Installation March 2014 digital edition

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Installation INTERNATIONAL AUDIO, VIDEO AND LIGHTING INTEGRATION

March 2014

Our next presentation Corporate AV goes broadcast p28

InstallAwards – your last chance to enter p10

Houses of worship – making the most of audio? p24

Lighting control – LED is changing the rules p36

See us at prolight+sound Hall 8.0 / Stand K80

...and learn more about

MEDIORNET 2.0 www.riedel.net

WELCOME & CONTENTS

EDITOR’S COMMENT

ISE: remarkable, as ever

‘The challenge for Mike Blackman and his colleagues now is to keep the attendance figure growing while ensuring that ISE doesn’t lose focus’

ONCE AGAIN, Mike Blackman and his team at Integrated Systems Events are to be congratulated for another hugely successful ISE show. The event surpassed just about everyone’s expectations in terms of attendance, reaching a final figure of 51,003, continuing its steep growth trend. It’s easy to forget just how rapidly ISE’s visitor numbers have grown in recent years – it was only in 2011 that they passed 30,000. The aisles and escalators didn’t feel any more crowded to me than last year; doubtless the opening of a third entrance to the show had the desired effect of spreading out the pedestrian traffic more evenly across the RAI. A major part of my ISE experience is my role as editor of the ISE Daily – although fortunately, as in previous years, we had a very able team and so I was able to get out of the newspaper office and out on the showfloor with my (metaphorical) Installation hat on. This was the first year that the Daily expanded into television – with a 15-minute programme each day of the show, accessed online via the official ISE 2014 daily newsletter and also broadcast on screens around the showfloor. The number of clickthroughs that The Daily TV received via the newsletter indicate that it was a welcome addition to the show. (Separately, we were also shooting videos for Installation, which you can find on our website.)

The challenge for Mike and his colleagues now is to keep the attendance figure growing while ensuring that the show doesn’t lose focus. A key strategy for achieving this growth is partnering with external organisations to bring in visitors who fall outside ISE’s primary demographic. So, for example, sports content trade body SVG Europe organised the Sport Facility Integration Summit, and organisations such as digital signage consultancy Invidis, the Themed Entertainment Association (for operators of theme parks and other attractions) and SCHOMS (a purchasing consortium for higher education) all provided tailored offerings to help their particular sectors to get the most value from their ISE visits. There will no doubt be more of these endeavours over the coming years to keep delivering similar levels of growth.

Many people I spoke to remarked on the growing internationalisation of the show – attracting visitors not just from Europe but the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. One could argue that ISE is now bigger than InfoComm (in terms of visitor numbers if not in terms of exhibit space) – although, to make it a like-for-like comparison, the European event would have to match the US InfoComm and CEDIA shows combined. In any case, given that both ISE and InfoComm will always attract the majority of their visitors from their home territories, the meaning of such comparisons is mostly symbolic. However, it’s clear that ISE is growing in importance on the world stage.

I’VE JUST got enough space left to remind you that the deadline for entries for the InstallAwards is approaching rapidly – you have until Friday 14 March to submit your projects. To find out more about how the awards work and why we believe they bring something different to the industry, turn to page 10.

Paddy Baker, Editor, Installation – paddy.baker@intentmedia.co.uk

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NEWS & DATA 4 News 8 Appointments 10 InstallAwards: Enter now!

12 Expos and events 14 Industry data: Smart building market set to grow massively SHOW REVIEWS ISE 2014 p16 FEATURES 24 Houses of worship: Are facilities getting the most from audio?

28 AV in broadcast: Change is afoot thanks to technology convergence 36 Lighting control: LED continues to challenge traditional practices 40 Regional voices: Spain EVENT 42 InstallMarket: An exciting new conference and expo SHOW PREVIEWS Prolight + Sound p44 InfoComm China p50 TECHNOLOGY 52 Showcase: Large LCD displays SOLUTIONS 56 Astana Opera House, Kazakhstan: The biggest names in opera enticed by leading-edge technology 60 Villa, Pistoia, Tuscany: Wide-ranging KNX-driven residential installation 62 Winter Olympics, Sochi: AV companies put on a show 63 Texas Spirit Theater, Austin: Portraying a colourful past 64 Federal Administrative Court, Leipzig: New conference system proves a welcome investment Cover image courtesy of Blackmagic Design

March 2014 3

NEWS NEWPARTNERS Williams Sound has appointed three new distributors – Prase Engineering (Italy), Scandec Systemer (Norway) and Brullov Consulting (Russia). Each will offer Williams Sound’s full line of wireless communication technology. www.brullov.com/en www.prase.it www.scandecasystemer.no www.williamssound.com

CIE-Group has announced a UK distribution partnership with Prague-based 2N. The deal means 2N becomes the latest addition to the CIE-Group product portfolio, providing a range of IP-addressable audio, intercom and door entry systems for the professional AV, telecoms and security sectors. www.2n.cz www.cie-group.com

AED Distribution has taken on the role of official distributor of Robert Juliat products for the Benelux region covering all markets. www.aeddistribution.com www.robertjuliat.com

Alcons Audio has appointed FACE as its Pro-Ribbon Partner for the Netherlands. This means sales and support for the rental and installation market will be handled by the Dutch branch of FACE. To enable this, FACE has extended its team with Reinier Bruijns and Frank De Vos who will represent the Professional & Integration division in the Netherlands. www.alconsaudio.com www.face.be

Cenique has named Stampede as a North American distributor of its IntelliSense digital signage product family. www.cenique.com www.stampedeglobal.com

4 March 2014

WORLD

New AVB momentum, but AES67 shows promise

By David Davies AFTER A rather low-profile period, the audio-video bridging movement announced the first networking bridge certified by the AVB-promoting AVnu Alliance as compliant with every aspect of the relevant IEEE standards at ISE 2014.

Simultaneously, however, revelations centring around the new AES67 standard suggested that the future of networking could be more diffuse than many would have predicted 18 months ago.

Extreme Networks’ Summit X440 switch series – which supports the large-scale rollout of converged network devices such as IP telephones, wireless access points and physical security devices – has become the first to attain AVB certification through a scheme operated by AVnu Alliance in conjunction with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab. “This is the first of many AVnu-certified products to come,” declared Harman International’s Rick Kreifeldt,

AVnu Alliance president (pictured). “After wrapping up our biggest year of growth since inception, we look forward to making strides with more AVnu-certified switches and end-points in 2014.”

A programme for pro video is also on the cards for this year, said Kreifeldt. On a related note, the AVnu Alliance stand featured a demo from Barco showcasing the delivery of AVB with H.264 compression over networks ranging from 1 to 10GbE and beyond.

Karel Buijsse, product manager networking at Barco, said: “With this demo we’ve shown that AVB, though intrinsically Layer 2, can be perfectly integrated into a large network infrastructure through Layer 3 access for wider distribution and management. This makes AVB applicable through the complete AV world.”

It’s an interesting development given audio consultant Roland Hemming’s observation that AVB is “a Layer 2 protocol and this

creates a stumbling block for some applications, especially large projects where you need to route across subnets.

Dante, Ravenna and AES67 allow for Layer 3 and thus don’t have this restriction. Another issue is that the number of AVB-enabled switches is extremely limited and they are significantly more expensive than their equivalent non-AVB enabled counterparts.”

The recent cluster of announcements regarding the Layer 3-oriented AES67 standard, which was published last September, can therefore be seen as significant. Audinate’s Dante

media networking technology will incorporate AES67 transport via a firmware update to be released to OEMs within 12 months, while ALC NetworX stressed that its Ravenna solution is already AES67-compliant.

Andreas Hildebrand, senior product manager at ALC NetworX, said: “Ravenna is the only IP audio distribution technology to offer […] complete AES67 compatibility ‘out of the box’. Indeed, not only is Ravenna AES67 compatible, it largely exceeds AES67’s recommendations at every level.”

Hemming observed that “while AVB may be modified to allow for Layer 3, this is likely to be some way off”. For integrators understandably confused by the continuing panoply of options, however, some form of convergence between the approaches cannot arrive soon enough. www.aes.org www.avnu.org www.barco.com http://ravenna.alcnetworx.com

UK

Eclipse joins AVM Impact THE EMPLOYEES of integrator Eclipse Audio Visual Scotland, based near Glasgow, have moved across to AVM Impact with effect from 1 February 2014.

The five-strong company, which was founded in 2009 by its four directors, works mainly in the corporate space, with recent notable projects for water company Business Stream, pensions consultancy Hymans Robertson and national sport agency Sportscotland.

Jim Coleman, director of

Eclipse (right of picture), said: “Everyone is delighted to be joining AVM Impact. With the ambitious growth plans that AVM Impact has in Scotland, I have no doubt that the range of skills that we can bring to the existing team will help deliver the very best AV design and installation solutions for new and existing clients.” He added that key skills of the Eclipse team are on the technical side, including documentation and programming.

Coleman told Installation

that the team would remain in its existing offices for the next four months at least.

AVM Impact already has Scottish offices in Edinburgh and Perth.

Adrian Robertson (left of picture), AVM Impact’s director for Scotland, said: “I am

delighted that the directors of Eclipse and their team have chosen to join forces with us.

They bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to our ever-expanding Scottish business.” www.eclipse-av.co.uk www.avmimpact.com

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NEWS

Recent highlights

GERMANY

Acquisition creates Teracue eyevis VISUAL display solutions developer eyevis has acquired IPTV and video networking provider Teracue. The announcement came after an ISE 2014 show that saw eyevis leaning towards a more network-based product line with the launch of eyeCON MetaWall 2.0 solution – a product that has since been revealed as a joint effort between the two companies.

Teracue is based in Odelzhausen near Munich, while eyevis is located 170km west in Reutlingen.

Teracue’s employees, as

well as trademark rights, names and patents, have been transferred to a new company, Teracue eyevis. “By that, Teracue’s customers can be assured that the company’s expertise will be maintained in the future and will be further expanded,” explained Michael W Nagel, eyevis CEO. “With the increasing demand on high-quality streaming systems, together with Teracue we are offering unique solutions in the areas of control room, presentation and information, and

broadcast from one source,” underlined Nagel. “Teracue will benefit from our large international sales network which will significantly expand their existing sales channels.” eyevis hopes the acquisition will help the company expand its expertise in streaming as well as signal transmission over standard IP systems, adopting a twopronged approach for its customers by offering both networking and visualisation solutions. www.eyevis.de www.teracue.com

THREE KEY APPOINTMENTS FOR CORE BRANDS Core Brands has appointed three new executives: Yann Connan as director of product management for the audio group; Brett Faulk as executive director, strategic products; and Randall Logan as the director of channel marketing.

AWE BROADENS 4K PORTFOLIO WITH SAMSUNG Custom install distributor AWE has bolstered its ultrahigh definition portfolio with the addition of Samsung’s UE55F9000 and UE65F9000 UHD displays.

CONTROL4 CATCHES SOCHI FEVER Control4 has highlighted three high-tech ski homes worthy of the Sochi treatment with gold, silver and bronze merits. Gold went to One Happo, Hakuba, Japan, which is said to be a world-class smart home.

CEDIA REVEALS RESEARCH FINDINGS CEDIA’s latest research findings include the fact that around 1,250 companies are active in the UK residential CI sector; and that 60% of business comes from retrofit projects.

To read these stories and the rest of our residential coverage, go to

www.installation-international.com

US

ClearOne rewarded for conferencing success CLEARONE has been awarded the 2014 Frost & Sullivan Global Installed Audio Conferencing Systems Market Leadership Award, for its continued innovation in the installed audio conferencing market.

The award is presented to the company that has captured the highest market share and leadership position within its industry. “ClearOne

www.installation-international.com

offers the most comprehensive, sophisticated, and feature-rich product lines on the market today,” said Ashwin Iyer, research director at Frost & Sullivan. “Frost & Sullivan firmly believes that ClearOne’s complete product line of audio conferencing systems, strategic focus on innovation, and product line expansion, as well as large channel partner network, will

help the company maintain its leadership position in the installed audio conferencing market.”

Key factors cited by the research organisation include ClearOne’s complete professional audio conferencing systems product portfolio, its history of product innovation, its well-developed partner ecosystem, and expanded use cases that

allow the company to develop industry-specific solutions.

“We remain focused on delivering superior value for our customers and partners worldwide,” said Zee Hakimoglu, chairman and CEO of ClearOne. “We are honoured to be selected by a prestigious global research organisation such as Frost & Sullivan for this award.” www.clearone.com/fsaward

March 2014 5

NEWS GERMANY

Conference centre wins Sinus Award THE conference centre of engineering component manufacturer Schaeffler Group has been awarded the Sinus – Systems Integration Award in the ‘Corporate’ category, which will be presented during Prolight + Sound 2014.

The award honours the creative use of AV media technology and systems integration. The facility, at Schaeffler’s head office in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, has 13 conference rooms and can accommodate around 1,000 participants. Used for meetings, conferences and exhibitions, the building is flexible: even the main corridor can be included within events.

A highlight is the 330-seat auditorium (pictured). Designed like a cinema, it is fitted with an audio and lighting mixing console, as well as cameras and supplementary stage technology. All equipment in the building is linked via a fibre network, which permits the individual rooms to be configured and controlled via touchpanels.

Sinus Awards go to the various companies involved in the project: in this case the contractors, Franken Lehrmittel Medientechnik Krug &

Langer and Medientechnik Schindler, as well as the Schaeffler Group as customer, each receive an award.

The ceremony will be held in Hall 5.0 at 18:30 on 12 March, during Prolight + Sound.

The Sinus Award is presented every year in a different category. The Awards Committee and jury are composed of representatives of the Professional Lighting & Sound Association of Germany (VPLT) and the European Association of Event Centres (EVVC), as well as experts, representatives of the trade press and Messe Frankfurt. www.prolight-sound.com

US ELECTRONIC dance music star Eric Prydz’ EPIC 2.0 tour features ‘freeform’ lighting design, 3D holograms, and giant, brighter LED-mapping surfaces powered by a mix of Avolites Sapphire consoles and Avolites Media Ai servers. Lighting designer Jaz Bhullar commented: “The main reason we wanted to use the Sapphires is because rather than being a timecoded show where everything snaps completely to the music, we wanted it to be freeform with an organic feel. Avolites desks are perfect for this, and the latest Titan v7 software allowed us to use all the new functions to do some really cool things that we wouldn’t have been able to do on any other desk.” www.avolites.com

Recent highlights ARUP DEPLOYS PEXIP GLOBALLY Building design specialist Arup uses enterprise-wide videoconferencing to connect professionals.

MULTITOUCH DELIVERS EUROPE'S BIGGEST INTERACTIVE RESEARCH WALL MultiTaction rolls out 12-screen turnkey interactive solution for Technische Universität Dresden.

MUSEO DEL DUOMO OPENS WITH ASHLY Sound solution from Ashly at

Cathedral Museum, a key tourist attraction in Milan.

RTI RELEASES CX7 COUNTERTOP USER INTERFACE Versatile solution delivers reliable control designed for mounting on a counter or under a cabinet.

AMX AND LEWIS HELP THE CROFT TO GROW Award-winning automation solution from AMX and Lewis Building Technology helps The Croft stand out in high-end property market.

To read these stories and the rest of our coverage for the architectural and interior design community, go to

www.installation-international.com 6 March 2014

www.installation-international.com

APPOINTMENTS ASHLY AUDIO

Asia-Pacific expansion for audio manufacturer Bardy Hayes and Alex Schloesser are charged with expanding and training the distribution channel in the region ASHLY AUDIO has appointed Bardy Hayes and Alex Schloesser of Global Marketing Management (GMM) as its sales manager and sales engineer, respectively, in the Asia-Pacific region. Hayes will oversee the qualification and appointment of local distributors, as well as monitor sales and marketing goals.

Schloesser will train and support the distribution channel.

Mark Wentling, CEO at Ashly, said: “Alex’s technical training and support capabilities are world class, and Bardy’s able handling of regional planning

ATLONA

and management will allow us to focus our energies on the more strategic side of building Ashly’s channels worldwide.”

“Ashly has a strong and stable brand reputation in the Asia-Pacific region,” said Hayes. “Ashly products sound great, fill real-world needs, and are some of the most reliable in the world. We will work hard to strengthen all of the relationships between the factory and the channel in the Asia-Pacific region. We want to see Ashly in projects of all sizes and across a wide swathe of applications.” www.ashly.com

the continued growth of Community’s international sales.

Pictured (L-R): John Sexton (VP sales), Bardy Hayes, Mark Wentling, Alex Schloesser, Kelly Trader (APAC order/sales admin)

NEW LOEWE

www.communitypro.com

company in new markets worldwide. www.mounts.com

LAWO

SCALA

UK. He has a broad background in training and simulation as well as being a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. www.simulationdisplays.com

SYMETRIX

Atlona has named James Lopez senior director of product management. Reporting to Michael Khain, Atlona’s cofounder and vice president of engineering and product development, Lopez will be responsible for managing the ongoing development of the company’s complete portfolio of distribution and connectivity solutions. Prior to joining Atlona, Lopez held various product marketing and management positions at Logitech, most recently serving as general manager of the company’s digital video surveillance business unit.

Felix Krückels has taken on the newly created role of business development director at Lawo.

He will develop and implement new business ideas, as well as overseeing the advancement of the company. Prior to this he was senior product manager for Lawo’s mc2 mixing console series, Nova routing systems and V__line video solutions.

Former Apple and HewlettPackard executive Peter Orre (pictured) is now managing director at recently formed New Loewe – Loewe’s new operational HQ. Matthias Harsch, who has already laid key foundations for the company’s strategic turnaround as CEO of Loewe, will become co-owner of parent company Panthera with responsibility for international expansion and the development of strategic partnerships. www.loewe.tv/uk

www.lawo.com

PREMIER MOUNTS MARTIN AUDIO

www.atlona.com

8 March 2014

Greg Suchomel has joined the Symetrix team as a field technical sales engineer. Based in New Jersey, US, Suchomel will promote Symetrix products in the east and north-east regions of North America by delivering technical certification and specialisation training to Symetrix partners. www.symetrix.co

WILLIAMS SOUND

www.scala.com

COMMUNITY PROFESSIONAL

Max Lindsay-Johnson has joined Community Professional as international sales manager.

Prior to this he spent time with Duran Audio and Harman Pro. In his new role, Lindsay-Johnson will be charged with ensuring

Michael Schaffer has been named chief financial officer and chief operating officer at Scala. Reporting to Scala CEO Tom Nix, Schaffer will be responsible for the company’s worldwide finance, technology, facilities and human resources functions. Schaffer succeeds Jen Douglas who was brought in as Scala’s CFO in October 2013.

She will remain with the company in an advisory role through her consulting firm, JLD Advisors,

SIMULATION DISPLAYS

Martin Audio has confirmed the appointment of Andreas Weingaertner as its new international account manager.

Based in Bremen, Germany, Weingaertner brings more than 26 years of sales and marketing experience in pro audio to the role – covering all aspects of MI, rental and fixed installations. www.martin-audio.com

The board of directors at Premier Mounts has unanimously elected Richard Pierro as co-chief executive officer. Pierro has been with Premier Mounts for eight years, most recently as general manager. In his new role Pierro will oversee day-to-day global operations and will work alongside Len Dozier, founder and CEO, on growing the

Simulation Displays, part of the Paradigm Group of companies, has announced that Nigel Best has joined the company’s business development team to focus on growth activities in the

Wireless communication technology manufacturer Williams Sound has named Tony Braun as vice president of US sales. He has more than 20 years of sales and sales management experience and has previously spent time with eInstruction and Pearson Education. www.williamssound.com

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INSTALLAWARDS

InstallAwards: don’t miss out!

You’ve only got a few days left to submit your project entries for the inaugural InstallAwards – read on to find out how

TIME IS running out to get your entries in for the first InstallAwards, to be held in London on 12 June. Entries close on Friday 14 March.

