone cables.

Coincidingwas withinstalled the release of two new in the AV industry, having held positions in retail certainly dispels the perception that only and crowds, there will be a and desire for Wireless Shure Workbench in the audio high-impedance connectivity, sound quality www.sonance.com – the Biasthe Q1wireless and Air ten real, live events and gatheringsbooths once the to remotelyproducts view and control RF, V3 bodypack – Void Acoustics has launched a crisis is over. Streaming is expected batterto y levels of the and handheld wireless brand-new website to reflect the more play a greater role. Lamond predicted a microphones. diversetoarray sectors its solutions bright future for trade shows, pointing to a a pleasure ‘It’s always workofwith a professional now suppor primeval human need for socialorganisation gatherings, like Urban Brew,’t. concludes Wild & Marr though some of the panel wondered MD, Gar y Furman. ‘All specifications were clearly whether large trade show stands and and this allowed for an accurate proposal from stated, WORLD “As IP connectivity becomes increasingly equipment demos might be a thing of the us that met all of the requirements. The integration of Xilicaas has appointed prioritise Mark Ullrich to various the is a renowned expert on DSP widespread and more accessible to all past companies these events audioUllrich the elements was seamless due to clear newly created role of senior manager, technology and solutions, sectors of our industry, it’s vital that for social interaction, content creation, lines of communication between Urban with Brewnearly and 20 ouryears On 31 March, the day the industry should application sales,and while promoting Joe of cumulative experience in par the ties pro audio andy Calrecchairman, continuesISDV to invest in supporting its product design trading relationships, Pohl, and president, IGVW; engineers.

Overall, it’s a project that all are ver have gathered for the opening of Frankfurt Orlando to product manager, systems.

Ullrich development,” commented Nico Ubenauf, CEO, satisfy; Dave Luca Letson, Lastrucci, instead holding virtual product launches proud of.’and commercial AV markets. “There’s a certain Shure’s Digital Wireless was supplied as well support and sales Prolight + Sound, Adam Hall hosted will provide application sense of fulfilment and excitement that CalrecPowersoft; VP of sales.

“TheAxient transition to IP CEO, Marcus Graser, CEO, Clay demonstrations. asKropp, PSM300 in-ear monitors for presenter www.wildandmarr.co.za an informative and thought-provoking management for the manufacturer’s partners affects pre-sales, integration and postPaky; and Simon editor in chief, Offering IFB some perspective, Lamond shared comes with working for a young, growing tech discussion panel which was live streamed in story selecthe global while through Orlando will company like Xilica where every decision is sales Rookie. projects,The andpanel this new helps us a dug territories, up while going Event was role moderated by and is now available on demand. Under the Visitorsand to the theeffects Void website are felt,” lead the emerging Xilica’s systems important can be readily to support customers move into an IP Courth, whoour kept the discussion on point minutes of historicdirection NAMM of meetings.

During banner of We Will Get Through This Together, and now greeted with a refreshed look product line. commented Ullrich. environment with confidence.” interesting. the great depression of the 1930s his the panel demonstrated that around the and options to enter touring or Orlando, meanwhile, willclub, spearhead A Calrec team member for seven years, Two of the participants, Lastrucci and predecessor, having not been paid for a world, various arms of the entertainment commercial featuring the the Xilica’s product sections, line management within Sampson previously held theItaly, rolethe of product year, evidently decided to sell the furniture Graser, were speaking from first technology business, including industry productssystems relevant to each integrated market.

Hemarket. will lead For the test engineer responsible and lock the office while the industry shut region outsidewhere China he to was be hard hit by associations, manufacturers, production those unsure of which product in the global development, innovation and strategic for compliance testing Calrec’s AoIP Covid-19, entering strictoflockdown, with down until things picked up again. Lamond enough for video playback as well standard orfactories multitrack companies and media groups, areaspulling manufacturer’s willgrowth best alliance functions tocatalogue drive greater products to industry standards including used the story to emphasise the message, temporarily halting production Dave Sampson recording. together in this time of crisis, lobbying for suit enterprise their needs, there is a“We newhave search within applications. some ST government 2110, AES67, NMOS andwere more.

As saying the constant from this earlier time on orders.

Both upbeat, In addition topackages, the Studeroffering equipment, each audio discussing booth also government support and function to look for solutions based exceptional products at Xilica that are really network specialist, Sampson will provide was that they got through it, and that this the importance of support for WORLD has ENCO HotShot audio playback systems which advice about keeping businesses afloat, integrated, on the application type.

The website well-suited to enterprise applications, utilising technical support and consultancy for staff working remotely, the opportunities will happen again. ‘Most important is how Dave Sampson has taken on the newly can play outthe fourinterests discreet stereo channels such asto music protecting of freelance workers also contains new assets, including a existing IT infrastructure and technologies the development and to delivery bedesign, creative when it comes R&D and we take care of our people and deal with created roleaofpositive network specialist at beds or stings, while RTW TM3 were supplied thedevelopment and casting light on units the future. and aAV Meet The Team todealer deliver search an integrated ecosystem,” offor IP-based networkingand solutions forbusiness this,’ he said. product what the British broadcast console manufacturer, audio to measure loudness, of The operators eight participants of the group selected because pageOrlando. so that “Icustomers can the stated look forward to meet helping the Calrec might customers, as going well asforward. create and model look like The entire 90-minute discussion can be Calrec.

The role Alexander willTASCAM see him provide their small footprint.

SS-CDR250N players take care discussion were Pietschmann, team behind business furtherthe drivebrand. innovation and build deliver training andhighlighted knowledge-based Lamond and Pohl the found here: www.adamhall.com/gb-en/ in-house exper thatrequirements, strengthens ofCEO, any Adam CD or USBtise media STAC of looking after freelance Hall Group; Marcel Courth,while Comrex relationships with key strategic partners.” documentation. importance virtual-tradeshow www.voidacoustics.com the manufacturer’s ability towith suppor Hybrid systems operate SIP fromself-employed their editor in chief, which Production Partner; Joettrunk linesand staff upon whom the JBLmuch, LSR305s are used for monitoring A Soundcraft compact stagebox www.calrec.com www.xilica.com www.adamhall.com customers transitioning to IP.NAMM; PBX were installed for theCEO, studio’s callers.

Lamond, president and Marcus industry relies so outlining initiatives Mark Ullrich

Dave Sampson becomes Xilica grows Calrec network specialist management team

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| export@fenixstage.com 26www.fenixstage.com PROAVL AVLASIA MEAMay–June July–August 2020 8 PRO 2020

March–April 2020 PRO AVL MEA 31

NEWS: APPOINTMENTS

Williams AV appoints president and CEO WORLD

Williams AV has announced the appointment of Brad Kautzer to the position of president and CEO. Kautzer has held a succession of executive-level roles at global businesses including Honeywell.

the best in leading AV products and solutions. I pride myself on being a hands-on leader who gets the most from the teams with which I am associated.

While being a visionar y, my real strengths lie in working closely with groups and individuals executing what is required to grow a successful business.

“Strong customer and channel relationships are at the centre of everything we will do”

Brad Kautzer “Strong customer and channel relationships are at the centre of ever ything we will do,” he commented.

“I intend to use my passion for sales, marketing, engineering and operational excellence to bring our customers

I will bring a customer-in look to Williams AV and engage collaboratively with the board/ownership to truly understand the goals for the business and to turn this into results that benefit the owners, employees and customers.”

Williams AV board members and significant shareholders, Rob Sheeley and Tom Mingo, remain involved in strategic product development and suppor ting the sales and marketing teams. “I’m ready to carr y out our vision to make Williams AV a bigger and more power ful global brand and to expand our product leadership in assistive listening, interpretation and other markets,” commented Sheeley. “With Tom’s and my experience in the AV industr y combined with Brad’s experience in growing global business, we are sure to see rapid growth.” www.williamsav.com

Visit the new ROE Visual showroom.

Open 1 June 2020

Lutz Rathmann

Lutz Rathmann becomes director of Managed Technology at Riedel WORLD

Riedel Communications has announced the appointment of Lutz Rathmann as director of the Managed Technology division.

Rathmann most recently served as CEO at APS, a leading agency in the field of automotive events. He also previously held several management positions at Riedel, including deputy head of global events.

“I am very pleased that Lutz is returning to us – he’s a very experienced and strong leader who carries the Riedel gene. With his extraordinary sense for innovation, he will help drive Riedel’s technology leadership for event and sports production into the future,” said Thomas Riedel, founder and CEO of Riedel. “At the same time, I’d like to express my highest appreciation to his successor Kai Houbenw and say thanks from the bottom of my heart for his long

and successful service to Riedel. Kai turned our local rental business into a global think tank, and we’re very confident this course will continue with Lutz.”

Rathmann’s tasks in his new role include the expansion of new strategic business areas and partnerships as well as the continued development of the Riedel solutions portfolio. “It feels very good to return to the Riedel family. There is an innate spirit of innovation in this company, and the Managed Technology division is truly unique,” he commented. “I look forward to continuing this success story alongside our strong and passionate team, and to leading Managed Technology into a sustainable future.” www.riedel.net

1/3 PAGE

Stunning visuals Immerse yourself in new LED technology. A wide range of LED panels can be viewed and tested in ROE Visual’s new and impressive showroom. We look forward to inspire you from June 1st onwards. Visit bit.ly/showroom-appointment and make an appointment. | www.roevisual.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 27

BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT

2020 vision

In a year that will change the way we live and do business, Phil Ward takes a global look at how the AV industry is responding and diversifying to the Covid-19 pandemic unprecedented throughput of so many patients. “As the NHS continues to work away tirelessly to battle coronavirus, we were incredibly proud to do our bit,” says DeltaLive director, Mark Bonner.

This keeps some of the crews on their toes, but it’s no future. India is feeling the pinch just like everywhere else, wondering when and how production can get back to full capacity, and at tour sound and events supplier Sound.com, founder MD Warren D’souza is on full aler t.

“We can resume operations immediately with a smaller team, as 50% of our workforce have gone to their respective villages,” he reveals. “We have a team in Mumbai ready to get back to full-scale operations; however, there isn’t a single enquir y for a job currently.

We have worked on all the procedures required for operations to resume, but we don’t have any control over developments. It all depends on government decisions: we can’t even get to our office premises at this stage.

It’s an issue, especially in Mumbai, which has a large population and many confirmed virus cases compared with other par ts of the countr y.”

“The roadmap for the current crisis is tough, but we need to star t with small steps to get our rental industr y back on track,” adds Santana Davis, MD of J Davis Prosound & Lighting (JDPSL). “Ever y countr y needs to create a separate health and safety depar tment with guidelines to run an event. Any event needs to meet this approval and get the go-ahead only after this depar tment has personally checked all the measures onsite.”

JDPSL is in talks with event companies, the hotel industr y and venue owners to arrange trial setups of strictly corporate events in preparation for a return to real life. “All the measures taken – infrastructure, venue management and our technical input – could be filmed to show what precautions would be taken,” Davis says. “This video content could be used to spread the plan across the industr y and show to government officials as evidence of the steps we as an industr y would take to conduct events.”

Site registration would happen online instead of onsite, Davis suggests, while all entr y and exit points would need to be properly handled. Corporate events of this kind should avoid ser ving alcohol, so reducing the

The Reel drive-in cinema at Dubai Mall STRANGE TIMES. WITH LIVE EVENTS ON HOLD, THE whole world has been streaming. Or rather, a combination of streaming and conventional broadcast. In an eerie chamber, presenters spaced 2m apar t introduce something with a little too much cheer. This turns out to be a solo per formance by one exposed pop star or another, all of whom in pandemic mode have for some reason chosen a really honky-tonk vintage piano. OK, they’re probably at home and the piano tuner is selfisolating. Never mind.

Cut to split-screen: ah, it’s a band. Or a choir. This challenges synchronicity, but the spirit is there in abundance, especially when you consider that most of the revenue is going to a charitable donation for medical ser vices or infrastructure. In fact, and with much irony given Donald Trump’s scapegoating in the direction of the World Health Organization, one US “stream-athon” in April raised US$128 million directly for… the World Health Organization. This was Together At Home, a TV fundraiser organised by anti-pover ty charity, Global Citizen.

As we’ll see, the citizens of ever y sector of enter tainment technology are now truly global.

Stage left In terms of resourcefulness, the AVL industr y comes a close second to the Armed Forces. For technical accuracy, it’s probably outshone only by space exploration, Formula One and – rather appropriately – medicine. So, there is serendipity in the revelation that US-based full-ser vice company Clair Global has been deploying its IT, networking and communications resources at several disaster relief centres in Pennsylvania and beyond, just as it would at

28 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

JDPSL’s Santana Davis regular events that call upon its emergency contingency planning. Local par tner Mountain Productions has been on the frontline with its all-in-one disaster relief structures and temporar y medical facilities, and the availability of Clair Global’s LAN/Wi-Fi connectivity, prefabricated office suites, network monitoring, network security and voice comms has made a world of difference.

In the UK, similar ministrations have been afforded by DeltaLive, a major player in worldwide events recently acquired by French market leader L-Acoustics with a particular brief to expand immersive audio applications.

DeltaLive handed more than 500 Motorola walkie-talkie radios – normally reserved for film, TV and sports events – over to the intensive care units of four London hospitals as the pandemic hit a peak, for staff to coordinate the

Tupelo Music Hall is using Meyer Leopard line arrays for its drive-in gigs

BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT likelihood of people coming into close contact with each other. “Even if they do ser ve drink,” continues Davis, “they need to have detailed plans in place of how they would take precautions. If it’s not safe, it should be completely avoided.”

As far as public concer ts are concerned, Davis is even more cautious. “It’s quite dif ficult to have large gatherings until we find a vaccine – maybe the drivein concept could work for the moment. But we could have smaller, outdoor shows or concer ts, restricting the audience based on the size of the venue and with proper markings to maintain social distancing – standing or seated. And we cer tainly need to find ways to ser ve people onsite that avoid any human interaction, using technology like smar tphones to pay for ser vices and collect goods.”

Park life The drive-in concept mentioned by Davis is not fantasy.

In Denmark, a car park in Aarhus has been rebranded as the P-Scene concer t venue, where LED screens suppor t live per formances but no PA – audio is broadcast on an FM signal to the amassed car radios. In the US, Tupelo Music Hall in New Hampshire has gone one fur ther by flying Meyer Sound’s Leopard line array for drive-in gigs, raising a uniquely new audio issue: with these concer ts

The Cherry Hills Community drive-in church Mall, respectively. Whether it fades back into obscurity as traditional locations open back up will be interesting to see.

The concept has even been adapted to worship. Cherr y Hills relocated to the car park, drive-in style, for its Easter ser vices. The format worked so well that the ministr y is considering hosting future special events this way. Meanwhile, London-based Orbital Sound’s Nemesis Car-Link takes FM modulator technology from Orbital’s museum audio guides and conver ts it to a digital audio stream for more reliable in-car reception.

Following guidelines Around the world, rental companies are publishing guidelines for the safe and gradual return to something like normal work, though normal it will not be. The US Event Safety Alliance has released The Event Safety

Clair Global has deployed IT, networking and communications resources for disaster relief also relayed by local FM radio to each car, the outdoor system has to be time-aligned to the transmission.

“We’re only about a mile from the radio station and are on the same network node, so we used a web browser extension, Cleanfeed, that transmits highquality digital audio,” explains Tupelo Music Hall’s production manager, Paul Higgins. “We managed to get the roundtrip, point-to-point audio measured to around 70ms and, naturally, matched the latency to the second row of cars. It’s not possible to match exactly, but we could make it early for ever yone else. So, if the radio is turned up and could make noise before the PA hits the audience, they won’t notice the latency.” The venue capacity is around 75 vehicles, allowing for distancing space between them for the time-honoured American complement of canvas chairs, cool boxes and beer.

In Dubai, the drive-in concept is a bit like busses – nothing for ages and then two come at once. The Emirate hadn’t really embraced the format until mall and cineplex closures made it the only alternative. Bizarre when you think how much pedigree the car carries in the UAE. The countries two major cinema chains, Vox and Reel, opened drive-ins at Mall of the Emirate and Dubai

Alliance Reopening Guide, aimed at small gatherings strictly controlled by health and sanitar y measures in the absence of a vaccine, contact tracing or testing. “There is no such thing as ‘best’ practices,” admits Event Safety Alliance vice president, Steven A Adelman. “There are only practices that are reasonable for this venue, this event, this crowd, this time and this place.” The guide is therefore “designed to help event professionals think through their own circumstances”. Meanwhile PSAV, parent company of UK event production companies Hawthorn and AVC Live, has created MeetSAFE, a set of guidelines to help the live event industr y safely adapt to the changing landscape of meetings and events.

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 29

BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT Stream out loud But per formers are still per forming. If anything comes out of this period, it should be a major consolidation of online streaming platforms – which had already begun to figure as a monetisable adjunct to touring. Deploying this medium without an audience in the same space as the per former does compromise the experience but, as most fans would agree, it’s better than nothing.

While event management and concer t promotion giant Eventbrite has been advising the industr y to stream

Q

A

professionally for several years, such an adjunct is irrelevant if no gigs are happening. But keeping a high profile online is essential during the hiatus, and several operators have begun to develop internet-only gigs that use the same camera and audio technology without the actual touring.

Audiotheme is a gig software and WordPress-powered website specialist that suggests the use of specialised online ser vices, such as Gigee Suppor t, StageIt, Periscope, YouNow, Facebook and YouTube. The increase in competition between these platforms has already seen

Q

the demise of pioneers like Concer t Window and Busker, as the job of monetising the enterprise is worked out.

If the ser vices are free, they do take a percentage of the online revenue, usually through a system of vir tual tickets made available using a proprietar y currency called “notes”, while other forms of payment are possible as charitable donations or vir tual tips.

As events from London to Australia hit the schedules, lockdown audiences have the whole world to choose from as their “local” gig – prompting radical new dimensions to the market. For example, StageIt – already used by ar tists

A Mig Cardamone, director of sales and marketing at Sennheiser Middle East

A manufacturer such as Sennheiser has its fingers in almost every slice of the pie.

There may be increased mic sales from musicians, but live events are virtually (no pun intended) a write-off. Director of sales and marketing at Sennheiser Middle East, Mig Cardamone, sums up life for the subsidiary under lockdown

Q

How does Sennheiser enable employees to work from home; and enable businesses to collaborate while maintaining social distancing?

Keeping in mind the health and well-being of all our employees and their families, Sennheiser Middle East has implemented flexible working schedules and work from home policies. Despite all the difficulties in the current situation, the team continues to connect and educate while ensuring continuity of service to our customers.

We initiated our work from home policies by mid-March for most of the sales and marketing team and, during the current restrictions, we are ensuring all its employees, including finance and operations, are adhering to authority guidelines and protocols and are working from home. Our employees are utilising a number of the personal communication devices that we offer commercially, including our MB 660 series headphones and Momentum True Wireless 2 Bluetooth Earbuds which both feature active noise cancelling, thereby enabling better concentration in atypical work environments.

Many team members have also taken home the headsets they use on the road, such as Sennheiser Presence UC ML. This versatile monaural Bluetooth headset features a mic that cancels out background noise exceptionally well, and delivers excellent intelligibility so our team members can be heard clearly no matter what is going on in the background.

Q

What’s the roadmap for getting production back to full capacity?

While most retail outlets are closed and events and physical interaction has been reduced to a minimum, we remain fully operational and are doing our best to ensure we fulfil our customer orders on time while also keeping in regular contact with our channel partners and end users alike through various channels of communication.

Our warehouse in JAFZA continues to operate and supply our customers around the region while our global operations organisation has successfully navigated the challenges

30 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

A

around air travel to keep air freight shipments on track. These measures ensure we are capable of still delivering products to our customers in a timely and efficient manner.

What new initiatives have you devised in recent weeks?

We introduced various campaigns to stay connected with our customers and partners across the globe. With the #DontStopTheEducation programme, Sennheiser Sound Academy has started to provide free pro audio training webinars and product demonstrations globally.

These webinars cover a wide range of topics from wireless microphones, to audio for video, to beamforming microphones for conference calls. They have been created for customers from the music industry, AV industry, film and video production teams as well as the education and corporate sectors and have been extremely well-received by the community.

A

How far does installation compensate for lack of live events?

Our professional audio division covers several verticals, so while the events industry has obviously been hit very hard and consequently our business within rental and touring is currently extremely limited, there are other business areas that present opportunities to maintain the status quo and even, in some cases, grow. For example, the home studio and content creator solutions from Sennheiser and Neumann are outperforming expectations set at the beginning of the year as people adapt to their new circumstances and look for high-quality audio capture and reproduction solutions – a demand we can satisfy.

What other sectors do you see promise in?

TV and radio continues to have the same, if not greater, importance and our strength in broadcast means that this sector remains a key focus area for our business in the

region. And within the install market, we are seeing our emphasis on meeting room solutions and campus-wide audio for higher education become even more relevant.

Our offering to businesses is particularly relevant as we move to remote meetings, first by necessity but soon because of convenience and productivity: our TeamConnect Ceiling 2 microphone not only ensures highest intelligibility but also a configuration and flexibility that allows for social distancing and hygiene in any meeting room setup. Needless to say that this is also proving to be the case in education, as remote and blended learning facilities become a requirement and the same prerequisite for best intelligibility and ease of use leans into the features and benefits that we can provide, not only with our Ceiling microphone but also the expanded SpeechLine Digital Wireless microphone system dedicated to speech and the recently updated MobileConnect audio over Wi-Fi streaming solution for assistive listening.

What support do you feel you have to/are able to give to rental partners and event partners?

We believe that it is more important than ever to remain as close as possible to our customers and to really listen to their needs. With the outlook for 2020 not likely to improve significantly, supporting existing clients with technical support and short-term loans for top-ups is one way of maximising current inventories with the reality being that investment in new equipment is very unlikely. However, looking ahead to 2021 and of course the postponed Dubai Expo, we aim to provide not only our technical expertise and the quality of our products and services, but also offering value adds such as staged payments, onsite support, planning and co-ordination services. We want our partners to trust both their equipment and their supplier and we intend to work hand in hand with our customers during this challenging time for the industry.

BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT ranging from Korn and Plain White Ts to Indigo Girls, Jason Mraz and Trey Songz – insists that no show is recorded or archived, making each one, as the company says, “a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed”. Q&As, requests and fan-to-fan chatlines enhance the experience.

According to YouTube, which shares adver tising revenue with the rights holders of any video streamed, ar tist profit for up to 10 minutes is about £1.70 for ever y 1,000 views. A livestream might be expected to generate similar amounts, making audience retention a key marker.

Other wise, it may be that new types of branded venue could launch membership or subscription models, not unlike Twitch, inventor of the “cheering” emoticon: underexploited so far, its livestreamed gaming platform is openly available to musicians and promoters as well.

But what if streaming becomes par t of the rental and production company ser vice? Smar tStage is a “mixed reality environment” newly launched at Londonbased White Light, a prominent and hither to traditional enter tainment AVL provider. More than a simple green screen studio backdrop, Smar tStage is an immersive set that uses vir tual content with which presenters and per formers interact to stream or broadcast – the differences between which are fading – a highly engaging programme. Unlike streaming solo from home, this is a fully equipped, professional facility with hygienic access for large, if socially distanced, casts and ensembles and, without a studio audience, the technology becomes key in devising uploadable material somewhere between CGI animation and human per formance.

And that’s a combination that per fectly describes espor ts, the competitive online world of video games.

Already a booming industr y, the pandemic will do nothing to dent its progress. Since lockdown, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc has won a vir tual Grand Prix; Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford competed in a vir tual football match against Borussia Dor tmund’s Jadon Sancho; and FIFA has

Pixel Solutions’ Anas Al Kurdi launched the Stay & Play Cup, co-opting players from 20 of Europe’s biggest football clubs.

The new celebrity dimension, prompted by coronavirus and self-isolation, is likely to increase revenue predictions that were at a staggering US$1.1 billion for 2020, a year-on-year growth of 15.7%, according to Newzoo Global Espor ts Market Repor t 2020. Another US$822.4 million in revenues are expected this year from media rights and sponsorship. Global viewing figures are on a seemingly unstoppable path towards US$495 million, up 11.7% from 2019. The leading streaming sites to benefit include YouTube Gaming, Microsoft Mixer and Amazon Twitch, the

latter up 12% already to April, according to Futuresource Consulting.

Unfixed installation The installation market’s fortunes have been no less affected. “The lockdown has really slowed down the AV business in Oman,” highlights Pixel Solutions’ Anas Al Kurdi.

“Solutions that are normally specified for collaboration in meeting rooms and auditoriums just aren’t needed at the moment. If the situation continues for much longer, I believe it will have a big impact on Oman’s AV sector.”

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July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 31

BUSINESS: SPECIAL REPORT “We were at the end of a tendering process for a ver y confidential project in Abu Dhabi,” shares WME Global associate director of AV, IT and security, Renjit Philip.

“They had a ver y good budget and were looking at highfidelity systems. They are considering holding on this planned work now and doing it during the next phase instead, as their budget had been cut so drastically.”

The plan to restar t projects combines keeping close contact with clients and brushing up on in-house training.

South African distributor Wild & Marr has led the charge in this respect, with employees racking up more than 150 cer tifications between them in recent weeks. “A more qualified and knowledgeable workforce is a major plus,” explained W&M managing director, Gar y Furman.

But, crucially, you never know what fur ther training may highlight. “It has given people an oppor tunity to improve themselves where previously they may never have attempted to tr y. And dare I say I believe at least one staff member has also found themselves a new passion.

The lockdown period allowed us to look at our systems and processes from a different angle and seeing where more effective ideas will work.”

Factory tested Reports around the world show frequent redeployment of manufacturing resources for medical support, from Adam Hall’s detailed guide to using its components to build custom disinfection stands to LED lighting manufacturer Astera turning over parts of its 10,000m2 factory in Shenzhen, China, to deliver much-needed PPE, including face masks. At the end of its three-month contract, Astera

Ross Video has partnered with LMG to provide virtual sets and backdrops

Wild & Marr’s Gary Furman

may continue production if a return to its usual complement of wireless battery-powered LED fixtures is not fully or partially possible. Meanwhile, Sound Devices, Yorkville Sound, Goldensea SEA and Luminous Show Technology are among all those who have contributed shields, ventilators, UV-C disinfection lamps, hand sanitisers and more.

It seems as though the entire economy has been squeezed into the bandwidth of internet protocol.

Everything from a meeting to a tradeshow has become a mini-Together At Home, raising money not for charity but for business survival. If interaction can be enhanced by AV technology, all the better, and global event technology leaders Ross Video and LMG have been collectively proactive.

The collaboration has generated multiple options exploiting green screen virtual sets or LED walls, processed

by Ross Video’s Voyager graphics rendering solution to project satisfying backdrops. Voyager uses a gaming engine developed by Epic Games called Unreal 4 that goes beyond basic virtual sets to add animated augmented reality.

LMG has incorporated Ross Video’s UX control system, Ultrachrome Keying and Motion Camera tracking systems into its own solutions.

