From booth monitor to dance floor installs, the versatile XY Series speakers deliver immersive sound and consistent coverage throughout venues of every shape and size.
XY SERIES PROFESSIONAL SPEAKERS
In the last edition you may have seen a rather cryptic advert saying ‘The industry is changing and so are we’. Well, the name change to Pro AVL MEA and broader market coverage that this issue presents is the result of that change.
To regular readers, the change will not come as a surprise and should can bring the analysis and technical coverage that we have built our reputation on in the pro audio industry to other aspects of entertainment technology and beyond.
While widening the type of technology we write about ensures there is more for the team here to get our teeth stuck into, it also means that we will be producing a lot more content. As such, the real Pro AVL MEA now has its own website.
If you head over to www.proavl-mea.com you will see all the usual news you have become
there too. We are now including a lot more video content ranging from tradeshow reviews to product
It has been a busy few months getting all of the pieces in place to make these changes and I’m really proud of what has been achieved. The end result is something that brings the best of what we do to a wider audience and allows everyone to make the most of the content we produce, whatever platform they choose to do that on.
Enjoy the magazine!
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UAE: FBT has issued a call to action to other manufacturers aimed at encouraging them to support local trade shows directly. The Italian company is backing up this call by taking space at this year’s Prolight + Sound Middle East in Dubai. ‘We intend to be at the PL+S in Dubai to give an important sign to the industry and more manufacturers should do their part too,’ explained FBT export manager, Roberto Mataloni. ‘The idea to involve more manufacturers in the event and not just the local dealers is of utmost importance.
appeared to be small and poorly attended, I said to myself that we have to go against the negative results and feedback and try it out directly, helping out the organisers as much as we can and inviting as many visitors and customers from the region as possible,’ he continued. ‘We are going to step in in a small scale but with a few key products and us physically there to meet our customers from the Middle East and Africa, where FBT is growing quite well.’
Having been a visitor at the event last year, Mr Mataloni believes the involvement of more manufacturers
could help to stimulate growth for PL+S ME. ‘I could have been just a visitor this year too and maybe grab this or that appointment here and there; but sincerely I do believe that a good job comes if all actions are done right from all parties involved,’ he reasoned. ‘We cannot blame this or that if things don’t happen as they were supposed to. We have to actively collaborate and since we are not betting a fortune on this show, let’s do it, let’s bring in more people as our tools allow us to, let’s try to stimulate the event with some energy. If every hope is lost then we might as well stay at home. But until we have given it a shot and done our job, we cannot know if we are a spectator or an actor in the event.’ He is equally insistent that despite being under the same brand, FBT’s participation in Dubai is not linked to the manufacturer’s attendance of the main show in Frankfurt. ‘These are two separate shows. Frankfurt needs to talk with a lot of unhappy companies in the pro audio industry (including us) since the issues there are multiple. There are constructive and shared ideas that Messe Frankfurt should consider urgent and vital for a change to the trend they are heading towards.’
Above all, Mr Mataloni is keen to note that FBT’s participation at PL+S ME is not purely an altruistic gesture, he does expect to see some kind of return in the longer term. ‘The investment we plan to do is not big but I feel it is necessary to be there now when times are so-so in the region so we are ready for a possible jump ahead in the near future. Nothing comes to you if you stay home and watch things happening.’
www.fbt.it
SOUTH AFRICA: The 23rd edition of the South African Music Awards (SAMA) called on the services of SoundGP for its broadcast audio. Hosted at the Sun City Superbowl, the annual awards show celebrated the achievements of the country’s diverse music industry and saw a variety of live artists.
SoundGP’s Cristo Hattingh
choice is usually the Avid S6L, but that was out of action so I Hattingh. ‘I looked at the desired had to interface with and the
Alongside Mr Hattingh, the event drew together an experienced production crew who often work together on some of
UAE: Level Shoes in the Dubai Mall has become home to the largest rigid rear projection screen in the Middle East. The Chalhoub Group, which owns the store, tasked eclipse Installations with providing a single-screen solution as it didn’t want its content to be broken up by bezels. To meet this challenge, the integrator turned to Pro Display and Epson.
Digital Glass for the screen. The British manufacturer’s large-format designed for ultra-short-throw applications and as such it was married to Epson’s EB-L1405U large-venue projector that combines
South Africa’s largest events. This experience and familiarity served the crew well. ‘Because of the organic nature of such productions, we need to be able to adapt to accommodate, explained Mr Hattingh. ‘We all have the experience to recognise challenges as and before they happen and the ability to respond and not react.’
the event sounded, Mr Hattingh is room for improvement. ‘If you don’t plan on doing things differently, you haven’t learnt anything,’ he and providing a faster, better solution.’
www.soundgp.co.za
a laser light source and 3LCD technology.
‘We are delighted to be able to work alongside companies such as Epson and eclipse Installations at each stage of a project’s life, allowing us to be a part of some of the world’s most exciting and pioneering A/V installations, as well as putting us in a position to offer advice and support, ensuring the
project is completed to the highest Display’s sales lead on the project. ‘Clients come to us because they know we source the very best equipment possible for the solutions we design and that we will not compromise on performance or quality; choosing to work with Epson and Pro Display for a project like this was therefore a natural choice,’ said David Fell, director of eclipse Installations. ‘Quality and performance have always been our criteria when choosing our technology partners.’
www.eclipseinstallations.ae www.prodisplay.com
‘Clients come to us because they know we source the very best equipment possible for the solutions’
WORLD: AFMG has released a set of measurement guidelines for its GLL concept, which provides loudspeaker data in the form of description language, as part of its EASE SpeakerLab reference document for all EASE SpeakerLab users and creators of GLLs.
EASE SpeakerLab software allows measured data to be assembled with the mechanical design of loudspeakers to compile GLLs. The new manual provides step-by-step software’s features. It can be
php/documents
In other news, AFMG has facility. The new site has been built to accommodate continued staff growth and features state-of-the-art network and communication systems.
www.afmg.eu
WORLD: Orban has redesigned navigation and enhanced search functionality. This, the manufacturer states, will provide easier access to product information, distributor details and technical support.
CYPRUS: Istanbul-based InfoGroup was responsible for the design and installation of the audio, lighting and LED systems at Cratos Premium Hotel’s Cage Club in Kyrenia. The 3,000-capacity venue is aiming to attract customers with its Ibiza-style shows and headline DJ sets, and required technology that could meet these standards.
The audio side of the project saw InfoGroup turn to British
manufacturer Void Acoustics. The main system comprises L-R hangs of eight Arcline 8 line array cabinets per side with low end delivered by 10 of the manufacturer’s Stasys Xair double 18-inch subs. Power is courtesy of eight Bias V9 2-channel
Completing the sound system, a pair of Air Stream monitors alongside inch subwoofer have been installed in the DJ booth to serve the performers. These are powered by a Bias VQ
UAE: African Beats Club in Diera’s Fortune Boutique Hotel has audio, video and lighting upgrade. The venue has been equipped with and lasers topped off with a sound system from L-Acoustics.
Freelance sound engineer and integrator, Jun Bleza, was tasked with the design and installation of the sound system. ‘The club is quite spacious with good acoustics,’ stated Mr Bleza. ‘In my opinion there was no better option for the club than to acquire an L-Acoustics solution.’ In turn he contacted Gareth Armstrong from the French manufacturer’s local partner, Delta AV Solutions, to provide him with the
L-Acoustics gear. The solution comprises a pair of L-Acoustics Arcs Focus tops per side
‘This new website reinforces the message that Orban is stronger than ever and will continue leading the world of audio processing for many years to come,’ said Orban president David Day. ‘In the past year, we have introduced more than 12 new products to improve processing and manage audio monitoring for radio, TV and professional applications, and updating the website became essential. The features in our new website will enable quick access to information.’
www.orban.com
The lighting system saw InfoGroup
Italian manufacturer Costume Light. The company installed 90 B230R7 beam light moving heads, 20 LB712 RGBW LED moving heads and the same number of the larger LW3610 RGBW LED moving heads.
The club opted to stay with the Italian manufacturer for its LED screens. For this element, InfoGroup installed a total of 35m2 of Costume Light’s outdoor screens comprising its P9
Completing the project, InfoGroup has also installed various stage entertainment products from Magic FX.
www.costumelight.com
www.infogroup.info
www.magicfx.eu
www.voidacoustics.com
15Ps for low end. The sound system processing is by BSS Blu-160 and LA Manager. Completing the audio system is a DiGiCo SD11 with DJM900.
The visual side of the project sees while the lighting sees 40 7R moving head beams alongside LED PARs and the aforementioned lasers. An Avolites Titan lighting controller completes the solution.
with eight SB18 subwoofers plus 12 distributed 12XTs. The VIP Seating employs four 8XT tops with a pair of
QATAR: At the heart of the Mall of Qatar is a 360° theatre with acts of all kinds taking place on a multi-lift rotating stage. The lighting design around the stage was produced by Stephan Floeren of German
and Desimir Skoracz as operator. Controlling the vast lighting setup is a wide range of MA Lighting equipment.
‘As reliability and easy show control was crucial, MA Lighting was our ‘Especially because the video content which makes the work a lot easier for the operator. And, of course, MA was chosen because of its overall networking and control features.’
The MA Lighting solutions were installed by AVT. This includes a grandMA2 Lite, grandMA2 replay unit, a MA onPC command wing, an four MA Network Switches, a pair of 12 MA 2Port Nodes and two MA 4Port Nodes.
‘The so called “main shows” are music and were programmed in
‘The shows are timecoded and each last between 35 and 45 minutes. Because detailed preparation was needed, on site we only had to make small amendments. The biggest challenge was that the show takes
place on a 360° stage with audience positions on three different levels. The task was to make it incredible to watch for every spectator. And naturally each actor or artist has to be seen clearly from every seat,
‘The sound is awesome, the owner is very happy,’ concluded Mr Bleza. ‘It’s got great reviews from its clients, bands and DJs.’ www.l-acoustics.com
so it was sometimes a demanding
www.avtech.com.qa
www.lichtunit.de
www.malighting.com
KYRGYZSTAN: The State Agency for Geology and Mineral Resources (TSAGMR) under the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic has become to install BXB conferencing systems. The installation was carried out by AT Empire with the system designed by technical specialist Erbol Balabekov. Conferencing solutions were deployed in two meeting rooms, one of which is used for press conferences requiring a chairman mic and eight delegate units, the other a boardroom that needed a chairman unit with 28 for delegate units. In addition, TSAGMR
both rooms could be managed by a single main control unit, while sound quality was to be high and
strict budgets adhered to.
Mr Balabekov’s design saw the
installation of an EDC-1051 main control unit. This is joined by a pair of EDC-1011 table-top chairman
mics and 36 EDC-1012 units split across to the two rooms. The systems are all from the latest version of BXB’s EDC-1000 series, and are therefore equipped with an RS-232 interface that will allow for the integration of camera-tracking functionality in the future.
‘AT Empire selected BXB’s products because they are widely used all over the world and have a reputation for excellent quality,’ said Timur Osmonkulov, executive director of AT Empire. ‘They offer an ergonomic, modern design, high-quality sound and ease of use, while allowing use with many other types of audiovisual equipment.’
Alongside the conferencing system, AT Empire installed a range of A/V systems at TSAGMR,
including a JBL CSMA 180 mixer mount satellite speakers, a Dahua splitter and an Optoma X351 projector. Mini wireless microphone system with a Behringer 1202FX mixer and Quik Lok A302 BK mic stand.
installation in Kyrgyzstan,’
international sales at BXB. ‘As this is a major government organisation, it will serve as an excellent reference for the region.’
www.bxb.tw
SOUTH AFRICA: The Theatre of Johannesburg recently underwent included a new mixing console in the form of a DiGiCo SD9 with a D2-Rack on stage, a D-Rack Server One. The solutions were supplied by DWR Distribution’s Kyle Robson and the SD9 was and layout.
‘The decision was also based on the ongoing support we received from DWR and because DiGiCo is one of the most popular desks amongst top audio engineers worldwide,’ said the theatre’s technical manager, Robert Wilkie.
The desk layout was particularly important as the venue runs
the desk,’ added Ken Crossley, the theatre’s contracted in-house background, it has been quick and the console.’
Jaco Beukes of DWR explained the theatre gains with the SD9. ‘It mic/line inputs, 16 line outputs and eight AES outputs on stage,’ he revealed. ‘The DiGiCo UB MADI allows anyone to record and they also have access to Waves plug-ins, which are built into the console with the SoundGrid Server One handling all the processing.’
www.digico.biz
www.dwrdistribution.co.za
WORLD: Nexo has established the STM Partner Network to provide owners and users of its STM modular line array solutions around the world with a platform to work both together and with the manufacturer. Aimed primarily at the touring and rental sectors, the programme will facilitate crosshire, subhire and collaboration between rental companies stocking STM systems. The French manufacturer revealed that since the STM’s launch in 2014, more than 100 rental companies spanning more than 50 countries have purchased including theatres, arenas and stadia. The subsequent release of the STM M28 main module has reportedly resulted in
smaller rental companies adding STM solutions to their rosters. The STM Partner Network will also provide members with an exclusive communications channel to contact Nexo’s engineering support team.
‘The modularity that is the hallmark of the STM Series makes it uniquely suitable for collaboration between rental suppliers,’ explained Val Gilbert, engineering support manager for touring and rental at Nexo. ‘It is easy for smaller companies to pool STM resources and be able to pitch together for larger festival and event contracts. There is no minimum entry requirement; any STM customer is automatically part of the club.’
www.nexo-sa.com
LHP was engaged to supply the visual effects for the 11th consecutive year
UAE: Lighthouse Productions (LHP) was enlisted for the 11th year running by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development to provide the visual design for the Islamic Art Awards. The event was staged at the Abu Dhabi National Theatre and saw the LHP team, led by Terry Miranda,
A 360° video recording of the awards ceremony was produced for VR viewing, which presented the biggest lighting design consideration, as 360° cameras aren’t currently optimised for low-or-event style lighting. designer. His design for this project resulted in coloured LED strips outlining the set depicting a skyline of arched buildings and towers, while gobos treated the stage. The main
each held eight Pointes, while eight MMX WashBeams were deployed on the second. A pair of 5m trusses were each equipped with three Robe 300E Beams and stood to the left and right of the set.
Upstage, LHP installed 10 CycFX 8
WashBeams to add ambiance at the back. Downstage, a further 12 CycFX 8s and six 300E Beams were combined with six LEDWash 1200s on the front of the balcony. The performers were backlit by 16 PARFect 100s.
‘The Robe rig brought texture and enhanced the space during the performances, highlighting the artists and punching through with beam looks and gobos as required,’ said Mr Miranda.
www.lhpme.com www.robe.cz
IRAN: Pajouhesh Gostar
Systemhaye Novin has installed a beyerdynamic conferencing system into the executive committee hall of the Isfahan Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture (ICCIMA). The chamber of commerce
is the second largest in the country and supports more than 4,400 members.
The project itself presented Pajouhesh Gostar with a number of challenges. The client required built-in conference units mounted
to the audio and video sources, remote control of the system in case operator would not be allowed in the hall, in addition to having a highly sensitive microphone for freedom of movement. On top of this, it was an acoustically challenging environment with sensitive décor, meaning nothing on the ceiling and no screens on the wall.
To meet this brief, the company opted for a built-in Orbis conference system with piezo switches and Revoluto RM 31Q microphones from beyerdynamic. Loudspeakers were installed behind the sensitive Revoluto mics for minimisation of unwanted feedback. At the other end of the signal chain, wooden framed decorative Sydney loudspeakers from Tutondo were chosen. To meet
the other meeting requirements, built-in laptop and USB table sockets in addition to LAN sockets plus built-in desktop monitors and a desktop all-in-one computer were also added to the system. An Apollo 4K digital signal platform and matrix from SY Electronics selects and combines audio and video sources in a variety of PIPs. Completing the setup is Pajouhesh Gostar’s own newly developed PG-MCD1 media control device.
This provides remote control of the Sony cameras in addition to the I/O modules from other systems through a web-based app.
‘We are very pleased with the results and thanks to Pajouhesh Gostar for all the efforts and services they provided for completing the task perfectly,’ concluded Mr Rastegari, a senior manager at ICCIMA.
www.pgsnav.com
UAE: Jalsat 2017 required a pair of Midas consoles to support a major Ramadan project.
The sale was made through the manufacturer’s regional distributor, Pro Lab, to supply the Pro X and Pro2 desks.
believes that events such as this can provide a powerful reference for both the manufacturer and its distributor. ‘These clients are audio-visual engineers,’ he reasoned. ‘Because such highly advanced mixers require a lot
KENYA: Sound Creations recently added to its existing dBTechnologies inventory with the purchase of eight Vio L210 line array speakers, the
Nairobi edition of the mega street bash events recently held by Telkom Kenya as it launches its 4G network across the country. The event saw Sound Creations partner with Homeboyz Entertainment on the sound setup.
The mega street bash event featured performances from renowned Kenyan artists, such as
Sauti Sol and Kelele Takatifu. With L210s in Kenya, Sound Creations reported some trepidation from the artists’ sound engineers. These fears were put to rest with a sound check session conducted by the Homeboyz technicians and Sauti
Sol’s sound engineer.
Joining the eight Vio L210s were three S318 subwoofers. The systems were all connected via dBTechnologies’ RDNet interface. A Yamaha M7 provided control at FOH, while JBL stage monitors were mixed via an Avid Venue SC48. Amos Kyalo, Sound Creations’ live sound engineer, managed the setup and was reportedly impressed with the performance of the new Vio cabinets.
www.dbtechnologies.com
www.soundcreationsltd.com
The purchase was made by a collection of freelance engineers who work with many different production houses to develop content for a variety of TV programmes.
The Midas consoles were project due to their live sound credentials. ‘The high-scale requirements that Midas Pro series mixers provide can meet any audio rider,’ said Pro Lab managing partner, Rami Haber. ‘They are very user friendly and highly advanced mixers providing the latest solutions and technology.’
The mixers were put to use for a singing programme and Mr Haber
of knowhow, it’s very important for people with this kind of background and skill to use the desks to deliver excellent results.
It provides a great image for the brand.’
www.prolabllc.com
AZERBAIJAN: WIcreations was approached by Betty Productions on behalf of the Islamic Games Operations Committee to design and create a pair of large set pieces for the opening and closing ceremonies of the fourth Islamic Solidarity Games at Baku National Stadium. For the opening ceremony, the entertainment engineering and effects company constructed a large water fountain that formed a central part of the set, with a 27m high Tree of Life built for the closing event.
Both pieces were conceptualised as part of production designer Thanassis Demiris’ visual treatment for the ceremonies. They were built in Belgium at WIcreations’ Heist-op-denBerg headquarters over the course of two months, then all 60 tonnes were
The water fountain was 8m in diameter and constructed from a 200mm high rigid steel frame with weighed 1.7 tonnes. It was designed to hold 15 tonnes of water, bringing the total weight extremely close to the 17-tonne limit imposed by the loading data for the stage perimeter. Despite the weight, the fountain was
still manually moveable via two 30m steel track beams.
The Tree of Life was designed in eight sections, split horizontally and divided again into 12 frames that
tree’s crown had a diameter of 18m by Stage One, while the base had a 12m diameter. The entire structure weighed 25 tonnes and required 22 tonnes of ballast to keep it stable. ‘As a company, WIcreations was extremely proud to be part of these two world-class events, which united some of the best and most creative international technical talents available,’ said Yves Vervloet, project manager at WIcreations.
www.wicreations.com
TURKEY: A variety of Shure solutions have been supplied to the cover two multi-purpose congress halls and nine basement meeting rooms. The equipment was supplied by the manufacturer’s regional distributor, Atempo, which was acting as integrator for the project. Located in the Turkish capital of Ankara, the Presidential Complex
a public library and a cultural centre. Atempo submitted the Shure equipment as part of its tender to install the A/V systems in two sizeable congress halls at the complex, containing 2,050 and 300 seats, respectively, and used for concerts, conferences, opera and theatre. The tender also covered
nine associated basement meeting rooms as well as foyer and public exhibition areas.
‘For this project, we really had to ensure we could deliver clear audio with no disruptions,’ explained Tayfun Konuralp, Atempo project sales manager. ‘There were three main criteria for the client: sound
quality, the ease of implementation of the network underpinning the of the product. Shure outperformed the competition in all three areas.’ The 2,050-seat hall was conferencing, assistive hearing and translation system, providing
sound reinforcement for speeches in the hall and also allowing up to 12 different languages to be simultaneously translated and relayed to any of the individual seats. Axient wireless microphone systems with Spectrum Manager, ShowLink remote control capabilities and Wireless Workbench software were also supplied, along with handheld and lavalier mic units, headphones and supplementary hardware.
enabled SCM820E automatic mixers were installed in the basement meeting rooms.
‘One of the main requirements for this project was that the networked components should be easy to manage and control remotely, and the client has been telling us how Wireless Workbench has made that so simple for them,’ added Mr Konuralp.
Atempo project coordinator Murat Koysuren explained that ‘it was the
Wired microphone products including the SM58 and SM57, Beta-series mics, and KSM32s further 8-channel Axient wireless microphone system, together with a offering gooseneck and handheld
translation system for a hall of this size, involving 2,050 seats. The Shure technical team supported our installers with detailed cabling structures as well as on-site support during the installation.’
www.atempo.com.tr
www.shure.com
UAE: has selected Lawo’s VSM broadcast control and monitoring solution for its two new OB vans. The governmentowned media organisation’s OB
‘Lawo systems and services have gained widespread acceptance in the Middle East, which shows in the constantly increasing number of Lawo installations in the
broadcast control and monitoring, as well as facilitating the management of on-board and external equipment.
latest in a string of Lawo purchases across the region.
our products are developed and manufactured according to the highest quality standard, and this is what our customers appreciate.’
www.lawo.com
SOUTH AFRICA: Pixel Global AV has partnered with Kilowatt AV as part of its plan to expand into South Africa. The deal is the international systems integrator’s Programme.
IRAN: Milad Concert Hall is the only venue in Tehran permitted to stage pop concerts. With heavy demand on its sound system, venue management recently sought to update the setup and approached L-Acoustics’ Iranian distributor, Farasout Negar, to design a solution. Farasout Negar also has a rental division, which has handled the hall’s audio requirements on a dayto-day basis.
‘Having conducted work for clients in Africa from the UK, we partner who can support clients locally,’ explained Pixel Global AV’s global CEO, Tim DarwellTaylor. ‘Kilowatt is an established A/V provider in Africa and its strong client base, creativity, technical expertise and delivery strength made them a natural business partner for us.’
Dillon Jearey serves as the CEO of the new Pixel Global AV South Africa. ‘This partnership into our accelerated growth programme for Kilowatt AV. We are excited to now offer our clients international support and product expertise as we move into a more connected world.’ www.pixelglobalav.com
CYPRUS: Alpha TV Network has installed a number of Etere eight television channels. These systems facilitate a tapeless
The 2,000-seat concert hall features a raked seating layout with an acoustic challenge presented by a central elevation that obstructs audio from the main PA hangs in reaching those seated at the rear of the auditorium. To remedy this, the Farasout Negar team proposed
a solution comprising L-Acoustics Kara and Arcs WiFo systems as both mains and delays. The main PA covered the area in front of the elevation, while the delays cover the area behind.
