Entertainment Technology Asia July-August 2011

MICA (P) 015/09/2010 KDN: PPS 1663/09/2011 [020160]

July | August 2011

Synergy AVL delivers for Pusat Insani

APG goes clubbing in Beijing

Clay Paky lights up Hala Febrayer

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FIRST WORDS

ntertainment technology asia

CONTENTS

VOL 12 ISSUE 4

MICA [P] 015/09/2010 KDN: PPS 1663/09/2011 [020160]

NEWS 10

Essential news from the industry

ENNOVATIONS 32

A round-up of new products in the market

IN PERSPECTIVE

We are excited to bring you our latest issue of Entertainment Technology Asia. As expected, it is filled with all the latest news, updates, innovations and installations from the industry.

We begin with Pusat Insani – the multi-million dollar, dynamic, forward-looking community centre that adds value to the quality of life of the people of Brunei Darussalam. In order to support this vision, the centre’s many facilities had to be equipped with the most reliable audio-visual solutions available. Our report will examine how Synergy AVL, a Singapore-based audio-visual consultant and systems integrator, designed and installed the sound, stage lighting, video control and camera systems for this amazing facility. You won’t want to miss this!

Not to be outdone, the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is another installation story you will certainly enjoy reading about. This venue has hosted the likes of Joshua Bell, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. The acoustic technology employed by MIPRO in this 885-seat music hall is no less as impressive.

Moving on, we bring you an exclusive interview with the CEO of ADB Lighting Technologies, Christian Leonard. Since taking over control of the whole ADB-TTV Group in 2002, Mr Leonard has quickly transformed its operations such that ADB Lighting Technologies is now considered a world class manufacturer of professional lighting equipment. In this interview, Mr Leonard explains how ADB plans to tackle the fast-growing Asian market, the numerous installation projects that ADB has handled in Asia and, most importantly, the philosophy behind the design of ADB’s products.

PALM Expo China 2011, held in May, enjoyed tremendous success, attracting record numbers of exhibitors and visitors. Similarly, Palm Expo India 2011, held a week later, was a huge hit with many people considering it the best in its 11-year history. Our reviews of both events will update you on everything that happened as well as give you an overview of all the latest products that were exhibited. In addition, our PALME Asia 2011 preview will prepare you for everything you need to know as we gear-up for this much-anticipated event.

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Christian Leonard, CEO, ADB Lighting Technologies

44

Gems at Prolight & Sound Frankfurt Exhibition

IN PROFILE 46

The recipe for success is “Made in Germany” for Heilbronn-based audio specialist beyerdynamic

50

Index Creative Village celebrates 21st Anniversary

EXHIBITION PREVIEW 53

EXHIBITION REVIEW 64

PALM EXPO India comes of age

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PALM EXPO China attracts strong interest

INSTALL 82

Bowman Hall gets Bosch sound system

83

INSPEN installs FBT Modus Line Array

84

Martin Exterior 400 Range lights Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Building

85

MIPRO resonates with Singapore Zoo

86

Synergy AVL delivers turnkey audio-visual-lighting solutions for Pusat Insani in Brunei

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APG goes clubbing at BabyFace in Beijing

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MIPRO ACT 707 – The clear choice for Petronas Philharmonic Hall

LIVE 90

Microhire test theri Clear-Com Tempest System

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Carabao tours Thailand with 144 PR XLED 590s

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Dubai Rocks for Concert supporting Peace One Day

94

Auvitran go Down Under with Ben-Hur

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Tannoy VQ helps power the Indian Territorial Army Band

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Arabian stars perform under Clay Paky rig

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HARMAN JBL VERTEC® line arrays at Justin Bieber Concert

Happy reading!

James Bose Editor james@spinworkz.com

The 23rd PALME Asia 2011 Exhibition

Publisher/Editorial Director Thomas Richard : thomas@spinworkz.com | Editor James Bose : james@spinworkz.com | Admin & Circulation Julie Tan : admin@spinworkz.com | Contributing Editor Jacqueline Khoo | Contributing Consultant Pushpa Veerappan | Freelance Correspondent Clarence Anthony, Audrey Anne Felix | Design & Productions By Jimmy Chin : jimmy@spinworkz.com | Printed By : Print & Print Pte Ltd Published By SPINWORKZ PTE LTD 51 Bukit Batok Crescent #06-10 Unity Centre Singapore 658077 | Tel: (65) 6316 2716 | Fax: (65) 63162715 | www.spinworkz.com Disclaimer Entertainment Technology Asia is published 6 times a year. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine is to be reproduced, whether mechanical or electronic without the prior written consent of the publisher. Views expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect those of the editor or the publisher. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but the editor reserves the discretion to use them. Whilst every care is taken to ensure the accuracy and honesty in both editorial and advertising content at press time, the publisher will not be liable for any inaccuracies.

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NEWS

ntertainment technology asia

SGM’s unique LED strobe takes the market by storm International: SGM has increased the scheduled production of its unique X-5 white strobe — the world’s first professional LED strobe - in order to meet the demands of the market.

Head of Research and Development, Peter Johansen, added that prospective customers had noted the compactness of the fixture, the fact that it would deliver the same output as conventional high wattage strobes at a fifth of the power and were environmentally friendly.

“Rental companies can save on two gensets of 150kW each by replacing 100 conventional strobes with our versions,” he noted. “That represents a huge cost saving.”

The X-5 white LED strobe

SGM’s white strobe contains 3,000 LED’s with a 50,000 hour lamp life. Rather than requiring 1600 amps to drive 100 conventional strobes, the X-5 only requires a 300-amp draw. The X-5 white LED strobe utilises 3,000 Welly Power LED’s, housed in a black, slim aluminium chassis. It also contains a 160° lens as standard, tilt of 0°-180°, 1 or 4 DMX channels and set-up is via OLED 5-button graphic display.

Peter Johansen (left), with SGM MD Arturo Vicari

As with all SGM’s new LED models, cooling methods have been improved via rectangular

heatsinks, set-up and address procedures improved with the aid of internal diagnostics, and control procedures implemented to ensure that lamps run flicker-free.

Summing up, Peter Johansen said, “The X-5 gives the event hire industry worldwide a real opportunity — not only to make considerable cost savings, but at the same time help protect the environment.” www.rcf.it

Seoul’s COEX Intercontinental Hotel upgrades to ETC Paradigm® South Korea: This past November, Seoul, South Korea, took center stage when it hosted the 2010 G-20 Summit. In preparation for the increase in international visitors, many hotels and event facilities within the city finalised renovation projects. One notable project was the installation of the country’s largest ETC Unison® Paradigm architectural-lighting control system at the COEX InterContinental Hotel in Gangnam, downtown Seoul, handled

by ETC’s Korean distributor C&C Lightway Inc.

of nine architectural-control processors. The newly installed Paradigm system handles lighting within 15 locations of the hotel.

Lighting is managed from six control zones.

The hotel’s budgetary parameters dictated a control-only scheme that would integrate and utilise current facilities’ lighting.

Built in 1988, this five-star luxury hotel is part of the Korea World Trade Center Complex, referred to as “COEX.” The COEX InterContinental has been a mainstay of Seoul’s international business culture and has historically been selected as the official hotel for major events, including the 1988 Olympics.

Anticipating G-20 Summit events, the COEX InterContinental upgraded their event-hall facilities. The halls were divided into the B1 “Harmony Level” and “30th Floor” rooms.

The Harmony Level halls are the largest in the hotel, popular as ballroom spaces for corporate-level events and weddings. The 30th Floor rooms provide smaller-scale multiuse spaces with panoramic city views. Each space is now equipped with its own Paradigm DRd dimming racks so that each maintains local lighting control while benefiting from being part of a networked system.

Guided by C&C Lightway, the hotel replaced its ten-year-old event lighting control with the ETC Paradigm system, employing a total

Following the installation, C&C Lightway worked closely with the COEX InterContinental’s event director to program

a series of new lighting schemes that would suit interior-design requirements.

The COEX InterContinental staff were extremely pleased that Paradigm was able to integrate so seamlessly and complement the existing lighting. With the Paradigm ACP modules housed in DRd6 and DRd12 enclosures, the system also utilises ETC’s Sensor®+ Installation Racks, SmartSwitch™ Relay Panels and a variety of elegant Unison Heritage button and fader stations.

Paradigm had not been in the original project specifications, so C&C worked to ensure that requirements could not only be matched

by ETC’s architectural control workhorse, but that the system would surpass those requirements and client expectations. C&C Lightway has installed other Paradigm projects in Korea and the system is proving itself to be the solution for flexible, facilitywide architectural lighting control. www.etcconnect.com

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NEWS

ntertainment technology asia

New Marketing Director for NEXO International: NEXO has confirmed the appointment of Ginny Goudy as its new International Marketing Director. Goudy has acted as the company’s public relations and communications consultant since 1997.

She will now be tasked with developing NEXO’s marketing strategy across its varied international marketplaces and work to enrich client relations, communications and customer support.

Well-known in pro-audio circles, Goudy’s career as an independent press agent has spanned three decades. Since her first public relations appointment to Rupert Neve, she has witnessed the rise (and fall) of the recording industry, the arrival of digital audio technology and the launches of pioneering products like the Neve Capricorn console and Yamaha’s ProMix01 and 02R mixers. Goudy

has also shaped many stories within the rise (and rise) of the sound reinforcement industry, consulting for leading manufacturers including Bose, JBL, Electro-Voice, MartinAudio and Turbosound.

“We are delighted to have persuaded Ginny to join us in Paris. She is a distinctive figure with a distinctive perspective on our business,” says NEXO Chairman and CEO, Keisuke Kobayashi. “SR customers today are not only looking for good products, they are looking for a partner that understands their market and their aspirations. With her extensive industry contacts and marketing communications experience, Ginny will play a key role in helping NEXO to become exactly that kind of partner.” www.nexo.fr

Sequenza 10 at National People’s Congress The event was attended by high-ranking party members including the Mayor of Chongqing and the Mayor of Beijing. The highlight of the evening was the song Me and my Native Country, performed by the singers together with the Mayor of Chongqing. www.kling-freitag.biz

Mayor of Chonqing Mr Bo Xilai and the performers sing Me and My Native Country.

China: The evening concert on 8 March 2011 at the National People’s Congress in the Beijing Trade Hotel was performed by MYC with the Sequenza 10 line array from Kling & Freitag. The 330m high building with its 81 floors is at present the highest of Beijing.

In order to comply with these noise constraints, MYC used the Sequenza 10 Line Array from Kling & Freitag. The 40 m wide show stage was equipped with four K&F Sequenza 10N for the far field and two Sequenza 10W for the nearfield.

The Qunxia Event Hall.

Six Sequenza 10B and two Nomos XLC in cardioid setup supported the system in the lower frequency range.

In total, 40 different radio and hand-held microphones were employed. A high quality monitor system, consisting of two Scena 15, provided the musicians with precise feedback, with a warm and precise basic sound. All speaker systems were driven by the K&F SystemRack. The combination of the digital system controller CD 44 with the Lab. gruppen FP 10000Q ensured the quick setting and the high performance of the system.

The Kling & Freitag Sequenza 10 Line Array was utilised for the concert.

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NEWS

ntertainment technology asia

Barco assists Tsinghua University’s Centenary Celebration with 3D Projection Display China: On 24 April 2011, Tsinghua University, China’s most renowned institution of higher learning, celebrated its 100th anniversary.

That night, tens of thousands of students, professors and alumni held their Alma Mater’s birthday party in front of the university’s main building. Barco’s XLM HD30 projector – the brightest and most advanced projector – was used in the animated projection segment of the show, presenting highly creative visual 3D effects that won the crowd’s enthusiastic applause.

A design team from the Academy of Arts & Design provided the impressive projection display, which used the main building as the projection background. Stunning 3D effects were achieved through variations in images, colour and light. The constantly changing animated graphics worked harmoniously

with the building’s structure to create the illusion that the building was moving and morphing as part of the imagery.

Four Barco XLM HD30 projectors with highbrightness, high-resolution and excellent true color restoration were deployed to achieve such remarkable results. The projector supports a 360° installation and uses an advanced liquid cooling design to ensure flawless performance. The projector’s Scheimpflug adjustment function solves the problem of inaccurate focus caused by tilted projections.

Moreover, the projector can meet a variety of outdoor installation conditions. Its modular design makes it particularly suitable for largescale events and on-site maintenance.

Mr. Sha Xiaolan, the chief lighting designer of the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 Guangzhou Asia Games, was responsible for the celebration’s overall lighting design. “The 3D projection show on the main building produced excellent outcomes at the beginning and end of the Tsinghua anniversary party,” he said. “Four 30,000-lumen high-brightness projectors were required and had to be combined effectively to attain such a stunning visual performance. This was a very successful production and this kind of technology application will be the trend in future largescale theatrical performances.”

Ms. Zhao Hong, the supervisor of Tsinghua’s Anniversary Party and deputy head of the Tsinghua Arts Centre and headmaster’s

Barco’s XLM HD30 projector

office, highly commended the projection effects. “The audience was immediately amazed when the images were projected onto the main building. The images were clear, colorful, dynamic and creative. Barco’s equipment met the stringent requirements of this program beautifully. Furthermore, Barco’s service team provided support and security to ensure the program ran smoothly.”

Bright, an outstanding local video and audio equipment supplier, also played a vital role in this large-scale video project.

Barco’s Managing Director Sales & Service and VP Sales Entertainment for Greater China, Mr. Tang Feng, commented, “Barco has extensive experience in projecting light shows onto buildings including the 2008-2010 Lyon Festival of Lights and the unparalleled sound and light landscape in the Ghent, Belgium, Light Festival 2011. Our innovative applications are leading the industry. In addition, we are very pleased that the creative lighting market is growing in China. Barco’s professional high-end projection systems will continue to provide innovative applications for the visual technology industry.” www.barco.com

Prolyte Group launches i-line range of products International: Prolyte Group has a clear message to the market - all trade users now have access to the same products at the same price level. A complete range of industry standard products called i-line has just been introduced by the Prolyte Group. These products are currently available through a network of i-line partners and offer complete solutions for the end-user. i-line partners are selected existing distribution partners who have a broad range of i-line products directly available to the market via web shop convenience. i-line products can also be obtained through

Prolyte’s regular dealer network, offering service and support to Prolyte Group standards.

Among the products available in the i-line range are Prolyte’s X30, H30 and H40 trusses, the best-selling StageDex decks and MPT towers. The i-line products feature exceptional build quality at reasonable prices and are backed-up by Prolyte’s efficient technical service. To find your nearest i-line dealer or to view the current i-line partner network, log on to: www.prolyte.com

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NEWS

ntertainment technology asia

JM Rental supplies R4 display to Galaxy Macau™ Macau: JM Rental installed two sets of R4 LED displays in the Galaxy Macau™ Integrated Resort for its Grand Opening Ceremony on 15 May 2011. The LED displays allowed VIP’s to view the live broadcast of the ceremony in real-time as well as other video content.

Galaxy Macau™ welcomed over 20,000 guests during the opening ceremony. It is the only integrated resort to open in Macau this year and is expected to receive between 30,000 and 40,000 guests per day.

Jack Morton Worldwide and Avollusion, veterans in the events business, produced the remarkable opening ceremony. They were both contracted to supply the equipment for the ceremony as well. Among the attendees were hundreds of VIPs consisting of highranking officers from Macau SAR, Republic

of China, and executives from various private sectors. The opening ceremony consisted of a traditional lion dance, firecrackers and a spectacular Asian dance procession.

Following this, Dr Lui, GEG Vice Chairman, Mr Francis Lui and officiating VIPs performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the official opening of Galaxy Macau™. The doors were then opened by senior executives who welcomed members of the public as the resort’s very first guests.

During the event, the R4 LED displays were set to the left and right of the main stage.

Both featured live-programming and other video content. They were both 8 panels wide x 7 panels high (5.12 m x 3.36 m), ideally suited for semi-outdoor or indoor functions with 2,000 nits brightness and ultimate fine 4 mm LED panels.

“JM Rental is proud to have participated in this opening ceremony for Galaxy Macau™,” said Kenneth Yip of JM Rental. “Our participation at such an important ceremony shows our strength in terms of the quantity of panels we have in stock. It also reflects the quality of service we provide to all our clients. Our goal is perfection for every event. Special thanks to Jack Morton and Avollusion for their faith in our service and the quality of our panels.

We will definitely try our best to keep our performance at this remarkable level. JM Rental will strive to support more spectacular indoor and outdoor events in the future”. www.joinmerit.com www.avollusion.com www.jackmorton.com

JM Rental forms alliance with 3DIS Limited Thailand: JM Rental has set-up a new collaboration with 3DIS Limited to expand their market-base from Hong Kong to Macau, Taiwan and Mainland China and throughout South East Asia.

technology for 3D LED displays. For over 18 months, JM Rental’s 3D R4 panels had been used in events in Japan and around the globe through its exclusive partner.

JM Rental was formed over 10 years ago. In 2008, JM Rental had established the largest inventory of 4 mm indoor LED displays in Thailand and was the very first rental company to own Lighthouse R4 panels during that time. Currently, JM Rental is the first company in the world to developed and stock more than 200 sq m of 4 mm 3D LED panels for rental.

3DIS Limited is one of the foremost design houses specialising in 3D technology. Their services and products range from 3D video production to 3D interactive displays. 3DIS consists of graphic designers, animators and a former producer and director from a Hong Kong TV station who is well-versed in 3D technology. 3DIS’s mission is to deliver 3D creative content to the new emerging market using a fresh, creative approach.

During 2009, JM Rental worked with its exclusive partner in Japan to develop 3D

3DIS Limited and JM Rental hope to bring their 3D creativity to Southeast Asia and the

Greater China Region. With the ability to develop fresh 3D content and 3D interactive media, 3DIS Limited and JM Rental intend to provide a brand new 3D experience to the world. They hope to market their services and products to theme parks, visitor centers, the real estate industry, automobile exhibitions and the live concert industry.

Currently, 3DIS and JM Rental plan to expand their client base in the Southeast Asia region by exhibiting their products and services at PALME ASIA 2011 at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore from 13-15 July 2011. www.joinmerit.com www.3DIS.com.hk

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ntertainment technology asia

Kling & Freitag appoints Linfair Engineering as its sole distributor for Taiwan

Jürgen Freitag (left) and Duncan Chang

Taiwan: Kling & Freitag’s products will be represented by Linfair’s sales manager Paul Chang who is the son of General Manager, Duncan Chang. “We are delighted to represent Kling & Freitag in the Taiwanese market. We feel that the superior quality fits well with our range of products and look forward to grow it in Taiwan,” says Duncan.

Linfair was started by Mr Linfair Chang in 1958, to provide professional audio equipment, design, installation, and maintenance expertise to the Taiwanese market. The company, with its Headquarters in Taipei, has always been committed to the pursuit of technical excellence. Linfair Engineering operations has expanded beyond its original scope of business and now incorporates the performing arts, broadcasting, entertainment and electronic media industries. Duncan Chang, who was heavily involved in TATT (Taiwan Association of Theatre Technology) activities and who was the president of the Association from 1997 to 2003, has been responsible for the running of Linfair for the last 30 years. www.linfair.net www.kling-freitag.de

Renewed interest in Optocore products following PALME Middle East United Arab Emirates: Optocore distributors, Thomsun Trading, has reported an enthusiastic response to Optocore’s new generation of products from the Middle Eastern market.

Exhibiting at the recent PALME Show in Dubai, Optocore product specialist, Alok Ghurde says his company has helped to create an awareness in the region — at both this expo (for the Live, Rental and Installation markets) and CABSAT (for Broadcast).

“We have been showcasing and promoting Optocore at each of these two shows ever since we started distributing the brand,” he said. “Our initial successes have been in the Live/Rental market, where Optocore is especially suited but we’ve recently been working on several exciting projects in the Broadcast as well as the Install market, where Optocore has been prominent with high profile success worldwide. We hope to have breakthroughs in this region very soon as well.”

Any breakthrough, Alok believes, will be attributable to the German company’s new-generation of products. “This year Optocore has again ‘upped its game’ with the 2 GBit upgrade to the network — plus the addition of a host of new features.”

Visitors to the Thomsun Trading booth at PALME were also extremely interested to learn more about the Clear-Com interface to the Optocore network, reports the product specialist. “Live/Rental companies using Clear-Com intercom solutions are delighted to know that their services can operate on the same network by simply adding the Optocore intercom devices.”

“With the introduction of all these new features, the choice of Optocore as a cutting edge, ultra reliable yet costeffective open network solution for the pro-audio industry becomes even more compelling to our customers in the region,” summarised Alok Ghurde. “As a result, a large number of visitors showed renewed interest in Optocore for their projects, and we look forward to working with them and supporting our growing customer base in the region.” www.optocore.com

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ntertainment technology asia

Media Vision chooses Robert Juliat Topaze Followspots

Thailand: Media Vision, a leading visual, lighting and sound equipment rental company in Bangkok, Thailand, recently took delivery of four units of Robert Juliat Topaze 1200W MSD Followspot from Total Solution Marketing Pte Ltd. Thanaruch Hongskule, Managing Director of Media Vision explained his choice of the Robert Juliat Topaze 1200W Followspot, “Robert Juliat is a well-known and respected brand famous for producing top quality theatrical lighting and is the world leader in followspots. I always take note of their followspots whenever I visit Total Solution and also at other exhibitions around the world.”

He added, “One of the reasons we selected the Topaze was for its portability. We can accommodate whatever comes along with minimal labour. We have varying crews and lots of guests, plus everybody has to be trained on the lights. Therefore, we needed an instrument that was intuitive and the Topaze was perfect.”

Hongskule also complimented the excellent after sales service rendered to

them by Robert Juliat distributor Total Solution Marketing, “TSM’s service is second to none because they are always available to provide us with valuable support and answers to our technical queries.”

Managing Director of Total Solution Marketing, Glenn Wong, commented, “Robert Juliat is renowned for being the pioneer in the theatre lighting industry and I am delighted Media Vision has chosen Robert Juliat because of its superior optical system that provides uniform light output and better intensity. The Robert Juliat Topaze 1200W MSD Followspot is extremely user-friendly and easy to maintain.”

The Media Vision team’s mission is to create a successful business together and to set a new standard of service with their state-of-the-art equipment and technical knowledge. www.mediavision1994.com www.robertjuliat.com www.tsm-int.com

Audio-Technica is Official Microphone for RWMF Malaysia: The prestigious Rainforest World Music Festival (RWMF) has appointed Audio-Technica Malaysia as the ‘Official Microphone’ for the event which will be held from 8-10 July 2011 in Sarawak, Malaysia. The Rainforest World Music Festival was voted for the second consecutive year as one of the Top 25 Best International Festivals by renowned world music magazine, Songlines. The festival has also truly put Sarawak on the world tourism map.

Audio-Technica Malaysia was also the ‘Official Microphone’ for the recently concluded four-day Borneo Jazz Festival — held for the sixth year in Miri, East Malaysia. It was supported by the Sarawak Tourism Board Malaysia and ended in fine style with Latin, Asian, European and American flavours! http://audio-technica.com.my

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ntertainment technology asia

Philips Selecon boss Jeremy Collins moves on to ‘a new stage’

New Zealand: Jeremy Collins, who bought Philips Selecon in 1985 (with colleague Andrew Nichols) and has been instrumental in building the Selecon brand over the past quarter of a century, is moving on ‘to a new stage’ in his life.

Since Philips acquired Selecon in April 2009, Collins has been a driving force in ensuring a smooth transition and further development of Philips Selecon products. “For 25 years Selecon has been a major part of my life,’ said Collins. ‘To my Selecon New Zealand colleagues and those around the world, a very special thank you - we successfully worked together and created a successful global business which led our niche in many markets around the world. A fantastic achievement which I hope you all take pride in, as I do.”