Robbert Bakker and Edward Cook celebrate Kinley’s acquisition of AVMI with a Covid handshake

32 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Just some of Wild & Marr’s many staff certifications “This pandemic will have long-lasting effects on the live events industr y well beyond the initial scurr y to either vir tualise, reschedule or cancel events. It will dictate and transform the ways in which we work and communicate,” says a joint statement by Ross Video and LMG. “Quite simply… vir tual events are here to stay.”

No doubt a vir tual industr y of audio, video and lighting technology is here to stay, too. Together At Home could become “together at work” – with even major trade deals completed without the protagonists leaving their respective buildings. Witness Kinley and AVMI’s “Covid handshake”, as the respective CEOs Robber t Bakker and Edward Cook conduct a screen-to-screen conclusion to the acquisition of London-based AV integrator AVMI

by Amsterdam-based video collaboration ser vices specialist, Kinley. Their joint statement reads: “In today’s world, the need for high-quality and secure collaboration technologies and ser vices is paramount, driven by the challenges and oppor tunities that remote working, globalisation, digitalisation of workflows and need for increased connectivity bring us.”

As the image of Bakker and Cook shows, conventional B2B is being elbowed out.

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Continuing the journey

Techno Q recently returned to the National Museum of Qatar to finish what it started and complete Qatar’s historical journey ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PROJECTS VISITED BY Pro AVL MEA last year was the new National Museum of Qatar in Doha. The building is unique for many different reasons, from its unusual shape to the way it crafts a journey for visitors through its meandering walls and interwinding corridors. Not least, NMoQ boasts an audiovisual system unrivalled by similar institutions in the region. But, at the time of Pro AVL MEA’s last visit, there was even more work to be done. When it opened to the public in 2019, 10 of the 11 gallery exhibits had been fully realised, but there was an empty space left at the end of the tour.

Designed by celebrated, Pritzker Award-winning French architect and company Ateliers Jean Nouvel, the museum traces the history of the peninsula nation from its earliest times through to the modern day. Visitors take a journey through a labyrinth of large, irregularly shaped wall, ceiling and floor panels that characterise the overall museum design. Jean Nouvel’s inspiration for the unusual structure comes from the desert rose crystal, a flower-like aggregate of mineral crystals occurring only in arid coastal regions. But the result is a systems integrator’s nightmare. No two walls are parallel.

Involved with the project from its initial stages, AV integrator Techno Q has overseen the installation of complex, multichannel audio, lighting and video displays with filmed themes depicting different aspects of modern Qatar that mutate dynamically across the walls, ceiling and floor, transporting the visitors across the realms of sensory elements. The latest exhibit, Gallery 11, was opened to visitors at the end of 2019 and highlights the saga of the country’s perseverant march into the future, as led by the ruler of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

The exterior of the museum is inspired by the desert rose The projection options explored by the architect – 4K rear projection and LCD panels – were considered to be unfeasible

by Techno Q since rear projection required operable space behind the screens, which the unusual interior shape made impractical. The LCDs did not allow for the desired brightness, seamlessness and scalability Techno Q was after.

“For rear projection, even a UST model didn’t seem to work since it had the risk of projecting ‘hot spots’ rendering the images unpleasant,” furthers Marei. “For LCDs, apart from limitations of resolution and fixed size, the bezel structure would undo the seamlessness of the image.”

Some of the walls display messages from residents alive in Qatar today “While the interior architecture is so typically asymmetrical – owing to the characteristically curved and interlocking discs meshed in cantilevered angles – the idea to impose multi-sensory museography imagery around large, mutating, mirror-finish panels of irregular dimensions posed a potential challenge for us to achieve a seamless and immersive AV integration,” explains Techno Q project manager, Modular LED displays were favoured over rear projection Ahmed Marei.

34 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Techno Q explored new technologies and examined the visitor experience concerning the content visibility guideline. Given the nature of the setting and client requirements, it was decided that bringing in modular LED display solutions appeared to justify the content. The integrator, therefore, suggested deploying an LED screen solution with 1.9mm pixel pitch since it allowed, due to its smaller cabinet size, customisation to match the irregular surface dimensions, as well as meet the resolution requirements.

Additionally, ease of install was superior to the previous options.

However, the LED also posed a challenge for serviceability, as front accessibility was hindered by the large mirror-glass panels.

D D D

BUSINESS: R&D BUSINESS: R&D BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY PRODUCTS Techno Q devised a sliding “rail system” that allows movement of panels backwards without having to be moved out. “It proved an effective service solution,” notes Marei.

“We collaborated with Daktronics to create a customised LED configuration using module-based displays and staging experts Gerriets GmbH for the sliding mechanism. Four Dataton WATCHPAX 60 media servers with eight outputs each collaborate with 2SI and SQD pixel mapping technologies routed to the

“With brilliantly glowing LED video from the front, aurally pleasing audio from the top and bottom and mood-setting lighting from within, all working in tandem, in a very dramatic architectural setting, Gallery 11 is all about guiding visitors through a multi-sensory experience and leaving them with strong memories about Qatar as it stands today and into the future,” concludes Marei. “The dramatisation of mirror-finish interiors, all-encompassing sounds and the appeal of using

The K-LA12A and K-LA118A The installation’s limited space and complex angles provided a challenge

Audiocenter has also unveiled its K-LA12A, and eight-channel amplifiers with BrainCore designed specifically for medium-sized technology support 70V/100V transformer venues. It has been optimised for an array output, while the T88D audio matrix processor of two or up to 16 cabinets, with each has eight channels of analogue I/O and cabinet comprising a Beyma single 12-inch further supports four channels of Dante I/O (3-inch voice coil) customised LF driver plus connectivity. two Beyma 1.75-inch composite The Artist T45-DSP is a compact, active line Ahmed Marei membrane customised HF drivers. The speaker provides array system that consists of four 5-inch LF screens a 64x64 I/O 3Gb/ss HD NVISION Grass Valley 100° horizontal and 15° via vertical coverage drivers and two 1-inch compression drivers. It depending on theCR6464-3GIG length of thesystem. array. The Dataton Master media server features a two-way crossover design powered generated and distributed The K-LA118A has been designed to go time codes for audio and lighting by an Audiocenter 1,600W Class-D amplifier outputsand ensuring the seamless flow of content,” explains alongside the K-LA12A is a bass-reflex module and also incorporates a BrainCore DSP commissioning manager, Saad Afzal. subwoofer with aTechno-Q single 18-inch/dual 4-inch processor with CORT correction technology and Themed lighting from ROSCO a long-excursion cone, was explored to accentuate the LIMITA processing. Finally, the Artist T115S-DSP outside voice coil with lighting ambience was augmented by Crestron and Medialon driven by an Audiocenter 1,600W and Class-D bass-reflex subwoofer has been designed for systems via a DMX protocol. Meyer Sound’s D-Mitri platform amplifier.

LF support for the T45-DSP. It includes a single to connect iOS and Android devices with any thirdwww.nexo-sa.com us to get the best out tillofallow electromechanical parameters was used to create the multichannel audio effect providing the www.revolabs.com 700 now.

‘We’ve brought to ofthat 15-inch/dual 4-inch voice-coil customised driver lights for The exhibition isthat shown here under working party controller such as AMX and Crestron. www.proavl-asia.com/videos/trade-shows Julienwhere has been a key player in Class-D better clarity www.ap.com rformance ofan a Audiocenter loudspeaker driver. required flow in the immersive environment. www.yamahacommercialaudio.com www.audiocenter.net ooms the use cases are very with 1,600W amplifier.

Just as the Neutrino series was updated to incorporate Dante networking, Mr Chow is keeping an eye on networking trends when it comes to other protocols on the market. ‘Xilica has to remain openminded if we are to maximise Solaro’s potential,’ he o FR1 processor is based on PMC’s international sales director Miles Roberts expects stresses. of theinfact that the new platform allows ses Xilica Designer universal big things Mindful from result6 China Xilica to network with other manufacturers, the company rom the front, the 19-inch 1RU understands with other tes a front panel OLED display demands fromthat hiscollaboration team. ‘We always strive manufacturers for accuracy and will be the key to future successes.

‘Collaboration with er, the full modularity of Solaro neutrality,’ he says.

‘That’s the goal with all of our products. us to collectively compete e rear. Sixteen card slots can Isimilar-sized suppose it iscompanies a little bit allows like high-resolution television.

The in the gets market,’ hewith adds. audio input and output cards or detail better the more money that is spent. If you Judging by the increased acceptance of Neutrino either input or output. Providing listen to the result6 and putmarket them against the twotwos, they during the very past similar decade, poised take this er cards can be inserted for other will sound in Solaro balanceiswhen youtoswitch between relatively young company to stage ofwill development. ng AES/EBU, USB audio and them, which is important, butthe thenext difference be that Xilica’s headquarters in theresolution, northern Toronto suburb of the twotwos will have more detail and be more t are much smaller than with a Stouffville And in many symbolises both cost Mr Chow the rate of 48kHz, QR1 analytical. they ways should, because they a lot and more.’ e.

Although the Solaro R&D cost is uses higher, company he’shas created.

Therehorizons may notfor bePMC a sign to promote and DSP processing architecture The result6 broadened with isn’t.’ the industrious activities that in liethe within, but the is for have its ¼-rack dimensions, QR1 imminent and similar projects pipeline set door to once ldnot the exact same sound open and thePeter atmosphere friendly.

Ditto Solaro. nux platform and incorporates a again excite Thomas is and his team. ssors, it will share the one common ewho to provide I/O flexibility. startedmodular up the company www.xilica.com www.pmc-speakers.com ept either 2-channel input rtner Adrian Loader –audio always

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Saad Afzal the right amount and movement of light elevates the visitor experience from the physical into an imaginary realm, while the blending of display content onto the floors and ceilings allures guests into an irresistible engagement.”

Having been involved in the project right from the start, Techno Q has now been able to help re-envision the country’s progress all the way from inception to the present day. www.technoq.com

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September–October 2017 PRO AVL ASIA 133 September–October 2019 PRO AVL ASIA May–June 2020 PRO AVL ASIA 75 March–April 2020 PRO AVL ASIA 107 November–December 2019 PRO AVL MEA129 93

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 35

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A tale of trust

All images courtesy of Barrisol

Yet to even see, hold or hear the new Martin Audio WPM cabinet, PROAV was nevertheless confident in making it the centrepiece of the company’s latest project ON THE SURFACE, AN AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIAL complex seems like a strange location to go “all-in” with a flagship audiovisual installation. As Azerbaijan’s national agricultural development project, Agstafa Agro industrial complex plays an important role in providing the population’s food security and increasing the country’s export potential and sustainability. Within the large complex, situated in the west of Azerbaijan in Agstafa, is a newly constructed, 400-seat, multifunctional event hall whose amenities would be enviable for any top-level theatre or performance space.

While the main purpose behind the hall’s construction is to host meetings, presentations, conferences and trade shows for both the company and industry as a whole, there are also grand ambitions to host concerts, film viewings and a variety of other initiatives. The auditorium could be a show of strength for the company as it interfaces with the outside world.

Local integrator PROAV was approached right from the design stage of the project, taking part in a competitive bidding process to secure the contract for the entire audio, visual and lighting elements. “We partnered with Barrisol Azerbaijan, a French manufacturer that is one of the most important brands for acoustical ceiling materials,” recalls PROAV managing director, Elshan Aliyev. “They involved us to oversee the design of the audio, visual and lighting systems – they already had a design for the sound system but it was very weak. In fact, the interior design was really very bad; there was no lighting or anything. So, I involved our interior designer and acoustic consultant company, Karakutu Elektroakustik, and we made an entirely new design for the project. The client really liked it and switched completely to our design. In the end, the customers said to us, ‘just do what you want and use whatever we need for this project’.”

PROAV submitted a range of proposals targeting different budget requirements. This was around the time that the

36 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

The stage accommodates both LED and projection screens to suit a variety of presentations

integrator had taken purchase of Martin Audio’s newest Wavefront Precision solution, WPM, but the cabinet had yet to be installed in any locations across Azerbaijan.

The opposing system’s design was with a competing speaker brand, and Aliyev hands the majority of the credit to the WPM

specs for PROAV winning the contract. “When WPM first came onto the market, such was the trust we had in the Martin Audio brand name, we were happy to place an immediate order and we were the first to do so. When this latest opportunity came about, we had no hesitation in specifying it again. The reason in this instance was because of the unusual shape of the hall and the objectives of the sound system.”

Having never seen or experienced the speakers in real life at this point, it was a gamble that PROAV felt more than comfortable making. “Before I received the actual units, I sent the specifications to my acoustical consultant, Karakutu Elektroakustik from Turkey, who was performing the electroacoustic simulation of the auditorium. He asked me: ‘These speakers are very small but their parameters really are huge, are they honestly real?’,” recalls Aliyev. “I told him that I trust that if Martin Audio says these are the parameters it has, then this is what it will have. We ran the simulation and the results were very good. Finally, when the installation was finished and we calibrated everything, the results in real life were 98% the same. In reality, the boxes are even better than the specification indicated.”

The main audio system comprises eight WPM per-side, powered in one-box resolution by Martin Audio iKON iK81 amplifiers. In addition, PROAV provided 12 Blackline X15 stage monitor speakers. This met all the requirements of the facility, from speech intelligibility during conferences, to full-on live bands. A Televic D-Cerno conference system comprising a chairman and eight delegate discussion units was also provided for conferencing. Audio control is from Soundcraft Si Performer 3 and Si Expression 1 consoles, while a range of AKG models, including D5, D7, D40, C411 mics and WMS470 presenter and vocal wireless systems, are also present.

Aside from the WPM cabinets’ impressive specs, their small size also made installation a breeze. Apart from contracting out

FEATURES: CORPORATE

The view out across the auditorium from the stage the cabling work, PROAV handled the entire AV installation itself.

“In fact, there really were not any big challenges during the installation,” recalls Aliyev. “The team working on this project, electrical, acoustical etc., all know each other well and work together regularly, so we know what we want. Everything came out exactly as we had carefully planned.”

But the Martin Audio setup was just one element of PROAV’s work at Agstafa Agro, and a separate system has been embedded for cinema-style playback and visual presentations.

That consists of Dolby’s CP750 digital cinema processor feeding JBL Professional 4732 screen array and 4641 18-inch subwoofers, powered by Crown DSi2000 and DSi4000 amps.

For visuals, the integrator turned to Barco for the auditorium’s projection system, installing a DP4K-23B 4K DLP overhead that projects onto a screen. A 9m x 5m P5 high brightness LED screen has also been installed at the rear of the stage.

For stage lighting, Martin Professional fixtures were recommended for their performance-to-cost benefit. “The Rush fixtures from the Martin Professional catalogue are really very good quality for their price,” confirms Aliyev. PROAV integrated a total of 18 Rush MH1 Profile Plus and 18 Rush MH6 Wash

moving heads, two Atomic 3000 LEDs and 24 Rush PAR 1 RGBWs driven from an Avolites Quartz console. A pair of JEM ZR44 smoke machines provide extra effects.

The result of the project is not only visually stunning, but a pleasure to the ears, says the managing director. “As previously mentioned, the system outperforms our expectations based on the acoustical simulations and the customer is really very happy. Three of the most important singers in our country have performed with it and they have all told us that we have never experienced a sound system like this before in a hall like this. While a lot of this is down to the WPM speakers, I think we really did a very god job with the acoustic treatment. The customer selected Ideatec acoustic wall panels from Spain, and all of the calculations that we had made were applied. They didn’t change anything. Everything went just as planned.”

Anar Orujov, managing director of the complex, adds: “We are delighted with the versatility of the new sound system, making it perfect for any event we are likely to host.”

I’m sure PROAV will be wishing that all of its clients were as flexible and trusting as Agstafa Agro. “It’s not common to find this type of customer that really listens to you. They had an idea in mind of what they wanted to achieve before speaking to us, some interior design and a basic audio design. We explained what they would need to change and the reason why, and they agreed with us throughout. If you compared the result to those early designs, it’s a completely different project – the acoustic design, the audio design, the placement and share of the stage, etc. I’m proud of the job we’ve done.

“Working with a customer like this can be quite a rare experience,” he concludes. “They really understood that we are the professionals, the experts. They know what they wanted to achieve but not necessarily the best way to go about it. And now the project is finished, they are happy because the hall is capable of doing everything and anything that they want.” www.aask.az

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July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 37

FEATURES: LIVE

The show must go on

Over 1,500 virtual viewers were able to watch Qatari students graduate despite the lockdown, thanks to some quick thinking from Creative Technologies

A mock-up of the university’s real stage was virtually presented to viewers

FOR EVENT PRODUCTION COMPANIES LIKE CREATIVE Technology (CT), the Covid-19 pandemic and suspension of large gatherings put an immediate block on its run of upcoming projects. Yet, there are many aspects of life where the show must go on, regardless of the unusual circumstances we have all found ourselves in. To honour university graduates in Qatar that couldn’t meet and celebrate their successes in person as they normally would, Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar turned to CT to devise a way of honouring graduates virtually. The Middle East’s first-ever virtual graduation ceremony quickly took shape.

Creative Technology Middle East supplied a full virtual solution, content creation and communication system, which was controlled remotely from its Middle East headquarters in Dubai. The ceremony allowed 38 graduates who were located across four countries to come together and celebrate their achievements – streamed to an audience of over 1,500 people from 35 different countries.

“Our client wanted to ensure that the students got the ceremony they deserved,” explains CT’s head of engineering, Tom Stocks. “The event needed to enable all 38 graduates to speak in unison to pledge their oath. Five speakers were prerecorded ahead of time, and the event was streamed live to the public.”

Giorgio Devecchi, CT project manager, describes the process of turning a real ceremony into a virtual format.

“Our client designed the stage to look and feel as close to a normal graduation ceremony as possible,” he explains. Once all designs were approved, CT built the virtual environment, modelling the 3D object of the stage to help produce the content. This was created using 3D software and Notch to provide a fully customisable virtual environment, which saw various elements appear as augmented reality.

Having multiple speakers allowed the crew to mix different solutions between prerecorded videos and live inputs. “We were able to show the speakers from different camera angles while ensuring there was always a view of the graduates,” adds Devecchi, “which enabled viewers to watch their reactions and interactions throughout the ceremony.”

38 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

CT had a 10-day lead to put the event together. Given the tight time frame, the use of prerecorded assets had a range of benefits. “The primar y benefits were control and flexibility,” recalls Dan Hughes, CT senior project manager. “Firstly, it meant that we could optimise each

The show was controlled remotely from CTME’s headquarters in Dubai recording, which suppor ted continuity between the vir tual environment and the videos playing back within. Timelining prerecorded assets into the vir tual environment gave us the ability to present the graduation days ahead of the final ‘live rehearsal’ to stakeholders, giving them the oppor tunity to give feedback and direction.”

A key par t of the solution involved expor ting the Notch content into CT’s disguise gx 2c media ser ver system.

“This integration enabled us to use the disguise camera system to build a sequence of different views and simulate the director’s cuts for the different cues in the show,” fur thers Devecchi. “The camera system integration

gave the audience the perspective that the stage elements and the environment were real, enabling them to feel as though they were attending a live show.”

The show was streamed live onto the client’s website and recorded so it could be played back via video on demand. “Our operators were able to program the Barco E2 screen management system and disguise media ser vers as they would in a normal live event setup from the direction of creatives and showcall.

“We implemented the ‘live’ aspects of the show via video conferencing,” notes Stocks, “and we were able to encode real-time confidence monitors to return the live feedback to them, so they watch the show as it happened. Along with a video return feed, we could also communicate with the show par ticipants to give them cues. This approach allowed us to integrate par ticipants into the event from anywhere in the world.”

CT integrated its Riedel system, consisting of a Riedel Ar tist-64 matrix frame controlling six DSP-2312 desktop panels and six Bolero wireless beltpacks, to the video conferencing platform to enable the client, crew and remote staff to communicate from anywhere in the world.

“These units were used by the CT crew and clients within the CT vir tual studio setup,” confirms Rob Turner, CT’s integrated networks technical manager.

A Clear-Com HelixNet wired system was also incorporated into the setup, while Luminex 14R switches were used for distribution of all signal and user inter face paths. “The entire setup was flawless,” Turner concludes. “We had full coverage of the CT facility handled by a single Bolero antenna and cr ystal-clear audio from both the Riedel system and the Clear-Com HelixNet units.

“It’s intriguing what CT was able to pull off at the last minute. If there’s an upside to the pandemic, it’s that creative minds are working in overdrive at the moment, seeking new ways to deliver shows in viewers’ homes.

Thanks to these innovative solutions, the class of 2020 got the chance to celebrate their graduation with friends, family and tutors.” www.ctme.co

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BUSINESS: COMMENT

A letter from America

It’s all changed in an instant, reports Dan Daley, leaving the music industry in a precarious position WHERE TO BEGIN? THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS, IN THE space of less than a month, undone nearly a decade’s worth of economic progress in music production. From the industry’s global nadir in 2014 of US$14.9 billion to $19.1 billion in 2018 (the IFPI’s numbers weren’t ready just yet but assume 2019’s number was higher), streaming had pulled recorded music back from the brink. And, even as recorded music’s fortunes have faded across most of the century, those of live music nearly compensated, with a record-breaking $5.5 billion in 2019.

However, live music’s engine was shut off in almost an instant in March, as tour after tour, festival after festival, venue after venue cancelled, postponed or closed. Meanwhile, recordings by BTS, Bieber, the Weeknd and others gave this year a strong start, but, once the coronavirus took hold, music online had to compete for bandwidth with everything else, from Netflix to Zoom. In the US, record stores were losing ground to gun sales, where there were queues around the block for second and third Glocks and Uzis that used to be seen when a new Michael Jackson LP hit the racks.

Where does it leave us? In a precarious position. Not surprisingly, it’s the artists’ dilemmas that have received most of the attention, particularly cancelled tours. But it’s been satisfying to note that the plights of the engine-

room crew behind them, including recording engineers and particularly touring technical personnel such as FOH and monitor mixers, are being decently documented. A number of initiatives to support them, such as Crew Nation, underwritten largely by Live Nation, the world’s largest concert producer, could offer some realistic assistance to those in the professional touring sector, along with a growing number of benefit performances (online, of course). Naturally, all of these efforts are accompanied by press releases admiring the altruism of their sponsors. That’s to be expected, and tolerated, as long as some actual relief reaches those who need it most. But, based on experiences from the Great Recession, it’s worth some wariness about who’s asking and who’s taking. Catastrophe often brings out the best in us, but not always. In the meantime, a less immediate amelioration of the very real issues of rent and food is the fact that many pro audio manufacturers are upping their online training and education offerings, all at no cost. A growing number of people I’ve spoken to have said they’re planning on leveraging these opportunities as they shelter in place. Smart.

Where do we go from here? Good question. Other than taking advantage of various government programmes for cash, there’s little else anyone can do at the moment. Every musician who ever waited a café table in the past has one up

on this generation, for whom the cafés are also closed. Even Uber’s phone has stopped ringing. At the top of the corporate game, expect to see significant consolidation take place.

Live Nation, AEG and a handful of other dominant production companies will gobble up the smaller ones that couldn’t survive a spring (and possibly a summer) without shows. I’d expect the same will happen to a lesser extent among systems manufacturers and sound reinforcement providers. And that will open the door to even more venture-capital agglomeration in pro audio. Not a pleasant thought.

What will certainly happen, though, is that the pent-up demand for live music, bottled up for months by the virus, combined with the need by everyone to get back on the road and generate revenue, will make the return of live shows an explosive one. Managing that will be challenging and present its own set of problems. Ideally, the business will come back in stages, with restrictions on large gatherings easing regionally at first. We may also find that virtual venues will have become an integral part of the industry going forward, just as brick-andmortar stores have incorporated their own online sales portals.

What happened is singular, coming without a road map, and with our nominal political leaders as nonplussed as the rest of us as to how to proceed. Like it or not, we’re living through history. Take notes, and also take care.

A letter from Europe

Phil Ward discusses whether we will see an increase in remote and virtual production, even when the pandemic is over SINCE 1955, BBC RADIO HAS BROADCAST A UNIQUE weekly compilation of brief reports called From Our Own Correspondent. As it says on the tin, BBC news correspondents stationed around the world are asked to summarise a local story – frequently from a hot spot, but not always. Sometimes it’s time for some reflection away from the spotlight, often lighthearted but always richer in context than the standard headlines. There’s a little more room to breathe and to pepper with personal experience.

Technology has transformed the process. Before smartphones and satellites, these correspondents were often perilously remote. Now and again, it worked in their favour – seasoned dispatcher Gerald Priestland spent much of his time posted to Delhi, and once revealed how he and colleagues would escape both the searing heat and the telephone connection to London.

“We would cable our editors saying we were off to Kashmir where the situation was getting ‘interesting’,” he wrote. “Once there, we’d hire houseboats around a lake, entertain each other, a little light reporting confirming each others’ impressions that indeed the situation was interesting and, when things finally became a little cooler in Delhi, we reported back that the situation in Kashmir had now calmed down.”

40 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

It’s been some time since professionals have worked in an industry quite so complacent. Today’s mania for connectivity would never allow such nonchalance, and the assumption is that we can now practically stare into the monasteries of Nubra Valley from our own sofas. However, the pandemic has flipped this paradigm on its head. Reporters are now constructing makeshift studio facilities not far from their own sofas and, ho ho, suggesting the alternative title From Our Home Correspondent. Packages are being sent from the studios to individual’s houses – breakout broadcast kits that include microphones, lights, stands, brackets and video encoders from suppliers such as LiveU. According to UK broadcaster ITN, a new generation of encoders raises the quality of delivery and even connects the studio autocue to reporters’ and presenters’ homes.

More importantly, a legacy audio delay of 1.5s has been reduced by two-thirds. ITN itself has distributed Panasonic GH5S Lumix cameras to its talent in order to improve on the now-familiar creakiness of social media and other streaming platforms, which must surely come under scrutiny as a sense of quality control (QC) sweeps across the entire broadcast diaspora from users to audiences. Lapel

microphones, for example, can be connected directly to the Lumix.

Many commentators are looking at these innovations and wondering how they might be incorporated into future workflows, while acknowledging the conceptual difficulty of adjusting to little or no human interaction. If the QC issues are addressed, we may see a marked increase in remote and virtual production, even when the main studios are back up and running – making it even easier for Our Own Correspondents to keep in touch whether halfway up the Himalayas or simply stranded because of a flat tyre. The extra options for delivery, editing and postproduction alone should make the broadcasters a lot more nimble in the face of growing competition from the online upstarts who are shaking things up.

When I started out in journalism, my old-school publishers were deeply suspicious of anyone who would have the audacity to suggest “working from home”. The very phrase was a non-sequitur. If it ever did happen, the phone would ring at one-minute past nine, just to confirm you weren’t in Kashmir with Gerald Priestland and confirming your immediate return to the cut-and-thrust of a real office the next day. How we would willingly receive that instruction now.