We’re looking to recognise the best AV integration projects in the following categories: Public display/retail Education Sports and performing arts Corporate and industrial Residential To reflect the multifaceted nature of installation projects, we will be making three awards in each of these categories: Best Project Award, Teamwork Award and Star Product Award.

Any permanent or semipermanent installation – from anywhere in the world – may be entered, provided it was handed over to the client between 1 March 2013 and 28 February 2014.

There is no fee to enter, and any company or individual can submit up to three entries – either in the same category or across multiple categories.

To enter, download the entry form at www.installawards.com.

To streamline the process, each project is entered for Best Project, plus Teamwork and Star Product Awards if desired;

you only need to complete a single form. Email your completed entry form, along with up to four JPEG images, to installawards@ intentmedia.co.uk.

The awards will be judged by a large panel of independent experts from across the industry, drawn from a wide range of backgrounds. If you would like to offer your services as a judge, please send an email to paddy.baker@ intentmedia.co.uk.

FIFTEEN-YEAR AWARDS There will be two further awards, judged by the Installation team. To coincide with the brand’s 15th anniversary this year, we will present the 15 Years of

Excellence Award. This will be won by a company or organisation that has made a major contribution to the AV installation world – which could be through technology, industry education or leadership.

In addition, we will be awarding the 15 Years of Achievement Award. This will be presented to an individual who, during the lifetime of Installation, has built up a major body of work that has left a lasting impression on the industry.

There is no formal nomination process for these two awards, but we welcome suggestions for deserving companies or individuals via email or social media. www.installawards.com

SPONSORSHIP A wide variety of sponsorship opportunities are available, including sponsorship of award categories and various branding opportunities at the InstallAwards and in the run-up to the event. For details, please contact Ian Graham – ian.graham@intentmedia.co.uk, +44 (0)20 7354 6000.

THE EVENING The awards will be presented at a ceremony at the Hilton London Wembley on the evening of 12 June 2014.

Tickets for the awards are now available, priced at £175 (or £1,495 for a table of 10). The ticket price includes: Pre-dinner drinks reception Entry to the awards Three-course meal Entry to after-party and much more besides.

Contact sara.mather@intentmedia.co.uk for more details.

10 March 2014

www.installation-international.com

INSTALLAWARDS WHY THE INSTALLAWARDS ARE DIFFERENT With fewer than two weeks before the entry deadline for the InstallAwards, I want to share with you some of the thinking behind them. After all, there are other awards events in the industry – so why has Installation thrown its hat into the ring?

Simply put, it’s because we think we can bring something new and different to the awards process. When we set about devising the categories for the InstallAwards, we were keen to come up with a way of recognising all the factors that go into a successful installation. Of course, the overall design of the installation is particularly important – the way the different elements are selected and made to work together is at the heart of what integrators do. So recognising best projects in our various categories was an obvious starting point.

But system designs have to take physical shape, and that requires the input of many different people: consultants, acousticians, product specialists, programmers and others. And then there are the unexpected problems that can crop up mid-project and require creative thinking and possibly calling in the odd favour to solve. So we’re also recognising the best examples of teamwork among the projects that are submitted.

‘Public votes are all well and good for creating a buzz around an awards event, but they’re surely more of a measure of a company's marketing clout and networking ability than about the quality of its products, or their suitability for any given application’ We also wanted to involve manufacturers in the awards process. But how do you compare, say, a 64 x 64 matrix switch against a 64-channel audio console? Well, one way to do it is to judge them in the context of the projects in which they are used: why was this particular model selected? What are the unique characteristics that this installation shows off? Also, by looking at what’s being selected and installed currently, reliable workhorse products get considered as well as those that are being spotlighted by marketing departments at the moment. Plus, by looking at how well projects are served by single products, we have a means whereby projects of different sizes can be compared on a more equal footing.

And then there’s the voting procedure. Public votes are all well and good for creating a buzz around an awards event, but they’re surely more of a measure of a company’s marketing clout and networking ability than about the quality of its products, or their suitability for any given application. We prefer to recruit judges from all around the industry, and invite them to cast their votes.

Apart from our 15th anniversary awards, the winners of which we select ourselves, we don’t get involved at all. We keep the judges’ names secret up to the end of the judging process, to shield them from external influences.

So there you have it. We believe that the InstallAwards offer a different way of recognising and rewarding excellence across a wide variety of installation projects, job roles and technologies – using a process that is objective and transparent. Don’t miss your opportunity to take part in the InstallAwards: entries close on Friday 14 March, and tickets to the awards event, which takes place on Thursday 12 June, are on sale now.

Paddy Baker Editor, Installation

ISCE LENDS ITS SUPPORT We’re pleased to announce that the Institute of Sound and Communications Engineers has come on board as a Supporting Partner of the InstallAwards. ISCE is a professional society, committed to promoting technical excellence within the sound industry. Membership is available for technical and non-technical individuals, as well as corporate members, who show their support for the Institute's aim to improve technical standards and practices. It offers extensive training, online technical advice and networking opportunities at its organised events. The ISCEx2014 exhibition and seminar day is on 5 March 2014 at Holiday inn, Birmingham, UK. www.isce.org.uk www.installation-international.com

March 2014 11

EXPOS & EVENTS

tion Installa

A R T X E ATION CIRCUL

SPOTLIGHT 30 April-1 May PLASA Focus Leeds, UK www.plasafocus.com

EDITORIAL PLANNER APRIL Concert venues Unified communications Tiled displays Showcase: Cables & connectors Technology Guide: Projectors News deadline: 27 March Distribution date: 11 April

PLASA’s regional Focus events continue in April with a return visit to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Exhibitors already confirmed include Audio-Technica, Dynacord/Electro-Voice, Robe and Stage Electrics. Many products will be making their UK debut, fresh from international launches at Prolight + Sound in Frankfurt. In addition, a twoday programme of seminars, training sessions and workshops that are free to attend for all visitors, runs alongside the exhibition.

MAY Command & control Intercoms & paging Room control Showcase: Audio consoles Features submission deadline: 19 March News deadline: 25 April Distribution date: 13 May

EVENTS Your complete events calendar for the months ahead MARCH 30-4 April Light + Building Frankfurt, Germany www.light-building. messefrankfurt.com

9-11 April InfoComm China Beijing, China www.infocommchina.com/en

APRIL 15-17 PALME Middle East Dubai, UAE www.palme-middleeast.com

12 March 2014

30-1 May PLASA Focus Leeds, UK www.plasafocus.com

21-22 Digital Signage Expo 2014 Berlin, Germany www.digitalsignageeurope. com/ds-expo

MAY 8-9 PLASA Focus Nashville, US www.plasafocus.com/nashville

20-23 European Sign Expo Munich, Germany

13-14 Streaming Media East New York, US www.streamingmedia.com

26-29 Palm Expo Beijing, China www.palmexpo.net

18 High End Munich, Germany www.highendsociety.de

JUNE 11-12 ABTT Theatre Show London, UK www.abtttheatreshow.co.uk

18-20 The ARC Show London, UK www.thearcshow.com

16-19 CineEurope Barcelona, Spain www.cinemaexpo.com 17-19 IFSEC Birmingham, UK www.ifsec.co.uk

www.fespa.com/eurosignexpo

18-20 InfoComm 2013 Las Vegas, US www.infocommshow.org AUGUST 26-28 Integrate Expo 2014 Sydney, Australia www.cedia.com.au SEPTEMBER

12 InstallAwards London, UK www.installawards.com

4 Install Market London, UK www.installationinternational.com/events

JUNE Stadium audio Theatre solutions High-resolution projectors Showcase: Videoconferencing equipment Features submission deadline: 16 April News deadline: 19 May Distribution date: 4 June JULY Conference venues 4K Scaling & switching Showcase: Large venue speakers Deadlines/distribution: 16 May; 19 June; 4 July AUGUST Museums & visitor attractions PA/VA Technology for architects Showcase: Projection screens Deadlines/distribution: 12 June; 17 July; 31 July

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INDUSTRY DATA

Buildings are smartening up The global smart building market is set to grow massively over the next few years, with parking management, water management and elevator management systems joining the more traditional services. Steve Montgomery reports MORE TECHNOLOGY is currently being installed to manage and control the internal infrastructure of buildings than ever before and that trend is set to rise dramatically. A new report by Markets and Markets investigates and analyses emerging technologies across the range of different systems and sub-systems that contribute to the total smart building concept.

Buildings today include a number of separate systems that are often operated individually. To optimise the whole building system and maximise the advantage from real-time systems there is a need for a single platform to manage all these together. The smart building concept refers to the integration of all these systems to maximise the efficiency of all components of the building. Through integration, owners benefit from reduced maintenance and operating costs, occupants enjoy a more comfortable and efficient environment while the

expected to increase massively from $2.6 billion in 2013 to $13.6 billion in 2018.

The demand for smart building is very high across the globe.

Europe has the largest share of revenue in the smart building market, followed by North America but in the near future the growth rate is expected to be higher from the APAC region.

This enormous revenue potential has attracted major companies such as Siemens, IBM, Schneider Electric, Cisco and Accenture to provide sophisticated smart building solutions. Currently, the main challenge to the industry is the high initial capital cost, although this is offset by later savings through energy efficiency and reduced operational costs.

HVAC services have been managed and controlled by smart systems for several years as the primary element of energy management of buildings. Smart buildings will further envelop other essential areas such as

$13.6 million Predicted market value in 2018 environment itself benefits from reduced CO2 emissions and energy consumption.

Smart building technologies improve the lifespan of a building by identifying problems immediately or before they occur, enabling corrective measures to be taken.

GROWTH SEGMENTS This report considers the established building automation systems of heating, ventilation and airconditioning (HVAC), energy management, lighting and physical security as well as the expected growth segments of parking management, water management and elevator management systems. Each of these systems is forecast to rise individually in value with compound annual growth rates (CAGR) of 34% to 45% over the five years to 2018.

Collectively, the market is 14 March 2014

physical security, lighting controls and building communication and will evolve to take into consideration less well-established areas as well such as parking management systems, escalators and elevator control.

The value of network equipment within buildings is also set to continue increasing; rising at a rate of around 22% to 29% per year across the three transmission technologies: bus, wireless and Powerline.

Smart building technology has reached the next level and utilises Cloud networking, where automation and control data is analysed remotely and subsequent action is taken for better energy management.

This is creating further potential for the supply of external management and consultancy services. www.marketsandmarkets.com

SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGY SEGMENT REVENUES, $M

$ million

2013

2014*

2015*

2016*

2017*

2018*

CAGR (2013 - 18)

Physical Security

680

915

1,244

1,713

2,357

3,241

Building Energy Management (BEMS)

911

1,244

1,695

2,286

3,012

3,953

34.1%

Building Communication

396

551

809

1,218

1,799

2,591

45.6%

Parking Management

249

355

508

729

1,054

1,530

43.8%

Plumbing and Water Management

264

381

552

801

1,165

1,694

45.0%

Elevators and Escalators Management

112

159

230

332

474

669

43.0%

2,611

3,606

5,038

7,079

9,862

13,677

39.3%

Total

36.7%

Source: Markets and Markets ( * = forecast)

SMART BUILDING-NETWORKING TECHNOLOGIES MARKET, $M

SUB-SEGMENT

2013

2014*

2015*

2016*

2017*

2018*

CAGR (2013 - 18)

Bus Technology

495

625

803

1,038

1,347

1,736

28.6%

Powerline Technology

533

638

777

956

1,167

1,420

21.7%

Wireless Technology

581

740

963

1,238

1,567

1,974

27.7%

1,608

2,003

2,542

3,232

4,080

5,130

26.1%

Total

Source: Markets and Markets (* = forecast) www.installation-international.com

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014

in Installation

Going up to eleven Over the next few pages, we present our highlights from last month’s ISE 2014 – the eleventh since the show started in 2004. We begin with one of the hot topics of the show, 4K, followed by display technologies Brightsign launched its new 4K digital signage media player at ISE 2014. The company claims to be the first to deliver native 4K (3840 x 2160) H.265 playback at 60fps. “Our aim for ISE is to make sure people understand what true 4K is,” explained Jeff Hastings, CEO. “There’s a lot of talk about 4K, but what we’re talking about here is full framerate video 4K. It’s a very different kind of thing.”

Hastings sees 1080p fading quickly in the commercial sector.

“By the end of 2015, everyone will be buying 4K screens. In this space, everything is delivered over the internet so you can get to a 4K workflow with no new infrastructure.”

Crestron noted many of the challenges faced when it comes to the correct distribution of UHD signals in reference to its DigitalMedia distribution system.

The company announced Crestron 4K Certification, whereby manufacturers of 4K sources and displays can apply to have their equipment tested

by Crestron at its new $250,000 facility. If it meets the criteria, then the device goes onto an approved list. This helps Crestron DM customers to guard against common issues that can arise – such as mismatched resolutions, different frame rate considerations and lack of signal integrity – compromising the quality when distributing 4K over long distances. eyevis is addressing the growing demand for 4K by expanding its portfolio of IP decoder boards. The new IPD32HQ board can decode two 4K signals, 16 HD signals or 32 D1 (480i) signals simultaneously.

Along with its little brother the IPD32, the IPD32HQ supports flexible individual codecs as well as customised systems – and both support more than 2,500 camera models from various manufacturers.

Smart-e launched a range of modular 4K transceivers at ISE 2014, offering five-play connectivity of UHD video, audio, control, Ethernet and inline power. Each 4K-compatible module is capable of transmission over 100m of Cat6 cable.

The new 4Konnect family all feature configurations of the new modules built on to a main 16 March 2014

Dr Holger Dahl of 2Signage, whose technology powered M2D – a new service at ISE 2014 where exhibitors could publicise the territories where they were seeking distribution

Smart-e board. Once connected to a Smart-e product, the modules support UHD video, IR, RS-232, 100BaseT Ethernet and remote power (POH), while internal firmware provides for external monitoring of status of module performance, signal integrity and product connection status.

The modules are interchangeable, so the products can easily be configured or repurposed for different combinations and functionality.

Multiple units can be daisychained via local HDMI connections, providing versatility in system design.

Panasonic announced that it is developing a high-brightness 4K projector with pixel-quadrupling technology – producing four different pixels from each pixel.

The company will also be releasing 4K LED displays in 84in and 98in sizes in the autumn.

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES A year on from Barco’s acquisition of projectiondesign, the two brands were exhibiting from a single booth at the show.

The company’s senior VP entertainment, Wim Buyens, told us that the plan had always been to take things slowly after

the acquisition, to help Barco understand its new asset. ISE 2014 marked the end of that transitional period; Buyens revealed that by the time InfoComm rolls around in June, all projector models previously branded projectiondesign will carry the red Barco logo. The devices will still keep the Norwegian technology inside,

and Buyens confirmed that the projectiondesign HQ in Frederikstad will operate under the name Barco Norway from now on.

Barco introduced its new customisable LCD indoor and outdoor digital signage solutions – which comprise the LCD55ix, LCD55ox, LCD72ix and LCD72ox models. The company was also

showing its impressive OverView Seamless Videowall (OSV). The LED-lit rear-projection curved display range incorporates three models and is designed for a multitude of applications, including crisis operation rooms, planning rooms and control rooms, where ‘big data’ display and collaboration facilities are essential.

What’s the best thing about the ISE show?

‘It’s a really important show for the whole industry. From a Harman point of view it’s nice to have one show where high-end home and pro come together. And for the AVnu Alliance, it brings our members together too.’

Rick Kreifeldt, VP research & innovation, corporate technology group, Harman ‘‘We still meet people here who we don’t know.’

Lars-Olof Janflod, marketing and PR director, Genelec ‘The geography that it covers – nearly everywhere outside the US and Asia. So we don’t have to exhibit all over Europe.’

Guy Simmonds, UK sales director, Lutron

‘As well as being a brandbuilding exercise it also lets customers come up and challenge us. It means we find out what people on the street are really up to.’

Stuart Ashton, EMEA director, Blackmagic Design ‘It’s definitely a world show – people come from all over.’

Jeff Hastings, CEO, Brightsign ‘The way it grows – it gets bigger every year. It’s reflecting the market.’

Petra van Meeuwen, EMEA PR manager, Crestron ‘We see a lot more end users coming through the doors – and that’s a way for ISE to grow, as

well as being a challenge.’

Peter van Dijk, business development manager, Mitsubishi Electric ‘The show is really important to us as it brings interested customers with interesting questions and thoughts. Also, unlike some other shows, there isn’t loud music in the halls so you can talk without straining your voice.’

Peter Rieck, key account & distribution manager, Sommer Cable ‘It’s still taking the limelight. Year on year people are choosing Amsterdam over Frankfurt.’

Brett Downing, sales and marketing director, TOA Europe www.installation-international.com

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014

in Installation BenQ had on display a wide range of professional projectors in three main categories: business, education and home.

On the business side, the shortthrow MW621ST is designed for small meetings, producing a 55in image from a distance of just 1m. Using the new Wireless Display feature, the projector can connect to a PC, Mac, iPhone or iPad through a WiFi dongle.

The MW853UST interactive education model features multiscreen calibration. Two MW853USTs can be combined to double the projection area, with up to four PointWrite pens supported. With the Laser Curtain module mounted on top of the screen, up to four fingers or objects can be used to write.

The W1500 home entertainment projector features Triple Flash 144Hz technology for 'flawless' 3D rendering, frame interpolation for ultrasmooth motion quality and the REC709 color gamut for true-tolife colours. It is also the world’s first home projector to feature Wireless Display.

In addition to its projectors, BenQ was also showing flat panels for digital signage and LCD workstation monitors.

ISE newcomer Corning used the show to highlight its Gorilla Glass, which is now being used in whiteboards and markerboards. On show was a 65in and 70in interactive whiteboard and an 18.5in display for medical applications all featuring the tough, thin glass.

Under the slogan “Smarter.

Greener. Together” Delta demonstrated a range of new products. The Ultra Slim series videowall, designed for control rooms, has a depth of less than 535mm, a lightweight design, highly efficient LED light engines, redundant power supplies, auto alignment and

auto colour calibration.

DLP and LCD videowalls powered by Delta’s DVCS (Distributive Vision Control system) and MiNiCON (Embedded Vision Control System) control systems were also on show. The IP-based DVCS supports over 10,000 sources and displays, while MiNiCON delivers up to 60fps performance and stability, regardless of the number of inputs and outputs.

A shootout between a regular white screen and a dnp Denmark Supernova screen had visitors playing their part in calibrating the colour difference in the two.

Also on display was an upgraded version of the Supernova STS screen. This is optimised for ultra-short-throw projectors and, because contrast levels are said to be almost identical, the screen is claimed to provide a costeffective alternative to flatpanels in the 80-100in range. The latest model features improved viewing angles. Visitors were also offered a chance to see the prototype Version 2.0 of the dnp InvisiBezel – dnp’s optical front cover for LCD panels that optically conceals the bezel gap between neighbouring displays.

The versatility of Lighthouse Technologies’ FS25 flexible LED was demonstrated by an eyecatching customised Mini car.

The flexible silicone-based strip, which is available in 6m lengths that can be cut, can be mounted on any shape of surface.

In addition to its 4K offering, Panasonic launched an impressive array of new products as it looked to strengthen its LED and LCD line-up in 2014. New additions in this field include the Full HD TH-65LFE7 65in LED display designed for digital signage applications and mid-sized conference room installations,

ISE 2014: a consultant’s view Not many years ago you could go to ISE and feel you had seen the whole show – now you feel lucky if you’ve covered a single hall. I had around a dozen in-depth meetings – which is less than 2% of the exhibitors – and I dwelled on the stands of maybe another 10%. We took all our six lead consultants, started early and finished late. Even then dividing the show up and making appointments as we did, it’s impossible to cover everything.

The number of geographical markets ISE now serves is amazing. We saw clients from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, South Africa and Asia. Amsterdam is easy to get to from anywhere.