‘We have worked with Milad Hall for many years and we have a very good understanding of its layout and the technical issues this causes,’ said Mehdi Ariyaeinezhad, sales manager for Farasout Negar. ‘Because of this, when the hall’s owners decided they wanted a new sound system, they asked us to put a proposal together for a competitive tender. Our design was up against three other systems, all of which are very good, but it was the great speech intelligibility, warmth and natural sound of the
L-Acoustics system, along with our technical capabilities, that were the choice.’
The main hangs are formed of six Kara cabinets and two SB18i central hangs of two Arcs Focus and one Arcs Wide with four 12XTs features central and side clusters comprising two Arcs Wide and a pair subs. Arcs Focus and SB18m subs
HiQ enclosures serve as stage monitors.
SOUTH AFRICA: AV Company was engaged to deliver the audiovisual setup for this year’s Madiba Jive Festival in KwaZulu-Natal. The event features several musical performances to celebrate Mandela Day. For sound, AV Company delved
left and right hangs of eight Event 210As per side, with 16 LX-218 subwoofers ground stacked in front of the stage. The FOH mix was courtesy of a Soundcraft Si Expression 3 32-channel console. The lighting rig was formed from eight Robe Robin 600 LEDWashes, eight of the 300 variety and the
L-Acoustics application engineer Nicolas Bertin assisted Farasout Negar with the design, using the manufacturer’s Soundvision 3D acoustic simulation software. ‘Working with Soundvision not only means that we can precisely predict parameters such as SPL, it’s also a great help when it comes to calibrating the system,’ noted Mr Ariyaeinezhad. ‘This saves us a lot of time during the design process and means that we can be certain that we will achieve the right results when the system is installed.
‘We know that we have done this with Milad Hall and the owners system. This was recently endorsed by Mohammad Alizadeh, one of the biggest pop stars in Iran, who said that he feels a great change in the hall and that the sound is now perfect.’
www.farasoutnegar.com
www.l-acoustics.com
same number of Pointes. These were accompanied by a Robe Fog smoke machine, while an MA Lighting dot2 provided control. AV Company also supplied a pair of the stage.
www.avcompany.co.za
broadcast management system.
Etere Media Enterprise Resource Planning (MERP) solutions have been integrated with the network’s existing architecture, which includes an existing playout system.
www.etere.com
WORLD: Almost a year since the acquisition of intercom brand ASL, Riedel has announced that it has acquired a majority stake in PIDSO, the Vienna-based manufacturer of antennas and antenna systems. Riedel states that the deal will lead to an acceleration in the speed of development of solutions that leverage both companies’ systems, while Riedel will gain an experienced team with expertise in custom antenna systems and access to the automotive and aviation sectors.
‘With its innovative solutions in the
PIDSO not only complements our
into our company philosophy,’ said Thomas Riedel, founder and CEO of Riedel Communications.
‘Embracing advanced technologies and delivering visionary solutions to real-world challenges have always been part of Riedel’s trademark. Both companies can move forward based on a very sound economic and technological foundation, giving our new collaboration the best-possible beginning.’
‘We have been experiencing solid growth and our partnership with Riedel will accelerate demand for our solutions and pave the way to an even brighter future,’ added Christoph Kienmayer, founder and managing
director of PIDSO. ‘We’re honoured to be joining the Riedel brand, one of the strongest in the industry, and we’ll have a perfect environment and ideal conditions in which to take our
business to the next level, especially with regard to internationalisation.’
www.pidso.com
www.riedel.net
beamier on this year’s event. Robe Pointes were used onstage as well as on top of the PA towers.’
towers to light the 300m x 150m parking lot.’
SOUTH AFRICA: Gearhouse South Africa has provided many of the technical systems for Starlight Classics for several years and the recent Cape Town iteration at the Vergelegen Wine Estate was no exception. The rental company’s project manager, Ryan Shepherd, once again oversaw the implementation of lighting, staging, power and an LED screen.
‘Starlight Classics is a biannual event, which takes place in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and I have been working on the event since 2009,’ said Mr Shepherd. ‘It makes use of a full orchestra with various solo artists, ranging from vocalists to violinists to beat boxers. This multitude of artists requires a large lighting. Over the years, the show has kept in line with technology advances and we now use an almost entirely LED lighting rig with the exception of the “front light” that is positioned on towers 50m from the stage.’
The lighting design was produced by Chris Bolton and Joshua Cutts and called for a variety of moving
lights, washes, spots and beams.
To meet the design, Gearhouse supplied a rig that included Robe Robin LEDWash 600s, LEDForce 18 RGBWs, ColorWash 2500Es, RedWashes and Robin Pointes.
‘This year Starlight was recorded for TV and so we needed to adjust the lighting accordingly,’ noted Mr Shepherd. ‘Therefore, eight Robe BMFLs were used to light
the lighting rig were Martin
Rush PARs, Acclaim 2kW Fresnels,
Longman Colorme 011A pixel LED washlights. A grandMA2 Lite console was employed to operate the setup, as well as Jands HP12 dimmers, Spazio metal halides,
and a Martin Professional Ether2 DMX box.
‘We are moving toward more LED
instead of the old generic white light,’ said the project manager.
‘The feel of the show was a lot
Gearhouse was also responsible for setting up the stage and all of the surrounding structures, such as the FOH towers. ‘We built a 30m wide by 20m deep Layher deck for a three-bay In2Structures Maxi Dome Roof including back wall and cantilever to rest on,’ explained Mr Shepherd. ‘This creates a 20m x 20m tiered performance area with space on the outsides for PA wings and artist holding areas as well as a central staircase to the top level. The PA wings are 5m x 5m and are 14m high to give good height for the PA to throw the 90m needed.
‘We also built a 4m x 4m x 12m FOH structure with three levels for audio, LX and A/V with follow spots at the top and various
For the arched screen that served as a backdrop on the stage, Gearhouse’s LEDVision brand supplied 144 Lighthouse R6 LED panels and 288 R1200 LED strips, which were integrated within the stage roof and run from a Barco Image Pro HD. Sets Drapes
steps, draping facings and other set elements.
‘Gearhouse loves being involved in this event and we enjoy being able to provide an ever-evolving technical solution for Rand Merchant Bank’s Starlight Classics evenings with the production team from Jam Events,’ concluded Mr Shepherd.
www.gearhouse.co.za
IRAQ: Iridium Solutions has installed Exterity’s IP TV system at the Erbil International Hotel. The solution has hotel’s guests can enjoy Arabic and international TV channels in their rooms, in the lobbies and the Exhale Spa.
The Exterity IP video and entertainment system offers regional as well international news, sports, kids programmes and entertainment. It also integrates with the hotel’s Property Management System (PMS) and Samsung Hospitality SmartTVs. It comprises AvediaStream TV gateways to deliver live TV and radio channels from satellite sources to guests’ rooms and AvediaServer IPTV Producer m7200 including ArtioPortal.
‘Guests today expect to have access to the latest, brightest and best entertainment, available at Erbil International Hotel is a perfect example of using video technology to provide travellers with an in-room experience that will offer them a home away from home experience,’ said Colin Farquhar, CEO at Exterity.
www.exterity.com
IRAN: Pezhvak Taban Ofogh (PTO) was recently called in to supply the A/V system to a 300-seat auditorium at Kharazmi University in Tehran. Formerly known as Tarbiat Moallem University, the institution is reportedly the country’s oldest higher education its doors in 1919.
The university required a modern solution that could serve the multiple uses of the auditorium. To meet these needs, PTO turned to some of the brands it has worked with for a number of years. The audio system uses an Alto ZMX164 mixer and an Alto Mac 2.4
of the manufacturer’s TS-115 loudspeakers. A pair of Edirol MA-7 speakers were installed as monitors for the control room. Presenters are provided with AKG wired and wireless microphones. Visuals are displayed through a Panasonic EX-800 projector
BXB
full
cameras
controller have been installed to record lectures. Completing the visual setup is a Panasonic AW-HS50 visual mixer and a Blackmagic Design recorder. The lighting design saw PTO turn to PSL.
‘This project is one of several successful installations for us in Iran’s higher education system,’ said Arash Sadri from PTO. ‘The Kharazmi University project provides a great example of what our expert design and execution teams can achieve. As with our previous projects, we trained the customer so one of their employees can operate the system. We also provide complete aftersales services to support our valuable customers.’
www.pto-co.com
SAUDI ARABIA: Tasked with providing a new creative design to celebrate Eid El Fitr, the end of fasting for the holy month of Ramadan, Dubai-based service provider Blink Experience turned to Airstar to light up the Saudi Arabian balloons. Blink Experience was itself called upon by the Saudi Government which wanted to offer its people something ‘big and impressive’ for the celebrations taking place in Ta’if. Airstar’s large, 10m-wide balloon was deployed and was personalised for the event with additional stickers. The two companies had no prior experience working together, however more installations are now being planned for 2017 and 2018. ‘Blink Experience conducted extensive research and found out that Airstar were the best in the business,’ explained Hicham Lamli, managing director at Airstar Middle East. ‘We received an enquiry over the phone from them with the idea and simple brief of having something big to
UAE: LG Electronics has set a new Guinness World Record at The Dubai Mall for the world’s highest-resolution videowall. The wall comprises 820 panels of the manufacturer’s OLED signage screen and is situated at the popular Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. LG partnered with Emaar Entertainment on the project.
‘We are very excited that LG has received another Guinness World Record title today for the highest, resolution videowall,’ commented Talal Omar, Guinness World Record’s country manager – MENA. ‘The record perfectly resonates with the advanced technology that Dubai is known for.’
It was also noted that Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo already holds the record for the world’s largest acrylic panel. LG describes its OLED technology as designed without backlighting to produce deep blacks and reportedly achieve wider viewing angles.
Kevin Cha, president of LG Electronics, MENA, discussed how the installation serves as an example of an ‘innovative’ B2B solution. ‘We are extremely thrilled to be part of this monumental accomplishment and we are thankful to Emaar for its valued partnership,’ he said. www.emaar.com www.lg.com/ae
light up the sky to celebrate Eid. Our 40,000W halogen, 10m-wide,
bulbs was available in France – the client liked the idea, so we moved forward with this. We were able to respond to the request positively, within a very short time frame.’
In addition to the balloon itself, Airstar supplied three skilled technicians from France to oversee the project. Blink Experience was also onsite to provide helium, electricity and logistics.
‘Blink has a very dedicated and professional team,’ furthered Mr Lamli. ‘They took the time to listen, analyse and understand the complexity and numerous parameters involved in such a job.
I personally would like to thank Ghassan Kassab [COO at Blink Experience] and production manager Tony Bejjani who trusted us for this project, as well as the Airstar technicians for delivering this job. It’s extremely important for us to be
as it shows our professionalism and ability to react quickly in such service.’
www.airstar-light.com
WORLD: Legrand has announced the closing of its acquisition of Milestone AV Technologies. An agreement was originally signed between the two companies in June and, with the deal complete, the likes of Chief, Sanus, Projecta, DaLite and Vaddio join Middle Atlantic Products in Legrand’s A/V portfolio.
‘The acquisition of Milestone allows Legrand to pursue its ongoing reinforcement in digital the high-value A/V infrastructure and power segment,’ said Gilles Schnepp, chairman and CEO of Legrand. ‘Milestone will bring Legrand leading positions in
commercial and residential A/V mounts, as well as in projector screens, enabling the group to provide A/V customers with scalable, end-to-end offerings. Milestone’s robust leading positions, well-known brands, businesses supported by strong social and technological megatrends, customer-centric approach, ongoing innovation and active CSR policy are key assets that make this acquisition a highly valuable move that “ticks all the boxes” of Legrand fundamentals.’
www.legrand.com
www.milestone.com
24–25 SEPTEMBER
Biamp Vocia Certification
Dubai, UAE
SOUTH AFRICA:
www.biamp.com
1–5 OCTOBER
Technical Training on Bosch Public Address
Dubai, UAE
ae.boschsecurity.com
2–4 OCTOBER Extron Control Professional
Dubai, UAE
www.extron.com
3–5 OCTOBER
Foundations of Crestron Programming
Johannesburg, South Africa
WORLD:
www.crestron.eu
19 OCTOBER
Dante Certification
Dubai, UAE
www.audinate.com
UAE: GSL Professional has dedicated the normally quieter month of July to education. The Dubai-based distributor decided to use its training centre to host one event every week throughout the month.
The company started its month of training with the inaugural edition of GSL Professional Live. This training was designed to take the distributor’s clients through the recent changes that have occurred at GSL. As such, there was a focus on some of the new brands it has taken on, such as Baldwin Boxall, as well as the new territories that it covers.
Following this, GSL hosted a launch for JBL’s PRX800W series. This took the form of a presentation and a hands-on demonstration in the distributor’s showroom. During this event, the Harman distributor also took the opportunity to introduce its clients to the Martin Professional Rush and Thrill series.
The third week of July provided the opportunity for the company to host its regular BSS training. The distributor plans to host these sessions every two months and aims to attract participants from right across the region.
WORLD: Powersoft has uploaded a new Armonía training video playlist to its YouTube channel. Titled Armonía Interactive Tuning Plugin, the playlist comprises four videos focusing on EQ interaction and interactive tuning for Armonía Pro Audio Suite 2.10.
Armonía Interactive Tuning Plug in, looks at setup and general operation. It is followed by First Measurement and a pair of videos,
EQ Interaction parts one and two, which explore use of the interactive EQ plug-in.
www.powersoft-audio.com
www.youtube.com/user/powersoftaudio
Finally, GSL celebrated its recent addition of DirectOut by hosting a training session to introduce the brand to the region. The manufacturer’s Luca Giaroli hosted GSL’s staff given a thorough overview of the product range, while the second day was dedicated to raising by introducing it to potential clients.
While July has been a particularly intensive month for GSL’s training programme, it plans to continue to host regular sessions throughout the year.
www.gslprofessional.com
Voice Alarm System
Today, the issue of safety is more important than ever. At TOA, we have developed a reliable and energyefficient voice alarm system that combines all functions in a single device. In so doing, this decentralised and space-saving system prevents all-out failure even in emergency situations while also providing firstclass sound quality thanks to its modular Class D amplifiers. Whether in airports, hotels, offices, hospitals or schools, the flexible system architecture makes it scalable and expandable for all size requirements.
We supply sound, not equipment.
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MIDDLE EAST: Avid has named NMK Electronics Enterprises as the new partner for its live sound solutions in the GCC. The deal covers the manufacturer’s Venue S3L-X and SC48 desks, as well as its Venue S6L console.
‘Having the experience of building brands in the Middle East, our team is really excited about the relationship we’ve started with Avid,’ said NMK’s business development manager, Dino Drimakis. ‘I truly believe content creation is becoming ever so important for clients and Avid has always been leading cutting-edge content creation strategies with
MIDDLE EAST: Inoage has distributor for its Madrix brand in the Middle East. This expands Procom’s responsibilities with the brand to all Middle East countries, as it previously held the Madrix distribution rights for Lebanon.
‘We are very proud of the trust that Madrix has put into us in expanding our distribution role,’ said Rami Harfouch, business development manager at Procom. ‘This is a great opportunity but also a responsibility to support the thriving Madrix community.’
Madrix provides 3D pixel mapping solutions designed for entertainment and architectural applications. The brand’s catalogue features both hardware and software solutions. Procom and its sister company, Prolites, have recently supported the delivery of Madrix solutions at The Gärten club in Lebanon and VII Dubai.
‘While there is a strong brand recognition, we believe there is room to increase awareness about the full potential of the Madrix software and hardware,’ stated Procom’s Madrix expert, Wiam Boutine.
www.inoage.de
www.madrix.com
www.procom-me.com
Pro Tools. Selling Avid consoles is different from selling other audio mixing consoles, it’s providing our customers with a complete solution rather than simply a piece of hardware. We’ve already seen impressive global demand for the S6L, so we’re pretty sure that local live sound engineers will see it as an attractive system.
‘Avid is a well-established and respected brand in the A/V industry and having a solid brand is just one part of the winning formula,’ he continued. ‘The other more important part is working with a team of talented individuals who really understand the product and
MIDDLE EAST: GSL Professional has been named as DirectOut Technologies’ new distribution partner for the UAE, Qatar, Oman, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. To introduce DirectOut solutions to its domestic markets, GSL will host joint product presentations and seminars with DirectOut business development manager, Luca Giaroli.
‘With a highly skilled and absolutely professional team, GSL Professional is the perfect partner to extend our Middle East distribution,’ said DirectOut CEO, Jan Ehrlich. ‘The company has comprehensive stock resources and its own dedicated service centre, as well as an impressive showroom and training facilities that host seminars and training
roster throughout the year. GSL also works and cooperates very closely with its clients. It’s very important for us to have such a solid and
UAE: Ohm (UK) has named Projection House as its new distributor for the UAE. The move is part of the manufacturer’s plan to grow its sales in the MEA region.
‘The UAE market has always been swayed by quality products,’ said Pradeep Kumar, divisional manager at Projection House. ‘Keeping that in mind, Ohm’s legacy, British manufacturing and a time-tested winning formula compelled us to associate with the brand. This legacy, when coupled with Projection House’s service and after-sales team, will create a force to be reckoned with.’
‘We studied the UAE market and instantly knew that it had tremendous potential,’ added Kaushal Garg, Ohm’s director of
sales – MEA. ‘We knew that signing growth in the region. Appointing an Ohm distributor was not easy, because of what we expect of them. The quality of representation, service and all aspects of their business had to be appropriate to the quality of our products, and I’m delighted to say that Projection House meets our requirements in all respects.’
‘I see this move as a “new beginning” for Ohm in the UAE and believe that we will grow from strength to strength in the region,’ concluded Gareth Coleman, director of sales – international, Ohm (UK).
www.ohm.co.uk
www.projectionhouse.ae
renowned partner supporting us in the region.’
‘GSL Professional is intent on being a full-solutions provider and – by
ability to make the Avid live mixing consoles a real success in the Gulf region.’
‘Avid Venue systems empower our preeminent user community with the most comprehensive tools available to improve their live mixing capabilities,’ added Tom Cordiner, SVP of global sales at Avid. ‘This partnership with NMK furthers our commitment to providing the tools needed to create the ultimate live sound experience not just in the Middle East, but all over the world.’
www.avid.com
www.nmkelectronics.com
adding the DirectOut product range to our distribution line – we ensure that we have more to offer to our clientele,’ added Ibrahim Shishani, business development manager – broadcast at GSL Professional. ‘DirectOut products are known to build bridges between different audio formats, which makes them important in many applications. DirectOut also provides solutions for vertical markets such as broadcast, studio, live and installed sound, which is why they are guaranteed a place in those markets. We are excited to partner with such a great team of people, and we look forward to achieving great success through our collaboration.’
www.directout.eu
www.gslprofessional.com
TURKEY: Italian manufacturer
Markaudio has appointed Eramita as represents a variety of brands that cover many aspects of A/V and interior design, including RenkusHeinz. Markaudio, meanwhile, is a relatively young company that manufactures Ergo satellite column speakers and the Audio Chain system, which combines a modular line array and subwoofer. The two Prolight + Sound.
‘We are sure that the partnership
with Eramita can guarantee the best way to establish our products in Turkey,’ said Marco de Virgiliis, CEO at Markaudio.
saw the new Markaudio products, we were sure that Ergo and the Audio competitive prices were solutions missing from our market,’ stated an Eramita spokesperson. ‘We have
www.eramita.com
www.markaudio.it
UAE: The latest company to join the ranks of Dubai’s distribution community is Gefco Systems Electronics Trading LLC. The new distributor has opened its doors with EAW, Fonestar, Soundboks and its roster.
Based in Business Bay, Gefco Systems will offer support, design and training for the solutions it represents. ‘It will be purely distribution as I have no interest right now in systems integration,’ explained CEO, Glen Kershaw. ‘There is the potential to sell more than just pro audio products, hence the electronics in the title, but that is looking further down the line.’
The initial agreements will see Gefco represent EAW, Soundboks and Ashly Audio across the GCC, while Fonestar will be covered
CYPRUS: V Hypersound & Light has been selected by Renkus-Heinz as its new exclusive distributor for Cyprus. Founded in 2013, the distribution company has developed a reputation for its solutions-based approach and customer service. Although a relatively young company, V Hypersound & Light has experience of representing major
a solution that can solve that issue and Iconyx is the best choice.’
Mr Mouzouras’ fellow co-founder, Kypros Shekkeri, discussed V Hypersound & Light’s marketing strategy: ‘We will bring RenkusHeinz to our customers through newsletters, our social media channels and even local radio, if needed,’ he said. ‘We are
in the UAE and Qatar. ‘EAW is a fantastic company and I’m grateful to have a very competitive brand in the market. What they plan to release this year and next is very exciting,’ said Mr Kershaw. ‘I think Fonestar has great potential for the region. It’s well known in Spain, but importantly it has had some presence in the last couple of years in Dubai. With Fonestar I genuinely have the full range of the signal chain to offer. They are very competitive for price and the fact that they are Spanish-made with most of their products being IP-rated and EN-certified plays well in this market. The European build quality is something that is very appealing to the GCC. Soundboks is a cool, funky and powerful Bluetooth speaker we took on for the consumer market. I feel it will
do well for yacht and house parties since it’s light and portable, making it easy to move around. I’m incredibly pleased to have a powerful and reputable brand such as Ashly join our portfolio since I believe it matches well with EAW and will deliver quality throughout the region.’ While there are more announcements in the pipeline for Gefco, Mr Kershaw is notably cautious about taking on too many manufacturers. ‘The thing that I don’t want to do is overstretch myself,’ he reasoned. ‘Things get out of hand when you have too many suppliers, you can start losing track. Gefco is about the focus on the great brands it has right now.’
www.gefcosystems.com
pro audio brands, including Ashly Audio, Clockaudio, Mackie and Pan Acoustics. ‘Renkus-Heinz is a
excited about this new relationship,’ enthused Vassos Mouzouras, co-founder of V Hypersound & Light. ‘It’s a family company and that means you get great support, plus the Renkus-Heinz philosophy is the same as our own, that we’re not selling loudspeakers, we are providing solutions that solve problems.
‘In particular we feel that Iconyx has great potential in Cyprus. We are very involved in the house of worship market, where auditoria are often highly reverberant. We need
particularly looking forward to introducing Renkus-Heinz to local architects and consultants in a series of events after the summer.’
‘We are delighted to welcome V Hypersound & Light to the RenkusHeinz family,’ commented Michal Poplawski, Renkus-Heinz’ technical sales manager for Europe. ‘We share many of the same values, not least the great after-sales care that Vassos and Kypros both emphasise.
There are many opportunities for Renkus-Heinz in Cyprus and I believe we have found the ideal partner.’
www.hypersound.com.cy
www.renkus-heinz.com
UAE: Gulf Crewing Company (GCC) has created Esmme – Event Safety Management Middle East. As the name implies, the division will focus on health and safety management for the events that the company works on.
The division will be led by its newly appointed general manager, Ian Hardcastle.