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BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

Experienced start-up The LEA Professional team

Launched in early 2019, professional amplifier and audio technology manufacturer LEA Professional boasts a team with more than 200 years of combined pro audio experience

Blake Augsburger, founder and CEO of LEA Professional

42 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

IN JANUARY 2019, AS THE DOORS OPENED ON THE NAMM Show, former Harman Professional president Blake Augsburger appeared onstage to announce the formation of a new start-up. However, with an industry heavyweight like Augsburger front and centre, it was clear that this was going to be bigger than most new businesses. LEA Professional was described as a pro audio technology company with a focus on cutting-edge amplifier technology to be run by a team of executives, engineers, and sales and marketing experts from the pro audio community – many of whom had worked together with Augsburger previously at Crown Professional in northern Indiana in the US. While much of the LEA team already have a vast background in the manufacture of professional amplifiers, the new company wouldn’t be resting on its laurels. Past experience and gained skills would allow LEA to develop a solid catalogue of new products with few teething pains. However, the company was planning to build upon that and to explore new areas of amplifier performance, networking and user experience. It was a fresh start in many ways.

“LEA started with an idea that high-performing, professionalgrade amplifiers could feature advanced cloud connectivity that would improve performance and reliability, and also support new business models for systems integrators and dealers,” explains Augsburger, who now serves as the CEO of LEA Professional. “Our team includes some highly accomplished executive and engineering leaders from major brands, and it was extremely liberating to start from nothing. We had no legacy technologies we were forced to commit to; no network protocols we’d invested in and needed to amortise; and no large organisations with intellectual capital invested in one strategy over another. Instead, we could build smart, connected amplifiers by coupling our amplifier knowhow with cloud technologies from global leaders like AWS and gain a head start on the industry.

“We never saw ourselves as an amplifier brand, but instead as a technology platform. I am excited to continue innovating and changing the industry with new products and features.”

An advantage that LEA Professional had over most startups was a plethora of available and experienced talent, all within the same geographic location. The main motivation for starting the company, though, came down to a thirst to try something new.

“We saw the evolution of amplifier technology and the revolution in IoT, but these movements existed in isolation and no one was advancing them together,” Augsburger recalls.

“I believed the idea of coupling the very best in amplifier innovation and IoT connectivity would result in significant improvements in system performance and system management but also how integrators designed, installed and managed sound systems. Once I started sharing my idea with colleagues, partners, potential employees and prospects, I was inspired by the feedback we received.”

Fast-forward 18 months or so, and LEA now offers a full catalogue of Dante, network and IoT-enabled amplifiers of varying power with its Connect Series. On the software front, the LEA team has so far developed Web UI, a browser-based interface for controlling and monitoring Connect Series solutions, and the LEA Professional Cloud platform which offers cloud monitoring, control and analytics for Connect amplifiers. The product range has grown at arguably a faster rate than that of a typical start-up and the manufacturer shows no signs of slowing down.

“Our goal is to establish LEA Professional as the preeminent provider of amplifier and connected infrastructure platforms.

Cloud, networking and software technologies are driving change at a considerable pace, and we are uniquely positioned to address this change and provide ever-larger AV markets with high-performing, great-sounding, hyper-connected amplifiers – and maybe even some other devices in the signal chain. I am determined to grow the company, but I also want us to stay as agile, hungry and resourceful as we are today.”

The Web UI and Cloud software platforms have differentiated LEA from its competitors in the field of amplifier production.

According to Augsburger, they represent just the beginning, as further innovations are in development. “Web UI allows

BUSINESS: COMPANY PROFILE

The Connect Series you to get a clear status check of every amplifier connected to the network,” he explains. “Therefore, you can see which amps are online and offline, whether they are powered on or in a standby mode and receive a quick performance status to report any errors or faults. And we have just launched the LEA Professional Cloud Platform, which will open the door for remote control and monitoring, presets and analytics data storage, push notifications and even more interconnectivity control options. It also allows the opportunity for integrators to create a recurring revenue stream.”

In a nutshell, this is the ability that Cloud provides for delivering support remotely to clients with a Connect Series amplifier installation. “We are excited to continue innovating and bringing more technology advancements to the industry,” says Augsburger.

As a business looking to build on what already works while also keeping open to new ideas, maintaining a positive company culture is extremely important. “The culture at LEA

DW R

Web UI is a browser-based interface for controlling and monitoring Connect Series solutions Professional is unlike any other I have experienced,” says Augsburger. “There is a real start-up mentality amongst the

DI S TR I BUTI O N

THA N KS

team with everyone hungry for success, but we balance that with a true in-depth knowledge of the industry. There is deep belief in our mission and confidence in the products we’re offering and the platform we’re imagining. We are all veterans of the industry and we know the pain points that our customers face. We strive to ensure that every touchpoint with LEA is simple, seamless and creates a positive experience. We do this through simple, one-click transactional processes for our partners and dealers and by creating a world-class support network. This is what we refer to as ‘the LEA way’.”

Only in its second year, LEA Professional has quite a history behind it already. While the internal company culture drives the business, industry colleagues from outside the company have also provided motivation.

“The goodwill that we experienced from around the industry was extremely encouraging,” Augsburger adds. “What was really motivating was that everyone knew we had a great idea that gave us a considerable head start – we were motivated to capitalise on that opportunity, establish our amplifier bona fides, share our platform message, start winning business and shipping product. We’ve accomplished all of that now, but the mission has evolved and we need to explain our connected infrastructure platforms to the channel and end user communities.”

LEA has evolved from start-up to global AV industry player within a short timeframe. “The contractor and consultant communities have really gravitated towards our vision; reps and distributors around the globe have come on board and we’re getting spec’d in a wide array of fixed installations,” claims Augsburger.

This quick rise is hardly a surprise considering the team behind company, which hasn’t just based its products on what it knows, but has pushed itself to develop new ideas and take calculated risks. The future would certainly seem to be filled with excitement for those involved with the young start-up. www.leaprofessional.com

YO U

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During the Covid-19 pandemic, DWR Distribution's SOS Charity Fund has walked alongside #feedourcrew to raise funds for freelancers and crew unable to work and unassisted by the government.

To date, we have issued food vouchers to 440 people!

Thank you to our many international friends who have helped by donating or spreading the word. We know that you are in a similar boat and we send much love and appreciation from South Africa.

IT ' S

A LL

A BOUT

T H E

P EOP LE

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 43

BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY

The world turns to livestreaming

Livestreaming has quickly become the default option for any kind of professional presentation during the Covid-19 crisis. We asked several manufacturers to offer their advice to livestreaming novices NewTek

Scott Carroll, NewTek director of public relations

Magewell

Nick Ma, Magewell CEO and CTO

Matrox

Daniel Maloney, technical marketing manager, Matrox Video

Barix

Barix AG CEO, Reto Brader

Aten

Ethan Yu, Aten’s Consumer Product Center manager

What practical and novel ways can streaming technology be used to overcome the current lockdowns?

NewTek – Like everyone else, the pandemic has forced us to rethink the way we communicate with our own employees, our customers and channel partners. So, we’re using our own technology to create NewTek.TV and Vizr.TV – online platforms that allow us to reach customers and generate sales leads that normally would have been done at industry tradeshows. In practical terms, much of the technology to keep people connected has been available for quite some time, but people are now far more motivated to learn the necessary technical aspects.

Matrox – There are a number of markets where “the show must go on”, even if crowds are limited. You could see livestreaming extend into other areas of activity where the content is time-sensitive and production quality needs to be superior, including certain sporting events, keynote speeches and government communications. Dedicated streaming encoders and cloud distribution platforms bring the show directly to the audience.

What equipment is needed for streaming?

Magewell – At the simplest level, you need a camera as a video source, an encoder to transform the camera’s AV signal into a livestream in an internet-compatible format, an internet connection to deliver your stream and a service platform for your audience to access it. This latter element isn’t really equipment but is an important piece of the streaming chain – it could be a social media platform such as Facebook Live or YouTube Live, a dedicated video hosting platform or a content delivery network that redistributes streams through your own website.

Barix – The simplest setup requires an encoder device, such as the Barix Instreamer ICE, that turns an audio signal into an IP stream. Supporting up to 100 listeners may be all that is required and can be done directly from our Instreamer ICE encoder. Combine that with a mixing console, or simply a microphone, and you are ready to go; you don’t even need a

44 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Even here at Pro AVL MEA, we have had to dip our toe into livestreaming

What are the primary considerations to be aware of before buying equipment?

Magewell – The first and most important part is to define your goal in terms of the stream you’re trying to create. Ease of use should be your next consideration. Finally, but certainly not least, you want equipment that is proven to be reliable – the last thing you want is for your streaming equipment to stop working in the middle of a live presentation. “Live” means no second chances.

Matrox – It is about striking a balance between budget, the

NewTek – Less expensive equipment tends to limit your

need for personnel to operate equipment and the expected level of production quality. In the age of Covid-19, it may not always be easy to get an experienced technical professional to come in-house and troubleshoot problems. Make sure that you have the support you require to operate the equipment and software you are investing in.

creativity and production quality so, when you’re ready to up your game, you typically have to buy something new. TriCaster is known for being feature-rich and software-defined so it allows you to grow into its more advanced features. The other main consideration is connecting to a network. Since you deliver your content over the network, it makes sense to

computer. If more than 100 people need to be reached, then a stream duplication service is required, such as an Icecast server or third-party service provider. Barix is offering this part as a free service during the pandemic.

BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY Barix – I don’t think all of them will continue and definitely not as much as they are right now. HOWs may use the devices to send their sermons to those otherwise unable to attend, while some schools had already been using streaming equipment to make radio stations as projects. While educators are currently using the devices to distribute lectures during the pandemic, using the equipment for classroom projects in the future will help maximise the already-low investment.

use the network to produce your content. This is where NDI comes in, allowing video, audio and metadata signals to travel bidirectionally across a standard network. We developed NDI and made it free for other software developers to use so now there is a huge ecosystem of NDI-enabled products.

After the essentials have been acquired, what equipment can take streaming to the next level?

Aten – The best quality always helps to make a professional stream. Better audio (a high-end audio mixer) and a good lighting setup will go a long way to making your content look even more polished.

NewTek – Good lighting and sound equipment, a good green screen perhaps, more network bandwidth and better cameras are always good investments.

Matrox – Multiple camera angles, clips, graphics and green screen backgrounds can all enhance the production. There are many tools available to perform these tasks but, as the tool kit broadens, so does the level of expertise required.

An incremental approach is probably best to ensure that the technology will not hinder the process of creating great content.

Magewell’s Ultra Stream are gravitating towards streaming options to help them with productivity and content creation right now.

How important is high bandwidth to the overall streaming experience?

Magewell – We have seen a significant increase in orders across all of our product lines, from our capture devices to our dedicated streaming encoders. Our solutions’ combination of ease of use, affordability and reliability make them ideal for the current landscape in which many people are star ting to stream for the first time.

Aten – High bandwidth is important for providing a good-

Matrox – The different markets we cater to have

quality stream; if your bandwidth is too low, you might not be able to stream out at all. Our equipment can help lower your stream’s bit rate to 480p, but you still need a stable connection. On our StreamLIVE HD, you can choose a lower stream quality, if your connection is less than optimal, down to 2Mbps, so it’s adjustable based on the user’s internet connection strength.

reacted in many different ways. For obvious reasons, livestreaming for spor ting events, concer ts and enter tainment productions has remained relatively quiet during this period. On the other hand, houses of worship and municipal governments have been investing heavily in Matrox encoding technology to ensure they can reach their audiences.

Magewell – There are two sides of this question: the stream creation side and the stream consumption side. On the viewer side, if you deliver your stream through a popular platform like Facebook Live or YouTube Live, the platform will automatically adapt the stream being delivered to each viewer based on their network conditions. For originating the stream, yes, it is important to have a stable internet connection. The higher the available upload bandwidth, the better the quality of stream you will be able to encode.

How have sales of this equipment been impacted during the pandemic?

Barix – By offering a six-month free “streaming to as many people as you want” service included with our devices, many houses of worship and communities have purchased our Instreamer ICE encoder to help them communicate during the pandemic. We hate to call that a sales success given the nature of the situation, but they have increased.

Aten – We’ve experienced exponential growth in sales of our streaming products, so it seems that more people

NewTek – Without a doubt. In many ways, Covid-19 has forced many entities into using video in ways they hadn’t previously. They’re going up the learning curve and seeing the benefits, the cost savings and the impact. We’re using it internally and the results have been very positive.

Are you developing any new solutions to cater specifically to these new customers?

Barix – Yes, as more and more customers – especially in the radio space – want to produce their radio programmes from home now. We have just come out with a SIP-based,

NewTek – We don’t

The Matrox Monarch Edge X2 typically comment on sales figures but let’s just say one TriCaster roughly equals bidirectional audio codec called the Barix SIP OPUS 10,000 bottles of hand sanitiser. It keeps people Codec. With this, a reporter or announcer can dial into the connected in a power ful way without having ever yone in studio and get highest-quality OPUS compressed audio the same room. from and to the studio for broadcasting. This product is in high demand, with ISDN circuits – which are the legacy What sort of companies/people are you approach to connecting remotely to the studio – going away, and with the current need for working from home in supplying your equipment to? Have you seen the broadcast market. this change because of Covid-19?

Magewell – We have always supplied our streaming solutions to a wide range of users, from live production professionals to churches, schools, municipalities and corporations. That still remains true, but we are seeing different trends. With live events such as spor ts, concer ts and conferences currently on hold, demand has decreased slightly from the professional production and enter tainment side, but that has been more than made up for by significantly accelerated adoption in the worship, education, government and corporate markets.

Aten – Yes, this has changed because of Covid-19. For example, someone in our user experience department happened to see his friend was using a StreamLIVE HD at his job working for a video studio doing video events.

His studio was using it specifically because they needed a livestreaming solution to help them deal with the Covid-19 situation.

Are you expecting them to continue with livestreaming after the lockdowns?

NewTek’s TriCaster Mini

Matrox – Those doing live productions from the home may opt to continue doing so if they have found themselves capable of “running the show” in that way. Others may want to adapt what they learned in their homes to more appropriate venues. Those organisations who installed streaming technology in their primary place of business to encourage social distancing will likely never look back because of the benefits provided. Higher education institutions are an example of this.

Magewell – Absolutely, yes. The use of streaming across all vertical markets was already growing before the pandemic; Covid-19 has simply accelerated the trend. Once organisations become comfortable, they’re likely to stick with it; even once people start gathering and meeting in person again.

Magewell – We were already designing products such as Ultra Stream with a goal of making it easier for firsttime users to create high-quality livestreams, so we were already well-positioned when the pandemic started. And while we didn’t develop any new products specifically because of Covid-19, we did reprioritise new features that we already had on our roadmap to help these new customers.

Matrox – We are committed to using IP technology to move audio and video for a wide range of professional AV and broadcast applications. Covid-19 has yet to change our product strategy, but it may make us reprioritise our schedule for releasing certain features for our AV-over-IP platforms.

NewTek – We have one solution called Live Story Creator which, for example, allows a video novice to create a script in Microsoft Word and, with a few commands, use their script to run their show in a TriCaster. We want their focus on the creative aspect of their show rather than the technology. www.aten.com www.barix.com www.magewell.com www.matrox.com www.newtek.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 45

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Empty spaces,

we miss you ALL...

NEWPRODUCTS

INSTALLATION • AV • LIVE SOUND • BROADCAST • POSTPRODUCTION • RECORDING • LIGHTING

Yamaha extends the Rivage ecosystem

The Rivage PM series

Designed to deliver flexibility, performance and expandability, Yamaha has extended the Rivage PM mixing ecosystem with the launch of the PM5 and PM3 digital mixing systems FOLLOWING THE launch of the flagship Rivage PM10 digital mixing system in late 2014, the Japanese brand followed up at ISE 2018 by adding the PM7 control surface. Extending sonic quality and flexible control, the additions come in a physically smaller compact footprint to add versatility and scalability to the Rivage PM lineup that now incorporates five control surfaces and two DSP engines with different mixing capacities.

Incorporating the same three bays with 12-fader configuration, the core components of the new PM5 and PM3 are the CS-R5 and CS-R3 control surfaces. The commonality of fader configuration ensures the same layout can be maintained when using different control surfaces, while the combination of touchscreens and selected channel controls provide intuitive operation.

The 42kg CS-R5 features three 15-inch ultra-sensitive, extra bright capacitive touchscreens, suitable for daylight viewing and a condensed selected

channel section. The depth of the control surface has been reduced to bring the controls within easy reach for comfortable operation, in addition to improving sightlines. Fine adjustments can be performed on dynamic meters located beside each fader. Measuring 1.145m in width, the CS-R3 incorporates a single touchpanel display and the same condensed selected channel section as the CS-R5.

Two new DSP engines come in the form of the DSP-RX (120 inputs, 48 mix busses, 24 matrices) and the DSP-RX-EX (288 inputs, 72 mix busses, 36 matrices). A DEK-DSP-RX expansion board can be added to upgrade the DSP-RX to full DSP-RX-EX specifications. Both engines allow DSP mirroring, while two DSP-RX engines or two DSP-RX-EX engines can be used in mirrored configuration for redundancy purposes.

Ensuring consistency, the Rivage PM systems use the same DSP engines, I/O racks and firmware. The Dual Console

function makes it possible to use a second control surface as a sidecar. Like the PM10 and PM7, the PM5 and PM3 offer direct compatibility with Yamaha’s TWINLANe and Audinate’s Dante networks.

Simultaneously coinciding with the release, Yamaha has announced the availability of firmware v4.0 for the entire Rivage PM series. User interface and function updates include an increase in the I/O count of the Rivage PM7 to 144 inputs and 36 matrix outputs and the addition of the premium SP2016 reverb plug-in from Eventide. Along with a large selection of presets, the SP2016 provides detailed editing for engineers who prefer to customise their sound. Firmware v4.0 also allows control of L-Acoustics’ L-ISA systems. For every mono or stereo input channel, L-ISA objects or groups can be controlled direct from the Rivage PM control surface.

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www.yamahaproaudio.com

NA2-IO-DPRO

®

The NA2-IO-DLINE is an end-of-network device. It is a breakout box which TM allows two channels of audio to be integrated into a DANTE network.

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INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS 2 x INPUT/ OUTPUT

MIC / LINE SIGNAL

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July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 47

PRODUCTS

SSL’s System T expands in all directions TRADITIONALLY FAMED for its large analogue consoles, the latest round of product enhancements from British console manufacturer Solid State Logic all revolve around its T Series. Leading the charge is the new S300-48 fixed layout 48+1 fader compact control surface, which can be combined with the complete portfolio of SSL’s System T consoles, remote tiles and screen interfaces, Tempest processing engines and network I/O options.

The S300-48 provides a larger fader count and multi-operator usage in the System T S300 form factor. Channel metering directly above each fader provides direct monitoring and control of signals on the current surface layers, with an overview providing metering of console-wide signals.

System T’s modular approach allows all surface variants to use the same software.

This includes access to all features including full AoIP routing from the console, DAW control, immersive audio, dynamic automation,

S300-48 access control, event manager, scene automation and a fully featured on-board effects rack.

AoIP functionality includes Dante and DDM support directly in the console software.

All System T and network I/O devices simultaneously support Dante, ST 2110, ST 2022-7, ST 2059-2, PTPv2 and PTPv1.

AoIP routing is available from the console

software with discovery of stageboxes and the ability to resource share directly from the console.

Joining the S300-48 in the System T portfolio is the HC Bridge SRC, a network I/O device providing 256 bidirectional channels of sample rate conversion for AoIP networks. The device also facilitates connecting audio between devices running at different sample rates or in

HC Bridge SRC

different clock domains on Dante (48kHz and 96kHz), AES67 or ST 2110-30 networks.

The last of the new additions is a software update for the System T platform. V2.3 adds enhancements including DAW control, immersive audio, dynamic automation, patch manager CSV files, access control, event manager, scene automation and an on-board effects rack. Alongside the V2.3 release, the network I/O V4.0 update includes ST 2110, ST 2059-2 and ST 2022-7 support for all devices. www.solidstatelogic.com

Work Pro extends Arion series Genelec looks to its heritage WORK PRO has expanded its Arion DSP powered line array with two new models.

Building on the Arion 21A system and double 10-inch format SL210A satellites, the Spanish manufacturer has added the Arion 10A single 10-inch and the Arion 5A dual 5-inch models. One internal Pascal dual-channel amplifier is required for every two cabinets. When combined with Work Pro’s internal networked DSP, the amplifier can supply a powered audio signal to the entire system and can be fully managed remotely via Ethernet.

incorporate directivity control, a proprietary IST (Interdependent Shading Topology) network to ensure that all the loudspeakers maintain a constant ratio between wavelength and column size for controlled vertical coverage across the entire vocal range. The UDA 1, UDA 2, UDA 4, UDA 8 and UDA 16 all exhibit 140° horizontal coverage and can operate in either low- or highimpedance mode.

Housed in aluminium, IP65-rated enclosures, the loudspeakers are finished in either black or white. Accessories allow vertical or horizontal mounting, while a UDA TL accessory with a 120Wrms@100V line transformer (60Wrms@70V) can be added for highimpedance connectivity of the UDA units.

GENELEC HAS taken the sound and heritage of its 1035 main monitor, launched in 1989, to develop the 1235A Smart Active Monitor.

The new iteration provides high-performance 96kHz processing and is said to offer users the ability to adapt to any space through its tight integration with Genelec’s GLM calibration software. The 1235A has been designed for large

www.workpro.es

1235A music, film or postproduction installations that demand high SPL and neutral, stable imaging.

The 1235A shares many of its predecessor’s characteristics – according to Genelec, the new monitor provides “outstanding frequency response both onand off-axis, superb directivity and a wide and stable sweet spot that can be trusted by multiple listeners in the room”. It has a short-term SPL of 130dB and a lowfrequency extension down to 29Hz. The 1235A features dual-performance 15-inch drivers, dual 5-inch midrange drivers and a lowdistortion 1-inch throat

Arion 10A Available with either 8x8 or 16x16 input/ outputs, the Integra multi-zone digital audio matrix provides audio distribution, mixing and processing. In addition to line and mic level inputs, the 1U rack-mountable Integra can handle up to four paging microphones. The inclusion of WMC1 Ethernet/PoE wall-mounted controllers together with eight programmable GPIOs, RS-232 and RS-485 serial ports extends compatibility for operation with other automation and control systems. The internal Sharc DSP provides EQ, delay and dynamics control for both inputs and outputs, Acoustic Feedback Cancellation (AFC), automix and audio routing. Integra+ models can add an optional 4x4 Dante card.

Designed for challenging environments, Work Pro has created the UDA Series of column loudspeakers. The five models

48 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

An Arion 5A array

compression driver. The monitor’s remotemountable RAM XL electronics module contains power amplification, crossovers and processing, with Class-D amplification delivering 2,000W, 800W and 250W for the LF, MF and HF drivers, respectively. Input connectivity is provided via both analogue and AES/EBU digital formats – along with an AES/EBU digital output – and the updated design of the 1235 is also said to deliver a flatter on-axis frequency response and improved noise performance than was possible with the original 1035.

In brief, the Finnish manufacturer is also offering a RAW aluminium finish to a selection of its most popular models in its Studio and AV ranges. The RAW versions have been designed to create an even more environmentally friendly loudspeaker and are available on all two-way designs, including the 8020, 8030 and 8040 nearfield studio monitors, the 4020, 4030 and 4040 installation loudspeakers and the 4420 and 4430 Smart IP loudspeakers. www.genelec.com

The RAW speakers have an aluminium finish

PRODUCTS

JBL heads to the theatre THE CINEMA Expansion Series from JBL Professional has been introduced for smalland medium-sized commercial theatres. The line, which includes JBL 3153 and 4253 threeway screen-channel loudspeakers, 3181F and 4281F subwoofers and 8102 surrounds,

460W-rated JBL 3153 delivers 134dB peak SPL and covers rooms up to 13.7m deep, while the dual 15-inch, 800W-rated 4253 delivers 138dB peak SPL and covers rooms up to 26m deep. Both models operate at 4Ω impedance, allowing them

Cinema Expansion Series covers rooms up to 26m deep and up to 12m wide. The Crown XLC 21300, a two-channel, 1,300W amplifier that supports the Cinema Expansion Series, has also been released.

JBL 3153 and 4253 screen speakers provide full-range, symmetrical 90° x 50° coverage.

The speakers operate in passive or biamp mode and incorporate built-in crossover networks and transducer protection circuitry.

Two sizes are available: the single 15-inch,

to be powered by Crown XLC amplifiers, and feature enclosure-top, binding-post connectors to simplify wiring and save space behind the screen.

The 10-inch, two-way, 260W-rated 8102 surround speaker provides full-range, 110° x 90° coverage, with a peak SPL of 125dB and a throw capability of 12m. It operates at 8Ω impedance, allowing multiple surround speakers to be wired to a single

amplifier channel. The cabinet features a 20° down-angled front baffle, enclosure-top input terminals and mounting that is compatible with JBL QuickMount, OmniMount or APC MultiMount brackets.

The 3181F and 4281F subwoofers provide low-end coverage in the 30–500Hz range. The single 18-inch, 650W-rated 3181F delivers 132dB peak SPL, while the double 18-inch, 1,600W-rated 4281F delivers 139dB peak SPL and features four-pin connectors that allow driving the two transducers separately (discreet mode) or together (parallel mode).

JBL has also added what it describes as two significant new features to its Digital Directivity Analysis (DDA) software. DDA is designed to work with JBL Intellivox products along with any point source speakers in the JBL portfolio using common loudspeaker format (CLF) data. It enables sound designers to visualise and statistically predict direct SPL, total SPL, D/R ratio, STI and delay spread. According to JBL, DDA 5.1 streamlines the registration process

and removes the need for repeated licence renewal found in earlier versions of the software. DDA 5.1 also includes the new SketchUp plug-in, which is said to enable users to easily import 3D geometry from SketchUp software. DDA 5.1 is described as a powerful acoustic modelling software tool that allows sound system designers to simulate speaker response in a 3D environment. Users can download the latest version of DDA for free directly from the JBL Professional website and begin using the software immediately after registration. www.jblpro.com

DDA 5.1

Alcons introduces modular sub AtlasIED adds output power ALCONS AUDIO has released a modular bass element serving as either a fully scalable, low-frequency extension system for the QR24 line source column system or as an arrayable LFE system with any of the manufacturer’s pro-ribbon systems.

The QB242 can be stacked or flown in multiples, serving as a building block to form bass arrays for obtaining lowfrequency projection and throw control in acoustically challenging spaces or over longer distances. The controlled (cylindrical) projection of the QR24 can be extended down to the lower frequencies by enlarging the LFE array length and adding extra QB242 modules. According to Alcons, the lowest usable frequency of one single element is 35Hz. The subwoofer’s two directradiating 12-inch neodymium

woofers are mounted in a vented chamber, with large bass-reflex ports that increase overall output while minimising port compression. The tight driver arrangement caters for optimal array coupling, while the 8Ω system impedance makes for an efficient amplifier channel loading when assembling arrays of multiple units. The QB242 is powered and controlled by the ALC amplified loudspeaker controller, which offers QB242specific drive processing. Factory presets integrated in the ALC drive processor offer the latest VHIR processing, with gain, phase and filtering matching with all Alcons top systems. The integrated mounting hardware also facilitates coupling with other QB242 modules. The QB242 is finished in Durotect coating and comes with a six-year warranty. www.alconsaudio.com

THE LATEST soundmasking loudspeaker from AtlasIED has been released, boasting 30W of output power to drive additional passive speakers. Intended to complement the manufacturer’s M1000 masking speaker,

the new M1000A35 is powered by an internal 5W amplifier and features a non-repeatable pink noise generator in addition to proprietary EQ curves for acoustical room calibration.