On the display side, it was all about solid-state illumination, bezel wars and 4K. If there wasn’t a large UHD (4K) display on a manufacturer’s booth, it

and the high-brightness TH-47LFX60 Full HD outdoor LED display. Hartmut Kulessa, marketing manager for PSCEU (Panasonic Systems Communications Company Europe), explained: “Stopping plasma manufacture left a few gaps in our line-up in 2013. In 2014 we’re going to eliminate those gaps.”

A highlight on the projector side of the business was the launch of the world’s first 6,000lumen 1-chip DLP laser projectors. The PT-RZ670 and PT-RW630 are additions to the company’s existing Solid Shine line of projectors, and feature 20,000 hours of working life without lamp replacement and flexible, all-angle installation.

They boast 6,000 lumens of brightness, and resolutions are WUXGA and WXGA respectively.

First-time exhibitor Robe,

Installation hosted a drinks reception on its stand on the second afternoon of ISE 2014.

Many thanks to Barco for providing the eye-catching display – which featured a feed from thedaily TV

18 March 2014

was in their ‘whisper suite’.

Samsung’s claim to have the “world’s thinnest ultra narrow bezel” certainly won the battle of the marketing hype.

Panasonic is dealing with massive corporate change head on and their booth was welcoming and informative.

Laser projectors and LED projectors were popping up everywhere. Barco has come back resurgent and Planar has clearly decided to set up camp in Europe – I liked how its stand showed you what you could use each of its products for.

Large LED screens – from companies such as Leyard, Silicon Core and a couple of others – demonstrated they have crossed the threshold where you can use them for presenting data rather than just advertising or signage.

Blair Parkin, Managing director, Visual Acuity

alongside its architectural lighting brand Anolis, was presenting its latest series of small footprint, self-contained, DMX-controlled MiniMe lighting fixtures. The devices contain a little media server in their bases for holding things such as video and pictures, which can be modified by using effects. The company was also demonstrating six new ArcSource outdoor fixtures, with three models in the line-up certified to IP67.

Samsung’s updated Smart Signage Platform was integrated into the company’s large-format displays (LFDs) for ISE. On the stand was a huge ‘multi-vision tower’ combining 54 UD55D LFDs, which feature an ultraslim 3.5mm bezel. The company was also displaying its Magic IWB 3.0, which enables more than two LFDs to operate as a single unit, and allows users to co-operate efficiently by sharing content with laptops and PCs. The company’s Second Generation Smart Signage Platform is “more powerful, more capable and more integrated than the First Generation”, said Graham Long, VP of Samsung’s enterprise business team for UK and Ireland. “It’s powerful enough to support touch overlay on its own, without the need for a set-back box or PC.” The company also debuted a 110in ultra-high-definition screen and a curved highdefinition large-format display.

Sharp had the latest prototype of its collaboration surface, Big Pad, on its stand at the show.

The second-generation touchscreen, which begins shipping in April, incorporates a wide range of new features

including simultaneous writing by up to four people and remote data sharing. Elsewhere on the stand, visitors could see the company’s new 20in LL-P202V Full HD and 24in LL-S242A touchscreen LCD monitors, which are designed for information display and in-store signage in retail, leisure and exhibition environments.

Along with its new family of ultra-short-throw projectors, the Vision Presenter PWA-VP100 was drawing the crowds to the Sony stand at ISE 2014. This 4K visual presentation solution makes it possible to display data from multiple source material and create effective presentations simply. It can be controlled through either a conventional wireless mouse or tablet devices. Interactive operation can be performed regardless of where the system is located. Using Sony’s professional WUXGA projectors, Presenter allows images from two projectors to be ‘tiled’ seamlessly to create super-sized image displays up to 3552 x 1200.

Toshiba Europe used ISE to announce its entry into the business display market. This was the first time this part of Toshiba has attended the show.

On show were smart signage management systems as well as a range of monitors, including hospitality TVs, with integrated ‘hotel mode’ and screen sizes up to 40in, signage TVs with built-in signage display features in sizes up to 50in, 24/7 operation prosignage monitors up to 70in, UHDTVs with 4K display resolution available in sizes up to 84in, and 6-point optical touchscreen bezels available in sizes up to 70in.

There’s a trend towards bigger and bigger stands, often with CXO-level people in attendance from the major players – I’m not sure how useful this is. The unified communications area did not seem a good fit and maybe will end up getting squeezed out as the show expands.

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SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014

in Installation

Smart homes, commercial connections Here we highlight new residential technology at ISE 2014, followed by connectivity products Bang & Olufsen marked its ISE debut by introducing BeoLink Gateway connective technology.

This seamlessly integrates home automation with quality audio and video. It allows one remote, tablet or screen to control everything in the automated home – including Bang & Olufsen’s own TVs and audio equipment as well as hundreds of third-party devices. Up to four devices can be connected directly to BeoSystem 4, a powerful video engine offering an integrated surround sound module. The company also launched BeoSound Essence, a sound system that allows a one-touch remote to deliver premium, but concealed, sound quality. A hidden box that connects to the music device is controlled by the remote, offering connections to digital audio in the Cloud, on a computer, NAS, mobile phone or tablet.

Basalte showed its Sentido switch, which is divided into two or four squares by which two or four functions can be controlled.

The entire surface is touchsensitive. This is complemented by the Deseo room controller, which boasts an integrated

B&O category manager Brian Bjørn Hansen with the BeoLink Gateway

temperature sensor. This ‘innovative square’ – within the size of a standard switch – allows the user to control, via the integrated display, the various functions of a home automation system within each room.

Control4 announced that nearly 60 global brands in consumer electronics, security,

lighting and HVAC have adopted the Control4 Simple Device Discovery Protocol (SDDP). This simplifies the

connection and integration of their products with one another via Control4’s home automation platform.

Making its European debut on the CYP stand was the new home automation processor from DemoPad – the CENTRO 8.

Designed to run with DemoPad’s leading Android and iOS home automation apps, the CENTRO 8 features all of the connectivity and control options necessary for any control and automation requirement. It also allows installers and integrators to offer a cost-effective solution and opens up a whole new sub£5,000 market and revenue stream.

Numerous devices offering KNX connectivity were showcased by manufacturers clustered around the KNX Association hub.

The Corlo Touch KNX display features glass surfaces and chromiumplated

frames. It controls room temperature, sunshade, ventilation and light via the KNX bus system. The touchscreen also displays switches and rotary controllers for manual operation of a building system.

The ITP 1000 VOIP intercom from EMT Controls offers vandalism protection, glass touchscreen technology and an embedded RFID reader. ITP1000 delivers full-motion video over IP intercom, offers wideband audio intercom for clear communication and video security.

The KNX proServ controller, from iKNiX & BleuCommAzur, offers a new product database that enables the design of KNX user interfaces on smartphones, using standard ETS software.

Savant added to its multiroom media distribution family with two HDBaseT receivers.

These are designed to connect the full HDBaseT 5Play feature set in any room, including video, audio, control, power and Ethernet over a single Cat5e/6 cable. They are available as an in-wall solution or as a slender standalone module, designed to

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014 fit in the space between a flatpanel display and the wall or mounting surface behind it.

Also new was the SmartAudio SSA-3220 32 x 20 switch, which is a distributed audio solution housed in a compact 2U rackmountable design. It includes 16 analogue and 16 digital selectable inputs, 20 outputs (16 analogue plus four S/PDIF) for passing analogue line-level audio to an external amplifier.

CONNECTIVITY, CONTROL, COLLABORATION Analog Way showed the two latest additions to its Midra series of mid-range mixers/seamless switchers – Eikos² and Saphyr.

These both feature 10 seamless inputs and 16 input sockets, including four DVI-D, four HDMI and four 3G-SDI. The systems can switch quickly and seamlessly between inputs without fading through black or losing sync.

The company also showed the new version 1.4 of its Ascender 48 multiscreeen seamless switcher. This contains 48 scalers, but as the company demonstrated, two can be linked together to form a single system with two live Mosaic Previews, 84 inputs and 96 scalers. eyevis launched its netPIX 4900 graphic controller for control and conference rooms. It features new input and output

cards, a new Switch-FabricBackplane and an optimised housing concept. It makes possible the input and output processing of 4K/Ultra HD signals and the transmission of audio via HDMI. Elsewhere on the company’s stand, visitors could see the new and improved omniSHAPES which are now capable of displaying activestereo 3D images thanks to 120Hz image processing.

Dexon returned to Amsterdam having responded to customer requests at ISE 2013 for a simpler, cheaper product: the DIMAX404 4 x 4 intelligent matrix, a standalone unit that accepts different input signal formats and switches and scales them to the required output resolution. All current industrial signal standards and formats are supported on the four inputs.

Other features include seamless switch, transition switch and PIP to ensure high picture quality on the outputs.

Gefen presented its range of new IP-based KVM extenders for HDMI, DVI and VGA. These allow digital and analogue video signals to be into a Gigabit Ethernet network and output at any point. They extend USB, RS232, IR and bi-directional analogue audio signals, and support resolutions up to 1080p and WUXGA. A specifically

developed codec allows for a latency of approximately 20ms, using a visually lossless compression scheme.

First-time ISE exhibitor Huawei was showing its TE series of videoconferencing systems, which are claimed to be the first to offer 1080p60, wireless connections and voice dialling. The 1080p30 TE30 was launched in October, and has since sold more than 5,000 worldwide. ISE 2014 saw the launch of the 1080p60 TE40, TE50 and TE60, which add a rising number of I/O ports, including 3G-SDI, as the model number increases.

Jupiter Systems was highlighting its Canvas display

collaboration software, which features new mobile connectivity. Canvas allows any source viewable on a traditional display wall to be shared on other devices in real time, anywhere in the world. The software allows for live notation and chat between multiple users whether in front of control room displays, or remotely on laptops, phones and tablets.

NewTek, in conjunction with distributor 3D Storm, was exhibiting its TriCaster'TV studio in a box' package. This provides the capability to create a virtual TV studio using a green screen, on to which any panoramic image may be added as a background. TriCaster can also

be integrated with Crestron systems. With prices starting at £3,500, the package is finding applications at sports grounds, concert halls, corporate facilities and elsewhere.

New from Vaddio was HuddleSTATION, a complete unified communications solution for small meeting rooms, made up of a table-based MicDock and a wall-mounted HuddleSTATION sound bar and camera module.

The HuddleSTATION camera has a super-wide-angle lens providing greater than 82º horizontal field of view for even the smallest of rooms. It has a manual pan/tilt mechanism and 3x varifocal zoom lens that further tailors the image for a small room.

WHAT’S THE WORST THING ABOUT THE ISE SHOW? ‘I’m concerned that the power and spend of visual technology companies is starting to push audio companies to one side.’

Anthony Taylor, managing director, Martin Audio ‘The stress when you enter the rebooking office!’

Geert Polfliet, marketing manager, Apart Audio ‘I worry a little bit that the show might get too big. Is there an

argument for organising it in a different way?’

Paul Dawes, director of marketing, Peerless-AV ‘It’s not long enough – it needs another day.’

Matt Browning, EMEA marketing manager, Crestron ‘I haven’t seen enough of it!

Providing free WiFi around the venue would also be a challenge worth exploring.’

Eran Sharon, VP product

management, YCD Multimedia ‘It’s hard to get the balance right between looking outward and looking inward. It would be good to have a non-customer day, where exhibitors could go round and look at each other’s stands.’

Simon Jackson, vice president, NEC Display Solutions UK ‘Avoiding getting run over by bicycles!’

Jed Deame, vice president of marketing, RGB Spectrum

SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014

in Installation

Audio technology There was no shortage of product introductions and upgrades on audio companies’ stands Professional audio brand of PVS, Audac, unveiled its new range of MERO in-wall speakers, along with its SMA and SMQ amplifier range. MERO incorporates three models – 20W, 100W and 120W versions. The high-end in-wall speakers are designed to blend into any interior. The rectangular shape of the speakers offers an unobtrusive design: the slim grille has a border only 1mm thick, and the grille protrudes by only 3.2 mm when installed.

AVnu Alliance unveiled its first AVnu-certified AVB product, with chairman and president Rick Kreifeldt declaring “2014 is our year”. Extreme Networks earned the first certification for its Summit 440 switches family, with 14 products gaining certification in total. Kreifeldt added that this is “a big thing for the industry as it simplifies the specifiers’ world”. Consultants can simply specify ‘AVnu certification’ on a product and not worry about which part of the AVB protocol was implemented.

More products are in the pipeline with switches and endpoints in the process of being given the AVnu seal of approval.

‘Safe and Sound’ was the theme at the Bosch stand, where products from Bosch Security Systems and Bosch Communication Systems were once again shown side by side.

EN54 certification was an important strand of this theme.

“Bosch is the first company worldwide to be offering a flexible and scalable, EN-certified system comprising pro-sound and life-safety components from a single source,” said Oliver Sahm, director application design with Bosch Communications Systems. The only notable exception to this is power supplies, which the company does not manufacture.

Biamp launched Tesira 2.0, the latest version of its family of DSP-based systems. At its heart is TesiraFORTÉ, a series of audio processors that extend AVB to application-specific settings.

Eight preconfigured models (four AVB and four non-AVB) are available – designed for conferencing, telephony and VoIP environments. “With TesiraFORTÉ, we’re extending Tesira technology to applicationspecific and value-conscious designs – bringing exceptional AVB audio solutions to everyday applications,” said Justin O’Connor, audio product 22 March 2014

Wienand Mensendiek and Sina Petzold of Sennheiser with the TeamConnect audio and web conferencing product

manager, Biamp Systems.

Shipping with Tesira 2.0 is Biamp’s new DAN-1 digital server networking card, which functions as a gateway interface and supports 64 × 64 channels of Dante audio. The DAN-1 can be installed as a standalone solution, alongside AVB or CobraNet; or can work with both.

Perhaps the most unexpected product on the Christie stand was its home-grown cinema sound offering, called Vive Audio.

Developed to enable the company to offer cinemas an audio upgrade package to complement their move to digital projection technology, Vive Audio features an articulated, single enclosure line array speaker design and ribbon driver technology, combined with what is claimed to be the first use of high-powered Class D amplification in cinema.

DiGiCo introduced its D2-Rack at ISE 2014. Currently available for use with the SD8 and SD9 consoles, the D2-Rack is designed to support and expand the SD Range’s higher sample rate I/O solutions. It comes with either BNC or Cat5 MADI connections, allowing it to be used with a number of DiGiCo consoles or as a standalone unit.

By using the latest convertors found in DiGiCo’s SD Range, the D2-Rack offers a more compact, more efficient, more affordable rack solution for connection at either 48kHz or 96kHz with no

I/O reduction.

Martin Audio offered a sneak preview of the multipurpose DD12 two-way loudspeaker, which will be launched later in the year. The powered loudspeaker combines onboard networking, DSP and Class D amplification with advanced transducers and Differential Dispersion horn technology. The speaker’s internal memory allows factory plug-and-play or user-generated DSP preset ‘snapshots’ to be recalled by means of a button on the rear panel, instead of using computer control.

ISE 2014 saw the trade show premiere of the self-powered

LYON linear sound reinforcement system from Meyer Sound. By incorporating the technology of the LEO family in a lighter and more compact package, Meyer Sound believes that the LYON line array loudspeaker system extends the advantages of highly linear self-powered systems to a broader range of venues and applications. LYON is available in two versions: the LYON-M main loudspeaker and the LYON-W wide-coverage loudspeaker.

Complemented by the 1100-LFC low-frequency control element and the Galileo Callisto loudspeaker management system, the LYON-M main loudspeaker is designed to

anchor a powerful system for installations in arenas and large auditoriums, as well as tours and festivals. The LYON-W can serve as downfills.

Powersoft was sporting its new branding on a stand shared with its Dutch distributor TM Audio. The company marked its fifth ISE by previewing DEVA – a self-contained multimedia device designed for the installation market. The long-awaited system, which is set for full launch at this month’s Prolight + Sound show in Frankfurt, integrates multiple technologies such solar power, bidirectional WiFi 802.11n AV communication, audio and camera. The lightweight and weatherproof solution also incorporates a microphone, lighting and a Class D amplifier with an 8in speaker.

Also making an appearance on the company’s stand was the Ottocanali 124K eight-channel amplifier, which offers a wide range of system control and monitoring functions.

QSC launched the TouchMix-8 and TouchMix-16 portable digital mixers at ISE 2014. The mixers, which have 12 and 20 input channels respectively, offer a choice of Advanced Mode operation (total control over all parameters) or Simple Mode (most essential controls only).

Specifications for both include four-band, fully parametric EQ with both variable hi-and lo-pass filters, as well as comprehensive dynamics processing on each input channel. Four mix busses feed four internal digital effects processors. Comprehensive dynamics, graphic EQ, hi-pass, lo-pass and notch filters and

Biamp’s Justin O’Connor presenting the latest generation of Tesira products

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SHOW REVIEW: ISE 2014 delay are available on both the main and aux outputs, as well as eight DCA groups with mutes and eight mute groups.

Four (TouchMix-8) or 10 (TouchMix-16) auxiliary output channels offer stage monitor mixing capability, with both models offering the ability to drive multiple, wired stereo inear monitors directly.

RCF presented its new V-MAX series of fixed and portable loudspeaker solutions. The cabinets, which will begin shipping in the middle of the year, are made from birch with weather-resistant polyurea paint coating for heavy-duty applications. The solution features various RCF technologies such as RCF Precision Hyper-vented Woofers; high-power, low-distortion neo compression drivers; CMD Coverage Matching Design horns, which provide consistent horizontal and vertical pattern control through the usable frequency range; and RCF exclusive LICC Crossover Systems. Combined, these are said to fully optimise the high performance and offer longterm reliability.

On its stand, Revolabs was debuting its Executive Elite fourand eight-channel wireless microphone systems. The systems use a new distributed architecture to connect the remote antenna receiver and base DSP unit via a Cat6 cable

with power over Ethernet. This enables the antenna to be placed in the same room as wireless microphones, vastly improving wireless connectivity. The new mics also feature improved signal-to-noise ratio, easy operation, and enhanced digital signal communication over wireless links.

A major launch for Sennheiser was TeamConnect – an end-toend meeting-room solution that is designed to make conference calls stress-free. The system, which caters for up to 16 on-site users, brings together speakers, mics, a central control unit and connectivity management. “We have made it easy to use a mobile device – your business smartphone, tablet or laptop – to control meetings,” said Wienand Mensendiek, manager portfolio and channel development at Sennheiser. “This level of flexibility, performance and simplicity can only come from an integrated system.” TeamConnect is available now.

Televic Conference was showing the third generation of its Confidea Wireless Conference system, which is available from this month. The system incorporates a fully revised wireless engine and mobilefriendly web control. Deemed to be the most radical upgrade since the system was introduced in 2008, the new wireless upgrade means the Confidea can offer more wireless frequencies

in various countries.

On the basic discussion-only version, the number of buttons has been reduced drastically to minimise clutter and to create a more intuitive user interface. The more advanced units with voting functionality now come with a built-in RFID card reader for identification and authentication of the delegate.

Two main products from the new PAX Pro AV Group brand, Xavtel, were demonstrated: the Dialogo Series, which is a budget-priced high-end tabletop audio/video conferencing solution; and a fully digital and networked DSP solution for conferencing, voting and simultaneous translation, the Senator System.

Based on Xavtel’s high-speed redundant network technology, Senator enables up to 504 delegate units to be individually processed via a single DSP while still providing individual processing for each microphone.

The patent-pending technology also incorporates a Voice Activated Gate, which uses voice recognition to activate a delegate’s microphone. Other features include on-board SIP3 VoIP telephone module and an optional wideband AEC card for teleconferencing.

The systems offer Full HD audio and video over AVB or XAVNET on a single platform. www.iseurope.org

ISE 2014 and the drive for product improvement The number of people with defective hearing is constantly rising. Therefore it has become more important to comply to the demands of the EC and the governments of various countries for overcoming barriers – also regarding the field of acoustics.