“It is now time for me to move on. I do this with great confidence in the future of Philips Entertainment. The potential is only now starting to be realised in our global markets. As you continue to develop and deliver great innovative new products, build new business partnerships around the world and maybe even acquire some more great companies like Selecon, I wish you all the best in realising the exciting future which is Philips Entertainment.”

“On behalf of the entire team at Philips Entertainment, I personally would like to add my thanks to Jeremy and wish him good luck in his retirement,” said Steve Carson, VP/GM at Philips Entertainment Lighting. “Jeremy should be proud that the company he founded has grown to be the leader in entertainment luminaires. With the merger of Selecon and Philips, it continues to develop its products with the same philosophy of providing innovative lighting tools for theatre throughout the world. It has been my honour and pleasure to work with Jeremy the last few years and while his creativity and leadership will be missed, I believe that he has left a legacy that will continue into the future.”

In 2009, Jeremy Collins received the Entertainment Technology New Zealand Lifetime Achievement Award at the opening ceremony of New Zealand’s bi-annual ETNZ Conference and Tradeshow held at the Telstra Clear Events Centre in Manukau, Auckland. www.seleconlight.com

ntertainment technology asia

Heise named COO of Riedel International: Jorg Heise, 47, has joined Riedel Communications GmbH & Co KG as its new Chief Operations Officer (COO).

Heise began his duties at the well-known communications, audio and video network specialist in May 2011, in Wuppertal. “I’m looking forward to working alongside the company’s founder, Thomas Riedel, CFO Uwe Bingel, as well as the rest of the management team as we continue generating sustainable growth,” said Heise. Heise holds an advanced degree in economics and has many years of leadership experience at mid-cap technology and manufacturing companies. He was most recently the CEO of Willach-Heise GmbH. www.riedel.net

NEWS

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LDR and Synergy reinforce relationship Singapore: Synergy AVL Pte Ltd will stock LDR fixtures in its warehouse for Singapore and nearby countries as part of the extended relationship between LDR and Synergy. Furthermore, the Synergy showroom will feature luminaires, followspots, scrollers and other inventory from LDR. Fabiano Besio says, “With the stock as well as showroom to demonstrate our

solutions, we will be better able to service the local and nearby markets through Synergy.”

Henry from Synergy adds that they will also handle servicing for LDR fixtures as well as organise ongoing LDR training and seminar programs. www.ldr.it www.synergyavl.com

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PM Center roars with Avolites Tiger Touch

Thailand: Total Solution Marketing (TSM) has recently sold and supplied the Avolites Tiger Touch lighting console desk to PM Center from Thailand. Avolites was introduced to PM Center in 2000. Since then, Avolites lighting consoles have been regarded as the number one lighting console by PM Center’s lighting designers and technicians, mainly because of their high reliability.

Mr Phakawat, Product Supply Manager for PM Center, shared his views on why PM Center prefers Avolites products. He said, “Tiger Touch is a small and compact lighting console desk which is efficient and has excellent capabilities. It is equipped with the new Titan software. With the new touch screen function and platform software, it will definitely help ease the workload for our lighting designers. PM Center has confidence in the quality of Avolites products such as Pearl 2000, Pearl 2004, Pearl 2008 and Pearl Expert which have been upgraded to support the Titan Software. Tiger Touch is one of the best products, in terms of quality, that is used by our team. It is easy to use, has a modern design and possesses new software that is stable.

He also praised the Total Solution technical support team. “They are always helpful when we encounter any problems with our Avolites products. This is why we trust Avolites

products and the technical support team from Total Solution.”

Glenn Wong, Managing Director of Total Solution Marketing, said, “We are delighted that PM Center has been showing confidence in choosing Avolites products for their lighting solutions. We believe that the Tiger Touch will continue to prosper in our markets.”

PM Center is one of the largest event equipment supply centres in Thailand with a professional team of more than 150 permanent staff. PM Center has 19 years of experience in supplying event equipment for large events. PM Center serves various types of events scaling from 50 to 500,000 participants for both local and international events. www.pmcenter.co.th www.avolites.com www.tsm-int.com

Yoshiyuki Tsugawa to take over as CEO of NEXO S.A. International: NEXO S.A. has announced the retirement of its CEO and President, Keisuke Kobayashi, and the appointment of Yoshiyuki Tsugawa (also known as Yoshi) as his successor.

No stranger to NEXO, Tsugawa was appointed

by Kobayashi as a key member of the project team which oversaw the acquisition of NEXO

by Yamaha Corporation in 2008. Tsugawa has been with Yamaha Corporation for 19 years, having joined the company at the age of 23. Although he has spent several years in Europe, working in Hamburg, his most recent position has been as the General Manager of Business Strategy for the Pro-Audio Division in Japan, where he has played a key role in defining Yamaha Pro-Audio’s marketing directive.

Over the summer, Kobayashi and Tsugawa will be working together in Plailly, ensuring optimum continuity for NEXO R&D, manufacturing, sales and customer support. This handover period is expected to be complete by October 2011, when Mr Kobayashi will return to Japan.

inside the company and our customers, as well as the excitement I have felt working with a great team.”

“This company has experienced significant evolution over the past few years, and all the members of the team have handled the changes very positively and pro-actively. I cannot think of a better person than Yoshi Tsugawa to take over my position. We have worked together for years and he is the most knowledgeable general manager in Yamaha Japan when it comes to NEXO matters. I know he will be a great asset to NEXO as its new CEO, taking the company forward into a new phase both technologically and commercially,” Kobayashi added. www.nexo.fr

“My tenure at NEXO has been a pleasure as well as a challenge!” said Kobayashi. “I will surely miss all the wonderful people, both

Yoshiyuki Tsugawa

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ntertainment technology asia

Avolites Pearl Expert Titans and Power Cube for Republic Poly Singapore: The Republic Cultural Centre (TRCC) at Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic has recently added the Avolites Pearl Expert Titans with Touch Wing and the ART 2000 PowerCube to its already impressive lighting inventory.

TRCC Assistant Director, Tony Kam was delighted. “TRCC cannot be more pleased with their recent purchase of the Expert Titans and Power Cube from Total Solution Marketing. With the new Expert Titans running the Titan software, TRCC now has the full suite of Titan enabled consoles. The development of the touch screen interface has aided our operators to access groups and palettes quickly and it makes programming more intuitive. The lighting plot can be laid out to reflect the actual plot. This makes grabbing groups of lights faster, speeding up the process. With the on-board visualiser, our programmers are able to pre-programme a show with a certain level of accuracy. With

just a small adjustment to focus palette, the show is ready to go,” he said.

Kam added, “The Power Cube is extremely useful as we now do not need separate dimmers and an electrical distribution board, thus having less gear to be carried around.

The design of the Cube is small and compact,

just what we need for smaller scale shows.”

Kam also expressed his elation from working with Total Solution, “Total Solution has gone above and beyond service standards to ensure that we have our gear working at optimum levels.”

Glenn Wong, MD of Total Solution stated, “As the cultural landmark of the North, TRCC presents a diverse number of programs and home to the lighting programmers. The best thing about the Expert Titans is that it runs in dual mode. Many of our programmers are still only familiar with the classic mode which they can still run on the Expert Titans. The Titan mode is to cater to the New Titan software giving programmers endless possibilities.”

Republic Polytechnic lighting programmer Mohammad Hassan with the Avolites Pearl Expert Titans

www.rp.sg/trcc www.avolites.com www.tsm-int.com

Symetrix appoints Hock Thang Technical Sales Engineer for Asia Singapore: In response to unprecedented sales growth throughout Asia, Symetrix announced the appointment of Singaporebased Hock Thang to the position of Technical Sales Engineer for Asia. Thang possesses a deep understanding of the Symetrix product line from his prior experience as a technical sales associate in the region and he will employ that knowledge to assist Asian Symetrix customers with their technical questions both pre- and post-sale.

“Hiring Hock to this newly created position represents a big step forward for Symetrix in Asia,” said Paul Roberts, vice president of sales and marketing at Symetrix. “It’s

clear that our Asian distributors are making substantial contributions to Symetrix’ growth, and we want to support their present and future efforts by creating this dedicated technical sales position for the region. We’re especially excited that Hock Thang has signed on to fill the position. He’s the perfect fit. He combines exceptional customer support skills with a comprehensive understanding of our products and will provide the high level of support that customers have come to expect from Symetrix technical sales engineers.”

In addition to handling all pre- and postsales technical support for all Symetrix products, Thang will provide Symetrix’ Asian

distributors with engaging, practical product training on a regular basis. Thang can be reached at: asiasupport@symetrix.co www.symetrix.co

Hock Thang

The PowerMate3 convinces in the Middle East Saudi Arabia: The Dynacord PowerMate3 continues to attract wide interest in the Middle East. For this reason, Dynacord’s Saudi distributor, Abu Moammar Est, recently organised an intensive seminar for

customers and dealers devoted entirely to the PowerMate3. The team led by Moammar AlHarbi, Managing Director of Abu Moammar Est, was pleased to welcome pro audio experts from Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Khobar, as well as the Saudi provinces of Jizan and Al Qasim.

The seminar began with a presentation of the numerous advantages and technical possibilities of the new series. The participants expressed enthusiasm for the USB audio interface of the PowerMate3 with its low latency and the powered mixer’s loudspeaker protection functions.

“In addition to the technical features, we laid special emphasis upon the many and varied applications and uses for the system,” reports Al-Harbi. “Participants were then able to try out the functions and features they had just been shown in a hands-on session of real practical value. The response of participants to the simple and user-friendly handling of the PowerMate3 was uniformly positive.

There can be no doubt that the success of the series seen elsewhere in the pro audio world will be repeated in the Middle East.” www.dynacord.com

ntertainment technology asia

NEWS

27

coolux Widget Designer 3.0 PRO wins Product Award

International: The coolux Widget Designer 3.0 PRO won the Product Award in the “Audio- and Media-Technology“ category at the SHOWTECH exhibition held in Berlin.

The expert jury was impressed by the innovative design and practical use of the Widget Designer 3.0 Pro. Another key factor in the jury’s decision was that the Widget Designer offered its users mobile flexibility. In general, the Widget Designer’s programming interface can benefit anything that needs to be controlled and/or visually customised, whether theatre specific or event technology related. The option to create one’s own touchscreen controls was another factor the judges found to be commendable and futuristic.

The Widget Designer PRO is designed as an advanced control surface creation framework that lets users create dedicated user interfaces and interaction control logic by simply connecting visual control components with each other.

With the embedded node programming environment, users may route and set-up almost any possible control scenario.

Since its first release in 2009, the Widget Designer PRO has become ever more popular and is being used in a large variety of show control scenarios worldwide. www.coolux.de The Widget Designer 3.0 Pro interface

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NEWS

ntertainment technology asia

Jupiter goes on the Defense Thailand: The Royal Thai Armed Forces Headquarters in Bangkok, Thailand is home to the country’s Ministry of Defense, in addition to the upper echelon from each of the military’s three branches. Although office space occupies most of the building, a number of boardrooms, conference and war rooms require first-rate sound reinforcement. Recently, the Ministry called on Thai AV Systems contractor Fuzion Far East, well-respected not only for flawless designs but also for tremendous after-sales service, to improve the sound quality in the building’s function room. Fuzion Far East director Siri Wongkamolchun relied on a Symetrix Jupiter 8 “zero learning curve” signal processor to deliver stellar quality and functionality with minimal set-up time and at a very competitive price.

The design is elegant in its simplicity and power. Fuzion Far East installed a complement of NEXO loudspeakers in the ceiling, including four PS8s, one PS8TD-V3, and two LS400s. Two Quest QM12MP stage monitors provide fold-back while minimising feedback. Three Quest QA3004 twochannel amplifiers deliver abundant power to the loudspeakers. Inputs include existing microphones, a DVD player, a dedicated

notebook computer and a tie-in for a visiting computer. Six Coemar Ribala 500 halogen lights illuminate the stage and provide a professional polish to the visual aesthetic that complements the articulate sound system.

The Symetrix Jupiter 8 is one of three hardware configurations in the Jupiter Series and provides eight inputs and eight outputs. The unit accepts all of the input sources at the headquarters’ function room to deliver equalisation, limiting, mixing and feedback suppression using the Gain-sharing Automixer 1 app. “We were excited to try the new Jupiter product because it uses contextspecific apps, like on a smartphone, to minimise set-up time,” said Wongkamolchun.

“It was so easy to program and worked perfectly from the very beginning. We are excited to use Jupiter products in other installations.”

Users control the system with a wireless touchscreen panel, model VITY VIMATY70ZR. They select which input sources are active and their volumes via the Jupiter 8. Other controls that users really have no business adjusting are not made available. Users also control lighting presets using a SUNLITE interface that is controlled

from the same wireless touchscreen panel.

Finally, the unit also controls an NEC NP3150 projector and a locally-made RAZR screen.

“The installation was very successful,” said Wongkamolchun. “The AV system is professional and functional and pressing the room into service for lectures and meetings has been transparent and straightforward for the Ministry of Defense.” www.symetrix.co

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NEWS

ntertainment technology asia

2011 Mercedes GP Petronas F1 Team Party Malaysia: The Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix took place once again this year with the usual practice rounds, qualifiers and the race on 10 April, as well as the inevitable parties.

Mercedes GP Petronas, in partnership with Anglo-Swiss Watchmaker Graham London, held the Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team Party at Simfoni Lake in Kuala Lumpur’s City Centre. There was music, fashion and much more at the party.

The event, organised by CD Events, was a great way to promote Formula One in Malaysia and raise awareness of Mercedes Benz and Petronas. It also served as a networking session for Mercedes Benz Malaysia, Petronas clients and business associates.

Working with CD Events, Kumar Shan and Yeap Hong Gee, early adopters of Hippotizer in Malaysia, created an exciting and interesting video display for the occasion. They used two Hippotizer GrassHoppers networked via HippoNet and an HP Gigabit Switch connected to four

15K Sanyo projectors to create an impressive curved screen projection. The Front of House was controlled using an Avolite Pearl Expert with ArtNet running over a 3Com Router and the Hippotizer DMX Component facilitating the set-up.

Mercedes and Petronas supplied custom content which they wanted projected onto two curved screens within the venue.

By utilising Hippotizer’s ScreenWarp component, Kumar and Yeap were able to align and edge-blend the video, all within a short space of time.

During the DJ’s set and at various times during the event, Kumar and Yeap used Hippo Stock content and additional content to create a video display that complemented the atmosphere of the party.

Kumar remarked, “We are very happy with our new investment in Hippotizer media servers. [...] I’m a lighting guy; I like the response speed from the Hippotizer when I bring up playback faders on the Avolite console. Awesome! Nice!” www.green-hippo.com

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ntertainment technology asia

New Classic Series launched KV2 Audio’s Classic Series has evolved from a common belief among Classical and Jazz musicians that speaker systems dramatically colour and tarnish a performance. This effect often worsens as the signal becomes more complex, loosing intricate details of the composition in favour of an increasingly cacophonic noise floor. Many solo performers request not to use a P.A system. Such is their discontent and displeasure with the results historically.

sound of an individual grand piano in different venues and applications.

During a year of testing, KV2 invited over 300 performers to come and experience the effect of listening to their chosen instrument through the Classic Series in a concert hall environment. The results were phenomenal.

Many described the classic system as being “like a huge volume control on the orchestra, quartet, piano, or solo performer but without altering the tone and colour of the sound.”

As pioneers in the art of providing uncompromised high quality sound solutions, KV2 Audio along with renowned piano manufacturer Petrof, were compelled to develop an aesthetically pleasing and accurate high quality grand piano amplification system.

Consisting of two models, the smaller Sonata and the larger Symphony, with their associated tri-amplified stereo electronic control packs, the KV2 Audio Classic Series features Super Analog components throughout and state-of-the-art Super Acoustic transducer designs.

The acoustic cabinets are optimised for classical and jazz performance and finished in standard black, optional gloss black piano finish or polished wood. The Classic Series is as much a part of the performance as the musicians themselves. Suitable for concert halls or jazz clubs of between 100 and 2500 people, the Classic series from KV2 Audio finally offers a true musical solution to the enjoyment of classical music on a grand scale.

In a further step towards providing the finest audio solutions for classical music, KV2 Audio along with Petrof have developed the Active Grand Piano Lid. The amplification of grand pianos for both live performance and recording generally relies on the placement of external microphones on boom stands positioned between the open lid of a piano and its soundboard.

This method of amplifying a grand piano is not ideal as it captures unwanted sounds reflected by the piano lid, as well as mechanical and ambient noise from around the piano. Furthermore, the inconsistent placement and individual characteristics of each microphone, proximity, type and quality, along with the varying skills of different sound engineers mean that it is almost impossible to consistently achieve the “True”

In addition, external microphones and stands look ugly, drastically affecting the appearance, aesthetic quality and beauty of a grand piano in a concert hall environment.

Combining Petrof’s proficiency in the field of grand piano manufacturing with KV2 Audio’s unrivaled approach to achieving audio perfection, the Active Grand Piano Lid was conceived.

The Active Grand Piano Lid features three built-in microphones as well as an Ultra high quality Super Analog microphone preamplification unit. The microphones are fitted on flexible mountings within the grand piano’s lid that isolates the audio pick up from unwanted vibrations and noise. Two of the microphones provide a stereo image of the piano’s performance whilst the third microphone provides an overall spectral balance picking up only the pure, direct sound from the soundboard.

The high quality pre-amplification unit features KV2 Audio’s VHD (Very High Definition) Line Drivers on each output ensuring the lowest possible loss of signal on cable runs up to 500 metres. It also features a Presence switch for applications when the piano is required to “cut-though” the mix.

The unit is fitted with standard female XLR outputs and powered by Phantom Power from the mixing desk or from an external power supply.

When compared with conventional microphone placement, the Active Grand Piano Lid provides a considerably more natural, clear and dynamic sound. Extensive

testing in a large number of concert hall environments led to the carefully considered microphone placements, guaranteeing the optimum balance of sound whilst eliminating reflections.

The Active Grand Piano Lid does not detract from the audiences view of the performance with the microphones discreetly flush mounted and the pre-amplifiers’ outputs placed away from the audiences view at the base of the lid.

Simple and quick to set-up, the Active Grand Piano Lid does not require any significant level of expertise, yet it allows the “True” sound of the grand piano to finally be captured on recordings or in a live environment.

As a further enhancement when used alongside KV2 Audio’s incredible new “Classic Series”, each individual audience member is transported to the seat of the performer with unparalleled realism and clarity. www.kv2audio.com

ntertainment technology asia

ENNOVATIONS

33

ArKaos releases GrandVJ 1.5 ArKaos has announced the release of GrandVJ 1.5 with major new features and enhancements. GrandVJ is a real-time video mixer software allowing VJs to compose up to eight layers of video on-the-fly. The new GrandVJ 1.5 brings video mixing to the next level with the addition of two major new features, Transitions and ArKaos Connect VST plus several other enhancements.

GrandVJ 1.5 has an additional 37 transitions distributed across the following groups: eight Fades, three Blinds, six Masks, four Distortions, three 3Ds, two Pixelisations, seven Rectangles, one Slide, one Swipe and two Waves. Each transition can have up to four parameters plus a fade time, all of which can be controlled through MIDI. In Synth Mode, the new transitions add fabulous fade in/fade out between visuals. In Mixer Mode, users get advanced live control on the transitions through the A-B mixer.

ArKaos Connect VST allows GrandVJ to receive sound and MIDI from any audio sequencer compatible with VST plug-ins,

running on the same machine or on another machine from the network.

ArKaos Connect has been successfully tested with Ableton Live, Steinberg Cubase, Cakewalk Sonar X1, Reaper and FL Studio. Incredibly easy to set-up, the plug-in configures itself automatically!

For VJs, ArKaos Connect enables a new level of interaction with musicians. For musicians, ArKaos Connect makes it fun and easy to add a video track to compositions during live performance.

GrandVJ 1.5 is also equipped with other enhancements. The browser now allows the user to preview visuals, eects, transitions and sources before displaying them in the output window, just like a DJ would listen

to a track before playing it to his audience.

GrandVJ 1.5 brings bidirectional support for Akai’s new MIDI controller, the APC20, through a dedicated template, just like for the APC40 in the previous release. GrandVJ will now accept most acquisition devices under Mac OS X thanks to the added support for QuickTime Sequence Grabber and QT Kit. www.arkaos.net

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ENNOVATIONS

ntertainment technology asia

Denon DJ unveils DN-MC6000 4-channel digital mixer and ‘dual-deck’ controller

Denon DJ has introduced the DN-MC6000 Mixer and MIDI Controller, a four-channel/ eight-source standalone digital DJ mixer with MIDI interface and internal sound card. With an astounding amount of features, real-time channel matrix operation, slim tabletop design, stateof-the-art solid steel chassis construction and quality sound, the DN-MC6000 is one of Denon DJ’s flagship controllers.

Also acting as an audio interface (with a 2 in/2 out stereo soundcard included), the DN-MC6000, when paired with the user’s software of choice, is a turnkey control solution for mobile DJs and party DJs, and a clear centerpiece to any DJ rig.

It comes bundled with Native Instruments® TRAKTOR™ LE for Asia. The DN-MC6000 is MIDI-mapable and compatible with other popular DJ programs. The unit interfaces seamlessly with Mac® OSX and Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 operating systems. Unlike other comparable products, the DN-MC6000 includes a selectable video/audio control cross fader feature. Each side of the unit can control up to two decks (for a total of four), with visible deck color change for intuitive, straight forward operation. Also notable is the fact that the DN-MC6000 is a real mixer, able to process audio inputs for external devices without a connection to a computer, as a dedicated mixer unit would.

Key features include rack-mountability (with included 19” rackmount accessory

Powersoft enhances Armonia with I/O Signal Integrity Monitor feature Powersoft’s version 2.1.707 upgrade of its industry leading Armonía Pro Audio Suite software includes the new I/O Signal Integrity Monitor feature. Armonía was designed to deliver comprehensive control of all aspects of the amplifier/speaker audio chain to the audio engineer. The I/O Signal Integrity Monitor furthers this control by providing information on input signal irregularities.

kit), a number of on-board MIDI effect controls, durable construction, intuitive layout, dual jog wheels, pitch fader, channel fader, cross fader and much more. The unit’s pitch/fader/volume lock function holds the last known audio value and position until the NULL point is again reached. It is also easy for users to find where they are going, with the included file browse navigation keys and rotary encoder file selector knob with illuminated ring. Also featured are the unit’s highquality, high-output headphone amp, the independent 3-band channel EQ with “Kills” (high-mid-low) and various utility presets to customise user settings.

Inputs include two RCA/phono lines, one XLR mic/quarter-inch one quarter-inch TRS mic jack, and two RCA AUX inputs.

Outputs include balanced master XLR, unbalanced master RCA, quarter-inch TRS booth/send out, RCA record out and stereo headphone out. The DN-MC6000 also has a USB audio in/out selectable routing switch and a Kensington lock security feature. The unit measures 18.1” x 2” x 10” without rack ears. Power input is AC 100V – 240V, 50/60 Hz, and output is DC 12V, 3A. AC adaptor power supply and 1.5-meter USB cable are included, and the unit also features a green, energy-saving ECO standby mode. www.denondj.com

The I/O Signal Integrity Monitor notifies the engineer of any system irregularities due to a missing input signal or loudspeaker failure.