If integration into an existing control system is a requirement, a GPIO control port is also incorporated to allow for remote level adjustments.

The inclusion of 30W output power for delivery to additional M1000 cabinets allows designers to specify fewer power drops for soundmasking installations, plus adds scalability to accommodate flexible office environments and floor renovations or reconfigurations. The speaker has been specially designed to be used with AtlasIED’s ATMASKSC amplifier, operates from 100–240V and is UL2043 plenum-rated. www.atlasied.com

Danley heads to the studio

DANLEY SOUND Labs is bringing the past into the present with its Studio 1 passive nearfield monitor, Studio 2 active nearfield monitor and Studio Sub subwoofer. The Studio 1 uses Danley’s Synergy Crossover design to reportedly bring not only a linear frequency response but also a linear phase response. With a frequency response of 63Hz – 20kHz using just a single 6.5-inch coaxial driver, the Studio 1 requires just one amp channel and little, if any, processing, according to the

manufacturer. The Studio Sub, meanwhile, uses two 8-inch woofers to deliver low distortion down to 33Hz and has been created to work with the Studio 1.

The Studio 2 houses its own amplifier and has been designed to be a self-powered, standalone box with no need for an external sub. It boasts on-board processing, analogue and digital balanced XLR inputs as well as RCA inputs. www.danleysoundlabs.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 49

PRODUCTS

ADAM adds 8-inch to T Series

THE LATEST studio monitor release from ADAM Audio is an 8-inch addition to its T Series, intended to offer “performance, quality and reliability” at a low price point.

The T8V features an 8-inch woofer paired with matched amplification, suitable for use in project and home studios, that delivers a low-end frequency response down to 33Hz and 188dB SPL per pair. The new 8-inch model joins the 5- and 7-inch full-range monitors and 10-inch subwoofer.

The monitor’s U-ART tweeter (Unique Accelerated Ribbon Tweeter) is mated to a waveguide with the same dispersion control attributes as the HPS waveguide in the manufacturer’s S Series. The Class-D biamplified design provides 20W and 70W for the tweeter and woofer, respectively.

All T Series models feature a bevelled cabinet design, a rear-firing bass-reflex port, built-in DSP-controlled driver crossovers and equalisation and multi-way analogue connections. www.adam-audio.com

Three-way monitoring in tight spaces THE SC3070 has been designed by Eve Audio for applications where the complete skillset of a fully fledged, threeway system is required but where space is at a premium. It is a high-resolution, triamplified near/mid-field monitor optimised for “precise midrange and powerful bass response”. The solution uses a 7-inch, low-frequency driver and a 4-inch, glass-fibre honeycomb diaphragm woofer. The manufacturer’s RS3 Air Motion Transformer is said to provide smooth and accurate high-frequency reproduction.

All of the SC3070’s frequency response parameters are controlled by high-resolution DSP electronics supported by a high-quality A/D converter from Burr-Brown. Three Class-D amplifiers are directly connected to the DSP section with no additional conversion. The speakers are packaged in cabinets that house a bevelled ultra-stiff

G7 aims for premium installations COMBINING HIGH-PERFORMANCE audio with compact, stylish aesthetics, Amate Audio has created a premium installation loudspeaker primarily for retail, hospitality, recreational and enterprise applications.

Not to be confused with a global conference, the G7 is a two-way loudspeaker housed within an EN54-24 certifiable, hexagonal-form, reinforced ABS plastic cabinet. Capable of producing a maximum SPL of 112dB with continuous programme power handling capabilities rated at 120W, the G7 leaves sufficient headroom for instances where higher output may be required. Behind the aluminium grille, the passive model combines a 6.5-inch carbon-fibre woofer and a 1-inch neodymium tweeter with a titanium dome, a custom-designed HF

phase plug and flare, a bass-reflex port and a second-order crossover network.

Finished in white, black and titanium, external features include a recessed connector panel with protective cover, recessed screw sockets and integrated U-bracket mounts for the supplied wall mount. The G7 can be applied to standard, low-impedance and 100V line scenarios by replacing the rear connector plate with a T-G7 transformer plate for 100V line applications with switchable 5W/10W/20W/40W power settings. www.amateaudio.com

Martin Audio Adorns the ceiling

front plate to reduce unwanted resonances and diffraction.

FIVE NEW ceiling speakers have joined the Martin Audio Adorn series introduced last year, including three in-ceiling models and the company’s first ever pendant loudspeaker.

Suitable for use in bars, restaurant and retail outlets, the cabinets are said to possess Martin Audio’s signature sound combined with visually discreet, ultra-compact enclosures that can provide a “seamless sonic transition” within a multi-zone complex using larger Martin Audio systems such as CDD or BlacklineX.

to 79Hz. The wide 180° and 150° conical coverage of the ACS-40TS and ACS-55TS, respectively, makes them suitable for low ceilings and helps to reduce the number of speakers required for even coverage. They feature a shallow backcan for installation in ceilings with a minimum cavity depth.

Finally, the ACP-55T pendant speaker features a 5.25-inch LF driver and a 0.75-inch silk-dome tweeter, produces 109dB peak output at 1m and delivers

www.eve-audio.com

Studiomaster makes sense SENSE 15A+ has become the latest model in Studiomaster’s Sense monitor speakers.

It is a 15-inch, two-way active monitor with a frequency response of 55Hz – 20kHz (–10dB) and a maximum SPL of 128dB. The 24-bit/48kHz DSP includes four tone modes, three-band EQ, low cut, delay and volume.

The speaker can be used for monitoring or as a PA

cabinet and provides a peak power system of 1,200W and a crossover frequency of 2.4kHz. Other attributes include a 75mm voice coil, 80° x 80° coverage, two XLR/jack combos, a 3.5mm jack, XLR thru and a mix output. The voltage selector is 100–240V and the weight is 20.5kg.

Along with its other Sense siblings, the 15A+ features coaxial HF and LF units for increased sensitivity and “true” production of tone, with NdFeB magnetic HF compression drivers, a dual Class-D amplifier circuit and a 43° monitoring angle, all in a compact and lightweight design. The model is available in durable paint or hard-wearing carpet finishes and comes with a robust steel grille. www.studiomaster.com

50 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

The complete Adorn series All the new ceiling models have a nominal impedance of 16Ω that means four or more speakers can be driven in parallel by one amplifier channel. The new ceiling additions are also fitted with an internal 70V/100V multi-tap line transformer with a switch to select the output level. For full-bandwidth protection, the low- and high-frequency sections are individually protected against overload in all models.

Comprising a 4-inch LF driver and a 0.75-inch silk-dome tweeter, the ACS-40TS in-ceiling speaker produces 108dB peak output at 1m with a ported design that extends bass response down to 73Hz. The ACS-55TS inceiling speaker features a 5.25-inch LF driver and 0.75-inch silk-dome tweeter, producing 113dB peak output and bass extension down

superb sound quality for both music and speech reproduction. Its pendant enclosure is equipped with a single-point mounting system plus provision for attaching a safety cable.

Available in black or white, it also features a wide 150° conical coverage.

The in-ceiling ACS-55T and ACP-55T pendant speaker also both feature a 5.25-inch LF driver and 0.75-inch silk-dome tweeter with 150° conical coverage, producing 113dB and 109dB peak output, respectively. The ACS-55T is said maximise LF output thanks to its voluminous cabinet, while the pendant speaker is described as delivering superb sound quality for both music and speech reproduction. www.martin-audio.com

PRODUCTS

QSC squeezes in tight spaces

AC-C2T-LP

Liquid-cooled VHF and DAB GATESAIR’S MAXIVA VLX-OP Series is a high-efficiency, frequency-agile transmitter range that covers low-band VHF (Channels 2–6), high-band VHF (Channels 7–13) and DAB/DAB+ radio.

The units offer the same software-defined modulations as Maxiva VAXTE air-cooled transmitters to support global analogue and digital standards. The VLX-OP Series integrates redundant, liquid-cooling pumps that are said to efficiently move transmittergenerated heat to building exteriors. The system reportedly minimises cooling requirements inside RF shelters and reduces utility bills at medium-to-high power levels.

The series also benefits from the power density of Maxiva transmitters to reduce size

and weight and a hot-swappable modular design to streamline maintenance.

GatesAir has also released three other additions to its catalogue. First, the Maxiva PMTX-1 pole-mount transmitter is an outdoor pole-mounted 50W post-filter transmitter that can be configured as a transmitter, translator or on-channel gap filler. Covering all UHF/VHF standards plus DAB radio, the PMTX-1 comes in a rugged, telecom-grade, weatherproof enclosure and has been designed for extreme weather conditions. The DC-powered, pole-mount design has no moving parts or air filters to reportedly eliminate most maintenance requirements. Second, the Maxiva IMTX-70 multi-transmitter desktop has been designed

THE ACOUSTICCOVERAGE Series AC-C2T-LP from QSC is a full-range, low-profile, ceilingmounted 2.75-inch loudspeaker, designed for installations with tighter space requirements or where lower ceiling heights are more common.

Featuring a 95mm installation depth, it offers a cost-effective option for environments where voice-reinforced coverage is a primary concern, including conference rooms and background music (BGM) applications.

The diameter of the AC-C2T-LP matches the AC-C6T, a 6.5-inch two-way system loudspeaker, which allows installers to interchange the two products when they encounter

unexpected ceiling obstructions without affecting the look of the whole installation. It also offers a 170° conical coverage, reducing the number of loudspeakers required for lowceiling applications. When combined with Q-Sys network amplifiers, QSC processing amplifiers or MP-M Series mixers, the AC-C2T-LP takes advantage of Intrinsic Correction, a QSC proprietary voicing algorithm that helps reduce the setup time and tuning process.

In brief, QSC has released Q-Sys Designer software v8.3.1. Improvements include a new search and filtering function and NV Series network video endpoint enhancements. www.qsc.com

to house up to six 70W TV transmitters and/or translators/transposers to reportedly reduce real-estate costs associated with multitransmitter operational support.

Finally, the Maxiva MultiD multi-carrier DAB transmitter brings three DAB transmitters together into a compact 1U chassis. The multi-carrier architecture is said to remove the need for external RF combining and instead generates and re-transmits all three channels through a single amplifier. The multi-carrier modulation supports adjacent and non-adjacent frequencies to reportedly provide a flexible lower-cost solution for DAB networks.

Maxiva VLX-OP VHF transmitter

www.gatesair.com

INTRODUCING THE NEWEST MEMBERS

D Squared Digital Wireless Family • excellent flexibility • ultra-fast setup • studio quality audio • ultra-low latency • superior RF performance

1/2 PAGE DPR (digital plug-on transmitter with recording)

DSQD/AES-3 (digital receiver)

®

www.lectrosonics.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 51

PRODUCTS

Lectrosonics adds to D Squared family THE DPR digital plug-on transmitter and Foldback) Receiver pack, the IFBR1B, and the DSQD/AES3 receiver have become the the companion CHSIFBR1B dock charging latest members of the D Squared digital system. Nearly half the size and weight of its wireless series. The DPR transmitter is fully predecessor, the IFBR1B uses a slim 3.7V LB-50 rechargeable compatible with the DSQD digital receiver lithium ion battery and features a tuning range of instead of the archaic 470–608MHz (470–614MHz 9V type. The new for the export receiver is fully version). It compatible with the includes highexisting line of IFBT4 efficiency transmitters, so the circuitry for manufacturer reports extended that adding the IFBR1B operating time on The DPR digital plug-on transmitter receivers to existing two AA batteries, and Lectrosonics IFB systems is “quick and offers RF power selections at 25mW and easy”. With a backlit LCD and membrane 50mW. Phantom power is selectable to off, buttons, the IFBR1B offers 10 presets that 5V, 15V or 48V to accommodate a wide are programmable from the front panel. range of microphone types, from dynamic Future firmware updates can be installed in to studio condensers and shotgun mics. the IFBR1B in the field via the USB jack on Input gain is adjustable over a 55dB range the bottom of the unit. It comes standard in 1dB steps to allow an exact match to with a wire belt clip for light weight and an the input signal level. The two-way IR port optional clamp-style belt clip, part number reportedly ensures quick setup and allows IFBR1BBCSL, is also available and installed for encryption key transfer and other data with two small screws. sharing between units.

AT-OME-RX31

Atlona integrates HDMI and HDBaseT ATLONA’S OMEGA Series has been expanded with a new scaling receiver integrating both HDMI and dual HDBaseT inputs. The AT-OME-RX31 combines this with three-input switching, 4K/UHD scaling and a local HDMI input in a small form factor suited to meeting and gathering spaces.

The OME-RX31 builds on its sibling, the AT-OME-RX21, with two HDBaseT inputs that receive video up to 4K/UHD at 60Hz with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling, alongside embedded audio, control and Ethernet over distances up to 100m. This means it can receive sources from dual remote locations such as podiums, student pods or a large meeting table. Automatic input selection auto-switches between the two HDBaseT

inputs and the local HDMI interface when sources are connected or removed.

Downscaling and upscaling with frame rate conversion is also said to preserve colour and spatial detail when converting content between 4K and 1080p.

For smaller meeting rooms and huddle spaces, Atlona has also introduced a new AT-OME-EX-KIT-LT HDBaseT extender. The OME-EX-KIT-LT extends 1080p60 HDMI and USB signals up to 70m over HDBaseT, while 4K/HDR HDMI video – at 60fps with 4:2:0 chroma subsampling or 30fps with 4:4:4 – can be extended up to 40m.

HDCP 2.2 compliance enables the transport of protected content. www.atlona.com

Barix M400 combines SIP with Opus The DSQD/AES3 The DSQD/AES3 digital receiver is a fourchannel, half-rack design with high-resolution colour display, analogue or AES digital outputs, and rear BNC antenna ports with “loop-thru” buffered BNC outputs to another receiver. It is compatible with the DPR plug-on, the DBu beltpack, the DHu handheld transmitter, the stereo DCHT and the half-rack M2T. The DSQD/AES3 is also backwards compatible with any Digital Hybrid Wireless transmitters, including the SM Series, LT, HM Series, SSM, HH Series, UM400, UM400a, LM Series, MM Series and WM. Three different receiver diversity schemes are available, including switched (during packet headers for seamless audio), Digital Ratio Diversity or Digital Frequency Diversity.

Meanwhile, Lectrosonics has built on the success of its IFBR1A with the introduction of a new miniature IFB (Interruptible

The CHSIFBR1B is capable of charging up to four receivers or four batteries in any combination. The charging dock can be also be ganged in groups of up to four, powered by a single power supply, allowing charging of any combination of up to 16 units or 16 batteries. www.lectrosonics.com

IFBR1B

BARIX’S NEW M400 SIP Opus stereo encoder/decoder combines the Opus audio codec with SIP negotiation to free broadcasters from static transpor t links and legacy circuits. The second model in the manufacturer’s SIP Opus Codec family of audio-over-IP transpor t solutions, the M400 features the open-standard, royalty-free Opus audio compression format, which has gained popularity for its audio quality, bitrate efficiency and low latency. The new hardware device combines the advantages of Opus with SIP functionality to dynamically establish links across SIP-compatible telephone, radio or other communication systems, enabling the codecs to “dial” other SIP devices or phone numbers and automatically negotiate a transmission link for audio streaming. This can enable broadcasters and producers to move away from the common legacy approach of using costly and outdated ISDN circuits.

The M400 can be configured as either an encoder or decoder – switchable via the device’s web interface – and offers stereo, line-level analogue audio input or output with RCA-type connections. Interoperable with third-party, SIP-compliant, Opus-compatible

products, the M400 also features integration functionality, including audio level supervision with SNMP trap generation and a serial tunnel (RS-232) for control of external devices or for transport of metadata from the encoder to the decoder. www.barix.com

Ram focuses on pure sub power THE XTR Series of two-channel amplifiers from RAM Audio has been specifically designed to cater to systems with very big subwoofers, without making concessions.

The series comprises two models whose outputs are said to be “more than you can need to push your subs as far as their maximum limits accept”. The two-channel devices are based on Quanta Pulse

52 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Technology with an oversized dual highcapacity regulated power supply with PFC to deliver their full performances independently of mains status. The XTR-12K delivers 2x 6,000W of power at 4Ω or 2x 3,000W at 8Ω, while the XTR-18K increases this to 2x 9,000W at 4Ω or 2x 4,500W at 8Ω. www.ramaudio.com

PRODUCTS

Power meets flexibility KRAMER HAS released its all-in-one KIT400 switchable 4K receiver/transmitter.

It allows users to connect to a wireless device and gives them the ability to store pre-defined meeting room setups. According to the manufacturer, the KIT-400 is the core of the Kramer@Work KR-4000 meeting space solution and provides multiple local and remote video inputs. As a transmitter, the solution provides 4K@60 4:2:0 with two HDMI inputs and a legacy VGA input.

It is also said to simplify room automation with its Kramer Maestro room automation capabilities, an HDBaseT output and bidirectional powering. As a receiver, the KIT-400R serves as a high-end 4K@60 4:4:4 scaler equipped with one HDMI input that includes wireless and/or digital signal connectivity and one HDBT input. An HDBT output, powering at either the receiver or the transmitter side, is also included.

The KDS-10, meanwhile, is an endto-end 4K@60 4:4:4 transceiver that includes Picture-in-Picture and Pictureaside-Picture. It also provides usercontrolled H.264/H.265 compression switching and multiple protocols, and is

K-Spider

KIT-400 equipped with H.265 HEVC which uses approximately 50% less bandwidth than H.264. The bidirectional transceiver supports up to 3840x2160 picture resolution at a 60Hz frame rate and can be used as either an encoder or decoder. It comes with two HDMI inputs for encoding and decoding dual 4K30 streams.

Turning to cables, the K-Spider is a multiformat, plug-and-play adapter cable that replaces separate cables, adapters and dongles with a single solution. Features include 4K@60 4:4:4 (6Gbps), as specified in HDMI 2.0 and support for HDCP 1.4 and 2.2.

It is also compliant with DisplayPort Specification 1.2a for 1.62Gbps, 2.7Gbps and 5.4Gbps.

Kramer has also added to its VIA family. VIA GO2 is a wireless presentation system with a 4K HDMI output, 1,024-bit encryption, 60Hz video streaming, and native AirPlay, Miracast and Chromebook support. The compact form

Digigram battles poor audio DESIGNED FOR live remote broadcasting over IP networks, the IQOYA X/Link-LE is a 1U IP audio codec that bridges a user’s studio gear and turns the internet into a “worldwide PA system”. “The IQOYA X/Link-LE is a dedicated hardware

solution that does one thing: makes a reliable connection every time with no software burdens,” explained Derek Badala, director of sales, Americas, for Synthax, Digigram’s US distributor. “The alternative is using your computer with a software codec which requires an audio inter face, adding more latency, several variables and signal routing challenges.

Connecting a dedicated hardware codec like the X/Link to your mixer can free up your computer to be used for other live per formance tools, such as virtual instruments, playback tracks, virtual processors or any other solution you might need during a typical live gig.”

iOS mirroring for MacBook, iPad and iPhone, as well as mirroring for Chromebook and Android (Lollipop OS 5.0 or newer). It also supports Miracast in Peer-to-Peer and Infrastructure modes.

Staying in the meeting room, Kramer has also released its Omnivore KM-2B dual-boundary microphone that is said to eliminate comb filtering and

In other news, the manufacturer has updated its IQOYA X/Link and IQOYA Serv/Link IP audio codecs to extend them to remote broadcasting.

A new mode of use has been added so that users can place calls and be

connected to the field or the studio in two clicks. SIP, direct SIP and symmetric RTP connections are also supported.

In addition, EBU/ACIP compliance for interoperability with third-party codecs and any SIP infrastructure has been added to reportedly provide reliable and resilient audio connections, even over inexpensive unmanaged IP networks. The technology also integrates stream redundancy functions such as Forward Error Correction or dual streaming with spatial or time diversity.

Omnivore KM-2B factor is said to allow users to easily mount the device on a projector and transform it into a BYOD. Meeting participants can display and stream 60Hz video from their own device and play YouTube videos in full frame rate. VIA Campus2 can show up to six presenter screens on a single display simultaneously and 12 on a dual-display setup. Users can also view the main display on their own device. VIA Campus² features

maximise acoustic energy. It has three selectable polar patters – omnidirectional, sub-cardioid and cardioid – and a selectable high-pass filter at 120Hz. The two microphones in the KM-2B can be summed into a single channel or output as two separate signals for redundancy in critical installations. www.kramerav.com

Antelope’s Synergy Core crosses over ANTELOPE AUDIO’S Zen Tour Synergy Core is a cross-platform, 18x24 audio interface capable of processing up to 256 effects over 32 channels with low latency and “zero” CPU drain, as a result of its ARMbased DSP processors. Next-generation architecture in the device’s FPGA processing chips allows it to leverage a greater number of Antelope’s Synergy Core effects, for which a free starter pack of 36 effects is included.

The Zen Tour Synergy Core is a portable interface, capable of being placed in a backpack. Its I/O includes four mic/line inputs on TRS/XLR combo jacks, and four high-Z instrument inputs on TRS. Users can process up to eight mono channels through outboard gear – via a standard 25-pin D-SUB connector – and record them back into DAW projects. Output connectivity includes two monitor outs on TRS, two headphone outs on TRS and two re-amp outs on TRS. The 10x10 implementation of digital I/O via ADAT and SPDIF allows users to extend the on-board analogue I/O with external line/mic convertors for plugging into

The Edge Go bus-powered mic external digital processing units without AD/DA conversion. The Zen Tour Synergy Core also includes Thunderbolt 3 and USB2 data connections.

Antelope’s Edge Go microphone introduced last year has also received a Synergy Core compatibility upgrade via several paid software expansions. The various vocaloriented virtual effects emulations include Opto-2A, MG4+, Adaptive Vibrato, Space Flanger and Vari-Speed Tremolo. These join seven new vintage mic emulations, including Berlin K86, Berlin 47 TU, Berlin V563, Berlin/Halske MN25, Berlin M251, Minnesota 20 and Illinois 7B.

www.digigram.com

Zen Tour Synergy Core

www.antelopeaudio.com

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PRODUCTS

Controllable power

A NEW range of four-channel, Class-D installation amplifiers from Apex Audio boast the ability to be controlled remotely and securely from the cloud.

Featuring studio-grade analogue circuit designs, the CloudPower Series of products have an amplifier control loop featuring Apex’s DirectDrive technology and low intermodulation figures that the manufacturer claims results in wide stereo imaging.

Control of the units is available from any HTML5-capable browser thanks to the amplifier’s built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, or via a standard Cat-5 cable connection to a local area network. Multiple amplifiers can

be controlled through the same interface using Apex’s Intelli-Ware software package. By logging into the Apex Cloud, amplifiers can be remotely controlled and monitored from any location, reportedly saving time and money by eliminating the need for a site visit to monitor performance or adjust settings.

Four models with power ratings ranging from 350W to 3,000W per channel cover applications from small commercial spaces to large theatres. Optional Dante networking capabilities and the inclusion of loudspeaker presets round out the feature set.

EXTRON HAS introduced its XPA U 1004 SB and XPA U 2002 SB, Energy Star-qualified audio power amplifiers which feature flexible channel pairs that can drive 8Ω, 4Ω, 70V or 100V loads. The individually bridgeable channel pairs of the XPA U 1004 SB can deliver two 100W

ISS 608

XPA U 1004 SB and 2002 SB www.apex-audio.eu

Tierra creates out-of-this-world recordings BOASTING NEW electronic engineering, quality components, extended lifespans and an eco-design, Tierra Audio has launched the Analog Edition Take 2 series.

Replacing its first-generation studio product lineup, some of the enhancements include four-layer printed circuit boards, noiseless power supply units, translucent buttons, anodised aluminium knobs, reduced internal wiring and ESD protections,

Switchable bridging

The Boreal FET stereo compressor offers high dynamic control across a wide range of recordings, including bass guitar and piano.

Vocals are said to be significantly enhanced and pushed to the front of the mix with a slow attack, quick release and ratio adjustment prior to increasing the input control. The Gravity VCA bus compressor is recommended for recordings looking for added gain punch and an overwhelming presence when using

channels into low-impedance systems or one 200W channel into low- or high-impedance systems, while the XPA U 2002 SB delivers 200W and 400W, respectively. A rotar y switch on the rear panel of the amplifier is said to make it quick and easy to select the desired output mode. The convectioncooled, plenum-rated enclosures do not require empty rack spaces for ventilation and include rackmount hardware. Both models feature Extron’s Class-D amplifier design with defeatable auto standby, fast wake up from standby and its patented Class-D Ripple Suppression. XPA Ultra SB models also suppor t remote volume and mute control using an Extron VCM, VC or select MediaLink controllers.

The ISS 608, meanwhile, is an eightinput seamless switcher for the dynamic presentation and scaling of DisplayPor t and HDMI content at resolutions up to 4K/60 @ 4:4:4 at a maximum data rate of 18Gbps. Features include Extron Vector 4K scaling technology and multiple transition ef fects, as well as logo inser tion, video keying and PIP to complement primar y content. For streamlined integration, the switcher provides audio management and multiple control options, including RS-232 and Ethernet. Matrix Mode is said to add automatic, seamless transitions to any matrix switcher with HDMI outputs. www.extron.com

Neve’s modern take on a classic

The Canyon 16 summing mixer including improved electrical insulation against HF interference and electrostatic discharge. Distinctively finished with cherry wood front panels and housed in a recycled aluminium and steel chassis, the series currently comprises the Boreal FET compressor, Calima preamp, Canyon 16 summing mixer, Gravity VCA bus compressor, Icicle equaliser and Lava preamp.

Providing a broader presence in the mix, the Lava preamp with its transistors’ linear distortion reportedly enhances vocal definition and accuracy within a dynamic range of 128dB. Having replaced a trim potentiometer with an output fader offering a higher headroom, the Lava preamp is most suited for stringed instruments. With its linear phase distortion, the Calima preamp is suited to electrical and rhythm guitars in addition to drum and percussion recordings.

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a stereo microphone set on pianos and bass guitars.

The four-band, mono-parametric Icicle equaliser can be applied for removing unwanted frequencies. With its harmonic distortion, the sound of the 1970s’ classic consoles can be recalled. In contrast, a transparent and sharp sound can be created in Modern Mode for mastering applications.