Audiological systems are the core of our AUDIOropa product range: FM and infrared transmission as well as loop systems for direct inductive input to hearing aids, cochlear implant systems and other assistive devices for people with affected sense of hearing. These systems can be used as standalone – but they can also serve to complement every audio system – stationary or mobile – for example when involved in conference- and eventtechnology, tour-guiding or also bidirectional in team-teaching applications.

It is our motivation to make it possible for everybody in the www.installation-international.com

audience to understand the spoken word – no matter if they are users of hearing aids or CI systems or other hearingimpaired people not in possession of such equipment. It is not only a question of being able to participate in cultural or social life, but also regarding aspects of safety, for example when transmitting danger warnings in public spaces.

At ISE 2014, we found that we encountered top-class suppliers

and users of audio technology who were looking exactly for that ‘extra’ for their systems – not only to be able to comply with the ever-increasing demand for inclusion of the hearing impaired. Therefore it is most important for us to make sure that our AUDIOropa systems are compatible with the equipment of all international standards.

Gerhard Sicklinger, CEO, Humantechnik/AUDIOropa March 2014 23

FEATURE: HOUSES OF WORSHIP

The new ‘gospels’ of worship audio Addressing general acoustical challenges associated with historic buildings has been the primary agent of change for houses of worship audio for the last decade and more. But could it be that a shortfall in integrator and end-user skills means that HoWs aren’t always getting the most out of their increasingly powerful systems, asks David Davies?

TOA’s SR-H2S line array speakers were chosen for the Parish of St Andrew & St Mark in Surbiton, UK

[KEY POINTS] Accommodating frequently high RTs remains a priority for project designers

Minimising the visual impact of speaker cabinets is another enduring challenge Larger, new-build HoWs in Western Europe and America are increasingly savvy to the benefits of extensive networks

THE ORNATE, imposing architecture of many houses of worship has generally been sufficient to endear them to the public – even those who now find little resonance with HoWs’ loftier spiritual purposes. One only need consult Church Going, an evocative poem by the decidedly non-devout Philip Larkin, to capture a flavour of the hold these spaces can exert on the secularly inclined.

24 March 2014

There is, however, one ‘denomination’ whose members have historically had a little more reason to be resistant to the charms of HoW design: audio installers and designers. The unsympathetic materials and challenging configuration of many older HoWs tend to spell unforgiving reverberation times and challenging installs. Equally critically, the budget-strapped

nature of many HoWs means that the dreaded ‘C’ word –‘compromise’ – can be a regrettably prominent part of the specification process.

The emergence of beam technologies able to deliver precisely directed sound, as well as better microphones and more powerful processors, have done much to address some longstanding issues. But as the following four new ‘gospels’

devised from recent conversations with manufacturers who have sizeable interests in the HoW market confirm, it remains a challenging area of the market with considerable scope for improvement.

1. STEERABLE SYSTEMS Steerable speaker systems and better DSP have really boosted general intelligibility.

Thomas Giczy, business

Regrettably, the selection of more complex systems isn’t necessarily being matched by an uplift in end-user training

development manager for installed sound at AKG, puts it succinctly: “Intelligibility has been a focus point for houses of worship because without clear and precise sound, the message is lost.”

Fortunately – and by a fairly broad consensus – there has been much progress in this regard over the past decade. www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: HOUSES OF WORSHIP “A milestone over the past few years has been the development of steerable speaker systems and the clarity of sound that they bring to HoW,” remarks Andy Bradshaw, who handles sales for south England at TOA – whose SR-H line array series speakers have proven particularly popular for HoW projects – and fellow TOA group company, microphone

‘User-friendly, technologically advanced wireless systems are the new norm in the HoW market’ Thomas Giczy, AKG

maker Trantec. “It has helped to solve the common problem of having awkward speaker placements.”

Peter H Child, applications engineer at Martin Audio, points to the effort made by “a number of loudspeaker manufacturers” in addressing the intelligibility issue. By way of example, Child cites Martin Audio’s own OmniLine micro line array, whose proprietary software allows users “to focus the sound coverage on to the audience and avoid surfaces that could cause reflections and thereby reduce the intelligibility of the system. The software provides the inter-cabinet and array angles required to achieve optimum coverage over a predefined area without the need for costly electronics.”

In conjunction with more versatile systems, powerful digital signal processing has also made a difference. “DSPbased sound management systems are helping to ensure systems perform better and are simpler to control,” says Antonio Ferrari, marketing manager, audio contractor at Italy-based proaudio company RCF.

www.installation-international.com

CASE STUDY

RCF DELIVERS CONSISTENT COVERAGE FOR SAN GIUSEPPE CHURCH Delivering excellent speech clarity, consistent coverage and minimal aesthetic impact were the chief priorities underlying a recent installation of RCF audio equipment at the new San Giuseppe Church in Cassina Rizzardi, a small town situated near the city of Como, Italy.

The church’s demanding acoustics led the RCF team to propose a design based around VSA (Vertical Steerable Array) technology,

with two multi-amplified VSA2050 arrays specified for the main 25m nave.

The signal sent to each of the 20 neodymium full-range transducers featured inside the VSA2050s is processed by internal DSP for controlling the array’s vertical dispersion.

Consequently, the audio signal can be addressed exactly to the listening area rather than sending energy to the ceiling and empty floors that would result in unwanted reflections,

affecting speech and intelligibility.

Installed beside the altar in San Giuseppe Church, the pair of VSA2050s are intended to maximise speech clarity without intruding on the visual aesthetic of the HoW. In addition, four passive highdirectivity MQ100L columns, driven by RCF amplifiers, enhance coverage on the rear raised choir and small side areas shadowed by wall segments.

March 2014 25

FEATURE: HOUSES OF WORSHIP Improving microphone technology has helped to boost overall quality, too.

“User-friendly, technologically advanced wireless systems are the new norm in the HoW market,” says Giczy, who cites WMS and Perception Wireless among AKG’s focus products for houses of worship.

2. NEW CHALLENGES On the other hand, changing worship styles can make specifying effective systems more, not less, difficult.

Duncan Savage, systems group manager at microphone specialist Shure, acknowledges the contribution made by developments in DSP and loudspeaker technology, but flags up an emerging challenge for manufacturers and integrators alike. “The spectrum of differing styles of worship now is broader than ever before, and the demands on the audio systems vary vastly between faiths and groups,” he says.

“The approach and equipment needed is different in each case; for example, the Greek Orthodox generally need simply speech reinforcement; traditional Catholic and high Church of England may use large organs and a choir; [then you might have] Pentecostal worship venues seating 800 people with a full mic’d band.”

Consultants, therefore, have to be increasingly ready to specify a variety of speakers – including, notes Savage, “steerable columns for speech which minimise the effects of a reverberant space; smaller 3in and 5in discreet cabinets for a distributed approach; traditional 8in and 12in-style cabinets for musicians; and larger line arrays for the more up-tempo churches”. Such contrasting requirements mean that a system designer needs “an array of tools to suit each style of worship, music, vocals and building type”.

Meanwhile, there are some concerns that in the journey to accommodate greater quantities of live performance during worship, the importance of the spoken word is in danger of being undervalued.

Graham Hendry, VP of AETgroup, Applications Engineering & Training at TC Group, pinpoints the central issue. “Today it’s common for the customer to specify the loudspeaker type and placement because they’ve heard and seen a similar system that sounds good with 26 March 2014

‘DSP-based sound management systems are helping to ensure systems perform better’ Antonio Ferrari, RCF music and provides visual appeal,” he says. “It seems that music reproduction has had too much influence over the design of sound reinforcement systems for large spaces. Sometimes speech reproduction has been an afterthought, and the perception that ‘if the music sounds good, so will the speech’ has prevailed.”

3. NEW BUILDS New-build HoWs might look great… but audio-wise, they can still be highly problematic.

There is no denying that new-build churches are frequently dazzling in their size and visual impact. But although one might expect audio quality to be an integral component of modern-day designs, the architect-led nature of some projects can leave it to be something of an afterthought.

“Many new venues look beautiful with stone floors and vast glazed walls providing a light, spacious feel,” admits Savage. But there is a definite downside: “This combination of surfaces makes it difficult to provide an intelligible and versatile sound system. If the given purpose of a HoW building is to communicate the message of the faith, then surely a higher priority needs to be given to acoustic design for speech and music. Maybe we as an industry need to do more with the architect community to help them to understand the day-to-day usage and requirements in these places.”

4. NETWORKING HoWs might not always have been on the cutting-edge of audio… but networking will inform the next generation of installs.

Savage is among several who spoke to Installation who predict networked audio to have a far greater role in the next era of HoW projects. It paves the way, he notes, “for a more flexible audio system, providing useable solutions for the HoW while minimising the need for multiple analogue cables and the associated losses, buzzes, hums and rats’ nest of tangled cables.” He hails the recently published AES67 standard – which was a real talking point at last month’s ISE show – as “a major step forward and will help simplify networked connections between different manufacturers’ pieces of kit”.

Apart from delivering as much interoperability as possible, it will probably fall to manufacturers to do more of the same – but even better. “Keep improving the quality!” urges Hendry. In particular, he foresees

declining demand for less conventional distributed systems, but greater call for the aforementioned steering technologies, thanks in no small part to their “lower installation costs, fewer installation/maintenance points, and architecturally friendly” nature.

Hendry returns repeatedly to the issue of effective HoW audio design being dependent on “a good grounding in acoustic measurement and computerbased room modelling”. More broadly, there is a feeling that due to a variability in installer design and end-user skills, HoWs may not always be getting the optimum return in performance from their investment.

As so often with these issues, then, it is likely to be education that unlocks the next level of progress. Shure Distribution UK recently had its first HoW Sound

Operators’ Training Day for companies and sound operators, with Savage hailing an “excellent” response and the intention to repeat the exercise in the future.

But beyond such individual initiatives, there may be a case for integrators who have put in the hard graft theorywise to shout it a little bit louder from the rooftops.

Last thought to Hendry: “If you’re a contractor or consultant who has invested significant resources into learning audio and acoustics, you should go one step further and market speech intelligibility as a product.” www.akg.com www.martin-audio.com www.rcf.it www.shure.co.uk www.shuredistribution.co.uk www.tcgroup.tc www.toa-corp.co.uk www.yamahaproaudio.com

CASE STUDY

MARTIN AUDIO MLA COMPACT HANDLES SPEECH AND MUSIC A Martin Audio MLA Compact system has been specified as part of a far-reaching audio, video and lighting install at Redemption Church in Gilbert, Arizona, US. The system satisfies the objective of church member and audio engineer Jim Jorgensen for the revamped multipurpose worship centre “to sound as good as it could be”.

Ultimately given the goahead by lead pastor Tim Maughan, with Jorgensen serving as consultant, the MLA Compact installation was purchased from On Stage Audio following a successful year-long fundraising effort.

The actual configuration comprises 12 MLA Compact

enclosures hung in left, centre, right hangs of four boxes each, with two MLX subwoofers mounted under the platform stage at the outer corners.

The audio system – which complements an acoustic design by debartolo architects – also includes Martin Audio Merlin Controllers for loudspeaker and network management, with the company’s Display prediction software being used to determine the optimum curvature of the arrays. A Yamaha M7CL 48-channel mixer and custom Whirlwind 64-channel splitter also feature as part of the new set-up.

Technical director Tim Smith and rigger Mike ‘Milk’ Arnold undertook the installation at the newly expanded centre, which holds up to 1,000 members at each of the three services held on a Sunday.

“Sound is always very challenging. If it’s too loud or too harsh, we get a lot of comments,” says Smith. “We have hundreds of older people in the congregation, and this is the first time we’ve done a technical upgrade where we haven’t heard one complaint about the audio. It has worked for everyone across the board and helped them experience the service in a much more meaningful and profound way.” www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: AV IN BROADCAST

[KEY POINTS] Denmark’s Chamber of Commerce has installed Ultra HD 4K TV studio facilities to provide the 170,000 businesses and 100 trade associations it works with, with futureproofed, high-quality video production and live broadcast capabilities, together with high-speed optical fibre connections to leading news organisations

Come together Despite similar operational requirements, there were enough differences between broadcast and live event production to warrant specific equipment and techniques for each sector. But digital technology and data-based networking are changing that, as Kevin Hilton discovers THE OLD adage has it that there is a tool for every job, implying that using something not designed for the task will not end up well. In creative technology there has long been a divide between equipment for corporate audiovisual presentations and live events, and what is used for television broadcasting and post production.

Soon, however, this divide could be as technologically obsolete as quarter-inch tape and Beta SP video. The two markets are now coming much closer through the use of common technologies such as digital processing and control and data-based networking and distribution. This so-called convergence mirrors a similar situation that began between broadcasting and IT in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Australian manufacturer 28 March 2014

Blackmagic Design (BMD) has been at the forefront of new broadcast technologies, building on components such as HD processing cards to now offer digital cameras, vision mixers and the DaVinci colour correction system. Stuart Ashton, director of BMD in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, says that in the last three to four years AV has become “a key focus” for the company.

“Our production switchers, routers and converters were originally aimed at broadcasting and post production,” comments Ashton, “but we’ve started development with AV in mind.

They are now more applicable for the AV space, which we see as an opportunity for us.”

The convergence between the two markets has, says Ashton, been increasing over

‘IP for audio and video is not just used in broadcast but for all markets now, including theatre and installation’ Andreas Hilmer, Lawo

the past 12 to 18 months: “The AV sector, including the corporate market, is now demanding cutting-edge technology that traditionally would have been aimed at broadcast. People are focusing on new technologies with higher resolution and bandwidth, in some cases over optical fibre.”

Ashton adds that while broadcasters are also testing 4K resolution equipment for Ultra High Definition (UHD) transmission, which has 2160 lines in the progressive format compared to 1080 for HD, AV companies are finding it more feasible to implement right now than their TV counterparts.

“It comes down to bandwidth,” he says. “A lot is needed to get 4K into living rooms but the majority of AV projects are live so there are

Common technologies such as data-based networking and distribution are aiding the convergence of the AV and broadcast markets

IP and other IT-based technologies that were perhaps seen first in broadcasting are proving invaluable in the AV market

Demand is high among AV companies for 4K resolution equipment

not usually the issues about transmitting the pictures to the audience.”

ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION Smaller, more powerful electronics cards and faster processors have allowed manufacturers like BMD, Sony, Roland and NewTek to produce all-in-one packages offering video production, audio mixing and transmission that are as applicable to AV presentations as they are to live TV. Roland’s VR-50 HD is a HDSI, SDI and 3G video unit with a nine-fader audio mixer that can produce linear PCM for SDI, HDMI and USB audio.

Simon Kenning, sales manager for Roland Systems Group UK, observes that broadcast and AV are converging for a number of reasons: “An increasing number of clients in www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: AV IN BROADCAST the corporate, education and live event markets are demanding full production services using cameras, video, content from laptops. They also want their event to be broadcast live to the internet, so broadcast and AV companies are changing their service offering to accommodate this.”

He adds that multi-camera production and broadcast are becoming more affordable, both in terms of products and the delivery of content.

“Companies can afford to use products with television broadcast standards for webcasting, producing content at a very high level.

This means that AV companies are now able to offer broadcast as part of their services.” On the other side Kenning says broadcast companies are losing revenue and so need access to affordable, integrated AV solutions that deliver high quality in a turnkey package.

“The prevalence of the internet has fuelled the convergence of these markets, changing the expectations of the clients in terms of quality, speed of delivery and audience reach,”

he continues. “Fully produced, high-quality content is required ‘now’, as the popularity of live streaming of events shows. And budget constraints mean that one company that can deliver the whole AV and broadcast solution is preferable and less expensive. Affordable broadcast-standard equipment means that the client does not always have to hire a studio or postproduction facility and instead this work can be done by the AV or broadcast company.”

Also in the live production sector, NewTek specialises in compact, portable systems for broadcast, such as the TriCaster. This has been used on live broadcasts including the MTV Awards and is now being used by schools and colleges in the US to cover sports events online.

Among the installation companies using the TriCaster for projects is UKbased Feltech. Sales director Nevil Bounds describes the TriCaster as a “studio in a box” with H.264 coding capability for streaming live to the web. “Live video production is now coming down to a single process,

www.installation-international.com

CASE STUDY

BROADCAST AND PA AUDIO ROUTING AND MIXING IN THE KNESSET Sessions of Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, are amplified within the debating chamber as well as being broadcast on two radio channels, IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) and Galatz (Army Radio), and by a dedicated television station, Knesset TV. Each of the 120 members speaks into two microphones, which are doubled up for redundancy purposes. Signals from these run into a recently installed 32-

fader Lawo mc256 MKII digital mixing console as part of a general renovation of the Knesset’s sound system.

Andreas Hilmer, Lawo’s director of marketing, says that all elements of the installation had to be “failproof”. The microphone feeds are received by the mc256 MKII’s standalone DALLIS I/O unit. The console itself is in a master control room and is able to continue operating

through its redundant system cores in the unlikely event of the control surface failing. A 16-fader extension module in the hall below the control room completes the mixer installation.

As well as producing feeds for the PA and broadcast channels, the mc256 MKII feeds audio logging data and is used to route translated language channels for any visiting dignitaries.

March 2014 31

FEATURE: AV IN BROADCAST when before it would have been several," he says.

Feltech also specifies BMD products, which feature in the AV theatre the company installed for industrial vehicle manufacturer JCB (see case study, below). Bounds says Feltech is now seeing “slightly more” AV work than broadcast, which, 12 to 15 years ago, would have been the dominant sector for the company. He adds that users on both sides of the market divide are able to “do a lot” for “significantly” less money due to systems produced by the likes of NewTek and BMD. DIFFERENCES REMAIN There are still major differences in the operational needs of AV and broadcast in both video and audio. Keith Watson, marketing director for mixers at Harman UK covering the Studer and Soundcraft brands, says the TV requirement for handling more than 1,500 channels of audio over optical fibre MADI with embedding and deembedding is not found in the presentation and installation markets. So, he says, the newly launched Infinity DSP engine and Vista X console,

Roland’s VR-3EX is the latest ‘all in one’ product of the VR Series

‘We’ve started development with AV in mind’ Stuart Ashton, Blackmagic Design would not necessarily be a choice for AV but there is still a need for fully featured desks.

“In the US houses of worship market a church service might typically feature an orchestra, choir and a rock band, as well as the pastor on a radio mic,” explains Watson. “They need a console to handle all that and for the big congregations of 10,000-plus the Vista 8 and 9 are being used. Smaller churches of 2,000-4,000 people go for the Soundcraft Vi series desk, while those with congregations of 200-

400 need something both small and simple because the technical side is more likely to be run by volunteers."

IT-based infrastructures, particularly those using IP as a carrier, have not only caused products to move between AV and broadcasting but, in some cases, led manufacturers known for one discipline to expand into another. Digital console specialist Lawo has

CASE STUDY SOUND AND VISION FOR THE JCB THEATRE, STAFFORDSHIRE Many companies have a visitor centre to provide the public and trade with background on their history and products.

Very few have a fully equipped 250-seat theatre that is used for dealer conferences, product launches, press events and presentations to visitors taking the factory tour.

One that does is JC Bamford Excavators, better known as JCB. The Staffordshire, UKbased company’s bright yellow diggers, forklift trucks and utility vehicles are familiar sights on roads and farms around the world but few know 32 March 2014

the family story behind the firm. Founded in 1945 by Joseph Cyril Bamford, JCB is now run by his son Anthony, Lord Bamford.

This story is told in the theatre, which was recently upgraded with the installation of a new audiovisual system.

JCB’s AV team worked with systems integrator Feltech; its sales director, Nevil Bounds, says a priority was to ensure that whatever was installed could work with JCB’s existing post-production workflow.

An HD-SDI infrastructure was decided on, based around a

Blackmagic Design Broadcast Videohub. Bounds says this enabled the upgrade to take place “without having a serious impact on the budget”. He adds: “The configuration and set-up was extremely straightforward, allowing our engineering team a great deal of flexibility when performing the off-site rack builds and on-site commissioning.”