The software enhancement was designed to work effortlessly without complicated initial measurements, yielding genuinely accurate information thanks to a programmable pilot tone and trigger threshold. The I/O Signal Integrity Monitor will raise the alarm even if a single loudspeaker within a complex system dies, no matter if it is one of multiple lo-Z drivers wired in parallel or one of many in a hi-Z 70/100V line. When dealing with very large and complex audio systems, the I/O Signal Integrity Monitor streamlines system set-up before an event and helps relieve troubleshooting panic during a show by instantly providing the necessary information to locate and fix any problems quickly. www.powersoft-audio.com

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ENNOVATIONS

ntertainment technology asia

Outline integrates with iPad “A direct connection between consoles and enclosures is the facility that enabled us to win an Award for Product Innovation at PLASA last year. Climbing aboard the ‘magic tablet’ was inevitable and relatively simple for our R&D team, thanks mainly to the iMode technology we launched in 2009 and which is gradually being incorporated in all our selfpowered loudspeaker systems”, comments Outline’s Michele Noselli.

Remote access to system control devices is a crucial part of the modern system technician’s toolbox, and the massive global success of iPad as the user interface of choice for so many applications makes it the obvious choice as a remote control platform for Outline products.

Consequently, Outline’s development team have written a dedicated app to control its Mini-COM.P.A.S.S. iMode line array and, shortly, also the new iSM series of stage monitors (112, 212 and 115) which will facilitate full wireless control. The app is available in the Apple Store by following this link: http://itunes.apple.com/it/app/minicom-p-a-s-s-linearray/id435900890?mt=8

move on the screen of the iPad a moment after having moved them by hand… this definitely enabled the concept of sensor technology to be instantly understood…,” comments Outline engineer Daniele Pagani, responsible for the project. www.outline.it

“iMode means having a computer in every enclosure, complete with web server and specific IP address. Users don’t access an enclosure, but a web page. And from that page they can control whatever they want, even from the other side of the globe, since the web knows no frontiers. Thanks to the eclectic iMode platform – which is genuinely avant-garde – it is now possible to do all this from an iPad, with a touch of the screen. This is what I’d call maximum digital interaction”, concludes Noselli.

At Frankfurt’s Prolight + Sound and ShowWay, Outline showed clients and visitors what can be done with an iPad. “Even using sophisticated FIR filters and carrying out complex operations is really child’s play…but the most enjoyable spectacle was seeing the look on people’s faces as they watched the ‘wings’ of our Mini-COM.P.A.S.S.

Philips Selecon add LED solutions to Wing Wall Washer Range Philips Selecon has harnessed the rapid advancements in high-power LED technology with the release of its latest addition to the Wing range of Wall Washers. The Wing LED Wall Washer delivers a homogenous, glarefree beam which will evenly light walls of 3m+ high with no UV or infrared radiation to cause damage to precious artworks or exhibits.

For the first time, light emitting diodes can be used in ‘real’ lighting applications, providing vast improvements in reliability, long-life and low maintenance. The Wing LED is available in two modules. The first is a “Warm White” (50,000hrs, 69lm/watt), dimmable via a local touch switch (cycle up/down) control or via Dali control, which delivers a high quality white light. The second is a RGB/Tuneable White (35,000hrs, 29lm/watt) controlled via DMX (RDM address) to ‘tune’ the colour temperature and intensity to meet the requirements of the space or to dynamically match to daylight for naturally lit spaces.

Drawing on the Philips Selecon heritage of innovative performance luminaires, these new Wing LED Wall Washers conform to Selecon’s reputation for performance, precision and simplicity. The passive heat management system delivers a cool beam which means no radiated heat onto the exhibit or art work. Convection cooling of the luminaire means no fans, so no noise is emitted. A discreet luminaire with precision pan/tilt adjustments and reference scale, the Wing LED’s single light source also offers lighting designers superior beam shaping and effective masking using the barndoor accessory. www.seleconlight.com www.seleconlight.com/wingled www.seleconlight.com/pl1 www.seleconlight.com/pl3

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ENNOVATIONS

ntertainment technology asia

PR Lighting launches new 5000 Spot and Beam PR Lighting has announced the release of the new PR-5000 Spot and PR-5000 Beam based around a 1500W Osram or Philips discharge lamp.

Commenting on the new series, PR Lighting chief R&D engineer, Steve Tulk, stated, “The PR-5000 Spot, Beam, and later, the Wash [which is yet to be released] comprise the beginning of PR Lighting’s third generation series of moving heads.”

“We analysed the strengths and weaknesses of our mature product lines and designed the PR-5000 series with those in mind. Among the list of achievements in this new series are a carefully chosen set of functions, very high light output, amazing zoom range, faster and quieter movement, an improved cooling system and improved reliability. We feel this series fits the bill perfectly for lighting designers needing higher power units.”

Other features of the PR 5000 Beam include a 6° beam angle, very fast strobe (with 0.3~25 F.P.S double strobe/shutter blades), DMX wireless receiver and is firmware updatable through a computer.

The highly-advanced PR-5000 Spot features wide beam angle, combined with the integrated DMX wireless receiver, a very fast strobe and the capability to update the

PR-5000 Spot

firmware through a PC. It also contains 10°67° linearly adjustable zoom and double strobe/shutter blades (0.3~25 F.P.S).

Other functions include CYM colour mixing plus seven dichroic colour filters and linear CTO; 12 indexable high-speed rotating gobos and seven easily interchangeable fixed gobos; DMX controlled, linearly adjustable focus (8- or 16-bit); linearly adjustable dimmer and iris; 3-facet prism (bi-directionally, rotatable,

PR-500o Beam

indexable); linearly adjustable frost wheel and changeable gobo effect wheel; optional DMX512 wireless signal transmitter; input signal isolating protection; energy saving function of the ballast; built-in analyser for easy fault finding and error messages; setup options by internal rechargeable battery (without power connection); modular construction for easy maintenance. www.pr-lighting.com

PR Lighting leashes powerful XS 1200 Spot PR Lighting has announced the release of its new XS 1200 Spot — a versatile, bright moving head, with rapid beam movement.

Its power is due to the use of a 1200W short arc discharge lamp, which is optimised by the super-efficient optical system.

The XS 1200 is fully featured, with a smooth CYM colour mixing system with macro function, six dichroic colour filters (plus white) and linear CTO, as well as five indexable rotating gobos and seven fixed gobos plus white (all easily interchangeable). There is a motorised 12°-22° linear zoom, extended to fixed 26° (16-bit adjustment).

Other features include DMX controlled, linearly adjustable focus (8- or 16-bit); 0-100% linearly adjustable dimmer and 5-100% adjustable iris; 1 linear lens, 2 frosts and 1 prism (bi-directionally, rotatable, indexable); effect wheel with 1 x CTC, 1 x CTO,

1 x bi-colour filter, 1x ultra-violet; double strobe/shutter blades, 0.3-25 fps; auto pan (540°) and tilt (270°) position correction, speed adjustable with lock mechanism; ultraquiet and smooth operation with advanced control technology; energy-saving design and cooling system; fault diagnosis system by sensors; user-friendly LCD menu; isolating protection when ground is not connected; fast and easy installation and maintenance.

The optical system boasts a cold mirror coated reflector for multi-facet and infrared saturation and high quality multi-coated lenses.

Housed in a composite plastic (IP20) chassis the XS 1200 Spot weights 52kg and measures 620mm x 635mm x 790mm (packed). www.pr-lighting.com

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ntertainment technology asia

dbTechnologies launches new line array T12

Powersoft introduces M Series DSP+ETH amplifiers

Powersoft have announced the release of M Series DSP+ETH amplifiers. The cost effective M Series was designed to meet the most stringent requirements of professional users in fixed installations like resorts, hotels and dance clubs. The new M Series DSP+ETH brings functionality and control to the amplifier platform, making it a value for performance.

DVA T12 front

dBTechnologies has announced that the first batch of DVA T12 line array modules is now shipping.

Head of R&D and designer of the T12, Claudio Ottani was keen to make sure that the latest offering from the dBTechnologies stable lives up to its claims. Only after a comprehensive comparison test in the Italian company’s outdoor test area would he finally sign off on the initial batch. “I am confident that T12 offers a more powerful, lighter weight solution than our rivals,” he says. “It sounds amazing, too!”

“Seven hundred DVA T12 boxes are leaving the factory now,” says Herweg. “Just in time to rock the season! It’s time for our customers to reap the benefits.” www.dbtechnologies.com

T12 is unique in its class. With an active three-way design featuring state-of-the-art neodymium speakers and 1,450W of output power, it weighs in at just 29kg enabling the easy set-up of very powerful systems that deliver extraordinary performance.

The digital amplifier at the heart of the T12, digipro G2TM, is Ottani’s brainchild. It is the result of much R&D investment. Sales & Marketing Director, Michael Herweg, explains, “Newer technology and better components were used to develop digipro G2TM to enhance the performance and reduce the overall cost of the latest DVA module. It has really worked. What is included in the price of T12 gets you a highly professional box for a third of what you might pay for a similar product from a competitor – but with more features.”

DVA T12 Line Array

“The new M Series DSP+ETH amplifiers give the end-user access to Powersoft’s digital signal processing engine technology, Ethernet connectivity and system monitoring and control through our powerful Armonía Pro Audio Suite™ software,” says Luca Giorgi, Pro Audio Business Unit Manager of Powersoft. “The introduction of DSP+ETH was the next logical developmental step to give the growing family of M Series users nearly the same level of flexibility and control enjoyed by our flagship K Series owners. The M Series DSP+ETH represents incredible value for performance, making it the amplifier of choice for the small to medium installations or touring sound systems.”

M Series DSP+ETH features 24bit/48KHz AD/DA converters with 56bit for internal processing. With two inputs and outputs each for the 2-channel version and four inputs and outputs each for the 4-channel version, the system offers per channel five bi-quad filters for system equalisation, eliminating the need for outboard equalisers, plus two crossovers and eight bi-quad filters.

Each channel has dual dynamic processors with arbitrary input/output curve and adjustable time constants. To accommodate speaker time alignment, a generous range from zero to 10 ms adjustable delay makes timing the low frequency vs. high frequency speakers easy. The DSP engine delivers up to a 114 dB(A) signal to noise ratio (analog in/out) with a 1 ms processing delay time.

It also provides a complete set of limiters: Peak with variable ratio, RMS and frequency shaping RMS. www.powersoft-audio.com

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IN PERSPECTIVE

ntertainment technology asia

Christian Leonard

CEO, ADB Lighting Technologies

Lighting Technologies

In an exclusive interview with Entertainment Technology Asia magazine, Christian Leonard talked about ADB’s plans for the Asian market, the philosophy behind the design of ADB’s lighting products as well as the numerous installation projects in Asia that ADB is currently involved in.

ETA: What are your goals for the Asian market? How do you plan to achieve these goals?

strive to develop products and solutions that are optimised for each application, while adhering to the highest quality standards.

C.L.: As you may know, the Asian market has been a high priority for ADB ever since the early 1990s when we established a network of professional distributors. This has enabled us to develop an image as a broad line manufacturer of high performance, high quality lighting products and to win, relatively quickly, several important projects, including the Seoul Art Centre, the Macau Cultural Centre, the Shanghai Grand Theatre and the majority of TV studios in Thailand.

Recent experience tells us that, in Asia, and particularly in China, there is sustained activity in developing new cultural establishments and TV studios, for which high quality, advanced lighting systems are required, and which are not necessarily available locally. So to answer your question, I think it is realistic for ADB to aim at more than doubling our business volume in Asia over the next two years. To achieve this, I intend to further strengthen our ties with our local partners, to develop win-win cooperation agreements with local companies, and to continue strengthening ADB’s regional and local commercial and technical support teams.

This has already started with the opening of an ADB office in Hong Kong headed by Mr Bertrand Dauphant.

ETA: Among your wide range of products, which products are you most proud of? Which are your best-selling products?

ETA: ADB produces many different products such as luminaires, dimmers, control desks, networks, accessories and rigging systems.

What is the philosophy behind the design of your products?

C.L.: Our key philosophy behind our development activities is to design quality products for discerning clients in the professional world with an excellent priceto-value ratio. I should also emphasise that ADB is not only a manufacturer of high performance, quality products; we also aim to propose complete solutions that best suit the specific needs of each user. Working in close cooperation and dialogue with customers, consultants, system integrators, lighting designers, technicians and others involved in theatre and studio lighting, we

C.L.: One of our greatest strengths is in power dimming systems. I am particularly proud of our latest development, the EURODIM Twin Tech, a hybrid system that can host in one standard cabinet both the thyristor phase cutting and the transistor sine wave dimming technologies, in configurations of up to 128x3kW or 96x5kW channels. A key feature is the free mixing and interchangeability of any dimmer module, irrespective of its technology or power rating, thus providing the ultimate in operating flexibility.

EURODIM Twin Tech is the fourth generation of EURODIM digital dimmers since 1989 and is our best-selling product in Europe and Asia.

I am also proud of WARP, the patented, revolutionary zoom profile spotlight, with motorised or manual fingertip control of all functions by means of an integrated set of high precision rings. This allows the creation of beam shapes which are unobtainable from any other profile spotlight on the market.

The motorised version is the only moving light today that is totally silent, having no fan, and features a repositioning accuracy better than 0.1°.

The very first production units were installed at the Shanghai Orient Arts Centre and since then have been specified for several worldclass locations, from the Genexis Theatre at Fusionopolis in Singapore and Glyndebourne Opera in the UK, to the NewYork Metropolitan Opera and the new National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Beijing.

ETA: ADB has done a great deal of work with various theatres and concert halls in Asia.

Have these collaborations with the Beijing Centre for the Performing Arts, Seoul Art Centre and National Theatre in Malaysia helped to enhance the image and branding of ADB? Which of these collaborations have you been most happy with? What other projects do you have in the pipeline?

C.L.: Definitely, these are key projects which are highly visible, not only throughout Asia, but also around the world, thus helping us to strengthen our image as a world-class partner and global supplier of professional lighting systems. Many important lighting designers, not only from Asia, but also from Europe and the US, have been touring these prestigious venues. For example, shortly after the opening of the Opera at the Beijing Centre for Performing Arts, we received inquiries about the installed technology from a major German opera house scheduled to perform at this venue. This has served as a valuable reference for other major European projects including the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

Obviously, the work we did at Shanghai and Beijing, and the trust received from the decision-makers, have been a source of great satisfaction for ADB and for myself. As you are well aware, there is an array of projects ongoing throughout the Asian area and ADB is teaming up with the best partners to develop these projects for the mutual benefit of the clients and ADB. ETA: China and South Korea are currently your two largest markets. What challenges do you face as you expand your business throughout Asia?

C.L.: Yes, in terms of business volume, China and South Korea are the two largest markets.

But in terms of market share, we are also well positioned in countries like Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam...The most exciting aspect of growing our business in Asia is our ability to continue to develop attractive products and provide our business partners – whether distributors, system integrators or end users – with the best possible commercial and technical support. It also means a continuing focus on added value to compensate for the strength of the Euro currency compared with competitors from the US Dollar zone and/ or other currencies closely linked to the US Dollar. We have proved it’s possible and I am determined to keep going this way! www.adblighting.com

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Gems at the Prolight & Sound Frankfurt Exhibition

By P.V. Joseph

By now, many of you would have been aware that this year’s edition of Prolight & Sound Frankfurt was one of its most successful in terms of the number of exhibitors participating as well as the overwhelming interest from visitors. It was, indeed, a very busy few days at the halls. Entertainment Technology Asia had invited me to contribute my observations at the exhibition. Below are some of the solutions on display that caught my attention. I hope you find them as interesting as I did.

Electron Dimmers

Electron has introduced a flicker-free trailing edge dimmer for LEDs, CFL (Compact Flourescent Lighting) and Low Voltage Electronic transformers. It is a great product in a small package. LED dimming has become a key request from customers lately and this product fits the bill. The Electron DMS 731 can handle up to 350W. www.electron.gr

Lumidmx Lighting Visualiser Software

This software is promising for the entry level programmer on a tight budget who is working on a small or mid-size project.

It has a comprehensive library and fast response with a good graphics card. It can do most of the essential visualisation stu that a lighting designer would want at a specific price point. It is easy to use and is intuitive. www.dmx-software.de

NA Stage & Light

Liteputer has again come up with new products this year especially the LD-1025.

With various options of control built into this driver, there seems to be no flickering at the lowest dimming level, which is prevalent in other dimming drivers.

The Diginet is a bi-directional Artnet to the DMX rack mount convertor. It has four DMX-512 ports which can be individually configured as an inputs or outputs product.

This product enables a single CAT5E cable to be sent to the truss or any location that enables it to carry multiple DMX universes.

It saves loads of time managing cables and signals for large installations

www.liteputer.com.tw

www.na.lv

Lumen Radio

Neutrik Powercon True1

Liteputer

A group that has left from a well-known wireless DMX company has taken the wireless market by storm. Lumen Radio has tackled some problems associated with wireless DMX impressively and have come up with a world standard system with their range of wireless DMX products especially the CRMX and the NOVA DMX.

ORB xF (zero88) Lighting Desk As I represent zero88, this might seem a little biased. Nevertheless, the new ORB XF with dual touch screen and more than a 1000 playbacks, sub-masters and 60 fader controls is actually the perfect console for the theatre. It is priced right and easy to use, which is obviously very important. www.zero88.com

PCE Connectors

CEE-Form connectors have long been the industry standard for power distribution in the lighting and audio industry. With this new T-connector (T-connect IP44 and IP67) in the market, it addresses the needs of the rental market with a male and female wire entry stand for the fixtures thus making power distribution in a rental environment a breeze. www.pcelectric.at

Pharos Architectural Controls Ltd

The Neutron Powercon True1 is an upgraded version of the earlier Powercon connectors in the market which were unable to disconnect from the mains when there was a full load. Engineers have finally solved that with the Powercon True 1(16A) which is able to disconnect in live load. This may signal the end for CEEForm connectors. Lets wait and see.

The new pharos architectural range of products comprise of the AVC and LPC range which are an audio-visual control solution for themed, retail and entertainment installations. They come with free software to configure the system and run the show. The hardware is din rail mountable, which makes it easy for installation. It also features an interconnection hardware module for audio, lighting and visual needs.

www.neutrik.com

www.pharoscontrols.com

www.lumenradio.com

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Phase 3 Europe B.V.

These are good quality Socapex connectors with inter-changeable pins and a cut out rim rather than a die cast exterior. There is internal Neuprene insulation rather than rubber insulation with a good cable gland holder that makes it an all-round performer. www.phase3.eu.com

RGB Laser Systems International Ltd This Hungarian company shows promise with its small and mid-range laser products. They carry a wide range of good quality laser devices which are competitively priced. This made in Hungary product has great potential.

The RGD 2 Laser Modul

www.rgblasersystem.com

Rigport

I would say that this is a must have for rental companies who are moving towards Powercon connectors. This connector company has come up with a range of great distribution from Socapex to Powercon outlets that are easily attachable and detachable from a truss system. www.rigport.com

Shnick Shnack Systems GmbH

This is basically a LED company but with a difference. It has spent a lot of time and effort in coming out with LEDs or rather a combination of LEDs that give a colour rendering that is ideal for product illumination (like food in a restaurant display, jewellery, etc). The LED’s unique colour temperature, when illuminating a subject, gives the subject a new dimension. I was specifically impressed with the LC 12 / 25-250. www.shnickshnacksystems.com

Showtex

This company provides a fresh outlook on curtain material for the staging and theatre industry. It has a comprehensive range of new materials for projection screens, cyclorama screens and nets for stage production. One product that stood out was the Truss Sleeve which covers the trussing with a beautiful sleeve to give a great exterior look. www.showtex.com

P.V. Joseph heads Lighting Controls Pte Ltd. The company stocks and services Zero 88 products for the region to cater to the needs of dealers and customers. He can be contacted at joseph@ lightingcontrols.com.sg

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The beyerdynamic headquarters in Heilbronn, Theresienstrasse 8.

The company has been located here since 1960.

The recipe for success is “Made in Germany” for Heilbronn-based audio specialist beyerdynamic In contrast to German window makers, automobile manufacturers, stuffed animal producers or battery fabricators, all of whom outsource portions of their manufacturing abroad to then ship it back again, beyerdynamic has remained true to the company’s location in Germany. Today, microphones and headphones are still being made primarily by hand in Heilbronn.

beyerdynamic. Since the company’s founding in 1924, it stands for the best sound in every situation – onstage, in the recording studio or conference room as well as on mobile MP3 players or at home on the stereo system.

The “made by hand” manufacturing also ensures a particularly high level of team motivation. Based upon the principle of “onepiece-flow”, a product stays at the same workstation during assembly, from the first

This is based more on economic than nostalgic reasons. The low level of automation makes high flexibility and quick adaptation to changing market conditions possible.

Fluctuations in demand in individual target markets can be better compensated for, thus avoiding excessive stock levels. Even small series and individual custom-made pieces - special designs on customer request from beyerdynamic MANUFAKTUR - are possible.

Quality assurance is the highest goal The “human factor” in the manufacturing process also has other advantages. Only on site, with highly-specialised employees, can the company fulfil its promise of high performance that customers all over the world associate with the name of

Made by hand - made in Germany. An employee solders the drivers with the cable package.

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IN PROFILE

Hautzinger, Head of the Service Department. A cult object such as the DT 880 headphones then feels like new and brings its owner just as much pleasure as when it was brand new.

International references

It’s not just the hi-fi fans who benefit from the high manufacturing standards.

Professional musicians from all over the world The MANUFAKTUR headphones from beyerdynamic, Heilbronn. Final also like to reach for assembly of the classic DT 800 headphones. the ‘Made in Germany’ products. Industry legends screw to the final inspection. This allows such as The Beatles, Abba, David Bowie, Bob the employees to see the results of their Dylan or Udo Lindenberg have all sung into craftsmanship everyday and also shoulder the microphones from Heilbronn. the responsibility for their workmanship.

Just as impressive are the references from The high quality standards can also be seen the company’s conference technology in customer service. Providing purchasers division, an important branch for the with replacement parts for the products is Heilbronn-based audio specialists with an not an issue. “For our headphone classics, almost 50 percent share in its turnover. we can even offer new ear cushions that fit The Federal Labour Court takes advantage after more than 20 years,” explains Werner of beyerdynamic technology, as does the

Project MAIF Paris, one of the largest insurance companies in France built-in communication terminals with Revoluto technology in the special colour white aluminium.

Wolfgang Luckhardt, Managing Director of beyerdynamic.

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choice to be made between various colours, materials and feature variations. For example, the classic M 88 TG microphone can be ordered with an engraving of one’s personal vocal curve. The patent-pending “Voice Print” makes the microphone one-of-a-kind.

Purchasers of aviation or gaming headsets have the same configuration possibilities on the Internet as the sound enthusiasts who want to put together their hi-fi headphones to suit their individual needs.

Orders from all over the world

Revoluto Manufaktur makes individual creation of sound technology possible, even in the conference sector.

economic organisation OECD in Paris and the Ministry of Finance in Nigeria. For example, they all use the patented Revoluto system the square, puristically-designed terminals allow the speaker considerably more freedom of movement than a classic gooseneck microphone.

A large portion of the products are thus exported to Asia, where they are quickly sold.

After Western Europe, the Asian continent is the largest foreign market for beyerdynamic.

Products from Heilbronn are in demand like never before – and, of all places, in the land of cheap labour.

Engineering talent as a factor for Customisation on customer success request Innovations such as Revoluto have always characterised the company. From the world’s first digital studio microphone to the 5.1 surround headphone system, Headzone, to the Tesla technology of today, beyerdynamic makes extremely effective and greatsounding headphones. Added to this is their award-winning product design. From the Red Dot Design Award to the nomination for the Federal Republic of Germany’s Design Award, the list of distinctions is long. “With our background, we stand for engineering talent and excellent quality.

The ‘Made in Germany’ label is still seen as much more than an advertising statement abroad,” says Managing Director Wolfgang Luckhardt.