Vocals can be broadened with a treble filter that can attain 29.4kHz. Designed to promote consistent mixes, the Canyon 16 summing mixer comes with an “insert” for adding a mixer bus, while the blend control selects the ratio of dry-to-wet signal prior to operations. By using the mix in/out port, several Canyon 16 summing mixers can be interconnected for processing up to 48 channels in the same mixer bus. www.tierra.audio

TO MARK the 50th anniversar y of the 1073 microphone preamp, AMS Neve has launched the 1073 OPX, a new Octal microphone/line/instrument preamplifier that is designed to meet the needs of the modern studio environment.

With the launch of the 1073 OPX, the company has taken its 1970s’ classic and updated it for a modern workflow by integrating eight 1073 remotecontrolled preamps with Marinair transformers into a 2U rack unit.

Front and rear connectors are stated to of fer connectivity to any studio, live or broadcast environment, while modern remote-control software gives two-way control with total recall of all settings. Input sources benefit from the

transformer-coupled input stage and can be connected directly to the frontmounted mic/line/DI input for recording in a studio control room.

The analogue and digital monitor signal path of the 1073 OPX allows it to be used as a standalone I/O inter face or as a live room remote preamp with a full, latency-free monitoring cue mix signal path. The optional digital I/O card offers up to 192kHz/24-bit A/D conversion over USB connection. This means that the unit can be used as a primar y audio inter face to any connected DAW-enabled computer, as well as primar y and secondar y Dante connectivity for audio-over-IP applications. www.ams-neve.com

PRODUCTS

Studio Technologies switches to Dante THE STUDIOCOMM Dante audio-over-IP multichannel monitoring system from Studio Technologies comprises the Model 792 central controller and the Model 793 control console. The Model 792 has multiple digital and analogue inputs with configurable time delay, source selection and level control.

Digital and analogue outputs support formats of up to 16 channels, while analogue two-channel inputs and outputs offer support for stereo reference signals.

Features include trim levels, delays, dim and reference level, and pre/post outputs, which can be optimised using the system’s built-in web server-based menu pages. The multichannel, analogue I/O stems use the Model 792’s rear-panel, 25-pin D-subs in banks of eight channels, while a front-panel 3.5mm stereo jack and level control provides a two-channel input for laptops, phones and other stereo reference feeds.

The Model 793 is said to provide an intuitive selection of all sources and outputs, reference level, dim function, mutes and solos. The user control surface features single-function buttons, a highresolution encoder plus a graphics display. Four user-definable input stems and two outputs are directly selectable on the front panel, along with mute/solo buttons for every individual channel. Users can also select dim, reference level and mute all functions. The rotary encoder supports level control for stems of up to 16 channels. The graphics display provides numerical level and status information, along with important system information such as the system’s LAN IP addresses.

one of five group configurations, ranging from a single 16-user group to four groups of four users. The beltpack’s bidirectional Dante audio paths are configured by routing transmit (output) and receive (input) pairs to the Model 5421 using the Dante Controller software application. www.studiotech.com

Models 792 and 793

Information and Guidance with clear audio transmission

Model 5421

WG-D100

3/4 PAGE

Wireless Tour Guide System

The US manufacturer has also unveiled its Model 5421 Dante intercom engine, a Dante AoIP party-line intercom solution for up to 16 users. It incorporates an intercom-specific auto mix algorithm that is said to optimise party-line audio quality and reduce ambient interference from open mics. The ½-rack enclosure is intended for use with Studio Technologies’ 370-Series of Dante-enabled intercom beltpacks. It only requires a single RJ45 Ethernet connection for both data and power, and setup is via Studio Technologies’ STController software. The audio engine can be divided into

The WG-D100 Series is a digital wireless tour guide system that convinces with crystal-clear digital audio quality as well as secure and stable transmission. The light-weight receivers and transmitters with their elegant design and comfortable grip can be carried in hand, via clip or lanyard. The large LCD screen and buttons make them easy to use. They can be charged individually via micro USB port or through the WG-TC12A battery charger. With the SyncKit WG-D100SK the channels of the receivers can automatically be synchronized while those are being charged.

Optimized digital sound quality and reliable transmission Allow recording of content by connecting recorder to the AUX output of receiver Allow connection of multimedia device (MP3/smartphone) to AUX input of transmitter to transmit media content to receivers Choose between internal mic, external mic and aux input on the transmitter.

We supply sound, not equipment.

www.toa.eu

TOAEurope

TOA Electronics Europe

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 55

PRODUCTS

Sonifex aids SDI to Dante embedding CLAIMING IT to be the easiest way to connect legacy 3G/HD/SD-SDI equipment to a Dante network, Sonifex has introduced the AVN-DIO10 for simultaneous embedding and de-embedding. The AVN-DIO10 takes an SDI feed, de-embeds the 16 audio channels and places them on channels 1–16 of the Dante network, mapped using Dante Controller.

It simultaneously takes the 16 input channels mapped to the device on Dante Controller and re-embeds them onto the SDI output.

Switches on the unit allow embedding of Dante channels onto the SDI output per channel pair and there are two modes of operation: Insert Mode enabled allows embedding to overwrite existing SDI audio selectively per channel pair. Insert Mode disabled clears any incoming audio channels on the SDI output and then allows selective embedding onto the SDI output per channel pair. A Test Tone Mode allows 1kHz, 2kHz, 3kHz and 4kHz signals to be output on channels 1–4, respectively, for any group where embedding is enabled. This means

that downstream SDI audio outputs can be tested without the need for Dante sources.

The device is powered using Power over Ethernet, using Neutrik etherCON connectors, with primary and secondary ports for power and data redundancy. It uses the latest Audinate Dante chipsets and so is compliant with AES67 and Dante Domain Manager. Front-panel LEDs indicate network clock status, SDI lock status, AoIP primary and AoIP secondary link status, PoE primary power and PoE secondary power active. A web interface is available for firmware updates, status information and network settings. www.sonifex.co.uk

Symphony shrinks in size THE SYMPHONY Desktop 10 x 14 has The only physical control is a large rotary been designed to blend the sound quality knob on the front panel; everything else is of Apogee’s Symphony I/O MK2 with the controlled by the front panel touchscreen. simplicity and portability of its Duet and Computer connectivity is USB 2.0 over a Quartet audio interfaces. The result is USB-C connector. the lowest-cost audio interface to date To support the Dante connectivity in the baring the Symphony name. According to Symphony I/O Mk II Dante, Apogee has Apogee, the device features flagship AD/DA created Network Control Software. The converters and software has been mic preamps, designed to provide together with a remote software touchscreen access to all the and single Symphony I/O control knob, Mk II settings. plug-ins Apogee that run on Network hardware Control works DSP and on macOS and natively in a Windows 10 Symphony Desktop DAW and selectable mic preamp computers, is compatible with emulation. the Apogee Control hardware remote and As the name implies, Symphony Desktop is available as a free software download on integrates 10 inputs and 14 simultaneous the Apogee website. channels of audio outputs and pairs them In addition to the release of Symphony with built-in hardware DSP processing of Desktop, Apogee has added Windows 10 Apogee FX Rack plug-ins. Apogee Alloy Mic support for Clearmountain’s Domain plug-in.

Preamp emulation – analogue processing and DSP modelling – includes British Solid www.apogeedigital.com State and 50s American Tube flavours.

Plenty of output from RME AUDIO INTERFACES are arguably seeing greater use than normal at the moment with everyone stuck at home. So, it was timely that just before the lockdowns came into effect, RME introduced two new models, the M-1610 Pro and ADI-2 Pro FSR BE. The M-1610 Pro comes at the request of recording engineers wishing to use a single device that combines a selection of analogue inputs and outputs found on its bigger sibling, the M-32 Pro. Integrating 16 analogue inputs with switchable sensitivity

samples, even from multiple devices, with nanosecond accuracy across an entire network. The A/D and D/A filters have been optimised for different sampling rates, with a focus on accuracy and RME’s signature “transparency” (nothing added, nothing taken). Together with SteadyClock FS – the current revision of RME’s ultra-low jitter digital clock technology – the conversion to and from analogue is described by the manufacturer as state of the art, at any level and digital format. Compared to similar devices, the

M-1610 Pro per channel of up to +24dBu, the M-1610 Pro includes eight corresponding analogue outputs and an additional headphone output. Output options are also aplenty with coaxial and optional optical MADI, redundant AVB and four ADAT optical outputs present.

Compared to the M-32 Pro series, which was designed primarily for fixed installations, the M-1610 Pro adds TRS jacks that can be used instead of the D-Sub connectors on inputs 11–16 and TRS jacks that can be used in parallel to D-Sub outputs 1–2, as well as redundant network ports and a headphone output with a quick access button for source selection and volume. All device features are configurable on the large TFT display with encoder, via a network using a browser-based web interface and also via AVDECC – allowing other AVB devices to control the M-1610 Pro using just the AVB standard itself.

The M-1610 Pro’s internal routing matrix brings up to eight AVB streams with a total of 64 channels, the coaxial and optional SFP optical MADI ports with up to 64 channels each and all analogue I/O and the ADAT outputs side by side for flexible routing between the 208 inputs and 234 outputs. Lowest converter latencies and deterministic AVB networking with configurable network delay down to 0.3ms reportedly allow the M-1610 Pro to deliver

The ADI-2 Pro FSR in black three analogue line levels per channel each offer the full dynamic range of the converters. The outputs are DC coupled.

The German manufacturer has also debuted its ADI-2 Pro FSR BE, a black edition of its reference AD/DA converter.

The unit features a black front plate and serves as an AD/DA converter, a USB DAC, an AD/DA front end and headphone amp for iOS devices, a multi-format converter with monitoring function, an AD/DA front end of audio measurement up to a 768kHz sample rate and a DSD record and playback solution. www.rme-audio.de

Powered mixing ECLER HAS released the eHMA250, a self-powered audio mixer that includes two mic inputs, two mic/line ST inputs, two line ST inputs and one aux/rec output. The model supports both low (4Ω and 8Ω) and high impedance (50V, 70V and 100V) loudspeaker lines, with independent four-zone on/off switches (zone 1, zone 2, zone 3 and zone 4), a low impedance output and an auxiliary

56 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

eHMA250 output. It also includes an audio priority system (such as voice messages and emergencies) available in four inputs and

embedded Chime function (compatible with one-zone paging microphones), twoband tone control, auto standby mode, a

mute port and a remote port (RJ45) for remote volume control. The frequency response (–3dB) is 70Hz – 25kHz (high-Z) and 20Hz – 25kHz (low-Z).

The mixer weighs 3kg and measures 435mm x 44mm x 220mm (WxHxD). It is also compatible with Ecler’s WPaVOL volume remote wall panel. www.ecler.com

PRODUCTS

TSL evolves its solutions TSL PRODUCTS is continuing to update its solutions to meet the changing needs of its customers and the transition towards IP workflows. As a result, the manufacturer has added the SAM-Q-EDIT to its SAM-Q range, which allows SAM-Q-SDI owners to create, modify and edit their SAM-Q-SDI configurations using a PC. It also allows all aspects of the SAM-Q to be configured remotely within an offline application.

Meanwhile, new and existing SAM-Q-SDI customers can now purchase MADI

information such as IP packet counters, signal format and PTP status.

TSL has unveiled two additions to the MPA1-MIX range. First, the MPA1-MIX-V features a redesigned user interface in direct response to customer feedback. The new interface addresses the challenges of live production and is available in SDI, Dante, MADI, AES and analogue input formats. With the addition of the MIX-V variant, TSL MPA1 customers now have the option to choose the interface that

The TM7 and TM9

TouchMonitors gain ST 2110 support RTW HAS added SMPTE ST 2110 compliance to its Dante- and Ravenna-compatible TM7 and TM9 TouchMonitors. New TM-Dante and TM-Ravenna units will ship with the functionality, while existing owners will be able to add the option via a free firmware update.

“ST 2110 is the latest standard within audio- and video-over-IP and we expect it to replace SDI solutions over time,” noted RTW senior director of product management, Mike Kahsnitz. “SMPTE ST 2110 is a major

contributing factor in the development towards a single IP-based mechanism for the professional broadcaster. Like SDI, it carries audio, as well as video and metadata, but, unlike SDI, it is based on IP technology, which makes it a true network, rather than point-topoint. Broadcast is beginning to make a shift towards a truly networked infrastructure and we obviously want to continue developing our solutions accordingly.” www.rtw.com

Riedel expands MediorNet SAM-Q monitoring licence options at any time, allowing one or both SDI inputs to be switched to and from MADI sources.

The company has also updated its PAM-IP line to allow ST-2110 multicast flow subscriptions to be managed using In-Band or Out-of-Band control protocols such as Ember+, NMOS IS-04/05 or TSL’s own RESTful API. Subscription status can be monitored remotely over a network with the PAMIP webpage, along with health status

best suits their broadcast production needs. Second, the MPA1-MIX MADI-V has been specifically designed for use where operators need confidence monitoring of a MADI stream. It boasts monitoring of 64 MADI audio channels and stereo monitor mixing of up to eight MADI sources.

Audio level meter display of up to eight audio pairs and quick store and recall of up to 16 monitor mixes are also available.

with a range of different input and output configurations, including BNC, fibre or HDMI, and can be configured with a variety of different apps. A change of the software licence turns the device into an up/down/ cross-converter, a JPEG-2000/XS encoder or decoder, an audio router or a multiviewer.

Riedel’s portfolio of distributed video network devices is further enhanced by the VirtU and FusioN product series, which are said to boast the highest density in the

adds more bandwidth, more I/O, higher resolutions and more processing power to the MediorNet platform.

Close collaboration between product management and engineering teams from Riedel headquarters and Riedel Montreal, formerly known as Embrionix, has also brought forth the MediorNet MuoN, VirtU and FusioN product series. According to the manufacturer, these new processing modules and processing hubs complement the MediorNet signal interfaces and core switches to round out the Riedel video portfolio with full IP solutions.

At the heart of the new MediorNet products lies MuoN SFP technology. MuoN SFPs are pluggable gateway and processing devices that can be used inside VirtU frames or commercial, off-the-shelf IP switches. The software-defined MuoN hardware is available

market. The VirtU IP core infrastructure platform can host a large array of Riedel MuoN SFP processors in just 1U and can be used both as a bulk gateway and as a high-density processing unit. FusioN is a series of compact, standalone I/O and processing devices that are configurable with a range of software apps. Due to their small form factor and low power consumption, the FusioN devices can be placed close to signal sources or destinations, creating efficiencies in any production environment.

Alongside new software-defined hardware platforms, Riedel has also launched a range of brand-new apps for up/down/crossconversion, encoding/decoding, audio routing and multiviewing, as well as a series of IP gateway apps.

www.tslproducts.com

API updates a classic

API IS giving its popular 2500 stereo bus compressor a modern refresh. The new 2500+ is said to retain all of the functional and sonic characteristics users of the original would expect, with a host of additional parameters incorporated.

The highlight of these are Expanded Threshold control from +20dB to –20dB and a new blend/mix function that offers both crossfader and parallel mix control of compressed and uncompressed signals. “Over the past 18 years,

RIEDEL HAS unveiled 13 new hardware devices and nine new software apps as part of a major expansion of its MediorNet family of video networking devices. The developments follow the German manufacturer’s acquisition of Embrionix at the beginning of the year.

The first new hardware innovation is MediorNet MicroN UHD, the big brother to the manufacturer’s MicroN media distribution and processing device. Building on a distributed and software-defined concept, the new node

many improvements have been made to the 2500, some small and some larger,” noted API’s director of engineering, Todd Humora. “The 2500+ is an evolution of the 2500, with the addition of a few key features that our users have had on their wish lists for quite some time. It’s our hope that the new 2500+ will allow for even greater creativity among its users in the studio and in the live market.” www.apiaudio.com

www.riedel.net

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 57

PRODUCTS

In-and-out meetings with TOA DESIGNED FOR business, corporate, educational and government meetings, TOA has created the TS-820 and TS-920 wireless conference units.

The infrared-based transmission arrangement of the chairman and delegate microphone units can be quickly and flexibly set up in different rooms and with varied participant numbers. In addition, infrared

TS-920RC

communication assures freedom from eavesdropping and interference. Complete with voting functionality, the TS-920 is more suited for larger applications of up to 192 microphone units, whereas the TS-820 can connect a maximum of 64 units.

Technical features of the standalone systems include integrated automatic feedback suppression, an auto-gain control function that automatically adjusts the volume to the speaker and an auto-off function that automatically turns off the microphone after 30s of non-use.

In addition to a subline for second language monitoring and a priority speech function, both systems offer two selectable voice channels and different priority modes, allowing up to four microphones to be controlled simultaneously.

The system software can also be adapted to the

the rack-mountable TS-920RC central unit respective use, for example by integrating can control the TS-921 chairman and cameras.

TS-922 delegate units Sessions can be recorded via infrared signals. in the internal An installation memor y or on confirmation an external function on the USB device central unit that connects verifies the to the central connection control unit status of the where system IR transmitter functions can be and receiver in set and managed. addition to the Since the TS-921 chairman and delegate chairman unit and units, together with the the TS-922 delegate unit TS-905 voting function. A headphone require no wiring, they permit easy monitor output is included. Equipped installation based on an unrestricted with a remaining battery indicator to read layout. The infrared transmitter/receiver the status of the BP-900A lithium-ion unit and recording equipment are connected to the TS-920 central unit, and battery, mains power can also be provided via the AD-0910 AC adapter. Dedicated the system function settings and status delegate and chairman microphones can indications are per formed at the central be equipped with either standard (TS-923) unit. or long versions (TS-924).

By mounting the TS-905 IR transmitter to the ceiling, wall or microphone stand www.toa.jp and connecting to the TS-907 IR receiver,

Williams goes beyond assistive listening WILLIAMS AV has developed a realtime audio translation, open captioning and audio archiving system. Powered by Google’s Ai platform, Convey eliminates

The US manufacturer has also developed a distributed IR assisted listening system that incorporates Wi-Fi. The IR Plus features a distributed IR emitter array architecture

larger applications of up to 32 channels where high-quality sound is required from streaming multichannel audio in realtime to smartphones and tablets. Built

Revelation successor ups the ante A SUCCESSOR to the Revelation condenser microphone from MXL has recently been introduced. The American manufacturer credits the original model with being the greatest mic it has ever produced, and the next-generation version aims to improve

Convey the barriers of language with up to 94% accuracy depending on language.

In addition to real-time translation, Convey provides accurate speech-to-text transcription and audio archiving of all events and is activated by clicking a QR code within an iOS or Android app and the transaction is handled via Google Play or the Apple App Store.

Designed for guided tours, language interpretation, intercom and hearing assistance, the Digi-Wave 400 is the next-generation series of digital intercom and tour guide communication systems.

Complete with a new OLED display and user interface, features of the lightweight device include an upgraded charging dock, a simplified group-join pairing option and the ability for two-way wireless communications at distances over 300m. It avoids interference by adopting a frequencyhopping algorithm, which reportedly ensures a very secure communication.

WaveCAST 8 allowing up to four emitters either stacked together for large room arrays or distributed throughout the room to accommodate obscured venue locations. The IR modulator can support up to four IR emitters via Cat-6 cabling. Very large room applications can be supported by adding up to four IR modulators to support a total of 16 IR modulators.

Control and monitoring can be managed remotely via an internal webpage. The IR Plus system also features a WaveCAST network output for streaming audio via Wi-Fi for assistive listening via an iOS or Android app.

The latest addition to the WaveCAST assistive listening family is designed for

on a hardware-based DSP audio system architecture, WaveCAST 8 provides clear speech intelligibility, musical detail and hi-fi playback. Custom presets can also be established for specific performance applications. A digital display and touchscreen channel selection automatically selects the available channels and dynamically displays them on the screen. Up to four WaveCAST 8 systems can be connected to the same Wi-Fi network to provide multiple listening channels, supporting up to 1,500+ users in multicast mode.

both the audio quality and price. The Revelation II is said to offer the warmth and intimacy of a quality tube microphone, but with extended clarity and punch for balanced recording. A dual gold-sputtered, six-micron diaphragm and hand-selected EF86 pentode tube provide “rich and transparent” sound.

The Revelation II’s polar pattern selection is controllable by a variable pattern control knob.

www.williamsav.com www.mxlmics.com

58 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

PRODUCTS

From source to mouth CONSISTING OF the EM-89D dynamic vocal, EM-91C large-diaphragm condenser and the EM-USB condenser microphones, the EleMent series is Mackie’s first venture into microphone production. The EM-89D is a dynamic handheld microphone featuring a cardioid polar pattern ideally suited for stage use in addition to studio recording. The EM-91C adds warmth to vocals but can also be applied to musical instruments, live streaming, voiceovers and other forms of content creation. The EM-USB condenser has been designed for recording, live streaming, podcasts and online content creation, bypassing the need for a EM-89D separate audio interface.

With direct

connection to a laptop via the package are speaker-to-speaker USB-C cable, the EM-USB cables, 1⁄8-inch-to-stereo RCA cables, smartphone cabling and is further equipped with an acoustic isolation pads designed integrated headphone output to minimise bass buildup in and controls for main input addition to up/down tilt gain and mute. control for more focused Designed for home listening. studios, multimedia In addition, the US content creation, AV manufacturer has also postproduction and gaming, launched four new product Mackie has expanded bundles for podcasters and home the CR Series of multimedia studio setups. The monitors with the CR3-X 3-inch, Producer Bundle CR4-X 4-inch and CR5-X 5-inch includes EleMent models. Bluetooth-enabled Series condenser and versions are available in the form of the CR3-XBT, CR4-XBT, CR5-XBT EM-91C dynamic microphones, MC-100 headphones and CR8-XBT monitors in addition to the and an Onyx Producer 2.2 CR8S-XBT Bluetooth-enabled subwoofer.

USB interface. Designed for Housed in wooden cabinets, the CR Series streamers, content creators comprises polypropylene-coated woofers, and podcasters, the Creator 0.75-inch ferrofluid-cooled silk-dome tweeters Bundle combines an EM-USB and customised waveguides. The distinctive front-panel, brushed metal design incorporates microphone, MC-100 headphones and CR3-X an on/off volume control and headphone multimedia monitor speakers. input. Equipped with ¼-inch TRS and RCA The central hub of the Studio connectors, the 200W-rated CR8S-XBT Bundle is the Big Knob studio monitor subwoofer provides extended LF response controller | interface that provides selection to any CR Series monitor. Included in the

from three audio sources and two pairs of monitor speakers, while providing two-in/ two-out USB recording and playback.

Monitoring can be enabled from either a pair of CR3-X speakers or MC-100 headphones, while an EM-91C condenser or EM-89D dynamic vocal microphone can be selected for capture. The Performer Bundle comprises a ProFX6v3 analogue mixer, two EM-89D microphones and MC-100 headphones. www.mackie.com

CR3-X

Sound Devices conforms to CSV SOUND DEVICES has announced firmware version 2.90 for the Audio Ltd A10 digital wireless system and its companion Mic2Wav and A10-TX remote applications. While key improvements have been made for both production and postproduction, the manufacturer reports that the most notable update is for the companion application Mic2Wav. A “Conform to CSV” feature has been added, which converts audio files recorded on an A10-TX to WAV files using a CSV sound report

from a MixPre Series, 6-Series or 8-Series Sound Devices mixer-recorder. “The ‘Conform to CSV’ feature saves a considerable amount of time in postproduction by extracting only relevant bits of a MIC file based on what was captured on the production’s mixer-recorder.

Important metadata like Scene, Take and Tape is copied from the sound report to the converted WAV file,” said Nicholas Vandrush, director of marketing.

In addition, the A10-RX now features expanded RF indication. The A10-RX’s red

LED illuminates and the screen displays RF Overload when the incoming signal is too strong. Reducing RF power on the transmitter, increasing the distance between TX and RX, or applying attenuation to the antenna system in use will correct the overload. www.sounddevices.com

Waves takes distortion to the next level MULTIMOD RACK is a multiband modulation rack for Waves Audio’s latest distortion plug-ins and is said to take multiband distortion to the next level of both musical creativity and precision engineering. It allows music producers to create the wide palette of modulatable distortion effects and helps mixing engineers achieve multiband distortion and saturation with “pinpoint surgical precision”. MultiMod Rack has three plug-in slots and each one can host Waves’ newest distortion and saturation plug-ins, such as the Abbey Road Saturator, Berzerk and the MDMX Screamer, Overdrive and Fuzz modules.

The three slots divide the signal into three frequency bands – lows, mids and highs – with adjustable crossover controls.

In other news, Waves has announced a new bundle for podcasters, YouTubers and creators of live-streamed content. The Content Creator Audio Toolkit includes four plug-ins: the NS1 Automatic Noise Suppressor removes distracting background noise; the Greg Wells VoiceCentric combines EQ, compression and

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with Native Instruments controllers, SoundGrid real-time compatibility and hundreds of extra presets. The MIDI Out feature enables users to play any virtual instrument using their own voice, in real time. Whether musicians sing or hum melodies, OVox will convert their voice to MIDI, then send the MIDI out to the other instrument. www.waves.com

MultiMod Rack de-essing into one control; and the WLM Plus Loudness Meter delivers the right loudness levels. The final plug-in is the new Playlist Rider, a set-and-forget volume management plug-in that helps content creators balance the volume of multiple sources (host, guest, music playlist, audio clips), automatically and in real time.

The audio specialist has also released an update of its OVox Vocal ReSynthesis plug-in, with a new MIDI Out feature, NKS compatibility

PRODUCTS

Hands-free presentations SONY HAS announced the launch of a new Meanwhile, Sony has expanded its laser beamforming microphone, the MAS-A100. projector lineup with six new models.

Designed for, but not limited to, a range There are four WUXGA units – the VPLof meeting, lecture and presentation FHZ131L (13,000 lumens), VPL-FHZ101L environments, the ceiling-mount microphone (10,000 lumens), VPL-FHZ91L (9,000 lumens) and VPL-PHZ12 reportedly offers clear audio quality features (5,000 lumens) – plus the VPL-CWZ10 for both speech reinforcement and recording with a combination of beamforming technology (WXGA) and VPL-CXZ10 (XGA), both portable models with a compact size. The VPL-FHZ131L, and Intelligent Feedback Reducer function.

VPL-FHZ101L and VPL-FHZ91L are The microphone has a dual-channel equipped with an Advanced output for simultaneous Intelligent Setting function recording for wide area to with additional Multiscreen capture both the speaker Mode, which is said to and students’/participants’ optimise colour when voices. Supporting both projecting on multiple units.

Dante and PoE, the model According to the manufacturer, includes auto-noise reduction their wide lens shift capability to minimise background noise from MAS-A100 makes them suitable for difficult projectors or air conditioners. installation conditions, such as when a The manufacturer has also added a new venue contains beams or piping or when the set of picture monitors to its TriMaster screen is lower than the projector. The VPLrange. The PVM-X2400 (24 inches) and PVM-X1800 (18.4 inches) provide a resolution CWZ10 and VPL-CXZ10 are approximately 40% smaller and 35% lighter than their of 3840x2160 pixels and all-white luminance predecessors, the VPL-PWZ10 and VPL-PXZ10. of 1,000cd/m2. Both monitors are said to offer accurate colour reproduction and precise In brief, Sony has launched TEOS 2.2, greyscale, giving filmmakers “a reliable an update to its workspace management tool to help make critical imaging decisions solution. It will feature 20 new and faithful colour matching throughout functionalities and features, including the workflow”. The monitors are aimed at customisable Smart Automation options, a expanding footprints in 4K HDR production, new Meeting Display interface and Outlook including on-set monitoring, non-linear video integration. editing, studio wall monitoring and rack-mount pro.sony monitoring of OB trucks or machine rooms.