Esmme will offer services covering crowd safety management, site safety design, event control and emergency contingency planning, as well as risk analysis. ‘The UAE is at the heart of the MENA events industry, and I believe it is extremely important that the UAE leads the way and sets the benchmark for the rest to follow,’ said Mr Hardcastle. ‘I am extremely proud and enormously excited to be part of such a forward-thinking company as GCC. The H&S arm will provide GCC with the ideal platform
MEA: Deepraj ‘Deeps’ Sandhar has joined Ross Video, assuming sales responsibility for the Middle East. Well known in the industry, Mr Sandhar possesses more than 15 years’ experience across both the postproduction and broadcast sectors.
the region and demonstrates that we are accelerating our growth plans.’
‘Ross Video has proved that a focus on product quality and customer service really pays off,’ commented Mr Sandhar.
‘The company genuinely believes
and opportunity to positively across the region.’
Mr Hardcastle is an experienced
events safety practitioner having including Glastonbury and the London 2012 Olympics. Most recently, he has been implementing international safe processes and practices at the King Abdullah Sports City Arena in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
‘I was approached by Nigel Beaton to come and work alongside him at GCC to ensure that all of the events supported by the company adhere to the latest international event safety standards and practices,’ said Mr Hardcastle. ‘This will involve me training all of the GCC crew and their suppliers, while also advising their clients to work to the international standards expected in the events industry globally.’
www.gulfcrewing.com
UAE: Dubai-based distributor VV & Sons has named Prajesh Dalal as the new business development manager for its professional division. Mr Dalal replaces well-known retired following 24 years’ service with the company.
Prior to joining VV & Sons, Mr Dalal led the A/V department at NM Technologies in India. He believes his technical knowledge combined with his business development skills will help to move the distributor forward.
‘It helps that I have a technical background that complements the business,’ stated Mr Dalal. ‘I am looking forward to adding value and taking the company further, there is always room for more.’
It was the opportunity to explore
Mr Dalal to move to Dubai and join the company. ‘I was keen on getting into new products which I couldn’t do in my last role but they are open to that here,’ he explained. ‘We
have an agenda at VV & Sons for new product development, so if somebody knows the business they can go beyond what we currently have and pick up what is missing are complete.’
manager will look at areas where he believes there could be room
for expansion in the distributor’s portfolio. ‘The company covers professional A/V, but I feel that there is a gap in terms of video as well as certain specialised areas of audio,’ he reasoned. ‘I think if that comes in it will complete us as a one-stop A/V shop. We are on track to do this.’
www.pro.vvsons.com
‘Deeps is a highly accomplished sales professional and I am sure his technical expertise will be valued by our customers in the MENA region,’ stated Ross Video director of sales for EMEA, Oscar Juste. ‘The Middle East remains a vibrant and challenging market for all broadcast technology manufacturers. Appointing a sales manager who lives in the
in partnership with customers; that’s a refreshing style of doing business and regional growth of over 20% year-on-year clearly shows it works. I’m looking forward to building on our customer base in the Middle East and showing content creators how Ross can help them work more effectively.’
www.rossvideo.com
KUWAIT: The Sheikh Jaber AlAhmad Cultural Centre (SJACC) has appointed Lee Charteris as its new director. Commonly referred to as the Kuwait opera house, the multivenue performing arts centre is part of Kuwait’s national cultural district. With a decade of experience in the region, Mr Charteris is a highly East events industry. He is best known for his time with Flash Entertainment in Abu Dhabi where he served as VP of operations and
did much to establish the city as the host for some of the largest shows and events that have come through the region. He has also recently completed his year-long term as the president of ILEA’s Middle East chapter ‘I will be heading up operations of the facilities,’ explained Mr Charteris. ‘I look forward to this new challenge in these truly world-class facilities.’
www.jacc-kw.com
The cables have been stripped from Shure’s Microflex Complete system, giving a completely wire-free setup
THE MUCH-ANTICIPATED arrival of Shure into the wireless conferencing solutions market has come to fruition with the
www.shure.com
Ruggedized RJ45 data connector solution for data transfer in harsh and demanding applications.
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Ethernet cable- and chassis-connector with CAT6A component compliance according to ISO/IEC 11801 and TIA/EIA 568-C.2 PoE+ compliant according to 802.3at Type2; rugged latch lock system million fold proven; intermateable with the existing etherCON CAT5 range; shielded system - high noise immunity and EMI protection.
HAVING UNVEILED the IS7 and accompanying IS118 subwoofer at this year’s Pro Light and Sound exhibition, Adamson Systems Engineering has added larger siblings in the form of the IS10 and IS119 to its installation loudspeaker series.
Incorporating an exterior for the architectural market, the manufacturer is offering architects and designers touring standard cabinets that blend into the
Finished in standard white and black with other RAL colours
THE LATEST addition to JBL’s line-up of in-ceiling speakers is the LCT 81C/T ceiling tile loudspeaker.
classrooms, retail outlets and all manner of commercial buildings
marine-grade birch plywood with aircraft-grade steel and are equipped with NL4 connectors and screw terminals.
The cabinets are further equipped with a recessed plate-and-screw rigging solution in the interior of the installation.
The full-range IS10 is a two-way line array cabinet containing two ND10-
reflex systems, as well as subwoofer system and the
The low-frequency models are built with JBL’s Differential
tiles, the speaker can be installed without the need to cut or modify the ceiling.
With a perforated white grille to help it blend in and featuring has also been designed for installation in shallow ceilings with a depth of 10cm. While its built-in 10W transformer allows speaker lines, the ceiling tile pink noise and 40W programme power. A rotary switch on the side of the rear enclosure enables
In other news, JBL has introduced the AE Powered Series loudspeakers. These draw upon technologies, including Crown own user-configurable DSP. The series initially comprises the
high-frequency cabinets utilise
cabinets to be configured
Looping PowerCon Ac connectors facilitate the combination of up to three systems without multiple
JBL’s C222HP
home runs to the main power source or additional junction boxes.
small- and medium-sized cinemas
ScreenArray cinema loudspeakers.
JBL’s Dual Dissimilar Arraying design, which combines two
for raked seating, and Acoustic Aperture Technology that utilises produce a horn-loading effect, maintaining a wide horizontal 7-Series studio monitors.
www.jblpro.com
nominal dispersion pattern of 110° x 10°
subwoofer is loaded with a long
whilst the Controlled Summation Technology further eliminate the low-mid lobing normally
line source systems. The companion IS119
Mounted in a front-loaded enclosure, the IS119 subwoofer has been designed to reproduce clean, musical low-frequency information. been replicated in the rear of the cabinet, which allows for cardioid identical from the audience’s
www.adamsonsystems.com
its Stasys X cabinet. Called Nexus XL, the cabinet houses a single and is stated to put transient response and articulation at the heart of its design.
While large transducers
and an extended low-frequency can also lead to a degradation in strengthening materials into the cone and employed a dual-layer coil arrangement. This reportedly increases the power handling and
Mogale. ‘The enclosure also features a few new techniques what might be our best size-to-output, low-frequency enclosure yet.’ In terms of the subwoofer is capable of a maximum continuous power and offers a frequency
Weighing 90kg, the cabinet has a footprint of 738mm x 738mm x
www.voidacoustics.com
DESIGNED TO offer a careful output, B&C Speakers has 15CXN88 high-output coaxial transducers. Inspired by the success of the 88mm coil NDL
manufacturer opted to create coaxials with a 3.5-inch low-
15-inch models each incorporate the woofer combined with a 3-inch
units are rated at 1,000W
models include a double silicone spider with optimised compliance and operate within
The shared neodymium magnet assembly features an aluminium demodulation ring for reduced distortion, a double silicone woofer spider with optimised compliance, a waterproof
pure titanium high-frequency diaphragm.
www.bcspeakers.com
THE X-Pro range has been expanded with the addition of the powered X-Pro 215A and passive X-Pro 215 dual 15-inch models together with the XSub 15Sa Subwoofer. Constructed in plywood, the 800W (Class D)
X-Pro can deliver a maximum SPL of 132dB within a frequency response of 42Hz to 20kHz. Serving the HF section, a 1-inch HF compression driver is attached to an 80° (H) x 50° (V) constant directivity rotatable horn. The 800W-rated
passive X-Pro 215 is equipped with but operates within a 50Hz to 20kHz frequency response.
Constructed of 15mm birch
enclosure, the XSub 15SA joins the existing XSub 18SA Subwoofer in the series. Designed to accompany the X-Pro and X-Lite ranges, the 15inch woofer is equipped with a 3-inch voice coil providing low-frequency extension down to 42Hz. On-board DSP with four factory presets, two EQ settings and two low from an integrated control panel. Stereo combo XLR/jack aluminium handles, EQ presets, phase reversal switch 0°to 180° and status LED indicators come as standard. Flexibility has been added courtesy of an integral M20 socket for pole-mounting, whilst 100mm optional wheels are also available.
www.fbt.it
THE BIGFOOT and Beacon portable line arrays have joined Anchor Audio’s AIR line with the addition of battery-powered wireless technology. The Bigfoot and Beacon AIR systems are not passive companion units but main units with either an AIR transmitter or receiver built in. They can be used in tandem for greater coverage or separately as standalone units. Both the Bigfoot and Beacon AIR are battery powered, claiming six to eight hours of operation from a single charge, and a transmission range of around 45m. Operating within the 900MHz frequency band, a single transmitter can reportedly connect to an unlimited number of AIR receivers. To aid with transportation, the systems both feature built-in wheels and handles. They are also available with up to two wireless microphone receivers in addition to the AIR wireless companion transmitter.
www.anchoraudio.com
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Dramatically enhanced mid-range detail. And loud, intensely accurate output without fatigue or distortion. This is sound designed to reach your inner ear. Inspire trust in your creative instincts. And move you to create your best work… by hearing what others miss.
DBTECHNOLOGIES’ ENTERTAINMENT
System series has grown with the release of the ES1203 tri-amped digital column PA system. The series is formed of complete plug-and-play column systems and the newest addition offers a complete stereo sound system alongside many of the features found in its siblings. The ES1203 system comprises a pair of passive wooden tops and a single active wooden subwoofer equipped with two 12-inch woofers. The subwoofer includes a Digipro G4 2,400W-peak amp and DSP that manages the 5-channel onboard digital mixer and system
features a mic/instrument balanced/unbalanced combo connector with an adjustable compensation and microphone gain with 0, +10 and +20dB positions inputs on the second and third
DANLEY SOUND Labs’ latest all-in-one audio solution is the SM-80F, a combined synergy horn loudspeaker and tapped horn subwoofer in a single package. The manufacturer states that the cabinet’s compact dimensions and high output make it suitable for live sound rigs, installed in houses of worship and theatres.
channels. Up to three mic lines can be supported simultaneously. The top satellites are each equipped with four 4-inch midwoofers aligned to facilitate asymmetrical vertical coverage. They also feature on-board DSP that provides the choice between three or double column; and two steering
A built-in Bluetooth module is capable of receiving stereo audio from devices, managing the signal on a separate stereo channel. A
balanced aux/mix output can serve either as a direct link, as an aux output for a stage monitor or an additional speaker, or if the system is being used in double column
ES1203 system, providing the left or right signal.
The subwoofer, made of plywood coated with scratch-resistant black paint, features an OLED display with system controls, in addition to its amp and woofers. It also includes a magnetic dolly to facilitate quick transportation, while the OLED
display is designed to allow for a simple setup, providing access to levels, EQ and the ability to create a pre/post gain mix. To further assist with set up, the ES1203 bundle comes with a sub cover, a bag for tops, a telescopic 35mm pole and two 7m speakon cables. has been made available for DVA T8 and DVA T12 line array systems, now incorporating FIR Filters.
www.dbtechnologies.com
HIGH POWER-TO-SIZE RATIO
The highest possible output from the smallest possible cabinet. It makes NEXO speakers less obtrusive and easier to transport, rig and install.
Statistically, the cabinet boasts a frequency response from 45Hz to 17kHz and is uniformly phase coherent within an 80° conical beam. It comprises coaxial 12inch and 1.4-inch mid-high drivers together with two 15-inch woofers that produce up to 128dB/135dB continuous SPL with a continuous power handling of 400W for the mid/high driver and 3,400W for the low frequencies.
www.danleysoundlabs.com
Measuring less than 38cm wide, GEO M6 delivers NEXO’s signature smooth frequency response for a highly musical performance and enhanced speech intelligibility, with focussed dispersion for consistent coverage.
Whether you’re rigging a mobile A/V application or installing a fixed system in a theatre, bar or club, NEXO helps you fill the space with sound, not loudspeakers.
QSC HAS added column surfacemount options to its AcousticDesign Series of loudspeakers. As with previous speakers in the series, the new AD-S802T and AD-S162T are designed to be sleek and in with their surroundings. They are built for both indoor and outdoor use, a variety of foreground and background applications and to solve reverberant issues in highceiling spaces.
‘For those environments that need a narrow, vertical pattern such as large, high-ceiling spaces, these new loudspeakers help to improve intelligibility in reverberant spaces while offering the same consistency and outstanding performance of the AcousticDesign Series,’ explained QSC product manager, Travis Nie.
The AD-S802T includes eight 2.5-inch vertically oriented drivers, while the AD-S162T has 16. Both range systems equipped with a pan/tilt mounting system that offers tilt as low as –20°.
The American manufacturer has also released the CXD-Q and CXDQn 8-channel network processing
with the Q-Sys platform. Together,
managed in the same manner as the other elements in the Q-Sys system. Each is housed in a 2U
features built-in energy-saving modes.
Both deliver up to 8,000W peak and 5,000W continuous power with low-z, 70V or 100V direct drive available across all channels. They each offer eight mic/line input channels that serve as a Q-Sys onaccessed on the back. While both the CXD-Q and CXD-Qn include eight bi-directional GPIO connections that can be used for analogue or digital inputs and outputs to and from Q-Sys, the Qn model is a ‘purely dedicated analogue inputs of its sibling.
While QSC has been busy producing new systems, it has also been working to update existing
been made available to download for TouchMix-8 and TouchMix-16 Series compact mixers, providing 20 new features, including channel safe, tap tempo and tablet follows mixer functions, as well as additional user buttons on a connected tablet. QSC loudspeaker tunings have also been added, including presets for the K.2 Series, as have features previously available on the TouchMix-30 Pro, such as the Anti-Feedback and
are still fundamentally better than traditional line arrays at no extra cost, and at the top end of resolution
MLA systems provide.’
Meanwhile, on stage, Martin Audio has released a pair of new monitor ranges.
First, the LE Series comprises the 12-inch LE100 and the 15-inch LE200. They are designed for monitoring live bands, corporate A/V events and in houses of worship. The British manufacturer states that they are suitable for rental companies
Room-Tuning wizards.
Speaking of TouchMix-30 Pro, also received an update with Version 1.2 delivering all of the brand-new features found in the TouchMix-8 and TouchMix-16. Finally, Q-Sys plug-ins have been made available for Attero Tech’s Dante and AES67-enabled devices. This allows products such as the unHX2D HDMI audio-to-Dante deembedder/embedder, the unD6IOBT and unAX2IO+ wall plates to be remotely controlled and monitored via the Q-Sys platform.
www.qsc.com
LOOKING TO deliver the sound, consistency and control of its MLA Series to a ‘broader range of touring applications, installations and budgets’, Martin Audio has released the Wavefront Precision Series. The series is initially formed of two dual line array cabinets (the WPC and WPM) that are designed as ‘complete systems’ with external automated Display software built in, as well as a pair of subwoofers (the
18-inch SX118 and dual 18-inch SX218).
‘With Wavefront Precision we wanted to introduce a system with resolution and control of coverage,’ explained Martin Audio managing director, Dom Harter. ‘The more channels, the higher the resolution and scale of coverage control achievable. This means even at the lowest level of resolution, the results
offers compact form factors, housing Coaxial Differential Dispersion (CDD) drivers and are designed to deliver a near-rectangular coverage pattern over a listening plane at head height. The wide horizontal coverage close to the monitor reportedly reduces gradually as distance increases, allowing the monitors to maintain consistent SPL and tonal balance. Second is the XE Series, which also consists of 12- and 15-inch models in the XE300 and XE500 respectively. They also feature Martin Audio’s CDD technology in addition to a patent-pending third static waveguide. As with the loudspeakers covered above, they also include
www.martin-audio.com
AMATE AUDIO has returned to popular in its SM12 stage monitor and married it to its latest R&D capabilities for the N12SM.
manufacturer’s Nítid series.
With dimensions of 459mm x 364mm x 570mm and weighing in at 18kg, Amate describes the monitor as ‘highly portable’ and ‘ultra-compact’. The birch-ply cabinet features a 2mm thick grille that, according to the manufacturer, offers ‘the best perforation
or front-of-stage monitoring mode,
Inside the cabinet, it offers
12-inch LF and 1.75-inch HF neodymium drivers, 700W Class-D
Control settings include a selection of ‘plug-and-play’ active power and DSP system presets that are accessed via the SensitiveTouch keypad – a capacitive sensor that is reportedly highly responsive, weatherproof and durable.
The N12SM has a stated SPL of 128dB continuous (at 1m) and 131dB peak (at 1m). Its universal switch mode power supply reportedly enables operation with any mains condition between 90
backlit Nítid logo can be switched off or switched to indicate when the speaker system is limiting.
www.amateaudio.com
The ELX200 series combines real professional audio quality, precision control, and robust, EV-engineered components in an ultra-lightweight package – a truly potent blend of performance and portability.
•
Wireless control and monitoring via the new Bluetooth®*
QuickSmartMobile app
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Perfect for both portable and installed applications
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Lightweight package with heavyweight performance QuickSmartDSP provides best-in-class processing via EV’s signature single-knob user interface with LCD
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Electro-Voice-patented SST (Signal Synchronized Transducer) waveguide design combines a more compact foot print with enhanced acoustic performance
•
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Clean, compact design, built to blend in Easy transport and setup
Real PA performance with wide, even coverage
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High-quality Bluetooth®* audio & wireless control and monitoring via the new Bluetooth®* QuickSmartMobile app QuickSmartDSP provides best-in-class processing via EV’s signature single-knob user interface with LCD
PhaseGuide technology, the EdgeMax in-ceiling loudspeakers have been designed to mount near wall boundaries so that they can project HF audio throughout rooms up to 20m wide using only perimeter mounting locations. The manufacturer claims that the new models can effectively cover an area that would require up to four conventional conical-coverage models, further eliminating the need for conventional ceiling speakers to be mounted in the centre of rooms. Owing to the unique design and consistent coverage pattern, EdgeMax loudspeakers provide a fullfrequency response for music and intelligibility for speech.
EdgeMax in-ceiling premium loudspeakers are available with two different horizontal coverage patterns, for which the EM90 provides nominal 90° horizontal coverage intended for in-ceiling mounting near room corners. The
EM180 models provide nominal 180° horizontal coverage and are ideally applied when mounting near wall boundaries centred along target coverage zones. Both models feature 75° asymmetrical vertical coverage and are optimised for ceiling heights between 2.5m and 6.5m. An 8-inch woofer and 1.3inch diaphragm compression driver are common to both models, and a 2-way passive crossover comes taps. A newly developed mountingclamp system and a magnetically attached grille allowing instant access to wiring and tap settings further facilitate ease of installation.
A new addition to the Panaray series has been designed to provide consistent audio levels with vocal intelligibility and fullrange music reinforcement in acoustically challenging spaces. Available in black or white, the MSA12X modular steerable array loudspeaker features a slim,
unobtrusive acoustic design with 12 full-range 2.25-inch transducers, each powered by a 50W internal
DSP allows digital control and beam steering of the vertical array coverage patterns, whilst the inclusion of the Articulated
horizontal coverage. Independent level and EQ control is supported for two separate beams per array, whilst on-board memory stores up to 10 user-selectable presets.
Operating within a 75Hz to 14kHz frequency range (±10dB), the columnar line array features both Dante network connectivity and linelevel analogue input. The modular design allows up to three MSA12X units to be vertically arrayed to increase coverage distance and low-frequency pattern control, whilst mounted close to surfaces as its digital control eliminates protruding pitch brackets. An integrated mounting bracket allows up to
90° of pivot away from surfaces. Design, set up and control of beam coverage is provided by Bose Professional Modeler and ControlSpace software.
Based on the F1 portable powered subwoofer, the MB210 is a dual 10-inch model that has been created to enhance the low frequencies down to 37Hz when accompanying FreeSpace, Panaray and RoomMatch
Utility loudspeakers. Designed for both BGM and foreground music applications in addition to small sound-reinforcement, the 500W-rated MB210 weighs 18.6kg and is housed in a compact 660 x 292 x 457mm enclosure. Capable of producing 123dB continuous peak SPL, the Baltic-birch plywood black scuff-resistant polyurethane paint and can be mounted horizontally or vertically with a U-bracket.
www.pro.bose.com
as part of the Linear Sub line of The 15-inch L SUB 1500 A and 18-inch L SUB 1800 A are each equipped with a stereo input that enables them to be easily stacks, 2.1 setups and in mono
HK Audio has designed both subwoofers to complement the Linear 5 Series speakers and for extending its Elements Base
JOINING THE 1032A and 1032B in Genelec’s 1000 Series of 1032C, which brings Smart Active Monitoring (SAM) technology to the range, as well as improvements including a digital input, higher SPL and increased low-frequency the 1032C is designed for music recording, postproduction and broadcast studio applications with the same drivers, acoustic and SAM allows the 1032C to operate with the entire range of ‘Smart Active’ monitors to create recallable networks. The monitor video delay compensation, level calibration and input sensing for automatic power saving and Intelligent Signal Sensing (ISS)
W80), have been designed to provide
All four models have been built to similar dimensions as other architectural loudspeakers on the market to allow for the use of
factors such as placement and time
Building upon its forefathers, the 1032C includes custom Class-D resulted in a 2.4kg weight reduction, a switch mode power of 114dB and a frequency response between 40Hz and 20kHz. Its tweeter and woofer power
250W, respectively.
‘The original 1032 was much loved for the high SPL it offered said Siamäk Naghian, Genelec managing director. ‘By incorporating the latest technologies, the 1032C brings those same advantages into the modern studio environment.’
www.genelec.com
feature a fully rotatable mid/bass driver (6.5-inch in the S4-C65, 8-inch in the S4-C80) angled at 18° and coupled with a 1-inch tweeter with a three-position adjustable tilt and a high-frequency level switch. This allows them to be adjusted without repositioning the frame.
FAITALPRO’S NEW loudspeakers have been designed as ‘top-of-the-range’ models to cover the mid-to-high frequency range. The 8HX230, 10HX230 and 12HX230 are 8-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch models, respectively, and are intended for use as stage
installation applications. Weighing in at under 5kg, the 8HX230 has a higher angular dispersion than its bigger brothers. Its driver has a cut-off frequency of 1.7kHz and features a 37mm Ketone
THE INAUGURAL speakers in Dynaudio’s Custom Install architectural loudspeaker range have been unveiled as the Studio Series.
The series, formed of two round in-ceiling models (the S4-C65 and S4-C80) and a pair of rectangular in-wall cabinets (the S4-W65 and S4-
DESIGNED FOR a wide variety of applications, Beyma has added the 8WR250 and 8WRS250 8-inch LF transducers to its catalogue. Both models incorporate the same driver but the former features a cast aluminium frame, whilst the latter incorporates a pressed steel frame.