With the most modern methods of “mass customisation”, customers can individually design their products and order them through the Internet. An online configurator, using the automobile industry as a role model, allows a

beyerdynamic MANUFAKTUR is not only available to German customers. “We receive orders from all over the world. Our foreign distribution partners also take advantage of this offer to highlight the competence of beyerdynamic as a manufacturer of customised audio products. Even special models for anniversaries or other celebrations are no problem,” explains David Thimm, Business Unit Leader of Consumer Products at beyerdynamic.

Customisation is part of the package in conference halls and everywhere where the technology from Heilbronn is used. Whether discreet wood decor for the conference table, colourful lacquers or a marble look with a historic touch in church environments – beyerdynamic always helps to reconcile the ideas of the architect with the acoustic requirements. This is true in Germany and all over the world. www.beyerdynamic.com

The M(y) 88 microphone in the Gradient design.

Built-in communication terminal possibilities: with individual veneer, the furniture manufacturer can provide special paintwork in a colour or preparation to match the setting.

Photo courtesy of City Harvest Church

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Index Creative Village celebrates 21st Anniversary Ranked 8th world class event company in 2010

by Thomas Richard Prakasam Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo 2010

multimedia production, online strategic and communication agency and interactive media agency specifically focusing on innovative in-store media. Each aspect of the business is run as an individually identified company but coming together to form a conglomerate group. Company strength at present stands at 500 staff.

(L-R) Kreignkrai and Kreingkarn Kanjanapokin

Index Creative Village...Where Creativity is. This tag line sums up in essence what the company is all about. Based in Bangkok, Thailand, and the brainchild of twin brothers, Kreingkarn Kanjanapokin and Kreignkrai Kanjanapokin, Index Creative Village (ICV) was ranked 8th World Class Event Company in 2010 by Special Event Magazine (USA). Winning this award is not easy. A company had to successfully execute hundreds of events per year. In ICV’s case, they had executed more than 300 events.

As the name implies, Creativity is their core business principle. The Village aspect of the company’s name succinctly highlights the different aspects of the business coming together to form this conglomerate.

Index Creative Village is engaged in the provision of event marketing, equipment supply, personal branding, catering service, communications, TV-

The company occupies an impressive 60,000sqm compound in Bangkok which includes huge warehouse facilities. The main office building occupies 9,000sqm and is six floors high. It was planned and designed by the brothers. The building has a well thoughtout interior design and furnishings, vibrant colours, break-out rooms, a gym, a roof garden and non-typical meeting rooms. They were all planned meticulously with the aim of unleashing the creative juices of the staff. It obviously works!

Entertainment Technology Asia’s interest in this company was piqued mainly due to one of the companies that makes up the conglomerate – Media Vision, a name that many in the rental & staging industry are more familiar with. Being part of Index Creative Village, Media Vision has constantly added to its rental & staging inventory and is considered one of the bigger players in the region.

Co-Chief Executive Officer, Kreingkarn Kanjanapokin, points out that the company is completely self-reliant. “From ideas to concepts to the finished product, we are able to provide the full gamut of services internally.” From the rental & staging aspect, d.36 provides design and construction solutions for stage design, scene design for television programs as well as exhibition design, and Media Vision, which is able to provide visual systems, sound systems, lighting systems and special effects including

operating of those systems. Though we are involved in so many events, Media Vision only handles 30 percent of our work.

70 percent of Media Vision’s business is external,” says Kreingkarn.

To maintain its leading position in Thailand and to ensure high standards, all production staff have to attend an internal standard course, which they will have to pass in order to stay employed.

“Our bench marks are the world class events. To become a world class company, we will need to imitate and better those companies that are involved in prestigious events. This means from all aspects – concept to flawless execution. Training of staff is important to enable knowledge transfer so that they can do their jobs better,” said Kreingkarn Kanjanapokin.

ICV has been involved in numerous events but one particular event in recent times stands out – the Thailand Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai, China, last year. Tasked with the design concept and ensuring that the right message is communicated to the visitors at the Pavilion, ICV pulled it off successfully.

ICV is also looking to expand their business beyond their shores. They had already established Aspen Index Events five years ago in Dubai. The company continues to build momentum in the events sector in Dubai and was involved in the Royal Wedding of the Dubai Sheikh. “With our expertise and experience, we are also planning to expand our business into Indo-China. With a similar culture within the region, we believe that we have an opportunity to expand our business in this region.” www.indexcreativevillage.com

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Media Vision (1994) Co Ltd Established in 1994 as part of ICV, Media Vision is primarily involved in the rental & staging business. The company has four divisions: Visual Systems, Sound Systems, Lighting Systems and Special Effects. The company employs 115 employees and is headed by Managing Director, Thanaruch Hongskule.

The Visual Systems division has many different LED displays for both indoor and outdoor events and concerts. There are more than 1500 LED tiles available for rental for both indoor and outdoor use.

They include Barco DLite7 and ILite6XP models and LED MV SMD models (6mm, 7mm, 10mm, 14mm, 40mm). The inventory also includes 20mm Circle LED and 10mm LED curve screens as well as LED Ladder screens. Projectors include Panasonic Full HD DLP (12000ANSI) and DLP (10000ANSI and 6500 ANSI) projectors as well as a Sanyo LCD Projector. Switchers include Barco Folsom

Encore systems, Analog Way Eikos EKS400 LE Mixer Seamless Switchers as well as Extron and AV Stumpfl Wings Platinum multidisplay production and media server systems.

Two key loudspeaker brands make up the inventory for the Sound System division.

These are Nexo, including the Nexo GEO D10 Tangent Array Loudspeaker, and Meyer Sound, including the JM-1P arrayable powered loudspeaker. Media Vision has both digital and analog audio mixing consoles made up of DiGiCo SD8, Yamaha PM5D, M7CL and LS9 as well as Soundcraft S13.

Robe Moving heads make up the main inventory for lighting systems. This includes the Colour Spot 1200 AT, Colour Spot 700E AT and Color Spot 575 AT. The company also recently purchased Elation’s new Moving LED Zoom fixtures. Kvant YAG Laser and Multicolour systems are part of the laser inventory.

Mediavision’s Special Effects Division is the only one that has a pyrotechnics licence in Thailand. Their inventory includes Le Maitre and NEXT F/X as well as their latest acquisition, a C4 PTX system from Pyrotronix Germany, which has a high industrial safety standard of pyrotechnics. Other than pyrotechnics, the Special Effects Division also has SCRIM Screen and Cyclorama products.

“With regards to our latest equipment purchase, we focused on new technology to support the show performance for both Thai and international scale of events and concerts,” said Thanaruch Hongskule.

“These include the AV Stumpfl Wings Platinum which is one of the most advanced multi-display production systems as well as the Barco Folsom Encore system which can support the multi-task operation in visual and broadcasting systems as well as new models of Scan/Moving heads and of course the new C4 PTX system which is designed to support the requirement of pyrotechnics for international operation.” www.mediavision1994.com

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EXHIBITION PREVIEW

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The 23rd PALME Asia 2011 Exhibition Exhibition to feature over 200 brands and four national pavilions

PALME Asia is South East Asia’s most established international Professional Audio, Lighting and AV Exhibition. The 23rd edition of PALME Asia will showcase solutions from over 200 brands and features four country pavilions from China, Singapore, Spain and Taiwan. This year’s event has five focused areas: Houses of Worship, Digital Display, Event Live Staging, Architectural Lighting and Music software and IT. In addition there are a range of activities at the show floor including a Classroom Technology Showcase, Houses of Worship Seminar & Hands-on pavilion, Digital Display seminar, 3D LED Showcase, Behind the Scenes Technical Tour, GREAT PALME SALES, Line Array Sound Demonstration and Career Advancement Hub for the professional Lighting, Sound & AV industry as well as the Industry Networking cocktail. Visitors will also get the opportunity to win a number of prizes including F1 tickets, iPAD2 and Sennheiser headphones and microphones.

PALME / INSTALL ASIA CONFERENCE PROGRAMME AT A GLANCE HOUSES OF WORSHIP SEMINARS: 13 – 15 JULY 2011

Presented jointly by Technologies For Worship Magazine & IIR Exhibitions

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011 10:00am-12:00pm:

Streaming Solutions for Houses of Worship; Part 1

1:00pm - 3:00pm:

Streaming Solutions for Houses of Worship; Part 2

3:30pm - 6:00pm:

Advancements In Modern Lighting Design

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011 10:00am-12:00pm:

Increasing HOW Project Success with Project Management

1:00pm - 3:00pm:

Knowing Your Signal Flow for Video

3:30pm - 6:00pm:

Getting the Right Lighting for Video

FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2011 10:00am-12:00pm:

PANEL: The Multi-Site Movement and How It Affects the Future of Worship Facilities

1:00pm - 3:00pm:

Are you Ready for Multi-Site?

For full details on the topics and presenters please visit http://iirx-gallery.com/palmeasia2011

INDEPENDENT SEMINARS Sound Reinforcement Design Workshop

Presenter: David E.Marsh, Internationally Recognised Acoustical and AV Consultant

WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, 2011, 8:30 am – 6:00pm This all-day seminar teaches participants how to engineer successful sound reinforcement systems using a clear-cut methodology. Topics include: applicable principles of acoustics, proper sizing of power amplifiers based on loudspeaker sensitivity and sound pressure level requirements, how to account for various types of signal level losses, feedback avoidance, appropriate application of distributed loudspeaker systems, prediction of speech intelligibility, advanced loudspeaker arraying techniques as well as tips on system set up and tuning. Participants will receive a course manual and a “SoundCalcs” Excel workbook on CD with many valuable spreadsheets and calculators built in. A class project will allow participants to interact in teams on a sound system design example, thereby putting seminar material and the SoundCalcs spreadsheets/calculators to immediate use.

Participants signing up for this class should be able to do basic algebra. They should generally be familiar with sound system components.

They should bring their laptop computers (if they have one) in order to gain experience with the SoundCalcs spreadsheets throughout the seminar day.

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A Process for Critically Evaluating Loudspeaker Candidates: 14 July 2011 Presenter: Steve Sockey, Partner, and Adam Shulman, Senior Consultant, SIA Acoustics

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011, 10am – 1:30pm In this workshop, SIA Acoustics will identify key issues of evaluating unfamiliar or new loudspeaker products. ‘Live’ measurement data will be collected as the basis of a discussion that will highlight significant acoustical, electro-acoustic and non-technical parameters. A panel of leading loudspeaker manufacturers have been specially invited to participate, to share their perspective. Processes and methodologies of objectively evaluating loudspeakers will be explored.

Methods for Successful Live Event Design and Execution: 14 July 2011

Presenter: Steve Sockey, Partner, and Adam Shulman, Senior Consultant, SIA Acoustics

THURSDAY, JULY 14, 2011, 2pm – 3:30pm Regardless of the size or scale, careful coordination and planning is a requirement for any successful event. This workshop will discuss a process to manage and solve various acoustical and technical challenges in a methodical way, from concept development through execution and follow-up. Applying this methodology to well-known large industry events, companies, and products, we will curate a discussion based on our experience, market research (i.e. white papers, trade magazines) and interviews/commentary from distinctive and reputable sources/ personalities to address issues such as: the design decision-making process, maintaining direction and focus as a team, factors in equipment selection, and inter-discipline coordination.

Proudly Sponsored By:

DIGITAL DISPLAY TECH SEMINAR: 13 July 2011

What does the Future Hold for The Digital Displays Market? Challenges, Opportunities and Exploiting Possibilities Speaker: Robert Michaels, Founding Member of Digital Screenmedia Association, President of “The Screen Forum USA” and President, Signage Division, Digital View

11:30 am: Synopsis: As one might expect of an industry in its early stages of development, the implementation of digital signage continues to evolve at almost boggling speed. But where is it headed and how does anyone possibly keep abreast of the constant change to select and implement a signage system that will have the staying power to influence buyers with an increasing appetite for technical innovation? Hardware, software, content creation, connectivity, longevity, security, maintenance, support and operational costs all factor into the equation for maximization of ROI. Constant pressure for more, better, faster and cheaper solutions, not to mention the struggle between the desire for increased personalization versus concern for individual privacy are sure to influence our efforts to more effectively communicate with targeted audiences.

Changing the Landscape of Media Advertising: Connecting With Digital Displays Possibilities Speaker: Manolo Almagro, Regional Representative in Asia, Digital Screenmedia Association and International Correspondent for The DailyDooh.com

12:15pm: Synopsis: As one might expect of an industry in its early stages of development, the implementation of digital signage continues to evolve at almost boggling speed. But where is it headed and how does anyone possibly keep abreast of the constant change to select and implement a signage system that will have the staying power to influence buyers with an increasing appetite for technical innovation? Hardware, software, content creation, connectivity, longevity, security, maintenance, support and operational costs all factor into the equation for maximization of ROI. Constant pressure for more, better, faster and cheaper solutions, not to mention the struggle between the desire for increased personalization versus concern for individual privacy are sure to influence our efforts to more effectively communicate with targeted audiences.

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Bringing Your Environment To Life With Digital Signage Presenter: Jeff Hastings, CEO, Brightsign

2.00pm: Digital signage is popping up everywhere as integrators, technology managers and end users focus on developing and implementing new, more efficient, more effective means of reaching, holding the attention and assisting people in selecting/buying the products, components, solutions that are best for them. The beauty/consumer impact of digital signage is that the content can constantly - almost instantly - be updated, edited, revised. The speaker will demonstrate how this can be done by any authorized member of the organization.

Jeff Hastings will outline the key components needed in a successful/effective installation including hardware, software, content playback and management solutions. He will discuss and highlight examples of the growing range of wired/wireless digital signage installations – menu boards, video walls, stand-alone displays, touch-screen interactive displays, kiosks and news/entertainment/informational display networks. He will focus on how these systems/solutions can be used in entertainment activities, educational/healthcare institutions, general business employee/visitor venues and retail establishments.

While interesting, arresting content is pivotal to the success of a digital signage installation, the selection of the key components, planning and staging the installation and enabling key members of the end user organization to control, manage and update content ensures the ultimate signage solution owner gets exactly what he/she envisioned.

Hastings will also discuss how mobile marketing can be tied to and integrated into digital signage solutions to increase impact and results.

EXHIBIT HIGHLIGHTS Acoustic & Lighting Pte Ltd Clay Paky Sharpy

The Sharpy was extremely well-received and won the Innovation Award at PLASA 2010. Weighing just 16 kg, Sharpy produces a perfectly parallel, laser-like beam with an incredible output of 55,000 lx at 20m (5,100 footcandles at 65 ft). It offers 14 different colours and 17 gobos, allowing you to change the shape of the beam and create an array of spectacular mid-air effects. At 189W, Sharpy is also ground-breaking for producing a beam that is free of halation and maintains a zerodegree beam angle of parallel projection for an unusually long throw. With its light weight and modest footprint, Sharpy is small enough to be fitted anywhere – on trusses at live and TV events, on stage, in showrooms or in conference rooms.

RCF-TTL55A

The TTL55-A is a high power, three-way, active line array module engineered to deliver an incredible output for use in indoor or outdoor large spaces. The RCF TTL55-A was the only Europeanmanufactured product nominated in the category “Sound Reinforcement Loudspeaker Technology” at the 26th Annual TEC Awards. The system is designed to be easily scalable from a few modules for medium and small theatres to full-size arrays for very large outdoor stadia and public spaces.

The three new designs for the six neodymium transducers that power the system represent the result of many years dedicated to pioneering new solutions using the best materials available in the market. The integration of the 3500 W four-channel digital amplification and the advanced digital processing set a new standard for distortion, noise and thermal efficiency. www.acousticlighting.com

d&b audiotechnik S.E. Asia Pte Ltd d&b spinning black into white

On their inaugural appearance at Palme Asia 2011, d&b audiotechnik are introducing a new White range of integration loudspeakers that bear the exacting qualities of all d&b products and follow their enduring tenet of democracy for all listeners.

At the d&b booth (number C10), you can be party to the launch of the two new series within their White range. Designed to target permanently installed applications where selection of components is driven by technical specifications and application requirements, the xS-Series and the xA-Series address stand-alone and arrayable permanent applications respectively. The White range: integration systems for environments that go beyond rider specific performance spaces.

There will also be listening opportunities every day of the exhibition in the d&b demonstration room (number E103). For full details of the sessions either go to www. dbaudio.com/sitegeist/calendar before the show or visit the d&b stand or demo room itself where the schedule will be detailed. www.dbaudio.com

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Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd

Furman P-6900 AR E (30A)

The 30 Amp P-6900 AR E is a true RMS Voltage Regulator/Power Conditioner and delivers clean, stable power to protect equipment from problems caused by AC line voltage irregularities. It accepts any input voltage from 188V-270V and transforms it to a constant output of 230V or 240V (switchable), ±10V, and is a full-featured power conditioner that filters and purifies AC power. Furman’s LiFT, SMP, and EVS circuitry provides the highest level of power protection available.

Symetrix Jupiter Software with ARC-WEB

With Jupiter software, Symetrix introduces web-based control via ARC-WEB. ARC-WEB is an AJAX/HTML5 standards-based web app that mimics the functionality of ARC-2 wall panel remotes. ARC-WEB is compatible with many popular web browsers, operating systems and devices, including iPhone/ iPad and Android. Using Symetrix’ intuitive programming tools, integrators can easily build four separate ARC-WEBs per Jupiter hardware device.

Powersoft M Series

Powersoft’s M Series represents superb value with its unparalleled efficiency and green technology. The size and weight is at an absolute minimum thanks to the 1 U standard and the reduced depth of the equipment. M series models are provided in two versions, M50Q and M28Q (four channels) and M30D, M20D and M14D (two channels). The M Series provides Optional DSP modules hidden inside to prevent tampering with system settings.

Key features include Advanced switchmode power supply technology for high performance; Fixed frequency switch mode output; Patented output filter with ripple cancellation network; Neutrik XLR balanced inputs with loop thru XLR and Speakon output connectors and fully protected circuit design.

Rational Acoustics Smaart Live v7

Version 7 is a software solution for real-time sound system measurement, analysis, and optimization. A quantum leap for Smaart in both power and elegance, one of the most exciting new features of Smaart v7 is that it can access modern multi-channel input devices and operate natively in both Windows and Mac Operating Systems (32- and 64bit versions) and can run as many multiple simultaneous single-channel (spectrum) and dual-channel (transfer function) measurement engines as your system will allow.

Mackie HDA System

The HDA High-Definition Arrayable Powered Loudspeaker System is a scalable, arrayable solution to many possible applications, delivering unmatched system versatility and unparalleled sonic quality in the most cost-effective constant curvature line array ever created. HDAs are bi-amplified featuring powerful Class-D Fast Recovery™ Amplification to deliver 1200W of peak system power (500W RMS for LF, 100W RMS for HF), with a coverage pattern of 110° x 20°.

myMix IEX-16L

EAW KF200NT Line Array Module

The KF200NT premium 100° conical, 3-way loudspeaker packs more capability and application flexibility into an ultra-compact enclosure design that consists of a single 10” woofer with 2.5” voice coil and a coaxial midhigh driver consisting of 8” cone MF with 2” voice coil, and 1.75” voice coil compression driver HF. Its main features include 1500W of amplification, EAW Focusing processing, software-accessible DSP, the proprietary U-Net network, and the option for permanent installation via multiple M10 permanent installation points.

The IEX-16L is a 16-channel input expander which can be connected to a single myMix unit without the need for a switch. Equipped with two DB25 connectors, it allows the connection of up to 16 balanced line-level signals that can be fed from devices such as mixing consoles or external microphone preamps. Other main features include: Individual Gain Adjustment (0dB, +6dB, +12dB) per input channel; combination with other myMix input and output devices; configuration port for connection of one myMix; works with Fast Ethernet Switches; allows the use of multiple IEX-16L with unlimited audio channels on network, and is Ethernet AVB ready. www.enepl.com.sg

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QUAD Professional Midas VeniceF

VeniceF is a compact live audio console and is the platform for a complete integrated audio mixing, recording and processing package.

One look at the VeniceF confirms that this console is continuing the legacy established by the Midas XL3 and XL4 consoles, then consolidated in the industry-leading Heritage series. From the VeniceF’s horizontal fader panel, through the parametric EQ filters, to the latest Midas mic pre, this is a console without compromise. Professional features are apparent everywhere, some of which are unheard of on consoles of this modest footprint.

The bus structure remains true to the original Venice concept. Six aux sends, four groups and stereo masters. The F model adds an additional mono bus and a 7 x 2 matrix. All bus outputs feature XLR connectors and insert capability. Routing options have been expanded from the outgoing model too.

VeniceF has individual routing to groups, all six aux sends are individually switchable pre or post fade and the two aux buses designated as monitor (foldback) sends are also switchable pre/post EQ on an individual channel basis.

VeniceF bridges the gap between analogue and digital audio consoles and offers the user the ease-of-use, warmth, feel and zerolatency of analogue, combined with the power, choice and flexibility of outboard digital processing.

The FireWire® interface can be used with any computer fitted with a 1394 port and is effectively a 64-channel (32x32) digital audio snake, which connects directly to your computer, allowing the use of any 3rd party audio processing software in conjunction with the console. Applications include multi-track recording from the VeniceF’s digital direct outputs, software-generated FX processors driven from aux sends or direct outputs, “plug-ins” inserted on input channel FireWire send/returns.

The VeniceF embodies quality, from its rugged construction and top-of-the-range components through to the unmistakable Midas sound, it is obviously a truly professional audio console. The frame is a typical Midas steel section, providing sufficient strength and rigidity for a hard

life on the road. Potentiometers are metalshafted and individually nutted to the steel fascia panel. The console is finished in the well-known Midas livery, with the addition of striking metallic corner protector inserts. www.midasconsoles.com

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Sennheiser Electronic ASIA Pte. Ltd K-array KB1

With the new K-array KB1, the musician becomes the true craftsman of his or her own sound. Users can now connect their instrument and microphone directly to the KB1 and have full control of sound. The integrated digital mixer with 4 inputs allows those with more than one instrument to produce a unified sound, either to a sound technician or directly to the public. Features of the integrated mixer include input levels, EQ parameters on each input channel, multi-effects with 16 presets, compressors, regulation of an auxiliary output, a headphone output, a main output channel and parameter filters for equalising the speaker.

K-array Redline

K-array presents a revolutionary portable series dedicated to musicians and bands in extremely compact, light, and powerful systems. The Redline summarises all the characteristics of K-array products: High sound quality, high SPL, and handiness. With a power amplifier and a dedicated DSP with onboard remote control, every Redline system is equipped with 16 preloaded presets. The top of the line KR400 is a high performance, ultra-slim powered two-way system designed for small to medium wavefront systems in both mobile and installed applications such as concert halls, clubs and houses of worship.

The KR400 includes two KR400 satellites and two KL21ma powered subwoofers.

KZ10

The KZ10 is an ultra-micro line array that is perfectly suited for use in settings such as restaurants, bars, and museums. The high efficiency drive units have neodymium magnet structures and suspensions engineered for maximum linear excursion and minimum residual transducer noise. This miniature slim column is a mere 1.7cm deep and delivers true crystal clear audio with an output of 92dB continuous. The system delivers long throw and coherent coverage, making it ideal for use in space-constrained situations. The KZ10 weighs a mere 90g and measures 2.2 x 10 x 1.7cm. ww.k-array.net www.sennheiser.com

Sindo Export Pte Ltd The ES System

Aimed at live music, permanent installations and the AV market, the ES Series is an embodiment of KV2 Audio’s Active and Active Driven product philosophy. A truly scaleable system it is compact and modular with all the electronics and amplification housed in separate, portable units the EPAK 2500 and 2500R. Placing the active electronics package outboard results in a lighter, easier to handle system with much more flexibility. The EPAK 2500/R control unit incorporates four task specific amplifiers, electronic crossover filters, time alignment, equalisation, system protection and level controls.

KLA five-box array frame

QSC KLA Series

The KLA Series brings the power and sophistication of a line array system into an easy-to-use product significantly redefining the line array product category. With its simple lift, click and play approach, KLA can be deployed in a fraction of the time required by comparable line array products.