Productions shot in the theatre can be sent to post production for editing and repackaging and then made available, all over a 10Gb fibre link.

been heavily involved with audio over IP (AoIP) through the Ravenna protocol, developed by its associate company ALC NetworX. More recently it has also produced video matrix and processing/ encoding units based on the IP Layer 3 standard.

Lawo's director of marketing, Andreas Hilmer, observes that the “spill-over” of broadcast into AV is widely seen now, with 4K and DSLR cameras. “In the past the technology used in the installation market was on a different level in terms of resolution and not to broadcast standards,” he says.

“But now the quality is more equal. IP for audio and video is not just used in broadcast but for all markets, including theatre and installation.”

Hilmer comments that IP and other IT-based technologies that were perhaps seen first in broadcasting are proving invaluable in the AV market.

“Take cruise ships,” he says.

“At one time the cabling infrastructure would be installed and could never be touched again without great effort. But with IP and other technologies it is comparatively easy to upgrade a ship’s theatre.”

A sign of just how far the convergence has come was seen at last month’s ISE, where ALC NetworX made its first ever appearance. The company behind a major rival to Ravenna, Audinate, came from the live sector as opposed to broadcasting.

Chief executive Lee Ellison says Audinate's Dante IPbased media transport system has its roots in the performance sector, which has exacting standards for technology.

“We wanted something

that would solve challenging problems and decided that if it could meet the strict requirements of live AV and concert systems then it could be used in other areas as well,” he explains. “So the system architecture was designed to be so scalable that it could be used in any market.”

While Dante has been established in live sound and installations, it is now moving into broadcast with companies such as Solid State Logic and Stagetec licensing the technology, alongside the likes of Harman, Yamaha, Shure, BSS, Cadac and Nexo.

A significant new licensee is Calrec Audio, which supplies digital consoles for both TV studio and outside broadcast truck work.

Ellison says Audinate has seen the convergence of AV into broadcasting over the last six to 12 months, particularly with the growth of file-based operations in TV centres and post-production facilities: “There is the need for IT infrastructures now because it has flexible benefits for end users implementing technologies like 4K, with cost savings to be had by carrying everything – audio, video, telephony – on IT/IP connections.”

The twain may never fully meet but, at least on a technological level, broadcasters and AV professionals are a lot closer than they’ve been before.

And they’ll probably continue getting closer. www.audinate.com www.blackmagicdesign.com www.feltech.co.uk www.lawo.com www.rolandsystemsgroup.co.uk www.soundcraft.com www.studer.ch

www.installation-international.com

4th September 2014

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FEATURE: LIGHTING CONTROL [KEY POINTS] LED lighting has added to the range of challenges lighting control has to face

Now a key element in smart buildings: “daylight harvesting”

The industry supports many protocols – old, new and emerging – and each is seen to have a place

CAST Software's wysiwyg R32 lighting visualisation suite was used by director of photography Patrick Neufond for a recent production by broadcaster France 2

IP is assuming everincreasing importance – but it is not yet widely implemented

Energy conservation and creativity will continue to drive the market

Everything’s under control Whether it’s automotive lighting or torches/flashlights, LED technology is making the simple incandescent bulb a thing of history – and it’s also contributing to a changing landscape in the world of lighting control, as Ian McMurray finds out FROM BOARDROOMS to bars, from auditoriums to visitor attractions and TV studios, and from homes to offices, lighting is a central element of many AV installations.

Controlling it impacts mood and atmosphere – as well as functionality and cost.

Historically, lighting – in many of its guises – has been based on incandescent bulbs, but growing government focus on energy saving and green policies has seen legislation enacted over the past few years to remove them from the market. For a while, CFL – compact fluorescent lamps – were the preferred replacement, but now, LEDbased lighting seems to be sweeping all before it.

A TIME OF CHANGE “Lighting control is a growing and multi-faceted market, and most areas of lighting control have seen growth in the last 12 months,” believes Peter Coles, business manager at Eaton Cooper Controls. “There’s a big trend towards the phasing-in of LED lighting schemes, and we have produced a range of dimmers to deal with this specific job. This is definitely a growth area.”

“This is a time of great growth and change, especially 36 March 2014

in regards to LED lighting,” echoes Paul Nagel, VP of lighting and comfort at Control4. “LED bulb technology is evolving. Early in its adoption, the bulbs did not dim well or at all, causing many dealers/customers to not ‘dim’ them but just switch them on/off. This has improved significantly in the last year.”

Scott Stephenson, senior product manager for lighting and comfort at Control4, confirms that LED lighting brought its own challenges in terms of dimming – perhaps the most fundamental, other than power on/off, of lighting control operations. “We embraced Adaptive Phase technology and 0-10V dimming technologies to address these changes in bulb types,” he notes. “This allows for one product to be able to control incandescent, halogen, MLV, ELV, CFL and LED bulbs.”

Inevitably, there are AV markets where LED technology is not yet fully entrenched. “From an entertainment point of view, LED lighting instruments are supplementing, or even replacing, our beloved tungsten light source,” says Erik Larsen, market manager at Electronic Theatre Controls (ETC). “While LED is rapidly taking over the industrial/

‘This is a time of great growth and change, especially in regards to LED lighting’ Paul Nagel, Control4 home segment, it’s coming into entertainment at a much slower pace due to the complexity and light colour quality (CRI) needed – not for effects lighting so much as for lighting the set and lighting people. Last, but not least, LED sources are only just beginning to provide the same output as traditional tungsten sources.”

But lighting control extends far beyond the ability to manage the brightness of a light source (and there are

those who claim that, in energy-saving terms at least, there’s no point in dimming LEDs as their power consumption is minimal to start with: dimming LEDs is about lifestyle and atmosphere). The advent of LED lighting has added a different dimension to an already somewhat complex subject.

“Within the lighting domain, the DMX512 protocol is still the main workhorse,” explains Maarten Engels, a director at Visual Productions. “However, as lighting applications grow larger, they can easily spawn 10 or 50 different DMX512 networks – known as ‘universes’. This requires a ‘data highway’ between the main controller and various DMX512 universes that are often spread out over different parts of the venue. The data highway is implemented by

using the Art-Net or sACN protocol, both being Ethernetbased protocols designed for controlling large quantities of fixtures.”

INTEROPERABILITY IS A MUST “Interoperability with other AV disciplines is a must in a modern lighting project,” he continues. “This requires the lighting controller to be fluent in protocols like UDP, RS-232, MIDI, SMPTE and GPIO. Especially worth mentioning is a relatively new protocol called OSC. It’s an Ethernetbased open source protocol for sending control triggers that you could think of as MIDI over Ethernet – but I think it’s much more powerful. I can't wait for the OSC eco-system of apps and devices to evolve over the next few years.”

But there’s more…

“The three main protocols are those between the control

DALI VS DMX: A BRIEF COMPARISON DALI – which stands for Digital Addressable Lighting Interface – was designed as a successor to the 0-10V lighting control systems that preceded it, and was primarily directed at building automation/architectural applications. DMX is an analogue control system that has historically been favoured

in theatrical applications.

DALI is generally considered slower, and thus inappropriate for mounting spectacles where fast responses are required.

Where DMX is centrally controlled, DALI invokes a decentralised paradigm. It is claimed that DMX is easier to install.

www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: LIGHTING CONTROL and fixture – and DALI is the best known standard within this area – those between systems, such as the intelligent building protocol BACnet, and those that provide RF communication in the building,” adds Guy Simmonds, UK sales director at Lutron. “When choosing a light control solution, it is vital to ensure that it is robust on all three levels. The area that is most vulnerable is the RF protocol, which is why Lutron developed its bespoke RF technology, Clear Connect.”

“The most popular protocols for white light/single colour LED dimmers that are generally trailing edge or leading edge are 1-10V or DALI,” claims Coles. “For RGB and colour mixing units, it’s typically DMX and we are seeing DMX being used for situations where low dimming curves in both directions are required on high-powered white light for applications such as cinemas and offices.

DALI isn’t suitable for colourchanging products as it’s not fast enough, although it can be used for fixed colour.”

“From an entertainment lighting perspective, the evolution has moved from

analogue control in the past via DMX512 to IP-based protocols,” adds Larsen. “For a couple of years, Art-Net kept the lead due to the lack of a global standard, but we now have a global standard in ACN (Architecture for Control Networks) taking over. ACN is mostly seen so far as the subpart sACN (streaming) which includes the core control parts. DMX512 will still be widely used, as the protocol is much simpler and very suitable for smaller applications. It is still being improved, most recently with the addition of RDM (Remote Device Management) allowing users to configure/address devices remotely as well as receiving feedback.”

IT’S ABOUT THE APPLICATION It seems there are two key takeaways here. One is that there is no single, dominantlighting control technology – there are many, and each is typically preferred for a given application. There are important differences between domestic/ consumer, commercial and entertainment. The second is that the world of lighting control is a dynamic one, as

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CASE STUDY

FULL AVL INSTALLS 18-PIECE CUECORE SYSTEM AT JAARBEURS Visual Productions' Dutch distributor Full AVL recently completed an 18-piece (36universe) CueCore installation at the Jaarbeurs conference centre in Utrecht.

Full AVL's customer, Controllux, requested help from the distributor with finding a complete control solution for the new Supernova meeting hub at the Jaarbeurs, which comprises four conference rooms. Full AVL specified two Linux-based CueluxPro lighting control servers; 18 CueCores; two

IoCores; and seven B-Stations.

All items are spread out over the conference suites in order to be close to the DMX controlled lighting, and are connected and powered by centralised PoE switches. All light fixtures are controlled by DMX via the CueluxPro software suite. CueluxPro renders the two-dimensional pixel mapping effects for the large matrix wall in the foyer, which is made up of 240 x 8 RGB pixels. Other real-time matrix effects are generated for an array of 1,500 RGB

pixels inside one of the rooms.

The LED lines, downlights, fluorescents and other fixtures in the venue are controlled by CueluxPro as well, bringing the total number of DMX channels to 6,270.

The installation also facilitates DMX override for live events. There are three areas with the option to plug in a DMX desk. CueluxPro manages the scenes and grouping of the fixtures and the DMX desk can control the levels of these groups or scenes.

March 2014 37

FEATURE: LIGHTING CONTROL witnessed by the emergence of protocols such as OSC and CAN. “All protocols have their strengths and weaknesses based on the application for which they are being used,” summarises Nagel. “Cost, size, RF channel bandwidth and range all contribute to the trade-offs. For example, in 2003, Control4 chose ZigBee as the wireless protocol for lighting control products. The advantages that ZigBee had over WiFi were its support for a large number of devices; it operates in an RF spectrum available worldwide; and the data bandwidth support that it provides for sending metadata from lighting and nonlighting devices.

“If Control4 only needed to support 10 devices and only shipped in the US, for example, Z-Wave or WiFi might be a better choice. WiFi support for lighting control is gaining interest now, but historically it was problematic due to the limited number of nodes per access point, power consumption, size and range.”

IP: NOT YET PREVALENT, BUT GROWING But what about IP? Does it have a role to play? Again, it seems that the answer is: “it depends”.

“Today, all systems aren’t IP-based, but we have seen growth in this area over the past three years,” notes Neill Nixon, business development manager, lighting for Crestron UK, “driven not only by the introduction of new legislation, but also because technology has changed and adapted and now offers the market really functional systems. However, this shift goes beyond lighting control.

It’s a move to BEMS (building energy management systems) and other services, such as scheduling and room booking – the market addressed by Crestron’s Fusion EM.” “IP technology has the inherent benefits of broad interoperability, flexibility,

Increasingly, as with this keypad from Control4, lighting control is being integrated with other smart home functionality

38 March 2014

‘Currently, control over IP is less important in the commercial market than in the domestic sector’ Peter Coles, Eaton Cooper Controls large scalability, security and a good choice of debug and management tools from a large supplier community,” says Stephenson. “It also provides the flexibility of distributed networks and many remote access solutions. Control4 embraced an IP-based panellised lighting solution to leverage the benefits of IP. A huge benefit of the Control4 panellised lighting is the ease of installation and flexibility of distributing load panels around the home/business, saving money in wiring costs.”

“There are a number of IPbased wireless protocols used in lighting control systems in the market now,” he continues. “They include 6LoWPAN [IPv6 over lowpower wireless personal area networks], ZigBee SEP 2 and WiFi. There are many non-IP communication protocols also being used. Some of these are emerging standards, while some are established non-IP standards such as ZigBee HA, Z-Wave, KNX, KNX-RF and Homeplug.”

“Currently,” says Coles, “control over IP is less important in the commercial market than in the domestic

Casa Grande recently installed a range of Crestron technologies at the Vlaemynck Business Centre in Belgium, reducing electricity costs by 80%

sector, where users are starting to look at controlling a number of processes through smart devices like phones and tablets. In the commercial world, some are looking to control lighting through networked computers, but there is still a lot of integration using RS232 rather than IP right now.”

IP looks as if it will have an increasingly central role – as with almost every other area of the AV market. But what are the other technologies that can transform the lighting control business?

Again: it all depends on the application.

For Maarten Engels, the development of small, solidstate lighting controllers offers great opportunities for lighting projects.

“Traditionally,” he notes, “lighting systems had to utilise large control desks designed for on-the-road touring or PC-based systems run on computers that were not designed for 24-hour nonstop use. Now, you can apply small inexpensive solid-state controllers like the CueCore that take up little space, consume hardly any energy and at the same time significantly increase the everyday reliability of the control package.”

WIRELESS AND RF Usage of wireless and RF technologies looks set to increase substantially.

“Wireless technology is where the industry is moving,” claims Nixon. “Customers now understand the dramatic savings concerning energy cost and consumption that efficient light sources offer – but business demands have gone one step further by wanting to manage their buildings or premises more effectively, not just managing lighting usage, but also monitoring power, using occupancy to drive

consumption, harvesting daylight and heating room by room, building by building.”

“Lighting control has become part and parcel of any automated building design,” echoes Simmonds, “and is crucial because it gives the tenant or owner of the building the ability to make significant energy savings. The evolution of light sources and the adoption of RF controls are going to be two of the major developments that I see having a very strong influence on the world of lighting control in the near future.”

Energy saving and eco-

awareness is just one set of factors that is driving the lighting control industry. It’s easy to forget that lighting control is also about creating mood and spectacle – at Olympics ceremonies, at the Eurovision Song Contest, at rock shows around the world – that, as Engels points out, will have no less influence in continuing to drive healthy growth in the marketplace. www.control4.com www.coopercontrols.co.uk www.crestron.com www.etcconnect.com www.lutron.com www.visualproductions.nl

CASE STUDY

RESIDENTIAL LIGHTING CONTROL SYSTEM MINIMISES WIRING A 16th century residential property in the UK has deployed Lutron’s Homeworks QS whole-home lighting control system. Given its age, disruption to its fabric needed to be minimised, and this was achieved by using RF technology to connect all of the interior and exterior light sources, keypads, blinds controls and occupancy sensors. The system can be operated remotely, or on-site via Apple iPad and iPhone apps.

Integrator VBK Lighting chose to use one of Lutron’s HomeWorks QS processors on the ground floor of the cottage and another on the second. The ground floor processor was wired to one repeater and the other three

Lutron repeaters were connected wirelessly throughout the cottage and the adjoining barn conversion.

By linking the processors wirelessly on the home network and using wireless access points, there was no need for Cat5 cabling runs.

Eleven Lutron GRAFIK Eye QS wireless keypads were then connected throughout the cottage and barn, creating 11 different control points from which to wirelessly manage the 66 circuits. In addition, a range of Lutron’s SeeTouch and SeeTouch International wired keypads and Lutron's wireless Pico remote controls were used throughout, to enable a wide range of pre-programmed scenes to be accessed. www.installation-international.com

FEATURE: REGIONAL VOICES

Spain Spain’s economy has recently started improving broadly in line with the Eurozone as a whole. But our survey finds that times are still tough in the country’s installation industry

5.8%

Budget deficit target, 2014 (as share of GDP)

STATE OF THE

Source: Bank for International Settlements

MARKET

-1.2%

Do you think general levels of confidence in the Spanish installation sector are higher or lower than six months ago?

ENTERING THE MARKET

GDP growth, 2013

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO A MANUFACTURER LOOKING TO ENTER THE SPANISH AV INSTALLATION MARKET?

Source: tradingeconomics.com

EXTERNAL FACTORS HOW INFLUENTIAL (EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY) ARE THE FOLLOWING FACTORS ON YOUR BUSINESS?

‘Keep your pricing keen and the quality high. The big practised rule here is “Spanish jobs for Spanish people only” – no-one else gets a look-in from outside of Spain’

MOST INFLUENTIAL

Higher – 32% The same – 54% Lower – 12%

‘The marketing effort is important. There is a tendency to keep using the same systems when it comes to integration, since technicians know them and are comfortable with them’

National economic situation

‘The market is stalled’

More affordable technology

…AND TO AN INTEGRATOR LOOKING TO ENTER THE MARKET?

‘Banks are not giving credit to small and medium-size companies so many installers, retailers, integrators are disappearing or in big difficulties’

Energy efficiency/green issues

‘There are too many people doing the same thing. Most have not got the work, hence prices are cut-throat’

LEAST INFLUENTIAL

Competitor activity Legislation/regulations

Agree

Neither

Disagree

DESIRED CHANGES

Strongly Disagree

The majority of Spanish integrators specialise in a single sector, such as corporate, education or sport facilities

IF YOU COULD CHANGE ONE THING ABOUT THE WAY THE SPANISH INSTALLATION MARKET WORKS, WHAT WOULD IT BE? ‘There must be a way for a customer to distinguish between skilled firms and companies who just offer solutions without any expertise to support them. It would be nice to have a certification, or to implement regulations about the knowledge an installer or integrator should have’

There are no significant skill gaps in the Spanish installation sector

‘Some Spanish people need to start realising that their socalled “countrymen” are ripping them off when it comes to pricing and installation costs – in most cases these are about 50-75% more than what us Brits would charge. But saying that, the Brits in the same business (sound, lights, PA) that are serving British clients are piling on the costs to make up for having very little income from hardly any work’

In general, Spanish installers are comfortable with the increasing amount of IT networking in AV installations

0% 40 March 2014

‘Offer skill as a main asset, with a proper and extensive use of documentation’ ‘Be careful. There are many well-established integrators not enjoying a nice economic situation because of long payment terms or non-payments’

DO YOU AGREE WITH THESE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE INDUSTRY? Strongly Agree

‘It is impossible at this moment to forecast any business in Spain. My advice would be to enter without a fixed plan for how the results are going to be, and create brand awareness and structure to be ready when the economical situation gets better’

20%

40%

60%

80%

100% www.installation-international.com

EVENT: INSTALLMARKET INSTALLMARKET CONFERENCE PROGRAMME Not Your Father’s Classroom; Not Your Mother’s Campus What's the state of UK education today, after the onslaught of iPads, mobile, video and audio-over-IP? Our InstallMarket panel will explore how technologies are changing education, especially the intersection between video and mobile and Cloud. Panel members will address lecture capture, BYOD, and campus digital signage.

Transport expert joins panel We’re happy to be able to reveal the name of the first moderator of the panels at the InstallMarket conference – which is just one element of our new oneday event later this year INSTALLATION is pleased to announce that Charlie Henderson (pictured), a performance improvement consultant with PA Consulting, will moderate the transportation panel session at InstallMarket on 4 September.

Henderson will lead an expert panel in a session entitled ‘What Moves Transport Technology’. This will explore the technology trends affecting the customer experience for transport including road, rail, air and underground. Displays, controlroom technologies and customer-facing digital signage are all relevant technologies here.

Henderson is an accomplished performance improvement consultant with over 20 years’ experience, primarily in transport. He has successfully supported organisations in exploiting new technologies and processes

that deliver real business benefit. This includes supporting the Highways Agency to design a future service blueprint and then procure their National Traffic Information Service, including control room. Most recently he has been supporting the Highways Agency and the Rijkswaterstaat specify requirements for their regional control centres. His work has been critically acclaimed – he led the assignment that won the Management Consultancy Association award for best operational performance project in the public sector (2006) and led the assignment that was shortlisted for best public sector procurement project (2012).