Anubis adds support for latest Apple OS SEVERAL FEATURE enhancements have been made to Merging Technologies’ Anubis platform. A new virtual audio device for Mac users is available that is compatible with Apple’s Mojave 10.14.5/10.14.6 and Catalina 10.15.x OS. The ability to control the preamps remotely from any web browser is also available on the latest version of firmware.

DSD workflow up to DSD256, including the volume control of all outputs such as headphone monitoring. Input metering can select the SACD headroom scale of +6dB and all usual monitor control features are said to be available. Further enhancements to DSD support are planned later this year.

The latest version of Pyramix has also provided additional functionality that

Merging+Anubis Premium was already DXD compatible, but the manufacturer notes that there were some challenges in completing a full DSD workflow. This is now available as a free-of-charge firmware update. While DSD necessarily imposes some restrictions on the functionality of Anubis that are the consequence of the one-bit quantisation, Anubis offers a full

addresses immersive audio workflows which are increasingly important in gaming and live situations. Up to 7th Order Ambisonics options are now available.

Improvements to the internal mixer and VS3 plug-in support for some popular FLUX products have also been introduced. www.merging.com

Listen goes on tour alone PVM-X2400

Remote mixing from Wheatstone REMIX IS a remote mixing application that can be installed on a Windows PC or tablet for home access to a studio’s WheatNet-IP audio network. According to Wheatstone, ReMIX allows users in home studios or other remote locations to access station sources and codecs, turn channels on or off, control levels, advance to the next track in the automation system and build mixes on the fly through one standalone mixing application.

ReMIX provides a direct UI to the utility mixers found in the I/O BLADEs that make up the WheatNet-IP audio network. Each I/O BLADE includes two built-in 8x2 stereo mixers, the inputs and output busses which are available as resources on the network.

Utility mixers are accessible anywhere in the audio network for simple functions such as summing, splitting and level adjustment, performing crossfades and segues between

sources, as well as creating custom mixes or intercom systems. I/O BLADEs also include Wheatstone ACI (Automation Control Interface) for third-party control of automation systems and other Wheatstone partners’ gear, and can be used for functions such as routing, ducking, panning, logic control, mixing and silence detection.

FOLLOWING ITS recent acquisition of AudioConexus, which included its GPS commentary and tour guide products, Listen Technologies has now been able develop the Listen Audio Guide System. In contrast to its ListenTalk tour guide system, the new solution is intended for self-guided tours. Tour operators can customise audio content and upload it on the wireless devices that tourists carry in their hands or pockets. Users select their preferred language and listen through the unit’s built-in speaker or with headphones. Infrared technology in the unit triggers location-specific audio content to play at the right time and place so users hear relevant and engaging stories about the sights they visit.

“Listen Technologies’ tour solutions make it easy and affordable for tour operators to provide engaging, accessible and educational audible tour narration that resonates with visitors,” said Jonathan Stanley, chief experience officer and president of Listen Technologies. “That’s good for visitors and for points of interest and enter tainment venue operators looking to grow their audience base and earn positive visitor reviews.”

Tour operators can include up to 32 different languages or topics, that can be made to align with 950 points of interest. Ergonomically designed, push-button units for visitors are said to offer a “longlife” power source that removes the need to change out units during the day, instead charging overnight in a storage case. www.listentech.com

www.wheatstone.com

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PRODUCTS

EVAC and fire safety updates WITH CPR homologation becoming mandatory for all fire-resistant and voice evacuation (EVAC) cables in the EU, Tasker reports that it has carried out all the necessary tests with certified third-party bodies to obtain CPR approval for all its EVAC and fire-detection cables for the medium-risk class Cca – s1a – d0 – a1, without compromising the flexibility of the products. This means that the cables are resistant to direct flame up to two hours at a temperature of 850°C and, when they burn, they will only release a small amount of clear smoke without dripping.

The homologation involves the manufacturer’s unshielded cables with a purple sheath for EVAC and PA systems (the TSK201, TSK202 and TSK203) and its shielded cables with a red sheath for fire-detection alarm systems (the TSK301, TSK302 and TSK303).

Tasker also reports that these products are equally suited for audio, video and data cable applications, even if the installation is not directly linked to fire security. www.tasker.it

Mangled chaos MANGLEDVERB FROM Eventide is described as a unique effect that is capable of creating everything from “granular ambience and moody auras to sound-scaping mangled chaos”. The effect is available as an AUv3 plug-in and standalone app and starts as a variable pre-delay that feeds a stereo reverb into a complex distortion effect.

The Ribbon control lets users program two settings for any combination of the controls and transition between them, while the programmable Hotswitch allows musicians to jump to an alternate setting at the push of a button.

QVox, meanwhile, is a new effect that features four voices of diatonic pitch shifting and delay. Users can add rhythmic textures to guitars, morph drums into new patterns, widen instruments and create harmonies on vocals. They can choose a key, scale and each voice’s pitch interval and experiment with a variety of staggered delay groups.

MangledVerb Spring is a new plug-in for desktop and iOS which models the sound and character of the popular reverbs found in guitar amplifiers.

The Tension [TNSION] and Num Springs [NUMSPR] knobs work in concert to control

the amount of “springiness” in the processed sound. Adjustable parameters include Resonance and low and high damping.

The manufacturer has also unveiled a Pro Tools | HD expansion card for the

H9000 multi-effects processor. It has two H9000 setup menu selectable modes of operation – 32 channels in/out (primary port only) or 16 channels (primary port) and 16 channels pass-thru to the secondary port (for connecting to other HD devices). Within Pro Tools, the H9000 appears as an HD I/O device (16 or 32 channels, depending on the selected mode). The H9000 sample rate is controlled by Pro Tools and 16x16 analogue I/O can be enabled with Pro Tools display monitoring of analogue gain control levels.

In brief, Eventide has released v3.0 for its Rose modulated delay pedal which offers five banks of five presets, Tap Division selection (quarter, eighth, dotted eighth, triplet), MIDI Lock Receive, MIDI Tap Tempo, Envelope Off Mode, Kill-Dry Mode and Expression, which now supports single-switch (TS) aux switches as well as three-button (TRS) switches. www.eventideaudio.com

Xilica Designer updated to v4.0 LEA provides secure monitoring THE FOURTH generation of Xilica’s Designer software has been launched by the Canadian manufacturer. As with previous generations, Xilica Designer 4.0 software is said to offer integrators a

single, centralised platform for project design and management. It also provides optimised configuration of Xilica Solaro DSPs, as well as Xilica’s XWP networked wall controls, XTouch screens and I/O expansion devices. The software reportedly handles configuration and management of any networked Dante

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device and delivers third-party control integration.

According to the manufacturer, Xilica Designer 4.0 offers AV integrators more freedom to customise designs through Lua programming, a scripting language embedded within the software. Other enhancements include an improved DSP schematic design that expands suppor t for drawing elements, and native inser tion of comments and labels. Xilica engineers have also accelerated device boot-up times by a repor ted 30%.

The new software retains Xilica Designer’s drag-and-drop functionality, which is said to eliminate the need to flip between numerous menus or re-input product codes. Users can also drag and drop any or all available control program settings for devices into the software, repor tedly simplifying control of devices such as projectors, screens and lighting systems. Xilica Designer 4.0 also takes project management into account and automatically generates crucial documentation, such as CAD drawing files and bills of materials so that users can send these documents directly to purchasing depar tments. www.xilica.com

LEA PROFESSIONAL has debuted its Cloud Platform to provide systems integrators with secure and remote monitoring and control capabilities across the manufacturer’s lineup of IoT-enabled Connect Series amplifiers. Along with all of LEA’s amplifiers, the Connect Series includes the built-in Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT Core which allows users to monitor operational data points that are integral to maintaining system health remotely. The platform will reportedly provide preventative maintenance, easier troubleshooting and fewer onsite maintenance requirements.

With the Cloud Platform, LEA Professional reports that integrators are no longer required to VPN into a local area network and can access system status from any device. With the ability to communicate with an installed system anywhere, data is gathered from multiple sensors and circuitry within the amplifier. Additionally,

PRODUCTS

Lawo goes to the Max LAWO HAS announced a new software licence package for its Power Core AoIP mixing engine and I/O node. Power Core Max (with Max shor t for multiple access) repor tedly makes it possible for a single Power Core device to be the mixing engine for multiple, on-air mixing consoles. Four upgradeable licence packages are available.

The Power Core Max package provides suppor t for up to 254 physical and vir tual faders, 96 channels of DSP (EQ, dynamics, compression and limiting), 32 channels of bus DSP processing, VisTool Standard touchscreen GUI control, 1920x1920 routing matrix, a 78-station intercom matrix and suppor t for up to four independent connected mixing sur faces.

Power Core XL comes with all the features of the Max package and has been developed for a single console. This package is reportedly ideal for network operations, master control rooms or large, busy main studios with multiple input sources.

Power Core L has been matched to the requirements of single medium- and small-console studios and can accommodate up to 64 AES67 streams and 128 MADI streams, 128 physical and virtual faders (including utility software mini-mixer), 48 channels of DSP audio shaping, 16 channels of bus processing and a 1728x1728 routing matrix. Finally, Power Core SAN is for configuring Power Core

as a high-capacity networked audio I/O gateway with limited DSP processing capabilities.

In other news, the German manufacturer has added further control enhancements for its broadcast control system, VSM, with

Power Core

Release 2020-2. The new Flow State master functionality defines VSM as the master of the true flow routing status and ensures that an IP infrastructure is in a deterministic routing state all the time. Wallboxing allows users to move devices across an API-controlled IP infrastructure and maintain flow connectivity.

With Network Bridging, two or more independent VSM-controlled IP installs can share relevant sources. The tielines between systems are automatically and silently managed by VSM, based on actual signal consumption across the connected installs. www.lawo.com

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by delivering system performance information, integrators can reportedly deliver greater value and recurring revenue within service contracts for more comprehensive system performance monitoring. www.leaprofessional.com

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PRODUCTS

Power to the next level Pro Tools I MTRX Studio

Avid focuses on Pro Tools SEVERAL ADDITIONS and enhancements have been made to the Avid Pro Tools platform in recent months, culminating in the release of Pro Tools 2020. Alongside support for macOS Catalina, the software has improved session organisation and now allows tracks to be grouped in up to nine folder levels – a top-level folder and eight nested folders that can be collapsed and colour-coded to ease navigation.

In terms of new hardware introductions, the Pro Tools | MTRX Studio audio interface promises high-quality I/O, extensive routing options and solid monitoring in a single unit, thereby replacing multiple devices in the signal chain. Designed for Pro Tools | HDX, HD Native and other pro audio systems, the MTRX offers the sonic quality of DAD’s AD/DA converters, plus extensive, flexible

routing and monitor control when used alone or with Avid Pro Mixing surfaces.

Unlike the base MTRX unit, MTRX Studio features a static I/O configuration of two 14-inch mic/instrument inputs, 16x16 analogue line I/O, 16x16 ADAT I/O, 64x64 Dante I/O and two 32-channel DigiLink Mini connectors for 64 channels in total.

Outputs include dual 14-inch dedicated monitor and dual headphone ports.

Monitoring and routing are via a 512x512 cross-point digital matrix.

Last of the new Pro Tools additions is the Pro Tools | HDX Thunderbolt 3 Chassis built together with Sonnet Technologies.

Essentially the device is the same as existing Pro Tools | HDX with the addition of Thunderbolt 3.

COINCIDING WITH the launch of a sixmonth free licence for its Designer software running until the end of September 2020, disguise has released r17.1. Created to enhance augmented reality (AR) workflow, the manufacturer hopes the update will help creative studios and production houses access the market opportunity offered by AR and give them the chance to create “spectacular and immersive visuals”. disguise has enhanced the ease of use of the software and added improvements in the way users can pre-visualise and imagine every pixel of an AR experience ahead of time, communicate and collaborate with other teams and respond to feedback at every stage of the production. With sequenced transitions, users can now transition to anywhere on a timeline

using black and white content to define the transition. The feature is said to open new visual possibilities and saves time previously spent sequencing by simplifying the approach.

The update also includes a new ability to generate test patterns within the software to speed up workflows by removing the need to leave the software to create test patterns in other tools. Test patterns in a pre-visualisation are said to give users confidence in their screen arrangement by letting them see precisely where the divides are between each screen. Test patterns are dynamically generated, meaning users can react quickly to adapt a previsualisation to feedback and onsite changes. www.disguise.one

www.avid.com

Composer 7.3 adds multitrack recording SYMETRIX HAS released Composer 7.3, the latest release for its Windows programming software for Edge, Radius NX, Prism and Solus NX DSPs. As par t of the update, multitrack audio recording has been added to allow a Radius NX device to record up to eight tracks of audio simultaneously to an external USB device. Audio tracks may be recorded individually or grouped into multichannel modules of up to eight channels per module. Users can place one or more recording modules into the design window of a Radius NX processor in Symetrix Composer. Each recording module has its own star t/stop controls, assignable storage location on the USB drive, file naming configuration and audio settings.

Composer 7.3 also includes suppor t for W Series remotes which provide systems designers with flexible control options that can be deployed with an Ethernet connection to a PoE switch or an inline PoE power injector. W Series remotes offer the same programming inter face used to program Symetrix ARC remotes and are available in

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black or white versions for both US and UK/EU form factors.

Web-based event scheduling has been added to provide direct access to system control from any device with a web browser, regardless of the manufacturer or operating system. Users can view existing scheduled events, make changes to existing events or add new events.

This repor tedly eliminates the need for a dedicated computer running Composer software for adding/editing events. Users are able to control the functionality of the system without having access to modify the DSP programming of the system.

Composer 7.3 adds Intelligent module support for direct integration of Alcorn McBride’s V-Page paging station, Attero Tech’s Zip4 paging station, Audix’s Network Device Control DN4 and DN43 microphone inter faces, ClockAudio’s TIM-1000 microphone, Linea Research amplifiers, Powersoft Mezzo amplifiers and Visionary Solutions’ E4100 and D4100 encoder/decoder. www.symetrix.co

Exterity captivates the audience EXTERITY HAS launched its AvediaPlayer m9605 media player which has been designed to integrate 4K video and detailed 4K 60fps graphics and animations into digital signage and produce a “captivating visual experience”. The platform integrates into Exterity’s IP video ecosystem and features an Intel Core CPU, high-capacity on-device storage and a quiet, fanless design. The AvediaPlayer m9400, meanwhile, has been designed for use with ArtioGuest, Exterity’s hospitality middleware. It is said to enable organisations to deliver an enhanced video experience through advanced 4K video capability and benefits from PoE and a fanless design.

The ArtioFlow workflow app has been designed to enable the creation of timesaving workflows by dragging a series of actions across the IPTV system – such as power on, set volume or channel change – to create action sequences. For example, a corporate organisation could create an ArtioFlow workflow that turns a group of devices on at the start of the business

AvediaPlayer m9605 day, sets a main news channel and then mutes the screens located in public areas.

Users can also create workflow triggers, so screens will be automatically and instantly updated when specific events occur.

In other news, Exterity has released its Pro:Idiom Gateway, the latest addition to its AvediaStream Gateway family which supports content-protected live TV and radio from satellite sources and streams it securely across an IP network. With dual conditional access slots and built-in Pro:Idiom encryption, the g4417-pi is said to meet the most stringent content protection requirements and deliver “high value and broadcaster premium channels” across an IP network. www.exterity.com

PRODUCTS

Matrox extends 6100 Series THE MATROX Maevex 6152 quad 4K decoder is built on the same core technology as the 6100 encoders and decodes up to four 4K streams – or many more lower-resolution streams – across up to four 4K displays from a single, standalone application. The Maevex 6152

management tool which provides control over the entire Maevex network from a single or multiple locations. PowerStream Plus provides users with an assortment of drag-and-drop stream and layout selection options, along with available previews for decoder output configurations. The

A Storm in an HDMI solution SIMPLIFYING INSTALLATION while providing significant cost savings, WyreStorm has developed the Essentials NEXT HDMI video distribution platform.

Like a traditional matrix, up to 96 video receivers can be routed to central video hubs via Cat-5e cabling and distributed to HDMI display outputs. At the rack location, a maximum of 24 1080p HDMIand HDCP-encrypted video sources can

be connected to the NEXT System’s main chassis. Bypassing the traditional matrix system, the transmission card-based approach limits the initial cost outlay until the system needs extending. Configuration is simplified as each receiver is provided with an ID using DIP switches and control is achieved via a preconfigured WebUI. www.wyrestorm.com

Maevex 6152 quad 4K also includes HDCP support to decode and display multiple streams of protected content. In addition, the Maevex encoder and decoder pairing is said to offer highquality, low-latency streaming, while the Maevex 6152 can be combined with thirdparty encoders to create new or upgrade existing end-to-end systems.

The 1U, ½-rack Maevex 6152 can decode HDCP content from a variety of sources, including external Blu-ray players, settop boxes and streaming video devices.

The device also includes preset layouts, providing users with the flexibility to target up to eight streams on a single screen.

As with all other 6100 series products, the Maevex 6152 includes the Maevex PowerStream Plus AV-over-IP software

PowerStream Plus API for Windows, Linux and lower-level REST API are available for integrators looking to create personalised Maevex control applications.

In other news, Matrox has updated its Imaging Library (MIL) X software. New features include the training of deep neural networks for image-oriented classification; coarse segmentation using image-oriented classification based on deep learning; a revamped plus augmented 3D display, processing and analysis offer; and support for HDR imaging. A companion update also introduces enhancements to the MIL CoPilot interactive environment, including support for training a deep neural network. www.matrox.com

Protection from a distance WITH A team of engineers, designers and in close cooperation with Klotz AIS GmbH, Klotz Communications has developed Sentr y, a personal distance projector that can be attached to clothes and shows the safe distance on the floor in front of the user. It projects a graphic display on the floor in front of the wearer, making it easier to maintain and control an appropriate minimum distance. The aim of

the device is twofold: to remind the wearer that they have to be careful and should avoid any risk, but also to provide companies with a tool to protect their staff and the workforce on the whole.

Sentr y can also be used by exhibitions, museums, spor ts and other locations to maintain safe distances and therefore reopen their facilities step-by-step. www.klotz-ais.com

ROE adds processing platform Avolites serves an ace WITH VIDEO content and projection mapping becoming major components in many installations, Avolites has released its Q Series media ser vers along with Ai v12.1 with the Pioneer Pro DJ Link Bridge integration software.

The Q Series comprises the Q3, Q3pro, Q4 and Qgen to suit various user requirements.

THE HELIOS processing platform is the result of a close cooperation between ROE Visual and Megapixel VR who have combined forces and their knowledge of LED and processing technology to produce a processing platform that “reimagines processing from the ground up to support large-format LED displays for use in demanding pro AV application”. The Helios processor will be exclusively available for ROE Visual LED screens.

The inputs and outputs of the Helios LED processing platform use SFP+ ports so that the processor capacity can be scaled to meet user requirements. In addition, Helios works as an AVoIP-based system – multiple units can be used to create a redundant

system and multiple inputs can be stitched to achieve canvas resolutions up to 16K wide.

“One key advantage of the Helios processing platform is its scalability – you can invest in this system to have it grow with your demands. Starting with a Helios Junior package, you can scale the system up to become a fully fledged 8K processing system,” commented Victor Kortekaas, technical manager for ROE Visual. The platform works with a range of ROE Visual LED panels, such as Sapphire, Diamond, Amber, Jasper and the recently released Ruby and Black Quartz LED platforms.

comes with four 4K outputs and flexible input modules so users can design the server to meet “the most demanding needs”. With the rise in use of interactive real-time generative content providers like Notch, the Qgen provides three 4K outputs and a Nvidia graphics card that can deliver around 30,000 Notch marks and a two-year Notch playback licence.

Q3 The Q3 provides one 4K output, two HD outputs and a separate GUI output and has been developed for mid-sized venues.

The Q3 Pro has been designed for more demanding venues with two 4K outputs and one HD along with EDID managed HDMI outputs. The Q4 is for large venues and advanced installations and

Key features of the Ai v12.1 release include a codebase to suppor t 64-bit architecture and compatibility with the latest Notch blocks. Ai will now work on 64-bit versions of Windows and suppor t 64-bit Synergy and USB Exper t. www.avolites.com

www.roevisual.com

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PRODUCTS

Improved sensors for lipstick cameras FOLLOWING THE success of the CV225 lipstick camera, a nextgeneration model from Marshall Electronics has integrated sensor technology said to improve the colour, clarity and low-light attributes as well as a new flexible 3GSDI cable. The CV226 lipstick cameras make use of sensor technology with 2.5 million pixels and improved pixel depth to capture video through a single 3GSDI output in 1920x1080i, 1920x1080p and 1280x720p resolutions. The new model also adds selectable frame rates on a single chip to include 60, 59.94, 50, 30, 29.97, 25/24 and 23.98fps output formats.

The CV226’s 3m breakout cable allows for remote control and adjustment via VISCA over RS-485 twisted-pair wire and can be

controlled remotely using the Marshall CV-RCP-V2 Touchscreen RCP controller software, free to download, with an RS-485 to USB adapter.

The microphone’s all-weather design and ¼-20 mount allows for mounting options in outdoor or hidden locations. It is rated to withstand dust, sand or full submersion up to 1m for several hours. The manufacturer’s recently released CVM-6 adhesive camera mount kit provides various mounting options for the CV226 with a lipstick camera clip and ¼-20 mounts. The CVM-6 also includes two 3M adhesive pads and adjustable ball mounts for use with other Marshall POV cameras.

In addition to the CV226, the upgraded line also includes the CV503, CV506, CV344 and CV346, with the manufacturer claiming to have improved upon “nearly every feature” that has led to their adoption in broadcast and pro AV applications. www.marshall-usa.com

Panasonic follows the stream A NEW studio camera that can be upgraded to support 4K has been introduced by Panasonic alongside a new PTZ model. Designed for broadcast applications, the AK-HC3900GJ/ GSJ is equipped with a large sensor for high sensitivity and video quality. By combining the AK-HCU250PJ/PSJ or HCU250EJ/ESJ camera control units (CCUs) and the AK-HRP250GJ remote operation panel (ROP), it is reportedly possible to construct a long-distance optical fibre transmission studio camera system at low cost.

AK-HC3900 Multiple formats are supported, including 1080/59.94p and 720/59.94p. Native 4K output with horizontal resolution of 2,000 TV lines can be achieved with the 4K upgrade (with the 4K optional accessory equipped on the CCU). IP connection between the CCU and ROP is also supported, in addition to serial connection. PoE power supply is also provided.

In addition to the studio camera, Panasonic has introduced its first 4K PTZ camera that supports NDI and SRT. Also compatible with 12G-SDI outputs, the camera suits a range

AW-UE100 of applications from livestreaming of events to studio production. High-bandwidth NDI that can transmit 4K video at speeds of up to 250Mbps, and full HD video up to 100Mbps, is included to provide low-latency live video transmission over a single LAN cable. High-efficiency, low-bandwidth NDI | HX is also included to enable video transmission at low bitrates. SRT is supported to maintain stability while transmitting high-quality video, even in unstable network environments, and RTMP/ RTMPS provides direct streaming to live broadcasting services such as YouTube Live and Facebook Live. A wide-angle lens with a horizontal angle of view of 74.1° enables a wide area to be shot from a limited installation space, and 24x optical zoom maintains image quality at high zoom ratios. The camera ships in black (AW-UE100K) and white (AW-UE100W) versions. www.business.panasonic.com

Magewell stays versatile FOR USERS who don’t require NDI support, Magewell has released the Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI 4K, which offers the same features as the Pro Convert for NDI to HDMI 4K such as support for protocols including RTSP, RTMP, UDP, RTP and HTTP streaming. The new converter uses an HDMI 2.0 interface to decode input streams up to 4196x2160 at full 60fps for output to baseband monitors, projectors, production or distribution equipment.

Designed for multi-site video distribution, IMAG, videowalls, digital signage, remote production or bridging legacy and nextgeneration media infrastructures, the compact device optimises output parameters based on EDID metadata of the connected HDMI display, while FPGA-based video processing enables high-quality

up/down conversion between HD and 4K. The Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI 4K measures 3.97 inches x 2.4 inches with a height of 0.92 inches and is powered via an external adapter or PoE. Users can also manage advanced features via on-unit controls, a browser-based inter face or a connected keyboard or mouse. www.magewell.com

AMX DVX goes 4K60 4:4:4

DX-TX-4K60 TWO NEW presentation switchers from AMX aim to simplify AV control for medium and large conference rooms where high video resolution for critical viewing applications is crucial. The new AMX Enova DVX presentation switchers combine full 4K60 4:4:4 video support with Harman technologies such as a Crown DriveCore amplifier and BSS Audio signal processing, as well as Dante and AES67 support.

Both the 8x4+2 DVX-3266-4K and 6x2+1 DVX-2265-4K switchers are fully compatible

66 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

with existing DXLink 4K60 transmitters and receivers, enabling the distribution of full 4K60 4:4:4 over distances up to 100m using a standard category cable. They also support HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2.

Together with six microphone inputs, the switchers house a built-in 120W DriveCore amplifier which is capable of driving 8Ω or 70V/100V speakers. BSS Audio processing and Advanced Feedback Suppression from dbx is said to help prevent common audio problems. New DXLink ports support video,

USB 2.0, audio, network, power and control over a single cable, reportedly making setup quick and simple. Additionally, DXLink inputs and outputs on the new DVX models are compatible with standard HDBaseT devices such as cameras and projectors.

Alongside the new switchers, AMX has launched a new line of 4K60 4:4:4 twisted pair and fibre I/O boards for AMX Enova

DVX-3266-4K rear connections

DGX 100 Series AV matrix switchers.

Included in the 4K60 suite are eight new products, including AMX DXLink 4K60 HDMI transmitters and receivers and AMX Enova DGX 4K60 input and output boards, each available in either twisted pair or fibre variants. www.amx.com

BUSINESS: BUSINESS:R&D R&D BUSINESS: BUSINESS: R&D R&D BUSINESS: BUSINESS: R&D R&D BUSINESS: BUSINESS: TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY

TS TS &D D

BUSINESS: BUSINESS: R&D R&D PRODUCTS PRODUCTS BUSINESS: BUSINESS: R&D R&D PRODUCTS

Soundmanagement management NanoLumens Sound Christie redesigns experiences micro evolution Engage Series

political political skills skills as as well well as as technical technical ones. ones. am Idrive am proud proud that that Furthermore, Furthermore, third-party third-party companies companies have have specialised specialised ininmaking making Dante Dante bridge, bridge, you you then split split that thatoffoff into intothe the Dante Dantenetwork network different different approach.