This active line array system is ideal for a wide range of portable and permanently installed applications ranging from live entertainment to houses of worship or other venues where a line array system is desired. www.qscaudio.com

Harnessing the technology disciplines of DSD™, Trans-Coil, Nitride NPVD coating and perfectly-matched, task specific amplification, the ES 1.0 Mid/High speaker and the EPAK 2500/R make up the core of the amazing sounding, incredibly dynamic ES system.

Each ES 1.0 requires an EPAK 2500/R to power it and the three-way cabinet includes a 12” horn loaded mid-bass driver, 6” horn loaded mid-speaker, and the Nitride Titanium 1.75 inch compression driver. You can rotate the ES 1.0 horn assembly in order to run the system in a vertical or horizontal configuration and couple two ES 1.0 cabinets together horizontally to create a very powerful, long throw ES solution.

As well as driving the three-way ES 1.0 cabinet, a fourth amplifier channel in the EPAK 2500/R control unit is dedicated to powering a choice of ES series subwoofers. The ES 1.5 is a lightweight single 15” enclosure, the ES 1.8 a horn reflex, single 18” subwoofer and the ES 2.5 / 2.6 a double 15”, twin asymmetrical design, available in either four ohm (ES2.5) or eight ohm (ES2.6) versions.

The ES System has been designed for ease-ofuse and quick set-up. A multi-position switch allows you to select from various subwoofer combinations. You can decide which plug and play bass modules you want to use, select and go.

The meticulously designed control electronics inside the EPAK 2500/R constantly monitor and preserve the relationship between each amplifier and component, delivering exactly the right amount - and type - of power throughout the system.

When you’re able to perfectly match an amplifier with a transducer, you start to unlock incredible performance that is impossible to achieve with passive systems. Total system reliability increases dramatically - as does sound quality. With this kind of precision and efficiency built in, you’ll be amazed at the quality, depth, level and resolution produced by an ES system. www.kv2audio.com

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Synergy AVL Pte Ltd Allen & Heath iLive Fixed Format Series

The iLive Fixed Format Series is an evolution of the flagship iLive digital range, with all the performance and power of the original in a compact and affordable fixed format package.

The iLive-T80, T112 and R72 surfaces all feature the same intuitive, instantly accessible analogue-style controls and switches, visually informative channel labelling and colour coding. Comprehensive metering, a graphical colour touchscreen and logical layout allow the user to avoid fiddly menus and instinctively find controls. The jump from analogue to digital has never been so easy. www.allen-heath.com

LDR OSCURA 19

Oscura 19 is a DMX512- and RDMcontrollable motorised dimming shutter, designed to provide a smooth control of light intensity on all non-dimmable discharge fixtures. It features an extremely quiet and precise operation and ensures no alterations of the colour temperature.

Oscura 19 is the first in line of a generation of mechanical dimming shutters specially designed for the professional theatre and the TV market. It’s a perfect balance between design and technology offering more than the average dimming shutter.

Weighing only 2.5 kg and emitting less than 28db, the Oscura 19 is differentiated from other products by its technological superiority, unique customer-driven design and innovative features as well as a user-friendly interface.

The Oscura dimming shutter can be used with the LDR professional discharge range and with all those products that have an aperture of up to Ø 190mm. www.ldr.it

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Total Solution Marketing Pte Ltd Avolites TITAN Mobile

Avolites TITAN Mobile binds the awesome power of TITAN software with a compact and lightweight unit that connects to your laptop to produce a fully-featured moving light control system.

As the industry ‘greens up’ and wises up, many shows have become ‘festival tours’ where the only things to be freighted around are the band, designers and flexible control systems.

The control surface of TITAN Mobile coupled with Avolites touring experience enables designers to ‘keep it live’ while preserving their show’s visual integrity.

Live Playback, Solo and Flash buttons, user-programmable buttons and Attribute controllers enable fast and accurate show programming in a flight friendly package. www.avolites.com

Vari*Lite VL 440 and VL 770

The VL440 and VL770 Spot luminaires all provide brilliant colour mixing through the three-wheel CYM colour assembly based on the widely praised Series 3000 colour system.

They each have eight standard colours on a fixed wheel, a coated glass dimmer wheel and a separate dual-blade strobe system.

The VL440 Spot has a 400-watt MSR Gold 400 MiniFastFit lamp providing 9000 lumens of output. The VL770 Spot is complete with a 700-watt MSR Gold™ MiniFastFit lamp producing an impressive output of 15,100 lumens.

The VL440 and VL880 Spot luminaires all have an independent armature with frost glass and a second, independent armature with a rotating and indexable prism. Both the frost and prism glass are interchangeable.

Each luminaire also has one gobo wheel with seven rotatable and indexable positions and a second gobo wheel with ten fixed positions; powerful pan and tilt motors that provide smooth, fast, time-controlled, continuous motion capable of 0.3° resolution with a

Robert Juliat

Robert Juliat will be exhibiting the Aledin 630 LED profile and the new Aledin 330 LED wash light - the latter for the first time at PALME Asia.

The Aledin units proved to be a huge success at Prolight and Sound, Frankfurt and ABTT London earlier this year where they attracted a great deal of attention.

The new, variable beam angle, 85W LED Aledin wash light is a complement to the awardwinning Robert Juliat Aledin 630 LED profile spot.

Using the same technology and light source as the profile, the Aledin 330 wash offers a choice of two colour temperatures (3500K or 5800K) making it suitable for theatre, studio and event applications as well as architectural and exhibition work.

Aledin 330 LED wash light

With a variable beam range of 20° - 98°, its powerful beam is extremely versatile with angles ranging from spot to flood settings.

pan range of 540° and tilt of 260°; a zoom range from 15º to 36º; a mechanical iris for continuous beam size control and built-in mounting points on the front of the luminaire provide for easy attachment of after-market accessories such as top hats. www.vari-lite.com

VL440 Spot

VL770 Spot

Its 200mm Fresnel lens guarantees maximum light output whilst the long LED life (lumen maintenance of greater than 70% after 50,000 hours*) ensures durability and keeps maintenance time to a minimum.

The Aledin 330 wash has a flicker-free, integrated, dimmable electronic ballast which makes it ideal for camera and studio applications.

Robert Juliat Sales Director, Lionel Garraud, says, “The television studios came in big numbers to see the new Aledin 330LF wash light when it was launched at Prolight & Sound. I have rarely seen a product have such an impact on its launch before it has even reached the market! We are very optimistic about its future.”

Also on the stand will be two 1800W MSR Victor and 2500W HMI Cyrano followspots, giving visitors an indication of the wide range of top quality products available from Robert Juliat. www.robertjuliat.com

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PALM EXPO India comes of age The 11th edition proves to be a hit both with exhibitors and visitors

by Thomas Richard Prakasam PALM Expo India was bustling with activity over all three days, reiterating to the rest of the world that India is on the brink of becoming a major market for those providing light, sound and visual solutions. Almost all the exhibitors agreed that this year’s edition was the best in its 11-year history, in terms of organisation, the varied solutions at the exhibition floor and, of course, visitors. Exhibitors also highlighted that visitors were more technically savvy compared to a few years back. Thomas Hedrich, Deputy to Sales Director, d&b audiotechnick said, “This year we conducted seminars on all three days and we found the sessions to be really interactive. Participants were posing questions that showed their understanding of the technology.”

Michael Engstrom, Director of Sales, dataton, agreed with that observation saying that those who visited their booth were very knowledgeable and asked relevant questions.

However amidst all the positiveness of the exhibition and the India market, most

exhibitors felt that the market was still quite price sensitive. Almost all the exhibitors stated that the India market, at present, has a pyramid structure. The top end was more concerned about technology and branding,

the mid-segment were able to accept up to a certain price range and the bottom segment were only interested in the cost of the solutions. The good news is that India, like China, is a very huge market, so though the top end may be small it is relative to the size

of the market. More importantly, the middle segment has ambitions of being in the top end and offers ample opportunities to those who are able to invest time and money in the market.

An electrical glitch on the last day almost ruined the exhibition but the organisers managed to get it sorted out within two hours of the show’s opening without any major incident. The venue, as most of us know, does need upgrading and it was good to hear that there is some effort being put into that aspect by the venue owners. For starters, the roads inside the venue were tarred the day before the show! The organisers had also promoted the Integration segment of the market with the intention of targeting the AV market, but other than a Kramer organised AV seminar, the effort was muted. Nevertheless, there was a positive vibe about the exhibition and PALM EXPO INDIA has entrenched itself as a key exhibition in the events calendar.

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From the exhibition floor...

Alcons sets up rep office in India Dutch loudspeaker manufacturer Alcons Audio unveiled a selection of its innovative pro-ribbon systems in the Indian market for the first time. Alcons offers sound system solutions in three different acoustic categories, each with their own problem solving specifications, but all with Alcon’s pro-ribbon audiophile sound quality in common. Amongst the products on display was the LR7 micro pro-ribbon line-array from Alcon’s L-Series of loudspeakers, the QR36 line-source column as well cabinets from Alcon’s digital cinema-ready sound systems.

“With the Indian market growing in the entertainment sector, of which Bollywood is just one part, we thought the time was right to explore this new territory,” said Alcons co-founder, Tom Back. Over the three days of the show Back was pleased with the overwhelming interest from sound engineers, consultants and rental company owners alike. Other than making their debut, Alcons has taken a big step to establish themselves in the Indian market by setting up a representative office in

Tom Back (left) with Jan Paul Douma

India. It will be headed by Jan Paul Douma based out of Bangalore and their goal is to put a lot of effort into training and education in India. “Jan will co-ordinate with HQ to educate the market about ribbon-technology. In general, we expect the Indian market to develop in tandem with its economic growth. Our solutions can be installed in home theatres or large cinemas and of course applied in the rental & staging segments. Over the years we have had enquiries from India and we decided that if we want to get into the market than we should do it with our own presence,” said Back.

Antari showcases F3 Fazer for the first time in India

Sophia Ao of Antari with Davinder Wadhwa and Varinder Wadhwa of Modern Stage Services.

The new stackable Antari F-3 Fazer integrates the features of a rugged flight case in its new packable design. The state-

of-the-art air pump system mixes fog and air to produce a fine, dry fog with minimal fluid consumption. For example, one litre of Antari’s FLG heavy fog liquid will provide five hours of continuous fogging.

Performance meets reliability in this new design. The extremely dry fog output leaves no residue, and no liquid is left inside the heater, achieving a longer life cycle for this critical component. The F-3 also features built-in DMX functionality and silent operation, making it suitable for the widest variety of theatrical and stage applications. Antari is represented in India

by Modern Stage.

Audio-Technica appoints country manager for India Showing their commitment to the Indian market, Audio-Technica (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd has appointed Sajeev Nair as the country manager for India which includes responsibilities to oversee the SAARC region. Nair is permanently based in Bangalore and started his stint on 1 June

2011. Nair’s objectives include gathering feedback from the market, determining what the market needs so that AudioTechnica can fill that need if it is not available from their existing line-up of solutions. He will also be providing support to the distributor and dealers. “As part of

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my responsibilities I will also be paying attention to the brand marketing in India and help oversee the pro-activeness of the distributor in India,” said Nair.

Vincent Chan, Managing Director of AudioTechnica (S.E.A.) Pte Ltd commented, “It was in our plan two years ago to position ourselves strongly in this market and that is why we have embarked on having a country manager based here. A year ago we started to identify what is suitable for this market and have started to manufacture those solutions to meet the price point here in India but without comprising on our technology and Sajeev will continue to study the market and provide us with the necessary feedback to enable us to be engaged in the market actively.”

At the exhibition, Audio-Technica’s solutions were exhibited at their distributor booth, Pro Visual Audio. Pro

Vincent Chan with Sajeev Nair

Visual Audio was appointed as AudioTechnica’s distributor in September last year, specifically responsible for the proaudio solutions.

Avolites showcases Titan Mobile Avolites has a strong presence in India where their solutions have met with big success. Showcasing their solutions at the Jagmag as well as Modern Stage booths, Koy Neminathan, who is responsible for Business Development at Avolites, said that Avolites continues to see success in the market. “Every year we travel to India to conduct classes as we have a huge base in the country. We see further opportunities in India with our Titan Mobile.”

Sandeep Dhawan, Atul Sonpal and Koy Neminathan

Avolites TITAN Mobile combines the awesome power of TITAN software with a compact and lightweight unit that connects to your laptop to produce a fullyfeatured moving light control system.

Live Playbacks, Solo and Flash buttons, user programmable buttons and Attribute controllers enable fast and accurate show programming in a flight-friendly package.

Acoustic Arts showcases solutions from 3 key manufacturers Some of the best audio manufacturers were presented at the Acoustic Arts Pvt Ltd booth. Tannoy, Biamp and beyerdynamic were all represented by their country managers at the booth, showcasing a variety of solutions. The exhibition provided the brands with the opportunity to discuss and engage visitors with their solutions.

(L-R) Krishna Singh of TC Group, Prasant Govinden of Biamp with Sunny of Acoustic Arts and Naveen Sridhal of beyerdynamic

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Bosch launches EV Live X in India in terms of size and value); DY Patil Cricket Stadium (The world’s only cricket stadium with fixed installed sound); a couple of international trade and convention centres and numerous auditoriums. EV now has a customer base to assure the prosound market in India about Bosch’s commitment towards Electro-Voice as a brand. We are now gearing up to penetrate deeper into India’s prosound market. The timing of the launch of the Live X portable speaker (L-R) Patrick Hau, Aaron Chisena, Tushar Srivastava, series and R300 range of wireless Johannes Huth and Ronnie Lai microphones couldn’t have been Tushar Srivastava, Senior Product better. Live X is a very affordable series of Manager, Pro Sound Business Unit, Bosch portable passive and powered speakers India said “EV’s re-entry into India has and comes from the house of EV which been a very exciting journey to date. has always stood for uncompromising To consolidate our position as a serious quality. Live X hits the nail on the head with pro-sound brand in India, we consciously its competitive pricing and performance. worked towards winning prestigious, Live X was launched worldwide about 4 mega pro sound projects in India - like months back and has already sold around Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi 20,000 units. We expect India to keep up (the largest pro-sound install in India both the momentum,” says Tushar.

d&b audiotechnik feels 2011 is a significant step forward for the brand Digital Advantage has been representing d&b audiotechnik for the last four years with the past 3 years solely focused on events to build market and brand awareness.

“The past 12 months things have been rolling for us especially in Delhi and Ahmedabad. We are in a lot of people’s mind because we give them confidence and there is brand awareness, Thomas Hedrich, Andrew Paul and Janko Ramuscak thanks to the work put in by Digital Advantage,” said Thomas India. From our discussions, I can sense Hedrich of d&b audiotechnik GmbH. there are more quality concerns rather than Hedrich continues, “Those who use our price concerns. We are a product for those products talk about them and their benefits. who understand technology and have They are like our brand ambassadors which the resources to purchase our solutions.” then encourages others to consider our Exhibited at the booth were elements of solutions as an option. One of the reasons the Q-Series, E-Series, Stage Monitors as is that we do not blindly sell our products well as models out of the xS-Series from to clients. We put in effort to understand the White range. their requirements and specify solutions according to their needs. On top of that we According to Hedrich, d&b audiotechnik offer a 5-year warranty for peace of mind. will continue to put in effort for training and This year will be a significant step forward workshops and in the process hopefully for us and we are confident that the next identify “multipliers” who can then train two years will see us lift off the ground in others to keep the momentum going.

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DAS Audio targets the installation market next

Juan Luis Garcia with Giri and Nagesh Dhandapani

GM Audio and DAS Audio have had a relationship spanning over 16 years, which has resulted in DAS Audio having the honour of having the largest number of cabinets for line array in India. Juan Luis Garcia, Managing Director of DAS Audio Asia Pte Ltd, states, “We have more large format line array systems in India than any other brand. I would say we are strong in India and our brand is positioned highly in India. With our penetration in the rental & staging segment being stabilised, we are now looking into penetrating the install segment of the market.” At the exhibition, the products exhibited included the Aero8A, Aero12A, LX212, LX215 and Road 12” and 15” wedge monitors.

dataton pleased with fantastic response dataton’s Director of Sales, Michael Engstrom said that he was pleased with the response from the show. “I notice that unlike the past, many of those who visited the booth understood our technology and asked pertinent questions. They were definitely knowledgeable about what we were offering and we definitely see good potential in India for our solutions and we hope to be able to penetrate the fixed install market as well.” dataton was exhibiting with their newly appointed distributor in India, Video Design.

Michael Engstrom

dBTechnologies strengthens presence in India with new distributor subwoofers and the DVA T4 which has not been seen in India before.

“There has been increasing demand for dBTechnologies powered speakers in India,” explains Martin Capp, Asia Pacific Area Sales Manager at dBTechnolgies.

“Sonotone is an excellent choice for dBTechnologies distribution in India as they have a long history and are respected by their Indian customers.”

B.V. Nagpal, Michael Herweg, Karan Nagpal and Martin Capp

The appointment of Sonotone has given renewed vigour to dBTechnologies in India. On exhibit were dBTechnologies’ new Cromo series, FM12 floor monitors, a selection of models from the Opera Digital range, as well as the S20 and SUB 18D

Sonoton’s General Manager, Karan Nagpal said, “It was our great fortune to come to an arrangement with dBTechnologies to represent them, as the time was right to further expand our business. Distributing the dBTechnologies range gives us access to state-of-the-art products from MI to high-end professional applications.”

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DTS says that its business is progressing every year in India At the exhibition DTS exhibited their new NICK 600 wash zoom, Delta 10 and XR3000 Beam. Franco Zaghini, VP of Sales at DTS, said, “Our distributor Modern Stage has been doing a good job for us in India.

We have had steady growth every year, though there is still a good part of the market that is more concerned about price rather than the product. Nevertheless, through Modern Stage, we have DTS solutions in rental & staging companies, TV studios and even some historical monuments.”

Davinder Wadhwa, Thomas, Franco and Varinder Wadhwa.

EAW sells 5 rigs of KF740s at the exhibition

Keith Medley with Darwindar Singh

The first showing of the KF740s in Mumbai has resulted in the sale of 5 rigs of KF740s to various customers. The five rigs comprised of 60 boxes of the KF740 and 30 units of the subs. Showcasing their solution at their distributor’s booth,

Cinetekk Pvt Ltd, Darwindar Singh of Loud Technologies, commented, “The show has been good and we are pleased with the sale. Cinetekk has been our distributor since 2010 and they have master dealers in the North, East and Central regions of India, so we get very high penetration in the market. They are currently working on some big auditoriums and clubs and hopefully it will end up with a sale. We take this market very seriously and as such we flew in Keith Medley who is the senior manager of training and development at LOUD Technologies. Keith was brought in to study the market and try to localise our training and seminar programs to suit the Indian market and over the course of this year we will be initiating those programs.”

E&E Systems showcases a plethora of solutions A full range of products were showcased at the E&E Systems’ booth. These included solutions from Tascam, ADAM, MyMix, Smaart, Symetrix, Community, Powersoft, Ashley and Ultimate Support.

Poncho, Executive Director of E&E Systems, commented, “We started with Tascam in 2008 and only recently took on distribution for Symetrix, Ashley and Community. It has been a fresh start for these brands as they previously did not have any distributor or proper representation. At this exhibition, these brands as well as the others have had very positive response.”

Ronald Goh, Poncho and Gary Goh

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FBT pleased with progress in India FBT has been present in India for a few years now and about 3 years ago they engaged a new distributor, Delhi Light & Music Centre. Roberto Matalani, Export Manager at FBT, said, “Upon their appointment they immediately focussed on the planning of the distribution of FBT products in the country. It is a work in progress but I am pleased to say that several installations have been achieved.”

At the booth, FBT showcased the MODUS and QUBE QSA112 line arrays. The FBT ProMaxX, HiMaxX, Jolly, as well as several KEMPTON models.

Somesh Kumar of Pinecreek International, Roberto Matalani and Pooran Rawat of Delihi Light & Music Centre.

Harman makes huge presence at PALM EXPO

Ankush Agarwal with Vibhor Khanna

Harman’s presence at this year’s PALM EXPO edition was exponential. Aside from the many Harman banners at the venue, Harman’s Live Arena was a hive of activity.

Featuring renowned bands as well as providing a platform for upcoming bands, the Arena showcased Harman’s solutions working seamlessly with the performers on stage. The Arena was jam-packed with visitors on all three days. At the Harman booth, solutions for the installed sound market were exhibited. Also present at the booth were the distributors responsible for Harman’s residential solutions. HiTech Audio Systems who are Harman’s authorised Indian distributor displayed and demonstrated the Harman product range for live sound and over at the Musician Expo Hall, the complete range of DigiTech by Harman guitar processors and pedals were showcased at the Furtados Booth. Clinics were also organised specifically targeted at young musicians. Besides providing a perfect platform for established musicians to enthral the visitors and budding artistes & bands to perform and showcase their talent, the live arena completely equipped with Harman gear, helped musicians identify, evaluate and understand how they can enhance their audio requirements and deliver the best sound experience with the Harman range of products.

Being a leader in the audio industry for over six decades, Harman has been at the forefront of innovation and product line expansion. The highlight of Harman’s participation at the show was the introduction of a host of new products that are best suited for Indian professional audio users. A significant introduction was the JBL Commercial Series. In order to address the growing need for small-sized PA systems in the emerging market, JBL

by Harman launched the JBL Commercial Series. The series is targeted primarily at high-end retail stores, restaurants and fitness centers. This series comprises of ceiling speakers with remote controlled operations (CSS & CSR), paging stations (CSPM series), wall-mounted speakers ( CSS), amplifiers & transformers (CSA & CST) and mixers ( CSM). The JBL Commercial Series is loaded with special features such as zone controllers, Autowarmth™, LevelGuard™, Expansion Capability, Subwoofer Crossover, Stereo Output and Trigger Sensitivity. These products are economical, easy to handle and will be available in the India market by July 2011.

One year since Harman’s establishment in India, the objective has been to capture mind space, said Ankush Agarwal, Senior Manager Marketing, Harman Professional India. “At this Expo, we showcased the entire range of Harman solutions for the systems integration segment, live segment, cinema segment and the residential segment. With the nine brands under Harman’s belt we showcased how our solutions can provide the complete audio chain for any project.” Ankush adds that over the year, Harman solutions have been installed in some high profile

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jobs including 12 stadiums relating to the Commonwealth Games, the Kingdom of Dreams theatre, auditoriums, state assemblies and state theatres, including having Harman inventory in rental & staging companies. “We have also been busy organising regular training and workshops targeted at system integrators to empower them with technical knowledge,” said Ankush.

Vibhor Khanna, National Sales Manager, Harman Professional India, added, “We continue to strengthen our commitment to the Indian market by establishing a sales support team across India to support our distributors and dealers with leads and product information. We also have applications engineers in Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai and hope to appoint one in Calcutta in July. This is to ensure that we are able to provide the best advise and support for our distributors and dealers.”

Harman India presently has 30 staff in marketing, sales and servicing including the application engineers. The service centre based in Bangalore is fully equipped to handle all types of servicing. “With this centre we want to give confidence to our

Harman’s Live Arena

customers that they need not worry about servicing issues as we are right at their doorstep,” said Vibhor.

The residential segment or HPAV segment is critical to the overall strategy for Harman. “We appointed six dealers who are exclusive to the Harman brands. We have been doing our groundwork over the last year contacting consultants and architects to increase awareness about Harman solutions and ensuring that our dealers are also well-trained to meet the requirements of consultants and architects. We believe that we can achieve a lot more for this segment of the market and with our efforts over the year, we should see significant growth,” said Ankush.