Beyma’s optimised FEA motor assembly design together with MMSS technology have combined to create a woofer offering a very linear response, low distortion and
AES-rated design incorporates a 2-inch copper wire voice coil, an aluminium frame and an FEA optimised ceramic magnetic circuit that is capable of producing a sensitivity rating of 95dB (1W/1m).
transducers join the Spanish manufacturer’s portfolio in the form of the 4FR40 and 4FR40Nd models. Optimised for beam steering columns and diverse compact systems, both models
bezels as well as paintable grilles to match a room’s décor. In addition, while the ceiling models come with a round grille as standard, square grilles are available as an option. The manufacturer’s soft-dome tweeters and proprietary magnesium silicate polymer woofers with one-piece diaphragms and largediameter, lightweight aluminium voice coils are built into all four units. The ceiling speakers also
In an effort to further simplify installation of its Studio Series speakers, Dynaudio has produced a two-piece tool-less mounting system with a pre-installation frame that mounts into the cutout via auto-locking clamps. Meanwhile,
drivers and crossover will securely mount within the frame via a locking drop-stop latch.
www.dynaudio.com
performances but differ in terms of their ferrite and neodymium motor structure assemblies. Operating within a frequency range of 100Hz to 20kHz with a sensitivity of 88dB (1W/1m), the 40W woofers incorporate steel baskets and paper cones with
For its high-frequency range, Beyma has added two new compact compression drivers, both of which incorporate 1-inch aluminium voice coils and 1-inch
30W AES-rated drivers comprise
a PEI polymer diaphragm for operation above 2kHz, providing a sensitivity reading of 109db (1W/1m).
www.beyma.com
Polymer diaphragm. Treated and waterproof cellulose pulp and a canvas edge form the 8-inch woofer’s cone.
larger 10HX230 and 12HX230 possess heavier ferrite woofers with a magnetic circuit design. However, as a whole, only weigh 4.1kg and 4.3kg, respectively. Their housing holds the compression driver with a neodymium magnet with the circuits located
The driver itself features an annular magnetic circuit with 37mm voice coil and while the moving coil and magnetic circuit are identical for both models, the centring and the diaphragms differ. The angular coverage on both is up to 8 to 10kHz on horizontal and vertical planes.
All three units boast 250W of power for the woofer with
AES, frequency responses of 75Hz to 4,000Hz and 96dB and 10HX230, 97dB for the 12HX230. The HF drivers for the trio deliver 30W of power frequency response of 1,500Hz to 20,000Hz.
www.faitalpro.com
DESIGNED TO
Installed portfolio between the Media and Compact series, RFC’s voiced as a club system. Comprising two models, the 10-inch 4100 and 12-inch 4112, both feature 2-way birch plywood cabinets and include protection. Whilst providing a stylish aesthetic appearance, the
Finished in a water-based paint with
ONE SYSTEMS has launched a budget range for its Direct Weather loudspeakers. The Silver Series Direct Weather loudspeakers are designed for inland direct weather and general-purpose environments and initially consist of three models. The 104/STH features a 2-way design with a 4.5-inch woofer, capable of delivering 40W of
continuous power handling. Meanwhile, the 106/STH 2-way system makes use of neodymium components to produce 80W from a small form factor. Finally, the 108/ STC is of an 8-inch coaxial design and delivers 150W of continuous power. All three models feature IEC 529 IP 56 ingress protection, while the 108/STC offers an IP 45 design
steel grille with foam backing, equipped with mounting points on all corners and sides. Rubber bungs installed within the grilles ensure that contact between the wood and the grille is avoided and operation is vibration free.
The 1,400W 10-inch model has 65Hz-20kHz with custom-designed
mid-frequency shaping at 2kHz4kHz to aid close distance listening. The cabinet itself measures 500mm x 309mm x 350 mm and is capable of a max SPL of 128dB. The 1,600W 12-inch model extends the frequency range down to 60Hz, boosts the SPL to 130dB and occupies a lager footprint at 600mm x 363mm x 406.5mm. Both cabinets have 70° x 90° coverage and house SpeakOn NL4 input and output connectors.
www.rcf.it
Stainless steel is used for all rigging points across the Silver Series Direct Weather range, which can be attached to optional pole mount brackets or pan/tilt brackets. A durable dual-layer, zinc-rich powder coating and structural steel coating cover the grilles and a U-bracket is included with each of the loudspeakers.
www.onesystems.com
STAGE TEC is aiming to achieve AES67 compatibility for its entire range thanks to a collaboration with DirectOut. The collaboration will be based on DirectOut’s AES67 hardware platform – used in the Montone.42 MADI/Ravenna bridge – and Stage Tec’s Nexus digital audio routing system.
‘In taking this step, we ready ourselves for future demands in the increasing number of IP-based production sites,’ said Stage Tec
SOUNDTUBE HAS added a trio of pendant speakers to its line-up of Dante-enabled installation speakers. Aimed at facilities with high or open ceilings, such as houses of worship, schools, hotels and restaurants, the
managing director, Helmut Jahne. ‘Our goal is to have our products ready for interoperability not just on the audio side, but also on the control side. Therefore we will focus on protocols like AES70 and NMOSIS04, as well as SMPTE 2110 -30/31, in the near future.’
In other news, Stage Tec is describing its 4.3 software release as offering ‘a comprehensive update’ to its Aurus and Crescendo Platinum platforms. Highlights
of the release include a gain sharing automixer, a de-esser as a channel module, loudness metering according to EBU R 128 in sum and group channels, and an increase in the number of base devices that can be included in a Nexus audio network. The automixer has been integrated into the Aurus and Crescendo Platinum console design and can be used in all input channels. The channel
independently of each other. Scene automation also has a new feature. It is now possible to times for each channel individually.
Crossfades can now also be initiated via GPI. Other minor updates include increasing the resolution of all frequency scales
to 24 steps per octave and extending the GPI functions to include control of the compressor and limiter. Finally, the release means that people who use the consoles in conjunction with a Nexus audio network will now have more than double the number of base devices available. Previously, users could interconnect up to 31 base devices; now a maximum of 63 base devices may be operated together in a single network.
www.directout.eu
www.stagetec.com
IPD-RS62-EZ pendant, and top of IPD-RS62-EZ pendant
IPD-RS62-EZ, IPD-RS82-EZ and IPDHP82-EZ are all available in black or with a room’s décor and come with all required hanging hardware.
The IPD-RS62-EZ and IPD-RS82EZ both utilise the manufacturer’s BroadBeam Ring high-frequency dispersion technology, designed to ensure intelligibility covering a wide angle, including off-axis. Meanwhile, the IPD-HP82-EZ features a BroadBeam HP compression driver with a waveguide developed ceilings.
www.soundtube.com
Packing a 138 dB wallop, Kiva II breaks the SPL record for an ultra-compact 14 kg/31 lb line source. Kiva II features L-Acoustics’ patented DOSC technology enhanced with an L-Fins waveguide for ultimate precise and smooth horizontal directivity. WST® gives Kiva II long throw and even SPL, from the front row to the back, making it the perfect choice for venues and special events that require power and clarity with minimal visual obtrusion. Add to that a 16 ohm impedance for maximized amplifier density and a new sturdy IP45 rated cabinet, and you get power, efficiency and ruggedness in the most elegant package. www.l-acoustics.com
redundant connections can be made to dLive S Class equipment as well as non-redundant single cable connections to S Class and C Class systems. In Cascade mode, available
units can be connected to any dLive S Class or dLive C Class system, allowing up to 96 remote inputs and 48 remote outputs.
ALLEN & HEATH’s DX168 expander rack for dLive systems expands the number of remote I/O options available to the range. The unit comprises 16 XLR mic inputs
and eight XLR line outputs, and communicates with the dLive system via Allen & Heath’s 96kHz DX protocol over Cat-5e.
In Redundant mode, dual cable
MIDAS HAS drawn on its Heritage 3000 for the 512 parametric additions to the Music Groupowned manufacturer’s 500 series alongside the 522 compressor/ limiter.
The 512 is described as a fourband fully parametric equaliser. It offers dual concentric controls for access to fully variable gain and frequency settings. The bass and treble bands have selection switches for bell or shelving responses, while there are variable bandwidth controls on all four bands in bell mode.
The unit offers a transistor driven transformer balanced output and electronically balanced input stage with high common-mode rejection. Meanwhile, a hardware bypass selection switch removes all circuitry from the signal path when equalisation is not required and power up mute relays prevent switch on thumps.
Midas describes the 522 as a
compressor/limiter with dynamic presence control. The variable dynamic presence feature reportedly preserves high midrange frequencies, while the manufacturer states that the dynamic presence control ‘adds
The DX168 comes in a stage box format with rubber bumpers and a carry handle for direct placement on the unit to be mounted in a standard 19-inch rack.
www.allen-heath.com
air to vocals without introducing noise or pumping effects’ and ‘reduces the risk of feedback during live performances’. It offers manual envelope controls with linear peak-sensing compression or auto mode with RMS compression, a soft or hard knee compressor response with selection switch and a sidechain
switch.
In addition to this, the 522 also features an electronically balanced input stage with high common-mode rejection, a transistor-driven transformer balanced output stage, and gain reduction and signal level metering.
Finally, as with the 512 a hardware bypass selection switch removes all circuitry from the signal path when equalisation is not required and power up mute relays prevent switch on thumps.
www.music-group.com
L-ACOUSTICS’ L-ISA (Immersive Sound Art) source control functionality has been natively integrated into DiGiCo’s SD range of mixing consoles. L-ISA’s object-based mixing technology is designed to produce immersive sound and spatial hyperrealism across applications such as live production, music creation and private installations, as well as for artistic and cultural exhibitions.
Up to 96 input channels can be set as L-ISA channels, facilitating pan, width, distance and elevation control in addition to serving as an aux send for L-ISA source objects.
AVID HAS provided a further update to the Venue software for its S6L live sound system with the upload of Version 5.5. This delivers support for the Stage 16 remote I/O box for S6L and new control surface capabilities. Stage 16 was previously only compatible with Avid Venue S3L-X systems. Running with S6L systems operating Venue 5.5, the remote I/O box can be used in addition to the Stage 64 rack for
I/O distribution. Users are able to connect up to four Stage 16s and
two Stage 64s simultaneously, supplying a total of 192 analogue inputs.
Avid Venue 5.5 also adds a Meters view as well as System and Troubleshooting buttons to the master touch screen on all three control surface to monitor channel metering across all screens and provides quick access to commands from the control surface, such as the ability to run systems tests.
www.avid.com
A DEDICATED networked-based control platform has been released by Symetrix for its Radius, Prism, Edge and Solus NX series equipment. Accessible via standard HTML browsers, Control Server facilitates the creation, deployment, monitoring and maintenance of large-scale and complex systems supporting multiple control endpoints and multiple simultaneous users. The browserbased interface manages each custom application on the network, including licences, users and user
access. The Control Server apps themselves are stated to be fully customisable, including multiple levels of user access.
www.symetrix.co
L-ISA parameters can be stored in the console’s snapshots engine to be recalled later, shared with the L-ISA Controller over a network and layout in the L-ISA Processor.
‘As well as offering a streamlined user experience, integrating the L-ISA Source Control into DiGiCo’s SD consoles provides productions with a sophisticated yet intuitive solution to the growing demand for immersive sound designs,’ commented Sherif el Barbari, head of application at L-ISA.
Meanwhile, DiGiCo has released a V2.0 software upgrade for its
S-Series consoles, including an increased channel count for both S21 and S31 from 40 to 48 input
channels, the equivalent of 46 busses at 96kHz.
‘This is what has allowed us to
produce an entry level range with the same technological values as every other DiGiCo console and faster processing and lower power consumption than any other console in its class,’ says DiGiCo’s general manager, Austin Freshwater.
The upgrade features new switching functionality, Stereo Width and Balance controls, a Disable Master Mute function, a Backup User Partition function and a Clear User Partition function.
www.digico.biz
www.l-isa-music.com
The ART Series is the beating heart of RCF. These multiple purpose active speakers represent the finest example of audio design in a rugged composite cabinet, now in black. The ART 7 Mk4 Series is equipped with a new generation of 2-way Class-D fan-less amplifiers, highpowered woofers and the latest compression driver technology, plus a redesigned front grille.
• Up to 133 dB SPL Max
• 1400W Power Amplifier
• 7 Models from 8” to 15” Woofers
• High Powered Compression Drivers
• Exclusive FiRPHASE Technology on-board
• Rubber coated handles for maximum portability
ECLER IS in commercial and corporate
– one XLR, one RCA – and a volume control on the front panel FM antenna, IR remote control,
on the front panel and LED
The aforementioned eLPA2-350
MA40E Mini
FOLLOWING THE launch of the
in addition
www.ecler.com
www.dynacord.com
Available in black or white with horizontal or vertical orientation, www.cloud.co.uk
LA122A - Active Line Array Element
2220Wprg 2-Way amplification 135dB max SPL (Full-space)
LAs118A - Active Arrayable Subwoofer
2960Wprg amplification
138.5dB max SPL (Half-space)
* Networkable DSP, control software included
CTF10 and CTF12
DESIGNED FOR conferencing and speech applications, Earthworks has developed the CTF table-top gooseneck microphones with an integrated base to enhance
and near-perfect cardioid polar pattern, the CTF10 and CTF12
RF shielding is incorporated into the microphone’s electronic design to prevent interference from both cell phones and other electronic either the side or bottom of the
BEYERDYNAMIC HAS developed the Classis BM 53 USB microphone
designed for recording meetings, reports and podcasts, the USB
the microphone base so that it can
The XLR can be removed, allowing
Both models are available in a www.earthworksaudio.com
B&C Speakers LF woofers with available in the series, whilst the www.sovicopro.com www.sac-audio.com
microphone comes with a halfspherical polar pattern and can be placed in the middle of a conference
a 3m USB cable to a laptop or
switch of 150Hz, whilst switchable gains of –10dB, 0dB and +10dB
Designed for small-scale conferencing and meeting rooms,
Different operating
A threeaccessible, showing participants, the www.beyerdynamic.com
LEWITT HAS entered the conference market with its latest non-switch bases, single- and The series is aimed at voice terms of the technical aspects, been optimised for a speaking state the mics offer a linear
www.lewitt-audio.com
microphone models from the matched studio pair of either 4006A omnidirectionals or 4011A cardioids. Both versions have the 25-year logo engraved on the included black
IN CELEBRATION of its 25th anniversary, Danish microphone manufacturer, DPA, has announced three limited edition microphone kits. 4018V vocal microphone in a nickel the 25-year logo. It also includes an SL1 adapter for Sony, Lectrosonics
The company states that just 250 of these kits have been made, and, the 25-year logo. The additional black zip case.
included can be selected instead of
are similar but include different
In addition to one of these stereo of accessories such as the MMP-G packages ship in an exclusive engraved 25-year logo. There are reportedly only 25 of each of the omnidirectional and cardioid kits and each suitcase is numbered www.dpamicrophones.com
CHIAYO HAS developed a receiver module for providing uncompressed audio signals band design of the DWR-2400M provides up to 189 selectable automatically adjustable RSSI level.
external antenna, the digital transmitter can be re-booted in 0.2s adding only 4ms of latency during transmission.
the DWR-2400M provides automatic data correlation, ensuring stability and noise
transmitter.
module can be applied to the
series and MMA-3000 portable speaker systems.
The SDR-6120 IrDA and SDAsync receivers incorporate patented IrDA technology that
YAMAHA CONTINUES to target commercial environments
including the PGM1 paging station microphone, PGX1 paging station controller, SWR2100P-5G and
for large-scale installations, these all offer control for the manufacturer’s professional audio systems.
both connect via Ethernet cables, the former is also compatible
addition to the PGX1, feature assignable buttons that can be set to the desired function using
the SWR2100P-5G and
paging and controller systems and on and off.
has been developed to provide a and monitoring can be built in the the devices can be established connection.
A pair of compact cabinets has form of the VXS1ML loudspeaker describes them as being
particularly suitable to BGM.
The VXS1ML is a mini satellite 62mm x 62mm x 82mm and
diameter voice coil and 1.5-inch
full-range driver that reportedly delivers a frequency response
mount facilitates free angle installation and vertical adjustment
mounted alone, ceiling mounted
RMA1MW adaptors. features a 3.5-inch driver,
the manufacturer’s Dual SR-Bass technology. With a frequency response of 65Hz to 180Hz, it 160mm x 110mm, and also comes
Keeping the form factor to
mountable chassis, both units noise-cancelling, dual-squelch circuits that eliminate noise and dropouts. An Auto Scan function buttons prevent unintended adjustment. www.chiayo.com.tw
unveiled the VXL Series slim line array speaker system. This comprises the VXL1-8, VXL1-16 and VXL1-24, each available in black or and VXL1-24 both feature vertical dispersion.
such as Ravenna that support the addition to several additional Shure Version 4.1.
www.yamahaproaudio.com
BASED UPON MediorNet MicroN high-density media distribution hardware, Riedel has devised the MediorNet MultiViewer for adding versatility to MediorNet’s decentralised signal transport, routing and processing network. Each MultiViewer engine can access any MediorNet input signal and placement either on to four physical screens or routed to any destination within the MediorNet system. The MultiViewer comes with local signal inputs and outputs providing further connectivity options, including the playing out of the virtual MultiViewer screens locally.
scaling, positioning, the ability to incorporate graphics. Analogue or digital clocks can reference system time or timecode, with the timecode derived manually or from LTC or NTP. Up to 20 distributed system counters can be established within a single network, for which any counter widget can reference any one of the system counters, while the functions are controllable via the Ember+ control protocol. The
in a single view GUI using a drag-
on the network rather than on local templates support quick designs that can be manipulated both online
Heralded as the smallest fully functioning desktop panel currently available, the German manufacturer has introduced the DSP-2312 Desktop SmartPanel
as the latest member of its SmartPanel family of intelligent user interfaces. Featuring 12 keys, two TFT touchscreen LCDs and an integrated power supply, the new desktop edition offers the same features as its larger brother. On-board AES67, AVB and AES3 connectivity provide direct connections to Riedel’s Artist digital
www.riedel.net
THE R-4 wireless microphone system is JTS’ response to ‘today’s squeezed spectrum’, a UHF system that’s channel 38 ready and reportedly able to provide more coverage within a limited bandwidth. The system is capable of running four channels of wireless on channel 38 and has also been designed with a compact form factor, its receiver is a 1U, 19-inch rack mountable enclosure. Targeting applications such as touring sound, theatres, schools, commercial installations, corporate events and conferences,
JTS has designed the R-4 to be durable and for ease of use and setup. It makes use of the Taiwanese manufacturer’s Remoset technology that allows all data to be synced between the receivers and transmitters with the push of a button. This, JTS states, allows the system to be set up ‘in under one second’. The system also includes integral antennas and power cascade functionality, meaning that multiple receivers can be linked for the creation of larger wireless mic setups.
www.jts.com.tw
CLEARONE IS aiming to meet the needs of conference rooms with two additions to its Converge Pro 2 series of DSP mixers.
The Converge Pro 2 48V offers four mic/line inputs with AEC and eight mic/line outputs. In addition, it offers a VoIP interface with two default phone lines and three more available through a software upgrade. The mixer is also Cisco and interface for Skype for Business. Meanwhile, the Converge Pro
2 012 is a 12 mic/line output DSP mixer providing the option of increased outputs when required. The manufacturer has also increased the number of ports available for users of its Converge Pro 2 mixers with a pair of interface expanders. Aimed at conferencing connectivity and room control, the expanders differ in the type of connectivity they offer – Converge
Pro 2 USB and Converge Pro 2 GPIO. The USB expander acts primarily as a USB audio interface, connecting a
laptop directly to a conference room’s audio system. It can also be used to share the DSP mixer resources across multiple rooms. Meanwhile, the GPIO expander offers 12 input
and output pins to control devices such as microphones, cameras, window coverings and lights. According to the manufacturer, up to three USB expanders and three
GPIO expanders can be daisychained for each Converge Pro 2 mixer.
www.clearone.com
WILLIAMS SOUND’S Hearing HotSpot app is available on iOS and Android devices, downloadable from the App Store and Google Play Store, respectively. It facilitates the streaming of audio in real-time via Wi-Fi from all manner of sources, including televisions and music players, as well as live sources, directly to the smartphone or tablet of somebody requiring assistive listening.
The Hearing HotSpot app provides unlimited channels with the scalability to accommodate any number of users, reportedly offers ultra-low latency and features a customisable in-app messaging system. www.williamssound.com
DEVELOPED TO provide a access to 31 channels within 4MHz is Audio-Technica’s latest highdensity wireless system. With a continued reduction in the amount of spectrum available for wireless microphone operations, the 6000 intervals, which can all be used simultaneously.
Free of broadcast TV signals
ATW-R6200 receiver, an ATW-T6001 optional ATW-DA410 antenna distribution system, together with a number of compatible AudioTechnica lavalier and head-worn microphones. Features include
offers transmitter frequency setup from the receiver via IR synchronisation.
The 2U true diversity receiver is equipped with balanced XLR and
with a reliable new miniature input www.audio-technica.com
SMALL- AND medium-sized conference and meeting rooms now have dedicated TesiraForté digital audio processors available to them in the form of the TesiraForté VT and TesiraForté VT4 series.
‘The new VT and VT4 models offer our customers greater room requirements without paying for features they don’t
According to the manufacturer, the TesiraForté VT provides both the same chassis, while the TesiraForté VT4 models deliver rooms.
As a result of the updated LQ
CLEAR-COM HAS enhanced its for telephony and interoperability, connecting traditional intercom with Agent-IC mobile application users and increasing the available I/O
The platform-agnostic LQ devices are designed to simplify connectivity and deploy communications solutions over IP infrastructures without compromising on audio
quality. LQ interfaces could and/or 4-wire digital solutions over LQ devices that host Agent-IC, core users on traditional intercom systems can communicate in full users on smart devices. All setups within the browser-based Core
allowing up to 24 audio ports to be assigned to any of the 12/24 interfacing with 2-wire and 4-wire intercom or audio devices, creating a higher-density digital partyline devices are routed over IP to the offering more connectivity through its Com or third-party intercom systems over LQ. www.clear-com.com
DESIGNED FOR R&D and production test applications, Audio Precision’s new binaural AECM206, has been built for testing circum-aural, supra-aural and intra-concha headphones and earbuds. When used with
The VT series includes standalone, AVB and Dante versions, with the same feature set of the original TesiraForté family. The VT4 series includes AVB and Dante versions, while providing small conference rooms with four analogue inputs and four analogue outputs.
All of the new models are equipped with Biamp’s AEC technology to eliminate acoustic audio to interface with soft-codec conferencing technologies. Additional features include general-purpose I/O and an OLED display.
www.biamp.com
The system comes preassembled with occluded ear simulators (microphones with acoustic are installed and connected via
USERS OF Bel’s BM-A1-64DANTE
facility to automatically display channel names via Dante Controller manufacturer. Bel intends the new and operation of the device ‘even faster and completely intuitive’. ‘With up to 64 channels routed to the front panel, it’s possible to audition each channel
installed, the Dante Receiver Channel name on the selected channel is now automatically intuitive operation. It’s also possible to combine any number of channels to create unique
simultaneous monitoring of multiple channels. In this instance, the availability of channel names means that custom combinations
www.beldigital.com
analysers, accessories and software, users are provided with a complete and repeatable electro-acoustic testing solution for headphones and earphones. The AECM206 is IEC 60318-4 compliant and constructed to isolate ambient noise with a sturdy the noise-reduction performance measurement of ANC (active noise cancelling) headphones and hearing protection earmuff testing.
and calibration information to be read by a connected instrument, test interface. They are also CCP powered and calibrated. Also provided with the system are two sets of pinnae that are OO-35 and A-25. An adapter for the CAL250 sound level calibrator is an www.ap.com
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recordings and clean up dialogue in postproduction without the need for ADR.
