Pro Systems July/August 2017 by Pro-Systems Africa News

July / August 2017

R38.00

AV System Integration | Installations | Live Events | Studio PRO Audio

Cover MEDIATECH Feature SPECIAL REPORT INFOCOMM TRENDS

HOUSES OF WORSHIP FEATURE

FUTURE OF THE AV PRO

KING KONG REVIVAL

In This Issue EDITOR Hello everyone, and welcome to the latest edition of ProSystems Africa News. Our midwinter issue is dominated by a look back at the biennial local trade show phenomenon that is Mediatech. The 2017 edition of sub Saharan Africa’s biggest AV and Broadcast trade show did not disappoint, and was once again packed with new product launches, innovations, demos and more. Chief among them in the AV space was a drone exhibition, a charity auction dinner to launch the new live event industry support initiative SOS, and the second edition of the Lighting Designer Contest. All proved very popular and successful, and we have a full rundown of these, and the show itself – by way of industry opinion about the market climate out there – from the majority of the industry players. Other highlights in this edition include a look back at trends coming out of InfoComm 2017, the major US trade show, and a look forward to their intriguing convergence show concept in 2018. Since the issue is dominated by the retrospective on Mediatech, our cover feature takes a relative back seat, but includes a number of interesting international case studies from the Houses of Worship sector. Live events stop for no-one of course, and our hard working LDs and FOH engineers offer up the design on RMB’s Starlight Classics, the NAMA Awards staged in neighbouring Namibia, and a great interview by local theatre luminary Alistair Kilbee, conducted with UK LD Tim Mitchell, about the exciting restaging of the iconic South African musical King Kong. Our forthcoming special feature in September/October will be focused on the Corporate sector, and in particular on AV/IT convergence in the enterprise. If you have any story ideas in this sector you wish us to consider, please get in touch. This will also be my final issue as editor of ProSystems News. It’s been a great ride, and a great time getting to know the industry and all of you. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to get in touch with your story ideas and news. I’m on james@sun-circle.co.za. Enjoy the read! James Sey

CONTENTS NEWS TPSA elects council chair.................................3 New ICASA regulation could negatively impact wireless communications at events..............................3 SkyGroup Communications appointed ClearOne distributor in South Africa...............4 Crestron wins at infoComm.............................4 Dr. Joseph Kramer honoured with Lifetime Achievement award.................6 Show must go on for Naledi Theatre Awards.....................................6 AJA Ships Ki Pro Ultra Plus.................................7 Barco’s new X-series LED displays...................8 wePresent launches new model....................8 Christie launches new Access Series of LCD panels...........................9 Semtech to acquire AptoVision......................9 Electrosonic launches ProSpectre in SA.......10 CAST Software announces wysiwyg R39.....10 Meet Jeffrey the ROB-E robot.......................11 Powersoft installs at Borussia Dortmund.......12 Shure chosen for AV systems in Turkey’s state palace.................................12

MEDIATECH 2017 SHOW REPORT New territory for Mediatech Africa...............14 TV Audio arrives with a bang .......................15 Aten makes connections...............................16 Sony affirms its commitment to the South African market..........................17 Alpha Technologies takes care of local AV integration................18 Crestron schedules its place in the market at Mediatech..............................19 Peripheral Vision brings unique video conferencing solutions........................20 Audiosure bring the big names to Mediatech...............................21 Stage Audio Works shines in the box............22 ApexPro stands on its own at Mediatech.....................................23

Viva Afrika gets the DJs jumping at Mediatech...................................24 System Solutions hits gold at Mediatech.....26 Electrosonic delivers to multiple markets at Mediatech.....................28 Wild & Marr bring something new................29 Robe lights up Mediatech.............................30 DWR take Mediatech on a brand new adventure................................31 Unpacking the Black Box...............................32 Industry rallies behind SOS.............................34 Benjamin Mills gets the crowd dancing at this years’ LDC............................35 The potential of drones..................................36

Integration & INSTALLATION House of worship AV should be exceptional...................................38 Wycliffe Bible translators update auditorium with all Danley gear...................40 L-Acoustics ARCS WiFo finds favour with US churches........................42 Meyer Sound in gothic installation...............44

Live Events Rigging and such: More Cantilever Conversations....................45 Knockout new lighting for an iconic piece.........................................46 Lighting the NAMAs 2017...............................50 RMB Starlight Classics 2017 graces SA audiences.....................................52

Technical Spotlight Ever-changing technology and the AV professional.................................58

INFOCOMM 2017 SHOW REPORT Trending at InfoComm 2017..........................60

Social Mediatech 2017..............................................62 Lighting Designer Contest 2017.....................64

Cover photo by Nicole Barnes

Contributors Nicole Barnes | A technical and academic writer, with experience writing for trade publications, Nicole holds a degree in English from the University of Johannesburg and has more than ten years’ experience in the academic environment. As a classically trained ballet dancer, she has a deep love for the theatre together with an unquenchable interest in development and technology. Abrie du Plooy (CTS, CERT AV PROF) | Abrie is an independent consultant in the AV industry. He writes for us in his personal capacity.

Editorial Disclaimer The views, opinions, positions or strategies expressed by the authors and those providing comments are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions, positions or strategies of Pro-Systems Africa News or any employee thereof. Sun Circle Publishers makes no representations as to accuracy, completeness, correctness, suitability, or validity of any information and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, injuries, or damages arising from its display or use. Sun Circle Publishers reserves the right to delete, edit, or alter in any manner it sees fit comments that it, in its sole discretion, deems to be obscene, offensive, defamatory, threatening, in violation of trademark, copyright or other laws, or is otherwise unacceptable. All contents of this publication are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, in any form whatsoever, is expressly forbidden without the prior written consent of the Publisher.

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news

TPSA elects council chair At the first meeting of the newly elected Technical Production and Services Association (TPSA) Council, Mark Malherbe was elected as council chair and will lead the technical production and live events industry for the next two-year period. Mark is the technical director at Prosound and has been involved with the technical aspects of the live eventing, concert and theatre industry since the late 70’s. Although Prosound's emphasis has shifted from operational and rental space to supply and installation, Mark has remained active as an audio engineer and theatrical sound designer. His work as a systems designer for both permanent and touring environments has included extensive international projects. This has provided a unique insight into methods and techniques employed by industry practitioners worldwide as positive and negative comparisons to our own in South Africa. Mark served as a member of the founding

New ICASA regulation could negatively impact wireless communications at events Seamless, wireless communications at events of any size are vital for success, but a new regulation proposed by the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) could prevent AV and tech professionals in the event industry from doing this. ICASA regulates the distribution and licensing of frequencies for wireless communications, including radio microphones, events, in-ear monitoring and wireless communications devices. The majority of radio microphones, until now, were required to work within the legal

Mark Malherbe

committee of the TPSA when it was established in 1998. In addition, he was a long-serving member of the South African Institute of Theatre Technicians (SAITT), that was absorbed into the TPSA. Mark has been a member of the TPSA Council since the organisation was merged

band of 800MHz range. This is the frequency band that ICASA wants to allocate to cell phone networks for broadband. For the event industry, this means: • Smaller bandwidth size to operate on, which results in increased interference • Replacing 800MHz radio microphones with those suitable for another frequency band “If the industry has a smaller bandwidth for its wireless comms to operate, we will find ourselves battling with interference, and having to invest in new equipment that operates in the frequency decided by ICASA,” advises Gary Billson, head of technical services at Magnetic Storm. “This could mean the event experience is not as polished as one would expect.” The biggest battle will be in the larger

into SACIA two years ago, and played an active role in SACIA's engagement with ICASA during early 2017. Mark believes that the TPSA Council needs to remain focused on the development of standards, training and industry certification. “While we have achieved much over the last two years, there is still serious work and intervention that needs to be done if we are going to deliver full value to our members,” he says. In handing over the reins, outgoing chairman Bruce Schwartz congratulated Mark and confirmed his continued support for the organisation. “Over the last two years I have worked closely with Malcolm Finlay of Penmac and Mark Malherbe to transition the TPSA from a stand-alone association to an integral Council within SACIA,” says Bruce. “It’s been a radical shift that has seen us build a community that is fundamentally different to the old TPSA structure – one in which there is a legitimate home for all stakeholders within our industry.”

cities of South Africa and the international conference centres running ten events a day with multiple wireless microphones and communication devices. “What we dub ‘clean air’ will become a luxury to operate on, and we will have to get creative in how we overcome this obstacle,” adds Billson. The Southern African Communications Industries Association (SACIA), has created a task force to lobby against the change in frequency allocation due to the impact on the event industry. In a statement, SACIA said: “the AV industry needs to engage in a formal conversation with ICASA and ensure that they are better informed about the requirements of the industry sector.” “Places of worship, Universities and schools will also have to replace their radio microphones,” adds Billson. “And it’s these non-profit organisations who will face financial challenges, they cannot afford to replace equipment."

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SkyGroup Crestron wins at infoComm Communications appointed ClearOne distributor in South Africa SkyGroup Communications has announced that it has been appointed as the sole distributor for ClearOne’s full lineup of conferencing and collaboration solutions throughout South Africa. As per the agreement, SkyGroup Communications’ reseller partners will, with immediate effect, have access to the full portfolio of ClearOne professional audio and microphones, video collaboration, network media streaming, and unified communication solutions, enabling them to build better voice and visual communications solutions for their end user customers. “We are delighted to be appointed as a distributor for ClearOne in the region as it provides our partners with a quality range of tools they can leverage to improve the quality of their customer’s communications environment,” states Marius van Wyk, operations and technical director at SkyGroup Communications. “ClearOne already has a well-established brand in the local market, and we are looking forward to assisting existing partners as well as onboarding new partners in the region.” ClearOne’s professional audio offerings provide high-quality audio conferencing systems which are today critical for enabling productivity in businesses. The company’s professional conferencing products are sophisticated, feature-rich systems and offer excellent audio processing performance. Notably, SkyGroup will be offering ClearOne’s flagship CONVERGE Pro 2 solution to local resellers. CONVERGE Pro 2 is an advanced professional audio DSP platforms for conferencing and soundreinforcement applications. The company’s VIEW Pro Network Media Streaming solutions enable quality multimedia streaming of audio, video, and control over existing TCP/IP networks, offering drastic improvements in flexibility, scalability, and price/performance compared to traditional audio/video distribution methods. Lastly, the ClearOne UC Voice solutions are highly popular with large and small

Crestron received a company-best 26 industry awards at InfoComm 2017, the largest event in North America focused on the professional AV industry. Crestron was recognised in multiple categories by leading AV industry trade publications. “Crestron is extremely proud and honoured to be recognised by the AV industry for a company-best 26 awards at InfoComm 2017,” said Fred Bargetzi, Chief Technology Officer. “These awards are validation of the hard work and ingenuity of the hundreds of engineers and visionaries in our R&D labs. They share a passion and relentless commitment to push the boundaries of what’s possible and anticipate our customers’ needs.”

Crestron received the following awards at InfoComm 2017: • rAVe Reader’s Choice Awards • Favourite Manufacturer-Based Training Programme • Favourite Control / Signal Processing Manufacturer • Favourite Overall Systems Product: DigitalMedia™ Commercial Integrator ® Best Awards • Audio Conferencing Solution: Crestron Mercury • Collaboration: Crestron Mercury • Video Distribution Systems: DM-NVX-350 • Large-Scale Control Systems: CP3N • Touch Screens: TSW-1060 • Programming, Design and Engineering Solutions: Crestron Studio® Government Video® Best of Show Awards • Crestron Mercury • DMPS 3-Series Presentation System DMPS3-4K-300-C • Avia 12x8 Digital Signal Processor • Avia 8-Channel Power Amplifier • Digital Graphics Engine DM-DGE200-C • SCN® InfoComm Installation Product

Awards • Most Innovative IoT Product: Crestron Mercury AV Technology Best of Show Awards • Crestron Mercury • DigitalMedia Network AV Encoder/ Decoder DM-NVX-350 • Avia Digital Signal Processor w/ Dante™ DSP-1283 • DMPS 3-Series Presentation System DMPS3-4K-300-C Sound & Video Contractor ® Best of Show Awards • Crestron Mercury • Avia 8-Channel Power Amplifier AMP-8150 • 4K Multi-Window Video Processor HD-WP-4K-401-C Digital Signage “Best of Show” • DigitalMedia Network AV Encoder/ Decoder DM-NVX-350 Tech & Learning® “Best of Show” • DMPS 3-Series Presentation System DMPS3-4K-300-C • Digital Graphics Engine DM-DGE200-C • GPA Global Excellence Award Crestron was also honoured to receive a

prestigious 2017 GPA Global Excellence Award. These are awarded annually to the leading audio, video, and UC manufacturers and vendors who show the highest level of commitment to delivering a superior experience worldwide.

enterprises alike. Its CHAT speakerphone and headsets provide unmatched full-duplex audio clarity and connect to a wide variety of devices for conferencing. The INTERACT solutions provide complete room audio

conferencing solutions, compatible with PCs or laptops running a variety of unified communications software.

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Dr. Joseph Kramer honoured with Lifetime Achievement award Kramer Electronics has announced that Founder & CEO Dr. Joseph Kramer has received this year›s Lifetime Achievement Award from Installation Magazine at the InstallAwards ceremony in London. “I am proud and humbled to receive this award,” said Kramer. “But I would not have been able to achieve such success without the talent, hard work and dedication of our employees around the world,” he added. Kramer was founded in the early days of the Pro AV industry with a vision to innovate. From day one, Dr. Kramer’s biggest passion was to develop a product and nurture it through its various phases until its release. In the ensuing almost four decades, Kramer has been on the cutting edge of major industry advancements: the design and manufacturing of the industry’s first video processor, the release of the industry’s

first video over twisted pair; the development of the patented technology KRISP™ to increase the fidelity and range of RGBHV/ VGA signals; the release of Kramer TOOLS™, a compact form factor that opened the door to pro AV equipment on a different scale; the launch of Kramer Control, a groundbreaking programming-free, cloud-based Control platform; and the launch of the industry’s first IP-based digital sound processor. “It’s quite uncommon in our world of AV that a founder is still an integral player in the vision and day-to-day operations of his company, especially after 36 years,” said David Margolin, VP Marketing at Kramer. “Dr. Kramer continues to be motivated by his deep desire to lead innovation in the industry, which makes him an inspiration to all Kramer employees,” added Margolin.

Dr. Joseph Kramer

Show must go on for Naledi Theatre Awards With sponsorship and finances bleak, an act of kindness and financial support saw various local and international companies rallying alongside founders Dawn and Des Lindberg, to ensure the 13th Naledi Awards would take place. Many people are unaware that Des and Dawn had to take out a second bond on their home to pay for the Naledi Awards which took place in 2016. With perseverance, they continued to push forward against all odds to continue with the awards this year, which recognises excellence in the Performing Arts. Sitting around a boardroom table with Des and Dawn at DWR Distribution earlier this year, Duncan Riley knew that it was up to like-minded companies to stand together to ensure the show could go on. He knew that the faithful companies who assisted the awards in the past with the technical requirements, Dream Sets, MJ Event Gear and MGG Productions would jump at the opportunity to help again. He then approached Joshua Cutts from Visual Frontier to provide the lighting design, which he did at no cost. The last phone calls were from Duncan to DWR’s suppliers, who were generous in their monetary donation. Heartfelt thanks extend to Green Hippo, Le

Maitre, MA Lighting, MDG, Robe, Prolyte, Philips Entertainment and VuePix. “Thank you so much for your generous contribution to the sponsorships for the 2017 Naledi Theatre Awards,” said Dawn. “As we don’t yet have a Headline Sponsor and only scant funding from the Department of Arts and Culture, and being a non-profit company, the Naledi Awards is constantly battling to sustain itself and grow. By all accounts this was the best Naledi ever and your donations helped us enormously! Our special thanks of course, go to Duncan of

DWR, who initiated this gentle form of “crowd funding” and we hope to take it further next year!” Said Duncan Riley, “I think we had to give something back and if we didn’t all get involved, the Naledi’s may not have happened. The companies who got involved were big-hearted and jumped on the band wagon straight away. We received an amazing response and I am very grateful.”