Transportation is just one of the key vertical market sectors that will be explored in the conference programme – the others are entertainment and hospitality, AV/broadcast convergence, education and

For sponsorship or exhibitor opportunities contact Ian Graham on ian.graham@intentmedia.co.uk or call +44 (0)20 7354 6000 42 March 2014

retail. The final session will be of wide interest to a large section of the event audience: examining the future of AV networking.

With a brief to explore emerging trends in its vertical, each conference panel will consist of presentations by a moderator and three specialists. Time will be allowed for panel discussion and audience questions.

MORE REASONS TO ATTEND However, the conference – which is free to attend – is only part of the offering at InstallMarket. Designed to educate and inform visitors in equal measure, the one-day event will also feature a lively expo, where exhibitors from across the worlds of audio, video, connectivity and control will be exhibiting their latest products. There will also be break-out training sessions from key manufacturers.

Held on 4 September 2014, Install Market is the only independent, dedicated UK event for AV systems integrators, installers and consultants. In-house AV staff, facilities managers, AV enduser company staff and architects will also find it a

rewarding visit.

The venue for the event is the Business Design Centre in Islington, north London – just a couple of miles from Kings Cross St Pancras train and tube station (Angel tube station is just one stop away).

On-site car parking is also available.

“I’m sure that Charlie Henderson will be an excellent moderator at the InstallMarket conference,” said Paddy Baker, editor of Installation. “It’s great to have a company of the status of PA Consulting represented at the event. We are continuing to recruit more high-calibre names for the conference panels, and will be announcing more details in the near future.”

Registration, conference attendance, expo attendance and even lunch are all free at InstallMarket.

For information on registering for the event, contact sara.mather@ intentmedia.co.uk.

Watch out for updates about InstallMarket in Installation magazine, on our website and our Twitter and Facebook pages.

What Hotels Really Want The hotel market is moving from hotel TV systems towards BYOD, using displays, wireless, internet and apps to increase guest satisfaction. Let's not forget the outside of the building, as projection mapping offers a new opportunity to some.

AV & Broadcast Convergence: A Marriage in IP This panel will explore how IP technologies are bringing together broadcast integrators and AV integrators. Ubiquitous video of the YouTube era is pulling for affordable broadcasting technology to supply the new needs of corporates, institutions and individuals.

What Moves Transport Technology In this panel, moderated by Charlie Henderson of PA Consulting, we'll explore the new customer experience for transport including road, rail, air and underground.

Forces That Drive Retail Tech Retailers want to enhance their in-store customer experience while boosting data gathering processes for customer buying patterns.

This panel will discuss how retailers are harnessing mobile technology, digital signage, projection and display to build the retail stores of the future.

Whose Network is IT, Anyway?

IP has proven to be the Great Unifier, bringing together many diverse industries onto the network. Given the rampup of video usage and mobile delivery, this panel brings together experts to discuss how AV and IT will share the network.

www.install-market.com www.installation-international.com

SHOW PREVIEW: PROLIGHT + SOUND

Marching on This year’s trip to Frankfurt falls a month earlier than 2013’s but organisers are still hoping for another record-breaking event

WHAT? Prolight + Sound 2014 WHERE? Messe Frankfurt WHEN? 12-15 March 09:00-18:00

Almost 43,000 trade visitors from 114 nations visited the 2013 show (Picture: Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH 2013, Pietro Sutra)

LIKE EASTER, Prolight + Sound moves around the calendar: this year the Frankfurt show takes place on 12-15 March.

This is a month earlier than the 2013 event, and only five weeks after ISE, which this year was a week later than previously (and will move to mid-February in 2015).

Although its prime focus remains live events, Prolight + Sound has for some years looked to capitalise on the growth of the fixed installation market with its Media Systems ‘product segment’, although this has tended to be more evident in pre-show publicity than on the showfloor itself. It would be ironic if some attendees felt that not enough time had passed since ISE to make a visit to Prolight + Sound worthwhile; but conversely, with ISE attendees frequently remarking that there is too much to see there, maybe the 44 March 2014

Frankfurt show will provide a chance to catch up on what people missed in Amsterdam.

The Prolight + Sound Conference, to be held in Hall 9.1 and the Cosmopolitan Lounge of Hall 9.T, falls into three main sections: Media technology, in which speakers will pass on knowledge gained from practical experience and present product solutions and services from the fields of AV media technology and systems integration; Event technology, which will include topics such as security in the event sector, legal issues, regulations and training options; and The VDT Academy, which is an information event organised by the Association of German Sound Engineers.

LIGHTING AND VIDEO Meanwhile, on the showfloor, Analog Way will be

showcasing its latest mixers and seamless switchers. A highlight is the Ascender 32, a powerful multi-screen seamless switcher with 32 scalers.

The system offers 12 seamless inputs with 42 input plugs: six HDMI, nine DVI-I, three DisplayPort, 12 3G/HD/SD-SDI and 12 Universal Analog. It can handle any source from composite video, up to 2560 x 1600, and outputs a variety of formats, including HDTV and Computer format up to 2560 x 1600 and 4K. It also includes an independent Dual-Link output for monitoring purposes, with a Live Source Mosaic layout.

Other products on show are the Saphyr and Pulse2 mixer native matrix switchers.

Ayrton will launch three new products: NandoBeam S6, WildBeam R and IntelliPix R. NandoBeam S6 is a

eyevis’ EYE-LCD-9000-LD 90in screen boasts 1920 x 1080 pixels and Direct-LED backlight

compact, ultra-fast moving head. Equipped with 37 RGBW LED emitters, arranged in four ‘crowns’ of independently controlled semi-ring sections, it shares the same

lightweight optical system and ultra-fast 5:1 zoom as the smaller S3. WildBeam R couples seven individually controlled 15W RGBW LEDs www.installation-international.com

SHOW PREVIEW: PROLIGHT + SOUND with new 67mm collimators – a world-premiere combination – to create an astonishingly powerful, compact luminaire with a sharp 4.5° beam. Ayrton’s IntelliPix R is a modular beam projection panel of 25 independently controllable 4.5° LED emitters, arranged in a 5 x 5 array, which are designed to project graphics and media far into the air.

US manufacturer Chauvet is launching SlimPAR HEX 3 IRC, a low-profile LED Par with 6-in-1 LED technology (RGBAW+UV) and built-in infrared remote-control capability. The included IRC-6 remote enables wireless operation and control for point-and-shoot operation of static colours and automated programmes. eyevis will present a range of high-res LED modules and LCD display solutions at Prolight + Sound. The EYE-

LCD-9000-LD 90in screen boasts 1920 x 1080 pixels and Direct-LED backlight. Due to its connections for DVI, HDMI, VGA, S-Video and CVideo signals, the display can be used in control and conference rooms, for digital signage or at television studios for stills, video transmission or live connections. squareTILES, meanwhile, consist of quadrilateral 21.6in screens which can be installed in a row, a column combined to a videowall area, or in an unusual configuration – an internal scaler with matrix functionality ensures almost any setting can be realised without additional display controllers. squareTILES can also be rotated whereby the internal image processing guarantees the correct display of the required image.

Griven will be debuting its MAXI WATERLED The NandoBeam S6 RGBW and from Ayrton PARADE X-24.

The MAXI WATERLED is a more powerful version of the WATERLED MK2 and is said to provide a higherperforming light output that will enhance widescale underwater applications.

PARADE XRGBW-24 is the high-luminance flagship of

www.installation-international.com

Griven’s linear LED modules.

Uniform colour coverage even on close-up installations, especially on large-scale architectural elements, and the newly conceived optics groups provide for powerful grazing lighting enhancement.

Robe’s MiniMe, Pointe and Robin Cyclone will all be on show in Frankfurt. MiniMe is a small, fast-moving LED driven fixture with 20,000-hour lifetime source. Custom artwork, still photographs and video can be simply uploaded for projection, while live video can be streamed through the HDMI input. The Pointe can project a static or rotating glass gobo to produce precision in-air and surface images with an even focal plane. Finally, the Cyclone effects moving head has an integrated fan in the centre of the head surrounded by a ring of 24 high-powered RGBW multichip LEDs. It features a zoom of 8º to 63º on the LEDs and a strong central airflow that can be combined with fog and haze to assist with creating atmospheric effects.

Robert Juliat will exhibit its range of lighting fixtures, including the Lancelot, Cyrano and Victor followspots on its stand.

Lancelot is designed for live concert tours and stadium shows while Cyrano’s features (accurate dimming, easy operation of pan, tilt and iris, progressive frost, dichroic filters) continue to rank it as a desirable followspot for theatre and opera.

The Cyrano followspot from Robert Juliat is particularly popular for theatre and opera use

Robert Juliat’s Tibo and Zep LED profile and fresnel lanterns will also be on show along with, for the first time in mainland Europe, the new motorised yoke accessory designed specifically for RJ fresnels.

AUDIO The EVAC 5EN 6W ceiling speaker is just one of the products making its debut on the AMC Baltic stand. The EN54-24-certified unit features a built-in 100V transformer with power taps, metal grille, steel fire housing and 5in full-range speaker. It will be joined by the VIVA 5 wallmount plastic speaker designed for background music purposes. The 30W loudspeakers have a frequency response of 8Hz20kHz and a design that enables them to fit into a variety of contemporary interiors.

New from Audac is the SMA and SMQ series of Class D power amplifiers featuring WaveDynamics audio processing technology. They come in different output configurations with two or four channels and are available in output powers of

350W, 500W and 750W. Also on show are the latest additions to the company’s loudspeaker range.

The Resolution 3 SH Evo and EH Evo are the most recent editions to FunktionOne’s Resolution Series. They are the next generation of the segmented products that are derived from the fullbodied Resolution 3. Both new products have an enhanced vocal presence due to the substitution of a 1.4in compression driver for the previous 1in in the earlier Res 3 models.

The R3SH Evo and R3EH Evo both use the mid-high section of the Resolution 3. While the RS3SH Evo is a skeletal loudspeaker, the R3EH Evo is enclosed in a birch ply cabinet.

Both offer high output and controlled directivity and can be used in a wide range of applications, including providing additional coverage to a Resolution 3 system, supplying the high-power midhigh section of a multi-way PA system or in demanding speech-based applications, such as theatrical voice reinforcement.

Nexo will preview its GEO M6 compact loudspeaker series in Frankfurt. The unit

March 2014 47

SHOW PREVIEW: PROLIGHT + SOUND extends beyond the company’s traditional heartland of live music applications, towards the corporate AV sector and a wide range of fixed installation opportunities where speech reinforcement is the primary requirement.

The series consists of the GEO M620 full-range unit for standalone, curved array or line array application, and the GEO M6B, a low- and midfrequency extension box, for applications which demand more powerful reinforcement, such as live music.

The HAL Programmable Multi-Processor DSP will take centre stage on the Rane stand. According to the company HAL has “revolutionised system design and installation”. The easy-touse architecture does not

require any intricate matrix mixing or presets and no virtual wiring is required to distribute pages and background music to multiple, even hundreds, of zones. In addition, the HAL Multiprocessor and Halogen software check the status, location, Cat5 wiring integrity, and that audio is flowing in all peripheral devices, so users know a system is properly connected and ready to go.

Peavey will be in Frankfurt with its Elements C weatherproof loudspeaker enclosures. The IP45-rated series is available in three two-way, full-range configurations and as a flyable subwoofer. The Elements 115C and Elements 112C debut new 15in and 12in weatherproof Black Widow woofers and an RX 22

New from Audac is the SMA and SMQ series of Class D power amplifiers

48 March 2014

2in titanium diaphragm compression driver tweeter coupled to a QuadraticThroat Waveguide rotatable horn. The Elements 108C combines a 75º x 75º horn with an 8in weatherproof woofer in a compact and durable enclosure. The Elements 212 subwoofer is a flyable subwoofer enclosure featuring a pair of 12in weatherproof woofers.

New for ProCab is the Classic cable series, consisting of an assortment of connection cables and adaptors for audio, video, power, digital and data. This complete range of pre-made cables includes those with gold-plated connections and a modern design wrapped in environmentally friendly packaging.

Exhibiting on the stand of German distributor Trius, Symetrix will highlight its latest DSP solutions and an upgraded version of SymNet Composer software.

Composer 2.0 will be available for demonstration

by Mark Ullrich (international sales manager) and Craig Richardson (vice president of global sales), complete with additions necessary to

The HAL Programmable Multi-Processor DSP from Rane

enable interoperability between Symetrix DSPs, network amplifiers and Dante interface products from two other manufacturers.

TOA will be showing the SR-D8 active line array speaker, which has already had a good reception from tradeshow attendees. Also on display will be new digital mixers, the M-864D and M8633D. These will be demonstrated in conjunction

with a trio of EN54-certified voice alarm systems, for small to large-scale buildings, to show off the former’s automatic resonance control feature. Finally, the stand will also host a range of Trantec wireless systems, including the S4.16 RX2 system, which has double the performance of the S4.16 in the same size of unit. pls.messefrankfurt.com

www.installation-international.com

SHOW PREVIEW: INFOCOMM CHINA

Breaking down walls Following unprecedented growth in recent years, InfoComm China 2014 will now fill the entire China National Convention Center, and visitor numbers are expected to keep on growing Around 23,000 people are expected to visit this year’s show

AFTER RECORD-BREAKING attendance in 2013, this year’s InfoComm China (IFC) will occupy the entire China National Convention Center in Beijing for the first time. Total attendance at the three-day show hit a new high last year, ushering in a total of 19,431 visitors from across the industry, up 20% from the previous year. This growth is expected to continue in 2014 when all six halls of the venue will be filled with the latest products for the pro-AV market, and more than 23,000 professionals are expected to attend the show.

IFC is the only event in the whole of the country that caters to such a broad spectrum of market sectors, including corporate IT, government, military, education, transportation, healthcare, hospitality, retail and entertainment; over onethird of attendees are technology managers and integrators.

50 March 2014

SHOWFLOOR Many leading audio brands have already confirmed their participation in InfoComm China 2014. “We have seen how IFC has grown over the years,” says Zhang Tao, vice president of exhibitor Sanecore Group. “Having participated in IFC 2013 and achieved great results, we have decided to increase our participation in the 2014 show with the aim of forging an even better platform for our brand. InfoComm China has become widely acclaimed in China and we now consider it to be a critical window of opportunity for our company and our products.”

Phoenix Audio and Lighting Technology Co Ltd has been participating in IFC for many years. Melody Zhao, marketing manager, says: “Focusing on global solutions and top-class technology, InfoComm China has clearly established itself in the richly multi-faceted and flourishing China market,

providing professional expertise for industry players and manufacturers alike.”

Leyard will be showing its 4K Ultra HD LED display with 1.6mm small pixel pitch LED display technology, as seen at ISE 2014. The seamless, zero

bezel design is said to have unlimited super large screen splicing, offering multi-image videos. It also boasts a wide viewing angle, uniform colours, higher brightness and improved contrast ratio.

Mipro will reveal its latest wireless PA system, the portable MA-505. The 145W Class D device allows up to four diversity receivers and is the industry’s only wireless interlinking transmitter option.

Other big names taking stands include AudioTechnica, Bosch, BXB, Colink, Crestron, d&b, Harman, Hitachi, Lutron, Panasonic, Sennheiser, Smart Target, Sony, Taiden, Wincomn, Xilica and more.

Richard Tan, general manager of show organiser InfoCommAsia Pte, concludes: “We are very happy to witness such strong support from especially the audio exhibitors, who through the years have come to recognise IFC as the best platform for them to reach out to China’s AV market, both for the installed as well as live events sectors. It also points to the fact that companies in China are raising their stakes on the markets. This is not surprising as China's AV market is projected to grow at 20% a year to be worth some $15.3 billion by 2015, two-thirds the size of the entire European market.”

SEMINARS The InfoComm China 2014 Summit runs alongside the exhibition and is divided into tracks covering topics such as Entertainment Industry, Hospitality Industry and Building Industry. Organised with the support of InfoComm International and global and local user group associations, in collaboration with leading industry media, the summit

WHAT? InfoComm China WHERE? China National Convention Center, Beijing WHEN? 9 April 10:00-17:00 10 April 9:00-17:00 11 April 9:00-16:00

will offer market insight and technology updates.

Highlights on the first day include ‘10 best practices for digital signage systems’, an InfoComm University session running from 11:00-11:50 in The Arena @ Hall P, and ‘4K is coming, are you ready’ with John McMahon of Meyer Sound in the same location at 14:00.

The second day of the show opens at 9:00 with ‘A new era for AV’ in Room 403, which will take a close look at AVB technology and the advantages it promises to AV integrators. At 10:30 Kane Zhang of Biamp advises attendees on ‘Future-proofing investments in 4K’, while the afternoon kicks of with ‘Reliable AV system, the guarantee of luxury’ in Room 402. This Hospitality Track session will look at the design challenges of hotel AV systems and how to make components work together reliably.

The final day of the show will see a host of InfoComm University sessions, including ‘Are we REALLY OK with 4K?’, ‘Ready? Digital audio networking’, and ‘The development and application of the small-pitch indoor LED display technology’. www.infocomm.org

An extensive seminar and education programme will also take place in Beijing

www.installation-international.com

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TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

Large LCD displays Increasingly, LCD displays are being selected for applications where projectors had previously dominated the market. Add to that the availability of versatile videowall configuration possibilities and we see the technology more in demand than ever. James McGrath takes us through some of the devices currently on the market

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NEC P Series has human awareness

User-friendly content creation and reduction in energy usage were both key considerations for NEC Displays when designing the flagship model in its new P Series digital signage range.

The NEC MultiSync P801 is an 80in LED backlit screen capable of handling heavyduty applications in public display areas for 24/7 operation – such as in retail and transport environments.

It’s also suitable for corporate boardrooms that function with high ambient light, and control rooms.

NEC adopted a customisable approach to how the display’s content appears on-screen, with some innovative technology that allows the screen to react to its environment.

Firstly, the energy-conscious Programmable Ambient Light sensor increases or decreases the backlight depending on the amount of ambient light within the room to make viewing more comfortable on the eye: a dim display will correspond with a dim room while high ambient light will increase the display’s brightness levels. There are also a number of pre-programmable

options to override this feature if it isn’t necessary.

Secondly, technology called ‘Human Sensor’ manages the screen’s power and brightness depending on viewer proximity; exerting more power the further away the viewer is from the screen and steadily decreasing power as they approach the display.

Combined, these technologies create a reduction in overall running costs as the screen is always powered appropriately. This efficiency also reduces maintenance costs.

The display can be preconfigured before it is installed via NEC’s new Android App and an embedded NFC sensor to save time and cost. What’s more, with the addition of NEC’s DisplayNote Presenter Licence, users can present, share and collaborate with multiple participants across multiple devices.

The addition of MultiDisplay Management Software, NaViSet Administrator 2, allows users to manage all connected display devices from a centralised location. www.nec-display-solutions.co.uk

{Barco completes retail roster } A retail and advertising market consolidating towards single-point providers – be it manufacturers or integrators – has resulted in Barco rounding off its current repertoire of visualisation products with a range of indoor and outdoor LCDbased advertisement kiosks.

The company can now provide a complete media range of LED, LCD, projection, image processing and content management systems for public DOOH applications, such as in malls, stations, airports, venues and street furniture, which are increasingly looking for single-point providers.

The new range will grow from the initial 55in and 72in models – both of which will be available from this month in indoor (LCD55ix) and outdoor (LCD72ox) models.

Each of the displays is modular in make-up, meaning it can be customised to suit its application; the upper housing has optional sideboard finishes so that it can incorporate different colours and materials. The

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and optional I-Guard technology – a monitoring tool that continually analyses images to detect and correct instabilities for maximum display uptime.