US US companies companies tend tend toI to drive tothen tomarket market as as tworks orks are are invisible invisible toapproach. toeach each other,’ with th different different contents contents from from aother,’ acentral central or we we have have made made something something elegant elegant and and versatile, versatile, with with a a new new these these hiding hiding accessories accessories and and there there are are already already some some available available where where that that is isthen then shared shared between between theFOH FOHconsole, console,the the fast fast as as they they can can and andthey’ll they’ll fixfixthe the issues issues later. later.

That That is isnot not the the the one epplications is isconnected connected to to arange abroadcast broadcast truck, truck, applications really really range from from the the ogo go aesthetic aesthetic and andsimple simple accessories, accessories, which which manages manages tothe toThat retain retain for forour new new design. design.

That was wasagain again one oneofof the the things things wewe learnt learnt recording recording console, console, the broadcast broadcast console, console, the the OB OB truck truck and and way way that that Yamaha Yamaha sells sells new newproducts products toour toits its customers.’ customers.’ nvisible invisible to to the the broadcast broadcast truck truck and and mplex,’ plex,’ clarifies clarifies Moreno.

Moreno. n. a is acompletely connection connection to toNexo’s Nexo’s history. history. from from the the R&D R&Dteam’s team’s work.’ work.’ all all of of that that audio audio is is available available to to all all the the desks. desks.

It’s It’s bi-directional bi-directional While While this this first first product product has has drawn drawn deeply deeply on on the the Yamaha Yamaha in there there is completely invisible invisible to to the the eone one field field Holoplot Holoplot hopes hopes to to e, SOVICOHAS HASunveiled unveileditsitsDS-26N DS-26Nand and XLR XLRbalanced balancedinput inputand andattenuator attenuatorcontrol. control.

This highlights highlights one one ofofthe the major major too, too, soso iffuture ifyou youwant want toThis totake take audio audioback back from from the the broadcast broadcasttruck, truck, SOVICO quality quality process, MrMrReid Reid believes believes that that future collaborations collaborations digital gital equivalent equivalent ofprocess, ofa atransformer transformer se perhaps perhaps the theclearest clearest example example ofof DS-48Nspeaker speakermanagement managementsystem. system.

It Ithas hasa anominal nominalimpedance impedanceofof8Ω 8Ωand anda a from from DS-48N advantages advantages that thatDPA DPA has has seen seen Nexo Nexo has has achieved achieved longevity longevity with with products products such as as the the audience audience mics mics or orthe theambience, ambience, wewe can can ask askthe the will will see see other other elements elements come come tosuch tothe thefore. fore.

‘We ‘We are aregetting getting onhance no possible possible interaction interaction between between the the enhance speech speech intelligibility intelligibility and and The Thetwo-in/six-out two-in/six-out(DS-26N) (DS-26N)and andfour-in/ four-in/ voice voicecoil coildiameter diameterofof25mm.

25mm.Manufactured Manufactured taking takingthis this approach approach tothe tothe the broadcast broadcast truck totosend send ususananambient ambient feed feed back backinto into the the the best best out out ofand of both both companies. companies.

We Wehave have atruck aYamaha Yamaha quality quality such such asas the the PS PS Series, Series, which which has has been been around around he themost most composite composite and hectic hectic eight-out eight-out (DS-48N) (DS-48N) products products incorporate incorporate from from medium-density medium-density fibreboard fibreboard (12mm), (12mm), R&D R&D process. process.

‘Having ‘Having the the network and andwe we can can pick pickthat thatupupwhere whereever everwewewant. want.It Itgives gives control control process process that that fits fits the the broader broader Yamaha Yamaha brand brand and and ewo twoseparate separate networks networks offers offers some some for for 25 25 years. years.

Can Can you you do do itnetwork itagain? again?

32-bitDSP DSPand anda a24-bit 24-bitAD/DA AD/DAconverter. converter. the thespeaker speakerincludes includesa afemale femaleXLR XLRinput input R&D R&D team team seeing seeing LED NanoLumens has you you ato atremendous amount amount ofofflexibility flexibilityabout about where where the the audio audio 32-bit we’re we’reconvinced working working out out how how weweuse usethat that to betremendous becompetitive competitive inMANUFACTURER inthe the rriday day ismuseums isequally equally convinced that that efrom from museums – –totocreate create ‘focused ‘focused JC: JC: Not Notjust just PS, PS, we we see see many many Alpha Alpha systems systems still still on on the the Each Eachinput inputand andoutput outputchannel channelcomes comeswith with and anda a1.5mm 1.5mmmetal metalgrille grillebacked backedwith with what what our our customers customers are are doing doing was was brilliant,’ brilliant,’ revamped its Engage Series into a line goes goes to to and and it it allows allows you you to to build build up up very very large large complex complex audio audio ever-growing ever-growing UC UC market. market.

Is Is everything everything you you need need to to do do for for ve live environment environment is is a a positive positive thing thing rsive ive soundscapes’ soundscapes’ – – to to conferences, conferences, l road today. today. the the market market has haswhat changed; changed; we we‘That cannot cannot aspire aspire 10-band 10-bandparametric parametricEQ, EQ,while whileeach eachinput input black blackacoustic acousticfoam. foam.The Thespeaker speakerisisfitted fitted says says Mørch.

Mørch.

‘That way itand was not not conveyed conveyed via ofway display cabinetry for networks networks quite quite simply simply and very veryinexpensively inexpensively because because it itisvia is aroad ahigh-end high-end piece piece ofeven of equipment equipment what you you need need to to do domore for for aitwas amainstream ers ffers the example example ofand ofaBut aBut conventional conventional peech ech intelligibility intelligibility and more more even will ll the toUS$150 to25 25 years years ofexhibitions of longevity longevity now nowand, and, although although we’d we’d like to, to, we we several several people, people, itlike itwas was direct. direct.

They They could could see seewhat whatthey theywere were users in need of a “simple and stress-free using using standard standard switches switches and and Cat-5 Cat-5 cable.’ cable.’

US$150 USB USB speakerphone? speakerphone?

Probably Probably not. not.

That’s That’s what what we’re we’re FOH H console console and and a a monitor monitor console, console, etail ail spaces spaces and and art art exhibitions are are ere here cannot cannot remake remake the success success offorward. ofthe the PS PS Series.

Series.

Manufacturers Manufacturers designing designing because because they they knew knew what what the the pain pain was, was, they they didn’t didn’t hat. that.

They They are arethrilled thrilled tothe to see see that that we we solution”.

The new products reduce power Expanding Expanding the the Live Live family family into into different different markets markets was was always always investigating investigating now now as we we go go forward.

We’re We’re discussing discussing what what w onatechnology, atechnology, separate separate console console and and aas afeed feed the ron the in inorder order to to create create are are releasing releasing new new products products at at an an ever-faster ever-faster rate rate and, and, at at have have to to guess guess what what they they were were designing designing for.’ for.’ ave have used used some some of of the the input input that that consumption using a But common cathode and going goingtotobe be the thesensible sensible option optionfor forSSL. SSL. Butbybyembracing embracing really really makes makes sense sense from from a ago-to-market go-to-market perspective perspective and and We ‘We have have some some conventional conventional Madi Madi gexperiences, experiences, and and it’s it’s one onearea area that that the the higher end end of ofthe the market, market, the the lifecycle lifecycle ofare. of professional professional The The combined combined result result ofnetworking ofthe thenew new capsules capsules and and accessories accessories e we got got from the the round round the the world world tour tourexpectations are built with cabinets that include a native the the potential potential of of audio audio networking for for the theconcert concert market, market, the the establishing establishing what what customer customer expectations are. hich which isfrom is connected connected directly directly to to the the apitalise italise on on inhigher inthe the Middle Middle East.

East.

‘So ‘So loudspeakers loudspeakers isthat isshorter shorter than thanbefore, before, despite despite rental rental values values ismanufacturer issomething something the the manufacturer manufacturer isthat isclearly clearly taking taking a alot lotofof pride pride omake make it it better. better. the company’s display network management 16:9 aspect so that users can import manufacturer has has shown shown that thatallratio all that time time in in development development has has want a simple solution without complicated ‘This ‘Thiswill will bebe the the first first ofgoes ofmany many products products ononthe the collaborative collaborative twork,’ he heMiddle begins. begins.

‘The ‘The Madi Madi I/O I/O goes ted dork,’ in inthe the Middle East East that follow follow reducing. reducing.

This This scenario scenario makes makes the the versatility versatility of ofthe the P12 P12 from. from.

‘Itwell ‘Itis is aspent. avery very exclusive exclusive product,’ product,’ concludes Nielsen.

Nielsen.

‘We ‘We et get isinto isthat that itside itfits fits perfectly perfectly and and ittimes, itcan can platform, AWARE, which includes BrightSign’s and display HD, 4Kconcludes and all other 16:9 guesswork. been been well spent. side from from the the two two companies,’ companies,’ he he continues. continues.

‘We’re ‘We’re looking looking tothat tothat ctly ectly into the the monitor monitor console console to to run run There’s There’s an an innate innate passion passion shines shines through through when when Born Born result t result in in high high reverberation reverberation times, DS-26N DS-26N even even more more interesting interesting when you consider consider the the ROI ROI forforone one know know that that the the combination combination ofofsmaller smaller and better better is isin inhigh high ntinues.

‘With ‘With the the benefits benefits from from media player. content without any‘I and issues.

Following NanoLumens’ new partnership further further leverage leverage our our products. products.

We We have have wireless wireless microphones microphones eabsolute absolute minimum minimum latency latency between between discusses discusses the the product product development. development.

‘Ireformatting just just love lovemaking making glass, fontinues. glass, concrete concrete and and the thedesign design ofwhen of you product product that that can can fitDSPs fit every every application. application. demand. demand.

I for think I for think that that we we are going going to to open open some some new new that the the clip clip on on the the back back of of the the NanoLumens has developed the products www.solidstatelogic.com www.solidstatelogic.com CEO CEO Roman Roman Sick Sick collecting collecting an an award award atmicrophones atSXSW SXSW and and Yamaha-built Yamaha-built DSPs and and other other systems systems mixing mixing in in very very ehat /O I/Oand and the the monitor monitor board. board.

Via Via the the microphones,’ microphones,’ he he smiles. smiles.

‘Iare ‘Ithink think about about microphones atdoors atdoors home, home, with BrightSign, the redesigned Engage ology, ogy, with with its itssteering steering capabilities, capabilities, THE THE INSTALLATION-SPECIFIC INSTALLATION-SPECIFIC KSLi KSLi System System frequencies, frequencies, in part part due due to to the the geometry geometry Image Image courtesy of of Katrina Katrina Barber Barber atin at Getty Getty Images Images itcourtesy it due duetomicrophones tothe the size size mainly, mainly, and and I also Inew also think think that that a anumber things things where wherewe we wondered, wondered, www.nanolumens.com for users that are to the industry who Series will be accompanied by an update to Iwith think Iwith think about about microphones when when I’m I’m eating eating breakfast. breakfast.

I number just I just ons sfofthose tothose tocreate create intelligible intelligible speech speech inin from from d&b d&b audiotechnik audiotechnik features features the the KSLi8/ KSLi8/ of of two two front-facing front-facing 10-inch 10-inch drivers drivers and and two two channelalso alsofeatures featurestwo-band two-banddynamic dynamicEQ. EQ. with withM5 M5suspension suspensionpoints, points,measures measures of of our our customers customers will will switch switch to to that that one. one.

My My gut gut feeling feeling ishard. isthat that channel of this this before?’ before?’

Do Do you you see see a a strong strong future future for for point point source source love love what what I do.

I do.

Of Of course, course, some some of of those those decisions decisions are are hard.

Moreno. oreno.

Other Other potentially potentially strong strong cts s particular particular needs. needs.

‘We ‘We needed needed toit’s towith get get away away from from fixed fixed‘But and and output outputcards cards oror4-channel 4-channel GPIO GPIO cards cardsand forforeither either input input relation relation toto to its itsacoustic acoustic outline,’ outline,’ notes notes Oliver Oliver Thomas.

Thomas.

‘But KSLi12 KSLi12 loudspeakers, loudspeakers, combined combined with the the side-firing side-firing 8-inch 8-inch drivers, drivers, which which couple couple Presets Presets are are included included for for a avariety variety ofvaried. ofSAC SAC 170mm 170mm xthere x170mm 170mm xjust x170mm 170mm weighs weighs it’s going going tothe tobe be good.’ good.’ only onlyaccessory accessory to benefit benefit from from the the varied.

You Youwant want to togogoinin there and and just make makea and aphone phone call calloror high-end high-end audio audio applications. applications.

For higher-end higher-end rooms, rooms, you you could could technology? technology?

‘The ‘The liberal liberal use use of ofthe the word word “immersive” “immersive” is is why why it’s it’sThen We We started started the project project with with only only one one cable cable at at 1.6mm.

1.6mm.

ThenweweFor yhe nclude include Europe Europe and and Asia.

Asia. architecture architecture and and focus focus on on creating creating athe atruly truly modular ororoutput. output.The The integrated integrated4x4 4x4Dante Dantecard cardisissomething something the the best best takeaway takeaway was was looking looking atatthe type type ofmodular ofengineering engineering KSLi-SUB/KSLi-GSUB KSLi-SUB/KSLi-GSUB subwoofers, subwoofers, the the new new and and apply apply cardioid cardioid techniques techniques to to cause cause speakers speakers and and systems. systems.

With With a a balanced balanced 2.6kg.

2.6kg.

060 6060 lavalier, lavalier, we we made made a a new new version version you youwant wanttotogogoininthere thereand andmake makea avideo videocall callororyou youwant wanttotogogo imagine imagine us us combining combining our wireless wirelessand andwired wiredmicrophone microphone becoming becoming difficult difficult toto bring bring aand atruly truly immersive immersive solution solution totoour spoke spoke totothe the theatre theatre guys guys and they they said, said,“we “we really really would would like like ehhe business business benefits benefits itcount itthinks thinks itsits erent ent challenge. challenge.

We We did did an an awful awful lotlot audio gh render render channel channel count immersive immersive audio design design DSP DSP system. system.

So So with with Solaro, Solaro, we we took took the theapproach approach ofofa abonus bonusfeature featureforforthe theuser, user,asasassured assuredflexibility flexibilityisis and and design design process process for for ayou acompany company making making products products that that will willlow-frequency nd and JC: JC: In In my my opinion, opinion, point point source source will will increase increase in inpopularity popularity 40D 40D high-performance high-performance installation installation amplifier amplifier directivity directivity with low-frequency headroom. headroom. input input impedance impedance of of 20KΩ 20KΩ and andoutput output www.dpamicrophones.com www.dpamicrophones.com at instead instead of of taking taking the the mic mic out, out, ininthere thereand anddodonothing nothingbut butput putyour yourslides slidesupupononthe thescreen. screen. technologies technologies with with some some ofoftheir theirDSP DSP technology technology toto address address the the the the market market and and get getnoticed noticed all all the the noise around.

Truly Truly a a 1mm 1mm cable cable because because it’s it’swith a with alotwith loteasier easier tonoise tohide”. hide”.

Iaround. said, I said, “well, “well, There ere are are lots lots of ofoperational operational costcostwinPlex nPlex and and having having the the patience patience toyou to to to adopt adopt aa amodular modular I/O I/O architecture architecture in inorder order to toimmersive provided provided bybywww.sovico.co.kr the thecombination combinationofofany anycard cardtype typeand andany any be be used used in in arotable apretty pretty harsh harsh environment environment and andgoing going through through ucts. ts. www.sovico.co.kr for for two two reasons. reasons.

Firstly, Firstly, the the growing growing interest interest in in immersive plus plus avia avia catalogue catalogue of of system-specific system-specific The The flown flown KSLi-SUB KSLi-SUB or or ground-stacked ground-stacked impedanceofof100KΩ, 100KΩ,the thesystems systems provide providerooms rent position position a rotable design,’ design,’ CHRISTIE HAS debuted Active 3Dknow for its THE LEDFUSION A160 by Calibre has been The display includes Calibre’s HQPro1000 Conference Conference rooms everywhere everywhere get getused used like likethat that allallthe thetime, time, boardrooms boardrooms ofexperience ofthe the world.’ world.’ know where where to to put put those those channels, channels, they they wouldn’t wouldn’t even even know know tered filtered so that that they’re they’re not not confused confused immersive immersive sound, sound, from from our our point point of of view, view, is isanan experience inand in impedance alright. alright.

Let’s Let’s go go and and do do it”. it”.

The The company company understands understands that that and system stem –so –less less speakers speakers and/or and/or less less and dferent bad, bad, to to make make those those changes changes that that maximise maximise the the I/O I/O requirements requirements per perproject project and and card cardslot. slot. the the steps steps of of validation validation and and testing.’ testing.’

The e audio, audio, which which requires requires lots lots of of cabinets cabinets for for localising localising sound. sound. accessories accessories and and customisation customisation options. options.

KSLi-GSUB KSLi-GSUB have have been been designed designed for for a a frequency frequency response response of of 20Hz 20Hz – – 20kHz 20kHz different t different positions positions so so you you can can clip clip it it MicroTiles LED that provides designed tofeel provide “aproduct complete, integrated scaler/switcher, which created reportedly delivers especially especiallyinincompanies companies where wherethey’ve they’ve createda alot lotofofthese these But But he he isaisequally equally quick quick toas topoint pointout outthat thatthe thecollaboration collaboration what what toflickertodo do with with them. them. at hat are are not not applicable,’ applicable,’ he he reasons. reasons. which which aknew aperson person iswe isable able totofeel dragged dragged into into avirtual virtual space space they they knew that that we needed needed to tohave have this this product as asperfect perfect as mersive ersive setups setups because because less less or ornono sboth both challenging challenging and and rewarding. rewarding.

But But“a robust, reduce reduce unnecessary unnecessary spending.’ spending.’

Making Making systems systems integrators’ integrators’ lives liveseasier, easier,Xilica’s Xilica’s The The PMC PMC sales sales and and marketing marketing team team has has already already set set itsits where Mario Mario Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Nexo’s Nexo’s director director ofofmanufacturing, manufacturing, with withthe thefirst first P12s to to come come off offthe theproduction production line line you u Secondly, Secondly, the the dramatic dramatic improvements improvements in in networking, networking, which which The The KSLi8 KSLi8 and and KSLi12 KSLi12 are areacoustically acoustically applications applications where space space or or weight weight limits limits (–0.5dB) (–0.5dB) and and a asignal-to-noise signal-to-noise ratio ratio ofP12s of conference free 3D experience”.

Using active shuttered 3D solution that can be installed by twoable people inofproducts seamless switching, fast transitions, support smaller smaller conference rooms.’ rooms.’ could could tackle tackle conferencing conferencing ofofany any scale. scale.

‘We ‘We ‘The ‘The barrier barrier tofrom tobusiness business for formost most people people isstill is the the complexities complexities sers users can can filter filter the the database database for for just just that that differs differs from the thephysical physical one, one, while while still being being able totoofproducts it it can can be.’ be.’ required,’ quired,’ adds adds Moreno.

Moreno.

‘This ‘This solution solution to a alaunch launch like like this this with with complete complete atelite elite signals signals can can assist assist remote remote news news teams teams programmingsoftware software– –Xilica XilicaDesigner Designer– – Support Support for for Audinate’s Audinate’s Dante Dante technology, technology, the the sights sights on on the the broadcast broadcast sector sector in in Asia Asia and and Australasia Australasia and and they ey enable enable users users to to deploy deploy large large numbers numbers of of point point source source to to the the mobile mobile KSL KSL System System and and exist. exist.

The The 40D 40D installation installation amplifier amplifier is is >118dB. >118dB. There There is is one oneUSB USBport portonon the the programming ctical ical was was aidentical aidentical key key part,’ part,’ he he continues. continues. glasses, users can view 3D content at 120Hz an hour or less”.

Packed indown aand flight case, for multiple sources and layers, and up to four Importantly, Importantly, MrMr Reid Reid also alsobelieves believesthat thatthe themission-critical mission-critical can can go godown and and up. up.

They They have havepower power amps amps and and speech speech the the design,’ design,’ heimmense hecontinues. continues.

‘Ihuman can ‘Ihuman cando do awill adesign design in in asingle a minute-andminute-androm m the the various various speaker speaker or or projector projector perform perform actions actions that that any any will intuitively intuitively make. make.

For For Despite Despite the the immense amount amount of of planning planning and development development coustic acoustic performance, performance, cross-talk cross-talk we did did our our homework homework on on it. it.

We We could could develops develops into intoa auniversal universal control control platform platform for for introduction introduction of of programmable programmable controls controls and and is is banking banking on on the the result6 result6 toto make make ananimpact impact in in the the region. region.

Are Are you you going going to to build build on on the the P12 P12 and and release release een n the the electronics electronics development development team team that that has has developed the the cabinets cabinets easily. easily.

This This creates creates opportunities opportunities for for new new sound sound are are said said to to deliver deliver the the same same performance performance designed designed for for fixed fixed installations installations and and is is front front panel panel and and RJ45 RJ45 and and RS-485 RS-485 ports ports on on ome come up up with with more more attachments attachments (60Hz per eye) in a‘but 1.25mm pixelAnything pitch.

With the 163-inch LEDFusion A160 isdevelopment under 35mm programme outputs alongside apotentially confidence natureofofthese thesespaces spacesmeans means that thatthere thereis isadeveloped apotentially reinforcement and and all all kinds kinds high-endaudio audioequipment equipmentthat that nature Anything that offers offers greater greater capacity capacity provides provides opportunities opportunities forforofofhigh-end a-half. a-half.

I could Ithat could run run five five designs designs using using different different manufacturers, make ake ityears itacoverage amuch much more more professionally professionally nt ent system, system, which which allows allows users users toitwould towould example, example, if if you you find find yourself yourself immersed immersed inthat ina the amanufacturers, jungle, jungle, you you want want that that went went into into TwinPlex, TwinPlex, it’s it’s safe safe toreinforcement to say say that the development niform uniform coverage over over entire entire audience wo two years ago,’ ago,’ he he adds, adds, ‘but itaudience Solaro’s Solaro’s selectable selectable multi-sampling multi-sampling rates rates for for third-party third-party products. products.

QR1 QR1 connects connects to to a a wide wide ‘We ‘We will will be be looking looking at at China China quite quite aggressively, aggressively, and and I would I would aand arange range of of point point source source speakers? speakers?

MK2 range range ofofNXAMPs, NXAMPs, working working on on the the processing, processing, setups setups design design in in the the entertainment entertainment environment, environment, using using floors, floors, walls walls characteristics: characteristics: full-range full-range broadband described described bywhen by d&b d&b as as the the most most powerful powerful the the back back panel. panel.

The The input input range rangeMK2 is is ≤±5dBu ≤±5dBu But we wefound found especially especially in inthe the film film Active 3D, MicroTiles LED displays UHD thick, bezel-free comes with aarrived 170° viewing monitor output.

Scaling is provided by the vibrant vibrant market. market.

‘People ‘Peoplerecognise recognise that that ease ease ofofuse, use, time time toto we we can can leverage leverage as as we we go go up. up.And And going going down down wewe have have our ourUSB USB improved improved video video quality quality and and performance. performance. different different loudspeaker loudspeaker different different screens screens and and projectors projectors se.’ ase.’ ent, t,ut monitor monitor live live feeds, feeds, route route content tobroadband to to4K tobebe able able to to turn turn around around when you you hear hear an an animal animal from from the the team team hasn’t hasn’t ground ground tobrands, to abrands, ahalt halt now now the the product product has has arrived on on peech speech intelligibility. intelligibility.

It’s It’s not not acontent asystem system probably obably wouldn’t wouldn’t have have sounded sounded asas enhanced enhanced usage usage continue continue to spearhead spearhead Xilica’s Xilica’s range range ofofcontrol control inter inter faces faces including includingthe theoptional optional expect expect the the result6 result6 to toopen open a to anew new market market for forusus there,’ there,’ Class-D re and and protection protection algorithms algorithms in in these these new controllers. controllers. and and ceilings ceilings as as radiating radiating surfaces. surfaces. directivity directivity control, control, extended extended low-frequency four-channel four-channel Class-D installation installation amplifier amplifier ininphones and and the power power is ≤25W. ≤25W. The Theunits units measure measure ecility eal pros pros who who know know what what they they are are content at 120fps at 1,000 nitslow-frequency brightness athose The screen also features HD resolution, manufacturer’s low-latency proprietary HQUltra start, start, and andaudio audio and andvideo video quality quality ofnew ofmeetings meetings are areessential essential phones phones and and they they have have USB USB phones sothe sothere there are are ais alot lot ofofplaces places Network Network blending blending offers offers aclient. anew new level of ofreliability reliability by by and and present present those to to the the client.

Iflevel Ifwe we get get the the job, that’s that’s brilliant, brilliant, le ble to to handle handle the the added added complexities complexities ity and and view view performance performance data data and and back back or ortovia towalk walk toangle. to a a waterfall waterfall that that you you hear hear injob, in the the corner. corner. the the market. market. csic on, on, but but it’s it’s an an important important audio audio ve areal acable cable this this thin thin or orall all four four colours. colours.

XTouch50 XTouch50and andXTouch80 XTouch80programmable programmabletouch touch innovative innovative DSP DSP credentials. credentials.

InInaddition, addition, says says international international sales sales director, director, Miles MilesRoberts, Roberts, adding adding e.’ ’ JC: JC: Actually, Actually, our our next next product product release release is is not not a a loudspeaker; loudspeaker; response response and and enhanced enhanced high-frequency high-frequency its its catalogue. catalogue.

It It features features a a 4.3-inch 4.3-inch colour colour 482mm 482mm x x 192.6mm 192.6mm x x 44mm 44mm (WxDxH) (WxDxH) and and ach h them them anything. anything.

We We can can give give them them a a Christie Link E1000-3D videowall controller.

With athings 1.875mm pitch, 600 nits ofit?’ brightness technology that supports 4K50/60 4:4:4 RGB drivers driversofofmeeting meeting effectiveness effectiveness and andproductivity, productivity, and and they they will will we we can can go go together. together.

USB USBphones, phones,VoIP VoIPconferencing conferencingphones, phones, automatically automatically combining combining cellular cellular connectivity from from multiple multiple and and ifmost don’t don’t I’ve I’ve only onlywasted wasted 30 30 minutes.’ minutes.’ sign, MrMr Singleton is isquick quick toaudio topoint point And, And, most importantly, importantly, to to physically physically and and emotionally emotionally share share ‘Do ‘Do Iifwe have Iwe have some some things that that Ipixel still I connectivity still want want to todo do with with it?’ environments, xgn, environments, where where clear clear audio isis n such such aSingleton agood goodportfolio.’ portfolio.’

Solaro’s Solaro’s design design specification specification adds adds ato adragdragcontrols. controls.

Itof Itcan can also also be be managed managed via via Ethernet Ethernet that that unlike unlike its its European European and and American American competitors, competitors, PMC PMC JD: JD: Ithe think Ito think point point source source isSDVoE isthe the only only way way to go go for for many many parts parts this autumn, autumn, we we will will take take signal signal processing processing Full technical details details of the the P12 P12 can can be be found on on p.58 p.58 ofof resolution. resolution.