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AJA Ships Ki Pro Ultra Plus

AJA Video Systems is now shipping Ki Pro Ultra Plus, its new multi-channel recorder offering 1,2,3 or 4-channel simultaneous HD recording up to 1080 50/60p, or in singlechannel mode, 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD recording and playback, with full HDMI 2.0 input and output (up to 12-bit capture and output). Unveiled at NAB 2017, Ki Pro Ultra Plus captures pristine 4K/UltraHD and HD video to standard production codecs including Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD MXF. Housed in a portable 2RU half-rack, it also offers

extensive I/O flexibility and a range of connectivity options from 3G-SDI to HDMI 2.0 and fiber. Users can record four channels of HD simultaneously as ProRes files, each with different compression profiles, to AJA Pak 1000, 512 or 256 SSD media, with eSATA options also available. Additionally, the channels can be displayed on Ki Pro Ultra Plus’ LCD screen as a quad-split during capture for confidence monitoring, which can also be output over HDMI, SDI, fibre, and the device’s web-based UI.

Additional Ki Pro Ultra Plus feature highlights include: • HDMI 2.0 support for full 4:2:2 and 4:4:4 capture/output at up to 4K/UltraHD 60fps •12-bit support on input for Apple ProRes 4444 and ProRes 4444 XQ encoding and HDMI 2.0 input and output • Built-in Ki Protect technology to ensure recordings are secure • Multi-channel audio support via embedded SDI or HDMI, AES/EBU and analog • Intuitive web-based UI for remote monitoring, control and deployment in the field or in-studio • AJA’s renowned 3-year international warranty.

Ki Pro Ultra Plus is available now through AJA’s worldwide reseller network at a US MSRP of $3995. AJA Pak SSD media is available as: AJA Pak256 $495, AJA Pak512 $995, AJA Pak1000 $1495. For more information about Ki Pro Ultra Plus, please visit: https://www.aja.com/products/ ki-pro-ultra-plus.

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Experience The Best

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Barco’s new X-series LED displays Through a combination of product upgrades, innovative technology and superior design, the new X-series displays from Barco meet a number of key requirements in the indoor display market. Suppliers of museums, houses of worship, retail, airports and control rooms can now call on superior tear-free images, easier installation and enhanced reliability backed by a new three-year warranty. “We really went back to basics in terms of what suppliers need in terms of outcome in 2017,” says Wim Buyens, Senior VP – General Manager Entertainment. “Image quality was obviously top of the list, but we also reduced the number of panels required to create a

processed can really affect the overall impression. Tears, or when the image jars, are incredibly disruptive to the viewing experience as they pull the audience out of the story being told. Barco’s new Infinipix technology ensures smooth images – even when multiple panels or image sources are involved. Infinipix effectively creates a second redundant data path to ensure all the LEDs receive the signals no matter what happens. The X series comes in a range of four pixel pitches – 1.29, 1.58, 2.5 and 4mm to match just about any use.

Key features:

great effect and ensured that the panels will be as impressive years from now – a key benefit when looking at the total cost of ownership.” Superior image quality is obviously a key element in indoor displays, as it guarantees the wow factor. But how the image is

• Unique calibration for constant image quality • 2 data paths to eliminate the risk of image tears • Accurate colours under all conditions • 44% larger tile size (480×480) for fewer seams and fewer tiles to install • A three-year warranty – extendible to five years.

wePresent launches new model wePresent today announced the launch of their newest model, the WiCS-2100. First previewed at Integrated Systems Europe in February, the WiCS-2100 is the first in the new line of wireless collaboration systems. A simple to use wireless presentation and collaboration solution that allows presentation, interaction and collaboration between users with any kind of device. WiCS2100 supports Windows or Mac computers, smartphones, tablets and Chromebooks, bridging the technology gap created by BYOD (bring your own device) environments with its cross-platform technology. Equally used as a technology solution for corporate and education markets, WiCS2100’s wireless presentation and collaboration gateway provides many features that are found in high end rackmounted audio visual room solutions, but removes the worry and hassle of installing those systems. By expanding upon wePresent’s wireless, cross platform presentation gateway technology, the WiCS-2100 provides businesses and educators with new features specifically designed for more efficient and

effective collaboration. WiCS-2100 offers complete integration with Chromecast and Airplay devices, including audio and video support – the first on the market to do so. This allows users of both mirroring solutions to collaborate simultaneously and take advantage of the full range of on-board interaction and collaboration tools available, such as on screen annotation and interactive whiteboard

capabilities. With dynamic screen layout, on screen collaboration becomes quicker and more flexible. WiCS-2100 adapts to multiple presenters by automatically configuring the presentation content to optimise display. For environments where moderator control is crucial, WiCS-2100 offers the conference controller an on-screen user preview for all connected users.

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Christie launches new Access Series of LCD panels Providing commercial-grade quality at consumer-based pricing, the new Christie® Access Series of LCD panels feature UHD resolution and USB playback in a flexible and reliable package. Debuting at InfoComm 2017 in Orlando, Florida, this year and perfect for meeting rooms and retail applications, all four panels feature an OPS slot and with the optional touch overlay, the Access Series provides an interactive solution for dynamic presentations in meeting rooms, higher education or engaging retail applications such as menu boards. The Christie Access Series includes 55 and 65-inch models designed for 16/7 operation. For customers looking for a larger display, both portrait and landscape mode, and 24/7 run times, Christie Access Series offers 75 and 86-inch models, which are perfect for high-use settings like hotel lobbies, airport terminals, and mission-critical environments such as control rooms. “Whether it’s an important update in the corporate boardroom or announcing the latest promotions throughout your business,

you want your message to be seen and heard,” said Andy Clipsham, senior product manager, Christie. “With the Christie Access Series of LCD displays, it’s easy to tell your story in a clear, impactful way.” Backed by Christie’s industry-leading service and support, the Christie Access Series panels are

being introduced initially to select markets worldwide. Customers are urged to speak to their Christie Sales representatives to determine availability in their area.

Semtech to acquire AptoVision Semtech Corporation (Nasdaq:SMTC) a leading supplier of high performance analogue, mixed-signal semiconductors and algorithms, today announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire AptoVision Technologies Inc., a privately-held provider of uncompressed, zero-frame latency, Video over IP solutions addressing the exciting Pro AV market. The acquisition is expected to add over 30 employees based in Montreal. AptoVision’s CEO, Kamran Ahmed, will join Semtech reporting to Gary Beauchamp, executive vice president and general manager of Semtech’s Signal Integrity Products Group. Under the terms of the purchase agreement, Semtech will acquire the outstanding equity interests of AptoVision for a cash purchase price of $28 million and additional contingent consideration of up to $47 million subject to achieving certain future financial goals. Semtech expects to

fund the purchase price using its current cash assets. High-definition (HD) and ultra-highdefinition (UHD) video are proliferating in all aspects of today’s life from public places such as airports and rail stations to retail, sports venues, corporate, and academia. HD and UHD video offer an enhanced, immersive experience, and AptoVision’s BlueRiver™ technology addresses the need for flexible software defined AV that can be carried over low-cost IP networks without compression or latency which is critical to support these applications. Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE™) is the only approach to Video over IP based on an interoperable ecosystem of Pro AV products and companies, and

AptoVision’s BlueRiver™ technology is the underlying technology driving SDVoE applications and ecosystem. The technology is being quickly adopted into Pro AV applications, and several tier one companies are launching SDVoE-based products. The unique combination of AptoVision’s advanced algorithms for real-time, full bandwidth video transmission over IP networks, and Semtech’s industry leading high-speed signal integrity and chip development expertise is expected to enable SDVoE to accelerate this natural progression in the evolution of video transport.

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Electrosonic launches ProSpectre in SA Electrosonic SA has announced the addition of ProSpectre Advanced Display Technologies to its arsenal of quality products. Electrosonic SA obtained sole distribution rights to ProSpectre Advanced Display Technologies and will support all aspects of the brand from its head office in Northcliff, Johannesburg. Electrosonic will provide the local market with a full supply and technical support team, as well as offering a 24 month warranty on all ProSpectre Advanced Display Technologies products. The ProSpectre product range consists of a series of Large Screen Computers (LSPC) and video wall displays for multiple applications across all vertical markets with a requirement for professional display

products. The integration of a processor and large format display into a single unit makes these products ideal for many environments in the modern technology driven market. ProSpectre LSPC units are available with the option of Windows- or Android based operating systems at various processing capacities. Each processor is integrated into a large, LED backlit, LCD screen to serve as the processor’s built-in display component. The ProSpectre LSPC display options range in sizes between 43 and 86 inches. Displays are also available in different brightness levels of 500 and 700 Nits to cater for environments with different ambient light challenges. The ProSpectre LSPC range of computer displays also have the option of a touch overlay to provide interactivity to the

CAST Software announces wysiwyg R39

user and therefore replace the conventional keyboard and mouse. The current series of products are readily available in professional signage displays, interactive displays as well as an extensive video wall offering. Products aimed at the hospitality industry as well as dual side totem displays for retail or information kiosks will soon be expanding the product range. The video wall displays are available in 49 and 55 inch sizes with Ultra Narrow Bezel (UNB) of 1.8mm and Extra Narrow Bezel (XNB) of 0.9mm as additional options. Adjacent displays will thus have a minimum bezel thickness of only 1.8mm between display areas. ProSpectre Advanced Display Technologies offer a refreshing new option in the professional display market with quality and reliability standards to excite consumers and resellers.

• Software UI Translations CAST has accomplished extensive background work so that wysiwyg can be translated into new languages, with French being the first.

• AutoCAD Importing Improvements For wysiwyg Release 39, a lot of investigation time and effort was dedicated to make improvements to importing DWG/DXF files. This should resolve any issues experienced when importing very large DWG/DXF files. CAST introduces wysiwyg Lighting Design Software Release 39. Created with the lighting designer in mind, as well as a futuristic workplace, wysiwyg’s powerful and integrated improvements result from the direct feedback from wysiwyg users and the wysiwyg beta testing program. Users will be able to be more creative and dynamic in their lighting design workflow from the design and presentation to clients as well as on site, saving valuable time and resources.

• Alpha Beam Shadows

Wysiwyg highlights include:

• Library’s Insertion Points

• Panorama / 360º Image export Users now can export 360º Spherical images of their design, and with the help

of a VR googles, such as Google cardboard or Gear VR, users can step inside their virtual design and experience it in first hand.

wysiwyg is taking it one step closer to reality by considering the colour and Alpha percentage in the textures and altering the beam’s colour and intensity as it passes through the surface.

Select from different insertion points when adding a Library item into a drawing. This will help place an object correctly and avoid having to re-position it afterwards.

• Library Additions Setting a brand-new world record for a wysiwyg release, there are 220 new fixtures available in the library, as well as new accessories, gels, gobos and many old fixture correction and updates. wysiwyg Lighting Design software continues to improve its ease to use workflow and features, some of the new functionalities are a first in the industry giving users significant commercial and creative advantage in an increasingly competitive marketplace.

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Meet Jeffrey the ROB-E robot The team from Robe’s South African distributor DWR Distribution excelled themselves at the 2017 Mediatech Africa exhibition, taking trade show visitors on a show-stopping ‘experience’, culminating in a fully choreographed show, staged at their new demonstration and showroom facility in Randburg, Johannesburg. Dancers Nadine Oberholzer and Danielle Mann

Jeffery is constructed using all Robe fixtures

The star of the show was Jeffrey, an impressive 3.2-metre high automated robot, who sports an expressive face and all of his major body parts made and highlighted using a variety of Robe lighting fixtures. The creative concept behind Jeffrey came from Michael Broderick, one of South Africa’s most eminent theatre lighting directors. The live show featuring Jeffrey was directed by David Gouldie, assisted by Grant Jacobs. The narrative for Jeffery the Rob-e robot was developed by David Gouldie – who collaborated with Broderick in creating the DWR-originated ‘One Light Show’, which Robe then produced at PLASA 2015 and Prolight+Sound 2016 – with the script written by Grant Jacobs. DWR’s Jannie de Jager was responsible for the lighting programming and operation, using a

grandMA2 console, joined at FOH by sound engineer Kyle Robson behind a DiGiCo SD12. The robot was accompanied onstage by a cast of three – actress Jessica Sole and dancers Nadine Oberholzer and Danielle Mann – who performed five 12-minute high energy shows to capacity audiences of 95 over three days. Jeffrey went from concept to design as Broderick and DWR director Bruce Riley started to look seriously at how some of the mechanics and engineering could be achieved earlier this year. Michael engineered a lighting design, and he and Bruce worked out which lighting fixtures they could practically and realistically use for the robot’s anatomy. Broderick was very keen to use lighting products from a single manufacturer, and when he looked at the options, he found that Robe had a perfect fixture for every body part and limb.

Jeffrey’s head is a Spiider wash beam – perfect for a whole range of expressions including happy, sad, inquisitive, shocked, excited, and – to the delight of the audience – in love. The forearms, biceps, thighs and shins are made up from Robe CycFX 4 moving LED strips, as is the pelvis. The chest is a combination of a Robe Square (5x5 matrix of LEDs) and two of their new LEDBeam 150s. The feet are both Spikies and, in one hand, he is gripping a MiniMe effects luminaire, with a Spikie in the other. Jeffrey’s feet are anchored via runners to a track on the floor with the rest of his body essentially flown from a mother grid made up of S52 Prolyte truss in the showroom. He is suspended from five 1 tonne Prolyft motors and one variable speed Bonfiglioli motor anchored to the floor for the body. The arm movements are double pulley’d on four of the Prolyfts to get the required speed to keep in sync with the body movements and the motor used independently for the head. The head runs up and down on two steel wire guides that also support the body. Bruce Riley was instrumental in turning the automation into reality. All the Prolyft motors are run via a Kinesys Vector control system, and the speed of the Bonfiglioli motor is controlled using an MA dot2 console with DMX to 0-10V for variable speed and running contactors with absolute encoders for feedback to the Bonfiglioli inverter’s onboard PLC control. Jeffrey’s show was highly visual, funny and entertaining, and also served as a lively, innovative vehicle to demonstrate some of the impressive technologies that DWR has to offer.

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Powersoft installs at Borussia Dortmund Back in the summer of 2013, system integrators, fulfil engineering, replaced the main PA along the four stands at Signal Iduna Park, home to Bundesliga club, Borussia Dortmund. At the time they left the existing EAW sound system providing coverage in the four corners for future upgrade. This has now been implemented, and at the same time, the previous 2-channel amplifiers have been retired in favour of Powersoft’s 8-channel processcontrolled solution. A large quantity of Powersoft’s streamlined, super energy-efficient Ottocanali installation amplifiers have been specified in combination with the advanced X8 Series, which were supplied by the Italian manufacturer’s German distributor, Laauser & Vohl. The installation task was to optimise the

Powersoft for Dortmund stadium upgrade

existing triamped EAW KF750 (35°x35°), EAW KF650 (60°x45°) and ASR665 (60°x45°) in the Centre Roof & Infield, and on North-East and North-West corners, South East and South West corners. This was accomplished in four racks of DSP-equipped amplifiers and other equipment. Assigned to the various frequency bands of the system, using analogue inputs only, are eight Ottocanali (six 12K4DSP+ETH and two 8K4DSP+ETH) plus four X8 DSP+ETH amps – designating that these models are Ethernet-supporting (rather than Dante). “We used the existing EAW presets and

Shure chosen for AV systems in Turkey’s state palace

Turkey’s presidential complex in Bestepe, Ankara

Shure has supplied an array of AV systems, microphones, and automatic mixing hardware for Turkey’s presidential complex in Bestepe, in the Turkish capital Ankara. Supplied through Atempo, Shure’s distributor in Turkey, the equipment included DCS simultaneous translation and conferencing systems, Microflex® Wireless conferencing microphones, and Axient® and ULX-D® wireless microphone systems. The presidential complex, or Cumhurbaskanlıgı Külliyesi in Turkish, incorporates the official residence of the republic's President Erdogan, assorted offices

of state, a mosque, a public library, and a cultural centre. Atempo, also integrators on the construction project, submitted the Shure equipment as part of its tender to install the AV systems in two sizeable multi-purpose congress halls at the complex, containing 2 050 and 300 seats respectively, used for concerts, conferences, opera, and theatre. The tender also covered nine associated basement meeting rooms and foyer and public exhibition areas. The 2 050-seat multi-purpose hall was fitted with a DCS 6000 digital conferencing, assistive hearing and translation system,

Powersoft provided us additional settings for the ASR that were not already in place,” explained Timo Boerger. “The entire system is monitored and controlled via Armonía software – and in particular we are using the Presets/Delays/Gains and Mute Groups in the DSP.” In terms of designation, the long stands (West/East) are equipped with an Ottocanali 8K4 (HF), an Ottocanali 12K4 (MF) and an X8 (LF) for the Infield PA (which comprises nine KF750 point source enclosures per side). The short stands (South/West) are equipped with two Ottocanali 12K4 (MF/HF) and an X8 (LF) for the two KF 650 (2-way), 10 x ASR655 (2-way) and the six KF750 (3-way) in the corners. All signals are transmitted by fibre optic on an ATEÏS network, and every amplifier input is fed from its own dedicated Output on the matrix, while each stand and infield PA has its own bus from the mixing desk.

providing sound reinforcement for speeches in the hall and also allowing up to 12 different languages to be simultaneously translated and relayed to any of the individual seats. Axient wireless microphone systems with Spectrum Manager, full ShowLink® remote control capabilities and Wireless Workbench® software were also supplied, along with handheld and lavalier mic units, headphones and supplementary ULX-D digital wireless microphone hardware. Classic Shure wired products including the SM58® and SM57, Beta-series mics, and high-quality KSM32s provide the hall with further miking flexibility for sales conferences and political debates to rock concerts and opera productions. A further eight-channel Axient wireless microphone system, together with a networked Microflex Wireless system offering gooseneck and handheld microphone options and associated Dante-enabled SCM820E automatic mixers were installed in the basement meeting rooms, providing additional flexible sound reinforcement.