The Trax Pro 3 SP software features include automatic speech targeting, automatic consonants detection, new automatic extraction options, a speech-optimised pitchogram, a full-frequency spectral editor, a de-noise tool and
AUDIONAMIX, DEVELOPER of the Trax Pro software for audio source separation, has debuted a stand-
alone version of Trax 3 dedicated to speech separation. The tool allows engineers to isolate speech
from background elements in mono or stereo recordings, improve speech intelligibility in archival
WHEATSTONE IS shipping the AirAura X4 FM and HD audio processor. Designed to allow all stages of processing – including the iAGC, limiters and clipper – to be aware of each other by sharing information, the AirAura X4 can make changes automatically in real-time. Unlike its AirAura X3 predecessor where the traditional 31-band limiting was placed ahead of the clipper, the clipper now works directly with the X4 providing an audio blueprint for how the clipper should behave.
Incorporating intuitive GUI and dual touchscreens on the front panel, additional features include a redesigned bass processor and enhancement controls in the iAGC providing safe equalisation for maximum consistency as well as full RDS capabilities. Incorporating an FM/HD tuner within the design, the audio alignment works either with third-party HD/FM modulation monitors or by itself. AES insert points are also available for inserting a ratings encoder into the
processing system, bypassing the need to add an outboard leveller in front of the processor. Previous features have been incorporated in the AirAura X4, including an improved Multipath Mitigation algorithm, redesigned composite processing with selectable look ahead limiting or clipping, baseband192 composite AES connectivity and a full set of analysis displays.
An effects editor and audio processing toolset are among the new 7.0 features added to the software-based VoxPro phone recorder and editor. Commonly used for live radio listener call-ins, artist interviews and recorded spots,
AMBISONIC COMPATIBLE output is the headline development for Nugen Audio’s Halo Upmix. The Ambisonic stream output is touted as an alternative to channel-based output for VR, game and other immersive applications. According to the manufacturer, this will make it possible to re-purpose or convert channel-based audio for
In related news, Halo Upmix will
now also generate 7.1.2 Dolby Atmos compatible audio tracks in Pro Tools.
Away from Upmix, Halo Downmix is described by the manufacturer as ‘a new solution for delivering accurate downmixes that are no longer limited to typical in-the-box solution offers visual controls for relative levels, timing and direct vs ambient sound balance.
VoxPro consists of a USB hardware control panel, for which the control in the software for fast recording and editing, bypassing the need for a mouse. The control panel also includes a scrub wheel for precise
The Trax software is available to users in two versions: one fully featured (Trax Pro 3 SP) and the other a ‘lite’ version that omits the spectral editing capabilities (Trax 3 SP).
www.audionamix.com
editing of voice, sound effects and music clips on two tracks. The new signal processing toolset lets talent quickly clean up phone calls for on-air presentation, whilst the ClipCleaner toolset includes spectral display, parametric EQ, de-esser, compressor, expander, limiter and noise gate. With a GUI derived from the LXE console, the ClipCleaner toolset comes with a standard library of presets. FX Macros enable one-button macros for frequently used effects and can be used to create a preset for any effect that can then be assigned to an on-screen button for quick recall. In addition, the VoxPro Effects menu has been overhauled. A QuikSearch box has been added on-screen along with the ability to
www.wheatstone.com
WORKING TOGETHER with Solid State Logic, Universal Audio has added the SSL 4000 G Bus compressor collection and Pure Plate Reverb to its portfolio of classic hardware emulations as part of UAD software v9.2.
The SSL 4000 G Bus plug-in is described by Universal Audio as an ‘authentic end-to-end circuit emulation of SSL’s iconic bus compressor exclusively for UAD2 and Apollo interfaces’. It also includes presets from producers such as Just Blaze (Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar), Peter Mokran (The Flaming Lips, Mary J. Blige) and Ian Boxill (Prince, Tupac).
attack and release including programme-dependent ‘auto’ release and auto fade.
Owners of the SSL G Bus Compressor Legacy plug-in can purchase the new plug-in for a reduced price.
Nugen states that Halo Downmix surround channels introduced by legacy upmix practices.
In addition, Halo Downmix introduces a surround-to-surround mode for adjusting existing 5.1 or 7.1 mixes for better downmix compatibility or re-balancing of the surround mix.
www.nugenaudio.com
The Plate Reverb plug-in aims to provide the manufacturer’s plate reverb emulation in an affordable package and with a simple set of controls – lowdelay, decay, bass and treble tone controls, balance and dry/ wet mix.
Included presets are from Patrick Carne (The Black Keys), Richard Chycki (Rush, Dream Theater) and Chuck Zwicky (Prince, The Time).
www.uaudio.com
PREVIEWED IN the May–June 2017 edition of Pro Audio MEA, Dante Domain Manager from Audinate has been released as three distinct feature sets: Silver, Gold and Platinum. The software is a complete network management solution designed to offer enterprise-grade system administration to the A/V industry, while aiming to make audio networking more secure, scalable and easier to manage.
device groupings by room, building and site – regardless of physical network infrastructure, providing
system managers with a suite of trails, alerts and messages.
The Silver edition provides the features listed above, with a maximum of two domains and 10 audio devices. The manufacturer states that this is ideal for installations that primarily require
user management, such as smaller houses of worship or schools.
The Gold edition includes integration with Active Directory and supports up to 10 domains and up to 50 devices. The Platinum edition expands support up to 50 domains and up to 250 devices, and includes SNMP alerting and a fully redundant ‘high-availability’ option for mission critical systems.
Dante Domain Manager will be enabled by the latest 4.0 manufacturers in the near future.
www.audinate.com
ATLONA AND QSC have partnered to co-develop plug-ins for QSC’s Q-Sys platform that will permit networked audio stream integration with Atlona’s OmniStream AVoIP products, as well as a direct control system for CLSO Series video switchers.
The OmniStream plug-in enables Q-Sys to ingest a direct audio
stream from encoders as it does for any other input, so that Q-Sys can then process, route and mix those audio channels anywhere on the network. The CLSO Series plug-in enables direct control of switcher operations from within the Q-Sys user control interface.
www.atlona.com
of a range of products compliant with the European Construction Products Regulation (CPR).
All of the cables bearing the CPR external authority, having been tested for conformity and resistance
The CRP compliant cables include the C128 CPR, TSK1038 CPR, RG59 CPR and the latest TSK101 CPR, TSK103 CPR and TSK105 CPR, and now also bear the CE mark.
www.tasker.it
THE NEW AMS Neve DAWsync plug-in for the DFC3D consoles offers Machine Control integration with Pro Tools. The plug-in provides a lock from the Pro Tools timeline to the DFC3D automation ensuring that the audio, video and console automation stay synchronised.
Connecting to the DFC3D via Ethernet, DAWsync comprises a virtual nine-pin interface for transport commands, track
The DAWsync plug-in interface inside Pro Tools
arming and PEC/Direct switching from the DFC3D to the DAW.
www.ams-neve.com
CHRISTIE HAS made a pair of additions away from its traditional projection home. The manufacturer has expanded its range of video processors with the Spyder X80 and introduced a new family of LCD panels with the Access Series.
Starting with the Spyder X80, Christie describes the product as ‘the only video processor capable of handling 4K at a 60Hz refresh rate on a single channel’. The multi-screen windowing processor supports 4K at 60Hz at 8/10/12-bit processing on a single cable, plus 4K at 120Hz on dual or quad cables. In terms of the core functionality, supporting up to 24 inputs and 16 outputs, with all connections capable
to rotate outputs individually and HDMI 2.0, DisplayPort 1.2 and 12G HDSDI connectors. The X80’s card-based design allows customers to match input and output needs with room to change and upgrade in the future, while the scaling and format conversion allows users to mix and match multiple SD, HD, 4K and stereoscopic video formats. Moving to the end of the signal chain, Christie’s Access Series of LCD panels features UHD resolution and USB playback. The four-member family includes 55- and 65-inch models designed for 16/7 operation and 75and 86-inch models for 24/7 run times. All four panels feature an OPS slot and offer an optional touch overlay.
TO HELP organisations of all types transition to IP production, Grass Valley has launched the XCU Universe XF camera base station and advanced UXF cradle. Supporting the AIMS roadmap and reportedly all IP video formats including HDR, these two solutions are designed to support the high bandwidth requirements of 4K video and IP networks and to deliver
The XCU Universe XF base station is built for the extended bandwidth needs of the manufacturer’s LDX 86 and LDX 86N Series cameras, providing up to 6X speed operation, 4K capability and 15 HDR F-stops in 1X speed operation. Flexibility is delivered with the ability to output any
format video over IP or SDI. The advanced UXF cradle, meanwhile, features an additional four MSA compliant SFP+ slots, offering fully redundant IP interfacing and 12G SDI via SFP.
The increasing popularity of 4K and HDR has also led Grass Valley to integrate HDR up-mapping capabilities into its new Densité UHD-3901-UC cards. They support a combination of HDR and SDR content, making them suited to facilities that have chosen to transition to UHD broadcasting
SDR to HDR and HD to 4K/UHD up conversion.
www.grassvalley.com
ROSS VIDEO has combined Carbonite production switcher technology with XPression 3D motion graphics, two clip server channels and the Rave audio engine to develop an ‘all-in-one’ production solution. That solution has been named Graphite and is formed from a 4U chassis, housing a Carbonite engine built onto a PCIe card. The manufacturer states that Graphite eliminates traditional performance issues arising from an overworked CPU. The system is directly powered by its Carbonite engine, making it immune to computer crashes. This drives the Carbonite switcher and Rave audio engine. The Carbonite switcher brings all of its features to Graphite, including its MEs, MiniME
Rave engine, meanwhile, features a 24-channel audio mixer with input management, level monitoring, volume and gain adjustment among other features.
The XPression graphics system is also included thanks to the self-contained Carbonite engine, as it requires a dedicated CPU.
A single-channel variant of the XPression software, ‘XPression Graphite’ allows unlimited layering and provides true 3D objects and animations. The XPression Clips server is used for recording, managing and the playback of video clips. These channels can also be utilised as an external video source.
www.rossvideo.com
THE MANUAL Grande Series of large screens from Elite Screens offer a manually operated retractable solution that can be rolled up out of sight via a simple bead chain clutch system. Available in 180-inch and 200inch versions – both with either 16:9 or 4:3 aspect ratios – the screens are designed to display Ready content.
THE GX range of media servers from d3 Technologies has been developed to cater for increasingly important generative content in live show design. The range is capable of allowing users to render video, audio, MIDI, tracking and automation data, or interactive inputs in real-time for shows that respond to their environment. There are two models in the gx range. According to the manufacturer, the gx 2 has the fastest professional-grade GPU currently available and offers or eight HD outputs) in the same chassis as its pro range. The gx 1 offers the same power density to smaller shows and installations
and comprises a single-width
into a 2U chassis. Both models in the range come bundled with a full Notch playback licence giving users access to the latest software
without any barriers. Notch is a third-party software partner that enables creation of real-time, live interactive visual content with an unprecedented level of quality and
www.d3technologies.com
customers as soon as an event
H.265 is the new format established for delivering Ultra HD content; however, many of today’s existing devices are still only H.264 compatible.
REAL-TIME H.264 encoding has been added to Blackmagic’s
it possible to distribute Ultra HD content in either H.264 or H.265 directly to customers at live events. Duplicator 1.1 is available
as a free download from the Blackmagic website.
The software is an SD card duplicator with built-in real-time H.264 and H.265 encoding that makes it possible to deliver multiple copies of content to
miniaturised into a single rack
SD cards for SD, HD and Ultra HD video duplication up to 2160p60.
www.blackmagicdesign.com
KRAMER HAS entered the audiosound server. The manufacturer called in Waves Audio to power the unit’s processing capabilities. In a move that will certainly cause a few raised eyebrows, the
A rolling mechanism prevents the screen from being raised or lowered too far and to stop at any point. The screen itself is of a
projection and incorporates a black-backed design to eliminate light penetration. Black masking borders eliminate projector overshoot.
www.elitescreens.com
sound processor over IP networks’. It has been designed as a singlebox, plug-and-play hardware- and software-based IT-oriented solution for large-scale DSP deployments. In terms of functionality, the processing of 64 input channels and distribution of over 1,000 outputs. The device is reportedly fully compatible with any Dante audio signal and provides auto-
and their functionality. Additionally, the manufacturer states that it will integrate with standard IT infrastructures and ‘simplify the IT manager’s user experience with
a single point of contact for both management and support of all audio devices’.
www.kramerav.com
capabilities have streamlined user operation for Barco’s enterprise A/V meeting room control solution, Overture, states the Belgian manufacturer.
Overture controls and monitors
A/V and other networked devices in multiple locations via an interactive user interface that runs on off-the-shelf commercial hardware. The latest version emphasises automation by adding ‘behaviours’ that enable the automatic creation of tasks for specific rooms. For example, an administrator can set a task to automatically switch on or off all the devices in a single room – without any programming required. The system also integrates seamlessly with the manufacturer’s presentation tools such as ClickShare, allowing a
presenter to quickly set up a room via a ClickShare button. Furthermore, the latest update also enhances the Scheduler capability to allow users to set certain actions
turning off all devices at night to save electricity. Combining behaviours and scheduling functions together enables a facility or IT
enable an enterprise to be controlled from a single set of buttons, or execute tasks automatically at
The ClickShare platform itself has also been treated to a new
introduces Windows 7, 8 and 10 extended desktop on the CS-100 and CSE-200. The new CSE-800 offers connectivity options such as AirPlay and Google Cast support, as well as enhanced security
settings. It also features two HDMI inputs and outputs to simply connect with legacy equipment and conferencing systems, while allowing up to eight people to share content simultaneously. Separate and simultaneous connection to multiple networks is facilitated by a pair of network connections. Barco requests users install the ClickShare extension pack before replaces the current ClickShare launcher with both a new launcher and the driver needed for the extended desktop feature. The same functionality will come to the CSE-800 via a yet-to-be-released
Lastly, there is a new addition to projectors. The F70 has been developed to reduce downtime and maintenance, while delivering
Gen2 becomes a fully hardwarebased, end-to-end 4:2:2 10-bit HEVC encode/decode streaming solution.
added reliability and a longer lifespan of up to 60,000 hours. The laser phosphor projector is described by the manufacturer as ‘rugged’, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership.
Two F70 models are initially available, the F70-4K6 providing a 4K UHD native resolution and the F70-W6 offering WUXGA. Both deliver up to 8,000 lumens of light output and Constant Light Output
functionality to ensure brightness and colour over a longer time span, as well as 16:10 aspect ratios and a lens shift of up to 134%. F70 has a user interface in common with existing F-series projectors, in addition to the FLD and FLD+ lens catalogue, while sharing Barco Pulse processing technology with the F90 models.
www.barco.com
VITEC HAS launched its second-generation HEVC codec, Gen2, developed to power the
streaming solutions provider’s MGW Ace Encoder. When paired with the MGW Ace Encoder,
‘Our entire installed base can allowing superior video quality,’ explained Vitec product manager Richard Bernard. ‘By offering unmatched HEVC encoding performance, our MGW Ace Encoder is the perfect solution for reducing OPEX in point-to-point video transmission.’
www.vitec.com
COMBINING TECHNOLOGIES from AMX, BSS, dbx and Crown, AMX has unveiled a new line of all-in-one A/V presentation solutions named Incite. The series promises features such as video scaling, windowing, support for 4K/60, integrated central control and signal transport. The solution integrates a BSS digital signal processor for audio room tuning as well as 10-band parametric EQ, compression, gating, auto-ducking and limiting on every microphone input. From dbx, the Incite solutions house AFS (Advanced Feedback Suppression) for controlling unwanted feedback, while Crown’s Class-A/B DriveCore technology powers the models.
There is support for 4K/60 on every input. Current HD signals can also be upscaled, while 4K/60 can be downscaled. HDBaseTbased distance transport is stated to provide full 4K/60 at 4:4:4 capability over a category cable for simple point-to-point applications.
In addition to the launch of the Incite range, AMX has also expanded its N1000 Series with the N1134A SDI encoder, a new video-over-IP encoding solution
that eliminates the need for an SDI-to-HDMI converter. The encoder integrates with AMX control systems but also features AES67 for connection with audio devices. And like the other members of the N1000 family, PoE power from a simple Ethernet connection to the local network switch both speeds up installation and eliminates the need for a local power source.
www.amx.com
MX-0808-HDBT-H2L
THE MX-0606-HDBT-H2L and MX0808-HDBT-H2L are the inaugural members of WyreStorm’s new H2L series. Both are Class-B HDBaseT matrix switchers, 6x6 and 8x8 respectively, developed to offer a ‘great value’ solution for those on a budget requiring high-quality A/V distribution.
and enabling instant switching between sources. A bidirectional IR pass-through offers source and sink control, and RS-232 supports WyreStorm Enado and third-party control systems, while a Web UI matrix switching from a computer. WyreStorm’s NetworkHD family
Supporting 2K and 4K UHD video sources, including HDR, HDCP.2.2 and multi-channel audio up to DTS:X and Dolby Atmos, the H2L series reportedly transmits 4K content up to 35m and 1,080p up to 70m. The switchers make use of Power over HDBaseT (PoH) to remotely power receivers at display locations and feature WyreStorm’s SmartEDID and QuickSynca technologies for
mixing 1080p and 4K displays
is now 4K compatible with the release of the 400 Series, offering low-latency 4K-over-IP. Its features include HDR, multi-channel audio and 2K/4K auto scaling, as well as PoE, separate audio routing and 16x16 video wall capabilities. With HDMI 2.0a and HDCP 2.2 support, the 400 Series manages the delivery of 4K UHD with HDRenabled content and multi-channel audio up to Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.
www.wyrestorm.com
International Exhibition of Professional Technologies and Services for the Entertainment and Creation Industry
17 – 19 October, 2017
Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre
The 2017 edition of Prolight + Sound Middle East will showcase the latest and greatest AV products as well as cutting-edge know-how, impactful education and intelligent market insights. Presenting for the first time ‘The Events, Technology and Entertainment Development `Forum’, it’s where industry experts will share their outlook, expectations and strategies for the future. Be a part of the action!
To know all about our conferences, speakers and the debut of a new forum, visit www.prolightsoundME.com/Conference
To Visit, pre-register at www.prolightsoundME.com/MEA
DESIGNED TO provide expandable, real-time control and seamless switching between 32 video sources and 32 video displays, Aten has scale A/V applications such as transportation-related control rooms and emergency services centres, the 32x32 switcher integrates a line-up of hot-swappable I/O boards and a scaler for unifying various video input signals, whilst rendering optimum output resolutions on displays without delays or signal loss. Control and content changes can be performed in real-time with instant video switching to deliver HD video powered by a seamless
engine implemented at each output port. With the hot-pluggable I/O boards and device parts, video sources of any interface type can be routed independently to target displays of any interface, adding video in any matrix. Hot-pluggable fan and power modules also ensure of live streaming connected video channels and image previews of videowall layouts via web GUI, the
that are synchronised with a realtime clock.
To help with signal distribution, IP extender supports the video
matrix function through the AP router/DHCP protocol with an unlimited transmission distance.
individual stereo, point-to-point and multipoint-to-multipoint, the VE8950 includes 3D and 4K/2K at 30Hz (VE8950 only) transmission via a proprietary A/V codec. A support receiver daisy-chain, web GUI control and USB 2.0 transparent are also included.
The VE8950 4K HDMI-over-IP extender
The Taiwanese manufacturer has also developed the VS1912 for digital signage, videowalls, projection screens and digital
PANASONIC IS pointing to its newly designed 5.7K Super 35mm-sized sensor as the main factor behind the image quality produced by its AU-EVA1 cinema camera. The manufacturer states that by starting at a higher native resolution, ‘the 5.7K sensor yields a higher resolving image when down sampled to 4K, UHD, 2K and even 720p’. It goes on to explain ‘the increased colour
The sensor also features dual native ISO, a process that reportedly
extracts more information from the sensor without degrading the image. According to the manufacturer, this means the camera can switch from a standard sensitivity to a high sensitivity without an increase in noise, or other artefacts.
Away from the sensor, the camera also offers V-Log/V-Gamut capture to deliver high dynamic range and broad colours. V-Log has log curve characteristics that are described as somewhat reminiscent of negative delivers a colour space even larger
Weighing in at 1.2kg and measuring 17cm x 13.5cm x 13.3cm, the AU-EVA1 can record to SD cards in several formats and compression rates, and offers up to 10-bit 4:2:2 in 4K. It uses a native EF-mount, giving users access to the EF lens ecosystem. Behind the lens
in two, four and six stops allows for exposure control. Electronic Image Stabilisation (EIS) is employed to compensate for camera shake and blurring, while the AU-EVA1 also
THE UNHX2D is a Dante-enabled
a Dante audio network. The unHX2D includes two line level analogue inputs and outputs that can be independently bridged to/from a Dante audio network. It supports 4K/60/4:4:4 video pass-through, and can also re-embed audio from a Dante network, an S/PDIF optical input or balanced line level analogue
An adjustable audio delay buffer is included on the Dante output for audio and video lip sync. The
Thunderbolt 2 sharing device. The device allows users to share hardware resources and digital media between two Thunderbolt 2-enabled computers and to switch between computers, providing
board applications. The PC-based media player supports videowall in various asymmetric layouts. Custom widget tools add banners, and real-time clock displays. The advanced videowall feature allows the resizing, layering, spanning across multiple screens and rotating of pictures and videos at 90° intervals.
Lastly, Aten has released the US770 which it describes as
functionality, instant switching and multiple device connections. The device supports data transfer up to 20Gbps and two 4K displays
A pair of Thunderbolt-enabled computers can also share to up to 11 devices and peripherals, while daisy-chained from a single Thunderbolt port.
www.aten.com
out of the path to the sensor at the push of a button.
The camera offers dual balanced
www.panasonic.com
routing between system input sources and outputs, and facilitates bridging audio from either video sources or monitors to a Dante network.
Featuring up to 170ms of stereo delay for A/V lip sync, and user selectable EDID settings, the unHX2D typically replaces two or three pieces of equipment previously required to de-embed 2-channel and bridge it to a Dante network.
The unHX2D can be controlled over the Dante network for ease of
integration with control systems. Ideal for applications including conferencing, control rooms, video teleconferencing, presentation rooms, classrooms and instructional facilities, the device offers a simple network control protocol for integration with third-party control systems. Features include front panel indications of Dante status,
via Attero Tech unify Control Panel
www.atterotech.com
XLR audio inputs and 4K-capableROBE HAS customised its BMFL WashBeam luminaire to provide motorised movement and manual operation with follow-spot
FollowSpot.
With a wide 160mm front lens of emitting 250 lux at 5m and has a zoom range of 5° to 55° with precise focusing. Smooth pulsing iris all feature and can be installation of a digital camera that can be connected via the RoboSpot base station.