With With 80° 80° and and 120° 120° horizontal horizontal display display showing showing athis afor range range of of speaker speaker settings settings weigh weigh 3.1kg.

3.1kg. know y know how how to to hide hide it. it.

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We We can can see see afound a real realmarket market out out there there peripherals peripherals that that do do everything everything –new –audio, audio, video, video, data data– –wewecould could Full mobile mobile network network carriers carriers with with on-demand on-demand satellite satellite connectivity, connectivity, This This has has always always been been the the key key goal goal for TCD. TCD. Clients Clients will will make make CD TCD can can bring bring to adesigned anew new marketplace, marketplace, ecture itecture should should be be designed so so that that that with with the the person person next next to to you. you.

This This delivers delivers that, that, which which isthe isthenew concludes concludes Born.

Born.

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I cost. can I think already already see see great great potential potential for for more more things things with ed fied several several key key features features itmany itbandwidth felt felt could could and and Xilica’s Xilica’s proprietary proprietary XTouch XTouch sur sur faces. faces.

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‘We’ve ‘We’ve brought brought that that to to rplains 7.1 7.1 it’s it’s easy. easy.

When When you’re you’re doing doing 32 32 sor As such, such, the the system system should should be be as as use, e, at at times times being being problematic problematic for for explains Born, Born, ‘whether ‘whether it’s it’s the the cable, cable, Revolabs’ Revolabs’ Phil Phil Marechal Marechal and and Michael Michael Fitch demonstrating demonstrating I/O I/O architecture architecture processors, processors, new new XTouch50 XTouch50 and and XTouch80 XTouch80 controllersuch suchasasAMX AMXand andCrestron.

Crestron.

CCC CCC can can reportedly reportedly create create import import restrictions restrictions but but PMC PMC www.proavl-asia.com/videos/trade-shows www.proavl-asia.com/videos/trade-shows touring touring and and live live use. use.

It’s It’s aquestion question of of cost costvsvsefficiency. efficiency. our our loudspeaker loudspeaker products. products.

Julien Julien has hasbeen ause akey key player player invery inresponse, 100Hz 100Hz –been –20kHz 20kHz frequency frequency response, anparty anpartycontroller hop shop and and pick pick up up the the bits you you need. need.

MNT MNT5 5 the the CS-700 CS-700 at at InfoComm InfoComm 2017 2017 www.christiedigital.com www.calibreuk.com two USB ports, audio output, RS-232 in/out plugged into an OPS. www.yamahacommercialaudio.com www.yamahacommercialaudio.com market market forforthese these smaller smaller rooms rooms where where the the use cases cases are arevery www.thecinemadesigner.com www.dejero.com www.thecinemadesigner.com www.dejero.com dered ndered audio, audio, most most people people wouldn’t wouldn’t igned ned tocontinents to allow allow the the ofa ofvarious various peripherals peripherals etween ween continents asconnection as itconnection itisbits is across across town. town. www.shure.com www.shure.com www.holoplot.com www.holoplot.com t. e he feature feature set’. set’. programmable programmable touch touch controls controls in in addition addition totoexisting existing Mini Mini Just Justasasthe theNeutrino Neutrinoseries serieswas wasupdated updatedtoto claims claims totohave havethe the edge edge ininthe the country, country, having having obtained obtained the the controls controlsand and the the Rio Rioseries series ofofDante DanteI/O I/Ointer inter face facedevices. devices. incorporate incorporateDante Dantenetworking, networking,MrMrChow Chowisiskeeping keeping certification certification for for previous previous products. products. ananeye eyeononnetworking networkingtrends trendswhen whenit itcomes comestotoother other ‘China ‘Chinaisisworking workingout outforforususquite quitewell,’ well,’continues continuesMrMr The Therear rearpanel panelofofthe theQR1 QR1 protocols protocolsononthe themarket. market.‘Xilica ‘Xilicahas hastotoremain remainopenopenRoberts.

Roberts.‘We ‘Weare areexpecting expectingsome somesignificant significantmovement movementwith with minded mindedif ifweweare aretotomaximise maximiseSolaro’s Solaro’spotential,’ potential,’hehe The Thedesign designofofthe theSolaro SolaroFR1 FR1processor processorisisbased basedonon the theresult6. result6.We Wealready alreadyhave havepretty prettylarge largepre-orders pre-ordersfrom from PMC’s PMC’sinternational internationalsales salesdirector directorMiles MilesRoberts Robertsexpects expects stresses. stresses.

Mindful Mindful ofofthe the fact that thatthe thenew newplatform platformallows allows a aLinux Linuxplatform platformand andutilises utilisesXilica XilicaDesigner Designeruniversal universal DMT, DMT,our ourChina Chinaand andHong HongKong Kongdistributor, distributor,sosoweweare arejust just big big things things from fromresult6 result6 infact inChina China Xilica Xilicatotonetwork networkwith withother othermanufacturers, manufacturers,the thecompany company configurationsoftware. software.From Fromthe thefront, front,the the19-inch 19-inch1RU 1RU waiting waitingforforthe theCCC CCCapproval approvaltotocome comethrough throughtotoship shipthem.’ them.’ configuration understands understands that that collaboration collaboration with withother other manufacturers manufacturers chassis chassissimply simplyincorporates incorporatesa afront frontpanel panelOLED OLEDdisplay display demands demandsfrom from his his team. team.‘We ‘Wealways always strive strive for foraccuracy accuracyand and The Thebig bigplans plansforforAsia Asiadodonot notend endthere, there,with withPMC PMCalso also will will bebethe thekey to tofuture future successes. successes.

‘Collaboration ‘Collaboration with with and androtary rotarywheel. wheel.However, However,the thefull fullmodularity modularityofofSolaro Solaro neutrality,’ neutrality,’ hekey hesays. says.

‘That’s ‘That’s the thegoal goalwith with allallofofour ourproducts. products. using usingresult6 result6tototap tapinto intoeducation educationforforradio radioand andtelevision television similar-sized similar-sized companies allows usustotocollectively collectively compete compete becomes becomesevident evidentfrom fromthe therear. rear.Sixteen Sixteencard cardslots slotscan can I suppose I supposeit itiscompanies isa alittle littlebitbitallows like likehigh-resolution high-resolution television. television.

The The production productiontechnologies technologiesand andclassical classicalrecording. recording.‘We ‘Wewere were in in the the market,’ market,’ hehe adds. adds. accept accepteither either2-channel 2-channelaudio audioinput inputand andoutput outputcards cardsoror detail detail gets gets better better with with the themore moremoney moneythat thatisisspent. spent.If Ifyou you already alreadydoing doinginstallations installationsatataround aroundeight eightconservatoireconservatoireJudging Judging by bythe the increased increased market market acceptance acceptance oftwotwos, ofNeutrino Neutrino 4-channelGPIO GPIOcards cardsforforeither eitherinput inputororoutput. output.Providing Providing listen listen totothe the result6 result6 and andput put them themagainst against the thetwotwos, they they type, type,educational educationalestablishments,’ establishments,’continues continuesMrMrRoberts.

Roberts.‘I ‘I 4-channel Asee AUniversal Universal Media Media Controller Controller lies lies at the theheart heart ofstep ofstepinto during during the the past past decade, decade, Solaro Solaro isis poised poised toto take takethis this enhancedflexibility, flexibility,further furthercards cardscan canbebeinserted insertedforforother other will willsound sound very very similar similar inin balance balance when when you you switch switch between between see result6 result6as as the thepoint point where where the theat students students can can intoa a enhanced Solaro.

Solaro.

‘We’ve ‘We’ve witnessed ananincreasing increasing adoption adoption ofopposed of relatively relatively young young company companyto to the next next stage stageofwill ofwill development. development.

I/O I/Orequirements requirementsincluding includingAES/EBU, AES/EBU,USB USBaudio audioand and them, them,which which isisimportant, important, but but the the difference difference bebethat that brand brand like like PMC. PMC. Itwitnessed Itisisreachable reachable and andaffordable affordable asasopposed low-cost low-cost universal universal controllers controllers forforany any device device from fromany any Xilica’s Xilica’s headquarters headquarters inmore inthe the northern northernToronto Toronto suburb suburb of of RS232/485.

RS232/485. the thetwotwos twotwos will willhave havemore resolution, resolution, detail detailand and bebemore more to to our ourother other products. products.

The Theresult6 result6 will will give givestudents students that that going going totobebeput puttotomarket marketare aremuch muchsmaller smallerthan thanwith witha a manufacturer,’ manufacturer,’ furthers furthers Mr Mr Chow.

Chow.

‘A ‘A typical typical installation installation Stouffville inAnd inmany many ways ways symbolises symbolises both both Mr MrChow and the the Operating Operating at ata asample sample rate rate ofof48kHz, 48kHz, Solaro QR1 QR1 uses uses analytical. analytical.And they they should, should, because becausethey they cost cost aChow alotlotand more.’ more.’ quality quality experience experience they theywill will face face inin the the real realworld.’ world.’ product product ofofresult6’s result6’s price. price.

Although Although the theSolaro R&D R&Dcost cost isis higher, higher, Stouffville integrates a adigital processor, processor, active active speakers, speakers, mixers, mixers, company company he’s he’s created. created.

There There may maynot not be be aPMC asign sign totopromote promote same sameinput, input, output outputand and DSP DSPprocessing processingarchitecture architecture The Theresult6 result6 has has broadened broadened horizons horizons for for PMC with with Itintegrates Ithas hasbeen been a digital along long and androcky rockyroad road forfor PMC PMCand andresult6 result6 but, but, the theamount amount per perspeaker speaker isn’t.’ isn’t.’ projectors projectors and andlighting. lighting.

We We have have therefore developed developed this this the the industrious industrious activities activities that thatin liein lie within, within, but butthe the door isis as as the thelarger larger FR1.

FR1.

Named Named for for its its¼-rack ¼-rack dimensions, dimensions, QR1 QR1 imminent imminent and andsimilar similar projects projects the the pipeline pipeline set set todoor toonce once for for Peter PeterThomas Thomas and andhis his team, team, ittherefore itwas wasworth worth the thewait waitand and Although Although the the result6 result6 will willnot not have have the theexact exact same samesound sound controller controller so so that thatit itcould could accommodate accommodate everything everything oneach on open open and and the the atmosphere atmosphere is friendly. friendly.

Ditto DittoSolaro.

Solaro. isdynamics isbased basedon on the the same sameLinux Linuxplatform platform and andincorporates incorporates aa again again excite excite Peter Peter Thomas Thomasis and and his histeam. team. struggle. struggle.

‘In ‘In business, business, you you allocate allocatethe theR&D R&D cost costtotoeach dynamics as as its itspredecessors, predecessors, it itwill willshare share the theone onecommon common one onesingle single software software platform, platform, together together with with allbe,’ allthe the control control dual dual core core processor processor drive drive to toprovide provide modular modular I/O I/Oflexibility. flexibility. product product bybyworking working out out what whatthe the lifetime lifetime will willbe,’ explains explains trait trait that that Peter Peter Thomas Thomas – –who who started started up upthe thecompany company www.xilica.com www.xilica.com options.’ options.’ www.pmc-speakers.com www.pmc-speakers.com Eight Eight card card slots slots can can accept accept either either 2-channel 2-channel audio input input Peter Peter Thomas.

Thomas.‘With ‘Withthe thetwotwos, twotwos,the thenumbers numbersthat thatare are back back in in 1991 1991 with with his his partner partner Adrian Adrian Loader Loader–audio –always always

d&b d&bintroduces introducesthe theKSLi KSLiSystem System

S

BUSINESS: BUSINESS:R&D R&D

Calibre fuses with LED

Three Threeyears yearsofofthis this development developmentwas wasspent spent ensuring ensuringthat thatall allthe the electronics electronicsworked workedperfectly, perfectly, both bothseparately separatelyand andtogether together

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1/4 1/4 PAGE PAGE 1/2 1/4 PAGE PAGE 1/2 PAGE PAGE1/4 May–June May–June 2017 PRO PRO AUDIO AUDIO MEA MEA 97 97 November–December November–December 2017 2017 133 133 January–February January–February 2018 2018 Januar Januar y–Februar y–Februar y 2017 y2019 2019 PRO PRO AVL AVLASIA ASIA ASIA 129 129 July–August July–August May–June May–June 2019 2019 PRO PRO AVL AVL ASIA 129 129

May–June May–June 2020 2020 PRO PRO AVL AVL MEA MEA 57 57 September–October September–October 2017 2017 PRO PRO AVL AVL ASIA ASIA 133 133 September–October September–October 2019 2019 PRO AVL ASIA ASIA 129 129 July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 67

PRODUCTS

Aten stays mobile

Elation creates a wintry scene

THE VE8950/VE8900 Control App from Aten is an iOS- and Android-compatible app that enables mobile control of the VE8950 and VE8900 4K HDMI-over-IP extenders. Designed to help users switch sources/displays and apply and reschedule profiles from their IP video extenders, the Control App provides direct access to VE Manager, which enables preview, monitor and control of

ELATION IS now shipping the first product in its Polar series called the Polar Crisp, a compact and lightweight snow machine that can produce high volumes of naturalistic snow with the capacity to adjust snowflake sizes. The 1,250W machine can project snow up to 12m, while an all-in-one APF (Air Pump Fan) system with an auto-clean feature reportedly lowers the risk of clogging and reduces the need for maintenance.

Built to withstand travel and repeated use, Polar Crisp features a durable aluminium housing and a hanging bracket that doubles as a carry handle, and weighs 15.2kg. A noise-blocking layer of insulation reduces fan noise for quieter operation, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments. The Polar Crisp also uses Magmatic’s Atmosity Premium Snow Fluid (APS-4L) to create a snowflake that mimics

a user’s video sources at any time and in any location. Aten reports that it’s now easier for users to track the latest display schedule and system updates and manage their networked AV system.

Additional features include a simple setup and log-in where users can auto scan the network for devices and tap on any transmitter or receiver to log in, and real-time device monitoring for checking the status of receivers and digital signage content remotely. Users can preview video sources, edit receiver inputs or adjust videowall layouts with the GUI. By selecting the transmitter source and the target receiver via a mobile device, users can switch video sources instantly and also switch a video source to multiple receivers at once. The app provides calendar-based scheduling for checking and revising the display schedule on-the-go to save time and streamline daily operations. www.aten.com

Barco gets Insights from the cloud BARCO HEADED for the cloud when seeking a new solution for enhanced projector management. Barco Insights is a connectivity platform intended to facilitate and simplify remote monitoring and servicing of projectors.

The software cuts out time-consuming and error-prone manual administration as a result of its cloud-based storage of projectors’ usage data and light-source run times, while live dashboards also give real-time information on the operating and environmental conditions of the projectors.

Users can securely access the IoT platform on any device with an internet connection.

The manufacturer promises that there is no complex setup and network configuration required, or no local host PC and special software to install to make it all work.

Rollout of this subscription-based cloud platform is happening in stages throughout 2020. The basic features will be automatically embedded in Barco UDM projectors for the first two years of usage.

the look and feel of actual snow. The snow machine includes an on-board LCD touchscreen control panel with manual and timer control options. It is DMX-512 and RDM controllable and offers wired and wireless remote-control options. www.elationlighting.com

Datavideo takes control DATAVIDEO HAS unveiled two new integrated products: the TPC-700 touch panel interface and the SE-3200 switcher. The TPC700 is described as the best assistant for all 3200 switchers and VGB-2000 presentation systems. Users tap the screen to select different presets and customise each button. Multi-camera virtual studio switching, aux output, crosspoint, Flex Source and PIP assignment can all be accessed via the inter face. The compact design means that the TPC-700 is easy to transport during a live production. It has a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen with an 800x480 resolution, weighs 850g and measures 220mm x 152mm x 79mm (WxHxD).

The SE-3200 is described by Datavideo as its most advanced 12-input 1080p 50/60 switcher. It is equipped with 12 inputs (eight SDI and four HDMI) and nine outputs (six SDI and three HDMI) to help users produce a “sophisticated and professional live event”. The switcher provides full 1080p support on every input and output and a built-in scaler for up and down conversion on each available input. Advanced features include eight PIPs, four upstream keyers for

TPC-700 chromakey, linear and luma keys, two DSKs, two independent animated logos, stinger transitions and a 2D transition DVE. All 3200 switchers come with builtin support for Datavideo CG software which converts a regular HDMI output of a PC or laptop into a fully fledged CG inter face for use with Datavideo’s CG suites. Users can connect up to two displays to all 3200 series switchers for a dual, multi-view output and choose from pre-defined, multi-view layouts. Flex Source reportedly gives users nearly the same power of a 2 M/E switcher, in a 1 M/E switcher. It provides four PIPs with 3D borders, with a background layer and an additional key layer. www.datavideo.com

www.barco.com

Processing the view

APANTAC HAS announced the debut of its 8K Multiviewer. The MiniDE-4-QUHD has a 7680x4320 output resolution and accepts four HDMI 2.0 inputs, four HDMI 2.0 outputs and performs in two modes: multiviewer and videowall processor. In multiviewer mode, users can feed a quad UHD (four 4K inputs) 8K monitor or a 2x2 4K monitor stack and the

68 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

position, size and aspect ratio of the source windows are user-adjustable.

In videowall processor mode, the multiviewer drives four 4K monitors and displays the source signal feeding one of the four inputs in various layouts and in landscape or portrait mode. www.apantac.com

PRODUCTS

NewTek lights a spark IP-BASED VIDEO technology manufacturer NewTek has released two new Spark Plus IO converters designed to simplify the encoding and decoding of video for use in an IP-based workflow through NDI. The Spark Plus IO 4K delivers high bandwidth NDI at full 60p for low latency and high quality in and out over IP. Users can route NDI signals to TV screens or deliver a 4K signal into an NDI workflow. The Spark Plus IO SDI encodes or decodes at rates up to 1080p60 NDI for 3G-SDI environments without disrupting the

content creators to capture and deliver high-quality UHD video with native support for resolutions up to 2160p60 using a 30x optical zoom lens and a high-quality Sony CMOS sensor. Requiring only a single Ethernet connection for setup, power, operation and signal flow, the camera is said to pair perfectly with the TriCaster Mini 4K and TriCaster TC1 for a “configuration-free NDI experience”.

Cameo promotes versatility THE OPUS H5 has been developed by Cameo to provide a versatile beam, spot and washlight hybrid with an 18,000-lumen output and 400,000 lux illuminance at 5m. The small and lightweight moving

www.newtek.com

Opus H5

Spark Plus IO

existing traditional SDI video infrastructure.

Both Sparks come with PoE, simple auto discovery and tally light with NDI support, all packaged in a compact design that is described as durable and easy to mount.

The Spark Plus IO converters reportedly bypass the need for a capture card solution.

They are designed for a quick setup over one Ethernet cable. A web-based interface allows configuration and monitoring from a desktop or mobile browser. The Spark family of converters are reportedly compatible with hundreds of systems, devices and applications that support NDI technology, such as the TriCaster Mini 4K and TriCaster TC1.

NewTek has also unveiled its PTZUHD, said to be the first pan-tilt-zoom camera that transmits full 4Kp60 video directly to NDI-compatible receiving devices across a standard network. The camera allows

PTZUHD

head features an Osram Sirius HRI 470W discharge lamp for bright and parallel beams and a zoom range from 2–42°. The Opus H5 is equipped with a CMY colour mixing system, a colour wheel with 13 dichroic filters, two gobo wheels (rotating and static), two frost filters for flexible wash effects as well as four prisms on two wheels. In addition to DMX, RDM, Art-Net or sACN connectivity options, the Opus H5 can be controlled wirelessly via the integrated W-DMX receiver.

The Evos W7 is an LED wash/beam moving head with 19 40W RGBW and warm-white LEDs. The unit provides 10,500 lumens and a coverage up to 540° horizontally (pan) and 270° vertically (tilt). With a zoom range of 4.5–55°, the Evos W7’s directional light beams can also be asymmetrically shaped using the included Beam Shaper. Users can individually control all of the LEDs with the Single Pixel Control, plus the moving head’s refresh rate can be adjusted in six stages between 800Hz to a maximum of 25kHz. The F4 series comprises three LED Fresnel spotlights in tungsten (3,200K warm-white), daylight (5,600K cold-white) and RGBW full-

colour with tunable white function (1,600–6,500K). With a total output of up to 34,000 lumens (daylight version), the F4 series has been designed to replace traditional 2,000W halogen Fresnel lights and dimmer racks. All F4 models feature a high CRI of >Ra90, an adjustable zoom range from 12–40° as well as 16-bit technology for high-resolution dimming, including four selectable dimming curves and adjustable dimming response. Flicker-free operation is provided by a selectable PWM up to 25kHz. Finally, the H2 series has been designed to provide fixed LED room lighting with flexible DMX control options and high dimmer resolution. Available as full colour, warm white and adjustable daylight versions, the H2 fixtures output up to 17,000 lumens (H2D) with a 180W LED as well as silent and flicker-free operation based on selectable PWM frequencies up to 25kHz. Interchangeable lenses allow the user to adjust the beam angle from 20–45°. The fixtures feature Terminal Block connectors and five-pin XLR connectors for the DMX

Evos W7 signal. Wireless control via W-DMX is also possible. The supplied mounting bracket enables the H2 series to be integrated into truss constructions and wall installations.

Ceiling mounting is possible via an optional mounting kit. www.cameolight.com

Vari-Lite updates a classic CARRYING OVER the size and quality of light from the original VL5, the VL5LED Wash from Vari-Lite comes with an RGBALC colour system, on-board motorised zoom and LED blade lights. The colour system provides lighting designers with a wide range of options, including both pastel and saturated colours from a single fixture. To simplify programming, the SmartColor Control system adjusts the six-colour engine using traditional CYM+CTO mixing control. The colours are then reflected on the Dichro fusion blades that bring the stylings of the original VL5 along with the variable diffusion first seen on the VL6500 Wash.

For further creative options, the VL5LED Wash adds a separate ring of LEDs that light up the Dichro fusion blades a different colour

than the light coming from the source engine.

The fixture has been built for sound-sensitive environments and comes with Standard, Studio and Whisper modes.

The lighting manufacturer has also released the VL800 EventProfile, a high-output framing profile luminaire that offers full CYM+CTO colour mixing. Other features include a small form factor with a fixed colour wheel; static and rotating gobo wheels; and a prism, frost and iris. Multi-mode fan control allows users to adjust settings to control fan noise. The 350W fixture is said to offer a low dB experience across all frequencies and comes with camera-ready frequency adjustment options. It has an IP20 rating and an 8–40° beam angle.

VL5LED Wash

VL800 EventProfile

www.vari-lite.com

July–August 2020 PRO AVL MEA 69

BUSINESS: ANALYSIS

Lending an ear

Mike Dias explains why he founded the In-Ear Monitor International Trade Organization (IEMITO) and how it’s helping its industry members in the current climate TIMING IS EVERYTHING. WHEN IT CAME TO SETTING UP IEMITO, my timing was either impeccable or the worst in history. I started working with in-ear monitors over 20 years ago with Mindy and Jerry Harvey of Ultimate Ears when the company was in its infancy, and I’ve watched this industry grow from the back of a tour bus into the global phenomenon that it is now. I’ve seen it progress from being a novelty to a market sector that generates well over

US$100 million annually. The industry has mushroomed from an initial handful of manufacturers to over 200 IEM makers throughout the world. So, when I recently left my job as director of sales and marketing at Ultimate Ears, many of the IEM manufacturers asked me to set up and run a trade organisation for in-ear monitors. I agreed, but only if it were truly global in scope. IEMITO duly launched at AES New York in October 2019.

I wanted to make sure that we represented all countries and regions. I knew that if we could create a global network, then we would be successful. I also knew that it would not be easy. Many of the founding members had different agendas and competing personal interests, and, of course, there is the human factor of working with your competitors. But, ultimately, I knew that all the manufacturers share the same goals and visions, and that everyone wanted to increase the total overall awareness for IEMs. That’s how IEMITO began. It was established to promote the uses and benefits of IEMs – to bring together in-ear manufacturers, dealers, suppliers, engineers and end users from all over the world to shape the future of the global headphone market. It was an instant hit, with manufacturers joining immediately. While Shure and Sennheiser were founding members, so were in-ear companies from around

70 PRO AVL MEA July–August 2020

Mike Dias the globe, such as QDC in China, FitEar in Japan, Stealth Sonics from Singapore and Vision Ears from Germany.

Console manufacturers including PreSonus and Yamaha even started joining.

And then… live sound reinforcement ground to a complete standstill and the global economy continues to contract with no end in sight. Just like that, the market for in-ears has disappeared. In line with this, the need for a dedicated trade organisation has become either entirely superfluous or infinitely critical. I’d like to believe that it’s the latter – in this time of great isolation, the thing that turns out to matter most is community. We are truly all in this together, and what IEMITO has done since the pandemic began, while specific to the in-ear community, has fundamentals that apply to the entire pro audio industry.

The first thing that we did was assess the situation realistically with the information that we had available. We then thought about the needs of all our community members and stakeholders, asking ourselves what we could do to effect positive change and how we could be a pillar for everyone around us.

Secondly, we’ve been working with all our partners to help those in critical need. We made a substantial donation to touring professionals via Crew Nation, an initiative set up by Live Nation to help touring and venue crews currently out of work, and we’ve worked with each manufacturer to help promote their direct charitable efforts. Each and every one of the IEMITO founding members has given back in ways that they are able to.

Some companies have made significant cash contributions to various music charities, while others have donated equipment or shared expertise. Dr Santucci from Sensaphonics has been giving free hearing health consultations everyday, while JH Audio and Sennheiser have hosted numerous continuing education seminars and sessions. It has been truly heartwarming to watch how each company has stepped up to help their specific communities – not to mention everything they’ve done behind the scenes – and that includes how they have taken care of their employees during these times.

The third thing that we did was to address the feelings of usefulness. People who work in the pro audio industry have a tremendous work ethic. Sound engineers and backline professionals – the true heroes of concert productions – went from working insane hours on tour and being part of something much larger than themselves to finding themselves alone with nothing to do. So, we’ve been finding small projects where people can contribute and feel relevant. Our website is an online repository of unbiased information about in-ear best practices, so we invite any and all touring professionals to contribute guest posts. We give them a platform to share their expertise and their point of view and we give them a place to be needed. We do the same for all our members – we recently started a new programme, the Founder’s Philosophy, giving IEM designers a chance to talk about their design aesthetics and choices.

Of course, we then work with our media partners to secure placement for all these features, so everyone wins. We get to help increase brand awareness for our members, we get to further industry best practices and we get to share great stories.

Finally, and I believe that this is critical, we make a point of staying in touch with all our members – of simply reaching out to check in, and just being available whenever anyone needs anything. It is so easy right now to become overwhelmed by the significant business challenges. But it’s much harder to stay present and positive. It turns out that this is the furthest thing from our mission statement, and it’s certainly not why we started the trade organisation, but it seems to be what’s needed most. Only time will tell. www.inearmonitor.org

AFTER THE SILENCE…

TOGETHER, WE WILL RAISE THE ROOF

UNTIL THEN, PLEASE STAY #SAFEANDSOUND