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LEARN MORE AT CRESTRON.COM/MERCURY All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ÂŠ2017 Crestron EMEA

SHOW REPORT

New Territory for Mediatech Africa

but many products on the show floor took the convergence trend forward in the local market, with wireless protocols and interoperability very evident in most AV integration products on show. In some cases, traditional IT companies are moving into the AV business space. • Unifying technology? – many new live event products, such as lighting or installed sound systems, launched at the show or on display were managed by sophisticate new control systems. The controller trend moving from AV integration into the live event space was evident, with new control systems for lighting, audio and video systems now very evident and taking their lead from the enterprise and other AV applications. • Flexibility – many of the products on show are applicable to many different AV environments, including touch screen technologies, portable , low-cost projection systems and corporate presentation software, all of which can be used in many different end-user industry sectors. • Live sector thrives – despite the increasingly international attention paid to AV over IP and convergent technologies, evident in the significant growth of the Integrated Systems Europe trade show this year, developments in the live sector continue to hold their own in their own niche. The popularity of high-end PA arrays and especially DJ equipment shows that these

The 2017 edition of the pre-eminent South African media and entertainment technology trade show, Mediatech Africa, was the most successful to date. In a bold departure from type, the expertly curated show delivered many unique user experiences, which in turn resulted in more engagement by visitors with the exhibition stands. The Drone Cage demonstrated the many exciting business, surveillance and entertainment capabilities of drone technology. The 360° Timeslice photography installation proved enormously popular with exhibition visitors. The Black Box lighting design demo space was a major attraction, designed and put together by a crack team of SA designers and technicians. They were led by industry luminaries Joshua Cutts, Chris Bolton and Bradley Hilton, who collaborated with show director Simon Robinson to provide this lighting design and production showcase and seminar space. Last but not least, the second iteration of Electrosonic SA’s Lighting Designer Contest proved even more popular and sophisticated than the first edition, with Benjamin Mills taking the top prize of a trip to the factory premises of sponsors Martin Professional Lighting.

Trending at Mediatech Feedback from many exhibitors on the show floor pointed to definite trends in the South African AV and live event technology markets. The main trends detectable at this year’s Mediatech: • Sustained international presence – along with the many international brands represented locally by the distribution channel, many other international businesses have maintained a direct sales presence, at least on the Mediatech show floor. • Convergence continues – AV over IP has been around a while,

technologies still have a thriving market, despite growth in other industry segments. All in all this year’s Mediatech Africa show cemented its place in the local industry as the premier showcase for products and innovation. Along with its own new approaches to events staged within the show, it seems set to continue its success of recent years, even in a tough economic environment.

SHOW REPORT

TV Audio arrives with a bang Mediatech Africa provides a great platform for many of the industry’s leading distributors and suppliers to introduce new products to the local market. TV Audio took unique advantage of this opportunity this year by presenting some truly mind blowing products from Dutch company MagicFX to the South African market for the first time. Speaking to Pro-Systems about his experience at the show, TV Audio product specialist, Aidan Wolhuter, shared the excitement generated at the company’s impressive stand. The TV Audio team

“We decided to emphasise our presence at Mediatech this year, doubling our stand size in comparison to years past,” Wolhuter explains. The company distributes a wide range of products for the live event market, including lighting, trussing, and staging – and now some truly international level special stage effects. The lighting division launched a number of new products at the show, including the Ignite 180, from lighting manufacturer BeamZ, a powerful LED moving head with a bright white 180W LED, equipped with interchangeable gobos combined with two individual rotating prisms. The company also introduced the BeamZ MHL1915, a moving head zoom wash with individually controlled 4-in-1 LEDs and the Matrix 55 moving head, also by BeamZ. “The product that received the most attention at our Beamz stand was the BeamZ Illusion ll, a high-quality multi effect LED moving head fixture,” says Wolhuter. The special effects fixture’s central lens has nine colours and nine gobos, as well as open slots, to ensure that one can achieve the desired effects – a capability that received much attention by lighting enthusiasts at the show. “The BeamZ stand was very well received, and visitors loved what we had on offer,” Wolhuter states. The company pulled out all the stops this year to display its trussing and staging capabilities – constructing an elaborate rig using components from their Polish supplier Alustage. “We constructed a stage with a floor and roof with trussing and decided to suspend a triangular structure with our branding – quite a technical challenge that is not often achieved,” Wolhuter explains. The highlight of the TV Audio stand at Mediatech was undoubtedly

the introduction of MagicFX’s world-class range of special effects for live events. “The MagicFX product range includes confetti canons, CO2 effect, stage flames, bubble machines and stage fans to name a few,” he states. Special effects can be tailored to an event, with confetti available in a range of colours and shapes. “One can even print messages or branding on individual pieces of confetti,” he explains. “There are very few top-billed international acts that do not call for special effects during their shows – and many of the biggest names in the entertainment industry call specifically for MagicFX effects.” Wolhuter states. “Our customers have responded very positively to the introduction of MagicFX to our distribution range – they have been asking for products like this for years, and now that we have delivered they are extremely excited.” Reflecting on his experience at Mediatech 2017, Wolhuter is extremely pleased with the exposure that the company achieved. “Our presence at Mediatech has really boosted brand awareness for the company. Our distributors know us well; however, the scale and versatility of our service and product offerings really come to the fore.” Wolhuter adds that the interest shown was exceptional with the stand receiving more visitors than they could accommodate at times. “We are very grateful for the support that we received from our suppliers – especially the guys from Alustage who flew in from Poland to be on our stand and answer customer’s questions directly,” he concludes.

SHOW REPORT

Aten makes connections

Aten is a Taiwanese manufacturer of signal connection equipment, and has been distributed for some years in South Africa, for the last four years by Solution Technologies. Established in 1979, the company is specialised in connectivity and management solutions in accessing and sharing technologies. Aten consolidates all of its products and services under one brand in order to provide an efficient and consistent service standard and full support for its network of distributors and partners. The Aten brand consists of innovative solutions applied to connectivity, professional audio/video, and green energy, for consumers, small/home offices (SOHO), small to medium sized businesses (SMB), and enterprise customers. Aten’s SOHO and SMB solutions offer a series of cable KVM, desktop KVM, and LCD KVM products. The Enterprise solutions offer a series of Over IP solutions that allow customers to effectively manage IT infrastructure from anywhere in the world. The professional AV line offers integrated video solutions for home and professional use for a variety of uses including corporate, education, hospitality, commercial and home theatre applications. The company’s recently developed Green Energy line offers energy-saving solutions for the data centre with a range of intelligent PDUs that provide real-time energy management and performance indicators locally and remotely.

Daniel Shih and Murray Matthews

At Mediatech, the company presented a set of enterprise-focused solutions, which concentrated on matrix switchers and scalers that offer wireless signal scalability reliably over IP. Aten’s matrix scaler offers full enterprise level control, through an app-based system operated via an iPad or similar. While Aten has traditionally been an IT business focused on enterprise and home signal distribution and connectivity solutions, the opportunity has presented itself to launch a new AV over IP business unit, which takes advantage of Aten’s expertise in video signal connection and distribution. In terms of market focus for the AV business unit locally, Aten will be particularly interested in surveillance and control room environments. Says director Daniel Shih, “We are competing in these parts of the market here with Kramer and Crestron, but can offer a price point advantage since we are an enterprise OEM, thanks to our roots in IT manufacture.”

SHOW REPORT

Sony affirms its commitment to the South African market

require strong content management systems, video conferencing, networking, and projector technology can be supported by Sony technology developed by In January 2015, the Sony Corporation announced that they would Sony’s broadcasting division, but which have been be closing down their South Africa offices, opting for a distributorspecifically adapted and repackaged to service the based business model to service the South African market moving needs of educational institutions, among others,” Sherman explains. forward. In an interview with Pro-Systems Magazine at Mediatech In addition to offering complete AV solutions, Africa 2017, managing director of Sony Middle East and Africa (MEA) Sherman predicts that Sony Professional will move to a Rob Sherman, explained the company’s decision, stating that: “The very different way of doing business in the future. With the advent of individuals and small to medium consumer division – which is by far the larger business- felt that the organisations needing accessible, affordable and market in the region was shrinking to a point where the cost of easy-to-use products to produce content for online running a full-scale local operation could no longer be justified.” consumption, Sherman sees a situation emerging where individuals or corporates can rent Sony products Sherman opines that while he feels that the company’s decision was the and support rather than having to purchase equipment. “The capital cost correct move under the circumstances, the manner in which it was of purchasing equipment can be constraining for this market, coupled communicated created uncertainty regarding Sony Professional’s with the fact that technology is advancing at a pace that results in continued presence and availability in South Africa, which is a perception upgrades being available almost immediately after a purchase has been that he wishes to challenge moving forward. made.” Sherman points out. “What we need is to gain a deeper “The South African market has always been important to Sony understanding of the needs of our customers in South Africa and tailor Professional because it is one of the more developed markets in the solutions and services to respond to those needs,” Sherman concludes. African region – particularly in the broadcast and AV areas,” Sherman states. As such, while the consumer division has committed themselves to Sony Professional at Mediatech Africa 2017 a solely distributor-based business model that is centrally managed from Dubai, Sony Professional has retained certain key personnel in the country Sony Professional decided to use Mediatech Africa 2017 to showcase the to provide customers with on-going support and customer care. “Sony MCX-500 multi-camera live producer. The MCX-500 is an affordable, Professional has not left the country,” Sherman emphatically states. uniquely user-friendly and flexible production switcher that makes it simple for a single operator or small team to produce a broadcast quality Sony Professional pursues the live event. Multiple video inputs include professional 3G-SDI, HDMI, AV integration market Composite Video, as well as dedicated DSK, which means that you can mix and match kit as needed for each production. The MCX-500 is ideal While Sony has not offered complete AV integration solutions to the for a wide range of live and recorded applications from music concerts, corporate market in the past, Sherman explains that this is about to private functions, educational seminars, corporate presentations, and at change. “Up until recently, integrators have used our various components houses of worship. in creating their own systems. However, the company is in the process of “Moving forward, Sony South Africa will be a different company, one putting together a portfolio of products – still made up of our various that will focus on services and that will be a part of the market rather than components – but with a Sony core.” just being a supplier to the market.” Sherman concludes. These systems have started to show real promise in the educational environment, both in the US and UK. “'Smart' classroom environments that

SHOW REPORT

Alpha Technologies takes care of local AV integration

The Alpha Technologies team (Right to Left) Tiaan Hoogstad, Michael Pienaar, Joseph Milan, Spencer Thomas, and Donovan Badenhorst

Mediatech provides an important platform for suppliers and distributors within the professional AV industry to come together and build the relationships necessary to ensure that end users have access to the best solutions to fit their needs. This is the view of Joseph Milan, director of Alpha Technologies. “Being at the show means that distributors can come to us and are given an opportunity to learn about our broad range of products. For us, the opportunity to network at Mediatech is of paramount importance.” Anton Moller and Brett Minnie representing wePresent for Alpha Technologies

According to Milan, Alpha Technologies manned a 54m2 stand during the 2015 edition of the show. The company has increased its trade show floor space to 108m2 this year, demonstrating both the growth of the company and its continued investment in Mediatech. Milan and his team brought an impressive array of audio visual technology to the expo, with a special focus on their house brand, Alfatron. “There are a lot of international players on the market and represented on the show floor,” Milan explains. “However, we feel that we have found our niche in providing the highest possible quality product at prices that the South African market can handle,” he explains. In addition to the advanced digital products under the Alfatron brand on offer, the company dedicated a significant portion of their booth to its wePresent team, represented by Anton Moller and Brett Minnie. The wePresent stand featured the division’s wireless presentation systems, which allows up to 64 users to share content from any device in the office, conference or classroom environments.

Launching the company’s paperless office solution from Orion, sales executive Thys Venter explains that the TAIDEN software on show represents the best of its kind in the world, and has proven very popular with visitors. “The move towards a paperless work place will have many implications for productivity, traceability and security of intellectual property for companies that implement this revolutionary way of running an office,” Venter says. While the product remains one of the most expensive to purchase, Venter points out that potential cost savings in a multitude of areas could offset the start-up cost for customers looking to implement solutions that will streamline work processes and maximise productivity. “Mediatech 2017 has been a very successful event for Alpha Technologies,” Milan concludes, stating that the show has provided opportunities to cement relationships with both existing and new client bases.

SHOW REPORT

Crestron schedules its place in the market at Mediatech Representing one of the strongest players in the automation and controls industry, Crestron South Africa brought a selection of the company’s top selling solutions to Mediatech 2017. Sales manager for Crestron South Africa, Rupert Denoon, stated that the Mercury Tabletop Conference System, featured on their stand this year, has received a lot of positive attention from the market. The Mercury Tabletop Conference System is an all-in-one solution that enables audio and video conferencing, multimedia presentation and web collaboration to transform a traditional meeting room into a smart, highly effective collaboration space – ideal to suit the ever evolving needs of the corporate world. “The Mercury system is a fantastic device, and we have enjoyed a good response from visitors to the expo,” says Denoon. In addition to the company’s conferencing solutions, Denoon states that Crestron’s intelligent meeting room systems, which allows users to reserve rooms and define the perfect environmental setup in advance. Lighting, shades, AV equipment, and more can be customised ahead of time. “Customers are interested in using their

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Rupert Denoon of Crestron SA demonstrates the company’s Mercury meeting room solution

space more efficiently,” Denoon states – a challenge that is easily overcome with Crestron’s innovative corporate solutions. While Denoon was not ready to commit to one specific high point at the Mediatech show, he does express optimism in the opportunity that the show presents to network with existing dealers. “Every person that we talk to on our stand is a great experience for us. It provides us with insight into how others are doing business and gives us an opportunity to deepen our knowledge about our customers,” he concludes.

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SHOW REPORT

Peripheral Vision brings unique video conferencing solutions Peripheral Vision CEO, Wynand Langenhoven, once again brought his team to Mediatech to showcase the company’s innovative and, in many cases, unique product range. The company launched its new video conferencing solutions by Starleaf for the local market. Starleaf is a remarkably flexible and affordable product that is able to transform any meeting space into a video conferencing room.