Adding to the BMFL range is
programmable follow-spot handles with a control panel and two as a follow spot.
mounting options and two programmable faders can be assigned as dimmer or iris. The
programmable jog-wheels and 10
among other parameters.
super-fast bursts of high-powered pulses that can be adjusted in
with 60 white LED chips and the same number of UV LED chips
and clear white beam with smooth continuous colour and no fringing. Its 350W white LED light engine is described as being reaches 40° at its widest and can be softened up with variable frost.
bright strobe wash for outdoor installations and
compact unit produces bursts of high-powered pulses that can
LED chips. The Czech manufacturer has also released the ColorStrobe difference being that its 60 LED
www.robe.cz
Introducing NetworkHD™ 400 Series 4K over IP
Stunning, visually lossless 4K UHD with HDR and multichannel audio over an IP network
With incredibly low latency, the NetworkHD 400 Series is the ideal AV over IP solution for commercial or residential applications where high quality and low latency are key.
Auto-scaling handles mixed 4K and 2K components, while HDR, HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 ensure full compatibility with the latest 4K content and sources. 16x16 video wall support includes rotation for portrait walls and image flipping, and network set-up is easy using standard managed PoE switches.
The 400 Series also boasts multichannel audio and a powerful audio matrix for separate audio routing, while CEC, Bidirectional IR or RS-232 and the free NetworkHD Touch iPad control app
The NetworkHD 400 Series from WyreStorm. What AV over IP has been waiting for.
WITH ITS IP65 rating, Chauvet Professional’s Épix Strip IP to engage in pixel mapping both features a quick programming to set up pixel mapping programs by giving access to several prebuilt Square Milk – capable of creating
connectors that link them to the www.chauvetprofessional.com
ZYLIGHT’S PRO-PALETTE
ELATION PROFESSIONAL
is built for truss mounting or can
www.zylight.com
enabling full beam control from
WorkCAD 3
install an application on any external
smaller setups or collaborate in
up to eight DMX universes, suiting its use in theme park, www.elationlighting.com
WORK PRO is claiming to have lighting console’ that changes the
The console can connect up to three
no programming or scripting www.workproaudio.com www.workprolighting.com
RUSHWORKS HAS responded to customer calls for a control panel with a T-bar with the release of the VDX T-Bar control surface. The
the live TV production environment by integrating robust robotic camera and Rushworks president Rush Beesley.
DESIGNED AS a basis for providing advanced A/V systems capabilities particularly in meeting and presentation environments, the MT302-121 Digital MultiTasker from Altinex is a 3U, rack-mountable that can be remotely controlled either via a network or wireless setup. Supporting up to 12 Digital MultiTasker cards and equipped with two Ethernet ports, an IR receiver/ IR blaster and an LCD front panel, the MT302-121 is ideal for smaller projects requiring fewer than 20 slots rather than the larger MT302-201. Control – using TCP/IP commands or via an easy-to-use, web-based interface – is accomplished via a PC, a control system or any device capable of establishing a standard TCP socket to the MT302-121’s IP address.
The LCD on the front panel displays
information pertaining to the system and the installed cards, including the IP address of the MultiTasker on the network. The MultiTasker uses an ASCII-based command set to control the individual cards installed inside the enclosure, whilst individual cards are referenced using their slot available for use with the system include the MT312-104 Control Card, the MT305-804 8x4 HDMI Matrix Switcher, the MT315-101 HDMI over Anywire Transmit Card, the MT315-
102 HDMI over Anywire Receive Card, the MT317-101 HDMI Over Fiber Optic Transmit Card, the MT317-102 HDMI Over Fiber Optic Receive Card and the MT310-104 16x16 Stereo Audio Matrix Switcher. Additional options for the system include the MT399-102 Enclosure Rack-Mount Bracket Kit and the MT399-105 5-Piece Multitasker Card Slot Blanks for creating a clean, streamlined appearance over unused/open slots.
www.altinex.com
T-bar allows users to make manual transitions as well as use short-cut keys for effects. The VDX integrates with Rushworks’ VDesk and Remo.
‘The T-bar, in concert with multiple transition and effect controls, and access to more than 100 PTZ/PTX presets using the keypad, make this a real productivity enhancement in
In a related development, Rushworks has also announced the addition of Dynamic Auto Zoom (DAZ) into its robotic camera control platform. Ctrl+R, the company’s software-only camera control application, also supports DAZ.
www.rushworks.tv
ADHERING TO the new DIN56950 and DGUV V17/18 standards, Work Lifters has released its new WTS Series.
Keeping to the safety standards, Work Lifters has developed three new patents that it has applied
FURMAN’S BLUEBOLT CV-2 interface has been developed to provide control of the energy management features of the manufacturer’s F1500-UPS and certain Panamax Pro products over IP without the need for a cloud connection. It essentially offers the same remote energy management functionality as the BlueBolt cloud solution.
MA LIGHTING has credited feedback from its grandMA2 user community as driving hundreds of improvements to the desk’s control software. Alongside these user-driven upgrades Version 3.3 also has a new
With the new software, the MA available online via the Fixture Share service. After logging in, or download the latest versions of the software release.
With it comes the WTS 1206 line array lifter, which is billed supports 1,200kg of load at 6.5m of height, working in structural mode’.
To accomplish this feat, the Spanish manufacturer has redesigned the base of its lifters to increase their stability with new telescopic lift braces that can be
to the WTS Series: WireDrive, a system that directs the cable from one side of the winch’s drum to the other, avoiding wire crossing; Dynamic Overlap, which is designed to increase structural capacity and robustness; and Dynsys, which limits elevation to prevent overloads.
www.worklifters.com
‘For many commercial installations, a cloud connection is either impractical or not recommended for security reasons,’ said Mike Jordan, VP of product management at Furman parent company Core Brands. ‘The new CV-2 gives these installations the BlueBolt scheduling and management control, but accessed locally through a set of embedded web pages.’
www.furmansound.com
Additional search and rating functionality allows users to generate
The release also adds link aggregation (LAG) functionality. This functionality is fully compatible with any standard Ethernet network switch and can be used in meshed installations. Furthermore, the RSTP
information about the link status of any port.
Another major feature of Version 3.3 is the fully re-worked partial show-read functionality. Offset for all Pan/Tilt functionality is now
incorporated and several MIB added. Further new features include several new modes of DMX output function for the MA Network Nodes, RDM via Art-Net, reworked MA VPU Warper functionality including pixelexact U/V mapping and much higher resolution, more creative layer mixing modes to allow different ways of blending between layers, snapshot/ masking tools and a completely reworked help system.
Changing consoles, MA Lighting has also released version 1.3.1.4 for its dot2 system. The new release includes a web remote facility, more master speed faders, increased effects functionality with instant access to groups and blocks, higharrangement for houselights or key lights, freely assignable sACN and Art-Net universes for DMX over Ethernet output as well as for DMX remote in, a new version of the Fixture builder, additional pre-
www.malighting.com
IF A CLIENT HAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH A PROVIDER of A/V services, they are likely to offer them repeat business and, while developing a sense of loyalty, recommend that company to others. For the company in question, building such a reputation will come from compiling a portfolio of reference results. This is often achieved through staff having received the right training and gained enough experience with the systems in the company’s inventory.
Tropical Sound & Music Distributors recently added a huge reference project to its catalogue of work by providing the technical solutions, including lighting, video screens and staging, for the 2017 edition of the Today’s Woman Interdenominational Conference at Zimbabwe’s Glamis Stadium. The company’s reputation for staging shows with a TW Audio inventory not only provided a solution for the PA setup, but was also the reason Tropical Sound was hired.
‘Some of the committee members had already heard our TW Audio system so they knew we were the best to handle such a big event,’ recalls Pacival Mukuchura, sound engineer at Tropical Sound. ‘Some of the event coordinators are pastors and we had done functions for them at their respective churches. We have top artists and church crusades. We have built a good working reputation because of our technical expertise from these events, as well as at university graduations and government functions that have given us great exposure.’
The three-day conference, founded by Archbishop Dr Eunor Guti, drew a crowd of more than 15,000 women from a wide variety of church communities in Harare. It was formally opened by Zimbabwe’s First Lady, Dr Grace Mugabe, and led by preachers from around the world. The worship team comprised more than 10 different church denominations with the combination resulting in an eclectic mix of music from renowned Christian artists. The conference was also broadcast on ZBC (Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation) and Ezekiel TV, a channel that Dr Guti and her husband, Archbishop Ezekiel Guti, operate. Tropical Sound’s biggest challenge was in making sure that everyone in attendance, as well as those watching on television could clearly hear the sermons and music. Setup began three days before the event with Mr Mukuchura and his team utilising simulation and PA system alignment software to help them achieve optimum coverage. ‘We used at total of 14 TW Audio T24s, deployed six per side for left and right front of house, while the other two covered the VIPs who were sitting at the sides of the stage,’ says the sound engineer. Handling the low frequencies were eight S33 subwoofers and four BSX lowfrequency extenders.
While the main PA was formed of TW Audio speakers, Tropical Sound also deployed 10 LAX AT 15M cabinets as stage monitors for the preachers and live bands and made use of some of the venue was 150m long so we had to use a delay stack with two hangs of AT3212-v2 line arrays,’ notes Mr Mukuchura. ‘We were using an Allen & Heath dLive C3500 and CDM64 MixRack digital mixing system for FOH and monitors, while an Allen & Heath GLD 80 Chrome was used in the OB van.’
The company originally chose TW Audio and LAX for its inventory for a variety of reasons, but it was the training provided by each manufacturer that has kept Tropical Sound loyal to the brands. ‘We specify TW Audio most of all because they tend to be the lightest, smallest and most powerful speakers available,’ Mr Mukuchura explains. ‘But also because our engineers had the opportunity to be trained on the systems by the manufacturer in Germany. And LAX is not only one of the best brands from China, but is also very affordable. LAX also invited us to China for training, so when using the speakers I know the capacity that they can handle.’
As for the Allen & Heath mixers, it’s familiarity that makes them the ideal choice for Tropical Sound. ‘Our love for Allen & Health stems from way before the digital era,’ reminisces Mr Mukuchura. ‘We already had an old Allen & Heath analogue mixer. Now, there’s added convenience with the digital mixers and their compatibility with the Dante Controller software available for setting up the network. We’ve also received training from one of their distributors down in South Africa.’
On the broadcast side, Tinashe Ndhlala, an engineer from Ezekiel TV, managed the OB feed from inside the van. ‘I was responsible for providing the mixer and for the audio routing,’ states Mr Mukuchura. ‘I had to make sure that the Ezekiel TV technical crew, who had cameras and were responsible for the visual feed, received a clear audio signal. Lucky Jojo, one of
Word of mouth and a good reputation are great ways to land new projects. This was the case for Tropical Sound as James Cooke discovers
Tropical Sound’s other sound engineers, was responsible for the setup of the OB van.’
Tropical Sound’s Simba Bapiro handled the entire lighting setup onstage. He
with 35 350W LED PAR cans adding colour. Patterns were created with six moving beams and four moving head spots controlled by an Avolites Titan One USB Dongle plugged into a laptop. Meanwhile, a pair of 4m x 6m LED screens were used for IMAG so that the whole audience could clearly see the action on the stage.
With everything set up and the conference underway, the Tropical Sound team still faced challenges. One came in the form of mixing both FOH and monitors from the FOH position. ‘Luckily I’m used to this setup from previous functions where I only had one mixer to use,’ says Mr Mukuchura. ‘On this occasion I had to keep my headphones on to hear what the people on the stage were hearing. We had also measured the monitors using Smaart V8 and I had my technical guy, Tatenda Mack, at the stage. He was responsible for giving the correct microphones to the right people and we communicated via
walkie-talkie.’
However, a further challenge came as a because there were so many acts and there was a need to change every set in accordance with each,’ Mr Mukuchura
appearances from artists who weren’t on the programme. We did not have the chance to do a sound check with them so we had to adjust while they performed live.’ This was where all of the training and familiarity with the systems proved extremely helpful for the team.
With Today’s Woman Interdenominational Conference 2017 deemed a success and organisers reportedly impressed with Tropical Sound’s work, Mr Mukuchura is happy with another job well done and
company’s growing reputation. ‘We had a team of 16 people to set up and manage the sound, stage, lights, power generator
to add this conference to our long list of successful events as it helps us build good relationships with our clients who continue to hire us.’
www.tropicalmusic.co.zw
Sound Engineer Angus Davidson has been involved in large scale sound reinforcement for the last thirty years mixing for famous acts like Supertramp and Crowded House. For him sound quality is the number one priority and this is what has drawn him to KV2 and VHD.
“The capabilities of the VHD2.0 in sound quality and coverage have astounded me but the cost savings in transport, crew, rigging, power requirements and set up times make this system a real winner. VHD delivers real bang for the buck on all fronts."
Angus Davidson Sound Engineer
THERE IS A SENSE OF ANTICIPATION AS PRO AVL MEA waits for the elevator in the lobby of Dubai’s Media One Hotel. It is the opening night for a brand-new restaurant and bar up
Miyagi’s and Cobra Kai have to offer.
As we step out of the elevator, it feels like we have been
as he takes us on a tour around the venue. ‘Although they are run by the same management, they are separate. One is very bar/lounge.
Countless neon signs glow around the restaurant, while paper
PAVLMEA enjoys the audio.
involved. It’s a simple background music system, but of a really high quality – it doesn’t sound like a typical BGM. The umbrella ceiling helps because it adds a bit of extra absorption.’
At the bottom of Mr Miyagi’s, a small bar and games room playing clips from classic ’80s movies such as Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Rocky III and, of course, The Karate Kid helps guests to transition from the restaurant into the bar. ‘Mr Miyagi’s ends, and then you go into a small private bar with two F81s sound coming out of two F101s,’ describes Mr Williams. ‘Because of the way the space bends round in the venue, the sound could be a little discorded when you go from one area to another, but thanks to Funktion One’s great dispersion, this is kept to a minimum. The end room is on its own zone that can be balanced so it doesn’t disturb the restaurant, but when you walk into it, it’s still louder than the room before. It’s all about playing with the levels.’
subtleties, but I especially noticed the imaging, to me it was
It is Cobra Kai that also provided the largest audio in the middle of venues, because we are trying to get the music off the bar,’ furthers Mr Williams. ‘But at the moment that is what is popular with bars and DJs. You have to try and angle the speakers off the bar and put them on a zone that is separate from the main area. This way, the client will have some control over the volume of the sound and can keep it somewhat quieter. The system in Cobra Kai is not going to be super-loud, it’s more about having the party lounge vibe.’ This being said, the audio was actually the simplest part of the six-week installation process. ‘The lighting took much more time than the audio,’ says Mr Williams. ‘There were already venues operating in this space and we have had to do needed to be done very quickly, there was a lot of last-minute changes and a lot of lighting equipment that needed to be
‘The client didn’t want gobos and moving heads, the setup UV lights, so we decided to use UV PAR cans in the alcove and then added RGB strip lighting around the bar and DJ booth to add some colour and mood change. I think the result is really eye-catching giving a unique feel, as it creates the atmosphere of a busy Asian Street. It’s very different from many bars in Dubai.’
UV lights that punctuate the games room, the transition into Cobra Kai provides another step change. ‘In Cobra Kai, the system is much more DJ based,’ says Mr Williams. ‘There is a Pioneer DJ setup with QSC monitors. Cobra Kai is a bigger space with a bigger sound and needed to have a wider range. That is why we have decided to install F1201s and F101s with BR118s for low end. During the day, it needed to offer a highquality background music, but at night or on the weekend it can go to a more nighttime atmosphere if it’s required.’ While much of the system has a familiar feel to it, Em-Tec did decide to take a different approach with one part of the signal chain. ‘I changed to NST processors, they sound unbelievable but the main thing was you can run the software on a Mac or PC,’ explains Mr Williams. ‘I heard the NST processor and I was blown away. I’ve done so many Funktion One installs now and I’m used to how it should sound. But I plugged it in and it sounds so different, the stereo imaging is outstanding. The NST processor is new and the guys behind it obviously have good ears. They wanted to push it to the next level to set a new benchmark. The imaging was clearer, it was
That is perhaps the most striking thing as PAVLMEA leaves the venue and takes the elevator back down to reality. In a city as diverse and multi-cultural as Dubai, it can sometimes using high-quality audio, video and lighting equipment to support and enhance a distinct style, Mr Miyagi’s and Cobra Kai have done just that.
www.emtecav.com
instructor. They didn’t tell us before that there was going to be glass right behind the stage so it can prove somewhat of a nuisance. But I’ve only received one request from the manager and that was asking to limit the audio volume. It’s a better one to have than saying it’s not loud enough.’
Aside from the audio aspect of the job, Delta also took on responsibility for the visuals around the gym, partnering with LG for the displays. ‘The video segment was a little Armstrong. ‘We installed the system and got it up and running and then LG came in to test and commission it for us. Completing this part of the to the V side of Delta AV Solutions!
‘In every area of the gym they want different recreational videos – it might be extreme sports, it might be body building, it might be UFC – and then when there are UFC events on a Sunday morning they want that streamed to all of the displays,’ he continues. ‘The digital signage is just a platform to display video or images. You can display web links as well. Every display has got a PC behind it. The main PC throws web links to the other PCs and extracts the information from the net. It is essentially an IPTV setup. This is all distributed by Cat-5 cabling. We gave them the option of running well in case they wanted to run a satellite set top box but they decided against it.’
Changing the design has meant for Delta AV Solutions. While this
could have been seen as taking a risk with a client that was already a happy customer, it has in fact led to more business opportunities for the integrator. ‘We are happy for it to project and the client loves it,’ says and it is already generating interest. I was contacted by a client the other venue so I am bringing him here to listen to the system.’
It all goes to show that taking the easy option doesn’t always lead to the right solution.
www.deltasolutions.ae
main solution is comprised of 12 K8 passive full-range coaxial cabinets supplemented by a pair of K12 passive full-range coaxial speakers that serve as delays. Low end is handled by eight of the manufacturer’s K12s subwoofers alongside four Montarbo Earth118 active subs.
THE
IS usually a good rule of thumb for businesses. Indeed, this argument is often used when it comes to the AVL systems in bars and clubs. When the venue is popular and customers (or landlords) aren’t complaining about the technical elements, is there any value in changing the solution?
The honest answer to this question is ‘there can be’. It has long been understood that a short-term investment in modern audio and visual solutions can provide long-term savings manpower required to run the systems. But there are also fringe by presenting them with a new environment to enjoy.
As a thriving establishment in a well-known hotel, Red Square Club certainly followed that old adage, as it had not seen the need to change its systems for a number of years. However, its management recognised the opportunity that new technology could present and decided on a full upgrade during its Ramadan 2017 closure.
‘Technology is always moving forward and for the Red Square Club to remain as one of the star clubs in our group, we decided to change and update our system,’ explains Shadi Hallak, group audiovisual and lighting chief engineer at Byblos Hospitality, owner of the Moscow Hotel and its club. ‘We were changing the interior design so updating the systems at the same time made perfect sense.’
When it came to selecting the technology that would be the cornerstone of the revitalised club, Mr Hallak turned to one of the group’s regular suppliers. ‘We have long a relationship with Byblos Hospitality,’ offers Rami Najjar, key accounts manager at Dubai-based distributor, Echo Beats, the company that designed and supplied the solution. ‘They needed a full renovation of their sound and lighting systems. We went for an inspection, studied the space and made our proposal with what we believe were the best solutions. In addition to this, we also did a demo show of the proposed lighting equipment. Our professional study, competitive prices and quality products are what led to us winning the project.’
With the brief from Byblos Hospitality of providing ‘the best sound and lighting system’, Echo Beats turned to Next-proaudio and ADJ. For the lighting portion of the project, ADJ was an easy choice for Mr Hallak. ‘I have used ADJ products before and I have explains. With the aim of continuing this positive experience, Echo Beats provided a combination of conventional lamps and LEDs. This includes 14 ADJ Vizi Beam RXOne moving heads, LED PARs, 12 Ultrahex Bar 12 linear LEDs and eight Focus Spot Three Z LED moving heads.
While the chief engineer had experience of the lights, the Next-proaudio loudspeakers at a trade show in Dubai and I was impressed,’ says Mr Hallak. ‘When I found out they also had a
Having received Mr Hallak’s blessing, Echo Beats designed a solution based on Next’s Kubix family of enclosures. The
With the solution designed, the installation was split into two stages. ‘We had an agreement with the client for their engineering team to pull the cables,’ furthers Mr Najjar. ‘After tuning the audio system and programming the light show.’ The results are exactly what Mr Hallak wanted. ‘It 100% met what we were looking for,’ states the chief engineer. ‘Now our stage looks like it is ready for a real concert. By programming the lighting system in the perfect way, it gives you the feeling of watching a 3D movie and you feel you are inside the stage. The sound system is great with the main PA and delay speakers, plus there is the possibility of dividing the club into three zones.’ Interestingly, he is keen to point out that the club has already seen the advantages its new systems are bringing. ‘We saw the Hallak. ‘The guests were impressed by the lighting effects and the sound. These combined to make them happy during the night and people started calling their friends to come and have a look at the new setup.’
systems refresh. ‘It is very important for us to have our brands installed in this venue because Byblos Hospitality has many well-known hotels in Dubai,’ says Mr Najjar. ‘Moscow Hotel is one of their busiest hotels and Red Square is very well known for its clients based on the reference of this installation.’
Despite the potential for future business generated on the back of this project, Mr Najjar feels that other aspects provide more value. ‘We are very proud of our work and the most important
Equally, Mr Hallak is very complimentary of the end results. ‘We and the results. Echo Beats has done a great job.’ It would seem that the refresh at Red Square is a clear everyone involved.
www.echobeats.ae
Is there commercial value to be found from updating the AVL technology powering a venue? The project at Red Square Club in Dubai suggests that there is. James Ling reports
AS PRO AVL MEA DIGESTS A FABULOUS MEAL IN THE recently opened Bryanston location of Rockets, we are struck by how the small details have made such a big difference at this stylish venue. The complex is the brainchild of local businessman and restaurateur, Sean Barber, and marks a bold expansion to his chain. As you would expect from any high-end venue, the stylings from Soda Interiors create an attractive space where people want to spend time. However, where sometimes AVL budgets can be slashed in favour of interior design essentials, at Rockets there seems to be an understanding that a superior product is the sum of quality ingredients.
‘The percentage of budget spent on technical here is way Richard Smith, managing director of Sound Harmonics, the company behind the audio and video solutions installed at Rockets. ‘Rockets is a restaurant based on very good food and a lifestyle. They are selling an experience and music is a very integral part of that.’
The audio solution works to highlight this point. The Sound Harmonics design called on speakers from FBT’s Archon family inside and Shadow series to cover the outdoor areas. ‘I wouldn’t hesitate to put this range into performance areas, it’s a great performance PA, it’s not a background music system,’ states Mr Smith. ‘I was looking for something that would be able to offer me quality. I wanted the experience to be there for the crowd and for the place to have the right vibe. It still had to be a quality speaker with no distortion and have enough headroom that it’s never being overdriven.’