HK Audio showcases solutions at newly appointed distributor’s booth

Rajesh Sadarangani with Christian Stumpp

Rivera International’s appointment as HK Audio’s India distributor was officially announced at PALM Expo India. Christian

Stumpp, Head of International Sales, concert sound/install sound of HK Audio, commented, “We held a seminar two days before the show with DiGiCo (which is also represented by Rivera) which created a lot of interest. The market is price sensitive but on the positive note there is a lot of interest in our solutions and people are willing to learn. Riveria represents quality brands so, in a way, those who come by the booth know what to expect. At this show we showcased our new Element System.”

Integrated Entertainment Solutions positive about market IES represents Martin Audio for the western and southern region of India. They also represent VMB and Robe Lighting as the sole distributor in India. Rasesh Parekh of IES commented, “The Indian market is keyed up. People are more aware of the latest technology and brands and the market has improved. Thus, sentiments are very positive. We are confident that we will sell at least one Martin Audio MLA system this year. As for Robe we have been their appointed distributor the last 18 months and I am pleased to say that at this year’s Robe Awards we won the “Best

Debut Distributor” award. We are quietly confident of growing the market share of our principals.”

Simon Bull and Peter Child of Martin Audio, Kekul Sheth and Rasesh Parekh of IES with Harry von den Stemmen and Petr Vanek of Robe Lighting.

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Klotz Cables pleased with energy within the show floor Kamal Matani, business manager Asia of Klotz Cables Asia Pacific, echoed what most of the exhibitors felt, i.e. that this year’s show was much better than the last edition. “There is a certain energy and confidence in the Kamal Matani (right) was pleased with market,” said Kamal. the show.

Hi-Tech Audio Systems Pvt Ltd has been representing Klotz for the past two years. “I would say that the proportion of our products being sold is in line with the market sentiment and we believe this pie will grow.”

MA Lighting rides on growth momentum MA Lighting has been represented in India by Reynold’s for some ten years now. Michael Althaus, Managing Director of MA Lighting International GmbH, said, “With Reynold’s we have found a most loyal, passionate and forward-looking partner. I would say we are doing quite well in India. Five years ago, we changed tact with a different focus in order to slowly develop the market. These days, there are new production standards and the knowledge level has gone up due to extensive training programs. This has contributed to our growth in India.”

With companies now having a larger inventory of lighting fixtures that include Par Cans, moving lights, LEDs including the need for media Michael Althaus servers, MA Lighting solutions have become more important in enabling all the fixtures to be integrated and controlled via one platform. “In the past, in collaboration with Reynolds, we concentrated on our touring dimmers and control solutions like the Light Commander. These days, every big rental company has invested in a couple of grandMA/grandMA2 consoles. This enables the rental companies to use the systems for their own prestigious shows as well as to fulfil international rider requests. MA is renowned for its clever engineering and solid hardware design. The latter is key in a market like India. Our quality speaks for itself.”

“We have a range of solutions to cater to different needs. We have the smaller and efficient grandMA controllers like ultra-light, pico and micor, as well as our network accessories including “my first grandMA” which is a 2Port node in combination with grandMA on PC. We also have our digital dimmers and grandMA2 as well as the integration of our media server-solution, MA VPU. With this full portfolio, we are constantly doing good business and feel well prepared for future challenges and developments in India.”

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Kramer’s Technical Class gets massive response During the three days of the show, Kramer India conducted technical classes at Hall 2 of the venue. The topics covered included audio, video and control technology. They were conducted by Ranjit Singh (CTS-D, CTS-I). Response to the classes was overwhelming.

Kramer’s classes were running at almost full capacity.

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Martin Professional exhibits for the first time at PALM Expo

Albert Leong, Abhishek Guha, Jeffrey Ong and Soren Storm.

Martin Professional has had a presence in India for a few years via their liaison office in Bangalore, headed by Abishek Guha.

However, this is the first time that Martin has participated at PALM Expo India. The M1 controller, Mac101 LED wash light and their complete LED range of exterior and moving heads was exhibited at their booth.

“It has been a good show and we have sold some of our solutions at the stand,” said a pleased Soren Storm, Managing Director of Martin Professional Pte Ltd.

Powersoft showcases their M Series The M Series offers maximum efficiency with minimum power consumption, ideal for portable sound systems. This is due to its 1U standard size, reduced weight and depth. There are five different 2-channel and 4-channel models which are now also available in the DSP+ETH versions. They offer remote control and advanced signal processing abilities through Armonía Pro Audio Suite. Powersoft was exhibiting its solutions at the E&E booth. They had

Arthur Soh.

appointed E&E as their distributor earlier this year.

PR Lighting confident that products and strategy will help it grow in India

Lawrence Mao.

PR Lighting has been represented by Modern Stage for more than 12 years. Lawrence Mao, Sales Manager (Africa & Southern Asia) of PR

Lighting Ltd, said, “We have had a very good relationship with Modern Stage.

Though Modern Stage does represent our competitors, we have managed to grow every year. The key is to identify the right products at the right price for the Indian market. The potential in India is big. We believe that working in tandem with Modern Stage to create the right strategy and policy for our solutions will help us to grow our business in India.” At the exhibition, PR Lighting showcased their PR5000 Spot Beam and their LED architectural lighting solutions.

Prolyte feels that there is a need for more training programs Menze van der Sluis, Managing Director of Prolyte Products Group, felt that the market was very price sensitive and not product sensitive.

He also felt that education was key to unlocking the potential of the market. Together with their distributor Modern Stage, they hope to create training programs for the market.

Menze van der Sluis.

Reynold’s says market has stepped up

Angelo Tordini of Reference Lab with Felix Remedios.

Reynold’s represents high end brands like Meyer Sound, MA Lighting, Furman, Production Intercom, Look smokes and haze machines as well as Reference Lab cables, whom they were just appointed to represent.

“The Indian market is becoming more mature.

We prefer doing the niche market and that is why we only represent the top end brands.

We believe the market is transforming and we are in a good position to capture some of that market,” said Felix Remedios, Managing Director of Reynold’s.

Raylogic launches touchscreen automation system

Sudhir Kamat of Raylogic with Manoj N Motwani of Narain.

This home grown company, based out of Mumbai, showcased its power management systems and touchscreen automation systems. Their power management systems allow power protection/power distribution and remote monitoring of mains AC power supplies. They are available in single & 3-phase configurations. Several distribution options are available – CEE Norm, Schuko and Indian sockets. Raylogic also showcased their latest touchscreen automation system. The heart of the system is the TC-2/TC-2E Ethernet enabled 32-bit control system with two versions of the 5.7” touch panel varying only in terms of QVGA or VGA resolution. There is also an iPAD app that allows the systems to be controlled via the iPAD. The system is able to control audio, video, lighting, HAVC and relay equipment.

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Full On for Robe at PALM Expo of high quality visitors to the stand from many areas of the industry including rental companies, installers, lighting designers and others working in film and TV production.

The Indian entertainment and production market has been a massive growth area for Robe in the last 18 months, particularly since the last PALM Expo. It continues to be buoyant and is expanding steadily as there are several discerning Indian companies looking for quality products rather than lower cost alternatives to add to their inventories.

The show saw a full range of the latest Robe products demonstrated at Robe’s distributor stand, Integrated Entertainment Solutions (IES). There was the MMX Spot, the ROBIN 600 series including the amazing LEDWash 600, the ColorSpot & Wash 2500E AT Series and the new DigitalSpot 3500DT. Several deals were concluded during the exhibition and there was a constant stream

Harry von den Stemmen, Sales Director at Robe Lighting said, “The booth was busy and I was impressed with its look and design. We saw lots of people and the Robe brand is definitely now well established in India, thanks to the efforts of IES. All the elements are now in place for us to build on that and move forward.”

The LEDWash 600 attracted lots of interest and orders for Robe’s new ‘wonder LED wash’ were also firmed up during the exhibition. With the shortage of power often a challenge in many parts of India, the industry is becoming more aware of the numerous advantages offered by following the LED route.

Robe’s powerful 2500 Series of moving heads is also a big seller in India, with its proliferation of live shows, events and spectaculars. These units also attracted plenty of attention.

Sun Infonet says main objective is to educate the market “We participate in this show mainly to educate the market. We believe that the more knowledge visitors have of our products the more comfortable they will be in considering them as options,” said Neeraj Chandra, Director at Sun Infonet. Sun Infonet is an established distributor who represents Shure, Camco, Nexo, Allen&Heath and Quest.

“Over the years, we have been successful because we pay close attention to service. When Frank Andrewartha with Neeraj Chandra. customers buy from us, we want them to be assured that we will be readily Frank Andrewartha, Sales Manager of available to support them,” Chandra added.

Quest Engineering, added, “The Indian market is similar to Australia. We have This philosophy of Sun Infonet has definitely similar problems with weather and power helped Quest. This Australian brand was quite surge. As such, I feel that our solutions unknown to the Indian market when Sun more than meet the requirements of started to represent them two years ago. It the Indian market. Our products are has now become better known in the Industry reasonably priced, reliable and provide and sales have picked up. “It is because good sound. Our electronics are in the customers trust us and know that they can equipment for practical reasons, taking depend on us. The fact that we took on Quest into consideration weather and power representation made them confident to conditions. We are confident that we will invest in the system,” said Chandra. continue to do well in the Indian market.”

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Turbosound has long term vision for India Chris Kmiec, Application Support Engineer at Turbosound, highlighted that India is an important market and they have a long term view of the market. Turbosound has been present in India for the last 3 years through their distributor Narain Proaudio Lighting Pvt Ltd. Narain’s Director, Monoj N Motwani, commented, “During the last 2 years, we have been building the brand image of Turbosound in India. Some high profile projects, especially the Cricket World Cup Finals this year, which saw the Turbosound Flex Array series being used, have helped the brand image.” At the exhibition, the Flex Array systems, the TCS series, the TCSX compact series, the Milan series and the Impact speaker range were Manoj N Motwani with showcased.

Chris Kmiec.

Yamaha continues to build on learning curve Yamaha set up its FDI office in India in September 2008 and has seen continuous growth. Shinsuke Misumi, Department Manager, Sales & Marketing Division at Yamaha Music India Pvt Ltd, puts this down to being physically present in India. “This is a price conscious market. To sell our solutions, we needed to understand the various taxation regulations in this country which can vary state to state. As an FDI company, we are not allowed to sell directly and we have to work via our dealer network. By understanding their cost challenges, we are able to work with them to achieve sales objectives. We have also tied up with a service network across the country where we now have 70 service centres that have the capability to service our products except for our digital products. As our digital products are a little more sophisticated, these are serviced in the Yamaha office. We believe in our service network and working with our dealers to bridge price points, we should see continued growth Shinsuke Misumi. in India.”

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PALM EXPO China 2011 attracts strong interest

The 20th edition of PALM EXPO China 2011, featuring INSTALL China 2011, was held at the China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC) from 26 to 29 May. This year’s event was by far the largest of its kind occupying a total area exceeding 85,000 sqm with over 1700 exhibitors and represented by more than 35 countries and regions. PALM EXPO was located at two venues. The music segment was located at the China National Agricultural Exhibition Centre which is ten minutes away from the CIEC. According to IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd, the four-day exhibition surpassed previous years’ attendance records, attracting over 200,000 visitors.

Mr. Peter Rigby, Chief Executive, IIR/ Informa Group, acknowledged and thanked all sponsors and exhibitors as well as the Ministry of Culture and co-organisers in his opening address. He also thanked the China Entertainment Technology Association (CETA) and the China Technology Market Management & Promotion Centre for their invaluable support.

The VIP contingent, which included Mr. Ai Qingcun, Former Vice Minister, Ministry of Culture, P.R. China and Honorary President, CETA; Mr. Zhu Xincun, President, CETA; Mr. Lao Wei Jie, Vice President, CETA; Mr. Derek Map, Chairman, Informa Group; Mr. Peter Rigby, Chief Executive, IIR/Informa Group, Mr. John Hassett, Chief Operating Officer, Informa Exhibitions Asia and Ms. Rosalind Ng, Managing Director (Asia), IIR Exhibitions Pte Ltd, were led on a tour of the halls by IIR Exhibitions Director Ms Juri Tan and other officials from CETA. On display were the latest technologies ranging from Audio Equipment & Systems, Architectural Lightings, Control Systems, DJ Products, Indoor and Outdoor LED Signages, LCD Panels/LED Displays, Professional Lighting Equipment & Systems, Projection Screens, Stage/Touring Equipment & Trussing, Video Conferencing Equipment & Systems.

The VIP contingent

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The event was filled with a myriad of activities. The Technology Summit on 25 May attracted a massive crowd and a host of exhibitor seminars lined up for visitors received strong interest, while the Scratch & Win lucky draw attracted many eager participants. Lucky visitors walked away with Apple iPads, C-Mark digital amplifiers, Pioneer headphones, Sennheiser earphones, Shure products, a Vestax Handytrax portable turntable and a hotel stay at the Sheraton Beijing.

Manufacturers present at the event included Avolites, Bbyerdynamic, Beyma, BMB, Celeston, Clair Brothers, Clay Paky, C-Mark, CreateLED, d&b Audiotechnik, DAS Audio, Genelec, Barco, JBL, L-Acoustics, Lighthouse, Mackie, Martin Audio, Martin Professional Lighting, Meyer Sound, Osram, Peavey, Philips Lighting, Philips Varilite, Pioneer, Robe, RCF, Seachanger, Sennheiser, Shure, TEAC, TOA, Veeno, Yahama and many more.

PALM EXPO clamps down on Intellectual Property Infringements

The organising committee have made a concerted effort to discourage Intellectual Property Infringements at this year’s show.

A handbook called ‘Information on the 20th PALM Exhibitors’ Trademarks and Patents’ was published and distributed free to all professional visitors to create awareness about intellectual property protection amongst exhibitors and to prevent intellectual property infringements at the exhibition.

All exhibitors at PALM EXPO were required to sign an Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Protection Contract and declare that they understood the ‘Measures for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights during PALM EXPO Exhibition’ and ‘Measures of Beijing Municipality for the Protection of Intellectual Property Rights’ during the event.

Brands like Avolites have adopted a policy of zero tolerance against the whole network of counterfeiting and has been successful in taking legal action against manufacturers of copies.

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Show Highlights

The Technology Summit on 25 May focussed on Green Illumination Technology and Stage Lighting. It was held at the Radisson Blu Hotel ballroom. Ms. Rosalind Ng gave a welcome address. This was followed by a host of prominent speakers, including Mr. Josef Valchar, CEO of Robe Lighting and Mr. Mike Wood, Chairman of PLASA and Mike Wood Consulting. They shared and discussed invaluable insights on LED Entertainment Lighting in feature films and TV studios and the rise of solid state sources in entertainment lighting.There was an outdoor LED display outside the entrance of Halls 4 & 5, and a headphone demonstration at level 2 of Hall 2. Visitors could experience first hand for themselves the superb sound quality of headphones from Aiai, beyerdynamic, Pioneer, Reloop and Sennheiser.

The PALM EXPO Organising Committee also held an industry gathering dinner for overseas associations. Members of the organising committee and distinguished guests who attended the gathering were able to network and exchange ideas. Mr. Peter Rigby delivered an opening speech and thanked all for attending PALM EXPO and making it a success.

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ADB appoints new partner On 27 May 2011, ADB Lighting Technologies (ADB) announced that, with their partner RACPRO, they were changing their strategy in China and appointing Dafeng, the biggest machinery manufacturer in China, as their new partner for turn key solution projects.

Commenting on the new appointment, Bertrand Dauphant, Asia Sales Manager

Lighting Technologies for ADB said, “Dafeng is a very well-known company in China and we will benefit from their market knowledge and expertise.

RACPRO will still remain our distributors for Hong Kong and Macau.”

D.A.S. Audio launch new products

www.adblighting.com

Antari unveils energy efficient fog machines

The Antari IP-1500 waterproof fog machine.

On display at the Antari Fog Machine booth was the IP-1500, Antari’s newest waterproof fog machine, incorporating an innovative new design that earns it an IP-63 rating. Whether indoors or outdoors, the new IP-1500 delivers massive fog output with its state-of-the-art design and 1500 watts of power.

Also on display was the DNG-200 low fog generator, a complete ground fog effect solution with wheels and handles for easy transportation. The DNG-200 is also an environmentallyfriendly machine because it does not pollute the environment and the fog effect it produces is virtually indistinguishable The DNG-200 low fog from that created generator by dry ice. www.antari.com

Clay Paky thrills visitors Throughout the entire exhibition, Clay Paky conducted demonstrations of it latest products like the award-winning Sharpy moving beam light, the Spotlight Wash projector and the Alpha Profile 700 automated spotlight.

Sharpy is a 189W moving beam light with an unprecedented brightness.

Weighing just 16 kg, Sharpy produces a perfectly parallel, laser-like beam and is groundbreaking for the purity of it, which is sharply defined and free of any halo or discoloration around the edges. It offers 14 different colors and 17 gobos, allowing you to change the shape of the beam and create an array of spectacular mid-air effects.

Clay Paky Sharpy

Shotlight Wash is a totally new kind of projector that combines an extraordinary 1500W discharge lamp washlight and a 3000W Xenon lamp strobe in just one device. The two wash/strobe functions are perfectly integrated and can be operator-controlled with either simultaneous or separate operation and special effects. The “strobe” function is provided by two semi-circular Xenon lamps working independently, i.e. they can flash together or separately, at different frequencies.

Alpha Profile 700

D.A.S. Business Operations Manager Eduardo Lopez (right) and a colleague pose in front of the Avant 118A.

The D.A.S. Audio booth attracted plenty of attention with the launch of three new products – the Avant 118A horn-bass subwoofer, the Aero 8A line array system and the LX 215A powered subwoofer system.

The Avant 118A is a powered rear-loaded horn-bass subwoofer system designed to provide extended bass response for the Avant full-range cabinets. The new Aero 8A was designed to provide audio professionals with exceptional line array performance from an ultra-compact enclosure. Measuring only 24.5 x 52.6 x 35.5 cm (9.6 x 20.7 x 14 in), the easy-tohandle units can be configured into arrays that are both powerful and predictable.

The LX-215A is a powered dual 15” 6th order band-pass subwoofer designed for impressive low frequency performance. The high-order band-pass design provides excellent loudspeaker loading characteristics for an impressive combination of punch, transient response and low-frequency extension.

D.A.S. Audio also took advantage of this event to introduce its new distributor in China, Acton Audio & Musical Instruments (Shanghai) Co., Ltd (Tom Lee Group).

Spotlight Wash

The Alpha Profile 700 is the only 700 watt automated spotlight with framing system available on the market. Focal distances have been optimised for an effective framing of well focused patterns, with triangles and quadrangles of all shapes and sizes. Programming is simplified by the colour-macros and the Dyna-Cue-Creator function.

The extraordinary (patent-pending) Stay-Sharp-Zoom function keeps images in focus while the zoom runs from one beam angle to another, even when projected effects are located on different focal planes. www.claypaky.it

www.dasaudio.com

The Aero 8A

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Fine Art shines in Beijing

Fine DM II

Among Fine Art’s many products shown at the exhibition, the FINE DM II, Fine Art’s intellectual property owned multimedia digital computer light, attracted a lot of interest. The updated Fine1200/ Fine1500 digital light Fine DM II, with 5.5 times optical zooming and autonomous focusing function, was also a headtuner. Many professional lighting visitors

were impressed with the updated Fine 2000/2500. The latest Fine 2200XF and Fine4000XF use the OSRAM XBO 2000w(4000w)/HTP OFR xenon lamp and utilise manual zoom and automatic focus functions by these products. www.fineart-light.com

Kling & Freitag showcase Gravis 12 fullrange system

Kling & Freitag Managing Director/CEO Jurgen Freitag demonstrates the flexibility of the VariPoint flying system.

Kling & Freitag’s Gravis 12 full-range system was on display at their booth. The compact enclosure of the 12-inch/ 1.4-inch Gravis 12 allows two different monitor angles. All surfaces with ground contact are protected by plastic pads against damage. The proprietary VariPoint flying

system offers quick pin fastening as well as a M10 mounting, complying with the BGV C1 safety standard. Accessories can be installed very quickly and without tools.

Maximum sound pressure level is 137dB. www.kling-freitag.de

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LDR extend partnership with Macostar LDR’s Fabiano Besio was present at the Macostar booth and chose the PALM show to renew the exclusive distribution agreement for China and Hong Kong with Macostar. “I have been dealing with Macostar for more than 10 years. We have both enriched our experience and we enjoy working together,” said Besio.

LDR’s Fabiano Besio with the Nota 8/22

On display in the Macostar booth was LDR’s Nota 8/22, a high-specification 1000/1200W profile spotlight with advanced features

Martin Professional impress with LED video wall

including a double condenser optical system for extremely sharp gobo projection, rotating 4-shutter gate, 8° to 22° narrow-angle zoom focus, a double-microswitch interlock for safe lamp replacement, easy access for lens cleaning and a cranked fork. The Nota 8/22 is ideal for front-of-house projection positions.

A colour frame, safety guard, 4 beam shutters and 2m mains cable are included as standard accessories for the spotlight. www.ldr.it

Osram debuts SIRIUS HRI System

The Palm Expo provided Martin Professional with an opportunity to showcase new series products to highlight the company’s leading role as a producer of dynamic lighting and visual effects. Martin’s booth was divided into two feature areas. The first was anchored by a 10-meter wide LC Plus Series™ LED video wall and the second showcased effects from Martin’s wide range of dynamic lighting products.

The eye-catching video wall was surrounded

by MAC 101™, MAC 401 Series™ and MAC 250 Beam™ fixtures with MAC III Profiles™ and Stagebar™ LED battens providing colour and effect from beneath. Video signal was output to the LC panels via Martin’s new ™P3200 System Controller™ video processor

Martin Professional’s elegant booth

through a Martin Maxedia™ media server.

Martin’s popular M1™ lighting console and Windows-compatible M-PC™ were used for control. www.martin.com

MIPRO Electronics introduce MTG-100 wireless tour guide/interpretation system the show. It is the smallest and lightest wireless tour guide system in the industry.

With its convenient 12 and 28 storage and charger carry cases, this system is suitable for small or large groups, indoor or outdoor guided tours, language interpretations and assisted listening in noisy environments.

Eugene Chen (left) and Mr K.C. Chang (right), CEO of MIPRO Electronics, display the MTG-100 digital wireless tour guide/interpretation system.

Proud of its digital wireless technology, MIPRO presented the MTG-100 digital wireless tour guide/interpretation system at

The Osram booth was packed with a slew of highly innovative products. Perhaps the most unique of them all were the SIRIUS HRI 230 W and 280 W. These compact and highperformance reflector lamps provide the benefits most relevant for entertainment lighting: high brightness, reduced weight and easy replacement. They are therefore applied mainly in small moving heads.

Eugene Chen, Vice President of International Sales, said, “A trade show is the best platform to showcase the advance of technology. We’ll never stop improving our skills and developing better products that produce good sound quality without distortion, interference and signal drop-out. It is our commitment to our customers.”

The SIRIUS HRI 230 W and 280 W are based on the approved P-VIP technology, but they have an optimised burner for every burner position. Due to their high luminance, which decreases only slightly over the entire lifetime of more than 2,000/3,000 hours, they allow for spectacular light effects for stage shows. The special reflector design allows for easy and fast lamp replacement, as the burner is already perfectly adjusted within the reflector. SIRIUS HRI is supplied as a complete system including ECG.

www.mipro.com.tw

www.osram.com

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Sennheiser showcases new microphones Three of Sennheiser’s latest microphones were exhibited during the show. The MK4 is a cardioid microphone that is manufactured in Germany.

It is Sennheiser’s first largediaphragm side-address microphone and focusses on giving the best possible sound quality rather than technical extravagance. Two new MKH Series shotgun microphones were also displayed at the Sennheiser booth. The MKH 8060 is a versatile short-gun microphone while the long MKH 8070 rifle microphone is suited for more distant sound sources.