Company CEO, Wynand Langenhoven, representing Peripheral Vision at Mediatech 2017

“StarLeaf is a remarkable product – firstly due to its flexibility and secondly because of its highly attractive price point,” says Langenhoven. He goes on to explain that for a mere R20 000, a client can download the software on any number of PCs and instantly create a video conferencing network. Suitable for a plethora of applications, Langenhoven sees Starleaf being implemented by SMEs, large corporates, learning institutions and within the conferencing environment. In support of the company’s goal to provide the South African market with affordable and easily implementable video conferencing capabilities, the company has launched a truly unique monitor stand called “Wings”. The product allows for two monitors to be mounted on a portable stand which sports fully collapsible arms – hence the name. As a result, the unit can be folded away to a manageable size when not in use. “The Wings stand means that you can transport your video conferencing solution between rooms and venues with relative ease,” Langenhoven states. He adds that the concept can be used in a number of novel ways, including for signage and mobile

presentations. The product is being manufactured locally and is a completely novel design generated by the Peripheral Vision team –of which Langenhoven is immensely proud. Reflecting on his experience at this years’ event, Langenhoven is very positive about the attention that the company’s stand has received. While he believes that this is, in part, due to the great products that the company has on offer, he also feels that the installation of a 32 000 lumens 4K Lumina projector in the centre of the stand, which projected stunning images onto a screen above the company’s booth for the duration of the show, drew some very positive attention. Langenhoven remains impressed with the business opportunities that the show provides. However, he does point out that the show remains highly industry focused. “We get to see a lot of our existing distributors and reconnect with others that we have worked with in the past. It would, however, be great if we can see some end users at the show,” he concludes.

SHOW REPORT

Audiosure bring the big names to Mediatech

Ronald Carrington (Avolites), Greg Payne (Audiosure), and Koy Neminathan (Avolites)

Audiosure made their presence felt at Mediatech this year, with a wide range of products from some of the world’s leading equipment manufacturers being launched locally for the first time at the company’s expansive stand. Audiosure sales manager, Greg Payne, feels that the company had an exceptionally successful show, particularly with the number of visitors to pass through the stand and the strong sales opportunities that emerged at the event. Audiosure launched an impressive array of new products for the South African and African markets at Mediatech. Included in these products were the Allen & Heath dLive S Class and C Class consoles specifically designed with the processing and flexibility needed to handle the most complex and high-profile applications. “We experienced huge interest in the Allen & Heath range of products and subsequently sold a number of consoles while at the show. It is great to see the market responding so positively to these products.” says Payne. Another premium quality audio product range that received a great deal of attention was the MC2 Delta series, which include DSP and non-DSP enabled power amplifiers. Also on show was Martin Audio’s professional loudspeaker system, Blackline-X and the self-powered touring CDD-LIVE! Series. Audiosure also showcased the latest laser projector offering from Vivitek, including both Large Venue

and Ultra Short Throw models as well as the new Maverick moving fixtures by Chauvet Professional Lighting. “The Audiosure team is very happy with the success of Mediatech 2017. Not only did we get the opportunity to show off our world-class brands to the South African and African markets, but we also secured significant leads – many of which have resulted in immediate sales of our products,” says Payne. “Having our suppliers present at the show gave our new and existing customers an opportunity to interact directly with them, which I believe enhanced the experience on our stand.” Present on the Audiosure stand were Koy Neminathan from Avolites; Ron Carrington from Avolites; Stéphane Gressier from Chauvet Professional; Martijn Verkerk from Allen & Heath ; Bradley Watson from Marin Audio; Holger Graeff of Vivitek; Jason Kelly from MC2A / XTA; and AKG’s Dave Budge. “Having participated in Mediatech for the past ten years, Mediatech 2017 has certainly been our most successful show yet. Our products, combined with our service and expertise, excited our customers. We are very excited about what the future holds for Audiosure,” Payne concludes.

SHOW REPORT

Stage Audio Works shines in the box

Nathan Ihlenfeldt and Will Deysel of the Stage Audio Works

International supplier, manufacturer and distributor, Stage Audio Works, came to Mediatech with a little bit of everything for everyone this year. The company provides complete AV solutions ranging from professional live audio, lighting and rigging through to installations, communication and networking for the corporate environment. Nathan Ihlenfeldt of the Stage Audio Works team spoke with Pro-Systems at the show about his experience at this years’ event. Stage Audio Works distributes a number of leading brands for both the live entertainment and professional AV integration markets. “This is the first show since Stage Audio Works took on the distribution of QSC,” says Ihlenfeldt. “We have therefore decided to show the QSC DSP and audio-visual platform – called Q-SYS – a completely new technology platform that serves as an integrated, scalable, audio, video and control solution.” Stage Audio Works also brought a number of big international brands to the show for the live entertainment market segment – including products from Audac, Yamaha, Christie, Sennheiser and d&b audiotechnik, among others. In addition to its distribution business stream, the company

manufactures flight cases, stage decks, padded bags, trussing, scaffolding, and cable fabrication, which are sold under its house brand, Stageplus. Ihlenfeldt states that Stage Audio Works was impressed with the attention shown to all of the product offerings that the company brought to the show. “Mediatech is about networking for us – touching base with our existing client-base and exploring relationships with new players in the market. This years’ event has delivered on both scores,” Ihlenfeldt states. “We have seen a lot of foot-traffic through our stand and a lot of interest in the products that we are bringing into the market. “The highlight of Mediatech 2017 for Stage Audio Works has been our involvement with the Black Box,” says Ihlenfeldt. The company worked with Blue Array Productions to bring the first ever large-format demonstration of a 3D audio system to the Black Box indoor demo lighting and sound installation that entertained Expo visitors over the three-day event. “Integrating components from our different manufacturers to produce something truly unique was a great project for us, and a true highlight of this year’s event for many of the manufacturers and distributors that were involved,” he concludes.

SHOW REPORT

Francois Lotter represents ApexPro at Mediatech

ApexPro stands on its own at Mediatech brands in professional audio visual and lighting products, such as Electro-Voice, Audio- Technica and ETC amongst others. The team at ApexPro is focused on bringing the high-quality brands at their disposal to the professional end-user through partnerships with a dealer network of premium music retailers, integrators and installers, rental and event companies, consultants and other professional resellers. Lotter states: “We have come to Mediatech with the aim of cementing ApexPro as a leading distributor of world class brands in the professional audio visual and lighting markets.” The company brought a number of world-class brands to the show including Audio-Technica, Electro-voice, and ETC. “I have been very impressed with the amount of interest that we have gained at this years’ event,” Lotter states, adding that “It has been a very successful show for us all around.” In addition to these leading brands, the company also distributes Symetrix, manufacturers of high-performance audio hardware and software; Attero-Tech, a leading provider of networked AV solutions for small and medium sized venues; and Stewart Audio, who produce compact standard and network amplifiers that span both analogue and digital worlds. Lotter feels that the highlight of the show for ApexPro has been the Electro-Voice demos that were run throughout the show. “The demos provided by Marcus using the Electro-Voice product line has created the hype that we were looking for and drew people into our stand,” he concludes.

ApexPro, the distribution business unit of Prosound, came to Mediatech this year to introduce their products and services to the South African market. Francois Lotter of ApexPro states that the split, at an administrative level, between Prosound and ApexPro was motivated by the desire to distinguish between the distribution and streams of the business while maintaining “the long standing heritage that Prosound enjoys of delivering huge installations to the South African market over many years.”

ApexPro has been in operation as a stand-alone business unit for about a year – and this is the first time that it has had the opportunity to occupy an independent stand at Mediatech, outside of its parent company. The launch of Apexpro is the culmination of Prosound’s experience in the distribution industry and the recognition of the need for a separate distribution subsidiary targeted at efficient and effective mass-market distribution. To distribute product well requires focus. Prosound’s focus has historically and rightfully been on their core business of being the premier pro-AV design and installation business in SA. In ApexPro, Prosound has a dedicated team to focus exclusively on all their distribution customers and brands, with more of both being added regularly. As ApexPro is operated separately from Prosound, with a new business premises, they are able to service resellers with total dedication to the task. This model has so far been proven to be extremely successful for them. ApexPro imports and distributes some of the very best international

SHOW REPORT

Photos by Justin Lee Photography

Viva Afrika gets the DJs jumping at Mediatech

With the plethora of great audio equipment on offer at Mediatech Africa 2017, it was tough to stand out from the crowd. However, Viva Afrika managed just that, with a large array of speakers, amplifiers, DJ equipment, and various other audio and electronic equipment on demo at their expansive stand at this years’ show. Company director and co-founder, Bernard Pienaar, took time away from his busy booth to share with Pro-Systems his thoughts about the show.

According to Pienaar, Mediatech 2017 marks an important point in the company’s development from a local manufacturer of amplifiers in the 1980s to the diversified distributor that it is today. The company’s house brand, Hybrid, enjoys a well-established reputation in the country spanning thirty years, as a reliable and extremely affordable local product. Describing Hybrid’s traditional market, Pienaar declares: “There was a time where you could go into any shebeen across the country – and you would find a Hybrid product.” In more recent years, Pienaar and his co-founder Luis Madeira have worked tirelessly to expand the company’s product offering through distribution deals with leading international suppliers as well as by elevating its own brands. Pienaar explains that following the decision to halt local manufacturing some five years ago, the duo have pursued leading

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Bernard Pienaar, company director and co-founder of Viva AfriKa at Mediatech 2017

Nolin Singh and Bernard Pienaar (Viva Afrika) with international guests Huancai Li, Arthur Felix and Huimei Wu

engineers in the East and Europe to find the best possible components at the most affordable prices for the company’s Hybrid+ range. “Anybody can make a good sounding box – pick your components and make a great sounding product – there is nothing to it,” Pienaar states. “However, to make a good sounding box at the price range that we are aiming for ($US100 – 150) is a real challenge. Over the past three years, our engineers in China and the EU have been developing the Hybrid+ range to fit this brief, and I feel that this is what we have brought to Mediatech this year. We are confident that the Hybrid+ brand will continue to earn market confidence and will become a well-established mid-level brand name moving forward.” In addition to their house brands, Viva Afrika brought a number of other brands that proved very popular with visitors, including

Audiocentre, Monkey Banana, Denon DJ and Beyma, among others. Most notably, their line of Numark DJ equipment, including mixers, CD/MP3 players, controllers, and other accessories attracted a lot of attention from the younger trade show visitors. Pienaar’s highly competent staff assisted numerous young aspiring DJs with product demonstrations, creating a great vibe on the Viva Africa stand. The company launched the new Denon DJ Prime SC5000 Series Media Player, which features a high definition, hi-contrast display that enables multi-touch gestures for the ultimate in latency-free, tactile track navigation, load and playback. The SC5000 the world’s first DJ Player capable of on-board music file analysis and has dual-layer deck capability and an 8-inch rugged jogwheel. In addition, Viva Afrika débuted the X1800 Prime Series DJ Club Mixer, which is billed as the center of Denon’s Prime Series of products. The X1800 is a 4-channel Pro DJ club mixer with dedicated Sweep and BPM FX controls. “A real show highlight for Viva Afrika was winning a platinum award for our stand,” Pienaar proudly states– a prize well-earned as droves of enthusiasts thronged to the Viva Afrika stand throughout the three-day event. Pienaar was also very pleased with the outdoor sound demo area, where the Hybrid+ and Audiocenter brands were featured in a full-scale demonstration that he describes as “extremely impressive.”

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System Solutions hits gold at Mediatech

System Solutions featured its new iMira LED multi display screens at Mediatech 2017

System Solutions, a Gearhouse company, put together a visually impressive stand at Mediatech 2017, displaying the professional AV integrator and distributor’s impressive new array of LED screens for the commercial market. Representing the company at this year’s event was Dion Le Roux, who spoke with Pro-System about his perceptions and experience at the show. The System Solutions stand featured a new range of iMira LEDs – a high-resolution screen with a 2.5mm pixel pitch that provides a superb clarity, high contrast picture across a range of ambient light levels. “The iMira product range is available on resell or for-hire options, and we are seeing significant interest being generated in the product here at Mediatech,” says Le Roux. Describing the product’s features, Le Roux points out that the iMira LEDs are entirely self-contained, with onboard hard drive and a pre-installed media player enabling users to download their content directly onto the screen. The unit is equipped with a kickstand for easy installation and ranges in size from 89-inch to an impressive 110 inches. Le Roux sees the iMira LED multi-screen display units being used extensively in the retail sector and hospitality industry – particularly for product activations and campaigns. In addition, System Solutions featured their AV Stumpfl range of media servers, which cater for a wide range of applications from

Dion Le Roux, general manager at System Solutions

basic multi display shows, to corporate events with presets and live inputs or synchronised playback of multiple 8K image sequences. Used for installations at museums and science centres, for corporate installations, live events, as well as in the theatre setting, the AV Stumpfl range on offer through System Solutions promises to open up new multi-media possibilities for the local market across sectors and industries. Le Roux remains upbeat about his experience at Mediatech 2017, stating that “The response has been very good this year. We have had a lot of people at the stand with a real interest in the new products that System Solutions has brought to the table. The quality of leads has been very good – a great Mediatech all around.” Le Roux congratulated his colleagues at System Solutions for an excellent job on the company’s stand. “The highlight of the show for me has been our stand, and I am pleased to say that we have achieved a gold award at the event,” Le Roux concludes.

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Electrosonic delivers to multiple markets at Mediatech

Electrosonic CEO, Bruce Genricks, presents the ProSpectre LSPC range of computer displays

team constructed an impressive rig, comprising mostly Martin by HARMAN components, which were used to great effect during the company’s flagship Lighting Designer Contest (LDC), held on 20 July at the show. The LDC offered five young lighting designers the opportunity to show their skills in a bid to win a trip to the Martin by HARMAN headquarters in Aarhus, Denmark. “The LDC gives young, up and coming lighting designers the opportunity to showcase their skills,” Genricks explains. “It is an opportunity for prospective employers to discover young talent and to open new opportunities for the industry’s youth.” Genricks states that the LDC was a definite event highlight for the Electrosonic team, and ranks it among the high points of the entire show. In addition to the rig that provided the stage for the LDC, Electrosonic entertained guests with some very innovative tracking technology on demo at their stand. These included a combination of visualisation technology by d3 – that enables video to be projected onto three-dimensional objects without distortion – and BlackTrax technology, which enables real-time tracking for various applications, including automated spot following, zoom/iris size control and lighting effects, among others. “The response to our Mediatech stand has been great, on both the Pro-AV and the live entertainment side. We have enjoyed the show immensely and hope that the substantial leads generated turn into sales in the months and year to come,” Genricks concludes.

Electrosonic presented one of the most diverse and interactive booths on show at Mediatech Africa this year, with interactive lighting technology entertaining the crowds and serious AV solutions on show for the professional AV market. Electrosonic chief executive officer, Bruce Genricks, shared his Mediatech experience with Pro-Systems Magazine, stating that it was the best show the company has had to date. On the Pro-AV side of its booth, Electrosonic showcased its impressive new series of ProSpectre screens, which have been manufactured especially for the company. In the lead up to Mediatech, Electrosonic announced that it obtained the sole distribution rights for ProSpectre Advanced Display Technologies in the country, and the company used the opportunity to familiarise its clients with the new product line. The ProSpectre product range consists of a series of Large Screen Computers (LSPC) and video wall displays for multiple applications across all vertical markets with a requirement for professional display products. The integration of a processor and large format display into a single unit makes these products ideal for many environments. The ProSpectre LSPC range in sizes between 43 and 86 inches and are available in various brightness levels – between 500 and 700Nits – to cater for environments with different ambient light challenges. The ProSpectre LSPC range of computer displays have the option of a touch overlay to provide interactivity to the user, replacing the conventional keyboard and mouse – a feature much enjoyed by trade show visitors. The live entertainment and professional lighting side of Electrosonic’s booth proved to be a showstopper at this years’ event. The Electrosonic

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The Wild & Marr team

Wild & Marr bring something new Wild & Marr are known for supplying quality professional AV products to the South African market. At this year’s Mediatech, the Wild & Marr team featured an impressive number of new products which the company is supplying through some of the country’s leading distributors. The main focus of the Wild & Marr exhibition stand was boardroom integration, professional AV products, conferencing, broadcast, and studio production, with premium brands such as Shure, JBL, Soundcraft, Avid, Studer, Tascam, Lexicon, Sonifex and DBX on display. “Genuine interest was shown in the live demonstrations available, the interactive nature of the stand, and cutting edge technologies on display,” says Carmin Junius, marketing coordinator. The custom built Shure Demo Room, inviting visitors to experience Shure’s ground breaking invisible audio solution for AV Conferencing,

Microflex® Advance™, was a key area of interest on the stand, Junius points out. “The fully functional radio broadcast area, showing off latest releases such as the Studer Glacier, also generated a lot of interest.” Wild & Marr’s Avid stand had visitors lining up to experience the Dolby Atmos Audio Technology Demo, with an immersive surround sound experience creating great excitement. “Wild & Marr did its utmost to ensure that MediaTech Africa 2017 was a positive and meaningful experience for those who attended the show, and we look forward to connecting with potential clients met during the show, and future business being generated,” she concludes.