In addition, the screen offers the space and ability to integrate interactive technologies to suit advertisers’ needs and provide a call to action for viewers. This involves hardware such as touch, camera, LAN, WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC and iBeacon as well as software apps like moderated social media integration and campaign management. www.barco.com

Mitsubishi delivers high-end LCD displays

In late 2013, questions were raised when Mitsubishi Electric withdrew from the front projection market. But the company didn’t make the decision lightly, and the announcement was just the beginning of a new, complete focus on control room and highend display aspects to its proAV business.

To that end, the latter part of last year also saw the launch of the L55P1 and L55S1 high-end 55in LED-backlit displays. The former is designed for applications such as control 52 March 2014

range is also wall-mountable or can be supplied with a customised base unit. On the larger models, there is also the option of having LEDs fitted on the underside of the base unit to illuminate the base.

Each model contains an integrated display panel, player hardware and content management software together with display management software features to improve reliability and to detect malfunctions quickly.

A whole host of other technologies ensure the display works as it should.

These include an integrated heat management system with optional air conditioning should the display be located in high ambient-temperature areas;

room tiled displays, while the latter is suited more towards signage or monitoring applications.

Both models incorporate the same basic functionality and features, such as a 50,000-hour lifespan, Intel OPS slot and compatibility with AMX Device Discovery and Crestron RoomView systems. But the P1 comes with more input options, making it more versatile in command and control applications.

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The displays are built as LEDbacklit, super-narrow-bezel LCD monitors for long-term operation and low cost of ownership. Mitsubishi maintains the view that quality and reliability are both key advantages when choosing its solutions for applications – such as control rooms – that necessitate reliability. displays.mitsubishielectric.eu

www.installation-international.com

TECHNOLOGY: SHOWCASE

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DynaScan tots up 10 with ‘world’s brightest’ display

DynaScan touts its new 84in large-format LCD display as the ‘world’s brightest’.

Shown off for the first time at ISE 2014, the new product brings the company’s display portfolio up to 10.

The DS841LR4, as it is called, measures 84in diagonally. It incorporates a 4K Ultra HD 84in IPS LCD with an ultra-high brightness LED backlight, which culminates in a sunlight viewable 2,500-nit image.

This makes the solution suitable for large-scale display applications in high ambient light environments – for example in storefront windows, outdoor kiosks and other locations with direct sunlight. It’s targeted at customers who no longer want to use static posters or low-resolution LCD panels.

To combat issues arising with solar heat gain – which could be a problem because the panel is located behind glass – the system includes

an ultra-quiet, highefficiency cooling system, and a high-temperature resistant panel that can handle temperatures up to 110ºC (240ºF) before the device experiences any blackening defect.

The LED backlight incorporates local dimming so that darker areas of an image receive less backlighting than lighter areas, producing a highcontrast image with deep black levels.

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The solution also utilises IPS display technology, which the company says produces accurate colour from all viewing angles.

Moreover, each screen is individually colour calibrated to the D65 colour standard to ensure quality and uniformity when using multiple displays, although this can be customised to a required specification.

The device is available from this quarter. www.dynascanusa.com

{ Sharp’s virtually seamless videowalls } The 60in PN-602 LCD monitor from Sharp is part of the company’s Multi Display slim bezel range – which also incorporates the PN-V601 and PN-V600.

Ultra-thin bezels along with what the company describes as exceptional image quality make the screen highly configurable for creating high-impact videowalls and digital signage applications. To ease this process the system offers easy assembly and control via the RS-232C interface or a network.

The monitor incorporates Sharp’s LCD technology, which enables highly

efficient use of light from the backlight and prevents light leakage. This, according to the company, results in outstanding image reproduction.

With high brightness of 1,500cd/sqm, the system is suitable for indoor locations but also areas that are awash with sunlight. Sharp specifically points towards indoor sports facilities, transportation hubs, shopping centres and event venues as areas that would benefit most from the display.

The product integrates Sharp’s local dimming technology to provide enhanced contrast

compared to conventional LCD monitors. An LED backlight adds to the image quality by ensuring uniform brightness across the entire panel.

As well as excellent image quality, the LCD monitor is said to have extremely low power consumption and long screen life, making it ideal for demanding 24/7 usage.

These features, according to Sharp, will also decrease the load on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, translating into lower running costs and savings for businesses. www.sharp.eu

{ VTRON signals processing as priority} VTRON’s LCD Display NarrowBezel series incorporates numerous technologies to make it a cost-effective solution for small to mediumsized control room applications such as monitoring centres, traffic and security centres, utilities, shopping malls and trade fairs.

Within the range is the 55in LCD 5503 display, which has embedded signal processing technologies. Firstly, a built-in processor removes the need for external devices – negating the need for 54 March 2014

additional space, time and budget that would otherwise be required for external units.

Secondly, an embedded Quad Image Splitter enables a single screen to split into four for the display of different sources.

Thirdly, VTRON’s unlimited signal looping offers intelligent signal compensation: the input signal is converted to DVI-D format, and looped out to the next LCD, decreasing the chance of signal degradation.

Rounding off the signal

capabilities is VTRON’s advanced signal processing which ensures the videowall has high levels of synchronisation to avoid dropping frames.

Further technologies include intelligent temperature adjustment, which ensures the screen maintains a workable condition.

On to aesthetics – and a narrow 5.7mm bezel makes videowall configurations virtually seamless. www.vtron.com

www.installation-international.com

SOLUTIONS: ASTANA OPERA HOUSE tion Installa

Curtains up

OF THE MONTH

KAZAKHSTAN

As the third-largest theatre in the world opens its doors, Mike Clark looks at the leading-edge technology that’s helping to attract the biggest names in opera to the Kazakh capital

[ABOUT THE MAIN CONTRACTOR] Founded in 1991 by its former president, Behgjet Pacolli, and a group of engineers with wide experience in civil and industrial construction, the Mabetex Group is headquartered in Lugano, Switzerland

Romeo and Juliet was one of the first productions to be staged at the theatre

pit able to host a 120-strong orchestra and a chamber music hall able to accommodate 250 spectators.

Public areas include the majestic foyer with its splendid Italian marble, a museum (which has already hosted exhibitions by the Bolshoi, La Fenice and a photography exhibition illustrating the birth of the opera house), a restaurant and a press room.

An impressive range of facilities is at performers’ and productions’ disposal: 26 rehearsal rooms of various sizes (the main 550sqm orchestra rehearsal room can also host a full chorus), 68 Picture: Astana Opera, 2013. Photographer: Karla Nur

BASED ON sketches by Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev and built in the country’s capital

by German, Italian, Swedish and Czech architects at a cost of over €220 million, Astana Opera House is the world’s third-largest theatre.

At its October 2013 official world premiere, the venue hosted critics and key players from the international opera world, who were able to appreciate the state-of-theart digital AV, lighting and broadcast facilities as well as the impressive architecture.

The building, which has a total area of 64,163sqm, features a main theatre seating 1,250, a three-level

The Bosch simultaneous translation systems consists of an Integrus system with eight interpreter desks

56 March 2014

dressing rooms (including eight for VIPs) and technical rooms.

Numerous specialised workshops (carpenters, metalworkers, sculptors, painters, plasterers, decorators) with storage space, costume workshops, countless makeup rooms, a sewing shop and a laundry/ ironing room are also contained in the building.

The stage’s dimensions are on a par with key international theatres, with four main elevators and large wings along with a backstage area that can hold three acts’ scenery as well as that already on stage.

The Swiss Mabetex Group, founded and owned by Behgjet Pacolli, worked with a group of professional architects invited from around the world to create the new arts venue. (Mabetex built many of the buildings in the Kazakhstan capital).

The façade and entrance to the theatre may be based on a combination of GrecoRoman and traditional Kazakhstan architectural styles, but the venue has a high-tech ‘heart’.

The theatre’s chief lighting technician Igor Davlesupov is rightly proud of the Astana Opera House’s leading-edge technology: “Thanks to the inhouse stock of about 1,000 lighting fixtures [a combination of Clay Paky, Spotlight and ETC moving head, moving yoke and conventional models], the theatre can meet the lighting requirements of classical, opera and contemporary productions.”

Lighting is controlled via two WholeHog III light consoles. The design of the control system was carefully studied, and the Art-Net control network installed around the perimeter of the stage enables fixtures to be connected virtually anywhere on stage and the lighting console to be switched on anywhere.

He adds: “There are over 1,200 (ETC ThruPower) dimmer channels, and 16 DMX universes. There is a portal bridge located over the apron stage, five main lighting trusses and an additional truss flown backstage, each with 24 16A and 12 32A sockets, which

Projects include the renovation of the former Russian Parliament building, construction of the Russian Federation Houses of Parliament, reconstruction of La Fenice theatre in Venice, and projects for the German, Saudi Arabian, Kuwait and Turkish governments. In 1996 it won the tender for the construction of the new Kazakhstan capital The company also carries out humanitarian work through its Foundation for the Reconstruction of Kosovo project

can be controlled as dimmable or direct, plus two DMX lines switched as required. Each of the five towers on either side of the stage has four 16A and two 32A sockets plus a DMX line.”

In the event of a console crash, control automatically switches over to the (identical) WholeHog III backup desk and a standby power generator ensures operation in the event of a mains power failure.

MODERN MUSIC Evgeniy Shpakov, head of the sound department at Astana Opera House, enthuses: “The audio set-up here is designed for modern digital transmission systems and audio signal routing. The Astana Opera House has a right to be called one of the most technically advanced theatres in the world as the www.installation-international.com

SOLUTIONS: ASTANA OPERA HOUSE AUDIO Electro-Voice EVA-2082S line array modules Electro-Voice EVF-1181SB subs Electro-Voice EVU-2082/95 monitors Electro-Voice ZX1I-90 monitors Electro-Voice CPS 4.10 and CPS 8.5 amps Electro-Voice NetMax matrix system Dante network card Midas PRO6 console Electro-Voice RE and PL Series mics Neumann KM 184, KM 185 and U 87 Ai microphones Bosch Integrus simultaneous translation system Bosch LC1-WM06E8 speakers VIDEO Christie Roadie HD+35K projectors Christie CP2230 projectors Christie DS+6K projectors

use of multiple Midas PRO Series consoles located in various areas and connected to the network via Dante gives access to modern technology.”

Mixes can be received from the opera, chamber halls and large rehearsal rooms at the same time.

During performances, one of the venue’s engineers handles FOH sound for the audience (with a Midas PRO6, an Electro-Voice EVA-2082S line array and EVF-1181SB subs); a second is responsible for the online broadcast mix and a third monitors the balance for multi-track recording. OB TV production teams can be provided with any of the mixes, plus separate channels as required.

Shpakov continues: “We can record small orchestral groups, ensembles, duets, etc, in the numerous acoustically treated rooms and small studios throughout the building, thanks to the Electro-Voice NetMax Dante audio network system, which enables us to satisfy virtually any requirement.”

HD coverage of productions can be webcast or transmitted via satellite using in-house facilities such as Sony HSC-300 and Panasonic AWHE 120WE remote controlled motorised cameras, Sony RCP1000U remote control panels and HSCU 300U CCU, plus Panasonic AW-RP50 remote camera control. Video mixers/switchers are Panasonic AV-HS410 multi-format (chamber hall) and FOR-A HVS300HSOU in the main theatre. There are OB connection facilities for 25 cameras throughout the theatre.

Both simultaneous translation and evacuation systems are by Bosch (an Integrus system with eight interpreter desks and 300 LC1-WM06E8 ceilingmounted speakers respectively).

ON TOUR Visiting productions have already given Astana the thumbs-up for its cutting-edge technical facilities.

Paris SoundWays Studio engineer Jean Chatauret, at the theatre for the broadcast of the opera Attila for www.installation-international.com

Sony HSC-300 cameras Panasonic AWHE 120WE cameras Sony RCP1000U remote control panels Sony HSCU 300U CCU Panasonic AW-RP50 remote camera controller Panasonic AV-HS410 multi-format video switcher FOR-A HVS300HS-OU video switcher

Evgeniy Shpakov at the Midas PRO6

LIGHTING Clay Paky Alpha washes Clay Paky Alpha profiles ETC Source Four Revolution Spotlight Beam Lights with motorised yoke Spotlight Rinascimento fresnels Spotlight Sintesi Area fresnels 1kW Spotlight Evolution profiles Spotlight Sintesi Vario PCs Spotlight Domino floodlights Spotlight Vedette 25 followspots

Picture: Astana Opera, 2013. Photographer: Karla Nur

[INSTALLED]

CONTROL High End WholeHog III consoles

France’s Mezzo channel, described the audio system at Astana Opera House as “unique, complex and interesting, and ahead of its time”.

Italian lighting designer Vinicio Cheli, who designed the lighting for Sleeping Beauty and Romeo and Juliet, two of the first productions to be staged at Astana, opined: “The Astana Opera theatre and its stage are well equipped and its team of very efficient electricians is expanded when required for specific productions. I used practically the complete range of fixtures available – Clay Paky Alpha washes and profiles, ETC Revolutions, Spotlight units with motorised yokes, etc.

“The two WholeHog consoles were programmed by the theatre’s head electrician, who, as well as being extremely fast and efficient, also speaks perfect English. Romeo and Juliet was transmitted in streaming (by Tengri News TV), but since almost all shows of this type are covered for TV broadcast nowadays, I design all my plots taking this into consideration to ensure that the stage lighting is also suitable for OB productions’ needs.”

The Romeo and Juliet production team included other famous Italians, such as Academy Award-winning costume designer Franca Squarciapino, her scenographer husband Ezio Frigerio and video designer Sergio Metalli, who used the theatre’s two Christie Roadie HD+35K digital video projectors to project reproductions of paintings animated with computer graphics.

Describing the Christie 35K as the “Rolls-Royce” of his profession, he added: “They do a fantastic job – the quality of the images is marvellous and the contrast is great!”

Regarding the theatre, to which he is returning in April with Frigerio and Cheli for a production of Swan Lake, Metalli added: “Everything is extremely modern – the theatre has excellent equipment as far as live audio and video are concerned and the set-up was conceived as if it was a television studio, with a central server room for

the two control rooms – the opera theatre and the chamber. The lighting control system is also very powerful and I found the chamber music hall beautiful and functional.” www.astanaopera.kz www.audinate.com www.boschsecuritysystems.com www.christiedigital.com www.claypaky.it

www.electrovoice.com www.etcconnect.com www.for-a.com www.highend.com www.mabetex.eu www.midasconsoles.com www.neumann.com www.panasonic.com www.sony.co.uk www.spotlight.it

March 2014 59

SOLUTIONS: VILLA, PISTOIA,TUSCANY ITALY

House of a lifetime

A couple in their 60s wanted their first automated home, and they got it – thanks to a flexible KNX-based system that encompasses far more than just entertainment and lighting.

Paddy Baker reports IN JUNE 2011, integrator Giovanni Aiello of Italian company Triotech met a couple in their 60s who were planning to knock down their existing home and build a new three-storey villa in its place. They wanted ‘the house of a lifetime’, although they had limited experience of home technology, or even of using computers. Through meeting Aiello and visiting his house, they became interested in the idea of automating their new home.

One important idea that he had to communicate to the client was the sheer scope of what was possible. “For example, an intelligent switch isn’t connected to the electrical system like a traditional light switch is – it can do whatever you want it to do,” he explains. “Putting in a home automation system would allow them to reconfigure the entire technological system in any way they wanted.”

The scope of the project was wide-ranging, taking in not only entertainment and lighting, but also security, energy management, HVAC control, calling the lift, and even systems for watering the garden and pumping groundwater from the cellar.

It was immediately clear to Aiello that the project required the integration of different systems at different levels, and that it was important that the core management system was flexible. He decided to base the core solution on KNX. “The amount of software and hardware available from many

PROJECT COSTS Alarm system ...................€12K Home theatre, TVs, matrix, touchscreens, iPad .........€25K Cameras, entryphone.......€8K Networking – router, switches, cabling................€6K Software and licences......€5K UPS .........................................€3K Server.................................€2.5K Total ...........................€61.5K 60 March 2014

manufacturers makes this standard very interesting, and there are always new products available to approach and solve a specific request,” he adds.

The next step was to select the management solution that would be the ‘brains’ of the system. Although the term is more frequently encountered in industrial automation, what is required is a SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) system. There are several SCADA products on the market; Aiello shortlisted three products and finally chose a solution from NetX Automation. “I chose NetX Automation because I found that the cost is very reasonable for what the product can do – it is extremely powerful,” he explains. “And despite the fact that it can handle very big projects, such as Beijing Airport, the company has been very flexible with me, very supportive.”

The KNX bus has an Ethernet interface that allows it to connect to an OPC (open platform communications) server. The server is where all the KNX functionality comes together, and 11 touchscreen ‘clients’ communicate over IP with the OPC server. All the KNX programming scripts to handle specific custom tasks are centralised on the OPC server – the touchscreens can be switched off if desired without affecting the functioning of the system.

Let’s run through the different system functions. On the security side, there are four external Mobotix CCTV cameras on the exterior of the property, and a Mobotix T24 entryphone – and IP camera with VoIP phone, which is integrated with the house telephone system. An El.mo alarm system is interfaced to KNX for visualisation, but not for management.

There is a total of 150 lighting points – internal and external – in the property.

These are all controlled from

The 60in Panasonic TV that is at the heart of the home theatre system. The Integra Blu-ray player and receiver, and the Sky box, are housed in the cupboard to the left of the fireplace

[INSTALLED]

the various touchscreens around the house – along with the window blinds. There is a 15in TCI touchscreen on each floor, which manages “everything you can possibly manage in the house,” according to Aiello. In addition, there are numerous 10in TCI touchscreens around the house, mostly for managing aspects of the rooms in which they are located. The 15in screens are running Windows XP Embedded, while the 10in models are on Windows CE. Aiellos says that if he was designing a similar project today he would probably use an Android system.

The customer specifically requested that the touchscreen graphics were simple to understand. “Other people – such as relatives – may visit the house, so you have to do things in such a way that even somebody who has never been there before knows at a glance how to switch a light on or watch TV,” he observes.

The home theatre system is based around an Integra Blu-

ray Disc player and a Sky TV box. The outputs go through an Integra receiver-amplifier and are distributed around the house on Cat6 cabling via a 4 x 4 HDMI matrix switch and four HDMI extenders.

There are four Panasonic TVs in the house, the main one being a 60in plasma. The video source is selected via a 10in touchscreen, and there is also an iPad to manage the overall system.

The infrastructure is in place for a six-zone multi-room audio system. However, the chosen manufacturer (WHD) does not have representation in Italy, and “in the end the cost of the equipment was too high,” says Aiello. “We would have spent €10,000 – and the customer wasn’t willing to pay that just to listen to the radio in the bedroom.”

Fortunately he was able to suggest a compromise.

Because the Integra receiver has a two-zone output, it is being used to distribute audio from an iPad, iPhone and other devices over WiFi. “Integra has apps for Apple. Through the

VIDEO n Panasonic Viera VT60 55in, 60in plasma TVs n Panasonic Viera E6 32in LED TV n Integra DTR-30.3 Blu-ray player n Sky TV box n HDAnyware HKM44 4x4 HDMI matrix switch n KeyDigital KD-HDDA1X2 distribution amplifiers n PTN TPHD402 HDMI over Cat6 extenders n Mobotix DualDome D15 and MonoDome D25 CCTV cameras n Mobotix T24 entryphone AUDIO n Integra DTR-30.4 receiver-amplifier CONTROL n KNX bus n NetX Automation SCADA system n TCI 10in and 15in touchscreens n Crestron QM-RMC room media controller n b+b EIB-MT-Gateway IP iPad I can mix the KNX system, the TV (with Panasonic apps) and the Integra.”