It is perfect for sports events and nature recordings.

The MK4 microphone

www.sennheiser.com.cn

Wireless Solution exhibits new G-4 line The new W-DMX G-4 line was undoubtedly the highlight of the Wireless Solution booth during the show. The G-4 line includes Adaptive Frequency Hopping technology that scans the spectrum automatically to avoid interference Niclas Arvidsson poses with the new G-4 line from Wi-fi, Intercom exhibit. and other radio products. It also includes W-DMX invisi-wire and data-safe technologies for unparalleled fidelity, and support for RDM (Remote Device Management) so W-DMX units and lighting fixtures connected through W-DMX can be configured remotely with no fuss or cables. W-DMX G4 supports the 5.8GHz band as standard, ensuring that even if the 2.4GHz band becomes too crowded with other users, lighting control remains rock solid. The W-DMX G4 range of products also has the highest output power available today, with up to 800mW on 2.45GHz and 1000mW on 5.8GHz. “We’ve had great success with both end users and OEM partners in this region of the world. The G4 technology will fast be embraced,” said Niclas Arvidsson, CEO of Wireless Solution. www.wirelessdmx.com

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Australia

Bowman Hall gets Bosch sound system The project is based on an 8 x 8 E-V NetMax N8000 networkable digital matrix for Simple Mode. The EV NetMax N8000 is expandable to accept additional inputs and outputs and is controlled by a touch screen and PC. “I had to take into account that many hall users are not qualified to control a conventional multi-channel mixer based system,” explained Trevan. “Therefore, when a relatively simple system is required, control is by touch screen, directly accessing the control protocols of the E-V NetMax N8000.

This screen and its custom built GUI allow even novice users to intuitively operate the system.”

Selection of modes, e.g. banquet, forum, lecture, live music or theatre, does not require more than a preset selection or scene recall to configure the room in any default, with nominal gain, EQ presets and delay as required.

The low ceilings in Bowman Hall required time-delayed loudspeakers.

Blacktown’s Bowman Hall in Sydney, Australia, is a popular venue used in a variety of modes for all manner of productions from concerts and wedding receptions to simple meetings. It’s is a large, reverberant and asymmetric space with galleries on each side of the long axis and, quite frankly, the existing sound system was not cutting it.

Audio consultant Trevan Johns of Trevan Johns and Associates Pty Ltd was employed to design a new audio system with a level of protection and performance to allow for intuitive operation in a simple user mode, or full access to a digital mixer in concert mode.

The lower level ceilings in the gallery areas shade the central cluster and so required time-delayed loudspeakers to provide acceptable performance. This is of particular importance on the northern side of the hall, where an extension to the hall has increased the low-ceilinged area to more than 5m wide.

Trevan specified a front of house loudspeaker array consisting of six Electro-Voice XLD 281 compact line-array elements with dual EVA XCS-312 cardioid subs, all with an EVA EG grid suspending them. Two Dynacord VL262 loudspeakers are installed on the proscenium wall for side fill, located beneath the 3800mm high bulkhead. Two delay arrays are located either side of the hall and each of those consists of two groups of four Dynacord VL62 delay loudspeakers. Spaced equally, they are configured in two delay groups, front and rear.

“I worked closely with Bosch’s Bryan Davidson when designing the system,” commented Trevan. “We ran a few predictions and it looked like the E-V XLD281 cabinets would do the job the best. The result is that it sounds unbelievably good and the client is absolutely delighted.”

“Sound on Stage was the successful contractor for this project and they did a very professional job,” concluded Trevan. www.bosch.com

The FOH array is powered by two Dynacord H5000 amplifiers (with two more driving the subs) as well as an H2500 amplifier. Delay and side fill loudspeakers are powered by a single four channel EV CPS4.5 amplifier whilst monitor wedges are driven by an H2500.

“The amplifiers contain all of the smarts such as delay times which are all done onboard,” remarked Trevan.

“This was essential as we didn’t want to be placed in the position where it was done back in the front end as we needed both simple and complex modes for the hall.”

Bowman Hall’s new sound system sounds unbelievably good.

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The two sets of FBT Modus Line Array Systems in the indoor sports stadium.

Malaysia

INSPEN installs FBT Modus Line Array Two sets of FBT’s Modus Line Array System have been installed in the National Institute of Valuation’s (INSPEN) newly developed Campus 2, Sepang, Selangor, West Malaysia.

INSPEN is the training and research arm of the Valuation and Property Services Department under Malaysia’s Ministry of Finance.

sports stadium and staff hostels on the western side of the campus.

INSPEN Campus 2 measures approximately 48 acres and is located in the vicinity of Putrajaya, the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. INSPEN is tasked with advising the government on all matters relating to the value of real estate, the impact of property development and management policies, and to enhance the knowledge and expertise of the human resources in the real estate industry.

The Line Array speaker configuration comprises of 2 pairs of FBT Modus 401600W - 138dB SPL Precision coverage vertical array, 2 pairs of FBT Modus 15 1600W 138dB SPL Precision coverage vertical array and 2 pairs of FBT Modus Sub1800W - 141dB SPL subwoofer.

The new INSPEN Campus 2 consists of a central North-South axis connecting the northern building components comprising female hostels, student union, kindergarten, a central park and a prayer hall to the southern building components comprising the male hostels and the hostels for professionals undergoing training at INSPEN Campus 2. At the center of the development is the open plaza and the main campus which connects the administration building and the classrooms on the eastern side to the indoor

Two sets of FBT Modus Passive Line Array Systems have been installed in the indoor sports stadium with one set on each side of the FOH in the indoor sports stadium.

An artist impression of the completed INSPEN campus.

The FBT MODUS speakers had been chosen because they are top quality products made in Italy. Being a true full-range array with vertical and horizontal dispersion angles controlled and optimised for large (reverberant) indoor environments, the sound quality is superb.

FBT Modus Line Array provides good sound and voice intelligibility, optimal coverage, maximum sub bass and output power.

The FBT Modus Line Array Systems were supplied by Meditec Trader Pte Ltd. www.fbt.it www.audio.com.sg

A closer look at the FBT Modus Line Array System.

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United Arab Emirates

Martin’s Exterior 400 Range™ lights Abu Dhabi Judicial Department Building

Martin Professional‘s award-winning Exterior 400 Range of outdoor LED wash lights have been used to light the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) building in UAE. Installed around the perimeter of the building on 1.8m high decorative poles are Exterior 400™ and Exterior 410™ lighting fixtures as well as Martin Exterior 200™ luminaires. The Exterior 400 range is a powerful yet energy-efficient line of LED light fixtures for coloured or white light projection that recently won a Platinum level 2011 Product Innovation Award as one of the best LED/solid-state luminaires on the market.

The main decision maker behind the lighting concept is ADJD architect Aziz Meleka who specified the Exterior 400 range after viewing a demo by Martin Professional Middle East.

The project was then forwarded to the contractor, B.J. Lighting, a Martin Professional dealer in Abu Dhabi, who also handled local lighting supply and

installation. B.J. Lighting worked closely with Martin Professional Middle East throughout the project.

The facade lighting for the building consists of three parts - dome, curved wall and entrance wall - with various color changes and scenarios enhancing the architecture and transforming the space into a decorative jewel of night time Abu Dhabi.

Martin Middle East and B.J. Lighting worked under an exceptionally tight deadline to deliver the project on time. Installation of the Martin luminaires commenced on November 7, 2010 and was completed on November 30

with commissioning taking place on Dec 2, the UAE’s National Day. The Exterior 400 line of outdoor wash lights consists of two powerful RGBW color mixing fixtures (separate color pixels or pre-mixed), one white light fixture with a wide color temperature range and a single color variant. With very low power consumption (max 139 W), the Exterior 400 range is also a leader in energy-efficiency.

All fixtures include colour calibration ensuring uniformity, a super rugged IP65 housing and internal power and control. www.martin.com

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(L-R) Alex Boh (AV-Science), Mike Hassan and Jeffrey

Singapore

MIPRO resonates with Singapore Zoo Located in the northern part of Singapore, the Singapore Zoological Gardens is a world famous “open concept” zoo which has achieved a string of accolades for being one of the best leisure attractions that provides visitors with a fun-filled experience. Set in a rainforest environment, the animals live in spacious and landscaped environments simulating that of their natural habitat.

The 28-hectare award-winning zoo offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy educational and interactive exhibits as well as shows which convey facts about the animals and messages about wildlife conservation. There are presentations and feeding sessions taking place throughout the day to keep visitors entertained.

The presenters at the Singapore Zoo have been using MIPRO products for their shows and presentations. As MIPRO’s wireless portable systems have delivered good quality and natural sound reproduction, the Singapore Zoo has recently added more MIPRO equipment to their list of audio equipment for their shows and presentations.

The newly added items include 45 sets of MIPRO MA-101ACT Wireless IR RemoteControl PA System, complete with 45 pieces of MIPRO MT-101ACT, 3 sets of MIPRO MA202 portable wireless PA systems, complete with 3 pieces of MIPRO MT-202T and 3 sets of MIPRO MA-707 Wireless Portable PA system with matching ACT wireless transmitters.

The MIPRO equipment were supplied and

installed by AV-Science Marketing Pte Ltd. MIPRO’s MA-101ACT wireless speakers are mounted on the rafters of the outdoor shelters in each attraction. Each MA-101ACT speaker delivers a powerful 30 watts RMS output. With up to 97 built-in UHF frequencies, different channels can be easily set up for interference-free presentations at the various attractions within the Singapore Zoo. Mike Hassan of the Sound Unit of Singapore Zoo is happy that the presenters at 23 different locations in the zoo need not change microphones to match the frequency of the ceiling mounted MA-101ACT speakers when they go to a different location. “It is good that the same MT-101ACT transmitter microphone can be used in up to 97 different locations within the zoo. Each presenter can carry his/her own personal wireless microphone from one attraction to another attraction. This minimizes the risk of bringing the microphone with the wrong RF frequency to the show or presentation.”

The Automatic Channel Targeting Feature allows the presenter to quickly select the RF frequency without worrying about the problem of interference. The presenter can also remotely turn the system on and off as well as adjust the volume, all from the wireless MT-101ACT microphone. This versatile microphone can accept external lavalier or headset microphones as well as other audio sources via a mini-phone jack

input. An external audio source such as a CD or MP3 player can also be connected to the remote microphone and be heard through the monitor speaker system.

The presenters also like MIPRO’s MA-202 system because it is portable, flexible and delivers superb sound quality. Presenters can slot SD cards into it with pre-recorded sounds of animals to make shows and presentations sound more realistic. The microphone transmitters deliver very clear and natural sound reproduction and the battery performance has been extremely good.

MIPRO’s portable PA system is reliable, space efficient and easy to set-up. Hassan and his team are impressed by the equipment’s performance and are confident that they have made the right choice. www.mipro.com.tw

MA-101ACT wireless speakers mounted on the rafters

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Brunei

Synergy AVL delivers turnkey audiovisual-lighting solutions for Pusat Insani

The Pusat Insani multi-purpose hall.

To mark 80 years of presence in the Sultanate since the discovery of oil in 1929, the Brunei Shell Petroleum Company (BSP) unveiled plans in 2008 to build its largest community development in Brunei. The Pusat Insani project was a multi-million dollar community centre that will serve as a link between the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre and Seria Town.

The development features function rooms, a gymnasium, a VVIP lounge, a learning centre and other modern amenities. However, the key facility will be the centre’s multi-purpose hall which has the capacity to accommodate 1,500 people in lavish banquet-style seating and will be used to host royal, government, community and corporate events.

Pusat Insani is designed as a dynamic, forward-looking community centre that will add value to the quality of life for the people of Brunei Darussalam. To support this vision, the centre’s many facilities had to be equipped with the most reliable audiovisual solutions available. Synergy AVL, a Singapore- based audio-visual consultant and systems integrator was awarded the contract to design, supply and install the sound, stage lighting, video, control and camera systems

for the multi-purpose hall, gymnasium, aerobics studio, VVIP lounge and lobby entrance.

Synergy was already familiar with the client having previously completed the Shell Auditorium in Brunei a few years back. As this was a very prestigious client, Synergy AVL worked closely with their principals from Outline, LDR, Macostar, DTS Lighting and Stark to formulate a turnkey system that was unique and would deliver the best possible performance for the various areas.

As the AV consultant, Synergy presented a detailed simulation and a full set of drawings for the system’s schematics, layout, location and angles to the client. Being a systems integrator, Synergy felt that it would also be the best company to carry out the complex installation works.

18 Outline MANTAS, 4 Outline SUBTECH 218 subwoofers, 8 Outline T-Five digital amplifiers, and a single Outline Genius 26 DSP controller. Stage equipment involved 6 Outline HARD 115 SP as stage wedges, 8 Shure SLX wireless microphone and antenna distribution systems, and 2 Klotz TrueLink Pro boxes. Inside the Control Room, mixing duties are performed from an Allen & Heath GL2800 40-channel console and a pair of Outline MICRA II as booth monitors. The processing racks are fitted with Klark Teknik SQ1D 8-channel dynamic processors, Klark Teknik Square ONE 31-band equalisers, Lexicon MX400XL and Yamaha SPX2000 effects units, Furman PS-PRO E Series II power conditioners and a Denon & Tascam dual CD deck for playback.

Italian Audio

The multi-purpose hall would also be the venue for music concerts and Synergy approached this sound reinforcement criteria by choosing to use the Italian designed and made VLA (vertical line array) system from Outline. The FOH system consists of LDR lighting installed in the multi-purpose hall.

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Power and processing rack.

The main control room.

Moving Stage Lighting

The lighting system in the hall uses Italian designed fixtures from Luci Della Ribalta (LDR) and DTS Lighting. The lighting scheme is made up of 54 LDR nota 1200W Fresnels, 21 LDR nota 1200W (18°-36°) Profiles, 12 LDR tono 2000W Fresnels, 2 LDR tono 2000W (8°-22°) Profiles, 2 LDR Canto 1200W Followspots, 13 LDR Xpress 19/26 Colour Scrollers, 15 DTS XR8 Spot 575W, 4 DTS XR8 Wash 575W, 10 Macostar MARS3120 12-channel dimmers, 6 Macostar DMX splitters and 2 Antari HZ500 haze machines. Control is from the Daslight 1024

The LDR Canto followspot position in the control room.

designed for the multi-purpose hall. This is made possible by sequencing 9 STARK Matrix projectors that are installed on XLT SC lifts which incorporates as an integrated projection and tracking system to create a digital carpet that leads from the main door to the stage. Three projectors - a Panasonic PT-D12000 (12K lumens) and 2 Panasonic PT-D6000 (6K lumens) are paired with Remaco motorised screens and a camera system using 6 Sony BRC-300 cameras linked through a Datavideo SE-900 8-channel video mixer complete the video inventory. Extron MTP Transmitters, IN1502 Scalers and DSC500 Convertors, an AutoPatch 16x16 RGBHV Matrix Switcher and an AMX Touch Panel Control System complete the audiovisual set-up in the multi-purpose hall.

Other Facilities

One of the main Outline MANTAS line array hangs.

Gold lighting control software. The lamp source used in the LDR optical train design is the single-ended Philips Halogen lamp and Klotz Cables were chosen for the power and control cables for the lighting control desk and spotlights.

Interactive Video

The high point of the visual effects package is the longest interactive 3D graphical floor projection in Southeast Asia which Synergy

Sound reinforcement in the other facilities has been designed to be unobtrusive yet able to deliver high performance when needed most. In the gymnasium and aerobics venue, Synergy has installed 4 Outline DVS 8 SP powered speakers with low frequency support from a single Outline LAB 15 SP powered sub.

Two sets of Shure SLX Wireless microphones and an Allen & Heath ZED audio mixer complete the system. In the VVIP lounge, the system features 8 Outline DVS 8 SP speakers together with Shure SLX Wireless microphones and an Allen & Heath ZED audio mixer.

Headed by Senior Project Manager Chip Chong, the Synergy team completed the project within its given schedule of only six months from the proposal stage, to the commissioning stage. This was possible because of the very strong support and on-site visits the team received from the manufacturers and suppliers. The prestigious venue was officially opened by His Majesty, The Sultan of Brunei and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei and will be the hallmark of harmony between the oil and gas industry and the community of South Brunei. www.synergyavl.com www.outline.it www.ldr.it www.daslight.com www.lighting.philips.com.sg www.klotz-ais.com www.stark1200.com www.antari.com www.macostar.com

The Outline LAB 15 SP sub in the gymnasium.

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China

APG goes clubbing at BabyFace in Beijing Babyface Beijing was hailed as the trailbreaker of the lounge club concept in Bejing when it first opened in December 2004. It is the club that changed the whole pattern of Beijing’s night life. It is also bigger, more fashionable and more comfortable than any of the other seven venues in the chain. When it came up for sale recently, Chinese entrepreneur, Mr Dai, jumped at the chance to purchase the club. He then set about refurbishing it from top to bottom. An important part of the refurbishment was the replacement of the sound system, which is now APG throughout.

Mr Dai was very clear about what he wanted to achieve. “I want this club to stand out from the crowd,” he said. “And for that, I have to have the best sound system and the best lighting system available.” He turned to local audio experts and APG distributors BVCAM to help him with his choice of equipment.

BVCAM organised a demo for Mr Dai at their dedicated APG demo room in Shenzhen that turned out to be extremely convincing. BVCAM’s Danny Huen explained that Mr Dai understands audio and has listened to many brands of sound systems over the years. He was interested to listen to the APG system as well.

“Actually, he found APG to have a uniquely pure sound that set it apart from other brands, so he put our proposal on his list for consideration.”

It didn’t take Mr Dai long to make his decision after such a successful demo. “I realised straight away that this was an excellent system and perfect for Babyface,” he said.

“I also consulted some of my peers to ask for their opinions, which merely served to reinforce my own impressions, so it turned out to be a straightforward choice.”

BVCAM specified six APG SMX15 monitor speakers for the main room. SMX15 is a high precision, high powered enclosure that is equally suited to FoH applications or for use as a stage monitor. Six APG TB218S subs handle the low frequencies supplemented by DS15s and SUB238s for side fill. “One of our main priorities for the sound design was to ensure the same SPL throughout the room, regardless of whether you’re sitting in the furthest corner or you’re right in the middle of the dance floor,” noted Huen. “It doesn’t matter where you are in the room – the sound quality remains homogenous throughout and of extremely high quality.”

In addition to the main room, Babyface also offers a number of VIP spaces available for private hire, the largest of which is the

dual-level King Room. Often reserved for karaoke parties, the King Room is equipped with APG DS12 and DS15 multipurpose enclosures on the lower level with DS8s handling upstairs. A further twelve, smaller VIP rooms are equipped with two APG DS12s and one APG SUB138P each.

All of the VIP rooms offer clients the choice between a feed from the main dance floor or their own private DJ. Audio coverage in the entrance and the toilet facilities is handled by a number of APG MX1s, selected for their compact and discreet profile and broad dispersion characteristics.

According to Danny Huen, Mr Dai is delighted with the results and is planning to use APG again for the renovation of his next project. APG’s sales and marketing director, Xavier Pion, is equally pleased.

“This installation at BabyFace with APG systems proves yet again that we made the right choice with BVCAM as our distributor in China. They have done an excellent job on this big project. It’s also a testament to the versatility of SMX15 which is just as well-suited to the requirements of big clubs such as BabyFace as it is to the stage.” www.apg.tm.fr

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Malaysia

MIPRO ACT 707 – The clear choice for Petronas Philharmonic Hall

The Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (DFP), or Petronas Philharmonic Hall, is a world-class concert hall, especially custom-built for the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra and other classical music performances. Designed by Cesar Pelli & Associates and officially opened on 17 August 1998, the purpose built DFP is nicely nestled within the PETRONAS Twin Towers, the tallest twin buildings in the world and is the landmark of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Since then, DFP has become Malaysia’s premier venue for concerts and musical performances of international renown. DFP frequently hosts both local performances as well as international musicians and orchestras including Joshua Bell, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and the Philadelphia Orchestra.

Wolfgang Sawallisch, Music Director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, described Dewan Filharmonik Petronas as “one of the world’s best concert halls”.

With the traditional shoebox design of 19th Century European concert halls and equipped with state-of-the-art acoustic technology, DFP has a capacity of 885, including the seats in 20 luxurious corporate suites.

When it comes to the choice of professional wireless microphone systems, DFP has been very discerning in sourcing and evaluating the different brand names, before adding 8 sets of MIPRO ACT-707 UHF Four-Channel True Diversity Receiver, 32 pieces of ACT-707TM Professional Bodypack Transmitter, and 32 pieces of MU-55HNS Uni-directional Headset Microphones to its existing list of professional audio equipment.

MIPRO ACT-707TM Bodypack Transmitter & MU55HNS Uni-directional Headset Microphones

MIPRO’s ACT-707 Receiver can be PCInterfaced, monitored and controlled. ACT707 comes with a colour LCD display and Automatic Channel Targeting (ACT) function with 100 manual presets and 961 computer selectable UHF frequencies. With just two

presses of the buttons in sequence, the user is able to find an available frequency and lock in on the selected frequency.

Mr. Ivan, the Project Consultant, is very pleased with the ease of programming, and agreed that ACT-707 is a good professional system for live performances. The dexterity of sound reproduction is amazing, without the need to worry about distortion, interference and signal loss issues. The quality of the durable, lightweight magnesium bodypack transmitter not only provides long hours of usage with just 2 AA batteries, but also protects against impact damage. The durability and performance of the MU-55HNS sweat proof head-worn microphone capsules are also commendable.

The MIPRO professional equipment was supplied by M/s Meditec Trader Pte Ltd. www.mipro.com.tw

Mr. Ivan and MIPRO’s ACT 707 Receiver

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Microhire test their Clear-Com Tempest System wireless talkback system has an operating frequency that doesn’t interfere with any other wireless instruments that may also be present.”

The new Clear-Com Tempest system is the only four-audio channel, digital wireless system that operates licensefree in the 2.4 GHZ band. By utilising the 2.4 GHz Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS) in conjunction with TDMA technology, the Tempest2400 RF scheme avoids the need for licensing and frequency coordination.

Tour de Cure, a cycling foundation committed to finding a cure for cancer, recently held their fourth annual ‘A Day of Inspiration…Secrets of Achievement’ event at Sydney’s Doltone House.

The event featured thought-provoking stories from leading speakers of all areas of life - sports, business, not-for-profit organisations and the community – anyone with an inspiring story to tell.

Microhire supplied all the audio-visual requirements for this prestigious event which also saw them trying out their new Clear-Com Tempest wireless intercom system.

“It’s a flexible yet reliable system, ideal for a busy company like ours,” said Thomas Armati, general manager at Microhire. “The system also seamlessly integrates with our existing wired intercom systems. We’ve also discovered that our Clear-Com Tempest

In addition, once registered to a base station, a beltpack needs no further configuration and roams freely within a single zone area, making it perfect for live sports, breaking news, and highcoordination productions such as awards shows.

“The Clear-Com Tempest wireless intercom system is a great product,” agreed Ashley Lewis, Technical Director at Microhire. “It’s really easy to use and sync up.” www.jands.com.au

Carabao tours Thailand with 144 PR XLED 590’s The Bangkok office of Acoustic & Lighting System Sdn Bhd has provided 144 XLED 590 moving head wash lights to Light Source for use in the 30th anniversary tour by local rock legends Carabao. The band’s lengthy One Province One Concert (OPOC) tour, which started on 1 April 2011 and will last until 15 December 2011, will stop at all 76 provinces throughout Thailand.

Acoustic & Lighting System Sdn Bhd, who have been working with PR Lighting products since July 2005, took the opportunity to introduce the new, extremely bright LED heads. They have been programmed into the scenography alongside conventional spots and washes

by Chaiwut Panomchon and operated from a Road Hog Full Boar console.