SHOW REPORT

Robe lights up Mediatech

International sales director for Robe, Harry von den Stemmen, represented the company at Mediatech Africa once again this year, manning an impressive booth displaying some of the company’s latest product offerings. Speaking to ProSystems Magazine at the show, von den Stemmen stated that show attendees have shown particular interest in the company’s latest followspot innovations, the RoboSpot and BMFL LightMaster, which were both available for demos on the tradeshow floor.

The RoboSpot remote followspot system can remotely control any Robin BMFL fixtures and utilises an external camera to follow a performer. The system can control up to twelve BMFL fixtures, mounted in different locations around the stage. The RoboSpot base station features a video screen for the operator to observe a live, first-person-view from a fixture-mounted camera or a dedicated pan/tilt enabled RoboSpot camera unit. The RoboSpot panel is equipped with a touch screen display, four custom programmable jog-wheels and ten assignable buttons. The programmable buttons, faders and jog-wheels allow the operator to comfortably trigger and control dimmer, focus, iris, colours and the other many features of the units being controlled. The second crowd-pleaser on the stand was the BMFL LightMaster, an accessory of externally mounted programmable followspot handles, equipped with a control panel and two individual faders that enable the creation of quality followspot. The BMFL LightMaster is

available in either sideways or back mounted options. Both the RoboSpot and LightMaster were launched at the Prolight + Sound trade fair held in Frankfurt earlier this year. However, the accompanying software was still being developed at the time. The units with complete support software enabled were exhibited together at Mediatech as a world first. In addition to the hugely popular followspot systems, Robe displayed an impressive array of both moving and fixed lights. “We have brought a small slice of our product range to keep people focused on the company’s newest products,” von den Stemmen explains. These included the picklePatt, a retro-style fixture specifically designed to further the current trend for tungsten eye-candy on stage and set; the ParFect range of LED source ACL beams; as well as the LEDBeam 150. Another highlight was the Robe Spiider – a super-bright next generation LED WashBeam, which uses 18 x 30 Watt and 1x 60 Watt LEDs combined with a 12,5:1 zoom optical system. The Spiider is growing in popularity across the world, and the South African market is no exception. Speaking about the interest that he received at Mediatech, von den Stemmen explains, “Robe gets a lot of interest from the market because our distributors do a fantastic job. DWR is one of the most popular – if not the most popular – suppliers for the industry in South Africa. The DRW team work day-in-day-out to create local demand for our products – which is why we are satisfied to have a static booth at Mediatech and allow them to take the spotlight.”

DWR take Mediatech on a brand new adventure

SHOW REPORT

DWR Distributors truly shone at this year’s Mediatech, providing visitors with not only a brilliantly conceived trade show experience but also an array of new products and inspirational generosity. Speaking to Pro-Systems at the show, company director and head of sales, Robert Izzett, commended his team on a job well done – a sentiment echoed by many at this years’ event. “We wanted to bring something new to Mediatech this year – something which can be quite tricky in this industry. As a company, we decided to try to push the boundaries, and maybe even inspire people,” he explains. In addition to the showstopper DWR Express, the company brought an exciting range of new products to the show, including the Philips VLZ Profile by Vari-Lite, a dedicated profile luminaire that utilises the latest high-output white LED sources to produce 24 000 lumens, projected from a 140mm front lens. The company also launched the Claypaky Axcor Profile 900, which is the first spotlight produced by the company to use an LED light source. The Axcor 900 boasts a total power of approximately 900 watts and luminous flux of 24 000 lumens. Both moving lights were used in the “Mediatech Black Box” rig, a collaborative project between suppliers and manufacturers that saw

(Back from Left to right) Grant Jacobs, Angela Botha, Laura Pugin and Robert Izzett, (Front) Marlene Riley

a Herculean demonstration of 140 moving lights, thousands of individual LED diodes, and high-impact audio under the direction of Joshua Cutts and Christ Bolton from Visual Frontier. “The Black Box was a real show highlight for me. I love how so many different suppliers pulled together to produce something truly amazing.” As the sole SA distributor, DWR worked closely with the Robe team in showcasing the latest products to be launched by the world renowned manufacturer. Locally launched products included the Robe picklePATTs, which were on display for the first time in the country, and the powerful LEDBeam 150, which was included in the Black Box. “The response from the market has been amazing,” says Izzett, adding that “People are blown away by the new products, which represent a huge advancement in technology.” Despite the great technology on display, world-class products and show-stopper events, Izzett states that: “For me, the greatest highlight of this years’ event has been our people. I am very proud of each and every team member who has made this event possible – what they have delivered is truly amazing.”

SHOW REPORT

Unpacking the Black Box Mediatech Africa offered trade show visitors and exhibitors a number of innovations this year – including an open air sound demo area, drone cage, time slice photography and an immersive Virtual Reality experience. However, the installation that stole the hearts and minds of all involved was the “Black Box”, an awe-inspiring collaboration between multiple industry players that culminated in a full-scale demonstration area featuring the latest in LED lighting technology, high-impact 3D audio and production design.

The Box is born The Black Box featured at Mediatech Africa 2017, served as an experimental show, and visual design space conceived by Christopher Bolton, Joshua Cutts and Bradley Hilton of Collective Works in conjunction with Simon Robinson, Mediatech show director. The concept for the Black Box emanated from a conversation between the Creative Works team and Robinson at the Prolight+Sound trade show in Frankfurt earlier this year. “While at Frankfurt Prolight+Sound, we saw a collaborative demonstration and decided to try to do something similar for the South African market,” Robinson states. From initial concept to realisation – Bolton, Cutts and Robinson have worked tirelessly to bring the major industry players together to produce something truly unique for this year’s show – a goal that they not only achieved but exceeded in many respects.

The Black Box goes live at Mediatech

Bolton and Cutts created a show-stopping production design for the Black Box space, incorporating the latest in design technology and a range of cutting edge professional lighting, sound, and control products from leading international manufacturers. In addition to a truly international standard live show, Cutts and Bolton used the space to offer seminars titled: “Designing with light – a way of thinking.” Targeted at young lighting professionals – the team used the platform to share their unique insight into the industry, inspiring others to follow in their footsteps. As young, dynamic business professionals who have already made an indelible mark in the industry despite their youth, Cutts and Bolton presented three seminars based on their knowledge and experience. Topics included how to manage the logistical and business side of a lighting design agency to the more technical aspects of their work – such as how to manage console workflows and how to programme a cue-stack using a grandMA2 control desk. The presentations were followed by in-depth question and answer sessions, which provided an interactive space for both novice and seasoned professionals to discuss the latest trends, industry concerns and arising opportunities in professional lighting, sound and production design in South Africa.

SHOW REPORT

Black Box technical team

What’s in the Box? The Black Box served as a platform to put some of the products launched by exhibitors at Mediatech through their paces. For the first time in South Africa, 48 of Robe’s new LEDBeam 150 were used in a show, together with 24 x Robe Spiider LED wash beams, 12 x Spikies, a single BMFL Blade and 24 x CycFX8 moving LED battens. Also debuting in South Africa were three of the latest Claypaky fixtures – the Unico Scenius, the SharBar and the Stormy colour-changing LED strobe and the hybrid Mythos moving light. Thirty-two Ayrton Magic Panels were rigged around the Black Box, together with 96 Martin Sceptrons which were fed video signal via a Martin P3 controller. Other effects appearing in the show included two full-colour lasers, two MDG low foggers and one hazer – all adding up to 14,900 parameters requiring 29 universes of DMX control. The consoles were two grandMA2 lites, networked with four MA NPUs. An MA VPU light was used to store some of the video playback content, together with a Green Hippo Boreal media server. The video sources were played out on a Barco FLM 20K projector onto an upstage screen. The sound system was designed by Marinus Visser and delivered via a d&b system and a DiGiCo SD10 console supplied by Blue Array. The lasers were supplied by LaserX and Richard Baker from LED Vision assisted with the LED banner wall. Warren Liss from Keystone Productions produced custom video content, while SA Draping dealt with wrapping the venue and all the soft goods requirements. Joining Joshua and Christopher on the Black Box FOH crew were assistant LDs Jade Manicom and Andre Siebrits; head of technical, Paulos Modise; laser programmer, George Mkowe; and Douw Grobler who custom designed the Track-It movement used to move sections of truss on and offstage for the main show. The rigging was undertaken by Stuart Andrews from Gearhouse SA, together with his highly experienced team. The list of corporate sponsors included Robe, Claypaky, Ayrton, MDG, DWR, Electrosonic, Stage Audio Works, DiGiCo, Green Hippo, MA Lighting, Martin, QSC and d&b, among others.

The Box delivers The Black Box project has received an overwhelmingly positive response from those that were involved in bringing the show together as well as from those fortunate enough to attend. Never before has Mediatech played host to a project where exhibitors had the opportunity to pool their resources to deliver one, truly event-defining show. “While the Black Box represents a great technical achievement – the greatest triumph of the project was the number of people who rallied together to make Joshua and Christopher’s vision a reality,” states Robinson. He adds, “It is inspirational to see those involved demonstrating their belief in shared knowledge and experience to collectively promote the live show and events industry in the country.” Reflecting on Mediatech’s involvement with the Black Box project, Robinson states: “The success of the Black Box has highlighted the role that event organisers have to play in creating opportunities for collaboration at the show. Rather than relying on exhibitors to bring the ‘wow’ factor, we are pleased to have taken a leading role in driving a project that distinguished itself as a pinnacle of what was a fantastic edition of the show,” states Robinson. “A big thank you to Joshua and Christopher, as well as all of the companies, organisations and individuals that came together to bring the Black Box from concept to reality,” Robinson concludes.

SHOW REPORT

Industry rallies behind SOS

Comedian Jason Goliath banters with the audience

The SOS Charity Fund, an initiative by DWR Distribution, hosted its very first auction dinner gala, raising a remarkable R97 500 from the auction alone. With a focus on the SOS campaign during Mediatech, the charity fund raised over half a million Rand during July. Some 230 people, a mixed bag from rental companies and the entertainment market in Africa and Namibia, as well as a number of international guests, attended the SOS Fundraising Evening held at The Venue in Melrose Arch on 20th July 2017. As competitors sat side by side, both Jason Goliath (compere and comedian) and Dr Victor and the Rasta Rebels, provided top class entertainment, free of charge, in support of the SOS Fund. Event organisers, DWR, extended enormous gratitude to The Venue’s Tony Raciti and Trudie de Kock, who hosted the event and went out of their way to provide a beautiful setting, complimented with a fantastic dinner and excellent service. “We sold several pieces at the auction, generously donated by various companies within the industry,” said Duncan Riley of DWR, who founded the SOS in December 2016. “The industry never stops surprising me, and I am reminded daily of the privilege that I enjoy working with such passionate and amazing people. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all who attended.” As tables were sold for the event, the SOS raised a further R189 000. In addition to the dinner, DWR drove the charity campaign during Mediatech Africa 2017. During the three day expo, DWR pledged R150 000 towards the SOS fund. In addition, a further R50 per seat was raised for every person who visited the DWR stand and took a trip on the DWR Express bus. With approximately 1 500 guests attending, it meant that DWR could contribute a further R75 000 to the charity. The SOS was established to help people within the industry who suffer a loss of earnings due to illness or injury. Ian Staddon from DiGiCo was instrumental in bringing the idea to DWR, and it was truly an honour to have him at the very first SOS Fundraising Dinner. “My partners, Bruce Riley and Robert Izzett and I are honoured to

Duncan Riley of DWR thanks his colleagues for their generous support

DWR’s Duncan Riley with Dr Victor

be part of the entertainment market, where everyone really cares about each other,” said Duncan. “Thank you for your support, and we hope that we can make a difference when the need arises. We are confident that the R511 500 raised will be used for good causes. Thank you for your generosity.” For more info on the SOS, or if you know of someone from the industry who is experiencing a tough time due to unforeseen circumstances, contact Sherryn Riley at sales@dwrdistribution.co.za or Lee Baird at lee@dwrdistribution.co.za.

SHOW REPORT

Benjamin Mills gets the crowd dancing at this years’ LDC The Electrosonic Lighting Designer Contest (LDC) once again proved to be an undisputed highlight at this year’s Mediatech Africa, held in Johannesburg. The competition, sponsored by Electrosonic and supported by Martin Professional, is open to young lighting designers from across South Africa as well as the greater African region and serves as a platform for up and coming lighting designers to be ‘discovered’ by industry leaders. The contest – inspired by similar events held at Prolight + Sound by Martin Professional in years past – saw its second run at Mediatech Africa, following the first instalment held in 2015. Electrosonic chief executive officer, Bruce Genricks, explains that the LDC offers young lighting designers the opportunity to showcase their skills to industry leaders at the country’s largest media technology trade show – providing them with the much-needed exposure to potentially launch their careers. Entrants to the LDC are provided with a pre-set piece of music and are required to design a lighting show, which they then record and submit via video. Finalists are chosen to present their shows to a live audience and panel of judges at Mediatech, in a bid to win a trip to the Martin Professional headquarters in Denmark. The Electrosonic team were very impressed with the number and quality of applications received this year. After much deliberation, five contestants were selected as finalists, comprising Victor Hatega of VH Design; Ndumiso Vilakazi of Blackmotion Production; Erick Faanhof of Untamed Sounds; Benjamin Mills of Benjamin Mills Lighting Design and Cameron Nyce of Church Production. The five competitors presented their shows on 20 June to a packed audience at Electrosonic’s stand at Mediatech. The shows were delivered with technical support from Electrosonic using an impressive rig, comprised of mostly Martin Professional lighting equipment, which was custom built for the event. Those in attendance, representing the friends and family of the contenders, but more importantly many of the key names in the live event lighting industry, gathered to watch

what was an astounding display of creativity and technical skill from all five competitors. Adjudicating the event was Bruce Schwartz of Electrosonic, Peter Dahlin of Martin Professional and Simon Robinson, publisher and managing director of Sun Circle Group. After a short deliberation, Benjamin Mills emerged as this year’s winner – a decision that was without doubt supported by the attending crowd. Speaking to Pro-Systems after the event, Mills states that winning the trip to the Martin Professional headquarters is a truly ‘mindblowing’ opportunity. Born and bred in Johannesburg, Mills has been interested in professional theatre lighting since his early teens – as he provided technical support for his school’s amateur productions. After matriculating from Johannesburg’s Sacred Heart College, he discovered a deep love for classical dance and trained with the South African Ballet Theatre for 18 months. Mill’s training in classical dance is clearly evident in his lighting design, hitting every beat with perfect accuracy. After a gruelling run with the country’s top ballet company, Mills decided to return to the technical theatre world in 2012 – starting with a short run at LEDvision and followed by working on the South African production of Dirty Dancing as a head video technician. He has worked with companies such as Madame Zingara and The National Arts Festival and has designed for Jo’burg Ballet, AFDA Johannesburg, Palm Tree Events, and The Chekov Festival, among others. “While I am excited about what this means for my career,” states Mills, “I am actually really pleased with where my career is headed – and feel that this win will only reinforce what I am planning to achieve moving forward,” he concludes.