In the main restaurant area, 6-inch cabinets from the Archon
body of the venue. ‘Whether I’m doing theatre or something like this, my principle is you’ve got to point the speakers where they need to be, it’s common sense but you’d be surprised how few people do it,’ observes Mr Smith. ‘Essentially they are pointed where they need to be and are not pointed at the surfaces. There are enough of them to keep the volume at a good level. The point is I don’t need to play it very loud to get to the back of the room because I have aimed it correctly.’
Upstairs in Lolita’s bar, the multi-zone space required a more powerful solution. To meet this need, Sound Harmonics opted for the 8-inch Archons with subs. ‘It’s a slightly younger crowd than the restaurant,’ says Mr Smith. ‘It’s not a club, there’s no dancing, but it’s still got a decent vibe. That was why we decided to get something that was a bit bigger.’ The same cabinets were called in for the basement members and conferencing room, but this time in a stereo format to handle presentations.
Outside, Sound Harmonics turned to the Shadow family to cover the rooftop Absolut Elix bar, the restaurant’s terrace and the conference room’s courtyard. ‘We went for the Shadow range because it is IP55 rated,’ states the MD. ‘At the time we thought it would be more exposed than it turned out to be, but I’m still glad about the choice and it has been very impressive. Although the weather here is fairly mild, it can be harsh – you can have big thunder storms. It is better to be safe than sorry. The ones down by the conference room are completely exposed, so that will be the real test.’
While selecting the right loudspeakers for the different areas was important, it was those small details that have made the difference to the end result. ‘We decided to run the entire restaurant at low impedance which makes a big difference to what customers are hearing,’ explains Mr Smith. ‘It means
it
they’re hearing the low end and it’s nice and full. We made the choice because of quality. We felt that we weren’t using massive amounts of speakers in the restaurant and the bar so we could afford to do it.’ Further to this, the company also made the decision to upgrade the type of cable it was using to get the best performance out of the system. ‘We are applying the principle that 4mm cable is optimal from a power and performance point of view,’ he explains.
At the other end of the signal chain, the venue is home to a
system in this country,’ reveals Mr Smith. ‘We’ve got a dual receiver with a handheld and a lapel mic. Originally it was going to be located down in the conference room purely for conference use but three days before the opening they told us there would be a speech from the stairs in the middle of the venue. We quickly changed tack and put it into the rack. We’ve put in a distributed antenna system throughout the whole venue so the mics can be used anywhere but their principal use is downstairs.
point of view.’
Sitting in the middle and providing overall control on the audio
happy with it.’
On the visual side, Samsung TVs can be found in the
is via Elan which is accessible via 7-inch touchpanels on the wall as well as a mobile app. ‘Video has three simple things that can switch,’ notes Mr Smith. ‘The only source they have at the moment is satellite TV – they have three different decoders and you can choose between them for the various TVs in the venue. You can also turn off or on individual TVs or the whole lot. For the conference room downstairs you can power the projector on and that brings down the screen. They can switch
The MA 808 innovatively integrates wireless microphones, speakers, CD / USB player and a Bluetooth interface for wireless music streaming into a sturdy, compact case that offers an entirely portable sound system anywhere it is needed. MIPRO supplies UHF and 2.4 GHz receiver modules options and matching handheld or bodypack transmitters, as well as the exclusive miniature transmitters for musical instruments, such as violin, saxophones, erhu, guitar, cajon, and so on, the MA-808 portable wireless PA system.
The Ultimate in Convenience
Lightweight with built-in pull-up handle and sturdy wheels for easy transport, the economical rechargeable battery system enables operations indoors or outdoors without AC power and cumbersome cables. Even handheld & bodypack transmitters can be stored within the sleek cabinet.
to the satellite sources but they also have local inputs in the room for external sources like a laptop.’
the control aspect was where the audio and video systems could be aligned. ‘We originally selected the Elan system due to its ease of integration with the music solution but it controls everything via a very simple user interface,’ says Mr Smith. ‘We BSS. When you are integrating two systems, you need two-way but BSS wasn’t one of them when we started the project. Luckily
we found a guy in America who had written one so that became very useful. The volume control on the touchpanel on the wall is the BSS, it tells Elan so the Elan fader will move.’
different kind of installation. The sound system has given me certainly delivered.’
lead to a better end result. As Mr Smith concludes, ‘there’s no rocket science involved, it’s very simple’.
www.soundharmonics.co.za
Hotel was an iconic part of Dubai’s skyline long before the architecture of downtown became synonymous with the Emirate. For many, the imposing sight of the huge gate as you drive along Sheikh Zayed road from Abu Dhabi is the true sign that you are entering Dubai.
Sitting in the shadow of the iconic gate is Al Moroc Lounge, one of the numerous F&B outlets that are key to the hotel’s offering. Its large outdoor terrace is a popular venue to unwind during the cooler months, but overwhelming temperatures meant that a large portion of the venue was unusable during the summer.
throughout the year and decided the best way to achieve this was by enclosing a portion of its terrace in glass. While this opened up more of the space to customers in the summer, it also served to change the acoustics inside the venue. As such, the lounge’s management team decided to invest in an entirely new sound system to coincide with the architectural changes.
The venue’s slowdown during Ramadan provided a prime opportunity to schedule the works. It got in touch with local systems integrator, Satin Audio Visual Systems, to install a solution that would enhance the atmosphere in the new space. In turn, Satin contacted local distributor, Thomsun Trading, to
‘The outdoor area used to be completely open but it has now been enclosed with glass doors that can be completely opened out when the temperature allows,’ explains Thomsun’s Alok Ghurde. ‘This change was included when we did our initial audio design so we have created a system that will work well in the new space.’
While the newly enlarged indoor area was the driving factor behind the upgrade, it also gave the opportunity for the lounge to take a general look at how it uses its system. The result was
a multi-zone solution that could be a powerful DJ setup in the main bar area and a more general background solution in the other zones.
‘There are three zones here and there is a fourth one outdoors,’ furthers Mr Ghurde. ‘Two of the indoor zones are made up of sub and satellite systems from Yamaha – the VXS 5 for the satellites and the VXS10S subs. Each of these act as stereo systems. In zone two the satellites are in a low impedance stereo systems that make up the zones in the different seating and terrace areas. Audio is processed by a Yamaha MTX3 matrix processor and sent to a pair of Work WD421 audio distributors
rest of the zones. A DCP4V4S wall-mounted controller provides access and control over each of the zones.
‘Around the bar area there is a slightly bigger active system,’ notes Mr Ghurde. This comprises four Yamaha DXR8 active full-range speakers with two Yamaha DXS15 active subs concealed within the bar. Providing the source in this area is a Pioneer DJM900 mixer with CDJ2000 players. ‘The DJ has control over a bit of the PA and balance as well. Although they don’t have access to the DSP, through the Work WD421s they have separate control over the subs on the sides of the bar so if required they can pump the bass levels higher as the night requires.’
While the overall solution is relatively straightforward, the timing of the project provided some challenges for the integrator. ‘The biggest challenge was doing this in phases during Ramadan,’ explains Mr Ghurde. ‘They had a particular area that could move onto other areas. The refurbishment was happening in stages while the venue was still running.
‘As the project took place during Ramadan, there was also a challenge with work timing,’ he continues. ‘The time they could work was very short, after 10 o’clock in the morning until 3 o’clock in the afternoon. That was not a lot of time to get everything done.’
With these challenges overcome, the project was completed on time. The result is a solution that allows for even audio around the original indoor area, terrace and the newly enclosed space. More than this, the installation has allowed Al Moroc to boost its business by maximising its iconic location throughout the year.
d3.fajridemo.com/satin/ www.thomsunmusiconline.com
www.yamahaproaudio.com
A massive training campus in Northern Iran is serving as a case study for Simon Luckhurst
KESHAVARZI BANK IS ONE OF THE OLDEST AND LARGEST
extensive ground excavation of the speaker’s cable piping. Considering the time limitations we were working to, this was a considerable challenge.’
For the 160-seat amphitheatre, a smaller system of Audac Axir and Kydo column speakers mounted to the surrounding walls adjoining control room. The manufacturer’s SX412 subwoofers have been deployed in the corner of the room next to the translation booths for low-end reinforcement, while an M2 audio matrix provides zoned control. A beyerdynamic SIS122 simultaneous translation system for 160 people facilitates multilingual discussions. Outside the amphitheatre is a lobby area capable of seating 250 guests if extra space is required. Here, additional audio coverage is from wall-mounted LX523s distributed around the space.
A 100-seat VIP hall for international conferences is now home to eight Ateo6 cabinets mounted to the perimeter walls, as is the complex’ Islamic prayer area. In addition to the Ateo6s, the mosque also sports a Sennheiser XSW65GB wireless microphone system allowing the pastors unrestricted movement when issuing their sermons. For smaller, more tailored discussions and seminars, the complex houses 10 classrooms that have each been equipped with LX523 active cabinets and Panasonic VX42 projectors for presentations and multimedia
with WX802 cabinets throughout. Tying the massive site together, a combination of Audac HS208T horn and WX302, WX502, WX503 and WX802 outdoor wall-mounted speakers have been deployed across 12 zones coastline for music playback and paging functionality that can be controlled from WX5066 wall panels installed at three locations. With the mammoth installation completed on time, Mr Zakeri can now relax and enjoy the fruits of his team’s labour. ‘I am very happy about this project as I love to carry out complicated and challenging work,’ he shares. ‘Furthermore, the client is totally the way I handle the projects, and whenever they have future
‘I will also provide the proper after-sales service for the bank,’
The city of Babolsar is somewhat of a hotspot of training centres for large corporations in Iran, and Mr Zakeri hopes that his company’s successful work with Keshavarzi Bank will spearhead future work. ‘Carrying out this project has also motivated ministries, banks and other organisations to have the
same package implemented in their own areas. I have already secured another future project as a direct result of our good work at the Babolsar Training Centre.’
Mr Zakeri believes the experience he has gained over more than three decades in the industry puts him in a unique position when it comes to projects of this scale and complexity in Iran. All of these attributes are paying dividends for Samnejad Gostaran at a time when Iran’s business sector is booming from the relaxation of sanctions.
www.audac.eu
www.samnejadgostaran.com
THE MUSICAL, BUT DISTINCTLY RESIDENTIAL, ROSEBANK suburb of Johannesburg is not the most obvious location for an award-winning recording studio. Yet it is home to High Seas Studios, a facility that is not only surviving in South Africa’s tough economic climate, it is thriving.
‘In South Africa I think it’s harder than anywhere else at the
on the genre. If you are into the metal scene then a lot of
guys are struggling, but if it is indie or alternative or anything hundreds of bands around here doing lots of shows and they While increasing business coming through the doors is a
control room, it gets a little crazy. We slowly built the studio and
PAGE
“After working with some of the best brands for the past 20 years, now I have to admit wholeheartedly that Roger’s Quested Speakers stand tall among them.”
High Seas Studios has expanded its footprint to better meet the needs of the bands it serves. James Ling takes a tour
The latest addition to the studio has seen a new, large control room added to the front of the building. The original live room remains, but it now also features an iso booth which has been created out of the old control room. ‘We are focusing more on doing live sessions so we now have iso booths for separation,’ explains Mr Du Plessis. ‘We can now do a vocalist in the booth and the rest of the band in the live room just for separation.
‘With the new space, it is tracking live as much as possible with the actual recording,’ continues the producer. ‘We did a band over the weekend where we did drum, bass, guitars and vocals all at the same time and a click track and it came out amazing. I’m going to approach that style of doing it a lot more now that I have the facilities to do it. Before I just had the one big room and you just had so much bleed that you couldn’t do it. It’s tried and tested, it’s worked all the years playing live so you might as well try and do it. You can still drop in and add in guitars and tune vocals here and there if you need to, but if you get the general feel of it live then it’s fantastic. You can’t beat it. Instead of spending an hour getting drum takes, an hour getting bass takes, I’d rather just sit them in there for two hours and get one take with everyone. It cuts down on the time and at the end everyone is more appreciative. When they are saying “just drop me in”
nobody ever gives a great take because they have as many drop ins as they need.’
When it came to the design for the expanded studio, as well as the equipment installed in there, High Seas turned to Benjamin Pro Audio. ‘Jacob van der Westhuizen at Benjamin Pro Audio designed all of this,’ furthers Mr Du Plessis. ‘The nice thing with Jacob is I would say “I think I need some woodwork”, or “I need this” and he just said “trust me”. He came back with this and I’ve been blown away. It is everything that we need. We’ve got a nice line of sight and we’ve got enough room in here for tonnes of people. You don’t need much more than this.’
Taking pride of place in the new control room is a minimal rack of outboard gear. ‘The Audient ASP880 is the main card I use,’ explains Mr Du Plessis. ‘Basically the whole drum kit goes
through the ASP880 and then one or two channels go through the preamps and into the Prism at the bottom. The Prism unit is one of the top converters around and it sounds great. The ASP880 is amazing with it.’
In addition to this, the rack is stacked with equipment from the likes of Warm Audio, Universal Audio, API and Drawmer as well as power conditioning from Furman. Completing the setup is a unit that looks slightly out of place at the bottom of the Mr Du Plessis. ‘I’ve used that and I’m never going to look back.’
Away from the rack there is no large format desk to handle the mix, with the producer opting for a simple Cubase setup instead. ‘In this day and age, you see all the top producers around the world are getting smaller and smaller studios and selling their big desks,’ he offers. ‘The only reason I chose Cubase was back in the day it was easier, you could use any soundcard. That was one of the reasons I stuck with them and I love them.’
Completing the setup is a monitoring solution that combines a variety of brands. ‘The B&Ws I have are amazing, I mix mostly through them and then I reference on the Yamaha NS10s,’ explains Mr Du Plessis. ‘It’s a nice combination and then I’ve got a little Genelec sub at the back that is going through both of them, it just gives that extra little bit of low end.’
With the project complete and the expanded facility once again serving its wide variety of clients, High Seas Studios market.
www.facebook.com/highseasstudios
EVEN AS VIEWING HABITS CHANGE, PEOPLE IN THEIR millions will still make the effort to tune in to TV talent shows. Sitting on the sofa with a glass of something and watching contestants’ hopes and dreams play out live is an enduring pastime and a guilty pleasure for many. The format is so popular that global franchises have been formed to bring a local element and ensure audiences can identify with the performers on show.
As you would expect, these productions are always highly polished and it’s rare for viewers to ever see anything go wrong. This is no accident. There is a highly skilled technical team working tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure that everything goes smoothly. These teams are often drawn from different companies, but as Pro AVL MEA sits down with some of the technical crew responsible for The Voice South Africa, it’s clear that there is a strong bond between them.
The second season of the show has just reached its culmination when we sit down with the programme’s broadcast sound engineer, SoundGP’s Cristo Hattingh, and its FOH live engineer, Multi-Media’s Adriaan van der Walt. The pair have been working closely on the live shows for several weeks and the respect they share for each other is clear. Their relationship has needed to be close. Not only do they both have responsibility for making the performers sound as good as possible to their respective broadcast and live audiences, they are also working from the same mixing platform and sharing a large amount of I/O.
‘The local Avid agent, Wild & Marr, was kind enough to loan us an S6L system on the second season of The Voice South Africa live shows,’ begins Mr van der Walt. ‘When I started working inputs. However, due to greater demand, the show is now well over a 100 inputs. These include feeds to and from two separate OB vans as well as 75 stage inputs. One of the OB vans, which
so it all pointed in the same direction and luckily everything eventually fell into place which made the loan possible.’
of house for in-house sound, all sharing the same I/O which allows ownership on different output cards as well,’ adds Mr Hattingh. ‘I gave some of my output cards to Adriaan for FOH outputs but we all shared the true gain which is not like the typical gain, trim and follow. True gain is basically both consoles having full gain access off the preamp. Nothing Adriaan does can affect me and nothing I do can affect him. It’s not like where if Adriaan grabs the gain, then my system in the background would be trimming down, which is what some other consoles do. The true gain establishes the preamp in the unit and then on the
Broadcasting live to an audience of millions requires a watertight technical setup and solid teamwork. James Ling meets the team behind The Voice South AfricaSoundGP’s Cristo Hattingh Multi-Media’s Adriaan van der Walt The SoundGP OB van
system whoever accesses that port has full gain capacity from zero all the way to full gain without the other person ever knowing what is going on.’
One of the key features of the desks that helped both engineers prepare for the shows was the virtual soundcheck facility. ‘For each week’s live broadcast on a Sunday evening, we start off with two days of soundchecks and rehearsals with full band and talent,’ begins Mr van der Walt. ‘The following day there was no band, by means of the virtual soundcheck, with the talent singing along so the camera crew can rehearse camera shots and production can work on choreography. This means the audio team get to focus on the talent and other related issues like change-overs and the like.’
going straight to air, R128 compliant. There is no loudness control down the line. We are doing an uplink, we line up
There’s a lot of pressure but we pull it off and it’s a great team of guys. I can’t do it by myself.’
To this end, Mr Hattingh is joined in the
a tight unit to make sure the broadcast runs smoothly. ‘Quinton Davies from Alpha Cam was sitting in the van running VTs with presenters and all the coach mics,’ furthers the broadcast engineer.
contestant stays on stage and Quinton takes ownership of the mic so that he can look after the interview. I immediately go into the next scene. The band is all on in-ear monitors on a Livemix personal monitor system and the music director immediately plays the next song to them – they have to learn so many songs so it is just a refresher. What he plays them is what they did that afternoon.
‘Once the band has listened, by that time the monitor engineer has changed his scene and the music director checks that the next contestant can hear him, the click track and the count,’ he continues.
‘All this is happening while there are other
‘We would record the Thursday and Friday rehearsals to make backing tracks for the artists to go and rehearse with,’ agrees Mr Hattingh. ‘Then on a Sunday morning we would run the full dress backup recording. When that was done, I would switch over and I was reworking the songs, getting my snapshots ready for the show. You can do that with the material from the Thursday and Friday, but on show day adrenaline is up, performance levels are different and everything is settled.’
While they have different audiences, both engineers are essentially using the S6L for the same purpose – mixing the performance live. ‘We were doing a full music mix and the creative element of
‘I wasn’t running active snapshots that were going on a timeline, I would have a start point for a song and then mix the
The Voice now is we are pretty much
things going on onstage. He will remind them of the key, ask the guitarist to strum a chord – Adriaan at FOH has got his band VCA down so none of this is going to anybody else but the in-ears. After this, we know that everything is working and there is no drop out. Adriaan at FOH can’t do all of this with us because he’s in the live setting. I can do this because Quinton is handling the talking bit so we can really focus well on the music. When we go into that song it’s not like I’ve just hit recall and there we go, I’ve checked my mic, I’m on the right thing, I’ve had time to change
While there is much more to the technical setup behind the broadcast, the key element is the people involved. It is their familiarity with each other and understanding of what they all need to do that help productions such as The Voice South Africa become successful.
www.multi-media.co.za
www.soundgp.co.za
WHEN ROY MILLINGTON FIRST MET ANDREW COLLEY IN equipment store called Johnson Soundround, a plan to grow a global pro audio brand was never on the agenda. However, their joint interest in gigging, discotheques and electronics lured them away from their respective trades in TV today simply as Cloud. The year was 1980 and the economic the weather following the decision by Margaret Thatcher’s government to cease subsidising the steel mills and foundries. store, repair centre and nationwide installation service. They soon came to the conclusion that their efforts were best placed in manufacturing following the successes of the Disco
development was heading towards a growth in gyms, retail outlets and restaurants/bars. ‘We initially developed our audio,’ Mr Millington reveals. ‘It served us well as we could apply the same principles to other applications where users also products through their paces.’
Over the following two decades, Mr Millington and his engineers created the CMX mixers, zone mixers and a series of zoning by a number of Bose business music system dealers in countries the Cloud founders opted to pursue their preferred exit strategy of an MBO, ensuring the ongoing survival of their legacy as opposed to the more common approach of a trade sale. Both Mr Millington and Simon Curtis were acquaintances of old, and having bumped into one other at the Palme exhibition in Dubai, they shared a beer and the rest is history.
buy-out, the recession had a dramatic impact for the private sector in North America and particularly the UK,’ he recalls. ‘We experienced a 30% decline in revenue sales year-on-year and immediately hit reverse gear.’
existed and so survival was paramount. ‘At this time when many other businesses were defaulting and breaching covenants, the the failing business. At that time Cloud couldn’t service its debts
the storm. To simplify, you
Despite having accrued invaluable management experience
that simply engineer artisan products anymore. One of the things that excites me most is our close relationship with contractors being the manufacturer that supplies DJ products alongside
products were battered and abused in those discotheques by these end users.’
With the recession gradually disappearing in the rear view mirror, attention could be turned to the emerging pro A/V landscape. ‘It’s now either a tech-race to the top or a cost-race to the bottom. At one end of the scale, you have the global
little left in the vacuum in between, with only a little space for In addition to inheriting a renowned audio manufacturer, with no price tag attached to them. ‘Roy and Andrew taught me the importance of sound tests and I feel that I have not only
The recent history of Cloud Electronics has seen its founders hand over to a new generation and the weathering of that Richard Lawn charts the progress
Simon Curtis
adopted those values, but I have enhanced them. When our Cloud has adapted to develop products and solutions that are sympathetic to this trend.’
there’s a talent pool here to match,’ says Mr Curtis. ‘However, in trouble.’
A/V, transportation and corporate applications. ‘But that’s where I come in – we try to listen carefully to our customers values resonate.’ development has shaped a new Cloud, based on userwe developed the new speaker models to operate with our reliability and usability credentials. Our speaker development
friendly functionality and ease of use.’
as Bluetooth audio interfaces, which are often an audio our products for the real world.’
his team and the company’s achievement but remains bemused by the current economic climate – one in which Cloud doesn’t
that are relevant to customer demands in this business. You and admired British brand. To own your own brand and business
For now, the storm clouds of the recession have scattered, economic climate. ‘We’ve experienced a cycle of opportunity, product development.’
‘Cloud must remain relevant and competitive.’
www.cloud.co.uk
www.cloudusa.com
MOST AUDIO TEST AND MEASUREMENT IS DONE BY running test tones of known frequency and amplitude through a device under test (or DUT) and looking at how the tones are altered at the device’s output across the audible frequency spectrum. Usually the gain of a device is relatively consistent and does not change based on the level and duration of the test tones. But how do you test a device where the gain is not consistent?
This is the problem at the heart of testing any audio device recorders, signal processors, codecs, PA systems, audio workstations and hearing aids. AGC is typically used to limit the dynamic range of audio signals in a variety of applications: in electronics, to prevent overload due to clipping; in broadcast, to prevent over-modulation; in music production, to facilitate balancing the levels of different tracks, or to increase the overall perception of volume; in recorders, to eliminate the need to manually set levels; or in PA systems, to help maximise intelligibility in noisy environments. AGC may also be used to expand dynamic range, often to increase sonic impact or to remove background noise.
AGC is referred to by many different names, depending on the exact application, device and convention in the particular industry that is manufacturing the device. Common variations include compressor, limiter, ALC (automatic level control), AVC (automatic volume control), leveler, expander or gate.
The presence of AGC means that additional tests need to be included in the test routine to characterise the AGC action and how it affects the signal. This article explains how to go about such testing.
The audio analyser that is used must be able to generate a level instantly without instability or artefacts. To analyse the attack and release times, it must be capable of measuring the RMS level over very small time increments. Alternatively, of the acquisition. For measuring frequency response during compression, the instrument needs to include multi-tone analysis.