Acoustic & Lighting System Sdn Bhd are headquartered in Selangor, Malaysia.

Their Bangkok-based branch manager, Veera Lee, said, “We like the XLED 590 as it is extremely light (just 11kg), portable and multipurpose . It can be customised with

the addition of a handle and can also function as an automated par can. The XLED 590’s were easy to install and are distributed on the top and front trusses, which were purpose-made for this tour.”

The XLED 590 moving head wash lights have received nothing but excellent feedback from the lighting crew and production staff. They were amazed at the extraordinary light output from such a small fixture. This is because the fixture uses Osram’s Diamond Dragon LED, one of the world’s brightest single-chip SMT

LEDs (offering up to 250 lumens). Each head contains 90 high power 5W LED’s (30 x Red, 30 x Green, 30 x Blue), and the average lamp life is 100,000 hours.

Meanwhile, as the tour continues to travel to stadiums and domes around the country, the 12 trucks carring their equipment can be recognised by the PR Lighting posters on their sides. www.pr-lighting.com

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A birds-eye view of the stage.

Dubai Rocks for Concert supporting Peace One Day Fifteen leading production and technical services companies including Al Laith Event Services, Creative Technology, Delta Sound, EFM Event Logistics and Neumann & Müller Event Technology supplied equipment, manpower, resources and expertise - free of charge - to create three days of action-packed concerts at Dubai’s Aviation Club.

The first night was headlined by popular singer/songwriter Ali Campbell, founder of UB40. Set against the current backdrop of mass protests, civil unrest, violence and the desire for political change in key areas of the Middle East, a resonance and urgency was added to the values embraced by Peace One Day (www.peaceoneday.org) and the importance of boosting public awareness of its goals.

The concept for the concerts came from Jo Marshall of Al Laith Event Services, who is a passionate supporter of Peace One Day. The concerts also lined up a host of local talent including Juliana Down, Absolace, The Brownies, Maplejacks, The Shine and many others.

Timing wise, Marshall thought it would be ideal to stage the first night concert alongside the annual EFM Party, a social and networking event with some serious gravitas.

This has evolved into a bit of a phenomenon, becoming a must-go destination for the movers-and-shakers of the region’s busy event industry.

“We have a reputation for staging world class events here in the UAE and neighbouring

countries, so this seemed an ideal opportunity to help raise the profile of a great cause, in the process showcasing the premium standards and quality of work that companies and individuals based here can produce,” stated Marshall.

Marshall initially shared the idea with Mike Llewellyn, Group Managing Director at EFM, who was equally as enthusiastic. A list of EFM’s top clients was drawn up which included Al Laith and the three other main sponsors plus several others. Marshall was really impressed by the response. “Absolutely everyone was up for it!” he reported.

The concert broke new ground in being the first ever such event in Dubai, and the largest show ever to be staged at The Aviation Club, with the biggest and most sophisticated array of production equipment. It involved some intense logistics, imagination, foresight, hard work and collective energy to produce a truly unique event. Such was the success of the concert that plans are already being formulated to make it an annual event.

“It is the most enjoyable project I’ve ever worked on,” said Marshall after the first night - a feeling echoed by all who helped make it happen.

From there, a truly remarkable almost magical synergy developed which spread infectiously to other service companies and production suppliers, getting the ball rolling and a buzz in the air. Marshall particularly wanted to emphasise the technical discipline, expertise and knowledge available in the UAE. In addition to Al Laith (staging, structures and production infrastructure), Delta Sound (audio), CT (video) and Neumann & Müller (lighting) confirmed their participation.

HQ Creative came onboard to handle production management with a team led by Nadine Manning and 9 other sponsors who contributed backline (Musician’s Warehouse), furniture (Harlequin), draping, dressing & starcloths (Showtex), crewing (Gulf Crewing), site power and distribution (Gulf Show Power), branding & printing (Prolab), etc.

Artist booking and liaison was handled by The Aviation Club.

Jo Marshall of Al Laith Event Services.

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the event by Jevons. This enabled each song to have a distinct look, feel, colouration and character of its own.

Two follow spots were supplied as part of the lighting package. Apart from producing spectacular-looking effects, all the performers were perfectly lit and toned for the video shoot, which will be edited for a DVD. Jevons, who has worked on several major projects in the UAE comments, “This was a very special event with an amazing atmosphere and lots of nice people who really know their stuff. It was a real honour to be part of it.”

Drapes & Dressing

Technicians preparing the stage for the concert.

Staging & Structures

The Al Laith team was headed by Ross Cameron. Their biggest logistical challenge was that there was absolutely no spare space on site, so each truckload of equipment (up to six a day for a week) had to contain exactly the right kit for the next stage of the build process. Each stage had to be rigorously completed before the elements needed for the next could be parked up and offloaded.

The stage and dance floor area immediately in front of it was constructed over an artificial pond and water feature, with a rocky edge, so all the decking - standard steel cup-lock had to be customised to deal with the uneven topography and the kidney shape of the platform that maximised the space. They also had to be respectful of the environment which is home to a colony of terrapins and ducks.

A three-bay, 20m wide Space Roof was installed, a tricky operation due to the restricted space, but achieved in two days with the help of a 160-tonne crane from Johnson’s.

The long reach crane was necessary as it could not be positioned conveniently close to lift the roof over the stage due to the pond.

Cameron and his 40 Al Laith crew which included eight climbers led by Simon Carr also erected a three storey FOH tower and a 7m high projection platform beside it to house 2 x Christie 20K projectors used to screen the pre-show Peace One Day video.

They positioned one of Al Laith Site Services’ Flatpack portable cabins just off the stage left ramp, which is an efficient 8-person lift and was assembled in under 5 minutes, in which CT set up Video Central. Another four cabins were supplied for the production office, artist dressing rooms and green room zone, along

with a 3 x 3 metre air conditioned ‘chill tent’.

Al Laith worked alongside 12 members of Gulf Crewing.

Lighting

Neumann & Müller brought in Nick Jevons from the UK as ‘production visuals designer’.

Jevons was given a blank canvas and a kit list as his starting point from which he designed a fabulous looking rig to cater for all the artists.

He had 55 moving lights at his disposal - a mix of Vari*Lite 3000 Spots, Martin MAC 700 Washes and Profiles and A&O 4K Falcon Beams. Also on the rig were 4-lites, Atomic Strobes and 16 bars of 6 PARs, all of which was arranged on three overhead straight trusses and two raked side trusses sub hung from the Space Roof. His aim was to get the lights in position for good overall stage coverage and to create an interesting looking back wall which also included 9 columns of white stealth screen from CT.

The LED animation starcloths supplied by Showtex filled the left and right sides of the inside stage, adding a stylish finishing touch that ensured there were no ‘black voids’ for the cameras. With 30 individually controllable LEDs per square metre, these can be pixelmapped and driven by any media server. In this case it was an Arkaos system operated by one of the Showtex crew.

Showtex also supplied 300 metres of truss sleeves, tailor made from a special knit black trevira which stretched over various diameter trusses. Ribs at regular intervals helped diffuse light from truss warmers along the length of the trussing span. The kabuki was made from a white polystretch material, which was ideal for projection. It was tensioned and anchored by 8 electric kabuki points which were released together, pinging it rapidly and spectacularly into the centre of the stage mouth, from where it dropped neatly to the floor just clear of the front edge of the stage.

The back wall lights were arranged on a series of trusses hung below one other, giving a multi-level upstage lighting feature adding depth and elegance to the picture.

The lighting fixtures were interspersed in between the Stealth columns which could be broken up and used in sections, giving a big, dynamic rock ‘n’ roll feel and a great visual fluidity to the space.

For control, Jevons used an Avolites Pearl Expert with a touch wing. Utilising the wing to do all his palettes, patching, pre-set focuses and programming freed up the main console for all the memories, making the whole process quick and straightforward. A Martin Maxedia media server operated in stand-alone mode was supplied by Neumann & Müller to play out content to the Stealth, featuring special clips and footage created for

Ali Campbell croons for the audience.

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A fantastic show by Ali Campbell and his band.

The ingenious snow/foam effect that dressed the risers was created from Alushape mouldable fabric, which comes in a roll and is scrunched up to produce a cotton wool like effect which can be shaped to anything and absorbs light beautifully.

Finally, Showtex installed three 3.5 x 2.5 metre Peace One Day internally lit branding cubes out in the audience area. The printed fabric is fitted into the frames via a push system needing no tools, and the cube’s profile is angled at 45 degrees to avoid shadows being cast onto the fascias by the lighting fixtures.

Video

In addition to the onstage Stealth screen, CT supplied 2 side screens made from Lighthouse R7 surface, each measuring 6 panels wide by 5 high, and these were used for a 3-camera IMAG mix, directed by Eduardo Ferrari. He used a GV Kayak mixer/switcher stationed in the stage left portable cabin.

They also supplied the 2 x Christie 20K HD projectors for FOH projection onto a stretched white Showtex kabuki which was jettisoned at the end of the Peace One Day showreel as Campbell and his band took to the stage. All things video were connected via a site-wide fibre system. A 103-inch plasma screen was installed in a central location on the adjacent Aviation Club pool deck where the EFM party was taking place. This showed a TX relay of the performance to amassed revellers. Once Ali Campbell’s set finished, the side screens were used to relay

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the Champions League Final football match for the many concert goers who decided to party on at the Irish Village for the rest of the evening.

pleasure to be associated with such a fantastic evening, and work with so many motivated people, all focussed on providing the great production values for which we are known.”

CT’s Damien McGurn said, “This was a brilliant event for many reasons. Apart from Peace One Day being so now and relevant, it broke new ground staging a large and fabulous looking and sounding show at this venue”.

The EFM Party started as a largely local affair 4 years ago and was such a success that it quickly became an annual industry event.

This year it took a quantum leap forward in support of Peace One Day.

Audio

Delta Sound are one of the best known audio specialists in the Middle East and they supplied an L-Acoustics sound system which was designed by Rob Eatock.

The main left and right hangs were flown just inside the Space Roof, comprising 8 V-DOSC elements each with 3 dv-DOSC downs.

Eatock commented on how easy it was to fly the arrays off the Space Roof.

EFM Party

EFM Director Lisa Ryan said, “The Concert was a great boost to the profile of the EFM Party and a brilliant idea with much future potential. We were all delighted to be a sponsor and offer our guests the opportunity to enjoy the Ali Campbell show - which looked and sounded amazing - as a part of a memorable evening”. EFM’s Mike Llewellyn stated, “There is little more I can add to the fantastically positive response to this event, other than to say that each and every one of the sponsors and crew has done themselves proud.”

The front fills were two stacks of 3 x dv’s, with another 2 stacks of 3 dvs for outfills, complete with 6 x SB218 subs per side, ground stacked, for a nice big, bold bottom end.

The FOH desk was an Avid Profile, which was specified

by Ali Campbell’s engineer Dan Bartley, on which he took advantage of all the onboard processing and effects. A Yamaha PM 5D was used for monitors, mixed by Carl Rosamond for Ali Campbell and Delta’s Rob Turner for all The Concert for Peace One Day crew onstage. the other bands.

The monitors supplied were 12 x Audio Analysts FR12 wedges, together with L-Acoustics ARCS side fills, with Campbell and band bringing their own Sennheiser IEM and wireless mic systems. For all the others, Delta supplied a standard mics-and-stands package with an assortment from all the leading brands. Campbell was backed by a 10 piece band.

A major challenge for sound, apart from having to trim a few trees to clear the speaker lines, was to ensure that everyone at the EFM Party had full sonic enjoyment of the show whilst still being able to hold an audible conversation - a task achieved through judicious focusing and fine-tuning of the system.

One of the two sidescreens at the concert.

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Andy Jackson, MD of Delta Sound UAE, shared the positive post show vibes, saying “It was an absolute

Apart from being a major success, the concert brought a fresh, invigorating and different impetus to the UAE production scene. The atmosphere was incredible and there were many happy people at the end of it, not least Jo Marshall. He summates, “The teamwork was outstanding. While everyone concentrated on making their own dedicated areas work, when needed, they also pitched in and helped one another, all of which made the production run like a dream. Everyone’s had a great time .... and we now have a solid foundation on which to build future Peace One Day live events in the UAE.” While the co-operation, spirit and harmony between all the companies, individuals and departments was an invigorating experience, it has also helped put the principals and aspirations of the Peace One Day organisation in front of several thousand new and potential supporters.

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“Ben-Hur” involved 200 actors, 24 horses and a chariot race.

Auvitran go Down Under with Ben-Hur Delivering full control of a stadium-wide EtherSound audio network, AuviTran’s matrix devices and software could be found at the heart of “Ben-Hur”, an €11 million extravaganza produced by StadeFrance Live Events and staged in Sydney’s ANZ Stadium.

Narrated by Russell Crowe, “Ben-Hur” rivalled the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in its size and scale. For two consecutive nights, the show filled the 15,000 sqm performance area with 200 actors, 24 horses and a full-on chariot race in the 80,000-capacity ANZ Stadium.

Travelling outside Paris for the first time since it debuted in 2006, this successful production

by StadeFrance Live Events required a high level of international cooperation between its French producers and Australian logistics teams. All audio technical management was

in the hands of GL Events Audiovisual and a team headed up by Fred Viricel, the technical director of sound.

In the world’s biggest theatrical space, audio distribution was planned and achieved over an EtherSound network, using Ethernet and optical links. The system, designed by J.Lyonnet, used L’Acoustics cabinets, with amplifiers connected to EtherSound via a Digigram ES8out, with Yamaha stageboxes and consoles. “The main advantages of using EtherSound as the audio transmission link were routing flexibility and system reliability,” explains GL Events’ network engineer Philippe Mourdon, who supervised 220 L’Acoustic cabinets in 32x line-array clusters in a highly robust star architecture, brought in for the occasion and enabled by two AuviTran AVM500-ES matrixes.

The AVM500-ES is a Network Matrix, providing routing of 320 x 320 digital 48kHz 24-bit audio channels. It has numerous features which enable users to construct really robust safe systems. For example, a built-in redundant auxiliary power supply input, remote installation monitor and control, and the option to use multiple units ringed together using their A Ports to create a redundant ring of EtherSound networks.

Auvitran’s matrix devices and software were used for the show.

Using the AVM500-ES in conjunction with AuviTran’s ESMonitor provided superior routing flexibility plus the benefit of a range of diagnostic tools. The ES-Monitor is one of the most comprehensive software packages available for the management and control of EtherSound networks, allowing automatic detection of connected devices and network

The GL Events sound dream team (from left to right: P. Mourdon, J. Lyonnet, S. Putaux and F.Viricel)

architecture, direct routing management and full diagnostic capability.

“AuviTran devices gave our system an outstanding level of routing flexibility, coupled with full redundancy, which is vital for a production of this size with so much live action,” continues Philippe Mourdon, who also compliments the AuviTran team for providing impressive support in France and for the show in Australia.

StadeFrance Live Events is a whollyowned subsidiary of the Consortium Stade de France. Its core business is creating, producing and delivering premium live events for stadia as well as providing comprehensive support including programming and strategy consulting services. The Ben-Hur Stadium Spectacular was brought to Sydney under a five-year agreement between StadeFrance Live Events and ANZ Stadium. The new partnership places Sydney at the forefront of the emerging global entertainment genre of stadium-scale presentations of classic theatre and opera, as well as contemporary entertainment. www.auvitran.com

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As per the guidelines of Advance Acoustic Research, the system was integrated and supplied by Acoustic Arts Pvt. Ltd. and comprised of 2 x VQ 60; 2 x VS 215HL and 4 x V12HP (monitors); powered by classleading Lab.gruppen amplification (2 x FP4000 and 1 x fP2600); with Biamp DSP, Yamaha Mixing Consoles, 42 Sennheisser and 8 DI boxes.

Developed as a serious and credible alternative to installing line array systems, Tannoy VQ Series delivers the inherent benefits of a point source cabinet while overcoming many of the perceived weaknesses. With unheralded pattern control and extremely high sensitivity, a single VQ cabinet can deliver better SPL coverage and clarity than an array comprising of 4 or 5 boxes. As an example, a VQ 60 will produce 115dB for 1 Watt; and 138dB (144dB peak) for only 200 Watts of amplifier power, with a tightly controlled 60 dispersion pattern across the full frequency range.

The VQ range has recently benefited from the addition of several new devices, maximising the potential of the product and making it one of the most capable and modular high SPL sound reinforcement loudspeaker systems available. The VQ Series class-leading pattern control radiating from a coherent single point source, ensures predictable array performance and allows very accurate system design, thanks to Tannoy’s patented PSW waveguide.

Tannoy VQ helps power the Indian Territorial Army Band With over 105 band members playing a diverse range of musical instruments, the Indian Territorial Army Band needed a system that was reliable, capable of high SPL coverage, delivered superior tonal quality and was easy to use. Faced with a myriad of choices, the Territorial Army brought in ElectroAcoustic Consultants Advance Acoustic Research in order to determine the best sound reinforcement system to meet the demands of the band.

After assessing and comparing various equipment from different manufacturers, Mr Tikendra Singh, Principal Consultant of Advance Acoustic Research, recommended Tannoy VQ Series. The Indian Territorial Army Band decided to go with the full-range point-source Tannoy VQ system.

Tannoy’s VQ Series is a modular system designed to suit any application where precise directional control, outstanding sonic performance and very high SPL, low distortion output are critical issues such as in large corporate AV systems, stadiums, large dance clubs, live concert halls, theatres, houses of worship, and open air venues. The VQ Series was launched in 2008, with additions to the augment the range in 2009.

Since it is a point-source system, one VQ 60 unit offers the same clarity, definition and power as a 4-box line array system. Perfect, in other words, for the needs of the Indian Territorial Army Band.

The Indian Territorial Army Band is currently using the system in all their performances across India. They have received great praise for the superior performance provided by VQ Series. The system has been used a number of times at India Gate in front of crowds of more than ten thousand people. www.tannoy.com www.labgruppen.com www.lakeprocessing.com www.whiteacoustics.com

The Indian Territorial Army Band performs at India Gate.

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Arabian stars perform under Clay Paky rig Hala Febrayer is Kuwait’s famous music and poetry festival and one of the cultural highlights of the Gulf, attracting some of the most creative and talented musicians, singers, writers and intellectuals from across the Arab world.

Currently in its twelfth year, the series of concerts was televised by Kuwaiti TV Network Al-Watan over the course of several nights from 3 February 2011.

The design team created a library of video footage that could be played across the stage.

Different themes were developed – some traditional, some contemporary – to match the various styles of music and nationalities of the performers. Content designers were Joris Corthaut and Bart Verlaak operating from Grand MA consoles.

Once again, ACT Lighting Design of Brussels, Belgium, was invited to design the production and given responsibility for the set design, lighting design, and video content. The challenge was how to raise the bar set high from the previous year. ACT principal Koert Vermeulen took on the role of lighting and production designer working alongside ACT set designer Marcos Vinals.

For such a video-led show, Vermeulen required spotlights with enough punch to create the necessary contrast. A long-time user of Clay Paky, Vermeulen worked with over 150 moving lights selected from across the Alpha range but singled out the Beams for particular praise: “The Alpha Beams are exceptional. There is nothing else on the market I’d rather use than the 300 and 1500 Beams,” before adding slightly wistfully, “Well, I would have liked to have used the Sharpy, if only I’d been able to get my hands on one!”

The team proposed a striking design dominated by concentric rings of video arranged in stacks across the stage. A total of seven 5-layer pyramids form a backdrop to the performance, while concentric rings of video continued the theme overhead.

The effect was created using Ignition FZ LED panels affixed to locally sourced steel structures, made to a design by ACT.

Colour was an important aspect of the show.

In order to harmonise the lighting with the video, Vermeulen preferred to work with a range of tonalities rather than monolithic blocks of colour, and found the Clay Paky’s optical system extremely well suited to his way of working. “They really are number one in the market in terms of innovation and reliability at the moment.”

Lighting was supplied by Al Raisi Group (ARG), responsible for lighting, sound, video and set construction. ARG Managing Director Diaa Shehadeh was ACT’s main contact as well as Technical Producer of the show.

Vermeulen’s work as a lighting designer ranges from museums and churches to vast outdoor spectaculars. His recent credits include projects from across the globe like Youth Olympic Games Singapore 2010, Le Rêve at Wynn Las Vegas and OVO at the Lyon Festival of Lights.

Credits: Lighting operators: Nils Berens & Werner Dries Content designers: Joris Corthaut & Bart Verlaak CCU operator: Emelie Scaminaci Production & operations manager: Ali Saab Clay Paky lighting equipment: 78 x Alpha Wash 575 50 x Alpha Spot HPE 1200 20 x Alpha Beam 300 20 x Alpha Beam 1500 2 x Shadow QS-LongThrow www.claypaky.it

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HARMAN JBL VERTEC® line arrays at Justin Bieber Concert Veteran concert sound supplier Soundcheck of Manila provided a massive HARMAN JBL VERTEC® line array system for Justin Bieber’s recent concert at the SM Mall of Asia Concert Grounds, the Philippines’ premier venue for large-scale events. The show, part of Bieber’s “My World” tour which has spanned the globe since kicking off in June 2010, drew a total of 70,000 fans.

Providing complete audio services for one of the country’s most-anticipated pop music events in recent history, Soundcheck deployed a total of 72 VERTEC mid-size line array elements, arranged in main left-right arrays of 16 each along with two eight-element out-fill arrays and additional signal-delayed arrays. The system was a mix of VT4888 and powered VT4888DPDA units equipped with JBL DrivePack® technology and JBL’s new DPDA (Digital Audio) input modules with BSS Omnidrive HD™ processing. To establish a significant low-frequency presence for the show, Soundcheck’s system design was based on a nearly 1:1 ratio of subwoofers to full-range speakers in the main stage system. The company provided 20 JBL full-size arrayable subwoofers, hung in left-right arrays of 10 each, while ground-stacking 24 ultra-long excursion arrayable subwoofers.

“We tuned and aligned the flown VT4880 subs to match and enhance the low-frequency

bandpass of our primary line arrays, and then concentrated the sub-low frequencies with the VT4880A subwoofer arrays,” said Jaime Godinez, owner of Soundcheck. “This format with a 5-way DSP configuration gave us the really ‘big’ sound we were looking for in an open-air setting. Justin Bieber is typically a Clair Global touring account, so the production had extremely high expectations.

Justin’s mix engineer was very pleased with the results.”

Two signal-delay tower rings, comprising a total of four towers, were in place. These were set at approximately 90 meters (300 ft) and 140 meters (460 ft) from the stage.

Each tower supported six JBL VT4888DPDA powered midsize line array elements supplemented with JBL-loaded dual 18-inch subwoofers. For the performers on stage, eight VT4888DP loudspeakers and eight VRX918SP subwoofers were in use for side fills. For front fill, Soundcheck provided eight VRX932LAP powered Constant Curvature loudspeakers and four VRX918SP powered subwoofers. The system also included 12 VRX915M stage monitors.

All subwoofer crossover and speaker processing was achieved with Crown

I-Tech amplifiers, with HD12000’s in use for the VT4880A’s and I-Tech 6000’s powering the VT4880’s. HARMAN’s HiQnet System Architect™ software was used for remote control and monitoring of the entire networked system. A Soundcraft Vi6 digital console was also on hand.

“We recently upgraded to JBL’s new DPDA digital-audio input module for all of our JBL DrivePack-equipped systems,” noted Godinez. “This now lets us leverage the BSS Omnidrive HD processing. And, from the convenient way the network cables now can be looped along with the box-positioning identification system, to the close integration with the HiQnet software, our set-up and system tuning time has been dramatically shortened, especially on large and complex shows like this outdoor date for Justin Bieber.” www.harman.com