SHOW REPORT

The potential of drones

Drones are here to stay and this emerging technology is unleashing new possibilities and opportunities for private and commercial use, with a noticeable adoption of the technology by those in media, live events, video and film production. Surging in popularity, drones are totally reshaping these industries, and according to a PWC report – they have the potential to replace billions of dollars in business across key areas of the economy, including transportation, security and agriculture. The value of drone-powered solutions to all applicable industries has been pegged at a staggering US$127 billion dollars. The media and entertainment sector is right in the crosshairs of this shift with a possible impact projected at US$9 billion. According to Mediatech Africa trade show director, Simon Robinson, just like the IT revolution re-engineered how businesses operate, so too are drones drastically altering the events, media, and film making industries. “The most obvious application is aerial photography and filming as they offer a safe, cost-effective and easily deployable alternative to traditional methods – and can capture images and video with greater flexibility too,” says Robinson. According to Visual Impact director, Goran Music, where you would normally need moving platforms and rigging to shoot aerial and high angle shots – with the application of drones, this constraint can in some cases be removed; though shots within 50m of people, buildings and public roads would be precluded due to stringent drone regulations in SA, with the exception of such operators who

have obtained an exemption from the SACAA and is listed in their operational specifications. “The technological capabilities of drones have dramatically improved, and this evolution allows you to attach the same camera you would use for stills onto a heavier weightbearing drone.” More than this, Music adds that drones have the potential to improve production times if the operator is highly skilled and has all the legal approvals to operate a drone in a particular place – which in turn can pass on cost savings. “The bottom line is further impacted by the fact that drones move effectively and in a controlled manner and one drone can replace two or three outmoded solutions. Creatively you can do so much more with a drone operated camera which also opens up new opportunities for those who produce TVCs – particularly when cars are involved,” says Music. “Due to the dynamic film making capability of drones, directors have increasingly and specifically been writing scripts for shots that

use drones,” says Jonathan O’ Connell, owner of Timeslice Cinematography, a specialist high end feature film and TVC drone operator offering Arri Alexa Mini and RED Weapon camera options on its drones. O’Connell elaborates by saying, “Drone shots have a unique capability of romance; they take the viewer on a journey that evokes emotions few other methods of film making can. By being able to offer an anamorphic lens option on our drones, this emotion is further amplified.” “While technology is ever evolving and improving, great results are also dependent on the pilot, camera operator, operating conditions and clear communication between team members,” says O’ Connell. “Directors and creatives are constantly seeking to push boundaries to create sensational and intriguing content. Our aim is to work with creatives to be able to achieve these results in a safe, professional and reliable manner.” South African Aviation Legislation, Part 101, pertaining to the use of drones is considered to be amongst the most stringent in the world. “Flying drones for commercial purposes in South Africa thus requires very serious considerations from legal and logistical standpoints, as well as performance limitations,” says O’ Connell. Of course outside of the production environment – drones are making waves in the sporting and events industry – adding novelty value on the show floor and occasionally to outdoor events. The challenge to craft events that are matchless, unforgettable and noticeably unique has never been greater and drones have the ability to meet this requirement. This is particularly true internationally where drone usage is less regulated than in South Africa. “Competition being what it is – it’s no longer enough to have run of the mill events and giving audiences something that will heighten their in-the-moment experience and later continue to connect emotion with the event is a predictor of success,” says Robinson. A great example of such an occasion; Intel staged a light show with 100 drones moving in concert to orchestra music – taking entertainment with drones to a whole new level. “Drones present unparalleled possibilities at events by blending the best of technology with the power of human interaction and can contribute to the staging of amazing experiences. Whether something like this could ever be pulled off in South Africa is debatable – not because we lack skill and talent – but because our controls would make it impossible.” Something that has taken off locally and is proving hugely popular is FPV drone racing which is a big spectator sport that has a lot of money behind it. Spectators watch the FPV feeds of drone pilots as they navigate tight sequences, going head to head through exciting neon-lit race courses. The pilots compete for serious prize money when it comes to international competitions like the World Drone Prix. “This is a real example of when sport meets technology,” adds Robinson. “We are seeing exciting developments in technology particularly as far as drones are concerned. Not just in the film and events industry but also for doing great good for social causes – delivering medicines to war torn countries and addressing rhino poaching are examples of this. It probably won’t be long before we see drone highways,” concludes Robinson. The drone cage exhibition at this year’s Mediatech Africa exhibition showcased the best cameras and drones the industry has available, and attracted large crowds. Leading operators discussed operating within the current legislation and the impact of drone usage in different areas of the film, broadcast and AV industries.

Integration & Installation REPORT

House of worship AV should be exceptional Whether it's in a megachurch or a satellite worship venue, audiovisual technology helps inspire people and create meaningful connections.

"Technology enhances our message, and we look at anything that impacts how we deliver our message"*

"Catering to the children and youth via technology is a

huge trend. It is up to us to communicate in a way that resonates with them, so we're adding AV technology

to create a fun, safe, educational environment. *

99% of churches use sound equipment

33% of churches use video clips during worship service; over 33% use presentation software

About

half of the 5 000 estimated

multisite churches in the US use video

Sources: *InfoComm International 2015 Vertical Markets End-User Perspective Studies // The Clergy Journal // LifeWay Research // MultiSite Solutions // Piksel Faith // Tyndale University

REPORT Integration & Installation

An exceptional experience in houses of worship + > CONTENT

The message, music or media, designed to inspire, entertain and communicate clearly

CONTENT

> TECHNOLOGY:

The perfect audio and video systems, seamlessly integrated and flawlessly functioning.

SPACE

TECH

> SPACE

Where the service takes place, under ideal lighting, acoustic and environmental conditions.

"We have three venues with audio, video and lighting and rely on volunteersâ&#x20AC;Ś "

The average attendee doesn't know what it takes to make a Sunday. *

37% of young adults are happy to be preached to via video, rather than in person Digital content makes churchgoers feel more connected to their church

8 times

3/4 of house of worship AV users say

their own demand for products and technologies drives their churches' selection of AV vendors.

Courtesy of infoComm International

infocomm.org theexceptionalexperience.com

Integration & Installation REPORT

Wycliffe Bible translators update auditorium with all Danley gear

For more than 70 years, Wycliffe has helped people around the world translate the Bible into their own languages. The institute also helps with language development, literacy and other spiritual and physical needs. It started when, in 1917, a missionary named William Cameron Townsend went to Guatemala to sell Spanish Bibles. But he found that many people couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand the books. Townsend believed everyone should understand the Bible, so he started a linguistics school (the Summer Institute of Linguistics, known today as SIL) that trained people to do Bible translation. The work continued to grow, and in 1942 Cam officially founded Wycliffe Bible Translators.

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Over the following decades, Wycliffe has celebrated many milestones – from the first translation completed in 1951, all the way to the 500th translation completed in 2000. At that time, Wycliffe adopted a new challenge – the goal of seeing a Bible translation project started in every language still needing one by 2025. This equates to translating the Bible into all of the world’s 6,877 languages. Wycliffe’s international team is already over 40% of the way there and working apace to have a Bible translation project begun in every language that needs one by 2025. At its Orlando headquarters, Wycliffe has a divisible 700-seat meeting room for semi-annual scripture translation celebrations, concerts, banquets, and myriad other events. After living with the room’s disappointing sound reinforcement system for over a decade, Wycliffe recently hired Michael Garrison Associates (MGA) of Fresno, California to make it right. MGA recommended a new system based on Danley Sound Labs’ innovative Synergy Horn loudspeakers, Tapped Horn subwoofers, and new multi-channel DNA amplifiers with onboard DSP. Wycliffe’s original sound reinforcement system was a distributed, in-ceiling design that distorted from day one, even with spoken word sources. Music reproduction fared worse, which was becoming a more conspicuous problem as Wycliffe moved to more multi-media presentations and events. The need for a wide range of audio functionality and clarity in the important auditorium is a common one among Houses of Worship venues. There are now usually spoken word and music requirements for the sound system, often at rock-concert SPLs. The audio system has to be flexible and powerful enough to handle these varied demands. “When Wycliffe initially approached us, their media systems engineer, Eli Garrett, had compiled a list of top loudspeaker manufacturers and the line arrays he thought we should consider,” said MGA Principal Michael Garrison. “Eli knows his stuff (he’s also an audio technician at a major local theme park), but we felt the room’s low ceiling height made it a poor candidate for a line array system. Although it wasn’t on his list, we suggested a Danley point source system and provided the loudspeaker coverage modeling to back it up. To their credit, Eli and the rest of the stakeholders at Wycliffe kept an open mind toward a brand they hadn’t heard of before.” Russ Hersman, Wycliffe’s chief operations officer, added, “I’m about as far away from being an audio technician as a person can be, but even I recognised that the previous system in our auditorium was sub-standard and getting worse. We turned to Michael Garrison Associates to replace it. I have known MGA since their beginnings and have been in several large auditoriums where MGA provided the audio, video and lighting solutions. Even my untrained ear could

recognise the higher quality and experiential satisfaction of their work. We also knew MGA to be of the highest integrity, and they did not disappoint us!” It was relatively recently that MGA started designing systems using Danley components. “I think Danley has three very outstanding qualities,” Garrison said. “First, we prefer the lower distortion, high fidelity that can be achieved with Danley’s point source designs, as compared with the inherent higher distortion of other highcompression products. It’s pure and clean – more like a studio monitor or home hi-fi system. Second, Danley boxes can get screaming loud with very low distortion – easily competing with (and exceeding) line array levels. When Wycliffe needs concert-level SPLs, they can easily achieve them! Finally, Danley systems are remarkably cost effective. When I compare the listening area that can be covered with just a handful of Danley boxes and then do the math for comparable coverage from other types of products, the Danley system comes in at a significantly lower price. It’s a premium product without the premium cost.” Wycliffe’s new system relies on two beefy Danley SH-96HOs flown just off to either side of the stage for main left-right coverage, supplemented by five Danley SH-Micros for front fill. Two Danley SH-95HOs provide delay coverage for the back third of the room and can be turned off when that part of the room is subdivided away from the rest. Because of the lack of ceiling height, four Danley TH-118 subwoofers fill out the low end from the floor on either side of the stage (two per side). Two four-channel Danley DNA 20K4 Pro amplifiers with onboard DSP power the system with help from another lower-power four-channel Danley DNA 5K4c amplifier (also with onboard DSP). The amps take signal from the house mixing console via optional Dante connectivity. “I was in the auditorium this past week when Eli [Garrett] was putting the new Danley system through its paces,” Hersman said. “Wow... what an amazing difference! The Danleys surround us with awesome sound and fill the auditorium so that, regardless of where one sits or stands, the experience will be a good one.” “The new Danley system blows our old system away,” said Garrett. “The Danley sound is much thicker, much more powerful, and much clearer than we’ve ever experienced before in this room. The vocals punch right through the mix with very little EQ-ing or compression. We used to have big problems hearing more than one vocalist, but now I can easily distinguish everyone, even before I really start mixing. The installation itself was pretty easy, and the folks at MGA and Danley were a pleasure to work with. Whenever I had a question, they had a ready answer.”

Integration & Installation REPORT

L-Acoustics ARCS WiFo finds favour with US churches

Partnering with SYXA Services, RCI Systems installs L-Acoustics Constant Curvature arrays in multiple houses of worship

Serving the greater Washington DC area since 1971, RCI Systems is a full-service event production house and systems integrator that has built its success on two “greats”—great people and great gear. In the house of worship community, that has often taken the form of partnering with Jonathan Lesane and SYXA Services, most recently on a pair of installs featuring L-Acoustics ARCS WiFo (Wide and Focus) systems at Spirit of Faith Christian Centre and Mount Pleasant Church and Ministries. Lesane works with a large number of churches in the DC and Baltimore areas of the US, but he’s not a “typical” systems integrator. His approach of providing rental systems, as well as arranging permanent installs and personnel to run both, is a reaction to the issues many churches face with volunteer audio staff. “I have had many discussions with worship leaders where I point out that they are willing to pay good money for, say, a keyboard player with a touring pedigree for the worship band, but they expect the overall sound of the service to be capably piloted by a volunteer with limited experience and knowledge,” he says.

With that in mind, Lesane notes that it’s crucial for growing churches—especially those moving from traditional services into more contemporary styles—to wisely invest in sound systems that will be tailor-made for their worship spaces and sound superb even in the hands of laymen operators. “Both the Spirit of Faith and Mount Pleasant locations involved extremely reflective environments where maintaining coherent sound was previously difficult at the volumes these services run at,” he says. “But the highly precise directivity of WiFo has allowed them to nicely remedy that and achieve beautiful sound.” Using L-Acoustics’ Soundvision 3D acoustical modeling software, RCI and SYXA jointly determined the ideal audio solutions for Mount Pleasant and Spirit of Faith to be very similar—both systems now feature a total of four ARCS Wide and four ARCS Focus boxes paired with a quartet of SB18subs. Mount Pleasant’s system, which comprises two vertical arrays, is powered by a pair of LA8 amplified controllers, while Spirit of Faith’s four-zone system—plus additional L-Acoustics sidefills and monitors— is LA4X-driven. This may seem to be a bit heavier on subs than some church installs, but Lesane notes that it’s about reproducing the music, which is heavy on R&B influences and even some hip-hop. “I’m a firm believer,” he says, “in the idea that a sound system can’t make what’s happening on the stage sound any better than it does at the source. What L-Acoustics’ WiFo does is allow for a sonic transparency that means we can really get the sound of the band out to every person in every seat of the sanctuary without compromise.” RCI Systems’ Bob Capotosto notes that churches also appreciate the cost-effectiveness of L-Acoustics’ ARCS WiFo. “There are just no seams or breaks in the coverage between boxes in the array, either vertically or horizontally, which means that we can very effectively cover the same space with fewer boxes than some other systems,” he says. “There seems to be a perception that if a system has an L-Acoustics label on it, then it’s going be more expensive than other options, and that is simply not the case with the WiFo. And because of the consistent sonic signature across the entire L-Acoustics lineup, everything scales. Between WiFo and Kiva II, both small- and mid-sized churches can have outstanding sonic performance with a markedly similar sound and stay within budget. They’re both very cost-effective options that can cover a lot of sonic ground.”

Integration & Installation REPORT

Meyer Sound in gothic installation

A Meyer Sound system comprising 36 self-powered loudspeakers and integrated AVB audio networking has been installed in Pieterskerk, a 14th century gothic cathedral in Leiden, the Netherlands, now repurposed as a community events centre. The scope and intent of the project as announced by Pieterskerk Leiden managing director Frieke Hurkmans and Eric Mattijsen of Audio Electronics Mattijsen, Meyer Sound’s Dutch distributor and the system integrator chosen for the project.

“I know Meyer Sound is always looking to develop long-term relationships by providing the highest quality products and support,” said Hurkmans. “At Pieterskerk Leiden we take a similar approach in striving for excellence, which means we take corporate social responsibility seriously both in restoration of our historic structure and in our business practices. This shared philosophy makes Meyer Sound the perfect partner for upgrading our audio capabilities.” Built more than 500 years before the invention of the PA system, Pieterskerk poses obvious acoustical challenges for effective sound reinforcement – a situation compounded by the need for exceptional flexibility in reconfiguring the system for various events. “Large, reverberant rooms are always a challenge, especially if you want the high levels and excellent speech intelligibility specified by Pieterskerk,” says Mattijsen. “Also, they have five different set-up configurations for the space, which means five different sound source locations. The best solution by far was the CAL beam steering loudspeaker working with an instantly reconfigurable distributed system of small, self-powered loudspeakers.”

The completed installation features a CAL 32 column array loudspeaker with advanced digital beam steering, two UPM-1P and two UPJunior loudspeakers, plus 12UPJunior-XP and 20 UPM-1XP IntelligentDC loudspeakers. Meyer Sound’s exclusive IntelligentDC technology, employing remote 48 VDC power supplies, combines the installation ease of low voltage systems with the sonic superiority of self-powered, bi-amplified loudspeakers. A Galileo GALAXY network platform will be programmed by AEM to handle signal processing and matrixing for the various system configurations. “The venue has been setting up a mobile system for every event, which is time-consuming and costly for labour,” notes Mattijsen. “With the new Meyer Sound system, they can set up the optimum system configuration with the touch of a button on a touchscreen and it will be ready to go, tailor-made for the occasion.” The Pieterskerk project was first announced at ISE in Amsterdam by Hurkmans and Mattijsen along with Meyer Sound co-founders John and Helen Meyer. Situated in the heart of Leiden, about 35km southwest of Amsterdam, Pieterskerk was built over a period of 180 years beginning in 1390. A Dutch national heritage site, it was deconsecrated in 1974 and is now operated by a non-profit foundation.