The effect of AGC may clearly be seen and measured by applying a step function and creating a graph showing level versus time.
Figure 1 shows the source signal produced by the generator of an audio analyser, and Figure 2 shows the analysed signal after it has passed through a compressor.
All AGCs are variations of the same basic topology, shown
detector/control circuit, which controls the gain of the VGA. More elaborate variations on this basic design include an dependent control and multiple thresholds. Some older analogue compressors use a feedback instead of feedforward design, where the sidechain input is taken after the VGA instead of before it.
AGC settings or properties can be divided into two categories: dynamic properties, which are time-related, and static properties, which are not time-related. All AGCs have these properties, although not all devices allow them to be adjusted. The dynamic properties of attack and release time
Attack time: The time interval between onset of an increase in level and the point when the output level has stabilised to
Release (recovery) time: The time interval between onset of a reduction in level and the point when the output level has
applicable standard (2 to 4dB). Figure 4 and Figure 5 show zoomed-in portions of the RMS Envelope from Figure 2, illustrating the time calculation points.
To test the dynamic operation of an AGC, we provide a stepped level function to its input, where the high level causes compression to engage and the low level does not. The static properties of threshold, ratio and knee are begins to alter gain. The meaning of ‘begins to’ here is change in input over change in output, expressed in decibels, for an increase in level over the threshold. Knee is the region on the curve where the input–output function changes from linear to compressed. A ‘hard knee’ denotes a sudden change, while a ‘soft knee’ denotes a more gradual transition. Although some devices maintain a constant ratio once outside of the knee region, others do not. This is not an indication of quality, as this characteristic may be desirable
Both dynamic and static AGC properties can be measured at different frequencies to see if the AGC action is frequencydependent.
The international standards that apply to AGC devices do not cover dynamic range expansion, but can be used to test such devices with similar results. All the standards utilise a lowhigh-low step function, similar to the one shown in Figure 1. General-purpose AGC devices are covered by IEC standard 60268-8:1973. It is written to be applied to a broad variety of devices, and allows quite a bit of user discretion in choosing test settings. It should be noted that since many devices do not specify the standard and conditions used to derive their results that you get for a DUT may differ considerably from those in its published specs.
the standards. For hearing aids, the standards also specify how the equipment should be positioned and how references should be set. It is essential therefore to read and follow those guidelines before attempting to make measurements. The parameters for the standards: frequency (required and/or optional test frequencies); step size (the difference between the high and low level steps in the test signal), and
The test and measurement of audio devices that feature built-in automatic gain control, also known as AGC, requires special care and attention.
Adam Liberman explains whyAdam Liberman Figure 1 step function, source Figure 2 step function, after passing through a compressor Figure 3 compressor block diagram Figure 4 attack time calculation (using 2dB stabilisation) Figure 5 release time calculation (using 2dB stabilisation)
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input level (high and low – applies only to hearing aids).
Generator settings for IEC 60268-8 measurements
Frequency response of the compression sidechain
signal path.
www.ap.com
Figure 6 cursors at point where audio is compressed by 1dB Figure 7 generator level versus output level for various thresholds Figure 8 generator level versus output level for various ratios Figure 9 generator level versus output level for hard, medium and soft knee settings Figure 10 frequency response using continuous sweep measurementThe four-day AES@NAMM Pro Sound Symposium offers a unique, high-end education and training program, targeted at professionals working in live sound, recording and audio for the performing arts. AES@NAMM will be held in the Anaheim Hilton Hotel, next door to a brand-new ACC North Hall, showcasing some of the biggest names in pro-audio.
at a steady and surprisingly rapid clip. There are the glass-and-steel homages, like the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum in Cleveland, the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles and the Frank Gehry-designed/ Paul Allen-funded Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle.
Then we have the ‘organic’ establishments, often sited in the very recording studios that once produced the music the new galleries purport to honour. These include the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis and the Motown Museum in Detroit. A few of these could be called hybrid: Sun Studios is a museum by day and a working recording
has also been applied to RCA Studio B in Nashville.
If it feels like music is losing some cultural traction, take solace in the fact that the A/V it uses in the amber it’s lately being preserved
in seems to be more than adequately replacing the Marshalls and Fenders of the past. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame & Museum underwent a US$7-million makeover upgrade, and about US$1.5 million of that is going into the A/V systems. One could imagine Buddy Holly’s spirit arching an eyebrow over the technology.
audio installations a decade and a half ago,
audio players, along with the inclusion of fullrange speakers to more accurately reproduce music’s broader bandwidth. When walking through a museum dedicated to music that arrived in the vinyl era, older visitors (most museumgoers) will quickly ear-check substandard sound when it comes to records they were brought up on.
Music museums are raising the quality bar for all audio at all museums. At a gathering of the American Association of Museums
TO ALIENS LANDING FROM THE PLANET Zarg, the Glastonbury Festival – held most years at the end of June in England’s pastoral Hang on; scratch that. Aliens from any quadrant would land at Glastonbury and feel right at home. In fact, they might well be how they’d ended up back where they started, even though all navigational systems indicated of unhinging weirdness would only become necessary, as they slithered quietly further
Shepton Mallet.
Despite or because of this, Glastonbury has become a British institution and national treasure in the manner of late DJ John Peel, cross-dressing author Quentin Crisp and sticky food paste Marmite: that is to say, its perverse oddness is celebrated with relish. And despite or because of that, it’s become an annual
battleground for pro audio bragging rights. If you’ve done a load-in at Glastonbury, you’ve not only earned your spurs but also generated enough kudos to last a lifetime, or at least a few rounds of cider in The King Arthur. With bragging rights comes marketing potential, so over the years the claims and counter claims of most leading brands in sound reinforcement have echoed around the gently sloping relief of Worthy Farm, whose owner Michael Eavis has been welcoming Glastonbury’s alternative constituency on and off since 1970. In those days, renowned loudspeaker designer Tony Andrews, now of UK-based manufacturer Funktion One, could be found tinkering with mid-range, coneloading techniques that would eventually surface in the famous Turbosound TMS-3, so that when Mr Andrews persuaded Mr Eavis to revive the Glastonbury Festival as an annual event in 1979, it triggered a point-scoring relationship between Glastonbury, Turbosound
that took place at the Grammy Museum in 2009, Sue Lepp, vice president at Design & Production, which did the original systems installations at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, recalled how art museum directors were cocking their ears with envy at the facility’s sound. ‘They come to a place like the Grammy Museum and it makes them want the same for their museums,’ she told me. ‘There’s a kind of one-upmanship that drives that industry, and music museums have helped propel audio quality throughout it.’ The most recent, and certainly most effective, example of how music museums are driving audio is found at Their Mortal Remains, the Pink Floyd retrospective exhibition running this year at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. It’s also a showcase for Sennheiser’s Ambeo 3D immersive sound platform, which is used to recreate a song performed during the band’s 2005 Live 8 concert in London. The
remix of the song, Comfortably Numb, plays monitor loudspeakers and eight Neumann KH 870 subwoofers. The ‘performance’ is a coda to the trip through Pink Floyd’s history, via carefully curated artefacts while listening to interviews and music played on Sennheiser’s GuidePort wireless system while wearing Sennheiser model HD 2.20s wireless headphones.
Sennheiser is happy to point out that Pink Floyd were using Sennheiser’s microphones back in the day, but that’s a detail that would be lost on most of those who view the exhibit. More to the point, pro audio systems and
of music is a fast track for this. Seeing and hearing your music in an institutional setting may be either satisfying or disturbing, but take heart that, at least, it’s sounding better than ever once it’s in there.
Britannia Row that lasted 23 years. Then in 2003 it all changed. Detractors of line array will say that environmental noise complaints surrounding Glastonbury only began after Nexo’s Geo-T was brought in by new contractor SSE Audio that year –contrasting it with a trimmable top row of point source clusters such as Turbosound’s Flashlight. Since then, an extremely high-
for the supremacy of rigging the Pyramid Stage has ensued. In 2007, Mr Andrews himself returned with a Funktion One Res 5 system, but trouble followed when acoustics, to compromise the system’s performance – a situation fully exploited by festival outsider RG Jones, a rental company based in London, which turned to UK brand and ancient Turbosound rival Martin Audio for help, beginning the following year with the Longbow line array.
By 2014, a new kit on the block had
persuaded Glastonbury organisers that it could deliver the Holy Grail and King Arthur could rest in his sarcophagus: Martin Audio’s Multi-Cellular Loudspeaker Array, which has helped to consolidate RG Jones’ position in the pecking order ahead of several festival veterans. But not Skan PA: ever-present supplier to the second-largest stage at Glastonbury since 1989. It’s a broad church, Glastonbury.
One of my favourite memories of being there involves the father of Paul and Phil Hartnoll, who was watching his two sons in their guise as pioneering techno duo Orbital; an industry market leader Linea Research and the editor of Pro AVL MEA. No more needs to be said, other than this: the aliens who landed that night – and followed us to an all-night Glastonbury Festival fringe encampment called Lost Vagueness – had their minds expanded beyond Alpha Centauri. As I recall,
Is the improved sound quality demanded at music museums raising A/V standards at other establishments? asks Dan Daley
Phil Ward muses on how Glastonbury provides some serious bragging rights for the UK’s audio industry
the struggles that the regional industry is facing as well as the ingenuity and technical ability of South Africa’s entertainment technology community. The challenges were there for all to see. Where in previous editions there had been many large, multi-level booths and individual manufacturer stands, these yet the aisles seemed wider and there were some prominent names missing. While for many shows this would have been seen in a negative light, at Mediatech it provided the space for
The event has always had its fair share of educational opportunities and this was true once again with theatres dedicated to broadcast and live technology. Alongside this, many of the local distributors, such as ApexPro, had also taken separate demo rooms to host a range of seminars from their manufacturers and others like Wild & Marr had built-in demo facilities on their booths.
There were equally chances to see the equipment put through its paces in a practical setting with elements including a Black Box theatre and regular light shows. Outside, the loudspeaker shootout and OB vans on display meant that interests from every aspect of the market were catered for.
As always, DWR Distribution went the extra mile to
‘The mix of people and products are what makes it work. It’s not a broadcast A/V show, it’s everything. That makes it a lot more attractive for us. Most of the people we are meeting are new or different types of customers.’ Rob Sherman, Sony Professional Solutions MEA
‘We have taken a very different approach to our stand with a very clear intent of how we wanted Mediatech to work for us and I think we’ve achieved our aims. We’ve had a really good done more business directly from the stand, so it’s our best event yet.’ Alison Taman, Audiosure
‘We consider these kind of shows as a good opportunity to bring as many people into contact with our product as we possibly can so we’re very glad to say that we’ve been very successful here. Our demos have been packed, people stayed even though they lasted for an hour.’ Markus Schmittinger, Bosch
‘I think the quality of people we are talking to is a lot better, it’s more decision-makers and technical people. You actually have meetings about proper deals and when you show someone a piece of technology, they understand what you are going on about.’ Richard Smith, Sound Harmonics
‘The MXCW, our new wireless conferencing system, has been getting a lot of interest. Our Designer software is also getting a lot of interest. We have been running demos inside the booth and it has been very busy.’ Moswain Antão, Shure MEA
‘There seems to be quite a good range between people who are entry-level customers right the way up. Lots of people are interested and have done their research and know about things already which is brilliant but surprising.’ Bradley
Watson, Martin Audio‘There has been a very big interest from the A/V market and houses of worship, but a very strong interest from the broadcast industry. We’re having the right conversations, we’re seeing the right people.’ Kevin King, AJA
‘We took a risk in trying something different. We transported back again. Guests were introduced to our robot, Jeffrey, and enjoyed an entertaining lighting show in our spaceship-themed demo room, while also meeting up with both our international suppliers and the DWR team.’ Duncan Riley, DWR Distribution
ensure its visitors were entertained. While it had many of highlight was through a portal and a short bus ride away. At the distributor’s warehouse, the DWR team created a spectacular lighting show that took visitors away from the convention, but more importantly for everyone else, brought them back too.
These features, combined with the biennial nature of the event, ensured that Mediatech drew a high level of visitor. Many companies reported that while the quantity may be similar or slightly lower than in previous editions, the quality decision-makers walking the aisles and conversations were of a more technical nature.
This is not to say that Mediatech was all positive. The crowd was once again largely drawn from South Africa with fewer visitors from the rest of the continent. Equally, the absence of some prominent manufacturers, international representatives and distributors will also be disappointing for the organiser. For most people though, the positives far outweighed the negatives. The biennial timing and the broad spread of industry segments it covers means there will always be plenty of new equipment to see. When combined with the effort put in for organising training and entertainment over the three days, the favourable reaction is thoroughly deserved.
‘It’s not like every other show. We have been getting feedback from real end-users and that will go all the way back to product development. We didn’t expect that.’ Daniel Shih, Aten
I believe we still have opportunities to expand our business in this country but also throughout Southern Africa.’ Takashi Tsunoyama, TASCAM
‘It’s a busy show and there is a lot of interest in Lectrosonics. I’ve seen a lot of broadcasters out of South Africa, but there has also been some international interest from Namibia.’ Jim Bakker, Lectrosonics
‘
Sennheiser 3D sound, QSC and the d&b Q series. It was a very nice collaboration and an interesting addition to Mediatech.’ Shawn Xavier, Stage Audio Works
‘We are getting to a point where tradeshows are getting a bit boring for visitors to just walk around. Tradeshows for us have become more of an event, more of a show kind of thing and that is the same here.’ Harry von den Stemmen, Robe ‘I would say the footfall seems a little less but we’ve had some quality meetings, everyone has seemed happy. I like
the fact that it’s every two years. If it were every year I think it would have closed years ago.’ Dave Budge, Harman ‘I think Mediatech is one of the best regional shows around the world. The economy is not good, but they still manage to get a lot of people here. It’s really interesting with the amount of international manufacturers exhibiting this year and it’s a really good blend with all the countries.’ Simon Oates, Tadco
‘We are highlighting solutions that we feel cover a good 70% to 80% of the market, things like our presentation solutions
and our DSPs. I think the key product that we are showcasing is the Crestron Mercury all-in-one collaborative solution.’ Rupert Denoon, Crestron
‘The show has actually been very good this year. Compared to two years ago, there are lots of people and good enquiries. This show doesn’t seem as busy as it was previously, but it has seemed better. There are a lot fewer students which
is why people are probably perceiving it to be less busy.’ Francois Lotter, ApexPro
PAVLMEA: How do you encourage people to come to the show?
SR: The angle that we take is talking to manufacturers who have got a distribution network here already and getting them to either support the distributor or to try and come on their own. Really it is about educating the international market about the size of the South African market and what’s available. It encourages them to support their distributors. We get a fair number of visitors from outside of South Africa, but certainly not in the numbers that I would like to see. That has always been a challenge for us.
PAVLMEA: How are you looking to entice more people from the rest of Africa?
SR: We’re trying to focus on creating more experiential channel that into various different tracks. We’ve tried to look through the eyes of a visitor in terms of what they
Things like Black Box is a collaboration of production companies for distributors and manufacturers to create a little experience there and then add a little educational element to it too. I think it’s worked incredibly well. The element that I’d like to improve is the type of show that we do, to take it to the next level and see if we could use it as more of an educational process.
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PAVLMEA: How do you balance education with real estate on the show floor?
SR: This year from a real-estate point of view we’re probably down 10% in exhibitor space.
been an important topic. We didn’t have a lot in that space and that is why we put that VR booth and experience together and the drone element as well.
2017 Dates: 19 – 21 July
2019 Dates: TBC
Venue: TicketPro Dome, Johannesburg
Total exhibitors: 130
Attendance: 7,554
Contact: www.mediatech.co.za
At the end of Mediatech, Pro AVL MEA caught up with event director, Simon Robinson, to address some of the issues brought up at the showClear-Com’s Richard Palmer demonstrates FreeSpeak II Rupert Denoon with the Crestron Mercury RTS’ Nico Lewis with Tru-Fi’s Richard Fulton and Lectrosonics’ Jim Bakker Luke Wu and Daniel Shih from Aten Christie had a scaled down presence Advice for attendees on the Alpha Tec booth Educational presentations took place in the Black Box The outdoor demo drew regular crowds in the sunshine
IT HAS BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE YAMAHA ACQUIRED Revolabs. In that time it has very much been business as usual for both companies. But the CS-700 has changed that. This the two companies have worked together on a single product and the DNA of both is clearly evident.
The start of the development process saw the companies identify a growing market where they both had strengths: the huddle space. ‘A number of us at Revolabs, myself included, actually come from the video conferencing business, so we could see some trends in the market,’ begins Mark Reid, Revolabs’ vice president of engineering. ‘If you look back 20 years, people created big purpose-built room systems which came from one vendor. As the markets progressed, two things have happened. First, a move to commodity hardware; people can deploy systems in rooms on an Intel NUC. Second, you see a lot more companies using Google Hangouts, Zoom or Skype for Business, where people bring their laptop to the room and that is the host. The way people use rooms now, they go in and they want to click and join a meeting. It’s not really important to them which app they use, they just want an easy way to use the room.’
The companies recognised that this change in approach created opportunities, particularly within the smaller end of these spaces. ‘Lots of companies have small rooms where people get together for meetings,’ observes Mr Reid. ‘There are a lot of names for them, but huddle room seems to be the one
that’s sticking in this industry. We put all our market research together and looked at what we could build that would make this use case incredibly easy for people. We wanted people to walk into a room and plug one USB cable into a laptop and have a camera, speakers and a microphone of great quality on the wall and then you can get to the display. That was the
We basically OEM’d parts of the camera and built that into the CS-700. The process was really to get the elements of a camera optimised for a huddle room. So it was different from developing a video codec or something like that.’
The resulting product drew on the relative skill-sets of both manufacturers. ‘Yamaha builds soundbars and if you look at the design, the CS-700 is a soundbar that has been beefed up a little bit,’ says Mr Reid. ‘It has a camera in it and an SIP stack so it can act as a phone. It also has the speakers, microphone and echo cancellation present in our traditional audio conference products. We took Yamaha’s speakers and their audio technology and connected it with our conferencing and phone technology. We added the camera technology (that’s new for both companies) and built it into a form factor that we call a video soundbar.
‘This product is not a video conferencing system because we are not processing the video,’ continues the vice president. ‘We essentially built a web camera. That camera is very similar to any camera that you might plug into a USB port. What we did
While the product drew on familiar ground for both companies, the process itself was highly collaborative. ‘The biggest accomplishment reached by this product for the newly-created Yamaha UC department was to combine Yamaha’s quality process with Revolabs’ development and product that we are building as part of the Yamaha UC team that has the Yamaha name on it, so the biggest collaboration that we had was learning what Revolabs had to change in our development and testing processes to earn the Yamaha name.
‘We had to do a very extensive set of tests for all the standards that are in many cases well beyond what would be required by the industry,’ he continues. ‘Any standard Yamaha’s products have requirements that are above what the standards bodies require of you. It does add some cost and it adds some time in design and development, but in the end the product is going to be more reliable and more robust for the customer. That is the Yamaha brand right there. It’s a
different approach. US companies tend to drive to market as will see other elements come to the fore. ‘We are getting really makes sense from a go-to-market perspective and
especially in companies where they’ve created a lot of these smaller conference rooms.’
phones and they have USB phones so there are a lot of places
www.revolabs.com
www.yamahacommercialaudio.com
CRYPTOCURRENCIES LIKE BITCOIN HAVE garnered a lot of negative press over the years. Their perceived anonymity and association with ransomware payments and transactions on the dark web have cast suspicion over their use. Add to this the wide why their progress into the payments market has been slow.
But progress has been made. There is a sense of positivity growing behind them with a viable payment option. Former US Federal Reserve chairman, Ben Bernanke, can see their long-term promise ‘particularly if the innovations promote a faster, more secure
Microsoft founder, Bill Gates, described
Away from soundbites, there is increasing evidence of these cryptocurrencies gaining a foothold in the real world. Bitcoin exchanges, where you can transfer physical money into the cryptocurrency and vice versa, while still not common, are a less unfamiliar sight. Added to this, an increasing number of respected retailers are now accepting payment through this method. Around the world, brands as well known and varied as Expedia, Subway, Virgin Galactic and Dell all see cryptocurrencies as a valid way to pay for their services.
company from the events services industry. Dubai-based rental company, Subsonic, is the global pioneer in accepting Bitcoin as a payment method, but why has it made this choice and should other players in the global industry follow its lead?
‘We see cryptocurrencies as the future
Subsonic co-founder, Bruno Vitanza. ‘There are companies in the UAE that are already accepting Bitcoin and there are now two Bitcoin exchanges in the country. The UAE
has said it wants to lead the world for cryptocurrencies by 2020 and it is going to offer the option to pay for all services in Bitcoin. There are other cryptocurrencies that are interesting at the moment, but Bitcoin was
‘We feel that our international clients and suppliers who adopt this payment system will speed of Bitcoin over the blockchain other co-founder. ‘More importantly, the international remittance fee of 1% on transactions is substantially lower than that with other money transfer methods, which bear much higher costs. We believe this to be
While Mr Vitanza admits that no one has yet in this way, he believes it is only a matter of time. More importantly, he can see one of user of Bitcoin.
‘It is individuals rather than companies that currently have trust in Bitcoin, so I can see local bands who want to hire something reasons. ‘Subsonic at the moment has a lot of single or dual in-ears and microphone sets for bands. We have started to receive calls from nightclubs and individual singers or bands who just want one thing for two nights sometimes they give us a cheque or it could
be a bank transfer. We wanted to add another option, so that is why we decided to accept
Importantly, Mr Vitanza also believes there is no risk to offering this option. ‘It costs us a 1% fee to the exchange house to accept this kind
technically robust the currency is. ‘Bitcoin is offers. ‘You put money in and it is a long-term investment. When you send the invoice, the worry about a change in value when your
company in the world to accept payment this way, through his research, Mr Vitanza has found other related businesses that are also active in this market. ‘There is a company in Russia that allows concert-goers to pay for their tickets More importantly though, he can see other players in the industry taking the same route.
‘We see it as an investment in the movement. It is not rocket science to implement Bitcoin movement.
‘When you accept a payment using Bitcoins, you have the option to keep everything in Bitcoins or you could have it all in a traditional currency by moving it straight into a traditional keep a good chunk in Bitcoins but we still need turnover to pay suppliers in Dirhams, so
advantages to the payment method. ‘The
Vitanza. ‘BitPay is the largest operator and takes one day to process a transaction. However, you have to send the invoice through While Mr Vitanza makes a strong case for accepting cryptocurrencies, there are still
‘I have the feeling that backline companies and maybe music shops will follow the lead individuals. Equally, ticket sales and event food
Mr Vitanza sees more than just a novelty value in offering the service. ‘If we offer this alternative, there are two positives. First it is an option for our customers and second, and most importantly, we are part of the movement showing that there is more to cryptocurrencies than just the bad impressions people have at the moment. People might question our move right now, but if we can help the cryptocurrency movement and encourage others in the industry to follow, hopefully we will be sending invoices with a QR www.subsonic.ae
‘ It is individuals rather than companies that currently have trust in Bitcoin, so I can see local bands who want to hire something for their gig paying with the currency
’
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