When it comes to interfacing with the KNX system, the home www.installation-international.com

SOLUTIONS: VILLA, PISTOIA,TUSCANY

One of the three smaller Panasonic TVs with a 16in touchscreen nearby

entertainment system was the hardest part, Aiello remarks. “The only part of the project that could not be easily handled by KNX is the audio/video devices. One approach here is to use a dedicated management solution, with the only requirement that it has to be interfaced and managed via KNX. For the management of the video, HDMI matrix and the home theatre system, I chose a Crestron QM-RMC and a b+b EIB-MT-Gateway IP.” The Integra receiver, Bluray player and matrix switch are managed via their RS-232 serial interfaces. “However, there’s no easy way to automate a Sky box – it’s the trickiest part. The only way is to use infrared but it’s one-

A screengrab from one of the touchscreens, including weather data from outside

way only, so you can’t ask the device which channel it’s on.”

There are 30 zones for heating and air-conditioning, each managed individually by the KNX system. The heating and A/C systems are interfaced with a meteorological station: exterior wind speed, light levels, rainfall and temperature are all monitored.

KNX thermostats and actuators, both from industrial control giant ABB, are used to regulate heating and lighting.

(Weather station data is also used to manage the automatic watering system for the garden.) Standard Daikin air-conditioning units have been fitted with a KNX interface from Intesis.

The KNX system has also

www.installation-international.com

been set up to manage electricity consumption: it can switch devices on and off that handle critical loads – such as the oven, washing machine or aircon units – in a preset sequence so the house does not exceed the total load agreed with the power company.

With so much riding on the KNX system, it’s important that it is properly protected.

The server is a small Acer box – it doesn’t need a large amount of computing power, but it has built-in redundancy with disc mirroring (via a RAID controller) and a double power supply. Power to the house is protected by a 5kW uninterruptible power supply, configured for full load for one hour.

Remote monitoring is another key feature. “I monitor the alarm system, cameras, server, UPS and touchscreens for vital signs and for major warnings and alarms that may be significant for me – so I can intervene and not wait for the customer to phone me up.”

A major benefit of the way this system has been designed is that it is very easy to change – either to accommodate additional technology or to adapt to new requests from the owners. Aiello comments: “What I’ve explained to the customer is that you can change the graphic anywhere you want. For instance, if they want to manage the Blu-ray player from a different room, it’s just a matter of changing the graphics. It’s a layer between the hardware and the customer that is completely flexible – you can mix and match in any way you want. That is what makes the money you spend on the systems worthwhile.”

Overall, Aiello says he is

“extremely happy” with his choice of KNX for this project.

“The more I’ve used it, the more I’m convinced that it is the way to go,” he says. “The beauty of a home automation system is that you should be able to integrate as much as you can. This way the customer also gets the most out of it – he can see results that otherwise wouldn’t have been possible.

“Because you have KNX, and more than 500 companies that develop KNX devices, there is really no limit on what you can integrate – and I think it’s a pity not to do it.” www.bb-steuerungstechnik.de www.cisco.com www.crestron.com www.elmospa.com www.integrahometheater.com www.intesis.com www.knx.org www.mikrotik.com www.mobotix.com www.netxautomation.com www.panasonic.net www.tci.de www.triotech.it

ONLINE EXTRA For a more detailed version of this article, go to www.installation-international.com/triotech-tuscany-villa

March 2014 61

SOLUTIONS: WINTER OLYMPICS, SOCHI RUSSIA

Record breakers The 22nd Winter Olympics Games, held last month, not only provided a platform for the world’s best snow and ice athletes, but it also offered an opportunity for AV companies to showcase their wares across the numerous venues. James Christopher finds out more stadiums involved in the 2018 World Cup, also to be held in Russia.

Some 1,727sqm of Panasonic LED large-screen displays were featured in Olympic-related facilities

WITH A budget of more than $50 billion, the 2014 Winter Olympics were the most expensive in the event’s history. Hosted in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, a record 88 nations competed and many events sold out. New venues built for the occasion inside the Olympic Park include the Fisht Stadium, the Bolshoy Ice Dome and the International Broadcast Center and Main Media Center. In the Krasnaya Polyana, or Mountain Cluster, a new ski complex, alpine resort and sliding centre were also constructed.

All of this work provided huge opportunities for the AV industry, with Panasonic, Polycom, Merging and EAW just some of the companies getting involved.

Following its huge input to the London Olympics in the summer of 2012, Panasonic has maintained its position as the main sponsor in the AV equipment category. The manufacturer supplied the largest amount of LED largescreen displays by area ever for the Olympic Winter Games, as well as the largest quantity of security cameras in the history of the event. In total, 1,727sqm of LED largescreen displays were featured 62 March 2014

in Olympic-related facilities along with 4,993 TV monitors, 207 DLP projectors and 6,903 security camera systems.

Equipment from Riedel was also utilised in high volumes, particularly during the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. A Riedel Mass Cast deployment including 14 transmitters and thousands of receivers and earpieces provided support during the Ceremonies.

GAMES ON During the Games, Riedel’s modular MediorNet and MediorNet Compact systems were deployed in doubleredundant rings to serve as a fibre backbone for audio and HD video (with timecode), data and intercom signal transport within the stadium and several other venues that feed back to the International Broadcast Center. Eighteen Riedel Artist digital matrix intercom mainframes and an array of headsets and beltpacks also provided support at competition sites.

Within the Fisht Olympic Stadium, the MediorNet infrastructure, including multiple interfaces and repeater sites, supported

wired and wireless Ethernet distribution to enable a local WiFi network and facilitate programming, co-ordination and execution of programme elements during the Ceremonies, such as lighting effects and the movement of scenic and flying objects.

Supplied and co-ordinated by Riedel, the installation featured 90 discreet radio channels and more than 1,300 radios and 1,000 headsets. The massive Mass Cast deployment at the stadium also made audio available to artists performing in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

Merging Technologies also featured in the Opening Ceremony, with Avallon, the company’s reseller for Russia, supplying Horus units to handle additional input signals and routing between the different systems in the arena. In this case, Horus was connected to a Stagetec Nexus via MADI and the audio was controlled by a Stagetec Auratus-24 located high up in the stadium to give operators an excellent view of the arena. This was the first Horus installation made by Avallon engineers, although several have now been specified for football

MEDIA MATTERS Besides a huge workroom for members of the media that was in operation 24 hours a day, the Main Media Center also featured four press conference halls. These ranged in size from Pushkin, which holds 465 media representatives, to Chekov for 50 guests.

Each hall was equipped with a whole set of integrated systems, including conference systems, videoconferencing systems, sound systems and simultaneous translation systems. There were eight synchronous languages available during press conferences, which in the peak period could number up to 18 per day. Polymedia also installed its own software, PolyWall, in the centre as an optimal visualisation control solution. PolyWall is a data visualisation management software that lets users control several displays and videowalls from a single cross-platform user interface, working with pre-loaded or online-created scenarios for complex events. Two videowalls and backup LCD displays were installed in the Pushkin press hall. In the smaller Tolstoy and Dostoevsky rooms, videowalls in a smaller 2 x 2 configuration were used.

Over in Medal Plaza, in the centre of the Olympic Park, The Waters of Olympic Park fountain and sculpture installation by Southern California’s WET featured a spectacular water, fog and light show that integrated an EAW QX Series sound system.

Surrounding the fountain’s 75m diameter, 2.7 million litre tank, a white metal sculpture enveloped the pool with its wings and held the burning Olympic Cauldron at its zenith.

Inside the sculpture’s ‘neck’, an EAW QX Series and SB subwoofer sound system reproduced the classic orchestrations of Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky and Shostakovich.

Some 270º coverage was achieved around the fountain with eight QX series enclosures: four QX544i-WP as a centre cluster and another four QX564i-WP along the left and right sides, all powered by 12 Powersoft K10 DSP+AESOP two-channel high-performance power amplifiers; six SB2001 subwoofers were placed at the base of the structure.

Finally, ROE, a member of Unilumin Group, designed 216 pieces of cylindrical LED display specifically for the Sochi event. www.eaw.com www.merging.com www.panasonic.com www.polymedia.ru/en www.riedel.net www.unilumin.com

Polymedia integrated conference systems, videoconferencing systems, sound and simultaneous translation systems throughout the Main Media Center

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SOLUTIONS: TEXAS SPIRIT THEATER, AUSTIN UNITED STATES

That’s the spirit An AV upgrade is helping a small Texan theatre portray the state’s colourful past. Tom Bradbury reports TELLING THE story of Texas history is not a task to be taken lightly; the huge US state has witnessed many notable disasters and triumphs over the years. But 4D Texas Spirit Theater, located inside the Bullock Texas State History Museum in downtown Austin, takes on that challenge on a daily basis using a multimedia experience.

US integrator Electrosonics was recently enlisted to upgrade the 190-seat theatre with an AV overhaul. The new system was required as part of preparation for a short film premiere, Shipwrecked, which would air in November 2013 and form the basis of a new exhibit at the museum.

In addition to small production companies screening their films, the auditorium-style multimedia theatre regularly holds two shows for viewers: one, Star of Destiny, depicts stories of perseverance, such as the devasting Galveston Hurricane of 1900; while the other, Wild Texas Weather, enables the audience to feel the wrath of Mother Nature in 22 minutes of footage showing wicked weather conditions.

“The theatre is very busy. In fact, that made it difficult to do the systems upgrades – we had to sneak in after hours and work as quickly as possible,” says Dan Lauf, Electrosonic project engineer.

The theatre is laid out with a standard proscenium stage plus two flanking openings.

Three flat projection screens provide an immersive experience for audiences when a single image fills all the screens simultaneously; the side screens can also display different images to support the narrative.

Moreover, a complement of 4D effects enhances productions with atmospherics and movement.

Having worked on the theatre before, Electrosonic had prior knowledge of the AV systems. “The Shipwrecked film offered a good opportunity to upgrade the equipment and provide a clean slate for programming the new show,” explains Lauf.

Shipwrecked is centred on www.installation-international.com

The busy show schedule in the 190-seat auditorium meant that after-hours work was necessary

system allows full 5.1 surround playback for regular film presentations and expandability to the 15 separate audio tracks required for the 4D shows,” Lauf adds.

The Museum’s director of theatres, John Lewis, concludes: “The recently upgraded theatre system has breathed new life into the Texas Spirit Theater by increasing programming capabilities, streamlining operations, and preserving the theatre's tradition of providing a superior immersive theatre experience to

generations of Texans and visitors to Texas for years to come.” www.alcorn.com www.dataton.com www.electrosonic.com www.qsc.com

[INSTALLED] VIDEO Alcorn McBride V16 Pro show controller Dataton WATCHOUT video playback system AUDIO QSC Q-Sys DSP

the ship La Belle, one of Robert de La Salle’s four ships that set out to explore the Gulf of Mexico in 1685.

Electrosonic needed to provide a way for audiences to feel the power of the storm (that resulted in the sinking of the ship) using 4D effects.

THAT SINKING FEELING The integrator opted to replace the existing show control system with an Alcorn McBride V16 Pro show controller and swapped out HD-MPEG video players in favour of a Dataton WATCHOUT video playback system. Electrosonic also ensured that the programming for Star of Destiny and Wild Texas Weather translated smoothly to the new gear and that programming for Shipwrecked got underway efficiently.

“The new WATCHOUT system gives the theatre technicians a greater ability to run shows easily every day and play alternate content easily when the venue is used for other events,” Lauf says.

“We didn’t just install the new equipment – we provided training for it, including a twoday session with visiting Alcorn McBride personnel. A lot of our focus for this project was getting the theatre techs ready to fully service and operate the space in all ways.”

On the audio side, Electrosonic upgraded the audio systems with a QSC QSys DSP engine featuring SSD multi-track audio playback.

“The Texas Spirit Theater is a full surround theatre. The new March 2014 63

SOLUTIONS: FEDERAL ADMINISTRATIVE COURT, LEIPZIG GERMANY

Holding court

[ABOUT THE INSTALLER] Studio-Elektroakustik has been in operation since 1958 It offers services in the fields of media and conference technology, audio and video equipment, and PA technology The company is experienced in integrating products from brands including Extron, Dynacord/EV, AKG and Wolfvision

With audio quality of the upmost importance during judicial proceedings, a new conference system proved a welcome investment, writes Tom Bradbury THE FEDERAL Administrative Court (BVerwG) is the supreme authority for nonconstitutional public law matters in Germany. The court is located on the outskirts of Leipzig city centre in the former Imperial Court of Justice building.

Alongside the Federal Labour Court, the Federal Court of Justice, the Federal Fiscal Court and the Federal Social Court, the BVerwG is one of the five federal supreme courts of Germany. At the end of 2013, two courtrooms of the BVerwG were equipped with a digital Audio Distribution Network (ADN) conference system from Sennheiser.

Studio-Elektroakustik was given the job of installing the system, as the Federal Administrative Court is a long-standing customer of the Leipzig-based company.

[INSTALLED] AUDIO All Sennheiser ADN C1 and ADN D1 digital discussion units ADN CU1 central unit ADN PS power supply unit 64 March 2014

The existing conference system, which had been in use for many years in the court building, was no longer able to meet today's high demands with regard to audio quality.

“The court contacted us and expressed an interest in a new conference system,” says project manager Andre Scholze. “As a result, we set up a demonstration with the ADN systems. Even after the initial listening tests, the Sennheiser discussion system was able to prove itself beyond doubt. As far as audio quality and speech intelligibility are concerned, the old components and the new solution were worlds apart!”

GRAND SETTING Sennheiser ADN conference systems were installed in two courtrooms. Courtroom IV and the magnificently ornate Grand Historic Courtroom are each equipped with 10 digital discussion units (one ADN C1 and nine ADN D1) permanently installed in the judges’ desks.

In addition, there are 15 more discussion units that can be flexibly used when required and which are connected by

the court’s own technical staff. The gooseneck microphones are fitted with a super-cardioid capsule developed by Sennheiser to effectively suppress ambient noise interference.

The discussion units are connected by Cat5 cables, with plugs that go into concealed connection sockets. As the cables of the built-in units are laid inside the desks, the optionally available strain relief system (ADN TR1) was not required. A cabled solution was provided in accordance with the explicit wishes of the customer – a wireless system, which would be susceptible to tapping, was ruled out for security reasons.

“Wireless communication of any kind, including wireless LAN, is not permitted in the courtrooms,” explains Scholze.

As the Sennheiser ADN discussion units were to be built into the desks, StudioElektroakustik commissioned its own team of fitters to carry out the work. “Providing custom-made solutions is a key part of our service,” says Scholze. “For aesthetic reasons alone, the Federal Administrative Court would

not have been happy with discussion units placed on top of the desks.”

The discussion units communicate in a network with the digital ADN CU1 central unit, which is connected to an ADN PS power supply unit. The external power supply increases the system’s reliability against failure, as the two double conference ports provide the opportunity

for redundant ring cabling.

The BVerwG uses two central units and two power supplies together with a total of 35 discussion units.

Audio signals are not electronically recorded in Leipzig due to unresolved legal issues. For the time being, two court reporters record the spoken word in a written form in the conventional manner.

However, Sennheiser ADN Conference Manager software offers the possibility of convenient digital minutetaking at any time. A free app called Sennheiser Easy Control is available for the ADN system, which makes it possible to control and monitor up to 15 discussion units via an iPhone or iPad. The new Sennheiser ADN conference system was officially put into operation on 5 December 2013, and, in spite of the acoustically challenging environment, has since being guaranteeing optimum speech intelligibility whenever judgements and decisions are delivered. www.sea-leipzig.de www.sennheiser.com

The discussion units communicate in a network with the digital ADN CU1 central unit

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12th June 2014 • Hilton London Wembley

Celebrating excellence

within the AV industry We are inviting project entries in the following categories: • Public display/retail • Education • Sports and performing arts • Corporate and industrial • Residential For entry form please visit:

www.installawards.com/categories

For tickets & tables reservation: contact Sarah Harris – sarah.harris@intentmedia.co.uk +44 (0)20 7354 6001

For sponsorship opportunities: contact Ian Graham – ian.graham@intentmedia.co.uk +44 (0)20 7354 6000

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Rants and ramblings WE SPECULATED last month that Google Glass would continue to provoke media coverage in the period up to its launch, and we weren't wrong – yes, we’re writing about it again here.

It turns out that, based on the experiences of the ‘Explorers’ who have been using its high-tech specs in recent months, Google has drawn up some do’s and don’ts, some of which relate to etiquette in public places.

This strikes us as a sensible thing to do. Wearing glasses that combine video and audio recorders with an online head-up display takes us into uncharted waters socially, and there’s already enough uncertainty about the right thing to do with the technology we have now. For instance, is it acceptable to stick a phone in someone’s face and take their picture on a train, without an excuse-me or other acknowledgement? BBC TV newsreader Huw Edwards has said it isn’t, and he has our sympathies. But surely that is more honest than taking such pics surreptitiously?

Anonymous pictures and videos of bad behaviour on public transport – from covert videos of foul-mouthed racist rants at one extreme to pictures of people taking up two seats posted for passive-aggressive revenge – are increasingly becoming a part of public discourse. It’s all a social minefield, it really is.

Anyway, back to Google Glass: here are some things that the online behemoth suggests you should and shouldn’t do once you start using the device. Do explore the world around you; do use the voice commands; and do ask for permission before filming people. On the other side of the coin: don’t use Glass for extended periods; don’t use it during high-impact sports; and don’t “be creepy or rude (aka, a ‘Glasshole’)”. Now, isn’t incorporating the name of your brand into an anatomically based insult frowned upon in the world of marketing? It’s just one more example of how Google is rewriting the rulebook.

Bits and pieces from the editorial cutting-room floor

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ARE YOU fed up with the same old Amsterdam hotels during ISE? Blair Parkin of consultancy Visual Acuity was, so he and his colleagues did some out-of-thebox thinking and hired a houseboat. It was moored at Javaeisland, which is near the ends of bus and tram lines – so the team all got seats on the tram to the RAI every morning. The vessel has 12 berths, so there was plenty of room, not only to accommodate Blair and his six colleagues, but also for them to entertain guests one evening. Overall the experiment was a great success, and the boat has been booked again for next year – although a mooring a little nearer to the RAI is being investigated.

HERE’S SOMETHING illuminating that we came across the other day: an alternative to public lighting in the form of a luminescent path surface. Starpath, as it’s called, contains small particles that absorb UV rays during the day and emit visible light at night. It requires no maintenance and can be installed in a few hours – it can be sprayed on to

INDEX

Words of wisdom from the Twitterati

virtually any hard paving surface. The brainchild of Surrey-based Pro-teq Surfacing (UK), Starpath has been installed in Cambridge with Fulham, south-west London, soon to follow. One can see why local authorities would prefer it to installed lighting, as it incurs no running costs and presumably no maintenance costs either. And we think it looks rather nice as well. The only question we have is – does its performance tail off over time?

Adder Technology.....................7 Albiral.........................................61 Apart Audio..............................29 ASL................................................ 3 Ateis...........................................41 Atlas Sound............................. 39 Audio-Technica....................... 12 Basalte...................................... 55 Blackmagic Design...................9 Bosch................................. 17, 25 Community Professional..... 27 Control4.................................... 58 d&b audiotechnik...................15 Datapath...................................43 Dexon........................................... 7 Earthworks...............................48 Faital...........................................61 Gefen ........................................ 29 Hetec......................................... 59 Humantechnik....................... 31 InstallAwards...........................65 InstallMarket.....................34-35 Kramer.......................................19 Leyard........................................ 63 Lightware....Inside front cover Matrox....................................... 33 Meyer Sound................................. ....................Outside back cover Mitek.......................................... 51 Mitsubishi Electric..................30 Mode-AL...................................... 4 Nebula..........................................5 Opticis........................................37 Peavey....................................... 57 QSC.............................................47 Rane........................................... 49 Ricoh.......................................... 46 Riedel....................... Front cover Shure....................10, 11, 20-21 Sommer Cable.........................23 Taiden........... Inside back cover TOA.............................................53 Troostwijk....................................6 Vaddio........................................45

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66 March 2014

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Publisher: Steve Connolly Managing director: Mark Burton Contributors: Mike Clark, David Davies, Kevin Hilton, Ian McMurray, Steve Montgomery Special thanks: Giovanni Aiello, Bob Snyder © Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior permission of the copyright owners.

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