Rigging and such: More Cantilever Conversations

Expert OPINION LIVE EVENTs

By Rinus “Rhino” Bakker

Cantilevers can be found in everyday life structures, such as bridges, stadium roofs, cranes, etc. We also find cantilevers in the truss structures in our industry, so it’s good to know how to deal with them.

Totems

Sleeve Blocks

My previous article addressed the technical (strength and stability) issues in straight trusses. When talking cantilevers there are obviously more situations possible. For example, a Totem with a T-corner having two cantilever arms (see fig.1). As a rule of thumb the T-corner itself can become the limiting component, rather than the straight sections of truss connected to it. It is wise to always verify the capacity Fig. 1 of corners with the manufacturer, as a lot of truss corners in the market prove to be either ‘substandard’ or just a plain copy. Saying this, it should be clear that in the case of Totems the strength is much less of an issue than the stability. As soon as you load this tower you either have an unbalanced load or a stability issue, or both. In all these cases, you carefully need to calculate what’s happening in the total structure and to calculate your amount of ballast or counterweight needed.

Rules of thumb:

Talking about corners in relationship to cantilevers there is a special type of corner that does need some more detailed attention: Sleeve blocks in Ground Support systems. These are basically a ‘hollow’ structural element that guides the horizontal trusses along a vertical tower. (see fig.2). In principle, such a structural part would predominantly be loaded in shear force, however if the Sleeve Block has a truss connected in opposite directions a bending moment acts across it as well. Clearly the ‘open’ structure in the Fig. 2 sleeve block’s centre – allowing it to move along the vertical tower – can become limiting in capacity. It is the duty of the manufacturer to inform the user about any limitations in this respect, as well as provide data on the cantilever loading for their structural systems.

Giraffes or V-towers

A classic rule of thumb is to make sure that the base is at least one quarter of the height. A 3m. totem must have a base plate of ca. 80cm wide. A similar rule of thumb applies for the loading: the ballast should be in a 4:1 factor. A 25kg fixture at the top needs 100kg ballast at the base. Please note: This is only valid provided the load is in the dead centre of the tower or totem axis!

A final remark on Cantilever related subjects is the fact that the ‘Giraffes’ (I love that name) or V-towers also are a type of cantilever, and even the head-section often is a cantilever in itself. These structures require careful engineering, and users must require all the details on the permissible loading, definitely when used in out-door conditions.

Dream big:

BGR70 Truss

We don’t like to limit the creative minds of our industry. We believe in solutions. The BGR70 truss is our solution for those who like to dream big. Like B2S with Unlimited Productions for Paul Elstak. The essence? A low volume truss with extreme load bearing capacity. | www.prolyte.com/bgr70 | Official Prolyte distributor

LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Knockout new lighting for an iconic piece Gearhouse Splitbeam specialises in long term equipment rental for theatrical productions in South Africa. The company will be providing lighting fixtures for the much-anticipated restaging of one South Africa’s most significant, influential and iconic pieces, the “all African jazz opera”, King Kong, at the Fugard Theatre in Cape Town in July. Splitbeam’s Alistair Kilbee talks to Lighting Designer, Tim Mitchell, about the upcoming revival of King Kong and discovers that while the lighting feel will remain authentic to the period, it will bring the piece firmly in line with today’s lighting technological advances.

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Theatre Director, Jonathan Munby, has been quoted as saying: “We want to get away from any preconceived idea of what a musical should sound like, to get rid of all the ‘Broadwayisation’, to stay true to the original and bring it to the 21st Century. What we are staging in this new version are things that they could not do originally, including a heightened stylisation of the boxing scenes and the use of physical theatre. We have also composed new songs for those moments where we feel that something is missing and needs fleshing out. We identified three of those moments and were to compose songs from an old archival audio recording Esme Matshikiza (widow of original composer, the legendary Todd Matshikiza) found of Todd bashing out themes and ideas for the show on the piano.”

Alistair Kilbee (AK): Jonathan Munby has articulated his intention of using new staging /dramatic techniques and adding new creative input and numbers to the score, taking the essence of the original production and expanding/ developing it for contemporary audiences; to create an “evolution” rather than a “revival” of the original production. How do you plan on bringing these ideas to life in your lighting design? Tim Mitchell (TM): It’s a good story, and I respond emotionally to the music, the action and quite often the way I feel at the time I’m lighting a production. We’re not the same people and we’re not in the same time as the original production and techniques and styles have very much evolved and that certainly has to be said for the lighting.

AK: From a lighting perspective, what do you feel you can bring to the production now, in 2017, that wasn’t possible in the original production? TM: Lighting has changed dramatically even in the last ten years, let

own from the 1950’s onwards and certainly in the UK, lighting designers such as Michael Northern and Joe Davies, laid the foundations of what we are today as lighting designers. I am hoping to bring colour and movement which was not possible in the day.

AK: What challenges, if any, have you encountered in designing for a South African producing house, for South African audiences? TM: “The challenges so far in the early stages of rehearsal have been doing things remotely, and not face to face. This will be sorted out when I arrive in South Africa.

AK: The ’59 production of King Kong was very well received by South African audiences of different races and went on to a very successful season in London. The show clearly had something of a universal appeal. Working on it now, what aspect of the show stands out for you? What do you feel makes it relevant and exciting to a contemporary audience? TM: Ultimately, it’s story telling. It’s a good story and good stories translate to any generation, any time and any culture.

AK: When King Kong was first presented in ’59, it was a sensational success, and many of the cast, orchestra and creative team went on to stellar international careers. The production still stands as a milestone in local theatre. Do you feel any pressure, coming from the UK, about designing for what has become a real icon of South African theatre? TM: I feel proud to be part of the history of this production. It is clearly iconic and I hope to do it justice.

alone since the late 1950’s. Lighting design really started to sit on its

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AK: The production is set in 1940’s and 50’s Johannesburg, and evokes a real sense of that time and place through its characters, their dialogue and the distinctive Jazz score. How will your lighting design contribute to transporting audiences to the King Kong era? Are you making use of any “retro” elements in your lighting rig to achieve this? TM: We’re using practical lamps as well as moving lights which are clearly modern, I will be using a lot of tungsten instruments to give a warmer theatrical feel.

AK: In your career, you have worked on numerous international teams, with creatives from different countries, and I assume that each such collaboration has come with its own surprises. How have you found the experience of working on a UK / South African team? TM: The one thing that always surprises me is how technical teams across the world really are all very similar but just separated by different language. I’ve had the advantage of working with some of the team on ‘Human Being Died that Night’ at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. I have spent many happy hours in local bars with them, talking about not just theatre but all events, and so you learn more about each other’s ways and culture. Generally, for me the crews and their input into the production is very important.

AK: You will travel to Cape Town for the production setup and opening of King Kong at the Fugard Theatre. Has your involvement on the production whet your appetite for South African culture? What are you most interested in doing while you are in South Africa? TM: I’m really looking forward to working with the team at the Fugard

as it’s one of the world’s prominent theatres. Sadly, as with a lot of the productions I light around the world, I will probably be spending most of my time in the theatre working, so the opportunities to get out and about will be very limited. If I get time I would certainly like to check out the South African wine which is one of my favourites. Table Mountain, Cape Peninsula and Robben Island just to say a few things. I come from Wales and am a massive rugby fan, so perhaps I can check out some South African rugby!

AK: Do you feel any need to recreate elements of the original design? Do you feel free to express your own style on the production? TM: No I don’t, it’s going to be new and fresh for a new audience. I always try and put my own style on a production as any lighting designer would.

AK: What was the main attraction for you to accept the position of lighting designer on King Kong? TM: Working at the Fugard, the play, Jonathan Munby and Paul Wills who I have worked with in the past and have a good relationship with. Also after working with the guys in Brooklyn, I got on really well with them so I’m really looking forward to renewing my relationship with them.

LIVE EVENTs REPORT

Lighting the NAMAs 2017

Walvis Bay, an extraordinary city on Namibia’s coast, with the contrast of sand dunes on one side and the ocean on the other, was the location for the 2017 Namibia Annual Music Awards (NAMAs) which was both a ‘livestream’ and ‘live broadcast’ on the NBC platform. Micky Lehr from EventPlus has headed the technical production for the NAMAs since 2015 and had a clear vision of what he wanted the show to look like in 2017. A substantial amount of Robe gear, with 12 Robe Squares being a predominant feature, ran off a grandMA2 control system.

With over 42 years’ experience, Lehr is a leading technical producer, production manager and designer to the live event and entertainment industry. “This year’s production design relied heavily on lighting as the set mostly consisted of scaffold structures,” Lehr explains. “I believed that Joshua Cutts from Visual Frontier, who I hadn’t worked with before, would be the right man for the job. So, I approached him to see if he was keen on the project and he happily obliged. He did an amazing job by providing a wonderful palette for operator Andre Siebrits (also from Visual Frontier). We then had to scrape together every single light fixture that we could find in Namibia.” DB Audio in Windhoek supplied the bulk of the light fixtures, trussing and rigging. Windhoek based rental company MikelJes were the main contractors, who supplied audio, AV, staging and most of the crew for

the event. “It was the first time that I had worked on the awards,” said Michael Vermeulen, owner of MikelJes, who was the go-between man between Lehr and the technical team. “I’ve always wanted to be involved. You can tell when a production is managed with passion and I wanted to be part of it.” MikelJes had just bought 3,9mm screens which were sufficient to supply the stage L+R portrait screens and the US centre ‘info screen’ and for the balance supplied 12mm mesh for the six nomination screens. They also provided the JBL Vertex audio system which was purchased just prior to the show. “The suppliers really put their weight behind the project and dealt with the challenges on and off site,” says Lehr. “NAMA’s is a uniquely Namibian production, we therefore try to source whatever is possible in Namibia.” However, some specialised gear, a head rigger and crew boss needed for the

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production had to come from SA and Lehr turned to well-known Johannesburg based business, MGG Productions. “Every year the NAMAS are staged in a different town in Namibia,” Lehr elaborates. “This year we were in Walvis Bay, which added to the logistical and operational challenges. The venue is brand new and had never been utilised for an event prior to the NAMAs. The set–up was done over five days followed by four days’ rehearsal. “On Friday we stage the much smaller ‘Industry Awards’ in the same venue as the main awards on Saturday night. This schedule makes for long hours for the engineers and the crew – and then there is the sand that gets into everything!” Despite the tight schedule, and very little time between the client’s brief, design and load-in, the crew really rallied together during set up, and all challenges were soon forgotten when Lehr saw the first programmed lighting state. “In the first lighting session, you are able to see for the first time what the set will do for you and how well the AV integrates with lighting,” he says. “Until then, it’s all just in your head. And then there is the highlight when it finally comes together on the night, when audio, lighting, AV, the band, the artists, dancers and presenters collaborate into one beautiful symphony…. It is wonderful to see the artists on such a large platform showcasing their talent and how seamless the show runs due to everyone’s dedication, abilities and skill.” While Lehr had been responsible for the production and set design and expressed how he wanted the lighting to look, Joshua Cutts created a lighting rig with what he thought would work best to put the vision into reality. With an extended workload, Joshua is unable to be on site for every single lighting design project and sent Andre Siebrits from his company to implement the design on his behalf. “I was extremely proud of Andre and how he delivered as per the client’s brief,” said Joshua. “Our main challenge was to use the black space around the scaffolding and to get beams to punch through. We wanted to make a feature out of the Robe Squares, which is not an approach we use often. The Robe Squares are dynamic and versatile to use, and looked fantastic on camera, creating all the effects we wanted.” Lighting control consisted of two grandMA2 light consoles with two NPUs and a grandMA VPU for pixel mapping. “The grandMA2 was perfect,” said Siebrits. “I was once again impressed by its multi-user functionality and how seamless MA makes it happen. The VPU is

amazing for pixel mapping because it integrates so easily into the MA system and creates nice eye candy effects. The set and lighting design found a middle space between symmetrical and asymmetrical ensuring that there was a formation to the rig, and having all the lights in the right places made my job very easy on site.” The lighting rig included: 4x Robe BMFL Blades, 8x Robe BMFL Spots, 12x Robe Squares, 24x Robin Pointes, 16x Robin miniPointes, 16x Robe Robin Spikies, 12x Robe 600 LEDWash, 18x Robe 300LEDWash, 30x Robe Robin LEDBeam 100, 12x Robe Robin 1000, 12x Robe Spiiders, 8x Robin 600E Spot, 12x Philips Nitro 510C Strobe, 60x Longman Battens, 60x Led Parcans, 24x Single Cell Blinders, 8x Chauvet Core 3x3, 12x 2 KW Selecon Fresnel. Control consisted of 2x grandMA2 Light, 2x grandMA NPU, 1x grandMA VPU Light and for the haze effects, a MDG Atmosphere ATME. Marcell Wahl from MGG was the systems technician and Siebrits’s assistant programmer. “It was great to have an assistant programmer and help to give a few songs a different dynamic with his creative ideas. The two main LX Techs, from Windhoek, were Ramon Le Roux and Gillroy Barmann. They were such a help and so friendly. Their passion for the industry is remarkable and commendable. They were always willing and did every task with a smile no matter how difficult it was.” Lehr sings the praises of every person involved. “Johan Griesel on FOH dealt with all the curve balls thrown at him, provided exceptional audio as always and smiled until the very end. AV was superbly managed by Stefan van der Walt of CI Nation, despite a number of last minute changes to the content. Andre Siebrits seamlessly executed Joshua’ s design with 348 light fixtures on the stage despite the limited programming time.” Training and skill transfer are two subjects that have always been close to Lehr’s heart. “This is what built the live event industry in South Africa and we will continue with onsite training and skill transfer in Namibia with every event we are involved in,” he said. “It is also why it’s imperative to bring very experienced and highly competent engineers to events like this to transfer skills and provide ‘on-the-job’ training for the local crew and technicians. We have seen how technicians who have been part of the NAMAs for the last three years have individually grown in their field. We work with a relatively small crew on this project, which results in long gruelling working hours, and despite that, the crew stayed keen and enthusiastic to the very end.”

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RMB Starlight Classics 2017 graces SA audiences

The Vergelegen Wine Estate in Somerset West, Western Cape, recently played host to Rand Merchant Bank Starlight Classics, a bi-annual outdoor music event held in Johannesburg and Cape Town. This year, the RMB Starlight Classics brand of afro-symphonic sound once again brought afro-fusion classical music to the public, with their mandate to promote young emerging artists as well as showcasing the best of South African talent, both locally and internationally.

This years’ event was directed by Darren Hayward, and featured Pumesa Matshikisa and Jaques Le Roux, two South African born opera singers, both now living and working in Europe. They were joined on stage by SA Idols winner Khaya Mthethwa, finalist in the Voice SA, Thembeka Mnguni, together with Nicolas Nicolaidis, Charl du Plessis and the inimitable Karen Zoid, backed by the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra and the Mzansi Youth Choir. RMB Starlight Classics was first conceived in 1998 by South African conductor and maestro, Richard Cock, in collaboration with Rand Merchant Bank. Since inception, the production has grown considerably both in popularity and scope. “The secret of the Starlight Classics success lies in its impeccable presentation and relaxed atmosphere,” states Cock. For the first time ever, the 2017 event was

recorded by MNET for broadcast a few weeks after the show, bringing a different dimension and set of parameters to be considered by the production team. The production team, Jam Events, led by production manager, Samantha McGraw, believes strongly in finding technical team players for the long haul, as evidenced by the long run that many of the key technicians have enjoyed on the show. Project management was again provided by Ryan Shepherd of Gearhouse, who has worked on the event since 2009. Joining Shepherd for the second year running was lighting designer, Chris Bolton and his assistant Jade Manicom of Keystone Productions. Marius Marais and his team from Audio Logic, who have worked on the event for the past twelve years, oversaw sound. RMB Starlight Classics makes use of a Dome roof with a large arch of LED screens at the back, provided and installed by Gearhouse company In2Structures. The high tensile, arched, steel-frame dome, with its flexibility, rigging capabilities and exceptional safety features, makes for a perfect choice for the event. The stage was constructed with a set of layered risers and integrated staircases, installed by another Gearhouse business, set builders SDS, to accommodate the

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT 60-piece orchestra and various other artists. These included the Mzansi Youth Choir and an ensemble of ballet dancers and elephants from the Handspring Puppet Company, which marched through the audience and onto the stage to open the show.

Lighting for all seasons The lighting design consists of a variety of moving lights, washes, spots and beams. “The multitude of artists requires a large performance area and very specific lighting,” Shepherd explains. “Over the years the show has kept in line with technological advances, and we now use an almost entirely LED lighting rig with the exception of the ‘front light’ that is positioned on towers 50m from the stage.” In previous years, a large generic rig was used for the lighting. However, for the 2017 show, Bolton specified the Robe moving lights. This included 6 x BMFL Blades, 25 x LEDWash 600s, 24 REDWash 3•192s – with their distinctive rectangular narrow-beam light field – as well as Pointes plus 72 x Robe LEDForce PARs, which were also delivered to the event by Gearhouse. The primary challenge presented to the lighting design team was the very short set up and tech time available to light the

complex and varied lineup, with all sections needing their own treatment, which amounted to approximately 24 hours in real programming time. When the decision was made to add the broadcast element, a lighting redesign was required to ensure that it was lit for the camera as well as the 4 000-strong live audience. “I automatically knew exactly what I needed for my front key lighting when the TV shoot was confirmed – which was the six BMFL Blades,” said Bolton. “I did not even think twice about which fixtures I was adding to the kit list.” These were rigged on two towers built out in the audience arena, with a 50-metre throw to the stage, perfect for the power and intensity of the BMFL. Bolton ran the units at 55%, as this

REPORT LIVE EVENTs

provided a perfect balance of light for the broadcast cameras. The orchestra was illuminated gently in a combination of subtle and rich colours with the LEDWash 600s. Lighting classical musicians is a delicate task at the best of times. However, Bolton and Manicom have extensive experience in this regard. The LEDWash 600s were run in wide mode so that the LED rings could be utilised as effects. In addition, RED Washes were dotted on the roof and used for stage and set washing and colour effects. All of the rig’s LED elements were mapped using the grandMA VPU, essentially providing a canvas for fluid, slow, chasing and movement

effects. The Pointes were deployed on each of the PA towers, with the rest on the stage floor, and provided the accents needed for crescendos. “We enjoyed all the challenges thrown at us, such as making the show work for television without losing any of the drama and excitement of the live experience. With such a diverse programme, all the lights had to work very hard, and the additional scope provided by the Robe moving lights rig give us some real latitude to be creative and contemporary in the overall look,” Bolton comments. In addition to the main stage, Gearhouse was tasked with ambient venue lighting at Vergelegen Wine Estate. “Although this is no easy job, our lighting crew get to work in the glorious gardens for days to get the focus perfect so that it does justice to the gardens and estate at night and adds a “glam factor” to the VIP areas,” Shepherd explains.

Mixing the rhythm The audio component of the show presented its own challenges, as Marius Marais describes. “From an audio point of view, retaining the integrity of the classical music with the fusion of Pop and African rhythms brings its own challenges to the event,” says Marais. “Careful planning and precise implementation of the audio is of extreme importance.” The Audio

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LIVE EVENTs REPORT Logic team consisted of eight of the best audio engineers and technicians in the industry, with each one filling a crucial role in the bigger picture. Front of House was mixed by Marais, with monitors in the hands of Revil Besalga. Christo Visser handled the radio microphones, and system engineering was provided by Nathan Thiart. The stage was looked after by Kgotso Mutaung, Curtis Wilken and Kensen Makeke. A total of 140 cable microphones were positioned in the orchestra and the rhythm sections. Twelve Shure ULX-D hand-held microphones together with 10 Shure ULX-D beltpacks for roving instruments were also used. The Mzanzi Youth Choir were individually amplified using 32 SHURE WH20/30 headset microphones on SHURE radio systems. The main PA system was a combination of the new flagship JBL VTX V25 and V20 systems, all powered by Crown V-Racks. The front of house console was a STUDER VISTA 5SR which handled the 200-plus channels. The monitor console utilised was a 96 Channel Soundcraft Vi6. “The MNET broadcast brought on its own set of challenges,” Marais states. “We used two recording systems with RME Madiface interfaces. Keeping the stage as quiet as possible, the orchestra sections and rhythm section was on an Allen & Heath ME personal monitor mixing platform. This option proved very successful in giving the audio separate tracks to the post production engineers, without much bleed from load wedge monitors on stage. James Bassingthwaighte and recording legend Richard Mitchell took on this responsibility.” Achieving a perfectly staged production of this magnitude in an open air venue is no small feat, however, Jam Events, together with their team of technical experts, has elevated the show to new production heights in 2017. The next edition of RMB Starlight Classics will be taking place on 9 September, at the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park.

The Kyalami International Convention Centre is conveniently situated in the business heart of Gauteng between Pretoria and Johannesburg. The Pit Building has been revamped to include world class facilities and promises to add a unique and inspiring experience to your meeting, conference, exhibition, trade show, product launch or private function. • Conference Rooms • Boardrooms • Paddock Area • Covered Viewing Deck • Roof Terrace • Launch Area • Pit Area • State-of-the-art kitchens • Executive ablution facilities • Wi-Fi • 3-phase power • Convenient access • Ample secure parking

Cnr R55 & Allandale Road, Kyalami, Midrand | Tel: +27 11 466 0204 info@kyalamigrandprixcircuit.com | www.kyalamigrandprixcircuit.com TheKyalamiGrandPrixCircuit

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TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT

Ever-changing technology and the AV professional By Abrie du Plooy, AV Consultant for Electrosonic SA

Technology is a major dynamic of the 21st century. For the audiovisual professional, the challenge is the crazy pace of communication technology development around audiovisual applications and how this impacts the men and women specialising in this vibrant industry.

The modern worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digital systems will never completely substitute its analogue predecessors. The reason, as mentioned in a previous article, is simple â&#x20AC;&#x201C; humans are analogue beings. Digitisation, however, is considered to be a breakthrough and technologically superior to conventional analogue ways. This is not entirely true and many old-school technicians and audiophiles will gladly debate the difference in quality between analogue audio, for example, compared to the compressed digital versions. The reality is that analogue and digital signals are applied differently from one another. Human communication is reliant on the analogue spectrum. Our eyes see light through an optical system that distinguishes between different colours in various shapes and sizes. Our vocal cords produce sound waves which we manipulate with the cavity of our mouths, throats and lips. We do this in order to produce a compilation of sounds in concert, to deliver a message. Our hearing systems identify audible vibrations, which are used to recognise a message. None of the above systems are digital â&#x20AC;&#x201C; humans cannot comprehend digital signals.

Digital signal technology pertaining to audiovisual applications was developed to overcome the challenges related to analogue signal distribution, duplication and storage. This is due to physical elements which cause analogue signals to lose energy or be absorbed by noise all around us and thus become unidentifiable by a recipient. In response, the architecture of digital signals are designed to only have two states, on/off, yes/no or more realistically, ones and zeroes. If only two states need to be transmitted, it can easily be done with a positive and negative polarity or amplitude of an analogue wave. The wave will erode over distance, as any analogue wave would, but as long as the receiving end is able to identify whether the wave is positive or negative, no information is lost and by means of an analogue to digital converter, the entire wave can be reproduced. The challenge (and this is where the audiophiles will have you for breakfast) arises in the level of detail that gets transmitted. So where do humans fit in? It is common knowledge that technology replaces the human element in many fields on a daily basis and the industry as a whole changes with technology

TECHNICAL SPOTLIGHT

developments. Due to the cost of technology decreasing by the day, consumer patterns are changing and more people are exposed to, or are using audiovisual technology on a daily basis in residential or corporate environments. Digital processes simplify operations and as a result, the professional skillset is perceived to no longer be required in order to perform basic duties. However, when it comes to customised, high-end audiovisual applications, experience and skills are what raise the bar. Within audiovisual system designs and applications, there will always be a requirement for specialised knowledge. That means someone with experience and relevant application logic that can assess a specific customer requirement and respond with an adequate design, as well as not exceeding said requirement or the available budget. Apart from the design element, the implementation needs to be executed by a technical professional that can accurately configure and/or programme products and systems. This technician should be able to identify possible challenges or faults and provide solutions when required. Most senior professionals within the industry are very capable but are facing the challenge of adapting to and maintaining knowledge in an ever developing industry. It will never cease to grow and the sooner one gets involved the easier it is to keep up. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the younger generation has some challenges of its own. They are entering an industry that is already at full pace with digital technology. Because of the technology driven lifestyles of the modern era, young technicians will easily grasp modern audiovisual processes. The difficulty they face however, is to fully comprehend the concept of digital video and audio for example, without understanding the analogue components thereof. The same challenge applies to the understanding of digital signals such as DVI, SDI and HDMI without knowledge and experience of Composite and Component Video, S-Video and 5-cable RGBHV. The in-depth theory of these can be explained a million times but the practical exposure will be minimal or none. To add to the above challenge, audiovisual training material/ curriculums are largely excluded from the average university arsenal. A graduate with a communications degree could add much value to the industry on a certain level but will be an expensive resource for one and may not know how to perform basic functions such as calculate the screen size of a custom auditorium for example, or

overcome challenges pertaining to HDMI signal distribution. In the AV industry there are a shortage of training programmes. Many industry stakeholders such as product manufacturers are offering training courses in order to transfer knowledge and skill but these are mostly biased and likely to form part of a marketing strategy to promote their products and inflate sales. This is where the global institution InfoComm made a name. Locally, a professional body, SACIA (Southern African Communications Industry Association), fulfils this role. Although SACIA represents many sectors in the communications industry, its education offering pertaining to professional AV is of excellent value to the aspiring young AV professional. SACIA was established by a number of industry pioneers with an objective to establish a member base that would promote the adoption of professional standards and ethical business practices. SACIA offers a range of professional designations for various sectors of the communications industry. SACIA is recognised by SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority), as the certifying body for the AV/ Communications sector and operates under regulations defined within the National Qualifications Framework Act. The organisation is responsible for developing and awarding professional designations that recognise competence in the communications industry. SAQA is an organ of state, designed to oversee the further development and implementation of governmentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s education policy and therefore the professional designations offered by SACIA, are widely recognised. All the SACIA professional designations are listed on the NQF (National Qualifications Framework) of South Africa. SACIA professional designations are also recognised by all SADC (Southern Africa Development Community) regions and are listed on the RQF (Regional Qualifications Framework). In order to maintain a professional designation, individuals need to participate in a programme of continuing professional development so that any individual with a designation stays up-to-date on the latest technology shaping the future of the AV industry. SACIA is also promoting transformation in the industry and does not exclude any individual who wishes to partake in training and development. Thanks to SACIA, school leavers now have additional options to confuse them and a great opportunity to become part of this exciting industry filled with toys and technology.

INFOCOMM Show REPORT

Trending at InfoComm 2017

InfoComm 2017 set more attendance records, with over 44,000 AV and IT professionals meeting up. Coupled with the huge growth in this year’s ISE show in Amsterdam, there is a strong feeling globally that the industry is in a growth phase. Some areas of the industry, of course, seem to be attracting more attention than others:

There were also some cost-effective, feature-rich audio processing options for smaller education and meeting spaces on offer. Installing a full-blown 12x8 DSP in these spaces to handle a couple of installed web conferencing microphones isn’t a very cost-effective model – and on the other hand, poor audio will ruin a conferencing system. Ceiling, table and wireless mics are still needed in midsized conferencing and lecture spaces. Shure showcased its P300, which is a cost-effective DSP mainly built to provide processing for the company’s Microflex Advance Dante ceiling and table mic array units. Audio-Technica introduced its ATDM-0604 Digital SmartMixer, which is an auto mixer with echo cancellation that seems like a cheaper alternative to a full-blown DSP.

3. Digital Signage 1. AV-over-IP AV-over-IP was the most dominant theme throughout the show, with major players like Crestron, Kramer and AMX showcasing their latest offerings. The presence of the SDVoE Alliance shows the seriousness of industry efforts to develop standards and interoperability.

2. Audio Typically a market that has been a bit stale for the past few years, audio brought some interesting products and trends to the table at InfoComm 2017. Dante is becoming ever more widespread. AV audio integrators should pay attention to not only the DSP options needed right now, but the near-future options. A small upgrade cost now for a model with Dante or VoIP support will save the money of having to swap out the whole box in a year or two.

Corporate and commercial AV seems to be booming right now with creative digital signage solutions. More creative digital signage is set to start making its way into every corner of the industry. Direct view, fine-pitch LED video wall panels were everywhere at InfoComm 2017. Manufacturers are also offering odd aspect ratio flat-panel displays made for applications like wayfinding and menu board signage. Finally, many show-goers felt strongly that the show should open the trade floor for a fourth day, particularly given the many education, training and conferencing opportunities that run in parallel with the exhibition space. If the record growth in attendance and exhibitor numbers continues along with industry growth, another day, as with the situation at ISE, will expand the possibilities for visitors and exhibitors.

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Mediatech 2017 The Dome, Jhb

Amit Makan (Independent Media), Pieter Badenhorst (Cine Photo Solutions), Lauren Badenhorst (Cine Photo Solution)

Graeme Peacock (Omega), Quinton Robbertze (Vox Telecom), Nicholas Scott (Digital Dice)

Donovan Britz (New Installation Company).

Francois Viljoen (Quodes) and Thomas Nestmann (VIZRT)

Lyle Tarby and Riaan van der Westhuizen (Electrosonic)

Harmon Cusack (AFDA)

Greg Bester, Richard Villhaber, Lisa Cornelissen, Anselie Furnell, Bertrand Farabet, and Joseph White (Jasco)

Andre Hanekom (Audiosure)

Deon Le Roux (System Solutions)

Mathew Gardner (Timeslice)

Keith Pugin and Nick Barnes (DWR)

Humani Nephalela (MultiChoice)

Lorenz Penkler and Martin Willemse (Emendy)

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Olivia Molelekeng (MGG Productions), Carmin Junius (Wild and Marr), and Moswain Welch Antao (Shure)

Linda Swart (Peripheral Vision) and Conrad Botha (Media Systems Development)

Nicole Mortimer, Sandy Dalais (Fogtech), and Ian Challen (South 32)

Lucinda Hattingh, Abrie Du Plooy and Eugene Coetzee (Electrosonic)

Glenn Lightbody (Black Magic Design), Jason Sproat (Africa Broadcast)

Greg Palmer (Peripheral Vision) and Anthony Olivier (Omega Digital)

Michelle Girlag (Noise Clipper)

Johnny Scholtz (DWR).

Nigel Saunders (Mindstec Distribution)

Thys Venter (Orion)

Raymond Endemann (Lazerx)

Rob Stanley (Pixel Power)

Sean Loeve (Panasonic Business)

Sergey Kuznetsov (Visiology International)

Syed Abdul Wahab (Mindstec Distribution)

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Lighting Designer Contest 2017 Mediatech 2017, The Dome, Jhb

Benjamin Mills delivers a winning show, LDC, Mediatech

Lighting Design Contest finalist, Benjamin Mills

Benjamin Mills awarded first place

Lighting Design Contest finalist, Victor Hatega

Victor Hatega awarded second place

Victor Hatega presents his lighting show

Lighting Design Contest finalist, Cameron Nyce

Cameron Nyce awarded third place

Cameron Nyce presents his lighting show

Lighting Design Contest finalist, Erick Faanhof

Erick Faanhof awarded fourth place

Erick Faanhof presents his show

Lighting Design Contest finalist, Ndumiso Vilakazi

Ndumiso Vilakazi awarded fifth place

Ndumiso Vilakazi presents his show

Bruce Schwartz (Electrosonic), and Peter Dahlin (Martin Professional), with LDC winner, Benjamin Mills

The Electrosonic team

Michael Adefehinti from D3 Technologies

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